And the Winner Is...

Today I made up a Sweetest Baby Ever contest and guess who won?

Me? Really? I've never won anything in my whole life!

You're not kidding me, are you?

I'm so excited I can't get up!

I am pretty sweet, aren't I?

This is the happiest day of my life!

She just melts my heart! What a sweetheart. Sunday was promotion Sunday at church, and Coleman not only promoted up to a new Sunday School class, but he's now attending "big church" with us. During the last half of Sunday School, the pastor, children's minister, and music minister gave the 4 and 5 year olds a crash course in being in the worship service. I thought that was a great idea! I missed the first and last parts of church (I was of course in the nursing room with Allie) but overall Coleman did pretty well!

This little girl went to the nursery for the first time. Don't you just love those arm rolls and chubby cheeks?

I don't want to leave Spence out. He also promoted to a new Sunday School class. He just goes with the flow. In his old class, one of the teachers was affectionately called "The Biscuit Lady." She brought biscuits for the kids every Sunday. (Don't you think she'll have a special reward in Heaven?) I'm not sure how many Spence would eat, but he never ate any lunch on Sundays. This Sunday, now that he's not in Biscuit Lady's class anymore, he ate quite a bit of his burger!

So that's the update on the kids. Later this week we go meet the boys' new teachers, then school starts next week! We can hardly wait!

P.S. I promise that's as big as the bows will get!

All Smiles

Allie loves visiting Nana and Poppa!

Day at the Museum

Coleman in the general store

I wonder if I can install one of these at my house?

Spence in the schoolhouse

Coleman is ready to learn!

Riding at the corral

The kids and I are in Bay City visiting my parents. (I'm having problems with moving the pictures around on their computer, so pictures before the explanation for now.) Today Mom took us to the Matagorda County Museum. The basement is set up like an early 1900s town. There's a general store, post office, jail, barber shop, and other cool rooms for the kids to play in. We had so much fun!

Warning: Cute Kid Pictures!

Today our friends Candice, Paul David, and Judson came to play. We always have such a wonderful time with them! I happen to think this group is the cutest group of kids in the world, and I have some pictures to prove it!

Sweet babies!

Paul David, Judson, Spence, Allie, and Coleman

2 Months Old

This little angel is two months old today! We just got back from her check up and she weighs 12 lb 12 oz. What a big baby! She cried a little with the shots, but it didn't last long.

Isn't this a sweet picture? I'm sure Spence was too busy getting into stuff to stop and pose for the camera. Maybe next time I can pull him away from his mischievousness.

Morning Happenings

This morning the boys were playing in my bathroom while I was doing my makeup and hair. It's times like these I have to stop and remind myself that they are only little for a short time. Someday I'll miss these moments. So what if they're digging through Brian's closet finding all the broken toys that need to be fixed or playing with my tweezers and pumice stone. Now I do have to draw the line at spraying Tilex all over their clothes. We've already got one ruined shirt and thankfully all eyes are still functioning.

This morning Spence found a Transformer in Brian's closet that we had put away because it was too hard for Coleman (and us) to change from robot to vehicle. Our rule is this: If you can transform it without tears we can keep it out. To keep them from further digging through the closets and drawers, I let them play with the Transformer. Coleman was so worried that Spence would break it. He would say, "Spence! Be careful. It's very breakaful!" Then Spence was doing something with the toy and I heard Coleman say, "Oh the humanity!" I have no idea where he heard that! Later, Coleman snuck up on Spence and said, "Surprise! I just wanted to see if his eyebrows went up." This was something he saw on Sesame Street yesterday. (Ernie was trying to get Bert to show different emotions and see what his eyebrows did.)

I have to say, it's a full time job just making sure these boys are on the up and up, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! Now if I can just remember that come 4:00 this afternoon.

Wild Imaginations

Yesterday I was telling you about Spence's imaginary friend Esther and was upset that I couldn't remember the name of Coleman's old imaginary friend. It came to Brian last night: J.J.! Coleman would pick up the phone and start talking. When we would ask who he was talking to he would say, "J.J." Last night I asked him if he'd talked to J.J. lately and he said he didn't know when the last time was. So this morning he and Spence were playing with the phone and I heard Coleman saying, "J.J.!!! J.J.!!!" So glad those two found each other again! We may have to get a separate line so Spence can talk to Esther! Actually, I think Esther is at our house most of the time. I'm no stranger to imaginary friends. I had one in Junior High. I must have just wanted people to think I was odd. Here's a challenge: Can anyone who has known me for years and years remember my imaginary friend's name? Do you remember how she met her demise? Let's see!

Yesterday I also mentioned how Coleman has a list of chores that he does to earn an allowance. His chores include picking up his toys each night, keeping the books in his room picked up, putting away his and Spence's laundry (he's even learned how to hang their shirts), making his bed, and gathering all the trash and putting it in a big trashbag (twice a week on the nights before trash pickup). At the end of the day he gets two quarters, unless he got in trouble that day and had to go to timeout. Then he loses a quarter. Every week he takes a quarter to church to give in Sunday School. I think after he earns enough to buy the Batman toy he wants we'll start teaching him about saving. We can start reading Dave Ramsey books to him. That should be fun, huh?

If I Had Enough Energy

If I had enough energy, I'd tell you all how I've had to say some things in the last few days that you just never think you'll say...until you become a parent. Things like, "Don't lick that off the table!" and "Don't lay in your own urine!" I'd tell you how Spence fell in the Kohl's parking lot and I had to carry him wherever he wanted to go for the next 4 hours. And then when he started walking how I wished I had the energy to go get the camera so I could video him walking around with his knees together and back bent over to try and keep from hurting his scrapes.

I would also tell you about Coleman's chores and how he's now earning an allowance. I can't believe he's that old! I'd tell you how he is making his bed, putting his and Spence's laundry away, and picking up toys. He's saving his quarters to buy a Batman toy. Oh I would definitely tell you about the fit that was had the first Sunday we made him give one of his quarters in Sunday School. Last week was better.

Then I would tell you all about Spence's new imaginary friend Esther and how I'm sad that I can't remember the name of Coleman's old imaginary friend. I'm also sad that I just finished a really good Christian fiction book that I didn't realize was the 5th and final book of a series. And it has the same characters as another series that contains 5 books. So now I have 9 books that I need to read to figure out all about these characters that I have grown to love. That should only take me about 5 years if I can even find all these books at the library!

I shouldn't feel so energyless. Allie is sleeping about 7 hours every night. Then she goes back to sleep again after eating! Such a blessing! Maybe it's not really a lack of energy, but a lack of time. I love love love my kids so much, but I've decided every mom needs a few hours a week away from her two year old. School is just around the corner! I am so thankful that my husband realizes my need for a few hours off each week and the benefit the boys get from getting away from me and going to school. I love you Brian!

So it seems I need to go take a ride in the baby boat. Not sure what that is, but I'm sure it will be fun!

Little Sunflower

Check out those arm rolls! If only fat looked that cute on me!

Missing Gems and Other Tidbits

We're loving the bunk beds, and I'm teaching Coleman how to make up his bunk. I still do Spence's. But the worst part is definitely washing the sheets. Those things are a booger to put back on. I would like to get them washed once a week, but I haven't gotten to that point yet. Yesterday I did get them washed, then while putting them back on I rammed my left hand into one of the boards. I quickly said "ouch" but didn't even look at my hand. A few hours later I was putting Spence down for his nap and saw something shiny on the floor. At first I thought it was a sequin and almost didn't pick it up. I decided I would get it off the floor though, and as I picked it up I saw that it was a diamond. I was trying to remember the last time I wore any dangly fake diamond earrings when I began to realize that this was a real diamond. I looked down at my ring and sure enough, the middle diamond was missing! I had not even realized it was gone until I found it lying on the floor in the boys' room. I was pretty freaked out, but not as freaked out as I would have been if I would have noticed it was gone and had no clue where it was. I've only had this ring since November. It's the three stone ring Brian gave me for our 10 year anniversary. Hopefully we can drop it off at the jeweler and get it fixed next week. I'll definitely check the prongs faithfully from now on (and maybe not wear it around the house while doing chores)!

Today Jennifer and her daughter EK came over for a play date. We had so much fun! EK is letting Allie borrow all her baby clothes and Jennifer took all my maternity clothes. What a fun switch! Oh Jennifer, ask S if you guys can have a dog. Nobody has ever loved Maestro like EK did today!

I'm looking forward to a fun weekend. Brian's boss is taking us to Taste of Texas tomorrow night. Allie's going with us, but the boys are staying with a sitter. I'm actually a little nervous to go out with adults who don't have small children. What will I have to contribute to the conversation? They probably won't be interested in the story about Coleman's poop that he thought looked like a dinosaur. (He yelled for Nana and me to come look at it, and wanted Daddy to see it so I had to take a picture. Aren't you glad I didn't post that picture? I have to retain some level of tastefulness.) Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I promise I'm thinking about getting a birth announcement sent out for Allie. Really. It could be soon.

Curtain Call

Nana, take a bow! You did an excellent job on the kids' curtains! Nana also recovered Allie's rocker. I'm so blessed to have a mom who enjoys sewing and does a great job with every assignment I give her. And believe me, I've given her lots of assignments. If I'm remembering them all, she's made 12 sets of curtains for us! Thanks Mom! I always think of you when I pull back a curtain.

New curtains for the boys' room
We've also ordered some vintage sports signs to hang on the walls. I'll get some more pictures when those arrive.

Mom made the long curtains to hang behind the valance to help darken Allie's room.

She also covered the rocker with this cute dragonfly material. This is the second cover she's made for this rocker. When we used it in Spence's room she covered it in red gingham.

My new haircut (at the end of the day after a nap)

Balcony Dwellers

Today was my third Sunday back in church since Allie was born. One Sunday I got to hear the Sunday School lesson, the next Sunday I was able to hear the sermon, and today I was able to worship in song! I did get to hear the first five minutes of the sermon also, where our Pastor mentioned Coleman and his awesome swimming skills! For the last two Sundays Brian, Allie, and I have been sitting in the balcony. A few people choose to sit in the balcony, but it's more like an area for a group of misfits:

• parents with a new baby who need a quick exit without disturbing too many people
• a grandma who brings her three rambunctious grandkids
• youth that want to chit chat
  
• people who mistakenly think church starts at 11:00, not 10:30

Wherever we have to sit, I'm glad to be back at church! And just a few more weeks and Allie can go to the nursery.

Two smiles and a snoozer

A girl can't always wear pink!