Mostly Treats

I didn't know how I was going to manage Halloween this year. Jason was coaching and that left me by myself. But Poppyboy came to the rescue. He drove in early Friday so that I could get all my running around done before the big night and then helped with the kids. He was such a good sport, he even came with a costume per Emma's request. And then to top it off, he stayed home with the boys while Emma and I went to the football game. Another save by Poppy!

These pictures capture the essence of the kids tonight. Tatum was everywhere, fired up, and Emma played up her royal status to the hilt. She couldn't understand why she couldn't just where these earrings all the time.

What you do matters

Does anyone ever need an excuse to scrapbook. Not me, but you know what, right now it is SO UNREALISTIC. No lie, I tried to read this book that EVERYONE is talking about, The Shack. You are going to call me a big fat fibber when I tell you that every 2 sentences, let me repeat that for those who might have missed it...every 2 sentence, I was interupted by some little person asking, telling, needing something. I am venting all this to say, tonight I read this...http://stacysbigpicture.typepad.com/altogether_too_happy/, about "What you do matters" and remembered why it is that I write things down, why I put pictures in albums, and most importantly and most easily, why I blog. Thank you Ellen for introducing me to this easy way that I can remember for my kids what it is that makes me happy...my kids. Ellen, you're right to say that we usually just blog the highlights. But you know, who wants to remember anything but. To Tatum, Emma, and Tennison who may or may not ever read this. I love you "more than the sun and the stars that God taught how to shine. You are mine and you shine for me too. I love you, yesterday and today and tomorrow, I'll say it again and again and again. I love you more!"

Hathead

Like babies aren't cute enough on their own, we have to go and make them into baby animals with fuzzy blue ears. In this case, the hat is to keep his horns warm :) How much cuter do we want them to be? So cute that even looking at them gives us cavities. Okay, so here's the way it works in the mornings. Tatum gets up first, gets dressed and starts on breakfast. Then Emma comes dragging out or is dragged out, whichever. And very last, 5 minutes before we are walking out the door, baby giant comes forth from his slumber. Before he will even think about agreeing to get out of bed, green frog and then blanket have to be picked up, and then the prince will agree to be lifted from the royal mattress. The trick is to get everyone in the car with a minimal amount of crying, fighting, or trips back into the house for forgotten items that we can't live without for the 10 minutes it takes us to go to and from Carver. TC is especially demanding when he first wakes up so on mornings like this one (37 degrees outside) when we have to add a coat, hat, and socks, it can be a bit tricky and I hold my breath waiting for the back arching and screaming. But this morning, all was well and with he and green frog tucked into the seat there was peace. He really is a good kid and gets a bad rap for all the biting, screaming, and destruction. No one ever talks about the great personality he has or that he will give kisses on demand or that when asked if he wants to go outside, he he will run and get his shoes. Can you tell I'm writing this first thing in the morning before he's had a chance to break anything?

Twinkle Toes

I know that alot of little girls do this, a part of childhood, the first day of dance class. But it was like she was the first one who had ever donned a leotard and pink tights. She is the cutest thing I have ever layed eyes on. You should have seen her concentrating while listening to her teacher, Miss Michelle. At one point, she was concentrating so hard that her little tongue slipped out. Miss Michelle says she was very impressed with how well Emma did. And I'm sure she doesn't say that to every mom. Emma is a natural. I can't even type this without getting weepy but all I can think of is the Stephen Curtis Chapman song (it's more for Daddy's but...) "so I will dance with Cinderella, while she is here in my arms, 'cause I know something the prince never knew. I will dance with Cinderella. I don't want to miss even one song. For all too soon the clock will strike midnight, and she'll be gone."

Tatum

What I will miss about Tatum at 6:
That you say "okay, sure Mom!" when I ask you to do something
Open expressions in your blue, blue eyes
Everything can be a hat or a letter or a map
You are NEVER grumpy, pensive-yes, but never grumpy
You're never mean on purpose
You will eat anthing I put on your plate
You would rather stay home than go out
You love to be read to
Your teachers love you and tell stories about you
When you are in the mood, you are a great playmate to bossylips
You are content

Emma

What I will miss about Emma at 3:
You love to kiss and be kissed
You love strawberry, eskimo, and butterfly kisses
We take turns kissing eyes, nose, ears, forehead, eyelids, etc.
You LOVE your Daddy but I'm still your favorite
Given the choice between staying in or going out, you will choose going out everytime
You love to loot Mom's jewelry and makeup
When you want to do something you say "would that be okay?"
You love anything chocolate
Every night you ask to sleep in the big bed, sometimes it works
You are beginning to sing the songs you hear on the radio and it sounds like an angel
Snuggling at nap time
Sharing with TC
Making up stories as you go along

Caution

Mom sent this to me and when I opened the package I laughed out loud. Then I immediately whipped it on him. This shirt was made for him! The encouraging (scary) thing is that there are enough children like him that a shirt like this can be printed and mass produced. He has worn it 3 times in the last week. I want everyone to be fully warned when they see him coming. I wonder if Mom could find one in long sleeves?

When GG comes to town

She comes in like a whirlwind, food in hand. She cleans and plays and reads and gives backrubs and laughs and acts silly. And then just as quickly she's gone. My kids adore her, what am I saying, all kids adore her. I adore her. There's only one of that girl!

Lizard Tamer

My Emma girl...she's great! The girls who loves her toes and fingers painted, loves to wear "paukely" (sparkly) jewelry, loves dresses, and pink, and princesses... is the same girl who has taught herself how to burp, will pick up worms and snails and grubworms, tells me to "smack it" when we see a fly. Today she is the lizard tamer. The is the 2nd one she's caught, without breaking off the tail might I add. She will not be that silly girl that squeals when a spider walks across her toe. She's so cool. Earlier, she was spotted singing lullabies to a baby grubworm...until it "bit" her as she claims, so she smashed it with her purple sequined shoe.

Classic TC

...when he was good he was very good but when he was bad he was horrid...

If he could talk he would be screaming "give me your drink right now! because I'm the baby, that's why! OOOH you make me so mad! and stop taking my picture this instant or I will bite you!"

Jack-o-lanterns

Here's the tradition started by my sweet husband 11 years ago when we were newlyweds. He comes home with the pumpkins and the carving contest is on! The tradition has moved to our children. Emma has been so stoked about Halloween this year that she can't even pass a pumpkin without squealing. FINALLY, Daddy brought home the much anticipated pumpkins. Unfortunately, due to the very talented competition, I cannot pick just one winner. Oh, by the way, that IS a dremmel in Tennison's hand and he's not afraid to use it

seven down...

...3 more to go. The Eagles win tonight 31-24 against Round Rock Westwood, but we still have 3 more tough opponents ahead of us. I am so proud of my coach. Here's a little football lingo that I picked up on tonight...we had 9 holding penalties against us which means that we lost 90 yards on offense and STILL won the game. Jason says he has coached whole seasons and not gotten that many holding penalties called. That ref has been scratched off the list of options. Go Eagles!

The Biscuit Brothers

We all ventured out to the library where the Biscuit Brothers were performing this afternoon. I love it when grown men act so silly. The kids seemed to enjoy it, but I could tell that missing a nap for the show was probably going to be a bad idea. Then we stopped by Sonic for a slush (it was hot out today) on our way to Target to buy a gift for the b-day party we were late to. Busy, Busy. Tonight, while Jason was reading stories, Emma fell asleep listening. That has never happened! She was exhausted! It was a full day and we are all ready for a good night's rest.

More casualties

The destroyer strikes again with yet another casualty left in the wake of his destruction. He managed to pull over this antique mail chute onto Tate's shin. Tate has refused to walk on this leg and asks to be carried everywhere. His ankle is now so swollen and hard that he can't even bend his foot. He went to bed with an icepack on his foot and Jason says it will be worse tomorrow. Tennison is cute but it sure is hard not to be so frustrated with him sometimes.

Glasses be gone

After failing a vision screening at school we made an appointment to get Tatum's eyes checked. Classic Tatum, he was vague and elusive during the eye exam and scored himself a new set of glasses. After the newness of the spectacles wore off, he stopped wearing them on his face and would simply use them as a prop, pensively chewing on them while making a snooty "hrumph!". If you've seen the new Horton Hears a Who, he does a great Carol Burnett, mother kangaroo. Well, the saga of the glasses has ended, Tatum 1-Glasses 0. After a trip to a pediatric opthamologist, who was great at tricking, er, coaxing little ones into declaring what they REALLY saw or didn't see (as the case was with Tatum) on the letter chart, he has 20/25 vision at worst according to Dr. Tredici. Thankyou sir, I just wish we had seen you BEFORE Mom bailed off with the $300 worth of anti-glare, anti-scratch, Transitions lenses. Hey! I've never had glasses, but if I did, I would want THOSE glasses.

A job for GG

Tonight, Tatum, Emma, and I are all laying in bed reading stories. Each gets to pick a book and then we end with a few stories from their children's bible. Tonight we were reading the one about Naomi and Ruth. The picture shows Ruth working in the fields, while Boaz looks on. Emma asks, where is Naomi? I say "Naomi is too old to work so Ruth is picking wheat for both of them." She says "Why is she too old". Trying to think of the oldest person she would know, I say, "Well, Naomi is like GG and Ruth is like Mommy. GG is too old to work in the fields all day in the hot sun picking wheat so Mommy would do the work for both of them"(yeah, like I would last one day in the hot sun picking wheat! Can I get a WHitness!!). Uh-hum, back to the story. It takes Emma a millisecond to come back with "but GG could work in the icecream store, she makes good icecream!" Ooh, she's good.

Eagle Homecoming

One of the perks (and there are oh-so many) of being a coach's kid is that while everyone else is crammed in the stands during the homecoming show, you get to be on the field, running around with all your friends. How cool is that?