Edge of Life

Olympic Night

2011-12-11T08:15:00.003-06:00

Last night was 'Olympic Night' at SEGA! Mary Todd had a ball doing her routines on the floor, balance beam, bar and vault. She won first place on bar and floor, and recieved her medal for best handstand cartwheel dismount on the beam. She's worked hard with the big girls this fall, and I hope she's as proud of herself as we are of her!

These days

2011-11-07T09:21:00.003-06:00

If you're looking for me these days, there's a good chance I'm sitting on the corner in the grass with Miller, watching the backhoes and dumptrucks working hard building a new house. Here's Miller with a tractor on his shirt, riding his Gator, admiring a backhoe. Kind of silly, when you think about it...

Lunch with the Queen

2011-11-06T14:17:00.003-06:00

Mary Todd and I lunched with the queen yesterday. A beauty queen, that is. We attended Miss Tennessee's Mother Daughter Tea Party which, despite NOT sounding like something I would enjoy, turned out to be quite fun. The Memphis Opera performed (as did Miss Tennessee), and the girls got to decorate crowns and cookies. We had a fun time (even though Mary Todd's 'picture smile' might say differently...)!

So proud

2011-11-04T17:30:00.003-05:00

Mary Todd had her picture taken for the Crosswind 'Celebrity Book' last week, which is part of the character education program. Her sweet teacher often sends me messages during the day, (which is so fun) and she said Mary Todd was beyond excited to be called into the office for the picture!

Add this to a perfect report card, she had a great week!!

(She does not normally wear pjs to school. It was in pajama and bear day for kindergarten).

Halloween

2011-10-31T20:41:00.004-05:00

What a fabulous Halloween we had! We had neighbors over tonight for dinner before all the kids headed out to trick-or-treat. They ran and played and enjoyed yet another beautiful Halloween in Collierville.

It's sometimes hard to believe- almost all these kids live on the same street!!

The ride

2011-10-09T20:03:00.001-05:00

Miller had his first ride in Todd's (somewhat) new car this weekend. I'm pretty sure he loved it!

The Trot

2011-10-09T20:00:00.002-05:00

The big Turkey Trot was Friday, and Mary Todd and her class were only somewhat sure of what was going on. Regardless, they had fun. Mary Todd and her friend, Bria, walked most of 2 miles holding hands.

Cheerleader

2011-10-09T19:49:00.006-05:00

Mary Todd's school has one big fundraiser each year- the Turkey Trot, which is a walk/run-a-thon. The week before the actual event, there's a big pep rally. My girl decided she wanted to be a cheerleader! There were about 30 girls from the whole school, and 6 cheers. She and her friends practiced in the yard and were ready for the big event! They were precious and had a ball. Mary Todd was adorable in her own design- a pink cheerleader uniform. She's lucky that she has a grandmother that takes custom orders!!

The rest of the kids sat with their classes and had spirit contests. MT's is the class up front in turquoise. Ms. Beesinger is amazing! How she keeps calm, organized, patient and loving during events like this is beyond my understanding. But, she does!

Night out

2011-09-17T20:18:00.004-05:00

We took the kids for a night out the town. Dinner with guitars for Miller (at Hard Rock Cafe and the 2nd largest Elvis collection in the world), and a ride in a princess carriage for Mary Todd. After dinner, the sweet waitress turned the stage lights on and handed Miller a 'heavy guitar.' Pure joy. I love this town, and I think it's safe to say our kids do, too!

Everybody dies famous- in a small town

2011-09-12T08:53:00.003-05:00

The front page of the Collierville/Germantown section of the Memphis Commercial Appeal yesterday! (Mary Todd is the very middle of the picture, in a white shirt). The article was about a neighbor, who put together a plan and raised almost 50k to add a new playset to the playground. I'm telling you- I've never seen such dedicated parents!

Pooped out

2011-09-08T20:20:00.002-05:00

It took nearly 5 1/2 years, but I had just had a parenting first: I picked up a sleeping child, carried her to her room, tucked her in bed, and walked out. She stirred a bit, but not enough to ask for books or snuggles. Kindergarten poops even the best of them out!

School

2011-08-29T06:57:00.002-05:00

Mary Todd is on the fence with school. It's long, it's hard work. She has fun and she's made some great new friends. But, she still wants me to come along for the ride. Everyday.

Crosswinds had a New Family Picnic on Saturday, and we had loads of fun. Except, of course, when an adult spoke to Mary Todd. Here's a picture of her precious principal, who already knows every kid by name. She looks so very thrilled, doesn't she?

The best part

2011-08-15T20:03:00.003-05:00

According to my little girl, the best part of kindergarten is the bus. And, she doesn't all mean it in a nothing-else-is-good manner. If she could put it into words, I think she'd explain that she gets to climb up the steps with the big girls and sit with friends with no moms in sight, without a seat belt on, and end up in an exciting place. To my five year old, it's an independence not previously known.

(That's MT hoping down from the bottom step)

Blessing

2011-08-14T13:42:00.004-05:00

What better way to end a summer hiatus from blogging than with a Kindergarten Blessing?

Alert the press

2011-05-30T13:54:00.002-05:00

Mary Todd can jump off the diving board and swim to the ladder by herself. I've never seen her so proud of herself!

Miller has perfected jumping off the side, climbing up the stairs, getting a sip of sweet tea, and jumping back in.

They were both happy with this cycle for about 20 minutes today.

Celebration

2011-05-28T19:56:00.003-05:00

I would travel to the ends of the earth to see this sweet friend, but am currently blessed with just a short 1.5 hour drive to Tupelo to do so. It was a good day to celebrate her baby boy's 6th birthday! I'd say that's right around the time when I met his momma- summer before 1st grade, ballet class at Betty Virginia Park. I pray that he finds lifelong friends for the journey, too!!

Jump!

2011-05-28T19:53:00.001-05:00

An action shot! Mary Todd jumping off the swing today in Tupelo.

Patience

2011-05-27T19:37:00.004-05:00

We went to an event at the libary today, and there was a face painter working magic on little faces. The only problem? A line that stretched half-way through the building. My fairy-loving little girl had visions of being transformed into something divinely sparkly and purple, but was kind and understanding as I told her the line was impossible, and I promised to try my best at a purple butterfly if we could just wait until we got home.

Overheard

2011-05-24T13:32:00.003-05:00

Both kids playing in my closet this morning:

"Miller, I just don't want to wear those boots. You won't be able to see my glamorous toes."

Muscles

2011-05-11T13:18:00.002-05:00

My boy

2011-04-27T12:19:00.003-05:00

Miller decided that lime yogurt and applesauce were a really, really good combo for snack today. And that eating like a puppy was the best way to go. What a BOY!!

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T14:30:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend and visit with Grams! Mary Todd was very sick last week, so we were all glad that she perked up and was healthy by Friday. A day on the square, a party at church, and Easter Sunday together. We're all ready for a nap, though!

(I'm very optimistic that someday we'll be able to get a good picture of all 4 of us!)

Damage

2011-04-20T08:49:00.004-05:00

It's springtime in the mid-South, which means serious storms, especially this year. The latest round came last night, thankfully early enough that we didn't have to wake up to sirens and the Town phonecall. By 11pm, we looked out front and found our poor little tree had been blown down! It's especially sad because we weren't sure this tree was going to make last year (it only produced leaves right at the trunk, not out on the branches) and we were thrilled that it was doing so well this year! Poor little tree.

Flying high

2011-04-14T13:11:00.002-05:00

Mary Todd is up, Lashlee is down, and Miller is wishing he was big enough to play, too. This is just part of the very cool new playground at Shelby Farms in Memphis.

Cruisin'

2011-04-09T20:53:00.002-05:00

Miller and his favorite driver, Sarah.

Flashback

2011-04-04T07:31:00.002-05:00

Somewhere around 1984, my dad went to lunch at South Highlands with Jonathan. While there, a parent asked him if he was JJ's dad. Apparently, Jonathan attempted to change his name, to keep from spelling the longer version. Yesterday, Mary Todd asked if she could tell her teachers that she was just going to be writing 'Mary' on her school work from now on. When I reminded her that 'Todd' was the easier part of her name, she quickly changed her mind. She really, really doesn't like that lowercase 'r.'

In Daddy's arms

2011-04-03T20:09:00.004-05:00

Sweet buns

2011-03-02T19:26:00.002-06:00

Watching a little Jason Mraz sing on Sesame Street in the buff. Miller is trying to decide if he's ready to potty train. I haven't quite figured out how to steer a little boy to tee-tee IN the toilet, so I'm ok if he decides to wait a little longer. I'm already over sanitizing the floor.

Curlz

2011-03-02T19:24:00.002-06:00

It shouldn't surprise me that me that this is how Mary Todd would make a 'g.' This is, after all, the girl that sleeps in a tutu every night.

Gifts

2011-02-14T20:59:00.003-06:00

So precious.

Rockin' birthday

2011-02-14T20:43:00.005-06:00

Miller's birthday was loads of fun. We were blessed with new friends who walked from next door and the oldest of friends who drove 1.5 hours for the celebration (and a grandmom who drove the farthest!). What a blessing for our little boy- to be surrounded by so much love!

I love this last picture the most. Miller is blowing a raspberry with M&M in his mouth. It about sums up his year two thus far. :)

Birthday helper

2011-02-04T21:22:00.003-06:00

Miller was SUCH a big help getting ready for his party today.

First, he helped perfect the icing recipe.

Then, he went through each and every pan to select just the right one for baking cupcakes.

Not sure what I would do without him!

A Collierville treasure

2011-01-16T13:08:00.004-06:00

Collierville scooped up this little 50 year old gem of a British double-decker bus, and a friend won a night out at a silent auction. We were excited to join about 40 friends for a cruise around Collierville and a great dinner (not to mention reliving memories of college formals, deb parties, and other crazy party bus nights). Good times had by all!

Monkey see...

2011-01-12T20:19:00.002-06:00

Mary Todd is sick, but Miller sure is having fun being 'sick' too!

Dear Miller,

2011-01-10T11:32:00.003-06:00

Thank you giving me tangible reasons to plan beach vacations instead of skiing trips. I love you.

A little more flashlight action...

2011-01-10T08:48:00.002-06:00

My little hostess

2011-01-07T18:06:00.004-06:00

Mary Todd planned another party! The original idea was pizza and a movie. But this afternoon she came and asked me to close all the blinds because she and her friends were going to do shadow puppets and flashlight dances. The picture shows a combination- flashlight movie watching!

He couldn't do this yesterday!

2011-01-06T13:15:00.004-06:00

Yesterday he was bringing me handfuls of markers to stack. Today, he doesn't need my help.

And with no surprise...

Welcome, 2011!!

2011-01-04T08:26:00.003-06:00

Steroids and an asthma inhaler for the 23 month old. We gotta do better than this, 2011!

Christmas morning

2010-12-26T17:18:00.004-06:00

I think Todd and I might have been more excited than Mary Todd and Miller Christmas Eve. We could barely sleep. We knew we had picked out the perfect gifts for our precious, imaginative, playful kids and couldn't wait for them to see!

They must have been good this year- Santa visited!

Miller catching his first glimpse of his Gator. A bit confused, but excited!

When we sat down to open family presents, Miller brought the cash register with him. Too cute!

What a sweet brother- he let his sister have the first drive!

A house full of new toys and they STILL end up in the bathroom with me getting ready.

Tiny dancer

2010-12-26T17:08:00.004-06:00

Mary Todd's first ballet recital. Act #12 of 37.
She was beautiful!

Backstage, with Alana and Kendall.

Here she is after the performance with Lashlee and Kendall.

She is second from the left.

She wears her costume. Lots.

Worth it

2010-12-18T07:03:00.003-06:00

Miller's first candycane: totally worth the sticky mess.

Baking

2010-12-15T15:59:00.002-06:00

I love that Miller's big enough to help in the kitchen! He did a great job smooshing bananas for banana bread yesterday, and got to reap the rewards of helping!

Christmas program

2010-12-15T15:49:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures from the kids' Christmas program at school yesterday. They were both so precious! This was the first year that Miller's class participated. He was so cute in his Santa hat, while the rest of his class wore reindeer antlers. He was smiling and ringing bells, until he saw me!!

Mary Todd had practiced every chance she had. She taught us ALL the songs, and sang her heart out!

Our personal Rudolph

2010-12-14T08:27:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, the kids' Christmas program at preschool was cancelled due to a gas leak in the gym. 5 minutes after we got home, Miller tripped and fell into a chair. I'm still not positive his nose isn't broken. But, I was surprised to see this morning that it's less bruised and more scraped and scabbed (there wasn't any blood on the outside yesterday, just from the inside). You can see in the picture the bruising about half-way up the bridge. That's where I think he hit that hardest. Lots of tears yesterday, but none today!

Refresh

2010-12-10T13:19:00.003-06:00

Angela and Allie met me in Nashville last weekend for a weekend refresher. And, what a refresher it was. It's amazing what these girls do for my soul! 14 years, 5 kids and 1 cancer throwdown have shaped our lives. But, I still see 19 year-old wonder and trust in the world when I look at these ladies!

Smile

2010-12-10T13:16:00.003-06:00

This is Miller's smile. Love it. Love the sparkly tatoo that's STILL on his arm, too!

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-10T13:05:00.003-06:00

Mary Todd did a wonderful job of decorating the tree this year! She was careful and deliberate with every ornament. And, she wasn't satisfied until every last one was on the tree! We did most of the work while Miller was asleep. He's a big fan of Santa and Frosty, and we weren't quite sure he would let us put them ON the tree! It was precious to see his face when he came down the stairs.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-03T13:29:00.003-05:00

So sweet

2010-10-31T21:21:00.011-05:00

They are so, so sweet. Not the candies that fill the buckets tonight, but the moments that fill our days.

Mary Todd in her classroom at school. She adores her teachers and friends, and the feeling is mutual. Quite a following this little girl has. It will be an interesting journey...

Sweet Miller. Here he is during the costume parade at school. No tears shed by this big boy, even as they were wheeled around a gym filled with clapping parents.
He went with us to MT's class for a little party after the parade. He tripped and fell trying to get to her. When he popped up unscathed, one of MT's friends yelled, 'Yay, Miller!' and several others joined in. It was a funny, sweet reminder of the support that will follow him all his days!

A sweet mermaid decked out in a costume made with love and attention by a sweet grandmother. She loves wearing it!

Oh, our little man. He was so handsome in the fireman costume Mary Todd wore when she was 2. He loves life and adores being around his sister and friends!

Is this a gaggle of princesses or what?? What a blessing, this neighborhood of ours. A blessing indeed.

Fall break fun

2010-10-18T19:15:00.004-05:00

It's fall break! No school for the kids- any of them! Instead, we learned how a pool deck is poured today. We couldn't love our neighbors any more, but fun days like this are just icing on the cake!

Here are Gracie, MT and Sarah sitting up on the fence. The sun was just too much for them. It was, after all, about 90 degrees when this picture was taken. Makes you think MT was probably a bit warm in her long sleeve pjs...

Miller joined the fun up on the fence, too. Daddy's holding him up from the back- don't worry!

How I adore these kids and having them in our lives. Sweet friends, sweet family.

Backyard fun

2010-10-17T20:12:00.004-05:00

The backyard firepit is finally finished and open for business! I'm glad I'm not the only family member LOVING the idea of s'mores anytime we want them! :)

Mermaids

2010-10-04T14:05:00.003-05:00

My two favorite mermaids swinging in the sun. These days, a costume change is required for most any activity.

Miller's evaluation

2010-09-28T09:35:00.003-05:00

For those of you waiting on the edge of your seats to find out about Miller's speech evaluation...

He charmed the pants off the therapist! I was thrilled that he was really 'himself' and she could see what and who he is. He is at 1 yr, 2 mo for expressive language, meaning he's behind about 7-8 months. But, his responsive language is measuring 2 yr, 5 months, meaning he's ahead developmentally with what he knows and understands. So, average those together and you have 1 yr, 7 months, exactly how old he is.

The state comes out for a screening on Thursday, so we'll talk with them before deciding what to do next. 5 words isn't getting us too far these days, but hopefully he'll wake up soon and just decide to tell us all about it! I can't wait to hear what he has to say, but am trying to be patient about it!

Spa Day

2010-09-20T21:36:00.002-05:00

Drivin'

2010-09-12T21:44:00.002-05:00

Just a week after his first car accident (smashing a golf cart into my car), Miller was thrilled to be back behind the wheel. I'm already leary of the teen years with this one...

Cowboy, the horse

2010-09-12T21:41:00.003-05:00

Fun at the Germantown Festival this weekend!

More twirling

2010-09-04T07:46:00.003-05:00

My attempt at getting a picture of Mary Todd before school on Friday. She apparently can't stand still; twirling is the only option. Can't wait to see what our Christmas cards look like...

Fall

2010-09-04T07:41:00.002-05:00

Our first fall decor- Mary Todd's 'collection' from the park!

Worth celebrating

2010-08-27T20:36:00.007-05:00

Today was Mary Todd's first day of her last year of preschool. She was awake and dressed by 6:45 this morning, ready to go. I barely got a 'bye' out of her; she was excited and ready. It's going to be a good year.

We took the opportunity to celebrate this afternoon with neighbors. This, my friends, is what the sweet life is. Mud, waterslides, and push-ups. Neighbors to laugh and play with, to share and grow with. I'm not sure it gets any better than this.

If only a camera could capture such a spectacular day. And, if only I had my camera with me when Miller caught sight of the kid-size motorized John Deere Gator in the driveway that one of the bigger boys had ridden. He jumped in and immediatly had it going- perfectly. Mary Todd took it for a spin and moments later hit a fence. Oh, man...

2010-08-25T13:28:00.005-05:00

My precious baby on his first day of preschool. Despite a tearful start, he loved it. He dazzled his teachers and won their hearts. Our sign language is often lost in translation, but I'd bet anything that he spent our walk to the car telling me he wanted more school. Today was a good day.

Museum fun

2010-08-24T10:11:00.003-05:00

Each year, my parents give us the FABULOUS gift of membership to the Children's Museum of Memphis. It is now a favorite place for both of my kids, and cool fun in this hot summer! Here's Mary Todd in her vision of perfection: a huge dress-up closet!!

Fairy games

2010-08-22T19:58:00.003-05:00

A princess memory game- priceless in the eyes of a little fairy!

(She hasn't lost yet!!)

Under the influence...

2010-08-22T08:06:00.003-05:00

... of Daddy.

Mary Todd, too, has proven that perhaps some things are more genetic than we'd first think. She tells us daily that she'd like a Jeep when she turns 16.

How we spent our morning

2010-08-19T15:01:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty sure this is Rico, a neighbor's cat. Wow, my kids were excited. MT was worried about her coming into the house, and I think that's all Miller wanted!

Spider girl

2010-08-18T15:40:00.006-05:00

We decided to make a spider web of the house today, a fun project suggested by our favorite Miss Emily. It was a big hit. While we were planning this for a playdate with Lashlee today, Mary Todd of COURSE decided they needed spider costumes. This was all I had in me.

We did have a cute spider lunch, though, with spider cupcakes and a bell pepper spider pizza!

Cowboy

2010-08-15T21:48:00.002-05:00

Ballerina

2010-08-15T21:44:00.003-05:00

Mary Todd started dance class this week! While she talked all summer about ballet and twirling, the tap portion of the class proved to be the biggest hit.

Of couse, the next day she decided to be a rockstar.

Back by popular demand...

2010-08-15T21:34:00.004-05:00

After a lengthy hiatus, this blog is back! Thanks to Aunt Jenn and Emily for prompting us- on the same day! Our families are changing and moving and hopefully this will continue to be another way to keep in touch.

What have we been up to this summer? Just about everything. Trips to Shreveport and Raleigh, and more recently trips to Tupelo! Swim lessons and VBS, play dates and movie nights. These precious children have kept us busy swimming and splashing and playing and running. The Memphis heat has officially gotten to us, though, and we're finding ourselves inside more than out. When the temps hit 100 and keep going for three weeks in a row, even I have to admit that it's hot.

Here's a look at our summer cuties-

Overheard

2010-05-04T07:23:00.002-05:00

We've had a rash of not-so-sweet talk recently. I know it's just a preschooler thing, but it's just not fun to hear your beautiful little girl say 'poop.' Lots of time out, and lots of leaving the fun to try and combat it.

So, needless to say, I was overjoyed to overhear Mary Todd and her friends on Sunday at a birthday party. When a friend wouldn't get out of the bounce house when her mom asked her to, Mary Todd said, "I'll wear my pretty dress for you tomorrow if you get out!"

Glad to know that the sweet trumps the negative that will inevitably come in and out of our lives!

Getting ready for bed

2010-04-18T19:50:00.004-05:00

Yes, she slept in the fairy costume. A first for us. Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella- yes; they are all common sleepwear at our house. But, never before have we had a slumbering fairy!!

The boy

2010-04-15T22:03:00.002-05:00

Three amigos

2010-04-15T08:22:00.004-05:00

Here are Lashlee, Lilly Ann, and Mary Todd after some fun on the waterlide. I can't believe it's warm enough for fun in the water already!

My sweet husband gave me a new camera lens for my birthday. I haven't been able to get my own kids to cooperate with a smile, but here's precious Lilly Ann. While this picture was being taken, her sweet mom was having a blood clot 'the size of a fist' removed from behind her knee. After having heart surgery last August, Christie can get through just about anything. I'm just so sorry she has to!

lilly ann

All in a day's work

2010-04-01T11:29:00.006-05:00

The boy is into everything. Literally.

Egg hunt, take I

2010-04-01T11:22:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was MT's Easter party and egg hunt at school. What fun she had with her friends, running outside in the beautiful weather!

The boy

2010-03-29T16:46:00.002-05:00

My definition of a good time at the park: having to ride home naked. Or in a diaper, I should say. Note: he did NOT ride home on this toy motorcycle. He just couldn't get in the backdoor without a quick ride. File under 'redneck,' please.

Peep

2010-03-28T20:48:00.003-05:00

Mary Todd and I made cupcakes today. Although it goes against all my wants for health(ier) eating, we made some 'Peep' cupcakes, complete with LOTS of food coloring that made the cake portion match the Peep marshmallows. Cute, cute, cute!!

Twirling

2010-03-28T20:44:00.004-05:00

A 1.50 find at our church's rummage sale yesterday. Priceless in the eyes of my twirling angel.

More legs

2010-03-24T10:33:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I didn't post a picture of these precious legs, too!! We haven't seen as much of them, though. With the beautiful weather comes playing outside. For a little boy that doesn't yet choose to walk, overalls are still the wardrobe of choice! I thought maybe if he had to crawl around with bare knees, maybe he'd be more anxious to walk. It actually seems to have worked. We're on day-2 of mostly walking!

Lessons learned with a sick boy

2010-03-18T09:58:00.005-05:00

We expected to spend this week comforting Miller from his surgery, but have spent it comforting a sick boy instead. He spiked a fever Sunday night and has kept it for almost 4 days now, so the surgery has been postponed.

What I've learned:
1) I have the best mom ever. She's stayed and has fed us, entertained us, emptied my dishwasher and cleaned our clothes. Her help has definitely let us care for Miller easily!
2) We have the best neighbors ever. Sarah and Gracie brought over handmade get-well-soon cards and presents for Miller and MT yesterday. A princess tea set, ball, and ride-on truck later, we had very excited kids.
3) Miller loves the Indigo Girls. More specifically, "Shame on You." It was about the only thing that worked last night as I rocked my 103.9 degree sweaty baby boy. When he was an itty bitty baby, I would bounce him on the ball while I sang "Joking" before each sleep time. Love it.
4) A balloon can make my baby boy smile no matter how puney he feels.

Here's a pick from the JA St. Patrick's Day parade last night. MT and Sarah are in the wagon, and Gracie, Kate and Madeline are behind it. (Kate and Madeline live down the street).

Mary Todd then pulled Lashlee around the parade route all by herself. Several times. No wonder she slept so well last night...

The life of a little brother

2010-03-17T09:55:00.003-05:00

I can remember dressing Jonathan up, so it shouldn't have surprised me to walk in to this get-up! And, that sweater is MT's favorite piece of clothing, believe it or not. What a sweet sister to share!!

Little legs

2010-03-07T21:54:00.007-06:00

We have been welcoming spring with open arms (and bare legs) around here! This weekend was filled with playing outside, a little flashlight tag in the evenings, and indoor swimming. Mary Todd is THRILLED with her short-sleeve wardrobe. And, she was even more thrilled to head to church today with bare legs!!

Miller's little legs are busy these days, for sure! He's walking a bit on his own, but could walk around the block holding a finger. He loves to walk holding Mary Todd's hand; they just cruise around together!

By the way, Mary Todd is wearing a 29 year old dress in the picture above. Thanks for making it for ME, Mom!! Could you have ever guessed that your granddaughter would be wearing it on a beautiful spring morning??

Movin'

2010-02-13T11:19:00.003-06:00

Kind of lengthy, but we love watching our little boy cruise around with the shopping cart!!

Dress-up time

2010-02-10T11:10:00.004-06:00

A dressy look:

A more casual look:

Miller's tropical look:

\

Arr, matey!

2010-02-08T12:48:00.001-06:00

A princess and a pirate. Sorry, Todd. :)

A REAL snow day!

2010-02-08T12:41:00.004-06:00

Unpredicted as it may have been, we finally got a real snow day! Probably about 5 inches fell in the early morning. At 6 I went up to check on Miller and thought there was a beautiful foggy haze to start the day. As I made my way back downstairs a few minutes later, I realized it was the sunrise glare off of the snow!

Mary Todd and Todd headed over to 'the' local hill for some sledding with Lashlee and her family. Then, back home to build a snowman with the Hathhornes next door! It's now sleeting, so we'll see what we're in for overnight and for tomorrow. But, for today, another no-school day filled with crafts, baking and playing!!

Year of Wonder

2010-02-02T21:04:00.003-06:00

What a sweet year we've had; Miller has blessed our lives beyond any measure! We walked into the hospital one year ago nervous and ready (and really, really big!) not yet knowing that it would be a baby boy who would complete our family! We all had lunch together today, and spent the time recounting our favorite moments from Miller's first year. The sweetest (his birth), the funniest (Halloween, according to MT), the silliest (getting stuck under chairs), the most worrisome (the diaper rash the first two months of his life), the most surprising (his size and his sleeping patterns). I can't believe this big boy cruising all around, laughing and pointing, is the same bundle of warmth that slept curled up next to me in a hospital bed exactly one year ago. Man, what a year!

Stuck

2010-01-31T21:10:00.002-06:00

While I'm stuck these days remembering exactly what was happening one year ago and how we were patiently waiting for the arrival of a very fine gift, that precious boy is finding more and more ways to get stuck! Wow, he is good at it!

Sweet moments

2010-01-31T20:57:00.007-06:00

Twirling with your best friend.

Feeling like a princess.

Finding your inner rock princess.

Sweet moments, indeed!

Snow Day (another one!)

2010-01-31T20:53:00.005-06:00

We had another snow day on Friday! I actually ventured out with Mary Todd for a bit. The ice mixture made for some great sliding down the driveway. Snowballs were put up in the freezer for summer, and we attempted snow angels. It was fun and games until she took her gloves off and stuck her hands in the ice. Back in the house we went!

How we spent our snow day

2010-01-12T09:41:00.004-06:00

OK, so we only got about an inch of snow, it even that. But, it was a good chance to have fun inside!

Lashlee came over and the girls made paper snowflakes and baked chocolate chip cookies.

Miller did a little baking himself.

A box from ChoCho rounded out the day, and Miller was much more impressed with the box than the comfy overalls made with love.
(But, he sure looks cute and warm in them!!)

Our future leader, or wrestler...

2010-01-11T14:50:00.002-06:00

Mary Todd had her first 'time out' at school today. Apparently, her friend started to put a mat up in the gym, and was told not to. That's all it took to get my rule-enforcer daughter on the scene. After the friend didn't listen to MT either, MT 'pinned her down' (her precious teacher's description) and then the friend bit MT. Nice.

Bossy isn't really the right word, because her roughness recently is all about following rules. She pulls Miller when she thinks he's heading toward the stairs or the fireplace. She holds him too tight when she thinks he's getting into something he shouldn't. We're a bit at a loss for what to do other than really enforcing the 'hands to ourselves' rule; that one's always a big one and should be. Alas, what to do with our little dictator. Let this be a warning for any potention playdates or visitors...

Weather predictions

2010-01-04T18:48:00.002-06:00

I'm not one for snow, and we're supposed to get quite a bit on Thursday. While I can't control the weather, I can combat it by being prepared. Milk? check. Bread? check. Sleds? check. Guaranteed not to snow now!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T18:50:00.006-06:00

We are in Raleigh for the holidays, packed in with grandparents and aunts and uncles galore! What a fun chance for my kids to get to know them. We're getting spoiled, for sure!

Miller has taken no time to learn several new skills, including climbing stairs. We, quite literally, cannot take our eyes off of him for even a second. Wow, he's so fast!

Mary Todd takes the fun with her wherever she goes. Here she is decorating cookies for Santa, just before we headed out to the street to see Santa (or his helper, as we call the Santas we see around town) in a firetruck! Cool!

The dress

2009-12-20T19:59:00.005-06:00

For Christmas, my mother made Mary Todd a princess dress that 'covers her feet.' 48 hours later, I'm ready for her to take it off. She has slept in it, worn it 300 miles in the car, and she put it back on today to wear to a neighbor's house for a party. She keeps saying how special it is and how much she loves it. Too sweet, that ChoCho!

My favorite moment was in a gas station somewhere in Arkansas, when a woman asked her what beauty pageant she had been in. :)

Mary Todd's party

2009-12-20T19:45:00.001-06:00

For those who might not know, Mary Todd organized her own Christmas party this year. She invited two friends over to watch the Dora Christmas movie. I caught her explaining that 'they had to come quickly and wear jams, because it wouldn't be over until after bedtime.' How could I say no to something that cute? Here are MT, Lashlee and Kendall enjoying their time together.

Cousins

2009-12-20T19:31:00.006-06:00

A Christmas miracle- the Blewett Family together at Christmastime! Sadly, Todd wasn't able to make it to Shreveport, but Jonathan, Sara, and Morgan made it from Minnesota, and Jim from Colorado. At the same time!! Wow.

Mary Todd was smitten with Baby Morgan from the start. She had prepared a virtual museum's-worth of artwork even before the trip, and even brought books and toys with us that she thought Morgan would love. Well, reality was even better than she could imagine!

She read to Morgan:

And helped give her a bottle:

And of course held her lots and lots:

Three very cute cousins!

Christmas Program

2009-12-20T19:21:00.005-06:00

Mary Todd's preschool Christmas program was beautiful! The 3-year olds sang their hearts out, even including a Spanish version of 'Jingle Bells.' She did great!

After the show, there was cookie eating:

Posing with friends:

And running around!

You should have seen her!

2009-12-12T18:34:00.000-06:00

I wish you could have seen the light in my little girl's eyes. I wish you could have heard her excitement, her awe, her plans, her stories. She has her first Barbie.

Birthday party dress code

2009-12-11T07:21:00.003-06:00

Ever since we went to a dress-up party this summer, Mary Todd honestly thinks that she needs to wear a crown to all birthday parties! Here she is ready to go to Max's 'Cars' themed party.