The Strickland Family

11 Months

2012-01-29T17:17:00.000-06:00

I still haven't had a chance to take 11 month pictures of Tate. Well, I take that back - today I had a chance, but my camera battery died. Typical, huh? So here is a one picture 11 month post. Maybe I can add more later.

Only one more month until my sweet baby is one!!! Is it okay that I haven't finished the invitation or ordered it, but I know when and where the party is and just want to send an evite because I feel like I'm too late? Maybe just send a save the date - invitations will be in as soon as possible?

Nonetheless! Tate is so amazing. Simply amazing.

Tate wears 12-18 month clothes and size 4 diapers.

He eats around 3-4 six ounce bottles a day, 3 meals, and a snack. He is no longer a fan of baby food! He has almost sworn it off altogether. He still loves yogurt and real bananas, and he is a huge fan of biscuits and rolls.

Tate still takes either 2 two hour naps or 1 four hour nap, and he sleeps from around 6 or 7 pm to 6 am when we wake him up. He doesn't want to be rocked; he wants to be put down. This would bother me if he wasn't a cuddle bug when he was awake.

He still won't walk though!! Not even one step!! He will stand freely and balance well - even turn up a bottle or drink, but he won't move his feet! If you hold his hands and try to help him walk he pitches the biggest fit! He has no desire, so we are just encouraging him without pushing him too much. He will walk when he is ready, I suppose.

Tate lights up when Jonathan gets home in the evening. He gets excited and wants "Poppy" to pick him up immediately. If Jonathan doesn't - Tate fusses at him!

He still LOVES his sister so very much. He follows her around, plays with her, and "talks" to her. Here recently he started pouncing on her too - which I find hilarious.

Tate still just has the same four teeth. I got a great shot of them the other day so you could see what a pumpkin face he has. I just giggle at this picture; it is precious!

Tate LOVES balls and toys with wheels. He throws any and all toys too. He is 100% boy when it comes to toys and playing.

He LOVES to romp around on the couch and bed. I believe it is his favorite activity.

Tate loves anything silky, cool, and soft. He will rub it all over his face and snuggle it. I couldn't find a lovie that matched his favorite materials, so I made him one. It isn't perfection, but I am very proud of it. I made Addison one in pink because I knew she wouldn't let me get away with just making one for Tate. Fortunately, she loves hers a lot too!

Valentine's Cards

2012-01-25T19:50:00.001-06:00

Choosing Valentine's cards used to be SUCH a big deal when I was young. Your card and the one you chose for each friend had to be perfect (or they'd get the wrong idea? ha!). You had to make sure that you got the perfect, age appropriate cards too. Ah! THE STRESS! HA!

This year, I'm going to go with Tiny Prints valentine's cards and put both my kids' names on it to give to their daycare friends and send to our family members. We got our Christmas cards from Tiny Prints as well, and I was so thrilled with them. It took me forever to choose a Christmas card, and I imagine that Valentine's will be no different!

My new year's resolution was to send birthday cards and cards in general, so I put all my dates in Tiny Prints. They send me two reminders when the birthday is approaching - how perfect?!?! I highly recommend them, and you should totally follow them on

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest

My favorite to follow them on is Pinterest - not only because I'm obsessed but also because they have great holiday ideas!

I digress. Here are some of my favorite Valentine's cards:

Happy Shopping!!

WILW

2012-01-25T15:39:00.000-06:00

Link up with Jamie!

Warning- all pictures are from the phone and quality is awful!

{PARTY TIME}
I am LOVING that I am actually getting some things done for Tate's 1st birthday. The ~~invites~~ evites have gone out, and I made the wreath and mailbox decoration last night. I have an aqua and red theme with a red wagon touch. We are going to have brunch - which I am super excited about!

{ILLNESS}
I am LOVING that after 2 days of stomach virus at home, 2 days of picking up kids early from school, and a 2 hour doctor visit, that both my kids are okay to be at school and I've been able to do some work today!!! It was a rough start to the week, but the kiddos seem okay!

{NEW DISH}
I LOVE shopping clearance racks. If there are things that I really don't need but want, I will wait to see if it goes on sale, clearance, and then super clearance before I but it. I recently bought an infinity scarf from Target that was regularly $15, and I got it for $4. It was on sale for $7 for a while, but I waited it out. I also bought this dish from Belk for a mere $6.04 - tax and everything - down from $22. I am randomly collecting pieces for the kitchen, and I just fell in love with this one. I LOVE it. It is a large plate, but it is perfect for a serving platter.

In fact, after Christmas I went through all the Christmas stuff for weeks grabbing deals. I got this wrapping paper because I thought it would be perfect for wedding gifts or even miscellaneous gifts.

{ALABAMA}
Speaking of dishes, I have a done of Magnolia Lane Alabama dishes (still so many more to get). However, I finally got stands for all of them and put them above our cabinets in the kitchen. I LOVE the way it makes the kitchen feel with those dishes up there, and I LOVE that it is obvious that we are devoted to our Tide. I also LOVE that it doesn't match my kitchen decor, per say, but it does blend right in.

{COOKIE SHEET}
Monday I told you I crafted a cookie sheet at my party, and I LOVE the way it fits right in next to my desk in my classroom. It is SO handy too!!!

My favorite part of the sheet are my magnets though!!!

{BEYOND THE RACK}
I am in LOVE with this website. You can buy designer clothes, bags, jewelry, etc. for SO much cheaper than a department store. If you are interested in signing up, let me know so that I can get credit when you purchase!

Miscellany Monday

2012-01-23T09:56:00.001-06:00

Link up with Carissa HERE - I couldn't get the button to work? Maybe it is just me!

[ONE]
Craft Party
Friday night I hosted my second crafting party. This one I named "Pinterest Party" because the name is so much cuter - ha! I told everyone to bring an appetizer type item that they found on Pinterest. It was DELICIOUS! We had a fabulous spread of food, but I think they most popular dish was the cake batter dip because it tasted JUST LIKE cake batter (way to go, Kim!). It is pretty guilt-free too! Every dish was fabulous though.

{via}

I made necklaces and a magnet board for my classroom. I haven't gotten a picture of them yet, but here are the inspirations/how-tos from Pinterest.

{via my Pinterest}

{via}

[TWO]
Sadie Hawkins
Saturday morning I went to a shower for a co-worker, and Saturday night I chaperoned the Sadie Hawkins Dance. I LOVED chaperoning the dance. More freshmen and sophomores go to Sadie Hawkins than the upperclassmen, so I saw a TON of my students. They all wear little cocktail dresses, high heels, ties, slacks, etc., and it is so good to see them outside of school. I should've taken my camera!

[THREE]
Stomach Virus
The stomach virus is going around BIG TIME. Tate got it daycare the end of last week, and since then he has given it to Addison, Beth, Pickers, and myself. I'm sure it hasn't stopped spreading too! You can't be mad at him though - he's way too cute!

[FOUR]
First Birthday
Tate will be one in just a few weeks, and I've started planning details of his party. I spent a week trying to get his invitation just right to suddenly give up and just send an evite. Evites are totally not my style, but I saved a TON of money by doing an evite. I also get to use that money on the details of the party which is great!

[FIVE]
Shoes
I had a $15 credit at zulily.com, and after seeing these shoes, I had to use it immediately. They were on sale for $11.99; shipping and handling was 6.95, so I got these shoes for $3.94. Aren't they just precious?!?

Cushions Off

2012-01-19T08:56:00.000-06:00

Tate and Addison LOVE to play on the couch. I'm pretty sure it is because it is a sectional and offers so much room to romp around. My biggest fear, however, is that they will topple off and bump heads, break bones, etc., so I stand there beside them the entire time they play. Unfortunately, this doesn't allow time for getting anything else done.

SO - I told Jonathan I remember taking the cushions off when I was little, and I loved it. He said he remembered doing the same thing. We agreed that we didn't care if the kids did this, so I pulled the cushions off, and it was a big success! The kids played; I did what I wanted, and of course, I took pictures.

Definitely doing this more often - it wears them out!!!!

Greg McElroy

2012-01-12T09:06:00.000-06:00

Greg McElroy is one of my favorite Alabama athletes not only because he was the QB who led the team to a National Championship in '09 but also because he is more than just muscle and athletic ability. Greg McElroy is intelligent (and good looking!). He was a candidate to become a Rhodes Scholar, although he did not win, and he was also named one of the smartest athletes in America by Sporting News. Following him on Twitter, I've come to love him more. He speaks kindly and truthfully about sports, and he also has a good sense of humor. AND the best part about all this is that Beth and I got to meet him!!!!

While we were in New Orleans, we heard about where he was and we ventured out to see if we could meet him. He was kind enough to pose for a picture, and shortly after, as I've already told you, he led the room in a big ROLL TIDE ROLL cheer. Proof that he is just as awesome in person as you've seen on TV, twitter, online, etc.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan!!

2012-01-11T14:32:00.000-06:00

It is a day late, but yesterday was Jonathan's birthday!!! He is the big 2-9; only one more year until 30!! Can you believe we met when he was 20??? Time flies!

We spent the weekend in NOLA, so yesterday was filled with lots of driving. Fortunately we got to celebrate Alabama's 14th National Championship along with his birthday - who doesn't want a crystal trophy for their favorite team on their birthday?!?!?!

Sweet, sweet Jonathan, I hope that your 29th birthday was fabulous. I can't wait to celebrate many more with you and grow old TOGETHER. I love you!!

WILW - NOLA Style

2012-01-11T09:03:00.000-06:00

I'm LOVING being a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM!!!!! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!

I'm LOVING that we were in New Orleans for the whole experience. It was an experience I will never forget with friends I will always cherish.

I'm LOVING that Beth and I met Greg McElroy, took a picture of him, and had him lead the place in a big ROLL TIDE ROLL cheer!!! (Picture of the 3 of us coming soon!)

I'm LOVING that I got to see these three sweet girls all three nights we were there!!

I'm LOVING my team and our trip. I'm LOVING that I am back home with my kiddos because I LOVE them so much. I'm LOVING that I only have three days this week, a three day weekend, and four days next week.

Friday Recap

2012-01-06T12:18:00.000-06:00

I hope to start recapping my progress on resolutions and 30 before 30 every Friday, so here's hoping I keep up with it!!

This week I cooked 3 nights. Monday we ate lunch out since we were off work, so we weren't hungry for dinner. I simply gathered my recipes, made a grocery list, and hit up Publix.

Tuesday we had crockpot chicken and rice. I put everything in the crockpot before I left for work, but I made the rice and steamed broccoli when I got home. We also had Hawaiian rolls - yum-o! I found this recipe on pinterest (LOVE), and it was pretty good; however, there are some things I will do differently next time. First, I am going to let my chicken thaw. I didn't like how soupy it was. Second, I am not going to cook it on a day I'm at work all day. I think it is possible I cooked it too long. It was Jonathan's favorite of the week, and I thought it was okay. We will probably do it again but with the changes I want to make.

via

Wednesday night we just popped a Stouffer's lasagna in the oven, mixed a Caesar salad, and had some garlic bread. I'm not a microwave person, so it took a long time to cook in the over, but the actual work was easy! It was quite tasty too.

Last night was my personal favorite - buffalo chicken wraps. I adapted a buffalo chicken taco recipe from Pinterest. It was so good, and it was really spicy. We will most definitely be making these again! I actually took pictures of my own for this meal. I forgot to for the others!

{recipe via}

Next week we will be out of town until Tuesday evening, but hopefully I can still knock out a three meals @ home week - or more!!

30 Before 30

2012-01-04T19:53:00.002-06:00

October 2011 was exactly 30 months until I turn 30! The holidays hit hard, and I never got a chance to share my 30 things to do in the 30 months before I turn 30 list with you. I have been slowly working on this list for a few months now, and I hope that I can check ALL these things off.

Read 30 Books (4/30)
Lose 30 Pounds (0/30)
Complete 30 Projects from Pinterest (4/30)
Expand vocabulary by at least 30 words (0/30)
Watch 30 of the top 250 movies (that I haven't seen) on IMDB (0/30)
Take a photography class
Take a couponing class
Learn to sew
Learn to bake and make cake pops/bites
Learn to french braid
Learn to do my own blog design
Get my own URL
Refinish a piece of furniture
Start a small business (seriously!)
Save to buy Adobe Creative Suite
Get a bike
Get a library card
Go to Savannah or Charleston
Go to NYC
Go on a cruise
Go to a Saints game
Take the kids to Disney World
Go to a drive-in theater
Take a family picture once a month (0/12)
Give up something for Lent and keep my commitment
Go blonde (!!!!)
Own a piece of jewelry from Tiffany & Co.
Become a daily Bible reader
Have a wall of canvas family photos
Start a collection (I don't know what yet - suggestions?)

There are a couple of things that I have done since October, so I have already marked those here. I will keep you guys updated!! Wish me luck!!

Christmas Day

2012-01-03T06:00:00.002-06:00

Fortunately our children are not old enough to get out of bed earlier than us to see what Santa brought, so we are able to wake the kids and catch all the reactions on film. We get up early on Christmas morning so that we can open our gifts and enjoy Santa's visit and go to PaDeck's for breakfast.

Addison was thrilled to open up gifts, and she emptied her stocking ONE THING AT A TIME! It took an hour for the kids to open some 10 odd presents. We requested that Santa wrap presents for us because Addison and Tate LOVE to unwrap!

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-02T19:13:00.001-06:00

Wow! 2011 went by in a flash, and so much happened!! Best highlight of the year was welcoming sweet Tate to our family. He is such a blessing, and I'm so in love with my little family!! This year I am making some resolutions, and I MUST keep them!!! To hold me accountable - I have you!!! My final two Christmas posts will go up later this week (promise!). On to the resolutions:

Send more cards! I want to start sending cards to my family and friends not only for special events but also just because.
Cook more and eat out less! Beth mentioned this as one of her resolutions, and I thought it was perfect for our family. Of course, to cook more I will need to make sure we have more groceries and options of food at our house. I will definitely be using Pinterest a lot! I hope that by cooking at home I can also start a healthier diet as well. I also want to cut back on my coke and drink more water.
Spend less! I have a horrible, horrible habit of shopping. I need to cut back more and make my purchases more meaningful. I want to be a smarter shopper.

For the sake of managing and doing these things for an ENTIRE year - I am keeping my list at three. Happy New Year - hope it brings many blessings!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-30T18:52:00.000-06:00

Before my grandmother (dad's mom) passed away, our Christmas Eve was packed full of festivities. Dad's family would come to our house, and after they left, my great Aunt Jean and her family would come over. People get over, and families grow, traditions fade. In the past few years we've worked on creating a new tradition. We've been going to mom's for Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning in order to maintain the only tradition we have left - going to PaDeck's for breakfast Christmas morning, but I will get to that later.

This year Jonathan and I decided to grab a ham on the way up and cook for Mom. We went up a night early in order to get some more time with Mom as well.

December 23 -

Christmas Eve Mom needed to run to Wal-Mart, so we went early to avoid the largest crowd. When we got back, I ran by Aunt Donna's for a quick visit and to give her a Christmas gift. She sent the kiddos gifts, so I let them open them when we got back to Mom's. They LOVED the gifts she got them too - a cup, plate, and silverware set! So cute!!

Addison was immediately ready to eat lunch after she opened them too!!

This was my first time to try cooking a ham, and it was so easy! It turned out really pretty, but thank the Lord it was delicious too!

We also have a tradition of feeding the reindeer (oatmeal and glitter). Addison enjoys throwing it out for the reindeer, and I know that Tate will one day too!

We put Gary the Elf out for Santa to get and take back to the North Pole, and against all tradition, we put out chocolate and peanut butter chip cookies and coke. We are sure Santa gets tired of the same ole', same ole' chocolate chip cookies and milk.

Happy 5th Anniversary!

2011-12-29T12:41:00.000-06:00

Jonathan and I have been married 5 years today!!! Time goes by so quickly.

December 29, 2006

October 2011 - Two kiddos later...

I am so blessed to have Jonathan in my life as my husband, best friend, and father of my children. He is simply amazing, and I look forward to the years to come! Happy Anniversary, Jonathan!! I LOVE YOU!

Tradition

2011-12-28T16:00:00.002-06:00

Growing up most of my family traditions involved gatherings with the family. I am trying to create traditions with my kids that are at home - even when it is just us. The past two years I have attempted to bake cookies with Addison to leave for Santa. I'm no baker - I'd rather cook. You can definitely tell by my cookies too - ha! But it is fun to share this time with Addison anyway! When Tate gets bigger, he can help out too!

Strickland Family Christmas

2011-12-28T06:00:00.002-06:00

The weekend before Christmas we travelled south to Jonathan's family Christmas gathering. Jonathan had intentions of staying to hunt, and Addison chose to stay with him. So, we took separate vehicles down so that I could come back and finish up the semester at school. Tate came home with me, and we got a ton of things done the next week...but on to the Christmas fun!

Noah on his new bike!

Addison got some bows! She is finally starting to like a bow & I hope it sticks!

Tate's 1st Camo!

Tate enjoyed opening presents, and I think this ball might have been his favorite!

Add got a Bitty Baby - we named her Lucy! If I ever have another little girl, I'm naming her Lucy after my grandmother. :)

Maggie opened a TON of presents because she gets Christmas from us on this day too.

Margaret played some Christmas Carols and Hymns for us. She plays beautifully.

Tate longed to go outside with the big kids, but it was just too cold for him.

He played with Uncle David and Aunt Shelli's dog, Sugar instead!

Noah wanted to help, so Aunt Shelli helped him feed Tate - so sweet!

The girls made cupcakes from the bakeware we got Maggie for Christmas.

Tate did some chillin' with Papa.

The kiddos before church on Sunday.

We Partied!

2011-12-27T06:00:00.002-06:00

I am so behind on posting, so before I get to our Christmas adventures I will go back to Addison's 3rd Birthday Party!!!

Months ago Addison asked for a princess party. I don't do character anything including parties, so I immediately vetoed Disney princesses and opted for a generic princess idea. A few weeks ago I showed you the invitation, and you can still see that HERE.

Party favors are always the most important thing for me. I hate sending kids home with a load of junk, but isn't that how party favors go? I decided (thanks to Pinterest) to do tulle wands for the girls and swords for the boys. I found swords at Wal-Mart after Halloween on sale for $.50 - YES, 50 CENTS! The swords came with an eye patch and an earring. I took them all out of the packages, tossed the earring, and displayed them in an ice bucket I have. I made the girls' wands (with the help from a friend) using wooden dowels, ribbon, and tulle. I added a princess crown hair clip with the wands - got them 6-8 in a pack from the Dollar Tree! I liked how both turned out on the table, and I added ring pops for fun.

I also made the wreath for the door. It was my first time to try using deco mesh, so it looks a little rough. Hopefully I will get better at it!

I usually get our cakes from a local bakery (that's growing like crazy), Edgar's Bakery. Edgar's is delicious, but I was trying to feed more people at a better price, so I checked out some other places. I hit jackpot with Publix! Publix has some tastey sheet cakes for a good price. I got their Disney Princess Simple Signature Cake, but I asked them to leave the characters off. I used tulle and a large gift box (thanks, yet again, pinterest) to set the cake on for display. I also put out goldfish, cookies, marshmallows, chips, and dip. We served pizza for lunch - easy and affordable!

Finally, for entertainment for the kiddos I asked two of my sweet girls from school to dress as princesses and come visit with the kids. They did me a favor even bigger and brought boys dressed as pirates! They looked so great, and the kids enjoyed having them to play with. They put on tattoos for the kids and even had sword fights!

It was a day full of fun - especially for Miss Addison. Special thanks to my sweet students who designed the invitation or dressed up for the kiddos and to Abba and Monkey for helping me set up while Jonathan managed the children! Big thanks to all Add's friends that came too! Here are some more party pictures:

10 Months Old

2011-12-26T15:42:00.001-06:00

Tate is 10 months old!!! It is next to impossible to get a picture of him because he doesn't sit still, so bear with the quality of these pictures!

He is wearing 12 - 18 month clothes. These sizes fit in length but fall off his little waist, butt, and hips. He is also in size 4 diapers.

Tate is taking either one long nap (4 hours) or two shorter naps (2 hours) a day, and he is still sleeping through the night. He goes down around 7 and sleeps until we wake him up the next morning. He still prefers to just be laid down to go to sleep - no rocking this baby!

Tate has four 6 ounce bottles a day, 3 meals and a snack. He has started eating more and more table food, and he hates baby food more and more each day.

Sweet boy has 4 teeth - two bottom teeth and two top teeth. The top teeth aren't the front teeth though! He looks like a pumpkin!

His favorite foods are real bananas, yogurt, puffs, and sweet potato fries.

He is saying a lot more this month too - "mama", "dada", "uh-oh", and "Tide" (Roll Tide). He jibber jabbers all the time too. The sweetest thing is when he wakes up on his own and is lying in bed talking. Sweet little voice!

Tate LOVES Addison. When he sees her after a nap or after a day at daycare he squawks at her. It is precious.

He is beginning to hold his own with Addison, so she will have a rude awakening when he starts walking. He has begun to tell on her when she is mean to him too. He will start crying and crawl to either Jonathan or me. He will tell on anyone who doesn't give him his way too.

He will now let go of whatever he pulls up on and just stand alone. Walking is in the not so distant future. He is already a master at climbing the stairs, so we have to keep the gates up in both directions.

Tate is our climber too! I never had to worry about Addison climbing anything, but Tate will try to climb anything.

Tate dances and claps to music. He gets a big smile on his face and starts moving. So cute!

He loves toys he can push around, so he is 100% into boy toys. He will push a car all over the floor. He also loves to throw EVERYTHING! When he finishes a bottle, he throws it. If you give him a toy, he throws it. Maybe he has pitcher or quarterback in his future???

He is 100% Mama's boy!! I LOVE IT TOO!! He will hug me and kiss my face (very messy kisses). He is the sweetest little boy ever!!

WILW

2011-12-21T11:44:00.000-06:00

{New Purse}

I ordered a new Jessica Simpson crossbody bag for date nights, football games, etc. I got red, so I can't wait to use it in NOLA! I LOVE colorful purses, and I LOVE Jessica Simpson's line.

{Christmas Break}

Today is my first FULL day of Christmas break. Jonathan has Addison with him in Shiloh, so it is just me and Tate. I've gotten so much done too! I've cleaned, wrapped gifts, run errands, and even relaxed some. I LOVE feeling rested and productive all at the same time. I LOVE Christmas break. I LOVE getting this special time with Tate too. I LOVE that this is Tate's first Christmas, and I LOVE that Addison is at such a fun age to open gifts. Merry Christmas!

{Modern Family}

Jonathan's parents got me season 1 of Modern Family for Christmas, and I am LOVING it!! I have already watched the entire season, and it is hilarious.

{Baking}

Today at the grocery store I bought supplies to bake/make goodies tomorrow. I LOVE baking around the holidays, and I can't wait to share that time with Addison. Last year she lost interest quickly; I'm hoping this year will be more fun. Here's to cookies!

Addison is THREE!

2011-12-20T07:53:00.000-06:00

My sweet brown-eyed, brown hair (that gets lighter in the summer), right-handed, little girl is THREE!!!!!

Addison is potty trained and wears 3T-4T. She will go to the doctor next week, and I can give you some stats!

Addison has a wonderful vocabulary, counts to 20, recites her ABCs, knows her shapes, and knows her colors (for the most part).

Add's favorite color right now is pink.

Her favorite foods are chicken nuggets, chips, fruit of all kinds, gummies, and chewing/bubble gum. She loves apple juice and milk. In fact, she still drinks milk (out of a sippy cup!) every night to go to sleep. She has milk at bed time like some kids need to suck a thumb, paci, or bottle.

Add LOVES daycare and all her friends at daycare. She learns so much there, and she never cries when I drop her off. She is always smiling when I pick her up. Her best friend is Leighton (always has been), and her "boyfriend" is Joey (this week!).

At daycare she's learned so much - recently they've learned to cut with scissors, so she tells me all the time to just get the scissors to do things - ha!. She's learning to follow directions, help others, and behave appropriately in social situations.

My sweet girl is so tender-hearted, and she gets her feelings hurt very easily. She is loving and compassionate, and I hope she stays as caring as she is now.

Add knows her prayers, and she calls Baby Jesus - Baby God. It is the sweetest thing ever! I love that she recognizes our Savior - a child's knowledge of Christ is such a blessing.

Add is totally into shoes. She only takes them off at the most inopportune times. Ha!

Addison likes to dress herself, and she sometimes even picks out her own outfits. I let her because I think it is funny.

Recently, Addison has started to love a bow. I hope she keeps this love because I think they are so cute. I can actually get her to keep her hair up and her bow in for a long period of time now - yay!

Addison LOVES Princesses and all things Tinker Bell.

She likes to play dress-up and tea party.

Addison is a Poppy's girl. She loves to play with her daddy, and she gets so excited when he gets home from work.

She is a great big sister. She is a bit possessive over "her" toys, but she will hug and kiss on Tate just as much as she bosses him.

Add loves technology! She is a big fan of watching movies, and she likes to put the DVD in and push play. She also LOVES our phones. She knows how to pull up the pictures and flip through them, and she likes to talk on the phone and be the one to hang up. She gets mad if she doesn't get to push the button to end the call.

Addison enjoys singing and listening to music. She loves her kiddie songs from daycare, but she is also into pop culture entertainment. She likes Britney Spears, Nikki Minaj, and Lady Gaga - can't imagine where she got that from - ha! She also knows Taylor Swift well. She will sing and dance through the house.

She likes animals, but she doesn't like them all the same! Add doesn't mind animals that aren't aggressive for attention or just aggressive period. She loves to see animals, but she is hesitant to touch them - so I'm thankful for that. Her favorite animal is probably Jonathan's parents' dog, Carly. Addison cries when Carly can't come in and play.

I'm sure there is plenty more to know about Addison because she is so amazing. She grows every day, and her knowledge of the world grows every day. She's a sponge soaking in everything, and she doesn't forget a thing (at all!). She is a beautiful little girl - inside and out!

THREE YEARS OLD:

TWO YEARS OLD:

ONE YEAR OLD:

Weir Christmas Part 1

2011-12-16T08:51:00.000-06:00

Addison is 3!!! My pictures to blog about her birthday are at home, so that post is soon to come. I finally got the pictures off my SD card, but only the laptop could read them. Tate is 10 months too!! Posts on both of these events coming soon!

Until then - here is the first gathering with my mom's side of the family for the holidays. We will go back for breakfast at PaDeck's Christmas morning.

Last weekend we headed to Tennessee for the Weir Christmas gathering. The big family gathering was on Sunday for lunch, so with the whole weekend available, I e-mailed/texted my cousins - Miranda, Rikki, and Krystal - to see if they wanted to just hang out in lieu of gifts. So Saturday night we met at Rikki's house to let the kids play and just hang out. The kids had a blast, and we managed to get a few pictures too. I don't believe taking a picture of a group of children will ever be easy - ha!

Needless to say, I enjoyed my time with the girls (and our two boys!). Can't wait to see them again on Christmas day!

Things have changed so much in just the past year too - just look at how big our babies have gotten!!

Out of Practice

2011-12-08T07:55:00.000-06:00

I used to have the habit of blogging. Now I have the habit of pinning. If you wonder why I haven't been blogging, please know that when I have time to sit at the computer pinterest is occupying me!

Here's what we've been up to:

Addison had her birthday party last weekend. I showed you the invitations, and I hope to be able to show you pictures soon! Everything went extremely well, and Addison enjoyed it!
Referencing the "hope to be able to show you pictures" - my SD card in my camera is chipped! The camera and the computer both won't read it, so I have to take it somewhere. Pray they can get it working!
Both my kiddos have gotten pink eye in the past week. Tate was out of school on Tuesday for it, and I took advantage of the time to do some Christmas shopping (without Addison) and wrapping. I felt like I accomplished a lot, so a semi-sick baby helped me out. We had drops called in for Addison because it was the weekend, so I didn't have to take either to the doctor (whew!).
While I was enjoying my day off, things to do at work were piling up, so I have a mess in my classroom - shesh. You can't win for losing!
Alabama is heading to the BCS National Championship Game!!!!! We eagarly watched the BCS Selection Show on Sunday, and we were beyond thrilled to be #2. We've had the hotel room booked for a couple of weeks just hoping things would work out in our favor. I've gotten my personal days approved, and we are heading to NOLA in January!!! YAY!!!!
It is the most wonderful time of the year!!! Our weekends will be full of fun and travel from now until after the new year, and I love it because fun and travel means FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

Happy Thursday, and if you miss me blogging, find me on pinterest!!!

The Game of the Century

2011-11-30T07:49:00.002-06:00

I've been neglecting cleaning off my camera, and as I go back through old pictures I figured I would catch up with some blogging while I was cleaning/organizing.

When LSU played Bama in Tuscaloosa, we hit the road to go watch "The Game of the Century". Unfortunately we lost said game, and sadly we should have won had it not been for our poor pitiful kicking game. Nonetheless, we had a great day in Tuscaloosa. We saw lots of friends, ate good food, and had a lot of fun!

There are a few signs below that reference LSU's drug use. Two of LSU's players were suspended a couple of weeks before for getting caught with marijuana. Like all rival games, we took advantage of this situation and made fun of the incident.

Beth and Me

Dragon - formally known as Brian - husband to Calley

Q, Mac, and Pounders - college friends who "took care of me" as a freshman

Gomer!

Alex!

Now I just hope we get the opportunity to play them again in the BCS championship! We will know for sure in just a few days. ROLL TIDE!!!!

Miscellany Monday

2011-11-28T08:01:00.000-06:00

{ONE}
RTR
Roll Tide Roll & Run Trent Run
We won the Iron Bowl! YAY! We are now hoping that after the week of championship games that we still have our place in the BCS National Championship game, and we hope our Heisman hopeful wins!!

{TWO}
Thanksgiving
We had a great thanksgiving trip to Jackson, Mississippi this year. More to come on that later, but the short of it is that Addison thoroughly enjoyed playing with Olivia, wore a bow the whole day, and was on her best behavior. Tate was as sweet as ever and kept his nap schedule up extremely well. Great trip in the books for the kids!

{THREE}
Practicing
I have been working on learning my camera during the break. I've had it for a year and a half now, and I haven't really tried to learn. Here's to learning more over Christmas break!
SOTC:

{FOUR}

Biebered

I bought Justin Bieber's Christmas CD Under the Mistletoe. It is SO good, y'all! I've never been a huge Bieber fan (I blame the age difference), but he deserved the Best New Artist award last year and I started semi-supporting him after that. I bought his CD because I had heard it was good, and boy they were right! My favorite tracks are "Drummer Boy" and ""Home This Christmas" but the whole thing is great!

{FIVE}

Birthday

Addison's 3rd birthday party is this weekend, and I have so much to do!! I will be so busy this week!

9 Month Addition

2011-11-20T17:47:00.000-06:00

While sitting and talking to Jonathan I realized how much I forgot to add about what Tate is doing at 9 months. Here are some additions to my original list:

Tate loves Pat-a-cake. He will start clapping his little hands when he hears it, and he randomly claps his hands when we aren't singing.
Tate says more than just Mama. We just didn't realize it. He says hey, Dada, and a new one added on Saturday - Roll Tide! The roll tide one is a growl, but it is obvious what he is saying. We even have witnesses to account for us; we aren't making it up - ha!
He loves to drink out of Addison's sippy cups. I'm glad he doesn't have a problem with the sippy cup either.

Anything I've forgotten from here on out will be on his 10 month post. I just wanted to jot these down before I forgot!

Sneak Peek

2011-11-18T12:15:00.000-06:00

I usually save all of Addison's birthday details for after her party. I usually save all my details for any party until after a party. However, I never really give the planning much attention, and we all know planning is a job. SO, in an effort to remember everything I was doing beforehand, I'm blogging along the way!

I got a student to design Addison's birthday invitations. He is an artist, and he drew this by hand with computer software to make it digital. If you are interested in something like this - let me know, and I will provide you with his contact information.

I added the text with free fonts from Amanda. So - here's a sneak peek of Addison's 3rd birthday. She's so excited, and quite frankly - I am too!

9 Months Old

2011-11-17T13:10:00.000-06:00

My sweet baby boy was 9 months on Tuesday. I am super excited because the 9 month mark is where Addison really took off - physically and mentally. It was so fun for 9 months up to 15 months because every day it seems they learn something new! Don't get me wrong - I love all ages (maybe not all terrible two/three stages), but 9 -15 months is so sweet!

Tate is already amazing me!

Tate is 21 pounds 13.5 ounces - 75th percentile

He is 31 inches long - over 95th percentile (the height of a 15 month old)

His head circumference is 18.5 inches - 90th percentile

Perfect growing boy!!!

Tate is on track developmentally, and he can now (officially) start table foods.

Tate's eating habits haven't changed much. He has 3-4 six ounce bottles a day. He eats baby food for all three meals, but we have been introducing table foods to him the past couple of weeks. He still LOVES yogurt, but he added puffs to his favorite list. He would prefer our food over the baby food, and I can't blame him!

He is wearing 12-18 months clothes. 18 months are a little big, but I have them and it works! He is in a size 4 diaper.

Tate is still powering through the night sleeping around 10 hours in his own bed. Lovely! He sleeps better than Addison by far!

Tate says "Mama" !!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it. He will follow me around (crawling of course) chanting my name. It is so, so sweet. He is definitely a mama's boy!

He HATES getting in the car seat, having his diaper changed, and taking a bath (mostly getting his face wet). He will scream like someone is hurting him!

He LOVES to "root" around on a blanket or a pillow. He will bury his face and just rub it around snuggling with it.

He is so strong, and pulling up is no problem these days. He will pull up on everything - even if it can't support him. Needless to say, he's had a few bumps and bruises from it because he thinks he can let go too.

He enjoys toys with wheels and balls. There is no doubt that he is a boy! He likes banging toys around too.

His relationship with his sister is very typical of siblings! Addison has recently started being a bully. She will take toys from him, swing and kick at him, and just say ugly things like, "Quit looking at me!" BUT don't worry about Tate - he's holding his own! Tate will swing and kick at her, pull her hair, and take toys right back. It is sad and funny all at the same time. I see why older siblings are always the ones getting in trouble. They pick on the little ones, and when the little ones finally get back, parents think the eldest deserves it. Especially after enduring this:

At the end of the day - they do hug and kiss and LOVE one another. Every night before we put Tate down Addison has to give him night-night love. So sweet.

This month Tate had his first visit to the pumpkin patch, his first fall festival (Addison's first too!!), and his first Halloween! He was a stinkin' cute little pirate/lost boy to match Addison's Tinker Bell. He also went to his first (of hopefully MANY) Disney on Ice.

Happy 9 Months, Tate!

Wednesday Love

2011-11-09T07:35:00.000-06:00

{1}
Pictured

I am LOVING our family pictures. I have already ordered a ton (what I shared last night), and I have a lot more in mind. Lauren at Fresh Grace Photography did such a great job, and a big thanks to Jennifer for recommending her!

{2}
Short Week
I LOVE that I have yet another short week at work. The past few weeks have been crazy - sick babies, mom visits, field trips etc. I haven't gone to school a full week in a month! It will make next week's 5 day week so HARD! Good thing it is the week preceeding Thanksgiving break!

{3}
Style
I am LOVING all the style ideas I've been finding on pinterest! It has really helped me think of new ways to wear all the same old clothes I have. I am more willing to put different color combos together now. This week I've pinned a lot of red. As an Alabama football fan and with Christmas approaching, I'm totally digging the red!

Via

If you look at the source for all these, you will find a found new website love too! Ha! Follow me on pinterest HERE.

{4}
Website Love
I am LOVING Polyvore. All the outfits I just shared were created there - you can create them yourself!! It is fun to just play (and to browse).

{5}
Family
I just LOVE our little family.

Photo Projects

2011-11-08T19:20:00.000-06:00

I am in love with Shutterfly! I get e-mails with great deals every day, and because I keep up with my Pampers Gifts to Grow points, I am really getting some great stuff.

I got our family pictures in this week, and I decided to cash in some G2G points with Shutterfly. I ordered 25 4x6, 2 5x7, and 1 8x10, and I also ordered 25 4x8 cards. I can't take credit for the cards I sent; I got the idea from my cousin, Miranda. Miranda sent my mom a thank you card with pictures of her girls on it. What a great idea!! SO, I ordered cards that had family pictures and pictures of the kids on them, and they simply say thank you! LOVE!!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

I can't wait to start sharing these cards. FUN, FUN!

Holly, Jolly

2011-11-08T08:28:00.000-06:00

It is that time of year!! Christmas is in all the stores; Black Friday ads are out, and everyone is preparing for the holiday season! I'm super excited because although I find it too early to pull out the decorations, it isn't too early to start choosing and ordering Christmas cards!!

Tiny Prints is having a promotion for bloggers, and you can receive 50 FREE Christmas cards. AH!! Check out the offer HERE at Tiny Prints.

Here are some of my favorites (link to card by clicking picture), and I'm sure that one will end up being my Christmas card this year!!

I'm loving the cards that double as ornaments! What better way for cards to be displayed and kept year upon year! So precious...

Merry Love: Kiwi

Whispering Snowflake: White

I also love cards that branch out of the usual Christmas greens, reds, and whites. Bring on the bright colors!!!

Colorful Collar: Bright Red

Ornamental Delight: Lime

Neon Noel: White

And I also have an affinity for the the classic and elegant cards.

Festive Lyrics: Black

Chic Sophistication: Gunmetal

These are just a few that I LOVE. I really have a ton more that I have as favorites on the website. It is the best place to shop online. You can check out all of Tiny Prints Christmas cards HERE. And remember if you are interested in getting your own cards - fill out the form HERE.

Disney on Ice

2011-11-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

Last night we took Addison and Tate to see Disney on Ice: Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey. It was SO fabulous!! I am such a kid when it comes to Disney, and I got teary eyed when The Little Mermaid and Tinker Bell came out. It was so exciting to take Addison to see it as well - she cried when it was over and didn't want to leave!! (Be ready for picture overload!)

We got there about 30 minutes before the show started, found parking, and found seats. We ended up having really good seats - approximately 10 rows up from the floor in a row or 4 all to ourselves which is perfect when you have two kids. I was a sucker for all the souvenirs, and I wanted everything - ha! We kept it low key though. Addison got a snow cone in a cute Tinker Bell cup and a Flounder t-shirt.

See how happy she is!

This picture makes me laugh!! HA!

My LOVES!

First, Mickey and the crew took the ice and tell us about their vacation.

First stop was a safari and a visit to the Lion King. I love Rafiki, Timon and Pumba!

Even Tate was semi-interested!!

Then we went "under the sea" to visit The Little Mermaid, Sebastian, and Flounder - not to mention Prince Eric!

Addison was entranced the entire hour and a half to two hours. She was glued to the show, and I'm not sure she's ever sat that long to watch something!

We came up for air and hit the beach with Lilo and Stitch in Hawaii. He's such a loveable alien!

We took a quick break before heading to Never Never Land with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. Addison's FAVORITE was Tinker Bell. She would wave so big at her when she left the ice and get so excited when she came back out. I'm sad though because I didn't get a really clear picture of her.

Finally we ended the journey and everyone hit the ice for a last curtain call. Addison cried when we left, and I convinced her that we'd go back next year because I, too, was sad to leave! It was so magical!!!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-01T20:21:00.000-05:00

Halloween evening we took Addison trick or treating with our cul-de-sac friends. She had a lot of fun and was really into it until a man dressed up scared her. We told him they were little and not to scare them, but he insisted on standing there in a creepy manner while wearing a mask....I was so angry, but nonetheless....

We enjoyed watching how much she's grown since last year and see her go up to the doors like such a big girl!!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-31T21:16:00.000-05:00

Now that Addison is older, we have been trying to do more things for each holiday. This year we went to the pumpkin patch, went to a fall festival, went on a hay ride, and went trick or treating. This is also the first year where Addison was old enough to tell me what she wanted to be for Halloween. It has been fun watching her soak in all the fun activities we've been doing. I am posting in a series in order to capture it all!

Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch with Kim, Eli, Colin, and Stephanie. Addison had a great time, and her favorite part was the goats! She also rode the train and got her face painted. We left with a nice pumpkin too.

Miss Priss

2011-10-31T14:34:00.000-05:00

Y'all! I have my hands full with this little girl!!!

Addison has been acting so silly here lately, and she's been so MEAN too!! I kid you not! most of you know her as sweet, little Addison. Ha! Let me just tell you!

Friday we went to my mom's to visit. Both kids were sick, so we got up and headed to Tennessee so that they could get good afternoon naps and rest. Mom was still at work, so it was just me and the kiddos at the house. I went to pull some toys out of the toy box for them to play with, and Addison followed me. I sent her to the livingroom with some toys for Tate, and she didn't come back. I finished up grabbing a couple of things and went into the kitchen. At some random point I realized that it was ALL to quiet.

I went into the livingroom - silence.

Mom's bedroom - silence.

I finally walk to the guest rooms and I see Addison's feet - getting closer I see that she is leaning on the door in an effort to keep it closed. I knew immediately what was going on.

She had shut Tate up in the room alone!

I pull her away, open the door, and see poor Tate crawling around aimlessly trying to find someone. His face said it all - help!

It was so hard to reprimand Addison for doing it after knowing he was okay because it is funny to me! She is becoming a typical big sister....ah, I guess the sweetness doesn't last because it doesn't end there.

In another episode she pushes him away with her foot. A different episode she takes his bottle away and puts it on the table where he can't get it. I keep telling her that one day Tate will fight back, but until then....

I love fall!

2011-10-30T17:07:00.000-05:00

I love all the fun that fall brings! We have a busy week this week, and I can't wait to share with you what we have been doing and what we have on the agenda. Happy Fall, Y'all!

Fall Weekends

2011-10-26T08:01:00.000-05:00

I love weekends in the fall! They are filled with family, friends, and football. This past weekend Jonathan and I went (kid free!) down to Tuscaloosa with Beth and Clint. This was the first weekend this season that we've gotten to do this, and we will be going again for the LSU game - can't wait for that.

We parked at Meredith's house and loitered in her back yard until it was time to head out and find lunch.

On our way to the strip/quad, Beth and I were on a mission to find buttons/pins, and boy did we. We also stopped various other times for photo ops.

We ate lunch at Little Italy (delicious), and went to Egan's to rack up on pins that degrade Auburn. The way I see it, you aren't a true Alabama (or Auburn) fan unless you HATE the other team. Ha! Then we decided to hit up some tailgates. First up - we visited Sarah and Taylor.

We left there and headed to see Bob, Angie, and Gomer at the quad. I also saw lots of people I didn't know, so we didn't hang out there too long.

After the game we knew traffic would be horrible headed up 20/59, so we hung out a bit to let it die down. (Unfortunately there was a wreck, so it wasn't great when we did leave.) We went to Rounders to watch some other football games that were still going on, and actually watched Wisconsin lose a big game WITH Wisconsin fans who were very nice. It was also during that time that I met Tyrone Prothro (the glory player of my college days - look him up).

And right before we left I ran into Natalie. Natalie was Miranda's (my cousin) best friend growing up. I haven't seen her in YEARS, so we caught up briefly and of course, snapped a picture. (Aunt Donna, Randa, Rikki - she said to tell you guys hello!!)

I can't wait to go back to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama/LSU game. It is going to be a fun weekend!!!

8.5 Months

2011-10-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

I'm behind on Tate's monthly post this month, but our baby boy is 8 (and a half) months old!!! Time flies by even faster with baby #2. Sweet Baby Tate is doing great too!

Tate is wearing 12 month clothes and recently moved to a size 4 diaper at night. We have a TON of size 3 that we still put on him, but he needs size 4 overnight.

Tate eats 3 meals a day, and we are starting to introduce him to table foods in addition to his baby food. He LOVES sweet potato fries, and I can't blame him! He LOVES real bananas too. His favorite food is still yogurt though. Tate has four 6 ounce bottles a day in addition to his food.

He still sleeps all night - from about 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Tate takes two naps on most days - morning and afternoon both anywhere from one to two hours. When he is tired, he wants to just be put into his bed. He doesn't want to be held or rocked - he wants his bed. He will even reach for it, and when I put him down he buries his face in the sheets and burrows down.

Our baby boy is getting around like crazy - always following Addison or one of us as fast as his little legs will carry him.

He's pulling up well now, and will stand and hold on to the couch without many problems. He even tries to move from the couch to the coffee table by reaching a walking. He will be walking behind us before we know it.

Tate cut his first tooth this month! It has just broken through the surface, so my gumless baby he is no more. ::Sigh::

Tate always cries real tears. It is the saddest thing to see a tear roll down his cheek.

I swear he says "Hey", and we are working on waving.

Sweet Baby Tate gives the best snuggly hugs too! When he wakes up or sees me after a day at daycare he pulls in and snuggles. I love it!

Tate LOVES his big sister, but he definitely has boundaries for her! He will growl or cry at her, or he will go after her. This picture is blurry, but you get the idea...

He makes the funniest faces. His most popular face is a kissy lip face, and he will snort sometimes too! Ha!

He is afraid of balloons which is not surprising because Addison was afraid of them at her 1st birthday party. It is sad but so funny. Addison threw a balloon to him (not knowing his fear), and we've never seen him move faster. He also wasn't fond of pumpkins on Sunday. I sat him next to a pumpkin and he moved to a face-off position. So cute.

Craft Party

2011-10-24T15:21:00.000-05:00

This week I am FINALLY going to blog about things I've been MEANING to blog about for a while now. On October 14 I hosted my first ever craft party. I invited a few of my closest girlfriends, and basically told them my house was open for fun! Everyone brought their own supplies (I had my Silhouette, hot glue gun, scissors, etc. available), drinks, and a few dollars for pizza. Once everyone arrived and mingled a little, we ordered pizza and got to work.

Several of us were going the wreath route, but there were also some other cool projects in the mix too. Stephanie (who is so trendy!) made jewelry out of washers and ribbon. She's since worn some of her items, and they are just precious!

Beth made these precious (very Pottery Barn) pumpkins. I was tempted to steal them away as a party hostess gift - ha! Aren't they adorable:

She also made a Halloween wreath made from tulle.

Pickers and Lindsey both made adorable wreaths. I didn't get a picture of Lindsey's crafts (she did like 3!), but here is Pickers proud of her first craft. She did such a good job - even if she was worried about it!

Kim made a puffy burlap wreath too, and it turned out great!! We had a good laugh at one point, but I got her to leave me some burlap so I could make a football wreath just like it. Here is Kim's in the works, and you can see a final product on Stephanie's blog.

As for me, I started a wreath (ran out of material), started some wintery vases, and made a key hanger. I will post pictures of those as soon as I can!

We had a blast just chatting, hanging out, and crafting. We are definitely going to do it again - hopefully soon! Maybe more people who didn't get to come can come next time!

WILW

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

{Family Pictures}
I am loving what a great job Lauren at Fresh Grace Photography did on our family session. She was so sweet and so great with our kiddos (even admist a complete Addison meltdown). I can't wait to get my hands on more of these pictures! Check out her blog and our pictures HERE!

{Crafty}
My craft party last Friday was a success. We had lots of fun, and we all made some great crafts. The best part was getting ideas from one another. I've been busy ever since working on my own take of others' projects. I will hopefully dedicate a whole post to the craft party once I finish all these little projects I started that night (6 hours of crafting wasn't nearly enough!).

{Homecoming}
It is homecoming week at SPHS, and so far it has been fun. Kids are really getting involved and showing spirit. On Thursday we have our Powder Puff game - super excited. This is the one thing I get involved with EVERY YEAR. I usually pick a class and stay with them until they graduate. I have the juniors this year (with the help of Pickers), and I love just love this group. I hope we win - they ARE undefeated, after all.

{Fall Break}
Although we do not have a fall break at SPHS, my mom has a fall break, and she is coming to visit today through Sunday. This weekend she is watching the kiddos while we head to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama/Tennessee game. Since I don't get to spend much time with her while she is the babysitter, I took a personal day Friday so we could play. I made an early morning hair appointment, and we already have other things that we want to do that day. Super excited to spend the day with her.

10 Year Reunion

2011-10-13T09:38:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, my mom came down to watch the kiddos (she hadn't seen them since August!), and Jonathan and I went to his 10 year class reunion in a super small town near Demopolis. He graduated from a private school in a class of 24 - much different from my public school and graduating class of approximately 250. I love how easy it was for them to just dive in, catch up, and plan future gatherings in a couple of months. Now - on to the course of events - which I didn't take many picture of!

Friday night was a casual dinner gathering at Red Barn. Red Barn is in Demopolis - it is in, well...a red barn. They have the restaurant downstairs and a bar upstairs. I was nervous before we got there, but it was all for no reason. Everyone was so friendly. After dinner, we all went upstairs to continue to visit, catch up, and so the guys could shoot some pool. We didn't stay out too late because Saturday was filled with more events.

Saturday morning we enjoyed the rarity of sleeping in!! It was lovely to wake up when my body was rested. So, I felt great Saturday morning. For lunch, they decided to grill at a ball park in the town where they all graduated - Linden. They had invited their favorite teacher, Mrs. Burge. It was nice to meet a teacher Jonathan was so fond of, and it was obvious that she was greatly fond of them.

After lunch we went to Rich and Susanna's house to watch some football and hang out before dinner. Jonathan graduated with Rich, and he and his wife kindly hosted us for the rest of the weekend so we would be closer to Parker's house. We got ready and headed to Parker's parent's house for the formal gathering.

Parker's family lives in a nice house out in the middle of nowhere. We gathered in the pool house for a catered dinner, football, and socializing. Dinner was amazingly delicious, and they ended up having a nice turn-out that night. I met new people, saw people I haven't seen in 7 years, and enjoyed hearing all the stories from Jonathan's high school days. Before everyone left, they got a group picture of the class:

With spouses:

I really hope they iron out plans for gathering in December because we had a lot of fun hanging out with all these guys!

Friday Few

2011-10-07T15:48:00.000-05:00

Here's what is going on for us right now:

{1}
This weekend is Jonathan's 10 year high school reunion. We are leaving this afternoon to go down for the weekend festivities. Tonight there is a casual dinner, tomorrow afternoon a family cookout, and tomorrow night a nice dinner. Mom is coming down to keep the kids (she hasn't seen them in FOREVER), so Addison is super excited.

{2}
I am addicted to Pinterest, so when I am not blogging - that is why! It has gotten so bad that I am putting all these crafts into action. I am hosting my very first crafting party next Friday. I've told most people who live close about it, but if you are interested in joining us - message me!

{3}
Football season is going well for the Tide. The next big threat on the schedule is LSU the first weekend in November. Hopefully Vandy, Ole Miss, and Tennessee won't pose a problem until then....not expected and not likely.

{4}
I bought Addison some boots like my grey knit Ugg boots (for an awesome sale price), and I can't wait until they get here. We will be cute in our matching boots. I LOVE having a little girl AND a little boy. Best of both worlds.

{5}
My freshmen won the spirit stick at the pep rally! HUGE deal, y'all - HUGE DEAL!

She Said What?!?!

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Adddison is at the perfect age to say the FUNNIEST stuff! Here lately she has kept me in "stitches", but I can't always laugh at her because she is so serious about what she is saying. Here are some of the ones I HAVE to remember:

Setting: Hobby Lobby Check-Out
Those Present: Cashier, Addison, Tate, and myself
Conversation -
     Cashier (to Addison about Tate): "Oh, your little brother is so cute."
     Addison: "Tate is ten dollars."
     Me: "Oh, no, baby.....Tate isn't for sale. Please don't sell your brother."

Setting: Riding in the car - on the way home from school
Those Present: Addison, Tate, and myself
Conversation -
    I'm on the phone with my mom, so I'm not sure how it started...
    Addison: "Tate! Stop. Looking. At. ME!!!!!!
    Me: "Tate, stop looking at your sister. Addison, stop looking at him too."

This is only the beginning....I will keep you updated on all these crazy, funny things Addison says.

Back To Blog Wednesday Love

2011-10-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

I am trying my hardest (but not my best) to get back into the habit of blogging. It is refreshing to blog after not blogging for a while!

{Fall}
I am LOVING that it is fall!!! We've been filling every weekend with football, friends, and family. Ahem, Roll Tide! The cooler weather is finally here, and I got to break out the boots. All of my shows are back on now, and every night is filled with DVR. The fall decor is out and signs of the holidays are appearing in stores. I LOVE FALL!

{Family}
Our family photos are in a week. I can't wait. I am LOVING that all our outfits are chosen, and I am LOVING that we will have new pictures to put around the house. Can't wait to get some amazing pictures of my two favorites!

{Books}
I am LOVING that you can finally check out books from the library on the Kindle. I don't have my library card for the local library yet, but I will be getting it as soon as possible. I have already looked to see what is offered, and I can't wait to dive in....for FREE. Everyone LOVES free!!!!

{Work}
Can I just LOVE that today is Wednesday? Half-way to Friday, so I will take it! School is making me so, so tired even though I generally LOVE what I do.

{Love}
I'm LOVING my LOVES: Jonathan, Addison, and Tate!

7 Months Old

2011-09-23T19:59:00.000-05:00

One week late, but Tate is 7 months old!

He is wearing 9-12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

Tate eats 3 meals of baby food and has 4 six ounce bottles a day.

Tate's favorite food to eat is yogurt. He LOVES it!

Tate goes to bed around 7:00 at night and we usually have to wake him up at 6:00 in the morning to get ready to leave for daycare. He sleeps straight through the night too!

He naps for up to 4 hours at day care (wow!), and at home he will take a nap in the morning and a nap in the afternoon. He usually goes down around 9:30-10:00 in the morning, and if he doesn't sleep through lunch, he will wake up around 1:30-2:00 to eat.

Tate is ALL OVER THE PLACE! He started full out crawling this past week; before then he was getting around in some round about way, but now he is crawling everywhere. Addison better watch out too because tonight....he pulled up!!!!!!!

Now that Tate is crawling, he is starting to follow Addison around as much as he can. I love that they love each other so, so much!!

He still shows signs of teething, but we haven't seen any teeth yet. They will come soon enough, I am sure.

This month he went to his first Alabama football game! He feel asleep for pregame, but he was up for kickoff. He was more of a koala bear than a spectator. He clung to me like he would fall if he let go. He was so tired, but he was intrigued with the crowd and events so we cuddled while he took it all in.

Tate always has his mouth open...have you noticed??

Happy 7 Months, Tate!! We love you!!!

Pinned Wednesday Love

2011-09-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

If you reference yesterday's post, you will see that I am on my usual Pinterest post. I try not to blog about it too much because, well, it increases the already established obsession. However, here are some pins I'm loving today:

{Hairstyle}
I am in LOVE with this hairstyle!! I wish my hair weren't so layered, and I wish I could french braid. Anyone want to come to my house in the mornings and do this for me????

{via}

{Craft}
I am in need of a new project/craft, and I definitely want to do this! I just bought my first canvas last week, but I am LOVING that I can try to create a canvas for just a few dollars!! I also am loving how cute this little girl in the picture is!

{via}

{Techno Beat}

I am in LOVE with the Kia Soul commercial with the dancing hamsters. The song they dance to is "Party Rock", and there is a pause where this guy says, "Every day I'm shufflin," so you can imagine how cracked up I got when I saw this picture. When I was young, I LOVED Sesame Street, and Addison is a watcher too. This is so funny to me!

{via}

{Food}

I am LOVING how good this looks! The raw dough is a little rough to look at right now, but the final product HAS to be amazing!!!

{via}

{Family Pictures}

If you are a reader, you already know I am scheduling family fall pictures. I had the kids' outfits chosen, so I've been trying to find something for Jonathan and me to wear. Enter this picture from Pinterest. I am LOVING how handy it is when it comes to deciding a color scheme.

{via}

{Not on Pinterest}

You can't find these little beauties on my Pinterest, but you can definitely find them all over our home. I sure do LOVE them!!!

and my sweet hubby who I never get to have a picture with anymore!!! Another reason to be excited about our family pictures!!!

Where Was Pinterest?

2011-09-13T21:43:00.000-05:00

Like every other woman in the online world, I am addicted to Pinterest....so much so that I have dreams of images. True story. But as much as I love it, I'm mad at Pinterest.

Dearest Pinterest,

Where were you when I got engaged and was planning a wedding??? You most certainly weren't there collecting all my ideas in one easy location with a link to the source.

Where were you when I was decorating my first apartment and home with my new husband??? You most certainly weren't there showing me all these cheap and easy yet beautiful ways to fill a space. Instead you let me spend too much money on things I no longer like.

Where were you when I was pregnant with not just my first but also my second child??? You most certainly weren't there giving me all these great ideas for nursery, toddler, and play rooms!!

How dare you be so late to the party??

I will let you off easy though. I'm only going to this once because I know I need you. I still have our future homes, and more toddler, tween, teen rooms, and I have a TON of birthday parties and just plain let's have fun parties. I also have holidays that come around every year, and I am always looking for a project. So, you aren't in too much trouble this time, and I'm pretty sure you won't ever let me down again.

Love,
Candace

Miscellany Monday

2011-09-12T10:46:00.001-05:00

{One: Canvas}
On Friday I ordered a canvas of the picture I shared on here Saturday. I ordered the canvas from Canvas 4 Life, and it was SO affordable. They were/are? having a sale with 20% off, and I found a code for an extra 10% off. To top off the wonderful savings - shipping and handling were FREE! I got a 10x14 canvas for $27. Now - when it comes in I will let you know if quality matches price! I'm sure for the $27 I spent I won't be disappointed!

Along with the picture I posted, I mentioned needing an affordable photographer. Thanks to Jennifer I have already contacted someone. Now to find something for Jonathan and me to wear - the kids' outfits have been chosen for a while now.

{Two: Win}
Alabama won the big game against Penn State this weekend. I was so nervous when the game started, but our team settled in nicely and brought home a pretty win. Beth and Clint came over and watched with us. It was good to see them - it has been so long since we've gotten to hang out with them. Addison and Tate just love when they visit too!

I am super excited to take Tate to his first Alabama game this coming weekend. This will be the only game we take the kids to, and I am excited to get some pictures! Add and I will be shopping for gameday outfits this week too.

{Three: Sickly}
Addison had a fever over the weekend, so I took off today to stay at home with her and take her to the doctor. She woke up feverless (after I had already made arrangements), but I still called the nurse and left a message. The nurse wasn't worried about seeing her either, so here we sit - feeling good but tired. We may just go shopping later today because....well...we can.

{Four: Kindle}
I am still super in love with the Kindle. I took a break from reading this weekend. This was the first break I've taken since I bought it at the beginning of August. Reading is just so convenient with the Kindle!

{Five: Time Flies}
Tate will be 7 months old this week! It seems like time is going by faster than ever! I am also in the beginning stages of party planning for Addison's 3rd birthday. I can't believe she will be 3 in just a couple of months!! Sadness!

Family Pictures

2011-09-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have been doing some research on some of the photographers I know and love and some new ones to find someone (affordable who gives a disc and copyright release of a lot of pictures) to do family pictures. Sometimes I consider at least doing the ones of my kids on my own, but out of a billion pictures, I usually only get one that I want. The one like this:

It's Friday!

2011-09-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

Super excited the week is moving into the weekend, and we have a weekend filled with friends, food, and football!! ROLL TIDE!!!

Keeping Up

2011-09-08T15:14:00.000-05:00

This post was originally for Miscellany Monday, but it is what it is....happy Thursday!

{1}
Football Weekend
Our weekend was packed with football. Friday night the kids and I went to Spain Park's big rivalry game against Hoover. We didn't stay the whole time, but we enjoyed the school-wide tailgate before kick-off! Addison got to play in a bounce house, get her face painted, and meet Big Al! We had a lot of fun, and we were exhausted!

On Saturday Jonathan's parents came over, and we all watched Alabama play and bring home the first W of the season. I am so excited that football season is finally here - we are booked until Christmas now!

{2}

Pool Time

Jonathan's brother and his family came to town this weekend for the Alabama game, and they stayed at Ross Bridge in Hoover. Late Saturday afternoon/early evening we went to their hotel for the kids to all play together in the pool. Addison had a ton of fun, and she was sad to leave the "great pool" (her words exactly).

{3}

Rainy Weekend

Tropical Storm Lee made landfall last weekend, and we had a LOT of rain. Since it was the long Labor Day weekend, we had to find something to occupy Addison inside since we couldn't go outside. SO - I build her a "fort" with our kitchen table chairs and a quilt. Addison was excited to play underneath. Unfortunately it didn't last too long - she was asking to go outside!

We couldn't go outside though - our backyard looked like this:

{4}

Caught

Tate is getting more mobile everyday. He gets to where he wants to go, but at the house - he often ends up here....stuck:

Love/Hate

2011-09-01T07:33:00.001-05:00

My kids really love their "aunts and uncles". We don't have family in the Birmingham area, so we spend a lot of time with our college friends, whom we consider our family in every sense of the term. We visit with one another, have dinners, take vacations or trips - you name it, we do it. It is no surprise that Addison and Tate are comfortable with and love Abba and Monkey, Kim, and Eli, Stephanie, and Pickers. When we aren't with all of them, we are talking about all of them (postively, you guys!).

What is hilarious about it is this -

Addison and Tate love Kim and Eli, but they hate their dog :

Poor Malik. He just wants some love from the babies (and Eli), but he isn't getting any love from my kids!! They both HATE this dog. Tate makes faces and cries. Addison flat out tells you, "I don't like Malik." If he even looks at her the wrong way, she screams! Sad and hilarious. But true.

Miscellany Monday

2011-08-29T18:15:00.001-05:00

{1}
Partied Out
We had two birthday parties to attend this weekend! Fortunately they were for the neighbors' kids, and both parties were at each of their homes - so convenient!! They had babies born just a day apart, so they rented a big inflatable, shared the weekend, and split the cost - brilliant! Both Lauren and Diego turned three, so our little cul-de-sac is full of toddlers!

Our first party was Saturday afternoon, so we walked over for Lauren's Princess and the Frog party. We enjoyed grilling and great company while Addison semi-played.

The next birthday party was Sunday afternoon, and we walked over to enjoy the Toy Story party with Diego. Addison, once again, semi-played. She did get a temporary tattoo, and she hit her first pinata. She is really an independent player. She enjoys the kids at day care, but she doesn't like a crowd. She doesn't like loud kids or kids that do wrong. She's just as happy to play by herself as play with others. At day care she has a few close friends, and she plays with others; however, she would prefer a small quiet setting.

{2}
Football Week
I am so excited that Alabama football starts this weekend!! Tate is going to wear a different Alabama shirt every day this week. We are just preparing for his future playing days ::wink, wink:: I can't wait to fill our fall schedule with game-watching parties and tailgating. We aren't going this weekend because it is a morning game, and it will be blistering hot! We are, however, making plans for the rest of the season. Get your calendar out, Mom!!

In addition to college football, I am planning on going to more of SPHS's football games (where I work). We play our big rival at home this week, and I'm super excited. The school has a lot of fun things planned leading up to the game including Chalk the Walk, a pep rally, and a school wide tailgate. I hope we win!!!

{3}
Snack Size
I am addicted to having all things snack size for my school lunch! I have a mini-fridge in my classroom, and I like to stock the fridge full of lunch things so I don't have to a) make a lunch every morning and b) remember to bring it to school. I've been enjoying a lunch of carrot sticks, apple slices, and hummus with pita crackers. It is filling and healthy on top of super convenient. I now search the grocery store for more fun snack sized things I can take for lunch (that are healthy too!).

{4}
Baby Boy
He's getting so big! I mean, just look at him! He's getting so strong too! He doesn't necessarily crawl, but he makes tracks!

So Busy

2011-08-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

Y'all! I am exhausted since school started! Having two kids and working leaves no time for much else!! By the time I leave school, pick up two kids from two different daycares, and get home it is nearly 5:00. Tate needs dinner by 6:00, and we eat dinner right after we feed him. If it is bath night we bathe after dinner, and by the time we finish it is time for Tate to go to bed. When I am putting him to sleep I will read my Kindle, so that is about all I can do at night. After he goes down, I fight Addison to go to sleep. By the time she falls asleep I am right there with her! Whew!

SO - to catch up, here are a few things that have been going on! All the pictures are from my phone too, so quality isn't fabulous.

{Moving}
Tate isn't crawling yet, but he manages to get around and go where he wants. Not too much longer and I will be even busier than before!!!

{Mirrored}
After bath time the other night, I put Tate in front of the mirror while I got Addison ready for bed, and he LOVED it. He has a mirror he plays with at daycare, but I never thought of just sitting him in front of our mirror in the bedroom. I remember Addison was a fan too, and I just love how entralled babies are with their reflections! Isnt' he cute?!?!

{Shelly the Tortoise}
The past week Addison has come home with different handouts on different things that were going around daycare (ex. Fifth Disease and Lice!!), but the icing on the cake was when I picked her up and this guy was hanging out:

He just WALKED UP INTO THE YARD!!!! Fortunately, he walked into a good home, and Addison's teacher and her husband took him to the vet for safe keeping. The owner knocked on her door yesterday looking for Shelly the Tortoise. He said he got Shelly when she was just a little bitty thing - my how she has grown!!

Random question: How does a turtle that big run away?? Just saying....

6 Months

2011-08-21T18:48:00.000-05:00

Last Monday my sweet baby boy turned 6 months old!!! I can't believe it has been 6 months!! I thought time flew before....boy does it with two sweet babies keeping me busy! I waited to post about his 6 months until he went to his check-up but then I got way too busy, so here it finally is!

Weight: 19 pounds
Length: 28 inches

Tate is in the 90th percentile for height, and he is in the 95th percentile for weight. He is a healthy, growing boy.

The best thing about Tate is his little personality. He is ALWAYS so, so happy!! He smiles at everyone, and gets a little flirty and shy sometimes. He only gets upset when he is hungry and tired. He will coo and growl at you, and when I say "hey" to him - it sounds like he says it back with his coo and big grin. Precious! I just love his big blue eyes and his big ol' smile!

Tate is wearing 6-9 month clothes. I've been buying 12-18 months for winter though! He is wearing size 3 diapers, but we will probably be moving him on up to size 4 before too long - just to get him room to move.

Tate eats about 4-5 six ounce bottles a day, and he is eating baby food for 3 meals. He is a huge fan of fruit, and he isn't fond of veggies. I can get him to eat squash and sweet potatoes, but that is about it!! His absolute favorite is yogurt (or yogaret as Addison calls it).

Tate has been sleeping through the night for a while now, and he sleeps in his crib!! He will go down anywhere between 7 and 8, and we have to wake him up most mornings to get ready to go to day care. I put him down on his back, and he immediately flips over - even if he is already asleep, so he is definitley a belly sleeper.

Tate plays in his jumper, walker, and on the floor with toys. He is such a happy baby that he is content anywhere for a little while.

He is doing really well at sitting up, and it won't be too long before he is crawling. He pushes up everything but his little hips. Although he isn't crawling just yet, he does a good job of moving around on the floor.

Tate is the only baby at day care right now. By baby I mean - he is the only one on a bottle and not mobile. The fun part is that all the little toddlers (1-2 year olds) absolutely LOVE him. They all take care of him and play with him. When I drop him off, all the kids surround his car seat. Harper likes him best, and the funny part is that Addison loved Harper just the same when she was Tate's age. It is sweet!!

Tate absolutely LOVES Addison, and Addison absolutely LOVES Tate!! I hope this never changes! Addison shares with him, talks to him, plays with him, and cares about him so much! One night I got a diaper out to change Tate, and I got distracted - when I looked back to him, Addison was trying to change his diaper! Addison gets a little jealous sometimes, but she isn't mean to Tate in any way when she needs her attention. He loves to watch her run around and play, and if she gets too loud or rough he complains - ha! He will make faces and almost cry if she yells too loud, and if she squeezes him too tight, he will swat at her. I love watching them together!!

WILW

2011-08-17T06:00:00.003-05:00

Oh my, y'all! It has been forever since I have truly blogged!!!

{2011-2012 School Year}
Although I am completely exhausted and sad to leave my babies at daycare, I am LOVING seeing all my old students and meeting my new ones. This year, as usual, poses some challenges, but it is full of excitement. I LOVE my curriculum, and I LOVE teaching 9th and 12th grade English!

{The Help}
I am LOVING that I get to go see The Help with some girlfriends tonight! I read it back before I knew it would be a movie, and I LOVED it. I am so excited to see the movie - especially with the girls!

{Home}
After being on the go for what seems like every weekend, I am LOVING that we will be home for at least the next two weekends! A weekend at home is just what I need after a long week at work.

{Alabama Football}
It is just a couple of short weeks away!! We got our tickets in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and I can't wait to venture to Tuscaloosa to watch the Tide play ball! I LOVE my alma mater, and I LOVE Alabama football!!!! ROLL TIDE!!!

Don't Worry

2011-08-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

The Strickland Family is alive and well these days - we are just super busy!!! I started back to school last week, and our students returned this week. It has been one crazy month with both kids in two different and new day cares and trying to establish a new routine. I hope to hop back on the blog train once things settle down. Until then...

Catching Up

2011-08-05T09:11:00.000-05:00

We've been busy this week as it has been our last week of summer vacation. Boy, summer break sure does go by so fast! Here's what we've been up to:

Saturday:
Last Saturday we went to Leighton's 3rd birthday party. Leighton is Addison's best friend at "school", and they are so sweet. Addison even refers to Leighton as her sister (so sweet), and we talk about her all the time. Small world story: Leighton's mom, Kimberly, went to high school with Jonathan in small town Alabama. Crazy that the kids end up in the same at-home daycare. Leighton had a Pinkalicious party at the park in Helena. There was a small river, waterfall, and playground - perfect entertainment!

Birthday Girl

Best Friends

Monday:
The kids and I got up Monday morning and ventured to Tennessee to visit with my mom one last time before school geared up. The kids are going back in a couple of weeks while Jonathan and I have a friend weekend in Nashville, so the trip was really for me to get my "mama time" in. I got mom to call my cousin, Kesha, about highlighting my hair. I wanted it done before school started, but it is just so pricey. Why pay a fortune when you have a cousin! Kesha came over and highlighted my hair, washed, dried, and styled it. She did a WONDERFUL job! I wish she lived closer! I am definitely going to let her do it from now on. We did a evening Wal-Mart run, and I ran across a wonderful sale! I always get the kids cheap, comfy clothes for daycare. They can ruin them playing, and there is no loss. Wal-Mart had a rack of clothes for $3 and another for only $1, so I scavenged for my kids some clothes. Mom got them a few things too, so I left with a ton of clothes. Tate got 9 pairs of pants, 1 shirt, and 1 sleeper, and Addison got 6 shirts, 2 outfits, and a dress. We got ALL this for $30!

Tuesday:
We all loaded up and went to Huntsville to play. Mom was sold on my Kindle, and we went looking for her one. The Best Buy in Huntsville was out of the one she wanted, but we decided that I would put it on hold down here and get it on our tax free weekend (good idea, us!), so now it is on hold in Tuscaloosa and I will pick it up this evening. We also went to the mall - I love Dillards, and we don't have one in Birmingham. I ended up leaving empty handed, but Addison didn't. We made our first trip to Build-a-Bear! Places like this you want to keep secret as long as you can, but I've always wanted to make one and Addison is the perfect age for it!

Wednesday:
Addison wanted to stay with NeeNee, so I made her ask her poppy. He complied, so Tate and I headed home alone. I've been missing that sweet girl ever since. Today was the day for me to check on her and see if she was ready to come home....she's not! She will be staying with Mom until Sunday, which makes for one sad mama. It is way too quiet without her here too!

We haven't been doing much since being back in Birmingham - watching movies, dinner with friends, etc. I start back to work Monday!!! EEKKK!!!

Princess Lotion

2011-08-04T12:03:00.001-05:00

I have been MIA this week because we went to visit my mom in Tennessee. Addison didn't want to come back with me - which makes me happy she loves being at Mom's so much and sad because she can so easily tell me bye - so she stayed. Since she isn't here to defend herself (haha - she will never be able to on the blog anyway), I thought I would tell you what she did last week.

I was rocking Tate and getting him down for a nap, and she was supposed to be in our bed watching TV and taking a nap. Instead I heard rumbling around after about 20 minutes of silence. I called her into the living room, and she came out COVERED in baby lotion!!

I took her back to the bathroom to clean up and talk to her about staying out of the lotion, but not before taking a picture:

When I asked her why she did this, she told me that she was becoming a TRUE PRINCESS!

So there you have it folks - lather up in baby lotion, and BAM! You're a princess!

New Toy

2011-07-29T10:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I told you that I got a Kindle. I finished my first book last night (stayed up til 12 to do so), and I bought the next book in the series this morning. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS THING!! I love how easy it is to read - doesn't hurt my eyes, easy to lie down and read, super easy to get a new book!, and so easy to handle. Have I sold you on it yet? No? You can put up to 5 devices on one account, so my mom now wants a Kindle, and whatever I buy to read she can read too from 200 miles away. Love, Love, Love, and no I'm not getting paid to say so...unless Amazon wants to hook up and talk free books. Ha!

Well, today I will share about Jonathan's new toy, a Playstation 3! We had a PS2 back when we first got engaged and married, but we were burglarized a mere three months after we were married. We had the PS2, TWO laptops (and all my precious pictures!), a DVD/CD player, and SEVERAL DVDs stolen, oh - and ALL our remotes! Lucky for me I had taken my iPod and CDs to work with me, and I don't have nice jewelry that isn't on me most of the time.

So now - almost 5 years later, we finally made the plunge. We had been talking about getting one for a long time now, and I definitely wanted one once NCAA Football 2012 came out because Mark Ingram graced the cover. And yes, I logged on facebook daily to vote for him to win the cover....so - we purchased!

Jonathan got his favorite game (a close second favorite of mine):

And I got my favorite game (for much cheaper - ha!):

I just love driving around in a car, beating up people, robbing people, and being on a mission. I am ready to get guitar hero and all that jazz now, but we have to start slow.

Needless to say, we've been busy playing with our toys since Wednesday, and I will keep you updated on who wins the most football games - if you are the betting kind, put your money on me!

Well Read

2011-07-28T15:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Jonathan and I loaded up the kids and headed to Best Buy to "look". Who are we kidding though?! We had already done our online research, and our looking was most definitely headed toward the buying. And buy we did!

I went home with this beauty -

The price on this sweet little piece of technology has been dropping, and with a Best Buy promotion that included a $30 Best Buy giftcard with the purchase - now was the time to buy.

I couldn't wait to get it charged up and going! I already had some books on my phone's Kindle app (that were free), so those uploaded as soon as I signed in (mostly classics). My first book to purchase was Janet Evanovich's One for the Money, and so far I love it! Three of my girlfriends are well into the series, and they talk about it all the time. Now I know why!

Jonathan also went home with a "toy", but I will share more about his later. Until then - I will be reading (and tending to children).

ELLO-V-E Wednesday

2011-07-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

{Go A Walking}
Addison calls going walking or going for a walk - go a walking, and here recently that's what we've been doing every evening after dinner. It feels a little better in the evening when the sun is going down and there is a slight breeze in the air. Yesterday we took a walk to the neighborhood playground (nothing fancy, but gets the job done). Maggie even taught Addison how to roll down the hill. I am LOVING this family time where all we can do is be active and talk to one another.

{Big Boy}
Tate is getting so much more active, and he is enjoying his jumper more and more everyday. I LOVE to watch him explore all the little toys on the jumper. It is amazing to watch a baby learn and grow. He likes to stand, so this gives my arms a rest as well and I LOVE that.

He is also doing so much better eating food! He is still super picky, but we've improved. I LOVE watching his reactions (and using less formula!).

{Colin}
I LOVE that Colin made it home Saturday, and I've been chatting with Kim trying to plan a good time to go visit. I can't wait to see his little face and have all the kids together.

{Surprising Love}

School starts back in two weeks (three for students), and SURPRSINGLY I LOVE that it is! There is something about a new year that is so refreshing! I'm sure I am just on a little high because I was up there yesterday for registration, and I got to chat with a few of my former kids. I know that a mere two weeks after school begins I will be begging for a break and spending days with my babies, but for now I am looking forward to seeing students from previous years, meeting new ones, and catching up with teacher friends. I sure will miss my sweet babies when it does though.

Miscellany Monday

2011-07-25T11:18:00.000-05:00

{One}
Colin Ollie Street
If you read Kim's blog, The Street Family, then you've been informed that baby Colin has arrived! YAY! I won't give details because you can read all about Colin on her blog (please do!). I will say that we went to see him first thing Friday morning, and we went again after Jonathan got off Friday afternoon. I enjoyed snuggling with a baby who wasn't trying to get away - ha!

Me and my two, with Kim, Colin, and Crystal

{Two}
Wedded
This weekend Stephanie and Robbie tied the knot! The ceremony was beautiful and full of smiles and laughter (especially caused by one little flower girl), and it was followed up with a great reception with great tasting cake and a deejay with fun music.

The Bride

The Groom

My hot date

My posse

{Three}

Kiddos

We have Maggie this week, and Jonathan will be off on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I have a couple of things I have to do on Tuesday and Thursday (quick things), but other than that we are having a staycation. We thought of going to the beach, but it is just so rare to JUST BE AT HOME. I'm looking forward to pool days, sleeping in (kinda), and just relaxing with the family. I will probably beg Jonathan for a Colin visit or two too!

Wednesday, What? What?

2011-07-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

I am LOVING another Wednesday to tell you what I LOVE!

{Jessica Simpson Collection}
Although I dropped her like a bad habit after she cheated on Nick Lachey (congrats to him on his remarriage), I am totally LOVING all things Jessica Simpson right now (minus music - ha!). I recently bought two of her dresses, and I fell in love with all the rest. After stalking her website, I've decided there isn't much I don't want! Here's what I am swooning over -

{Shoes from Dad}
I am LOVING the shoes my dad surprised me with. I received a random package in the mail, and the shoes were definitely wrapped in love and spirit - Tide spirit, that is! I wore them for the first time today, and true to reputation, they are SO comfy!

{Nap Time}
I LOVE afternoon nap time because BOTH my kids go down for a nap. It is nice to have some peace and quiet while they nap. It is nice to get things done around the house, blog, or just sit and enjoy sitting. I also LOVE that they sleep like little angels!

{Baby Colin}
I am LOVING that Kim is 37 weeks preggo, and Colin can safely make his way into the world any day. I've been trying to keep Kim busy on her feet now, so I begged her to go to the mall with us yesterday (didn't take much begging). Tomorrow we are going to go for a nice long walk then hit the pool. Addison keeps asking to go over there to see baby Colin - so sweet - but I have to keep telling her he's not here yet. Can't wait for Tate's BFF to arrive!

{Wedding}
Stephanie and Robby are getting married on Saturday!! YAY! I am LOVING that the wedding is finally here, and we get to hang out with everyone again. I even got me a pretty dress to wear. So fun!

{Summer's End}
Although I am NOT LOVING my summer break coming to a close (2 more weeks, y'all!), I am LOVING that we have fun fall plans! We are going to go to Nashville the second weekend in August, and 3 short weeks later it is FOOTBALL SEASON! Media days are going on here in Hoover this week, and it took all of me not to go stalk around The Wynfrey trying to find Nick Saban and all the other SEC coaches.

"I Wanna Go"

2011-07-19T08:53:00.000-05:00

The long awaited Britney concert has finally come and gone, and it was AH-MAZING. We all know of my long-time obsession over BritBrit, and if you didn't, well - now you do.

Sunday around 10:30 I left the house to go pick up Beth. Once I retrieved her we ate lunch, ran to the ATM, and headed to Sarah's to meet Sarah and Ali and head to Atlanta. We ended up leaving Birmingham around lunch and arriving in Atlanta around 3:30. It was just enough time to check in the hotel, freshen up, and head to dinner.

This was the view from our window. I love a city skyline almost as much as I love a mountain or country view. We didn't spend much time in the room to gaze at the view - instead, we got out in the city and had a wonderful girls' night.

Before leaving the hotel - the lighting in the hotel was not good at all.

We left the hotel around 4:45 and headed just a block away to Peasant Bistro for dinner. I had the Honey Apple Crisp Salad, and we all shared a bread basket. It was of course delicious, but the salad was a lot smaller than I wanted it to be! I could have eaten my weight in that salad! We finished off dinner with a glass (or two) of champagne and two delicious desserts: Pecan Sticky Bread Pudding and a Brownie with Peanut Butter Ice Cream and a Caramelized Banana. It was amazing!

Ali and Sarah (LtoR):

Me and Beth:

After dinner, we headed to Phillips Arena. It was already showtime (7:00), so we missed the opening act. We didn't mind though we were busy getting a drink, buying a t-shirt, and finding our seats. All in enough time to see Nicki Minaj!

Nicki Minaj took the stage and rocked it! She has her own CD, but she is known for her feature appearances in A LOT of other rappers songs. You've probably heard her music even if you don't think you have. She totally knew how to work the stage, and she put on a great show. Her encore included two you may know: "Moment 4 Life" and "Super Bass". After she finished, the countdown for Brtiney began. We had 45 minutes before Britney started, so I went looking for a couple of my students who were there.

Sarah, Me, and Allie (also random that two of the girls I went with were also Sarah and Ali):

Of course, we were thankful we decided to get out between sets because we saw some fun, funny, crazy people getting out to get food, drinks, bathroom, etc. check out the guy beside me on the far right. Awesome, right??

After stopping by concession and the bathroom and concession again (Beth spilled her drink in the bathroom), we headed back to our seats to wait for Britney to take the stage.

Brit took the stage to "Toxic" and "Hold it Against Me", and from there it was non-stop Britney favorites! Some of my favorites she sang were "3", "Piece of Me", "How I Roll", "If You Seek Amy", "Gimme More", "Drop Dead Beautiful", "Boys", "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", "Baby One More Time", Rihanna's "S&M", "Slave for You", "Womanizer", & "I Wanna Go". She danced, sang (for real), and talked to the audience. She brought people up on stage, changed from amazing costume to amazing costume, and put on a great show! (I may or may not have just typed out 98% of her set list - I love them all!!!)

She encored with the infamous "Till the World Ends", and the crowd went nuts. Everyone was jumping up and down, singing, and just having a great time. We were so sad to see it end - time flew by while BritBrit was on stage!!!

We slowly made our way out the doors, and Beth and I were pumped up and not ready to call it a night. Sarah and Ali headed back to the hotel while Beth and I headed to Metro Cafe. It is a karaoke cafe/bar in downtown by Hard Rock Cafe. My salad had long since worn off, and breakfast was just the thing I needed. Two pancakes, two pieces of bacon, some singing along with karaoke, and a dance with my new friend later - we were ready to head home and get in bed.

This is my new friend Kim. She was out with her husband and a bunch of his old fraternity brothers who were in town. She was probably looking for a little girl time after a night with the boys, so we chatted, danced to Backstreet Boys, and got a picture before I left. Can you believe she is 40?? Doesn't she look great?

We got back to the hotel around midnight, went to bed, and woke bright and early Monday morning. Sarah had to go to work for half a day; Beth had things to get done at her house since she's been out of town so much recently, and I had to get home to my sweet husband and beautiful babies! I really enjoy spending time with friends and doing adult things, but I miss my kids so much while I am gone that I can't stand it!!! I took a nap on the couch with Tate yesterday, and it was so nice to just snuggle and sleep.

5 Months

2011-07-15T16:51:00.001-05:00

Tate is 5 months old!

Where in the world does time go? I feel like my summer has flown by as we only have 3 weeks left before school starts. I have enjoyed my time with the kids this summer, but I am worn out! I almost need to go to work to rest - ah, such is life. On to my big boy:

Tate is wearing size 3 diapers and 6-9 months clothes.

He has outgrown the swing and although I still stick him in there on occassion, the bouncer. We've moved him up to a jumper, walker, bumbo, & high chair!

Tate eats about 6 ounces every 3-4 hours. In the morning I feed him yogurt, and at lunch and dinner we finish the yogurt and try some of the Gerber baby food. He just isn't a fan of baby food though! I gave him some mashed potatoes at Mom's, which he liked, but he will not eat baby food! He makes the worst faces when I feed it to him. We keep trying though; it takes 3-4 times of trying for babies to catch on. Keep on keepin' on, right?

He sleeps through the night 8-6:30ish in his crib. I couldn't be happier! He also takes a morning catnap and a longer afternoon nap that coincides with Addison's nap - praise the Lord!

He will occasionally suck his thumb still; however, he doesn't do it quite as much as he used to. He still doesn't take a paci either - win, win.

Tate started rolling over this month. He's so big it is a slow roll, but he can do it!

He's getting stronger, so we work on sitting up more and more. He is getting better!

He is also taking more interest in holding his own bottle. He can now grasp it and hold it for a little bit. Sitting up and holding the bottle make a happy mommy!

Tate will "talk" to you too. I call him a little lion because he does these soft little roars - precious!

Tate enjoys standing, so he loves the jumper and walker. Addison plays with him while he is in those as well, and just as she loves him - he loves her! He smiles and laughs at her often. He also flinches away from her too - ha! She tends to be real touchy/feely!

He is such a happy baby - he will smile at everyone who speaks to him. All you have to do is say hey to him, and he gets all giddy - almost like flirty or bashful. He doesn't cry much - only when it is time to eat and sleep. He is such a blessing!

His sister gets a little more jealous than she used to. Poppy (Jonathan) doesn't really get to hold Tate when he gets home in the evening. He has to show Tate his attention in the morning before Add wakes up. Add wants to help, but she also wants your attention. If we are feeding Tate she always needs something - milk, potty, cartoons, a toy, etc. She sure does love him though!

Happy 5 Months, Tate!! We love you!!

Wednesday Loveday

2011-07-13T20:28:00.000-05:00

{Clean}
I've been on a cleaning kick this week, and I've cleaned out closets and attics - places I never tread. I LOVE having everything clean and organized though!

{Britney}
Britney Spears on Sunday!! Can't wait!!! LOVE me some BritBrit!

{Pool Day}
I took the kiddos to Kim's today to swim. Addison LOVES the pool because she can touch. I LOVE the going to her pool cause we can tan, Tate can stay in the cool area but close, Addison is comfortable there (minus Malik - ha!) and I get to visit with Kim. After we got out to eat lunch storms moved in, the kids napped, and we watched a movie. It was a wonderful, relaxing day; it also makes for a great nap/night's sleep for my babies!

{ESPYs}
I'm LOVING the ESPYs red carpet and awards right now. I canNOT wait until football season!

{Couponed}
I am LOVING that although I am not a pro, I do run across a couple of great deals while trying. Chex Mix $.59 for 2 bags - score!

Miscellany Monday

2011-07-11T17:09:00.001-05:00

{1}
Bachelorette Trip
This weekend the girls ventured to Atlanta to give Stephanie one last night on the town before tying the knot. We ate good food, went to Ikea, and had lots of laughs.

{2}

Swaddled

Tate still loves a swaddle, but he is outgrowing his swaddle blankets. We got a coupon for Buy Buy Baby in the mail last week, and today I went to buy him a new swaddle sack. I hope he loves it as much as his old green one.

{3}

BritBrit

On Sunday a group of four of us girls will be traveling to Atlanta (again) to see Britney Spears Femme Fatale Tour(again). I am super excited!! I love her newest CD, and she is also playing some of my favorite older songs. You can read about (mostly a couple of pictures) our last concert HERE.

{4}

craigslist

I am totally addicted. I currently have a tv, tv stand, a baby swing, and baby bedding listed. I am totally looking around my house thinking....what else can I sell?? If you are interested in any of the things I listed, let me know, and I will send you the info. In the mean time, I am hoping for a flood of e-mails of SOMEONE who wants this stuff. I'm pretty sure if it doesn't sell on craigslist I will be moving on to ebay.

Love Wednesday

2011-07-06T14:09:00.000-05:00

{cupcakes}
Addison and I made mini cupcakes this morning. I just iced them while she is naping/resting, and I am going to let her put sprinkles on some when she wakes up. Wish I had taken pictures of the process, but she decided to go without clothes today (panties only). Ha! We both LOVE icing, so I'm sure the cupcakes will be left after all the icing is gone!

{4th of July}
We had a LOVELY Fourth of July weekend. Addison and Tate spent a couple of days with my mom, and Jonathan and I "played" with friends. I couldn't take being away from the kiddos long, so I packed up and headed to Tennessee on Sunday. The fourth was filled with kiddie pool, cartoons, cooking, and pictures.

{picnik}
I am LOVING the 1960s setting on picnik - which I only use when I'm bored. Ha!

{snapfish}
I LOVE that Snapfish has a deal on pictures right now. For 99 cents plus shipping and handling, you can get 99 4x6 prints. I have 76 pictures in my album right now, so I need to find a few more that need printing. The deal expired July 8, so hurry and use JULYPENNY99 when you check out! If you go through eBates, you can get cash back!

{coupons}
I LOVE that I am getting a little better at couponing. I went today and got 4 tubes of Crest toothpast for $1! I got some other deals, but that was the one that made me happiest!

When I'm Not Bloggin'

2011-06-30T13:47:00.000-05:00

We are watching this

Playing in this

Loving on them

Teaching him to roll over and play with toys

Playing this with girlfriends

and we are moving into a weekend of grilling and relaxing. Summer is proving to be rather delightful, as usual. It is also going by way too quickly, as usual.

Rainy Tuesday

2011-06-28T16:10:00.000-05:00

Today we spent a rainy day at home. It is so nice to just sit back and relax after last week being so busy. When it rains I don't feel quite as guilty about not doing anything productive! Since getting ready for the shower last week, I feel like our house has stayed fairly clean since - believe it or not.

Addison is getting better and better about keeping her toys contained. Every day I tell her she needs to clean up her toys before Poppy gets home, so frequently throughout the day she cleans up in anticipation for his arrival. I love it!

Since it was just a blah day at home, I am thankful that we had some visitors! Meredith and Mallory (my college girls!) came by to visit me and the kiddos. Meredith wanted both kids awake for her visit, and Tate didn't make it for her arrival. He did, however, wake up and play for a while, so I'm glad they got to see both of them awake and interacting. It worked out perfectly too because Addison was ready to crash when they left, and Tate went right back down. I actually remembered to take a picture too! Addison was being silly for them, but I did manage to get one good one.

Silly girl:

I just love these girls, and I missed them at SP last year but having them in college has been fun! Meredith is at Alabama, and we all know about my love for UA. Mallory is at Auburn, and we all know how I feel about that place; however, I love a lot of people who go/went there, and I get over it. Ha! For the summer Mallory is working on the UCA staff (cheerleading), and Meredith is taking classes in Birmingham while working and playing around here. It was nice to sit down and catch up too. Addison ate up the attention they were giving, and I think she might have talked their heads off.

Hoping for some prettier weather tomorrow though! I need to get these kids out in the yard to play and wear themselves out!

Miscellany Monday

2011-06-27T12:57:00.000-05:00

one.
furnished
Our new furniture was delivered on Friday, and we love it! It definitely makes the room feel warmer. Next up - new rug and curtains or drapes.

two.

showered

Kim's shower was Saturday, and it was a great success. She got a ton of stuff for Colin, and I think that everyone enjoyed themselves. I didn't really take a lot of pictures like I intended to, but Jenn took a ton. I will hopefully get those from her soon and do a post about the shower.

three.

wrapped

We went out to the pool/lake with Kim and Eli yesterday, and it was nice to relax a little now that the shower is over. We did get a little thunderstorm, but while we took shelter, we got our hair wrapped. I haven't gotten this done since grade school, so I joined Addison with a wrap. She sat really still for Jenn to wrap it, and she hasn't really messed with it today.

four.
failed
My phone wouldn't turn on this morning. It would launch like it would, but then I continued to get the Droid Eye with no home screen ever appearing. After taking the battery out for a while and putting it back in, I finally took it to Verizon for them to fix. I didn't have a phone to call a help desk from, so I had to load up my two kids and go. The good news - the corrected my problem (software problem). The bad news - I had to reload all my settings.

Busy Friday

2011-06-24T14:12:00.000-05:00

I've been super busy today, and it has just been a day at home!

Tomorrow is Kim's baby shower, and we are hosting it at our house. I LOVE party planning, so I am enjoying the busyness of today's preparation.

Today, however, I am also sticking around the house waiting for a special delivery! I am currently sitting in the floor blogging, but hopefully in a couple of hours, I can blog from the comfort of our new living room furniture - YAY! We've been sitting on some furniture ~~borrowed~~ stollen from my mom, and it has been great. In the meantime, we've been looking for furniture we love. Back in May - we found it, and I've been ~~patiently~~ impatiently waiting for its delivery. It is just in time for the shower tomorrow too!

I also have been cleaning, washing, & finishing last minute things. I will also pick up the cake and cookies this afternoon. It is a lot to do with a toddler and a 4 month old, but I'm loving every minute. And don't worry - I will be taking a TON of pictures!

Crazy in Alabama

2011-06-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

You seriously can't make this stuff up. I read this just a few moments ago, and I HAD to share!

Woman abandons three children along I-65

By Melynda Sides

Awoman dropped off three children ages five and under along the side of I-65 in Blount Count this morning, then disappeared into the woods, leaving her car and clothing behind.

The Blount Count Sheriff's Department is investigating the bizarre series of events and searching for the woman.

Around 9:30 a.m., deputies responded to the Shell station off of the Hayden/Corner exit on I-65 in Blount County. A woman pulled off the interstate and into the gas station, where she dropped off two children, a five-year-old and two-year-old. It is unclear whether or not the woman is the mother of the children.

According to Sheriff Loyd Arrington, she then got back on the interstate, pulled over on the side of I-65 just past the Hayden exit, and flagged down an individual. The woman handed a man a 9-month-old baby, told him "I've got to go save the world," and took off by foot into the nearby woods.

Deputies found the parked vehicle on the side of I-65 and have been searching the wooded area near the abandoned car since this morning. They found the woman's skirt and blouse in the woods, but have not yet located the woman.

"It ought to be really easy looking for a woman in bra and panties running around the woods. Not too many of those running around," Arrington said.

State troopers from Mobile County had issued a lookout call for the woman's vehicle earlier this morning, but it is not yet known why they were looking for her, Arrington added.

All three children are safe and currently in custody of the Department of Human Resources.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Copyright 2011 WBRC. All rights reserved.

{Source myfoxal.com}

Loveday

2011-06-22T08:05:00.001-05:00

My image uploads won't work, but I link up to this kind of love with Jamie.

{Sleep}
Last night both kids slept without a problem. Addison woke up around 1 to go to the bathroom, but she went right back to bed on her own! Tate went down around 8:30 and woke up around 6:30. It is going to be a lovely summer if this continues! I LOVE sleep!

{Dream}
I had a dream last night that I was pregnant. Eeekk! I am LOVING that I am NOT! Ha!

{Shower}
Kim's shower is this weekend, and the final arrangements are being made, printed, finished. I still have quite a few things left on the to-do list, but they are simple things. Then all I have to do is put it all together! I hope she has a good turn-out, and Colin gets lots of great stuff. I LOVE party planning!

{Lunch}
We've been having lunch dates this week, and it has been lovely. Yesterday I met up with a couple of my seniors from the yearbook staff. They were talking college plans since they are registering for classes. I miss college! Tomorrow we have lunch with some of my friends from school. I am excited about catching up on all the gossip and what they've been doing over break. I LOVE spending time with friends.

{HGTV}
I've been watching HGTV when I can't find anything else on TV during the day. (I do NOT want to get sucked into a soap!) Of course, HGTV gives me fever to decorate and renovate OR MOVE (ha!) - none of which I have money or time for right now. I LOVE the inspiration though!

Miscellany Monday

2011-06-20T14:52:00.000-05:00

We had a miscellany weekend...

{1}
We fed these guys:

{2}

Did a little of this:

{3}

Harassed this guy:

{4}
Did lots of this:

{6}
Snuggled him:

Pretty good weekend if you ask me!

4 Months Old

2011-06-16T14:19:00.001-05:00

My baby boy is 4 months!

Length: 27 inches

Weight: 17 pounds 1 ounce

95th percentile in both length and height! My baby boy continues to top the charts.

Tate is eating 6-8 ounces every 3-4 hours. He has been going through a growth spurt, so I feel like I've been feeding him nonstop! The doctor gave us the okay today to start eating baby food! Yay! Rest assured he will have some rice cereal TONIGHT!

He is wearing 3-6 month clothing - it won't be long until he is in 6-9 months though. His 6 month sleepers are tight!

Tate sleeps through the night. He goes down between 8 and 9, and he sleeps until 6 or 7. It is fabulous! We will be moving him to the crib soon and the pack and play will come down.

Tate still loves to be swaddled. Once he is swaddled and fed, he is out!

Tate's personality is starting to shine! He smiles ALL the time now. It used to be hard to get him to crack one smile, and now you can just look at him and smile and he smiles back. I love that he is so happy and content!

He has also started giggling the past month. He is super ticklish, and that is the best way to get a giggle out of him. I tell him that sometimes he sounds like it hurts instead of being funny.

He is a mover and a groover. He is always moving around (unless he is asleep!). I'm sure he can't wait to start crawling. Sometimes I think he wants to hop down and go with Addison.

Recently, Tate has found a new habit too. See evidence below:

It is super precious, but it HAS to go. I am on paci #3 trying to find one that he will take. Maybe once he gets his belly full with baby food, he won't need to suck his thumb to feel satisfied. I prefer a paci over a thumb because let's face it - it is much easier to get rid of a paci...

Look how much he's grown!!

I love this sweet little guy! He is such a blessing and an asset to our little family!

Love on Wednesday

2011-06-15T18:44:00.000-05:00

{4 Months Old}
My baby boy is four months old today - time flies! I am LOVING how fun this age is though. Every age has its fun milestones, and Tate's personality is starting to show. I will put up a 4 Month Old post tomorrow after his doctor's appointment. I'm waiting so I can include stats and development. I can tell he's growing though - little guy wants to eat and sleep ALL THE TIME these days.

{Two and a HALF}
Addison is also two and a half today. I am working on a post for her as well - so much changes in so little time. My little toddler has such a personality! I am LOVING that she can make me laugh even when I am sad or mad. She is such a blessing.

{Crafty}
Today Kim and I got to make a trip to Hobby Lobby and get supplies we need for Colin's room/baby shower. We spent all afternoon crafting. I can't share until after the shower though, so hold on tight! The shower is a week from Saturday - not much longer! I LOVE crafting. I hate when I finish crafts because I want to keep on going! I do have a few that I am going to work on during some down time next week though. Don't worry - I'll share!

{Extreme Couponing}
I'm LOVING this show!! I don't know why anyone needs 35 bottles of Maalox - especially just to sit on a shelf in the basement, but who cares - it was free! I just think it is cool how people can organize and plan so much to pay just a few dollars for thousands of dollars worth of groceries. I love that some people donate to food banks and whatnot. I mean, no one really needs all that. But why buy something at full price when you can SAVE!

{Friends and Date Night}
Addison and Maggie went to Jonathan's mom's house for a couple of days so they can go to VBS at her church. Addison was happy to go, but I am one sad mama. I sure do miss her little face, but I'm using the time away to get some things done and enjoy a little adult time. Today I crafted with Kim (an impossibility when Addison is on full-force), tomorrow we have Tate's doctor's appt and I have dinner with friends, and Friday night Jonathan and I are going on a DATE! I LOVE that we are going to have one-on-one time! Kim is keeping Tate for us for a couple of hours while we get dinner and a movie. YAY! We have had adult time recently, but we haven't had JUST US time in a while. Long overdue to spend time with my LOVE.

900

2011-06-14T18:53:00.000-05:00

This is my 900th post.

I am 100 posts away from a glorious 1000.

I hope that by 1000 I have something amazing to say or do to commemorate the post.

Until then, this is my 900th.

Enjoy.

Pool Day Thoughts

2011-06-13T13:49:00.001-05:00

Today I loaded Addison, Tate, and Maggie up for a couple of hours relaxing (haha, yeah right) at the pool. I had a diaper bag, beach bag, toy bag, cooler, and a camera bag ON TOP OF a stroller and three kids. I had my hands full, but we made it. We spent roughly two hours at the pool, and my kids were all well-behaved, polite kids. It may be because my children know consequences.

I may step on toes here, but this is my blog and I will stomp around all I want. It isn't often that I blog about personal thoughts on politics, religion, or parenting, but today prompted the perfect opening for me to "vent", so to speak.

I don't care how people chose to discipline their kids - spanking, time-out, or whatever other ways that have been created, but I do care that people discipline. Other children's behavior can affect and effect my child, and that is where things get personal.

At my house we spank. I don't need any comments on that matter either - it is just the way it is and will be. I was spanked; I am fine. I have popped Addison's little butt a few times, but now I don't really have to do that anymore. A firm voice and she understands that she needs to obey. At day care they use timeout. Addison knows that disobeying results in timeout as well. She has never been put in timeout at daycare because she is a sweet baby, but I expect them to put her in timeout if she does step out of line.

With that said - while we were at the pool, we were there with other moms with small children - all near Addison's age. All were boys too - that may make the difference and because my baby boy is still a baby, I don't know. What I do know is that the children were not being disciplined.

Incident 1:
Mom and son arrive at the pool. The little boy is probably between 18-24 months old. When they arrive, he hops right in the kiddie pool. She calls him about 5-10 times to come put sunscreen on. He NEVER does. He SPLASHES other kids in the FACE with the water. She tells him repeatedly NOT to splash others in the face. When we left, he was still splashing kids in the face while in her nice voice she is saying, "Nicholas, we don't splash other people." This kid also kept running away from his mom to the big pool trying to get in with no floats. She would just chase him and bring him back.

Incident 2:
A boy clearly a year or two older than Addison wanted to TAKE a toy from her. She was playing with it; he wanted it; he cornered her for it!!! What did Mom do? Nothing. In her super sweet voice she said, "Elijah, she's playing with it." She then pulled him away trying to distract him. He escaped her grasp and RAN from her TOWARD Addison GRABBING for her toy. At this point, Addison was beside me, and I took it and told him that she was playing with it. Mom once again just leads him away, as he is kicking and screaming for the toy, and she tells him that they will have to leave if he is going to act like that. He continues to act unacceptable, but he is doing so in the pool, while playing, and they were still there when we left. This all happens after she has told him not to shoot the man sleeping on the chair with his water gun, and he does.

Incident 3:
A little boy, between ages 4-5, actually TAKES Addison's toy from Maggie. He goes back to the kiddie pool and plays with it, while Addison is pouting to me about it. I kept telling her to just go tell him she wanted it back, but if you know my child, you know she wouldn't. She waits until he leaves it unattended, and she goes to take it back and pack it up. A few short minutes later, the boy takes another bucket full of water from the kiddie pool, walks over to the big pool, and DUMPS the water on Maggie's HEAD. His mom, tanning at the time, says in her nice voice, "Now we don't do that. Tell her you are sorry." Kid says, "Sorry."

At this time, I packed up my kids and left. Is it too much to make your child sit out of the pool for treating others poorly?? Is it too much to simply use a firm voice reprimanding your child?? Why can't people seem to discipline any more?

I am not a super mom. I don't have the whole mom thing down to a science. I learn new things about being a mom daily, but I think that the number one thing about being a parent (aside from showing your children great love) is showing your children boundaries and consequences for behavior. This may just be the teacher in me coming out...

There. I feel better. Other than the crazy kids at the pool - we had a good time. Of course, we are all tired now! Nap time!

Wednesday Love!

2011-06-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

{Strapped}

I'm LOVING my new camera strap that I ordered from Very Jane a couple of weeks ago. Can you guess which one I ordered??

{Target}

I'm LOVING the new summer line at Target - Calypso. I haven't bought anything yet, but I surely fight the urge every time I walk into the store.

{Home}

I LOVE that we will be at home this weekend. We are ALWAYS on the go, and it is so exhausting - especially since we have two small children. I don't have anything planned - which is LOVELY. I wish we could stay home more...such is life.

{Ice Cold}

One drink that marks my summer is Crystal Light. I buy the on the go packs and the packets that make 2 quarts. My favorite is to mix pink lemonade and raspberry lemonade. I'm having a tall glass of it right now. I LOVE lemonade on a hot summer day, and I LOVE that Crystal Light is only 5 calories per serving!

Manual

2011-06-07T05:00:00.002-05:00

We all know that I have a Nikon D3000. We all know that I've had it for a while now, and I haven't quite mastered, well....anything. Tonight I actually opened the user manual - ha! It would be a good place to start. I got a little more familiar with my camera's settings, and I hopped online for some more mini-lessons.

I learned that maybe I shouldn't dive right in to manual settings, and so - I am not. Instead I'm exploring A and S {Tv on Canon}. After some light {and completely confusing reading}, I went outside to play with Add and took my camera along.

Straight Out of the Camera:

Candle Chandelier Re-Do

2011-06-06T16:30:00.000-05:00

When we moved into our house, a candle chandelier was hanging above the tub in the master bath. I wasn't particular fond of it - especially over the tub, so we took it down and put it in the attic.

Recently I have been working in Addison's room and remembered the candle chandelier and thought it might be useful. After reading a ton of blogs where people simply re-do what they have, I was feeling inspired. I bought my primer and my paint and got to work spray painting - after taking off the plastic crystals and cleaning it, of course.

Before:

Middle:

After:

Addison's room still needs a lot of work, but once I feel things are more complete - I will share the whole room. It has been enjoyable taking my time working on it.