Fall Fun

Lots of fun this fall! The pumpkin patch, state fair, Baylor Bears, Rangers and much more. Miss McKinley has become a roly poly! You don't always find her in the same place you left her. She is enjoying her rice cereal, oatmeal, avocados and bananas. She sometimes sleeps from 8 until 8 but there are still plenty of nights she wakes up at 1am or 3am or 4am or all 3!! She loves her brother and will watch him and laugh like crazy. But she definitely has moments that aren't as fun. She isn't a fan of the car seat at times or the bouncer or the floor or the jumper for that matter....she's what Daddy calls "Moody!" McKinley is very strong and is close to sitting up on her own. I think when she can she will be even happier than she is now =)

Andrew is loving preschool and his new friends. He has learned lots of new songs and does multiple crafts to bring home each day. He enjoys gymnastics and is getting pretty good at the balance beam. We are still working on using his "inside voice!" (I am seriously thinking of having his hearing tested but I think it is just a typical 3 year old behavior to yell everything) He was quick to point out that I wasn't using my "inside voice" while watching the Baylor game. Ha! His favorite foods are peanut butter waffles (which have recently added jelly and a top waffle to make it a breakfast sandwich), macaroni, PBJ, chocolate milk, any kind of fruit and chicken nuggets. He is still a pretty good eater but is definitely into the typical "kid" foods these days! He loves his computer time www.sproutonline.com and will negotiate like a pro for just 5 more minutes. He has a little concept of time and realizes that the bigger the number the more time...you will often hear him asking for just 50 or 90 more minutes! He is a wonderful big brother and loves to play with his sister. He is pretty gentle with her and loves acting crazy to get her to laugh. No jealousy here...yet!

Jared is filling in at a new station for a captain that is out after knee surgery. It is a slower station and so he has been able to do some studying for the Captain exam. He is gearing up for this seasons holiday lights. Check out our website www.lonestarholidaylights.com He was recently hired as a substitute teacher, still teaches paramedic school at the college, works overtime when its available and teaches fire academy at the Argyle fire department. Sounds like a lot but he is still finding time to spend lots of time with his kiddos and wife.

And me? Well, staying at home is definitely still an adjustment. The lack of schedule and adult time can be trying. I have been going to a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group at a local church. It is fun and nice to visit with other adults. Learning to fold a tee shirt, organize a housecleaning schedule, stop gossiping and decorate a clipboard are not exactly what I am used to =) But there are a lot of great women and I leave a little more relaxed, knowing another name/face in the community, and having another tool to handle these little ones! I am still working for Hayli Bugs (Shelbi and Shannon's baby goods business) and they are having a great year so far. So there is lots of inventory, packing slips, invoicing, filing and finding ways to get these ladies set up for success through marketing and finances. I am still learning all the products and such but I am grateful to have a way to keep my brain stimulated and contribute to the family's finances in small way.

So I guess that's it for now...except for the part you have been waiting for. Pictures!!

Roughing up Andrew

Sic Em Bears!

What are those boys doing back there??

I'm Done =)

Feeding the animals at the State Fair

Dog Show at the State Fair

Chewing on EVERYTHING!!

Awww! School Pictures!

All you grandparents and great grandparents I have a picture I will be giving you but if you want a different size or pose you can order online. The information is below:

https://www.images4kids.com/ProductCustomerLogin-Images4Kids.asp

Access Code W5AP-10

Password 71201

Class Number 122

T-ball and a 4 month old

Andrew is having lots of fun playing t-ball with Jared as his assistant coach. These kids are a riot and lots of fun to watch. After listening to some of the Dads I am super thankful for Jared and his patience and well rounded view of sports and life =) I mean come on they are 3 or 4!! Our little man is the smallest guy on the team but has plenty of "chatter" When they got their uniforms a little boy told his Mom look I'm a baseball player and Drew said me too. The boy said "No you aren't you are a little boy!" and today he told me 2 kids in his class called him "little kid" *Sniff Sniff* Jared said to me he may be little but he's a heck of lot smarter than the big guys! =)

Miss McKinley is doing well. She has had a pretty bad cold she got from her big brother for the last few days so neither of us are getting much sleep. She did smile a bit for the camera today! Her stats from her 4-month well check were height - 24 1/4" (52%), weight 12 lbs 13oz (33%), head circumference 16 1/4" (64%)

Busy Boy!!

Andrew loved swim lessons and became a pretty good swimmer! I learned to deal with unruly parents (who happened to have an unruly child)...ignore them =) One day the Dad said his son should punch Drew in the face!! Oh my!! Granted our prince pushed their little one but he really had it coming. Of course that is not what I told Andrew and he apologized the little terror ooops I mean little boy =)

Now we are taking gymnastics every Tuesday and it is a GREAT group of parents and kids!! He loves it of course and it really wears him out which I love!

Our little guy started preschool this week. He goes MWF. He enjoyed music class, painting, taking his lunch on Wednesday, going to the "big"sanctuary for worship and lots more. He really seems to like his teacher Mrs. Riggs and so do I. And today he told me Scout is the most beautiful girl in the world...she is in his class. Oh No!!!

3 month pictures

One Wednesday when Drew was at school McKinley and I went to have her picture made. She did a great job but got tired at the end as you can see...

Colorado Trip - Day 7-10

Day 7

Our mission for this day was to take a family picture. It wasn't easy. Not all of us are feeling our prettiest these days but we were determined to get a picture with all 4 of us suitable for framing. We had given Grandma Ruth a picture last time we came to the condo with the siblings and we wanted to do the same for this trip. I won't put all the pictures here - there were some pretty awful ones but here are the two we can stand.

After our picture session we had some lunch at Smokin Moe's and then tried to do a little shopping. Drew found a toy store and ran out with 2 toys when Jared told him we weren't going to buy them. I had a talk with him and he thought he could go back in and be nice in order to find 1 toy. After we had a repeat of the above (and a elderly man told me I was teachin' 'em young to shoplift...ugh!) we decided it was nap time!

A good nap put our little guy in a much better mood and he spend the rest of the evening enjoying Mr. Potato Head and the playground. Spaghetti and french bread for dinner and packing our bags finished off the day.

Day 8

We packed up the car and headed off to Denver to visit the zoo. Fun day. A little warm and there were a few stressful moments...finding a place to feed McKinley, Andrew getting hungry and tired, Mom getting hungry and tired (the night before was a little rough with sis) but all in all we had fun.

Drew said the carousel was his favorite

Huh?

Had to throw this one in...what a difference 2 years makes!!! Cutie!

~Success at the gift shop~

We left the zoo about 3pm and headed to Colorado Springs where we planned to stay the night. At 4:30 when we got there both kids were asleep and we decided to keep going. At around 7:30 we stopped in Trinidad and fed McKinley and ate dinner at Wendy's. We debated stopping for the night but honestly we were just ready to be back in Paducah so we kept on. A few hours later we stopped at a rest stop in New Mexico somewhere between Raton and Clayton and feed sister again. Drew was still awake and talking...wish we had taken video of that!! Anyhow, we keep on getting gas in Texline and a restroom break in Amarillo. We finally made it to Paducah about 3am and crawled into bed. Well it wasn't quite that simple but we all eventually went to sleep =)

Day 9 and 10

We all thoroughly enjoyed our time with MawMaw and Popi. We learned all about sunflowers, vultures, the four 6's and triangle ranches, Mr. Hart, Quanah Parker and so much more. We loved watching video from their honeymoon until their youngest was a teenager. Popi said of his 3 daughters "what cute little girls they were and what beautiful women they are" and he was right. It was so fun to watch my mom and her sisters as little ones!!

Mawmaw, Jared and Drew went to feed Spring, the horse and had a big time in "the country." Andrew got to visit the Paducah pool and we all had an excellent dinner at Longhorn Ranch Steakhouse to celebrate my birthday.

Andrew wanted to make sure he was ready to color when he woke up!

Don't ask =)

This morning MawMaw made strawberry shortcake, eggs and biscuits for bfast!! We were sad to leave but after 10 days we were all a little ready to spend the night in our own bed and see our sweet dog Harley. We had to stop once in Wichita Falls on the way home but the drive wasn't too bad.

So here it is Sunday night...loads of laundry to do, two sleeping kids and husband well on his way. I already miss the freedom of a small condo with no washer and dryer or bills stacking up or hot weather or places to be and things to do. I will always be grateful for this trip and the time it allowed me to bond with my family. The ability to play, laugh and talk with my kiddos without anything in the way. I am thankful to Jared for taking the last month off of work and for all that he has done to help me and to make caring for two children seem like a vacation!

I won't lie, part of me dreads the next weeks and all that they will entail but I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. So bring on the swim lessons, dr's appts, potty training (yep that's a whole other blog), p90 (exercise program,) dieting, overtime for J, and so so much more cause that's what life is all about. I just hope to remember to carve out some time to watch my children grow because you know what they say...they are only young once!