first day

First day of school- nerves....spent the day before at school volunteering with PTO and the kids got to run around for about 3 hrs with their friends...what a difference a year makes :) Got up early to cook some sausage and biscuits. Dropped off the kids at elementary and I was a little teary watching them go in and head to pre-k with walker. I walked him in and he reached up and grabbed my hand and said " I feel a little shy" ..and then as we are walking in said "why do I have to go to school mommy"...bit the inside of my cheek so I wouldn't cry and also I had breezily told his teacher "no problem he's my 3rd" when she warned me about "no crying" He did fine and I watched him through the window..no tears from him...held it together until the car and cried all the way home and on/off during the day...watsa matta wid me! They all had a fab day...Coleman talked more than all the previous 4 yrs combined...he got a fab teacher Mr. G who he loves and is excited about, Olivia was mad b/c she had a homework page on the first day, and Walker ....loved it and when we prayed said he like school and on his fave thing of the day said "school" so yay for the first day.

olivia- 8

Party at INK-imagination museum

Love this cake-it was perfect

Olivia is 8 and I don't like it :). She was a beautiful newborn and a momma's girl which was great and not great. Hard to get on the sleep routine and when I would let her cry it out for so many minutes and go in to comfort her it would only make it worse. I finally went to the kitchen where I couldn't hear her as well and waited it out..it took about 3-4 days but finally turned into a sleeping champion.. I had made the mistake of letting her sleep with me due to health issues with both her and Coleman with many ER trips so I was exhausted but she was spoiled....anyway
Love this grin of hers!

Family party with the crew...always need Zoey

sweet Olivia..who usually listens, minds first, deep thinker, takes things to heart, tender heart who cries or doesn't like it when the boys get into trouble ...esp Caleb who runs to her when he doesn't get his way. She finally has overcome some things that have been difficult for her to deal with and has been praying about. She has a sweet spirit seems "spiritual" , graceful/slender --loves charades, creative with cutting out things in magazines, flexible but also has some strong opinions ...turning 8-sheesh! I'm very proud of her and know I can trust her behavour and decisions when I'm not around.

I love you-you are a treasure for me!

caleb

my sweet caleb- listening to the fish radio station...caleb says no, rock and wheel..over and over until i understood we will rock you "rock and roll song"..i turn it on ..he stands on the chair and says "turn it up and go way mommy" as he stomps his feet and claps.

How sweet he is (usually when he goes to bed and wakes up)...nite mommy, see u later (wayter), see u in da mornin, saying prayers...have to name everyone, woke him up early to pick walker up from school...he's sleepy face 1/2 awake and watching him in the mirror driving to the school and his sweet squished up face and his little grin..oh wish I could capture it somehow. we pass the horse field and caleb knows their schedule..horses eat bfast?, horses sleeping...today was a new day....in da barn? seepin?, I go to gin nas nics too. (gymnastics)? goin' homemommy? yes, caleb, ooohkay mommy, right now?, it is the terrible twos and figuring out his indep with hitting, being stubborn, not apologizing to his brothers/sister and sitting in time out longer than necess b/c he's mad

driving the tractor in high gear and the look of delight ....won't back down to low gear, slides into the garage.....watchin him.."go way mommy go work"-told him I was working in the garage.

Wearing goggles at the pool...why?, who knows, he could barely see out of them. Realizing you could touch the bottom of the baby pool and letting go of your death grip on me and scooting around the pool. You are a charmer and love to make us laugh..as in the last pic. So blessed to have you in our family!

first day of school 2010 Aug 11

First day of school- nerves for me :)....spent the day before at school volunteering with PTO and the kids got to run around for about 3 hrs with their friends...what a difference a year makes :) God has been so gracious to us and to me with my anxiety..with a great school, friends and teachers...we know the routine this year which is a nice feeling. Got up early to cook some sausage and biscuits. Dropped off the kids at elementary and I was a little teary watching them go in and headed to

u pre-k with walker. I walked him in and he reachedand grabbed my hand and said " I feel a little shy" ..and then as we are walking in said "why do I have to go to school mommy"...bit the inside of my cheek so I wouldn't cry .ok ready to turn around and run home. and also I had breezily told his teacher "no problem he's my 3rd" when she warned me about "no crying" He did fine and I watched him through the window..no tears from him...held it together until the car and cried all the way home and on/off during the day...watsa matta wid me! They all had a fab day...Coleman talked more than all the previous 4 yrs combined...he got a fab teacher Mr. G who he loves and is excited about, Olivia was mad b/c she had a homework page on the first day, and Walker ....loved it and when we prayed said he like school and on his fave thing of the day said "school" so yay for the first day.
Walker starting pre-k... You are so excited at the end of last yr to start your new school. "my school is boring..i want to go to my new school" He did great....I walked out saying "don't cry" "don't cry". Although he came home "delirious"...i mean coco never seen him so tired and out of it......next a.m....sick and throwing up so maybe it was part tired /part sick. Walker's pray at night "thank you God for da day...i love mommy...mommy is so pretty...haha that is the standard opening ....and then whatever has happened for the day. Walker was so sleepy first a.m....but so excited about his back pack...had any attached pencil holder which he was obsessed with and at the last min. i threw some pencils in b/c he wouldn't be happy until he had something in it..In the garage., the kids say why is water coming out of walker's backpack? Walker had taken a plastic cup and put it in the water bottle holder on the side of the back pack....so sweet.

-these 2 pics crack me up

Caleb's first day was a couple of weeks later......he was excited and the only pictures I got were before we got to the room b/c once we got there Caleb refused to have his pic taken and I mean REFUSED....he said BYe to me and that was that...Ms. Debbie and Ms. Roxie are his teachers. They ask if he is always in such a good mood.

Seriously...get out mom

on the hottest day

After the first roller coaster..we were a sweaty mess
but lots of giggles and fun

Coleman and OLivia earned 6 flags passes for reading and they expired right before school. Lesson learned....go right after school next yr....Due to scheduling, we picked the hottest day of the year so far with a heat index of supposedly 110 with weather advisorys. My only hope that smarter people would stay home and the park wouldn't be crowed....not to be...some tweener from some tween show was doing a concert that night ....very crowded for a Wed a park employee said. You could've wrung water from every article of clothing we had on! BUT the kids had fun and Walker and Olivia got to go on their first roller coaster ride. Walker was so excited and thanked me and Nana for taking him...his fave ride the semi train that went in circle. "thanks you so much mommy!" We could've used more time but had fun! thanks to nana who made it easier to split up!

Walker's first roller coaster...i had to hold his head afraid it would jerk off =) I think he was scared but felt like a big guy after..semitrucks was his fave

Resting with Nana

summer tidbits

These are my new friends...not sure how we feel about each other



My lawn looks like a 2 yr old cut his own hair

Caleb spent 1/2 day in his bicycle helmet and starting throwing gang signs after lunch

Walker says : wask insead of wasp , tormatoes (tornados), Walker at 4 referring to his past..."ya know, when I was a little kid"


Caleb saying good morning /talking to the horses every morning like they know him and can hear him


kids watching facing the giants..love they are getting it


walker/caleb aggravating each other ..I mean that 2 y/o can old his own and push Walker's buttons


caleb's kisses and gets and beds and fold his hands like he is praying and thats how he sleeps every night.

walker "prayers..kiss and hugs mommy" -everynight

The tradition continues .....nana believes in fire safety

..pls stop staying my name we are up to 3641 and there are 3 hrs till bedtime- this is when I need a time out


caleb..saying "home?" when we are out
giving up pacy....you lost it, did really fine but would find one and we'd see you streaking through giggling with a pacy in your mouth and would bury yourself in the couch pillows


Olivia serving everyone popcorn-very much a servant ...asking to pray at Unkey's bday dinner at Ocharley's.

a river runs through it

NO pictures...which maybe for the best

• went on a float trip with 2 brave friends and 4 kids
• thankfully they were pros and knew my "oh we'll all stick together wouldn't work..i mean they came with sticks for moving themselves in the tube..such experts
• the boys took off ahead of us latched together ..waiting on us slow pokes every now and then
• liv laid back on her tube like a princess while Ginger navigated her through all the rocks and sticking places
• Caleb sitting in my lap in stunned silence...not sure if he was relaxing or could believe his mother had him on a tube in a river...life jackets for all of course
• AND then it started to rain.........hard.........and i heard thunder ..and i prayed....dear God , please don't let us die..I'm a terrible parent...trees on the banks ..no where to get out...Caleb with his hat pulled low buried his face on my shoulder and whimpered "home, home?, mommy?"
• thankfully it stopped.....everyone commented on how good Caleb was....again I think he was in shock riding it out..every once and awhile he would say "home?" "we are almost done and the we'll cook hot dogs".."ok mommy"
• it was fun ..would do it again
• cook out at Anna Ruby with hot dogs...began to rain...so didn't get to do the fall hike.
• my abs feeling like I was doing 100 crunches
• my friends had a good time but was glad to go home to kid free house......I laughed..and took 4 kids home for baths and dinner....exhausted :)