Happy Bday

Blake's new thing he tells me now is "I can count in my head mom" and he will try hard to keep his mouth still and he will look straight ahead counting in his head. He is really impressed with this new trick and his face is so sweet when he does it. Next time you see him be sure to ask him to "count in his head" for you!

Tonight his Pawpa and Meemaw called him to say happy bday. He talked to his Pawpa and then when he went to talk to his Meemaw he told HER "happy birthday!" We laughed and told him it was HIS birthday not hers!

Then I proudly listened to Michael talk to them with his good manners of "yes ma'am" etc. I love to hear good manners!

Seat

I love this picture of him! I give the credit to my new camera. Today he got to sit in a booster seat for the first time and he was SO proud! I wish I had a picture of the proud look on his face when he was getting seatbelted in. But this picture was taken at Jeremys after swimming today. It has been a fun filled weekend.

Saturday

I am experimenting with my new camera. There are so many things you can do on it that it might take me a little while to figure it all out. Today we had lunch with one set of grandparents and then another set we had dinner with, so it was a good family day. Good food, good times!

Report card

Michael and I went and picked up his report card this morning. His teacher was sweet and hugged me tight. She cried saying goodbye to some of the kids and parents. We got lucky getting her this year. Then I took him to have breakfast with our friends to celebrate his being in 1st grade now. His Dad told him he would buy him a present to celebrate his baseball season and graduating from kindergarten. Michael's been saving for a DS and it's killing him to not have one! It is so funny to see how crazy he is about it. I remember that feeling though of wanting something NOW and not being able to wait. It just seemed like forever. I remember when we were in school and we had the books you could order and they would come in a couple weeks. I would look long and hard to pick out a book and then it would just kill me to have to wait for it to come in. I remember feeling like it took forever to come in! So I try to be somewhat sympathetic with Michael about his patience! LOL!

The beginning of our summer fun!

Today was the first day of our summer! We went with friends to two different parks, McDonalds, a shoe store to get Blake some crocks (yay, i found some finally), Bed, Bath and Beyond, and the grocery store. It was 90degrees today but the kids had a ball anyway. Luckily the parks were shaded!

A self explanatory picture!

Blake has the sweetest voice. Tonight at bedtime he looked at me and said "hug" with the sweetest voice ever. His new thing is to walk around getting in his baseball stance and swinging at a pretend ball. We will be walking somewhere and he'll just say "Mom, throw me the ball" (pretend ball) and then he will swing. He has the best baseball stance especially for a 3yr old! I caught him tonight laying in bed swinging at the air like there was a baseball . And sometimes he will even swing slowly and tell me "that was a bad swing" or he'll swing really hard and say "that was a good swing" like he's proud!

Splash Day

Looking at this picture, I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to have been at so much of my son's kindergarten events! I pray he will always remember that (and if he doesnt I have proof in his scrapbook LOL!) I love him so much and I am so appreciative to his Dad for letting me do this too!
Today they had Splash Day at school. The firemen came and used their huge hose to squirt everyone. The teachers even got out there with them and threw buckets of water ! I took almost 300 pictures of the event. All the kids said it was "the best day ever"!

Graduation

All thru the graduation program tonight he kept wiggling his loose tooth. This will be his first one. He just about can't stand it. He said it bled today which is probably because he keeps wiggling it! LOL! He wants it to come out so bad. I can't believe he will be in 1st grade. What a wonderful year it's been. The scrapbooks are done. The teachers got done today. We get to give them out tomorrow. I look forward to seeing the kids faces when they get them. And also the teachers! More pictures of tonight will be sent tomorrow.

Bday

My big boy at his birthday party. What a fun day.

Baseball and Party

This is a great picture that Laura took. Blake is such a cutie. He really is a natural at baseball. I enjoy watching the boys play. Michael got the game ball tonight . It was a very fun filled busy day with theboys both having a game and then we had Blakes birthday party in between the games. Grandma and Grandpa J came to the morning game and then the P's game to the night game. It is always nice to have the family around. We had a pinata at the bday party that Aunt Kel made that was too cool. And Laura brought water balloons for the kids to play with. A great day!

Friday

I am worn out. Went to the volunteer thankyou luncheon today , then to Kathy's to scrapbook. We have got to get the 21 kids class scrapbooks done this weekend!!!! AND the teachers. Which we just started tonight! Wow! Then picked Michael up from school, hit Walmart for the rest of the party stuff for Saturday, vacuumed out scary car, and then scrapbooked till 1030 wth Jayme. Kids got to go to the baseball park with their dad to practice and then play with Ainsley till bedtime. I think I am more worn out then them though! LOL! Brian over at Jeremys with the guys. So I am off to bed to wake up to another crazy busy day of baseball, party, baseball and scrapbooking. Graduation on Monday and we give the scrapbooks out on Tuesday!

Dad

God gives us a mom and a dad to teach us different things in life. The boys sure are lucky to have their dad. This picture was taken at field day yesterday.

Field day

Today I got to spend most of the day with Michael at his field day. They ran lots of different races against another class. It was pretty cute. Brian got to come to the last hour of it too so Michael was very happy! Today was also Blake's last day of school. His teacher gave me the sweetest black and white photo of him. After school the kids and i went to our friends house so the kids could play together. We stayed there till we went to church. Then by the time we got home at 845 it was bedtime. Now it is my bedtime! : )

Ball

After Michael's practice tonight, Brian and I played ball with the boys. It was some good family fun. We should do that more often. I love to have that open field to practice with them. Our yard just doesn't give us the room we need. So many memories of playing softball came back to me tonight being out there with the boys. I know my boys are making memories on the ball field now. Some day I hope they remember their Dad and I playing and practicing with them!

Kindergarten

To be in kindergarten again. I loved my kindergarten teacher. I STILL remember her name. I learned to tie my shoes and I remember cutting and pasteing. I don't even think that we went more then half a day. I was very proud of my handprint I made there too. Michael has learned contractions, verbs, nouns, pronouns, declarative sentences, imperative, interrogative, etc...He has taken spanish, computers, art, dance, gym, and music class. He can read 2nd grade level. How did kindergarten turn into 1st grade? I guess it is because so many kids go to preschool now. I did not. I think my younger sister and brother did. It is just amazing. He got to go to a play, a farm, an owl sanctuary, meet the mayor, firestation, library, etc. What a year he has had. The scrapbook that some of the moms and I are putting together for the kindergarten class will be such a great reminder to the kids some day to look back on what a great year it was. And they need it since they have alot to remember!

Baby

When we were coming home from a birthday party tonight Blake asked me to pick him up and carry him into the house. I told him he was awfully big for me to need to carry him. He said, "No, I'm not". So I told him, "Will you always be my baby, please?" And he said , "Yes". I was actually suprised he said that untill he finished it with, "Because I don't want to have to go to school." LOL!

Saturday

What a busy day today! Blake had a game this morning. Then we came home and Brian cooked us a big breakfast while Michael practiced for his recital with me. Then we decided to give the boys a nap since we have been so busy and we fell asleep with them. Then I woke up 20minutes before we had to leave for the piano recital and woke the rest of the family up! So we got ready and went to that. Michael did such a great job! He had memorized one of his songs and played a duet with his teacher. Then we came home and changed yet again! And went to Michaels baseball game which they won! Boys were passed out at 830 tonight! Busy day but fun.

Time

Is it possible that this was 6years ago already? Michael is so big now. I can't believe that he will be in 1st grade soon. And Blake being almost 4. When did that happen? I am shocked how time flys by so fast. But it is a good reminder to appreciate the moments we have.

Living room baseball

This picture is probably not as funny to you guys as it is me but if you had seen the story behind it , you would crack up. Blake was really using his imagination today, which I was very proud of. He kept asking me to throw the ball to him so we could play baseball. He had a pretend bat. So I would throw the pretend ball and he would pretend hit it and run all around the living room couch all the way back to where he started, yelling "tag me". So then I'd sit there on the couch and reach over as he ran by and tag him out. What is so cute about this is that he did it 50times! I do not exaggerate this. He got enjoyment out of this, running after hitting a fake ball, with what I have to say is the most perfect baseball stance over and over again! He was so darn adorable with his pleased smile that I have to say I kept throwing the fake ball to him so he could fake hit it, over and over again, so I could smile over and over again!

Michael as a grownup

Michael made this at school. It is Michael as a grown up. I asked him to tell me about it. He said he is a scientist. He makes medicine. He is holding two shots with medicine in them that keeps people from getting sick. On his shirt is a pocket with a pen in it. : )

Michael's thoughts

Since I did not write in my blog last night I am making up for it by writing twice today. Mainly because Michael told me what to write in my blog tonight! LOL! He is sitting here reading everything I am typiing as I type it and then telling me what else to type! : )

Michael told me tonight that when he gets married he was going to have 2 kids, one boy and one girl. And he was going to have two hound dogs. He was going to name them Ann and Dan because of the book his Dad is reading to him "Where the Red Fern Grows".

Michael told me today that he has a loose tooth. He is really excited. Saying that reminds me of the very first book he ever read by himself. Loose Tooth was the name of it! I will never forget him reading that by himself. Now he is reading 2nd grade level in kindergarten.

Remembering

Last night I was suffering from a pulled neck muscle so I didn't write my blog. Today didn't start out well with my neck hurting but when we took Michael to piano lessons tonight, Blake told me the cutest things at the park. There is a cute tiny park around the corner from piano lessons that sometimes Blake and I go to for 30min. Brian grew up in that neighborhood for a time and use to play basketball there. Now there is no net , just a backdrop so you can't really play basketball anymore. But they still have the swingset and slide. Apparently, in the past I told Blake that his Dad use to play there. So today we go there and he is playing on the fireman pole and says to me, "Mom tell me How can you do that?" (as he is pulling himself up on the pole) I said this to him the 1st time he did this a while back. He likes for me to say it over and over. So then he goes over to the other toy he can rock on and says "Mom say you are making me dizzy" like I have said to him in the past when we have been there a while back. Then right before we leave, he says "Mom, Daddy use to play basketball here when he was a kid, right?" Sometimes we think our kids don't listen to us but then they will suprise us and quote us! LOL!

Mothers Day Sunday

Mothers Day is a gift from God. Thank you God for my mother who has taught me how to be a mother. Thank you God for my children who have blessed me with the sacred name of Mom. They are my best accomplishment in life.

Mother's day

My sweet Michael went shopping with his Aunt Michelle last night to Walmart. They were looking around for stuff for Blake's birthday. He talked her into letting him buy me a pretty heart necklace and a sweet card! He gave it to me today so I could wear it to church tomorrow. And he made me this sweet card at school telling me how I was the best mom. No better words from your children's mouth! : )

thankfulness

Every day I say a prayer thanking God for my children, husband and family. Putting the kids to bed tonight I thought how lucky I am to have everyone. Maybe it is the sadness that the flood in Nashville has put on my heart to remind me to specifically be thinking heavily of it tonight but may we all remember to thank God for all the good we have every day.

Cowboy Blake

Blake loves to wear his cowboy boots! So I just had to take this picture today. He will wear them with everything. When I tell him that they may look silly with the outfit he has on he says, "I no care". LOL!

Wednesday

Michael was excited that his friend Ainsley came to our church tonight. She was nervous about going to her 2nd grade class by herself so she went into Michael's class with him. He introduced her to all of his friends. He kept asking me if she was going to come back.

My dog got into the Easter basket on the bottom of our pantry today. He has never done that before and now he has completely lost his mind from all the sugar I guess. He keeps walking around the house nervously sniffing everything and then coming back to the pantry door to sniff it . Even when I open it (thinking maybe there is a mouse in there) he still just sniffs it. He's been doing this for 30min. I don't know what to do with him! I wonder if this is why kids are crazy on sugar!

Lucky kid

When we were pulling into Pigeon Forge this past weekend, the kids were looking out the window and seeing all the fun stuff you can do there. So we told them that when we left on Sunday that we would take them there and they could do something fun. (thinking they would do bumper cars or miniature golf) So one day when we were walking around Gatlinburg we let the kids go into this video arcade. They had so much fun. It was a really small , kinda junky one but they had a ball and Michael won 75 tickets from one game and got to pick out a switchblade comb as his prize. (just like his Dad had when he was a kid) Michael was very proud of this and he carried it around with him even at the wedding in his suit pocket. So the day we were leaving we told the kids to pick what they wanted to do before we left. So the kids picked....to go back to the exact same arcade to play! And Michael won 100 tickets on the same machine. Lucky kid!

Meal planning

This flooding is shocking! Last April we went out of town and there were tornadoes in the city next to us and this year we left and came back to flooding all across TN and KY! I am praying for all the people affected. The boys and I have stopped to say prayers already twice today! I am trying to turn over a new leaf again and go back to my meal planning for each week. I did good in January eating out of the cupboards but now need to plan my meals so I can be more organized since baseball and piano keep us so busy right now. So here it is....
Sunday-pizza
Monday-hamburger casserole with fruit salad, orange spinach salad, and yogurt.
Tuesday-Poppyseed chicken and mashed potatoes with leftover salad and also corn.
Wednesday-(church ) leftovers night
Thursday-Eckridge sausage , mac and cheese, greenbeans with sliced almonds.
Friday-chili or Brian will grill out
Saturday-eat out due to baseball an bday party
Wish me luck! LOL! I went to the grocery store today so have all the ingredients so I feel good about the week. Especially since the boys will be home with me again tomorrow due to no school! Pray for the flooding victims!

Gatlinburg

We had a great trip with my family in Gatlinburg. Courtney's wedding was beautiful too. It was outside. The weather was perfect. Brian and I took the boys hiking to Laurel Falls. Beautiful!

Wedding

Michael was very handsome in the wedding today. The bridesmaids and others came up to me to tell me how cute he was and how good he did smiling!