Baby on Board

Overheard-Phone Call Edition

2012-02-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

On the phone . . .

Gabe: What'cha doin' Mommy?

Me: Driving home!

Gabe: Mommy! What'cha doin?

Me: Driving home, Gabe. What are you doing?

Gabe: I drinkin' my juice. Mommy? What'cha doin?

Me: Driving, Gabe. Mommy is driving.

Noah (listening in on the other line): Driving you CRAZY! Gabe is driving you NUTS, Mommy!

FIVE.

2012-02-05T11:49:00.000-05:00

Noah officially turned five yesterday! This was a BIG milestone for us and for him. In fact, when he woke up in the morning, the conversation went like this:

Me: Happy birthday, birthday boy! You're FIVE today!

N (forlornly): No, I'm still four, Mommy.

Me: No! Today, is February 4th. You're FIVE!

N: But . . . I'm still little. I thought I was gonna be BIG. (More forlornly) I thought I was gonna be big like a car. And be able to break the house down.

Me: Buddy, you're big on the inside, not on the outside.

N: But I just thought I was gonna be really big.

I guess I should've clarified a little bit better what it meant to be "big." Suffice to say, I think the morning of his day was a bit of a downer, but he is definitely resilient and was ready for the adventure of his birthday. We decided that we really enjoyed spending the kids birthdays as a family and letting them choose what they wanted to do, which is why we had his party last weekend. So, Noah's day went like this:

Wake-up. Come to grips with the reality of birthdays: You turn a year older but oftentimes don't feel or see any older.

Eat cereal-on the COUCH-while watching Cars 2. Again.

Play on the swings outside.

Finally chose golf over bowling for his activity. Thank goodness it's been a mild winter. And that the rain held off!

Gabe was so funny, putting the ball close to the hole and then trying so hard to hit it in.

After we played 18 holes of mini golf, Noah chose Chic-Fil-A (not surprising) for lunch.

Go home. Take a nap.

Wake up. Go to pick out a birthday treat. He chose a Cars 2 book!

We then asked him what he wanted for dinner. He chooses pizza.

We come home to a message from Cooper and get to Skype with Nana and Papa.

After dinner is done, we sing!

Look at baby pictures! He was convinced at first that he was looking at pictures of Madison Clark. Ha!

We rounded out the day by playing the Wii, reading his library book that he checked out from school, and talking to Grandma.

You may have noticed that Noah's hair was not spikey yesterday. He wanted his hair down, which should have been a sign for me. (When he's not feeling well or is tired, he wants his hair down.)Today, this is the scene:

I will spare you the gory details, but somehwere along the way, Noah picked up the stomach bug. And left it on the floor at Wal-Mart this morning. It was terrible. So terrible that Gabe keeps bringing it up. He says, "Wowah choked at store. Yuck! Gwoss!" Here's to hoping we don't all catch this post-birthday treat.

ANYWAY.

Noah, we love you so much! You have taught us so much and bring us so much light. Our wish for you is that you continue to grow in the knowledge of the Lord and that you will serve him all of your days. Happy birthday, big boy. We love you forever!

Happy Birthday, Pre-school Style!

2012-02-03T20:33:00.001-05:00

Today, we visited Noah's pre-K class for the customary birthday cupcake delivery!

Gabe knew exactly what to do and blended right in with the class! He really acted like one of the older kids--he's so mature!

Noah was SO glad to have his brother there. It was so precious to see.

Cupcake time!

Again, Gabe knew just what to do. He sat down and asked for a cup of water and a napkin.

He was ALL smiles as everyone sang to him. What a treat it was to be there for this moment!

The birthday person gets to pick a stuffed animal, and Noah chose a duck.

The class also makes a card. It is adorable!

He had the best time looking at all the signatures!

They then lined up to go outside, and Noah happily held Gabe's hand all the way to the playground so he could play, too.

And one other special guest was there, too, though he celebrated from afar.

Wordless Wednesday: The Drawer and the Drawn

2012-02-01T20:08:00.000-05:00

Overheard--LOL edition

2012-01-29T22:44:00.001-05:00

Noah: I have a dog at my house!

Lady cutting Noah's hair: You do? What's his name?

Noah: Romeo. He's AWESOME. And I have to take care of him!

Lady cutting Noah's hair: Wooowww! What kind of dog is Romeo?

Noah: Romeo?

Lady cutting Noah's hair: Yes. What kind of dog is he?

Noah: He's a Romeo. Romeo is a Romeo.

*************************
Target. 4:30 pm. Gabe is riding in the front; Noah riding on the back, contrary to the warning label on which Gabe is sitting. Turning the corner from the shampoo aisle to the crowded pharmacy couter where Daddy is waiting with a bunch of other people . . .

Noah: WOOOOOAHHH! Mommy! You almost made me fall off this CART!

Mommy: Well, that's how it goes when you're standing there. It makes the cart hard to steer, and that can happen.

Noah: (in his best mommy-tone) Are you talking back to me?

Pharmacy Crowd: LOL

Multi-tasking

2012-01-29T15:03:00.002-05:00

5th Birthday Par-tay!

2012-01-28T21:20:00.000-05:00

Well, here we go again! Jumpin' Beans birthday party numero 3. I was kind of hoping we would do something different, but he is faithful to his venues. I actually think it was because a buddy from pre-school had a party there back in December, but we were happy to make him happy by going with his choice.

The morning of the party . . .

After the party, Noah opened a special gift from Nana and Pop-pop.

His very own set of golf clubs! He had a great time at the driving range later with Daddy after a quick nap!

Presents!

He got so many nice presents! Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate our big boy!

And just because the cake was so cool, here it is again. My friend Tisa is AH-MAZ-ING!

Now, onto a week of Noah anticipating actually turning five. He is so ready. Though I'm not sure we are completely. He is growing up way too fast!

Overheard

2012-01-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

-Gabe singing "Jesus Loves Me" at the top of his lungs anywhere and everywhere. What a little missionary he is!

Me: Noah, what's a word that has a "c" in it?
N: "C-c-c . . . DiCCCtionary. Dictionary has a 'c' in it."
Me: Yes. Yes it does.
N: Yep!

As Promised . . .

2012-01-16T19:57:00.001-05:00

Here is Gabe's latest musical talents! He is quite the singer!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Sunday Cuteness

2012-01-15T20:07:00.000-05:00

I would love to have posted Gabe singing his ABC's and Jesus Loves Me, but he was not wanting to perform for the camera. Instead, settle for these!

Songs to follow. Hopefully soon!

Rewind

2012-01-11T18:26:00.000-05:00

So Noah came home from school back in November with this hat:

My first reaction was like this: "Uhhhh . . . Noah? Who is 'White Thunder'?"

It sounded a little bit . . . racist? And an odd name for a Native American. Whose land was plundered. And who was forced to assimilate or "else."

His response was simple: "MEEEE! I am White THUNDERRR!"

My response: "But of course."

Anytime I asked him if Ms. Betty helped him choose the name, he would say, "NO! I am White Thunder!"

My guess is the pillaging and forced assimilation didn't make it into the pre-K curriculum.

But I'm still scratching my head months later. Where does he get this stuff?

"He sit on me!"

2012-01-09T19:24:00.000-05:00

My lap is a coveted place between these two guys. Romeo doesn't mind, as you can see, but Gabe, at times, is very vocal about his personal space. Usually, he announces, "He sit on me!" but this was a quiet moment among us and Word World.

Just experimenting with Picasa. It looked better with a border but it's not showing up. Alas.

Recovering

2012-01-07T22:59:00.000-05:00

After taking an entire graduate course in 5 days this past week, I am finally coming out of the fog. My brain is still recovering, so my words are few. Based on the amount of writing I cranked out this week, I now am relatively convinced I could write a dissertation easily. But that's another post. And another year. Or five. Needless to say, it has been so wonderful to be home. My husband is nothing short of amazing. He held down the fort here at home so that I could do the class. Coming home to a clean house, happy children, and a home-cooked meal was amazing. I am blessed beyond measure . . .

Hello, 2012!

2012-01-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

Dear 2012,
God willing, you already have some pre-planned milestones:

1. Noah turns 5.
2. He also starts kindergarden. But will not be driving there on his own as he wishes.
3. Mommy graduates and earns her M.Ed. (!!)
4. Gabe turns 3.

What I do know is this:Even if these things don't happen, God's grace is enough:

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Happy New Year, one and all!

So Long, 2011!

2012-01-01T20:36:00.000-05:00

The past few days we've just been hanging here at home before I travel to VA to do a class in five days. I am so close to the end of my program I can taste it now. Anyway, here are some pics of the end of our time with 2011. (Not pictured: the HOURS I have spent preparing for my "five-day" class.)

Oh, and before I forget, Noah's quote for 2012: "I'm gonna be five, and then I'm gonna drive the car." Ha!

Here are the pics!

We have been enjoying Romeo. He is a great dog for the kids. And for wearing shirts.

Noah is becoming quite infatuated with bowling and golf. He and Daddy went to the golf course earlier last week and had a blast. We went bowling later in the week, and he loved it. He wants to have his birthday "at bowling" so we shall see!

Spaghetti in our house should bear a warning label: NEVER leave Gabe unattended with spaghetti. 2011 has taught us this many times. We need to carry this nugget of wisdom with us into 2012.

We spent New Years Eve around the "camp fire" as the boys call it. We roasted hot dogs and marshmellows and had a great time. (FYI: I love the pictures with their faces lit by the fire glow.)

What a year! Stay tuned for a Hello, 2012! post.

Our Big Family Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T20:12:00.000-05:00

I'm rushing to get this in before 2012 is upon us! It has been a busy, busy holiday season! I don't think I need to explain much with the photos other than to say that all of "us" (my siblings) were present at Christmas this year, and it was a blast! The kids had so much fun opening gifts and being with family!

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-26T19:37:00.000-05:00

While we were indeed "home" in SC for Christmas, we also brought another member home for the holidays. Meet Romeo, our newest addition. He is an 8-month-old chihuahua whose name suits him. He is a lover! The pictures below don't quite capture how little and cute he is, but trust me--he is.

He also loves to play, which is awesome considering we have two energetic boys. I knew he was the perfect dog for us as soon as I saw him running around with the kiddos and chasing down Angry Birds toys.

He is such a great dog with the kids. Really and truly.

Stay tuned for more Christmas pics!

The Anatomy of a Second Birthday-Gabe-Style

2011-12-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

How can it be that it's been TWO YEARS since this little Christmas gift was delivered to us!

Today, we celebrated our sweet, stubborn, passionate Gabe and the two years that we have had getting to know him. The morning started off slow--Gabey was tired and whiny and wanted to be held. The house, however, looked like a band of Vikings had pillaged the place, so we stayed busy. He perked up quite a bit on a late-morning trip to Target to finish up shopping and had a special treat of Target popcorn, the crumbs of which were appropriately dumped in an aisle, Gabe-style. He is so messy!

He took a revitalizing nap with his newest stuffed friend we call "Biscuit" after the literary canine he so loves these days.

We attempted to get some good two-year-old pictures, but he was acting like . . . well, a two-year-old. Check it out:

The big brother of this establishment tried his best to model how to get a quick picture taken:

Notice the popscile. The popsicle was the incentive for these shots:

Not great but better than this shot . . . though his curls are looking curly in this shot:

Anyway, we then took a trip to Jumping Beans for some fun:

Check out the bounce in the next two pictures:

Next, Gabe threw us for a loop.

He apparently decided that "Chic-A-Way" was boring. We go there frequently so we figured his birthday dinner would be there. Until about 5:15 when he started saying "pizza." We didn't know if he knew what he was saying, but everytime Noah said, "I want chicken!" Gabe said, "I want pizza." Being the birthday boy, Gabe won. And let's just say he knew without a doubt what he wanted. He wanted pizza.

And he ate about 5 slices while his counterpart ate 3 salads and baby carrots. And no, I don't mean me. I mean this guy:

They are so different, and this dinner experience proved it. I tried to get Gabe to eat a piece of spinach pizza but to no avail. Oh, well.

We then drove around to look at "pretty lights!" Every time we would say, "Aren't those pretty, Gabe?" he would say, "Yes, they are!" He's so articulate!

When we got home, it was time for CAKE. With terrible writing. I'm not a cake decorator. Clearly.

I wasn't sure he would be hungry for cake considering the insane amount of pizza he ate, but apparently he is going through a crazy growth spurt because he ate cake.

The day wouldn't be complete without the nightly tumble session with big brother.

They are a wild pair. But so fun!

After a busy day, our snuggly boy loves to cuddle and calm down.

Happy birthday, sweet Gabe. We loved celebrating YOU today. You are the best Christmas gift we ever received--straight from the heart of God to ours. We love you always and forever. xox

Christmas, Part 1

2011-12-20T23:13:00.000-05:00

Christmas came early! Yesterday to be exact. We had Christmas with Nana and Pop-pop yesterday, and it was a lot of fun for everyone!

Maybe you can see Gabe's face in the background. One would think a Slinky is some kind of torture device based on his reaction.

Loving his sock monkey

This gift was the preface to THE gift. The "gift of all gifts" to the boys.

Wait for it . . .

And GO! From this point on, it was all about the bikes!

They were SO EXCITED!

It took Noah some time to get used to the pedals, but he is quite the pro now. He loves his helmet and his bike! Gabe LOVES his bike and for now, tolerates his helmet. Christmas is so much more fun nowadays. Thanks to Nana and Pop-pop for the fun that has been and the fun that will be. The boys LOVE their bikes. Watch the mail for a proper thank-you note.

Gabe's 2nd Birthday Party!

2011-12-18T19:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we had Gabe's SECOND birthday party in our church's new Family Life Center.

We had monkey invites and monkey treat bags, assembled by the orignal monkey of our house.

Having a quick snack before it was party time.

THE CAKE! It was so cute and so perfect! My great friend Tisa makes AMAZING cakes. Noah has already requested his Cars 2 cake on his birthday! :)

Here was the set up:

Gabe LOVES his pop-pop.

He also loves my friend Tisa's daughter, Kayla. I thought he might go with her on the bouncers, but alas, he did not.

Noah, however, had a blast and a half.

And Gabe decided that it was HIS party, and he could be shy if he wanted to.

We and our buddies had lunch . . .

and more fun . . .

. . . and CAKE!

Aiden thought the iced wheels were very tasty. Ha!

More fun--Gabe was more into the ball than the bouncers. Alas.

The treat bags . . .

The PRESENTS

Ready for bed after a fun day!

Ring of Fire

2011-12-11T19:25:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back, we set to work on spicing up the backyard a bit. It's still a work in progress, but we are enjoying our ring of fire, constructed with $10 worth of rocks we dug out of a huge rock pile. Never understimate the weight of a rock. More than one of them was a challenge.

When we first got the fire going, it dawned on me that we may have watched too many episodes of Fireman Sam.

The above picture is Noah hiding behind a chair. No matter how much we tried to convince him it was a contained fire, he was not convinced.

Until we broke out the Jet-Puffed Marshmellows. He decided Marshmellows were worth the risk of bursting into flames.

Gabe had fun roasting marshmellows as well,

but by the end of the affair, he was just happy to eat them unroasted.

Noah eventually warmed up to the experience (get it?) and has asked to get a tent out there. I think he and Daddy will have a very nice time out there. Mommy will probably sleep that one out.

It was such a great night--the weather wasn't freezing but cool enough for a fire, the crickets were singing away, the stars were shining bright, and we were together in nature. A few steps away from indoors. We were able to talk about God and His creation with the boys, which was delightful. Memories, memories!

(Disclaimer: We plan to put some logs out for chairs. The metal folding chairs, while functional, don't have the oasis factor going.)

Parade!

2011-12-10T22:28:00.000-05:00

It's been mentioned in the past, but no one wanted to do it--until now. Well, this week, actually.

We attend church NOT in the town in which we live. We live in a small town on the outskirts of a larger town. Our church is in a smaller town outside of our town. This small, farm community has a large, annual Christmas parade. Seeing as Chris has had some free time lately, he decided this was the year. The year of the parade.

After a week's work and almost losing a thumb to a Dewalt circular saw, this was the end result: the Gospel in float form.

Amazing, huh?

Even though Chris built the whole thing, many people from the church aided in the process. The truck and trailer belongs to the man who supplies us with our Christmas tree every year. He was so gracious to let his truck and trailer sit at our house all week. Noah and Gabe loved the truck so much and asked more than once, "Can we keep it? Pleeeeassseee?"

The costumes were sewn by a sweet family.

Others loaned us real children on a freezing morning to be Mary, Joseph, and angels. One even brought a plastic baby to be baby Jesus.

Volunteers rubberbanded tracts to candy canes, and came to pass out said tract-wrapped candy canes. Throwing them at folks from a moving vehicle would be counterproductive, no?

Noah helped the volunteers get ready.

The crew. It was COLD.

The parade! Noah and Gabe wanted to ride in the back of the truck with the other kids not part of the Gospel scene. They loved it!

It was such a fun experience for us. And a great outreach to the community. I'm pretty sure close to 3/4 of the town was there.

Kudos to Chris for being visionary and handy enough to craft such an appropriate Christmas parade float. He definitely put the Christ in the Christmas Parade. Exactly where it belongs.

Christmas Tree-A Long Overdue and Out of Order Story

2011-12-09T14:18:00.000-05:00

We've had our tree up since the weekend of Thanksgiving, and it seems that life has been break-neck speed since that weekend. Here is the majorly-out-of-order story of our Christmas tree. I just don't have the patience to re-order the pics, so just bear with it. It's a predictable story anyway--get the tree, pull out the decorations, realize last year's lights don't work, buy new lights, decorate the tree, have some ornaments meet an early demise, etc.

In addition to our anniversary ornaments, we also get the kiddos an ornament to document their years of life.

Noah with his Rocket ornament, circa 2008.

Noah instructing G in the art of ornament-hanging . . .

This is Gabe's ornament this year. We were at Target, and he attached to this one. I don't know why.

This is Noah's ornament this year. (Not pictured: the other two glass Lightning McQueens that met an early demise for one reason or another. We went with Francesco as he seemed a little more durable. Needless to say, he was good while he lasted. I heard a sad, "Oh, no!" and then began a few days of discovering various pieces of poor Francesco on the floor.)

Flashback to finding the tree:

The main highlight was not the trees at all. They were fascinated with the motorcycle for sale.

And fast back forward to decorating the tree . . .

The End. Stay tuned for other long overdue posts.

Eight Years . . .

2011-12-03T23:12:00.001-05:00

Eight years ago, we promised for better or worse, sickness or health, poverty or wealth. And on Tuesday, we celebrated the strength of a love that has weathered every angle of that vow this past year. We willingly promised, not knowing what exactly the worse, the sickness, or the poverty would look like for us. This year, we got it. We got that the worse somehow ended up better than what we thought was "better." We "got" that our sickness was insignificant next to the health of our babies. We "got" that "poverty" was still wealth, just not as much and in different ways.

We have grown up and through so much since these pictures were taken . . .

BUT we love stronger, appreciate more, know deeper, and still love Americanized Japanese food.

Yes, our anniversary dinner photo is hanging from our Christmas tree. And if it looks huge and out of place, it really is. We decided on our honeymoon that we would get an ornament for our Christmas tree wherever we celebrated our anniversary. We have two cruise ships, Sponge Bob, a Monrovian star, a cigar chopper, a book of matches, a portion of a menu we coerced a waiter to cut out of a menu, and some other random items hanging from our tree. This year, it is a huge photo of us in a paper frame.

We had a quiet dinner together at Kanki and ended up at a table with a family with an almost-four-year-old little boy. Ha! I could tell the adults in the group were worried he was going to bother us, but we ended up reassuring them that we would not be shocked/worried/surprised by anything and swapped some war stories about napless afternoons and flying spaghetti. They deflated once we told them we had TWO crazy boys at home. I was glad to be a blessing to them and to have our little guys with us (in a way) on our evening out.

AND we ended up getting complimentary candlelit rainbow sherbet in honor of our special day. ? I'm pretty sure they sang "Happy birthday" to us in Japanese, though the Spanish hostess said he thought they just made up a song and called it Japanese. I guess we'll never know for sure.

We had such a nice time just being together and being us. A shout-out to Chris for giving me the gift of music, dark chocolate, a love letter, and a surprise evening out. I could've done without the-answering-of-the-door-in-mismatched-pajamas-to-the-baby-sitters-I-didn't-know-were-coming incident, but that just made the day sweeter. Eight years in, and Chris is still the same: fun, steady, and perfect for me, for better or worse, sickness or health, poverty or wealth.

Breakfast with Santa at the Fil-A

2011-12-01T18:31:00.000-05:00

We had an adventure at the mall taking the kiddos to eat breakfast with Santa a few weekends ago.

These are the eyes of a tired boy who was up until 11 pm the night before playing with a buddy. We had friends over the night before, and so he was up half the night. Doesn't he look thrilled?

Let's just say he wasn't. In the least.

Gabey was tired, too, and couldn't decide between fascinated or shy. He wanted Santa on his terms.

The cow=same story

Noah did better with the cow than Santa . . .

Overall, our Santa experience was OK. The best part was the chick-n-minis (or however you spell it).

$7 of Fun

2011-11-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

So we ventured out on Black Friday just because. We didn't "stimulate the economy" too much, but we did splurge a little for our little man. $7 for four minutes of jumping seemed like a lot, and I must confess, I got a little worried as Noah sat there waiting for his turn. He's the one in the green shirt looking up--like his feet were thinking about getting cold.

Once he got all strapped in, though . . .

. . . he had the best four-minutes of his life.

His face still lights up when he talks about this experience. Money well spent!

Overheard

2011-11-25T09:42:00.001-05:00

Me: OK, Noah. Let's recap what we read last night.

crickets

Me: Remember? Little . . .R . . .e . . .

Noah: Little Red Neighborhood! She went to her Grandma's house, but the wolf got there first!

*******************************************************************************

Noah: I'm going to go get my blanket. Grandma, you stay here. Don't disappoint me!

*******************************************************************************
Me: What do you do when I tell you "No"?

Noah: Don't do it.

Me: correct

Noah: Then when I say, "No!" to you, that's a confrontation.

Me: huh?

Noah: A CONFRONTATION Mommy!

Me: . . . Actually . . . yes, it is.

Noah: Yep it is. Can I get up now?

********************************************************************************
Gabe, in the backseat on the way home from Thanksgiving:

G: asdkfjk;sl Went to Pop pop's house. Happy. Thanks. GIVING! asdfjkl;sas I runnin' [at] Pop pop's house. Thanks. GIVING! asdfjkl;asdfkjl

********************************************************************************

Noah: Gabe, let's take a pirate nap. And then we'll have a pirate snack. ARRRGGGGHHH!

Thanksgiving 2K11

2011-11-24T21:40:00.000-05:00

This year, we had an extra-special Thanksgiving. Both sets of our parents were together, along with Chris' grandparents. It really was nice having both sides of our family together! Here are some pics of our fun holiday gathering.

Noah told me he wasn't feeling well earlier in the day, so I wasn't surprised he was content to chill with Cars 2 for a bit. He perked up later on, though, and had lots of fun playing outside and in.

Gabey, my slow-to-warm-up monkey, took a while to get into gear. He was even whispering for a couple of hours. Look at his little face! Even when he's pouty and shy, he's so CUTE!

Bonding over the ivories . . .

Yummy food! Gabe's favorite was crescent rolls dipped in cranberry sauce. Noah ate turkey and corn. Everything was so yummy!

Pumpkin pie time. Noah wasn't really into it, but Gabe gobbled up 2 pieces!

I think this sums up the day: We had lots of fun!

Wordless Wednesday-Bowling Edition

2011-11-23T20:22:00.000-05:00

23 Months. Really?

2011-11-21T23:11:00.000-05:00

Gabe is a staggering 23-months-old today. How can it be that he was a helpless, teeny baby 23 months ago and now he is carrying a massive personality on the fast track to TWO? I can not even begin to summarize Gabe and all of his intracacies, but here are the main ideas of him and his world:

*Mess: This is mild. Very mild.

*Charming

*Cuddly: He is so snuggly!

*100% boy- He can put away some food and don gorgeous locks simultaneously. Now that's talent.

*articulate: He understands pretty much everything we say and tries to mimic us. His verbal skills are so incredible to us, and I'm sure it's because Noah was delayed. His latest phrase is a finger wag and "No, no diapers!" Or potty.

*loud-Don't let him fool you; he is a champion shrieker.

*Noah-Oh, how he loves "Wo-wah!" Yes, they bicker, and yes, they absolutely antagonize. But at the end of the day, their bond is tight.

*~~Vegetables~~

*~~Naps~~: (He hates to take naps but still desperately needs one.)

*Grandma: My mom is here with us this week, and Gabe is in heaven. He LOVES "Gammaw!" And Grandma's dog.

*Youtube: He loves to watch Youtube videos of Elmo singing. His faves right now are Will. I. Am., India, and Katie Perry. ? He actually can sort of navigate it himself, too.

*Piano: Gabe is actually pretty musical for his age. Check out his skills.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

So that's Gabe these days. I still can't believe our little monkey is almost 2. Sigh . . .

Pre-school Food Drive

2011-11-19T20:54:00.000-05:00

So Noah's pre-school was collecting cans for a local food bank. Predictable? Certainly. But that didn't minimize the impact on him. He totally understood the concept that some people don't have food and that his school was going to give the food to people who didn't have any.

They asked the kids to each bring one can to chapel, but Noah said he wanted to get ten cans. And not just any cans--Lightning McQueen cans. How could we say no to such a gesture of goodwill? He picked out the ones he wanted the most and was more than happy to give them to others. He also got out his own money when we got home and happily counted out 13 coins to help pay for the cans. We told him 10 coins (1 coin for each can) was enough, but he has to do everything big--so 13 it was.

I hope and pray that some little boy who loves Lightning McQueen as well receives these cans and feels the care and joy with which they were chosen.

Here are the pictures Noah took with my camera . . .

Pretty good!

Here's to hoping the noise of the world doesn't drown out that pure voice in his heart--the one that enabled him to pick out the coolest cans on the aisle and give them away to someone who needed them. Humbling.

So much fun; so few photos

2011-11-15T20:48:00.000-05:00

We took a quick trip this weekend to SC for the youth girls from church to attend Aunt Stephanie's annual girls' retreat at her dad's camp. The youth love it there, and we love it because we get a chance to spend time with family. We had a wonderful weekend, even though it was kind of short. And you would never know how much fun we had because for whatever reason, I didn't bring out the camera much. The few pictures I did get are below . . .

Piled in the church van to head to camp

At camp, enjoying the ride on the golf cart with Ms. Erica . . .Gabey was so thrilled.

And that, my friends, is it. I must say that I am ashamed. I have no photos of the cousins playing together. I have no photos of the ways we tried to celebrate my sister's birthday all weekend in little ways. Alas.

My biggest regret is not having pictures of the boys meeting one of my very best friends on the globe on Sunday. We had the opportunity to pick up my bffl Ciona from Fayetteville where she was speaking at a different youth conference. It just so happened that she was flying out of Raleigh on the very Sunday I had to drive through Fayetteville to Raleigh. Perfection. She was able to get the Noah-and-Gabe-travel-experience, which is usually memorable. Here is a little sampling of this trip's shade of craziness:

Noah: "Who let the _______ out? Who? Who? Who?" (he kept putting random words into the blank.)

Gabe: "Mommy. Mooommyyy! Mommy? Mommy!"

Mommy: What, Gabe.

Gabe: I dunno.

*Noah wearing huge ear phones just because--no sound was coming out of them, but he thought he looked cool. He wore them during lunch at Ruby Tuesday's. And dropped them in the toilet. Yum. (FYI: tonight he is wearing "soccer socks" to bed-shin guards).

All the same the boys LOVED Ciona and her amazing sister Lanecia. Noah has told me several times that "Me and Gabe want to go on the plane with Ciona NEXT time." He has asked about her car, her house, etc. and wants to see her again. I knew he would love her just as much as I do!

I think she was able to get some pics, so I'll share them when I see them.

So much fun; so few photos . . .

Another (Not-so-Nice) First

2011-11-14T21:57:00.000-05:00

Knowing my boy, I also knew "it" was bound to happen. "It" being every teacher's worst nightmare: his/her own child being a less-than model student. Noah enjoys being around people so much that he can get overly excited. He is also experimenting with various shades of potty words and has spent some minutes in time out on the potty, my obviously futile attempt to teach him that potty words belong on the potty. Anyway, here is Noah's first note home, which details his first visit to the principal's office for being moved several times and using a potty word during snack time:

Noah sent a note in response that was like this:

In spite of the circumstances, I was pretty proud of his flowers. He's not much of a coloring kid, so this was a big deal for him. Anyway, he is now on a behavior management plan, created by moi. He earns priveleges like playing the Wii, watching TV, etc. by earning yes checks on a chart that his teachers fill out daily. So, while it is less than ideal that my precious, sprited boy is "livening up" the preschool class, I am grateful for the knowledge I've gained from my professional practice and study.

I also spent some time talking to Ms. Betty on the phone (first phone conference, too). She assured me that Noah is acting a lot like the other boys in the class and that they are all working on getting ready for kindergarten. She threw in a couple of niceties: He's so cute, so talkative, and smart. But I already knew that about my boy. :)

Go, Nationals? Phillies?

2011-11-05T22:23:00.001-05:00

Noah ended up his season of t-ball about a month ago when I was in the throes of two classes in addition to the classes I actually teach. Here are some moments of glory . . .

He actually grew quite a bit in his skill and interest in the sport of baseball. He is not a natural athlete (in my opinion), but he has fun!

Today, we had his end-of-the-season party at a local pizza place that has stood the test of time in spite of a crummy economy and an empty parking lot. If you live in Youngsville, I'm sure you can guess which pizza place I'm talking about.

Gabe, of course, had to sit and eat with the big boys. I'm fairly certain he out-ate the big boys after slice number #3. He ate about 3 1/2 pieces of pizza total. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: He LOVES junk food.

His coach was wonderful with the kids and very encouraging.

Noah getting his trophy.

Noah's trophy--good thing he doesn't care that it says Phillies when we were the Nationals. Apparently, the only red color hats at the sport shop place were Washington hats, so we became the Nationals when were supposed to be the Phillies? Anyway, I thought it was sweet when Noah said, "But Mommy, Gabe didn't get a trophy!"

When it was all said and done, though, I think G ate enough pizza to make up for it.

Halloween Rewind

2011-11-04T22:30:00.000-05:00

Halloween this year was great fun! Our pirate and his parrot were quite the dynamic duo, and they had great fun making appearances at various places.

Saturday, at Nana and Papa's trunk-or-treat

Halloween, at Chic-Fil-A getting FREE kids' meals. We heart WF Chic-Fil-A!

At the church's trunk-or-treat turned family life center-or-treat due to the horrible weather

Noah and his buddy Adrian

Candy!

Candy! In a wrapper, nonetheless. Like I've said before, he loves sweets.

This is cropped, but I tried to get a picture of some brotherly love. The pirate was so kind as to help his parrot peel himself off the floor.

Candy-unwrapped and "yummy!"

Gabe was quite an attraction . . . the only parrot we saw, actually.

Playing together (cropped version) . . .

Playing together (uncropped version--note the girl to the side pointing at Gabe. Like I said, he drew a lot of attention.)

Noah and his church buddies hung out under the table for a while, eating massive amounts of candy.

Gabe, or course, insisted on getting in on the action.

Noah and Adrian at the end of the night!

Overall, we had a great fun with Halloween this year! I'm not sure how long the littles will appreciate having coordinated costumes, so this year, the year that they *loved* it, will be a treasured memory!

Wordless Wednesday--Pitiful Edition :(

2011-11-02T21:36:00.002-05:00

Noah's Musical Talents

2011-11-01T20:26:00.001-05:00

Noah is quite the showman as you will see/hear. It starts off kind of slow, but trust me--you will not be disappointed if you need a little laugh to lighten your day . . .

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

22-Month Update

2011-10-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

I'm a week late on this little update, so here goes. Gabe is on the fast track to being two, though he already acts like he's a terrible two at times. With Noah, three was a hard age, but I think Gabe might be our first encounter with the terrible two's.

He has two speeds:

(1) Delightful

(2) ~~MAD~~ Frustrated

Seriously, he gets so mad sometimes that he seems and sounds like he is in some kind of physical agony. We a sitter the other night, and my disclaimer was something like this: "He can scream like something is majorly wrong with him, but I promise, there's not. Don't get scared; it's just him. You will seriously be alarmed because I am every time he does it." Most of his frustration is due to his wanting to be big and to make his own choices about things or to do things just like his big brother.

He has had quite a round of sickness the past six weeks that has messed up his sleep habits. He's still getting over some weird virus that gave him a rash from head to toe. The doctor told us it would last a few weeks, and we are now in week two.

Knowing he's not quite 100% yet, I haven't been able to lay the law down with his sleep habits. It's such a bad habit, and every night I go through a mental struggle about what I'm doing--BUT it's so much easier for me to sit in his room for 10-15 minutes for him to fall asleep than for him to tear the walls down screaming for an hour before I end up sitting in there anyway. Once he's well, we're going to have to slowly wean him off of my presence.

He can hold his own with his big brother, and they already love to wrestle. Exhibit A:

He has a big personality. Some friends our ours kept him the other night, and they said several times, "Gabe is a funny kid! He had us entertained." He does some funny stuff and tries to entertain. We have our hands full with this guy.

He is also a shy little guy. He approaches new people like this:

And he dreams big dreams like this:

He loves books, particulary the Biscuit series.

And he loves chips. A lot. He would eat junk food only if we let him.

If he didn't love fruit so much, I might be worried about all the flying vegetables we have around here, but once he is of negotiating age, we will need to become masters in the art.

Gabe already says so, so much, and he says something new every day. His latest sentence is this:
"I don't know where it is." It's kind of mushed together, but the meaning is clear.

He knows the colors yellow, purple, and pink.

He knows the letters B, O, H, and X. He probably knows a lot more than that, but those are the ones he identifies readily.

He is working on counting as Noah loves to count these days. The other night he said, "One, two, six, ten!"

He sings parts of songs, and it's so cute. I need to video it for posterity's sake.

He understands potty and readily tells us when has used his diaper. Sometimes he wants to stand at the potty, but that ususally ends in a very loud "No! I don't want to!"

So that's Gabe these days. He is a destroyer-cuddler type--delightfully different from his brother and the perfect addition to our family! It's hard to believe he's grown into this action-packed, sensitive, strong-willed little boy right before our very eyes! We love you, G!

Yo ho Mateys Away!

2011-10-28T22:13:00.000-05:00

Every pirate . . .

. . . needs a parrot.

Needless to say, Gabe's outfit drew quite a lot of attention at the Factory's Spooktacular. If I do say so myself, Jake (from Disney's Jake and the Neverland Pirates) and Scully (Jake's bird) are quite a clever pair. They had a BLAST collecting candy and having a free jump session at Jumping Beans. There was so much activity happening that they were engaged the entire time, and in spite of the event being close to dinner, meltdowns were averted. Not so earlier. The first time "Jake" and "Scully" met up, I needed an Advil.

After Gabe channeled his inner parrot, we all had a great time and ended the night well!

Birthday Run-Down

2011-10-24T20:00:00.000-05:00

So today is my birthday. After one has children, celebrating Mommy's own birthday pales in comparison to the celebration of the little lives around her. At least that's how it is for this mommy. Regardless, it has been a great day so far. It's been a simple day, but a lovely day all the same. Here are the highlights:

We had dinner last night with Chris' parents. Wonderful company, great food.

5:00 am--Wake up and go for a RUN. It felt so good. I took last week off to let my ribs heal but it gave it a go this morning for 6.2 Pandora worked the entire time (yay!) and I saw two shooting stars. No, I wasn't pretending airplanes in the night sky were shooting stars. They were real. During my run, my Facebook page began to blow up with birthday wishes. Nice!

7:15 am--Arrive to work to a gift from a sweet co-worker.

Texts, calls, emails, and Facebook messages continue.

9:30 am--Flowers show up from my ever-loving husband. Perfection. He is a good man! He couldn't deliver them himself to my classroom as a certain little had a diaper emergency. Like I said, he's a good man.

Peppered throughout the day, I was serenaded by groups of off-key students. I even had one solo performance. Perfection.

Phone calls, texts, and Facebook continue.

3:30--Come home to a perfectly clean house. Again, I have a phenomenal man. Did I mention the house was quiet? I had time to thrown on fluffy socks, comfy pants, sit, unwind, and watch today's Dr. Phil.

4:45--My men arrive home. Noah brings me cards and a huge smile. Gabe brings me giggles, a zillion "Mommy!"'s with a cookie-smeared face. Perfection.

Somewhere between 5:00-6:30: We had a "Charlie bit my finger" incident that was just like the Youtube video. We always miss our chance to go viral. Alas. Throw in a flying eraser, some disputes over toys, a flying banana, a few shrieks, and you have a glimpse of that hour and half of my birthday. Chris and I just sat and laughed at one point. Perfection.

6:30--Noah and Daddy light candles to an ice cream cake and sing. I eat cake before dinner. Yes, I did. It's my birthday!

7:30--Noah tells me a series of random knock-knock jokes. He says, 'Knock-knock? Who's there? Banana. Mommy, say 'Banana who?' Banana ________." Fill in the blank with various household items. He laughs.

7:45--I get a text of a picture of the sweetest 2-month-old baby girl on the globe.

8:00--Chris serves up some homemade shrimp and grits. Have I mentioned he is an AMAZING man?

Now I sit in fluffy socks, comfy pants, and Chris' sweatshirt. My Facebook continues to blow up. And I plan to eat more cake.

Simple day. Perfection at every turn.

Gabe's First Hair Kut

2011-10-23T15:05:00.000-05:00

Before I do Gabe's 22-month update (no, I didn't forget), I have to chronicle a major event: His very first hair ~~amputation~~ cut.

We went to Kidz Kutz (yes, I was skeptical about the cutesy spelling), and it was everything kid-zy. I think it might have been too kid-zy. I saw this cool chair and thought Gabe was going to LOVE watching Elmo whilst sitting on a tractor.

I think when he saw the cool chair and Elmo at the same time, something in his little brain went off: "This place is too cool. Something is up." He lost it. I'm not sure what exactly "it" refers to, but G's was lost after he saw the combo of cool chair and Elmo.

Distracted by Elmo for a minute . . .

"Not my CURLS!"

Here is what Noah did the entire time. See how kidzy this place is?

Gabe, with his new do, checking out the indoor slide. Trust me: Kidz Kutz is a kidz' dreamland.

His curls . . .

I do have to say the sweet lady who cut his hair was AMAZING. She knows kidz. And how to kut kidz' hair. Really. It was a great experience. Minus the shrieking.

Say Uncle

2011-10-20T18:01:00.000-05:00

Following is a not-so-brief photo essay of uncle encounters last weekend. As you can see, uncles are more like loving and wise big brothers who want your toys and try to wow you with stunts. I'm sure my loyal readers will be able to determine which pictures show the wisdom, the love, the toy envy, and the stunts. Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday--Photo Op edition

2011-10-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

Brand New!

2011-10-17T18:39:00.000-05:00

While I did not plan on totally injuring myself doing the Mud Run (I pulled a major muscle in my chest that feels like a broken rib at times), I had every intention of soaking in every second with my crazy, wonderful family. Being that my "baby" is approaching two as is my other niece, finally meeting 6-week-old Madison Clark, my oldest younger brother's baby, was such a treat. I got to hold her, feed her, talk to her, put her to sleep, etc. Heaven. (Especially when I don't have to get up in the middle of the night with her. Ha, Richie and Steph!) She is a DOLL and fit right into the cousin crew. Enjoy the pics. And know that I have a ton more of the weekend to post throughout the week.

Mud Run 2K11

2011-10-15T20:27:00.000-05:00

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea I was going to run 5.5 miles through mud, sand, and water. Climbing walls, risking life and limb were not on the agenda. When Danny was a no-show this morning, I got an SOS text from Chris asking me if I wanted to run. I run, so why not, right? I threw on some shorts, brushed my teeth, washed my face, pawned the kiddos off on Grandma and Aunt Dorothy, grabbed a banana, and met the guys in the driveway. This all happened in about 10 minutes time, by the way.

The race: We ran, we fell, we conquered. And I did express some disdain for a peacefully sleeping Danny after I got dirt in my contacts and swam through smelly, murky water. It was a fun experience, though, and in the end, I'm glad I did it.

Richie thought it would be funny to photo bomb me. Thanks.

Take 2

While my muscles are not sore, my legs are all bruised and scratched up. And my "white" shoes and "white" socks are totally trashed. (This is after they were washed off a bit, actually.) Nothing like running 5.5 with sand and mud in your socks and shoes.

Cheapest foot scrub around.

And most interesting 5.5 miles I've ever run.

The Fruits of Our Labor

2011-10-13T06:06:00.000-05:00

These lovely pumpkins were the literal fruits of our time at Vollmer Farms. Yes, they are cute, looking all matchy and stuff (pumpkins and littles, nonetheless) . . . but . . .

. . . Daddy risked life and limb to get these in position. The littles were running around the front yard while Daddy worked on unloading the gourds from the car.

**Important detail--we live on a very steep hill.**

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed an orange sphere rolling awkwardly down the bluff that is our driveway. About 2 seconds later, I see a streak a.k.a Chris bounding after the awkwardly rolling sphere with a pumpkin stem in hand. Hilarity. He says, "It fell off," and that is all. At least that's all I heard in between my laughing and the kiddos asking, "Why?" and "What happened to the pump-in?" As we prepared for this shot . . .

. . . there was another ~~hilarious~~ unfortunate accident. The physics of the whole thing escapes me at the moment as it all happened so fast: a foot slips out, a little-voiced "uh-oh!" is exclaimed, and an orange orb begins its descent down the bluff that is also our front yard. Chris, yet again, leapt into action while the rest of us stood/sat there and stared/laughed at the orange orb, awkwardly rolling down the hill. He made it half way down the hill before the cruel reality sank in: this pumpkin was a lost cause. All we could do was stand and watch as an already maimed pumpkin took a jarring leap over a decorative rock, bounced across the street like a basketball (for real), and finally rested in the neighbor's yard.

I should have photographed Chris coming back up the driveway with our pumpkin, stem in hand again (it was catapulted off the pumpkin during the tumble), but I was preoccupied with the kids. (Actually and honestly, I was laughing too hard.)

The moral of the story=Vollmer Farm pumpkins have nine lives.

A couple of firsts . . .

2011-10-12T18:02:00.000-05:00

If you check back through the archives here, you will find it replete with all of Noah's first. First smile, first bath, first meal, first _____. It's all here. As an English teacher, I could not let another MAJOR first (in my world, anyway) slip by unnoticed, unheralded. The first chapter book we read together was . . .

drum roll . . .

Stuart Little

E.B. White

I was a little worried about how he would do with it since pictures are black and white and not on every page, but he did great and was really into the story. In the midst of (rather bizarre) story about a mouse who is born to two human parents, the vocabulary in this book is actually quite complex, and the imagery and figurative language are rich. Good stuff. We have moved on to the Magic Tree House series, which is good mainly for informational reading. We finished The Knight at Dawn, which is all about two kids traveling back to the time of knights and castles. He has learned some great vocabulary and history, but it is not as "literary" as the (rather bizarre) mouse tale.

While those are read aloud books, he can actually read pretty well. I tested him, and he was on a first grade 4th month reading level a month ago. Here's a taste of what he can read these days. This is a little tale about a hostile duck who wants to keep a defenseless fish away from the shore. He read this in about 10-15 minutes or so. (He likes to stop and talk about what is happening along the way.)

Another first: Noah's first love note. This came home in his folder last week, and I thought it was so cute. Chris said that when he picked Noah up early (major sickness) the other day, Gabrielle and another little girl were giggly telling him bye.

I think it's really cute and ask Noah if he's been talking to Gabrielle at school, but Chris says he's too young for "that kind of stuff." He's just totally clueless about "that kind of stuff." Noah. Not Chris. :)

Groupon Jackpot!

2011-10-09T19:17:00.000-05:00

Dear Groupon/Living Social,

Thank you for sending us to a farm to get pumpkins without bankrupting us. The local price for farm admission plus a pumpkin is ridiculous. $15x4 is just not possible during a recession, so we and our littles thank you tremendously for many predictable photo ops. The boys loved the riding the tractor and chowing down on ice cream. Chocolate and pumpkin to be exact.

Sincerely,

Overheard . . .from the Archives

2011-10-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

Circa a few months ago . . .

Noah: Gabe, do you like trucks?
Gabe: No!
Noah: Gabe, do you like cars?
Gabe: No!
Noah: Gabe, can you say trucks?
Gabe: "Tucks!"
Noah: (Excitedly, as if he discovered gravity or something) He TALKS! Mommy! Gabey TALKS! He TALKED to me!

Circa a few weeks ago . ..
Noah: Watch me do these tricks! (Commence 80-style break-dancing moves combined with acro-tricks)

Gabe: Watch me! (attempts to imitate/rolls around on the floor like an upside down turtle)

Noah: Daddy, do a trick like this! (Does a somersault)

Daddy: Uh, I don't think Daddy can do that, buddy.

Noah: Just try it, Daddy. Don't worry about it! TRY, Daddy!

(Daddy attempts somersault that looked like a backbend/tree falling over and sounded like a bowling ball being dropped on the floor.)

Noah: (laughing hysterically along with Mommy and a slightly confused/disturbed Gabe) What WAS THAT?

Daddy: (still prostrate on the floor and a bit muffled) That was me killing myself.

******* 10 minutes later*******
Noah: (continues break-dance moves and acro-tricks.) Daddy! Do a trick again!

Daddy: No, Daddy shouldn't do that anymore.

Noah: Pleaaassee?

Daddy: No, buddy . . .

Noah: Daddy, kill yourself again!

End scene.

Circa a few days ago in a pediatrician's office . . .
Noah sits off to the side, quietly playing his Mobigo. The doctor enters, gives the customary greeting and meaningless small talk about the 21-month-old coughing and sneezing on the table. The doctor approaches said 21-month-old with a lighted scope and a Popsicle stick turned into ~~torture device for gagging children~~ tongue depressor . . .

Gabe: (death-gripping Mommy) "shriek, shriek, cry, cry, yell, yell,"

Noah: (not looking up from a round of spelling with Shrek and speaking almost to himself) Gabe, it's OK. He just needs to check you out, bubba. There's nothing to worry about. It's OK!

(Unfortunately, they told us Gabe just had a chest cold, which I am now convinced, four days later, is more than that. I say unfortunately not because I have Munchhausen syndrome but because we paid the co-pay to be told the obvious and to keep doing what we were doing, which was obviously very ineffective. Thanks, doc.)

Circa Thursday . . .
Me: (coming in from dropping off at school and looking for a misplaced husband) Chris? Chriiis!

Gabe: Chris! Chris! Chris!

Chris: What? I was downstairs doing the laundry.

Gabe: Chris!!!!

******* An hour later*****
Chris: (outside mowing grass)

Gabe: I wanna see! (points at window)

Chris: mow, mow, mow

Gabe: Chris! Chris! Chris gasss!

Me: Yes, Daddy is cutting the grass!

Gabe: Chris cut gas!

Me: Yep. He's been known to do that, too.

"So Yummy! So Yummy!"

2011-09-29T10:41:00.000-05:00

One of Noah's favorite chants when it comes to food is as follows: "There's a party in my tummy! Party in my tummy! So yummy! So yummy!" Thank you, Aunt Dorothy and Cooper, for that very energetic, motivational chant!

Anyway, we thought it would be fun to create a little tummy party by doing a very simple activity with N: biscuit pizzas. So we bought some low-fat wheat biscuits (on sale with a coupon, nonetheless), sauce, cheese, crushed pineapple with no added sugar, and pizza-ready Canadian bacon. Simple, cheap, tasty, and somewhat healthy. (I know if we made everything ourselves from scratch and used organic, it would be healthier, but I don't have the time or the "Benjamens" for that in this season of life. Just know that I am aware.) Anyway, here is a photo essay of the latest "party in my tummy" event:

They came out really tasty. If you're looking for a quick dinner activity the kiddos can help with, this is it. The key is making sure you roll out the biscuits thin enough (in a little bit of flour) and let them cook long enough. The wheat dough was really tasty, by the way. A veritable "party in my tummy." I already have ideas for other toppings and variations.

Here is Noah's picture of his very own pizza.

"So yummy! So yummy!"

The Things You Do with a Coupon

2011-09-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

So we found a really great deal on . . . brace yourself . . . Chuckee Cheese. Noah had never been, so we thought we'd give it a go. Why not, right? Where else can you spend $20 on dinner and entertainment for a family of four?

To say the boys loved it would be a understatement. It was loud. It was full of flashing lights, carnival games, creepy singing puppets, germs, and pizza. Everything kids love.

Chris had fun "helping" Noah with the games.

I got a nice case of motion sickness from Noah's terrible driving skills. I had to press the accelerator pedal for him. Unfortunately. It was a blast seeing him have so much fun, but I should've closed my eyes.

As promised: Creepy singing puppets. Gabe said, and I quote, "I like it!"

Another plus: Pizza. Noah ate his share, and Gabe even ate pizza for once. After he saw Noah eating it, of course.

Gabe enjoyed a little jaunt on a mechanical horse. This was a mjor de ja vu experience for me: I have seen Chris, sans child of course, one other time on a live horse about this size. It was rather hilarious. Even now. Right, Victoria?

Noah was rather . . ."dangerous" with ski ball. Thank God (literally) no one was beside or behind us.

Noah loved that he got tickets. ~~Daddy~~ He earned about 85 overall and traded them in for four rolls of sweet tarts and two sticker sheets. Thrilling. Oh, to be four again.

Dadddy, being extra competitive, thought he could earn more tickets by using a baby instead of a ball.

Actually, this is classic Gabe. Turn your back for a split second, and he's . . .well . . . look at him. I don't think I need to explicate this further. He's a monkey!

So our Chuckee Cheese experience was decent. The kids had a blast and a half, and I had a headache. But we had a coupon! And who can waste a great coupon?

Dream Realized

2011-09-25T20:40:00.000-05:00

The other night, we misread our calendar and thought Noah had another t-ball game. We got everyone dressed, fed, and ready to go and then realized that the game was actually the following Thursday. Oopsie (as Gabe has started to say). We decided to give it a go anyway and had a great time on the field, just the four of us. After our last game experience, Gabe was more than thrilled to be able to get out on the field. I think he is an athlete at heart!

21 Months Old!

2011-09-21T19:41:00.000-05:00

Today, our Gabe is 21-months-old. He is growing so fast every day! Perhaps the biggest growth around here is in the silliness quotient.

Notice he is armed with a green spray bottle. He is still Mega Mess. Ironically, he loves the broom.

I can't even begin to list all the words he says since he adds something new daily, but I can list out some his latest phrases/sentences:

"I no WANT it!" (This is remarkably clear, both in meaning and in articulation.)
"I got it!" (response to, "Did you get it?" Good use of past tense, G.)
"I not." (response to, "Gabe, are you tired?")
"Finity and beyond!"
Thankfully, he is understanding the concept of, "Yes" and now actually responds with a, "Yeah!" (sometimes).

He sleeps from around 7 pm-7am with an hour and half nap around 1. It is rare that he naps a solid two hours. Sadly.

I am fairly certain this is because he wants to play with his brother. I know I've said this before, but they enjoy each other so much. Yes, there is drama from time-to-time since they both love trucks, trains, balls, and running, but that is what makes their fraternal bond so . . . fraternal. I need to write down some of the things I overhear Noah saying to him. It is entertaining.

His eating patterns are decent, but he is just more picky than Noah ever was. In fact, Noah tells Gabe, "Gabey, you have to eat your vegetables. They make you strong." They both love a popsicle, and Noah is incredibly kind to share his beloved treat with his brother each time he earns the privelege of having one.

He loves most fruits, cheese, spaghetti, sometimes ham and chicken, waffles, pancakes, animal crackers, cereal, waffle fries, and a Hebrew National hotdog. And dips. He is really into dipping. And anything Noah is eating. Other than vegetables. In short, Gabe would be a junk-food junkie if we allowed him to be. He would also snack all day long if we let him.

He is a climber. He loves to sit and can often be found around the house sitting in various places. And also jumping on Noah's bed.

He understands the concept of 2. And purple.

He identifies most letters as "A", "B" or "X". Ha!

He loves books. Not necessarily the reading of books, either. He enjoys throwing them, ripping them, turning the pages, and incidentally, reading them.

He is still more shy than Noah was/is.

He is more chatty and more verbal than Noah WAS. (Definitely WAS. Noah talks. Non. Stop.)

He still has a head of curly hair, especially when it's wet. And he still is mistaken for a girl.

He is still so kissable, so huggable, and so lovable.

We love our Gabe so very much and can't imagine life without him. His laughter light up a room, and his playful spirit brings Noah such joy. Happy 21 months, buddy!

Bond of Brothers

2011-09-20T18:33:00.020-05:00

These special moments brought to you before Gabe realized that sitting on the bench does not mean that one gets to play ball. This crushing reality ended in an epic meltdown for the record books.

N.B. at all future t-ball games, sit as far away from the actual game as possible. And don't attend with little brother when bedtime overlaps. Lesson learned.

T-Ball Round Two

2011-09-12T20:54:00.000-05:00

Noah started his second round of t-ball last week, and he is having fun so far! Tonight was his first official game as a member of the National's.

This was right before his first hit and right before he created his own version of t-ball.

He decided that his first hit, being a little less than very far, needed a little help to get further out in the field. So, what does Noah do? He kicks the ball further out in the field on his way to first base. Oh, how I wish I were videoing. It would've gone viral.

Anywho, Gabe was there as well, cheering on his big brother.

This was the sweetest thing ever: After touching home plate, Noah came to the fence to say hi to his brother. He said, "Hey, Gabey! You wanna come out and play? Mommy, he wants to play, too!" They really do enjoy each other.

He loves to hit.

And sit.

Let's just say he needs some work with his fielding skills.

And this little man is eager beaver to get out and play.

Go, Nationals!

"Ears"

2011-09-05T15:33:00.000-05:00

Anytime there is an unrecognizeable noise near or far, Gabe alerts us. Thunder, motorcycles, strange music, loud trucks, barking dogs, etc. do not escape Gabe's notice. This is what he does:

Here is how the dialogue goes:

G: (concerned look, point to ears) "Ears?"

Me: It's OK, Gabe. It's just _______.

G: (concern gone) Why?

Me: Because it's just a noise. It won't hurt you.

G: Why?

Me: Because it's a noise. And noises don't hurt.

G: Why?

And etc. and etc.

The picture and conversation above was in response to this action yesterday. This is not to say that lawn-mowing is an unfamiliar sound around these parts. (hehe)

The good news is that his tubes are obviously open and clear and that his ears are in perfect working order. The bad news is we already spent the specialist co-pay for the ENT to tell us the same thing. Alas.

Getting Our Craft On

2011-09-01T20:54:00.000-05:00

So far, week one in Noah's new school is going well. He has a smile on his face when he talks about school and is having a blast. They don't use backpacks at his school, but the kids are allowed to decorate their bags however they wish. After ruling out sponge paints and puff paint (remember that?), we channeled our inner craftperson and did this.

Now you can't see it very well, but that is Lightning McQueen fabric that was carefully cut with non-fabric scissors and glued down with very official fabric glue. The black ribbon border is also not visible in the picture, but trust me: It is there. Not being very crafty, I thought this came out pretty cute. Nevermind that a glop of fabric glue ruined my pedicure. It's all about the craft.

I cannot take credit for this LAMINATED folder with a very cute picture of my firstborn. I can tell his teacher gets her craft on often. Hopefully, she will be kind regarding the first ~~parent project~~ homework assignment of the year: All about your family.

This fine piece of art will be put into a book with pictures of the other ~~parents'~~ kids' families, and each family will get the book for a night to get to know everyone in the class. The McQueen bag and fabric glue fumes apparently maxed out the facilities of my inner crafter: This was all I could come up with after spending over an hour at the Target photo center waiting for pictures that were lost in some black hole and then fighting with the kiosk thing to get pictures to print from Facebook. We are not allowed to write on the back or I would've written such a disclaimer. Noah wrote "Noah's Family" using his chunky pencil, and I wrote everyone's name and location in pen. I have a feeling ~~mine~~ Noah's is going to look pretty boring compared to other elaborately scrapbooked pages, but my craft only works once every six months or so. And that's OK with me. Pedicures are much more relaxing.

Senior Year

2011-08-29T20:31:00.000-05:00

Today, Noah began his senior year of pre-school. He loves school and was very excited about going!

His pre-school for the past two years closed and so we are starting fresh at Wake Forest Baptist Pre-School. It is going to be a great experience: He will participate in chapel and PE once a week, and he will get to check out books at the school library. He LOVES books, so this is going to be a treat for him!

His teachers, Ms. Betty and Mrs. Cheri, are seasoned teachers with the 4's and 5's, so that is comforting. When I have asked him if he is excited about making new friends at his new school, he said, "Vedant is my friend, and Cameron is my friend!" These were his two buddies from last year, and he didn't quite understand that they were not going to be in his class. His teachers have communicated that they work to make sure the kids feel comfortable, so I have no doubt he will make new friends.

Here's to a great year and new adventures. It is hard to believe he will be 3/4 of the way through his first quarter of kindergarden this time next year! Time flies when you're having fun for sure.

Salutations!

2011-08-27T22:06:00.000-05:00

Announcing . . .

Madison Clark McLawhorn

August 23, 2011, 9:40 pm

9lbs. 4 oz.

21 inches

She may be the youngest in the family, but she has already upstaged her cousins, weighing in as the biggest baby at birth and the one who held out the longest, being a week overdue. Love her cheeks! And her strong parents:

Here are my two of my favorite pictures:

When I showed Noah his new cousin, he was all smiles. He said, "I need to go see my new baby cousin, Madison Cwark!" Soon enough we will and will count down the days until we can. She is delicious!

Welcome to the world, MC. We are so thrilled to have you join our family and to watch you grow. You have some cousins who are so thrilled to have more friends to grow up with; rest assured, you will never be bored at a family gathering. Ever. We love you!

20 Months Old: A Photo Essay

2011-08-26T21:34:00.000-05:00

Gabe turned 20 months this past week. Here is a little photo essay of Gabe at this age:

Cup Love: Snack Obsession

"Me, too!"

Mega Mess

How we roll

Play-Doh and Piano: A Love Story (These are his two obsessions right now.)

Cheeseeeeee!

Not pictured:

1. His love of "Purple." This is the one color he can consistently identify. Random? Yes. Yes, it is.

2. His battle marks. He has bumps and bruises like I've never seen. He is truly a champ.

3. "Swiiing!" (imitating Noah swinging a baseball bat, Daddy swinging a golf club)

4. His love of dipping sauce. Particulary Chic-Fil-A sauce.

5. The hilarity of running nude. (See previous post.)

6. His climbing skills. Impressive.

We love our sweet little man. He is tenderly rough and tough, and loves his family like none other. We are glad he is a part of us!

On the road . . .

2011-08-24T19:50:00.000-05:00

When we take our show on the road, it is often an adventure for all involved parties. Meltdowns can be averted by keeping the kids fed. On this particular occasion, Noah was not a fan of the frozen yogurt we bought to split four ways. Gabe, aka Champ, was more than happy to eat his brother's share.

And this is just a sweet sight for me.

The Hunt for Blue Blanket

2011-08-16T18:14:00.000-05:00

Gabe is very attached to his blue blanket. He never took a paci, so this simple piece of blue fabric has been his literal security blanket since the beginning. Fastforward to last night. The beloved blanket was MIA at the sacred bedtime hour. Tragedy of tragedies. Thus, we went on a literal hunt, scouring the house.

Gabe showed his big personality as we went around looking for it. He was very expressive with his gestures and attempts to say, "It's in there!" and "Where did it go?"

Noah, witnessing the whole search, dutifully decided to help out. He was perhaps even more entertaining, asking Gabe where he saw it last and saying, "Show me, Gabe."

This, I thought, was quite logical. And I didn't even take it personally that they thought I wouldn't have already checked in the most obvious place in the house.

Still, though, no luck . . .

"Don't know!"

He is pointing to the front door. Not logical. But by this point, I was willing to look anywhere they thought it might be.

The end of the search ended like this:

Noah earned five smilies on his smiley chart for letting Gabe borrow his own beloved blue blanket so that he could fall asleep. Yes, I had to hold Noah's hand while he fell asleep since he didn't have his blanket, and yes, friends, they were actually right:

The blanket was crammed between the crib and the wall. There is vague story about a blanket and a ceiling fan from a certain four-year-old, but for now, I think it best to not ask any more questions.

A "Conversation" with Gabe

2011-08-15T17:35:00.002-05:00

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Buddies

2011-08-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

As Gabe gets older, his relationship with Noah continues to grow. The sound of them laughing and playing together is one that I treasure and hope to remember forever. Noah has learned about being a role model and a peacemaker; Gabe has learned to advocate for himself and that sharing is not desireable. While they do not have a perfect relationship and know how to push each other's buttons, they really look forward to being together. Today, for example, when Noah woke up from his nap, Gabe ran down the hall yelling, "Woah!", opened Noah's door, and began chattering away.

Here is a quiet moment together . . .

...and a crazy moment together. I have a video, but due to the fact that it was before bathtime, it is not internet appropriate. Believe me when I say that both of them were laughing hysterically over this game. What? Haven't you ever played "Run-through-a-sheer-shower-curtain-in-the-buff-and-laugh-hysterically"? Well, you should; it will brighten your day!

Their laughter is truly a gift around these parts these days!

THE Pepper

2011-08-12T21:42:00.000-05:00

So here is the one lone pepper that has grown from the pepper plant Grandma gave us back in May. It has been quite exciting to watch it grow in spite of the extreme heat. Maybe we'll expand our produce experiments next summer? But the MAIN question is this: How are we going to use this pepper? A (half) salad? Stir fry (for one)? A vegetable snack? Stay tuned . . .

A little bit of N, a little bit of G

2011-07-31T13:16:00.000-05:00

The extreme heat has limited all excitement around here. Minus Noah attending summer camp (I'll do a singular post to summarize the entire experience in the future) and watching the green pepper plant sprout on the back porch, we have been hanging INSIDE!

Noah has been working on his reading skills, and I'm so proud of his progress. He will be reading full force before he goes to kindergarden next year, and he is working hard on his hand-writing. We do a quick 30-minute lesson per day, and he has grown so much. Looks pretty good for a four-year-old, huh?

Gabe is . . . being Gabe! He wants to be big so badly it hurts.

I guess that's it for them right now. I know, I know. Yawwwn . . . I dislike extreme weather, both hot and cold. No fun!

19 Months Old!

2011-07-22T21:49:00.000-05:00

Gabe turned 19 months old yesterday! Check out his shirt tans from our beach/pool experience!

He is growing up more and more every day and is so ready to leave the baby in him behind. He walks about 98% of the time. Once he decided he wanted to walk, it didn't take long at all for him to choose it as his mode of transportation.

He is working on using utensils, though he still finds textures (ie-making huge messes) much more fun.

Daddy has nicknamed G "Champ" due to the massive quantities of food he is eating lately. Tonight, for example, he ate Cheerios, peas, two bowls of spaghetti, half a banana, some animal crackers, and some juice-colored water. I think he is trying to grow more!

He loves to sit in chairs and in other places. ??? This is probably the most unique thing about him, and I think it's because he is clambering to be grown-up. Speaking of, he has also become quite the climber in order to sit in said chairs. He thinks he is invincible the way Noah never did.

He also must do anything Noah does. He will not be left out!

His language continues to grow, as is his receptive language. He follows certain commands exceptionally well: "Go put it back" or "Put that in the trash" or "Share" or "That's mommy's." He tries to say a bunch of stuff and still chatters away like we should be able to understand everything he says. He is in an incredibly frustrating phase right now, as he understands so much but cannot always express himself. He is a tenderly strong-willed guy if that makes sense.

He knows his body parts and is very interested in learning colors right now, thanks to a book Aunt Dorothy gave him. He LOVES books and if we tell him to go get a specific book, he will go find it and bring it to us.

He gets told at least once a day how pretty (s)he is and that (s)he looks just like me. His curly blonde locks are deceptive I suppose. Sometimes, we stand up for his manhood; other times, out of weariness, we just say, "Thanks" and smile. Sorry, buddy. We know who you are. And that you love masculinity--balls, trucks, trains, cars, etc. He actually does have a pretty decent throwing arm for a tike. And if Noah picks up a bat and starts hitting, guess who wants to hit, too? Daddy is convinced Gabey is going to be a little athlete!

Overall, Gabe continues to grow up more and more each month. We are now on the downhill slope to TWO. How can that be?

What a blessing this little man is!

Words Worth a Thousand Pictures

2011-07-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

This past week, Daddy, Noah, and Gabe travelled to SC for youth camp. I stayed behind, as this past week was my first week back to work. While I literally worked 14-hour days here at the homestead, they had a blast getting to spend time with Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Chris, Cooper, and Lily G, who were so gracious to host my men and help Chris juggle the littles and the youth, who lived at camp for the week. I wish I could show the pictures of N &G riding in the church van, swimming at the lake, playing on the amazing swing set Uncle Chris built, 4 kids 4 and under with 2 daddies on a golf course, Gabe out-eating everyone and bonding with a tricycle, etc. Such pictures, however, do not exist. No, Daddy did not think about taking pictures. Oh, well. I am pretty sure good times were had by all, and the smiling faces outnumbered the meltdown faces. I do have to say that both boys came home with their love tanks full. A HUGE thank you to my AMAZING sister for loving my babies with a mommy's heart in my absence. While I wait on her pictures, this little post will have to suffice!

We Heart CFA!

2011-07-10T20:56:00.000-05:00

Although it was crazy getting everybody in black and white and folding the hats (really, it was a chore), we all love Chic-Fil-A. And the fact that it was 100% completely free for four meals made us love it even more.

Good times and great FREE food were had by all!

POOL!

2011-07-08T19:00:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandad have a pool in the neighborhood, and the boys had a BLAST there! Both Noah and Coop are independent in the water with a float pack on, which makes it fun. Check them out!

We played 3-2-1 blastoff for quite a while. You will see how much fun they had--I love these pictures!

Gabe had a blast in his boat, but our attempts to get a picture were foiled by his extreme dislike of his brother touching his boat.

This is classic Gabe--he is a total sweetheart, but he gets M-A-D like the world is ending at times. Picture perfect:

Overall, our trip was short but full of fun. I'm pretty sure we have the greatest family in the world!

All Aboard the Cousin Train!

2011-07-08T18:50:00.000-05:00

They were actually playing bus driver, but they were totally a train. Ha! We can't wait for Madison Clark to join the ranks in August! Yay for more cousins!

Parallel

2011-07-07T05:56:00.000-05:00

Kiddie chairs + Uncle Josh + Grandma's Kindle + Noah + Mommy's iPhone=Priceless moments