Our Family News

Christmas Activities & Mason's Checkup

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:33:00 +0000

This Christmas season Kevin and I are trying to show Anna how lucky and fortunate our family really is and to not take things for granted. Monday afternoon I tried to continue that lesson by staying at Anna's school and wrapping gifts for the PTO's Angel Tree program. I know Anna doesn't fully understand how blessed we are, but hopefully with repeated lessons she will one day understand. A couple of weeks ago her school was having a food drive for their food Backpack program. We were discussing how some kids don't have food at home and their only meals are at school. Anna replied "Why don't they go to the store and buy some?" I explained that they don't have the money to go buy food. She replied "Then how can they afford to eat at school???" That brought about explaining the free lunch program at school. I guess when I was six years old I thought everyone had an unlimited supply of money and just bought what they wanted.

Tuesday Anna had her first Kindergarten field trip. Her class went to Walmart and purchased Christmas gifts for an Angel Tree child. (Instead of giving gifts at their Christmas party, they bought gifts for another child.) After shopping they went to McDonald's for lunch. Then they went to the movies to see The Princess and the Frog. Anna had such a fun time. Then Papaw & Grammy picked her up when school was over. They came to our house, and she got to have fun with them.

I hate that I missed Anna's first field trip but it couldn't be helped. It fell on the same day as Mason's yearly MRI and neurosurgeon checkup. So Kevin, Mason and I took a road trip to Memphis for a long day of appointments. We had to be at the hospital for the MRI at 9:30. The MRI was scheduled for 10:30. Mason didn't get back into the MRI room until around 12:45! Keep in mind that he is two years old and couldn't have anything to eat or drink after midnight. But I must say he did excellent! He only asked a couple of times for something to drink or eat. He also entertained himself very well with some toys in the waiting room. He didn't have one meltdown while we waited. We were so proud of him! When we finally got back to the room where they inserted the IV, there was a television. Kevin turned it onto some cartoons, and Mason and I laid on the little bed and watched TV until they came for him.

Last year I let Kevin go back for the MRI since he had never seen how it's done or been through the sedation part. So this year I went. I think even if we went through this a hundred times that I would never be comfortable with the sedation. They let me hold him while they inserted the medicine into his IV. The doctor said the medicine would burn but that he would go to sleep fast. A few seconds after starting the medicine Mason started crying. Then within about 5 seconds he went quiet, and his face fell into my shoulder. It is just a strange feeling. Then I laid him on the table and the nurses and doctors started hooking him up for monitoring and getting him aligned in the proper way. The way they have to place his head just looks so uncomfortable. I was starting to get a little scared because they kept looking at the monitors (which were beeping loudly) and messing with different wires and devices connected to him. It seemed like this went on forever, and I was about to ask if there was a problem. Then the beeping stopped and everyone seemed satisfied. They pushed the button which took Mason into the MRI machine and started the test. The test itself only took about 20-25 minutes. Then we had to go to a small recovery room for Mason to wake up. However, he started waking up on the way to recovery. So it didn't take us very long in the recovery room. We finally left the hospital about 1:45.

Mason's neurosurgeon appointment was scheduled for 1:30, and it was across town. Kevin had called to tell them that we would be late. We were hungry and stopped at a gas station for a bag of chips and peanut butter & crackers before heading to the appointment. Mason was supposed to only have clear liquids for a while and then have solids. The juice wasn't satisfying him, so I finally gave in and gave him some Fishies. I know he had to feel like he was starving!

The neurosurgeon came into the room and started talking about a type of cancerous cyst that doesn't usually show up on the MRI. He wanted to do a CT scan to make sure everything looked okay. He asked if we could do it that day. (That kind-of frightened us since we weren't anticipating this.) They took us back to the CT room, and Mason had to lay still on a table. There was a plastic Santa Claus in the room, so the CT Tech let him hold Santa while he had the test. We told Mason that he was getting his picture made with Santa. He did so well once again. The CT only took a couple of minutes. When the doctor came in he said everything looked normal on the CT scan. Thank you, God! He said the MRI showed growth in the cyst only in proportion to the growth of Mason's head & brain. He said since this was Mason's fourth MRI and everything is continuing to look good, that he wants to wait TWO years before doing another MRI. He will see Mason back in one year just for a checkup. That sounded so encouraging to us! He also told us about a study that hasn't been published yet about this type of cyst. The study was of 1000 people with the same type of cyst. I don't remember what the period of time was in the study but 3% of the cysts grew, 3% actually got smaller and the remaining 94% didn't change and didn't cause problems. That too was encouraging news! (However, on the way home we were discussing that 3% sounds small, but it still means that 30 people had their life affected by the cyst.) The doctor did say that if it does start causing problems that they will just take it out. It sounds easy to just "take it out" but it wouldn't be easy. We just pray that is a road we will never have to travel! The doctor told us to have a Merry Christmas. We told him that he had given us the best gift we could ask for- positive news. After all the great news and being so hungry, we stopped at Olive Garden to celebrate before heading back home. We are so thankful that God provided us a safe trip and a wonderful checkup for Mason. Sweet Mason is a blessing to our lives in so many ways. He has shown us how fragile life can be and to not take good health for granted.

After Mason being stuck for an IV on Tuesday, I hated to do it, but his daycare was giving H1N1 vaccines on Wednesday morning. Thankfully they also had the nasal mist, and Mason qualified for that. So it was a much easier morning than I anticipated.

Friday morning was Anna's Christmas party at school. It started in the gym with each Kindergarten class singing a Christmas song. Anna's class sang "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". They did so good! Then the party moved to the classroom. After eating lots of sugar, the kids could leave with their parents and be counted a half day absent. Since we weren't striving for perfect attendance, Anna got to leave around 10:15. She really enjoyed her short day of school!

Anna & her teacher

Saturday evening we went to the Murray home for our annual Christmas get-together. The kids had such a great time playing with each other. This year Mason, Nathan & Macie were old enough to actually play with each other and get into a little mischief. I wanted to get a picture of all five kids together. This is the best I could do!

Sunday morning Papaw & Grammy came to church with our family. After church they took Mason home to spend the night while we had a youth group activity. Our youth group (K-3rd grade) teamed up with the 4th- 6th grade youth group for Christmas caroling. The kids made Christmas cards, and then we ate lunch before bundling up for caroling. Anna was excited about riding the church bus for the first time.

Dressed warmly for Christmas caroling.

We stopped at about eight elderly church members homes to sing "Jingle Bells", "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". It was obvious that all of the caroling recipients enjoyed the young people singing. It was also a great lesson for our young people to learn that Christmas isn't all about THEM. Giving to others is very important and also a rewarding experience.

The three youngest carolers singing to a church member.

With Mason being gone for the night, Anna got to invite Katelyn to spend the night with her. They said they were going to stay up until 11:00 and get up at 2:00! Thankfully they went to sleep between 10:00- 10:30 and didn't get up until 6:30. So far they have played Barbies, dress up and school. I think they are both enjoying their first day of Christmas break. What better way to spend it than with your best friend??!!

The Making of Our Christmas Card 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:32:00 +0000

The making of the annual Christmas card can be very frustrating when you are working with young children. Thank goodness for digital cameras where you can take a gazillion pictures and not have to worry about the cost of developing them!! I thought it would be funny to share some of the pictures I captured while trying to get the perfect pictures for this year's card. (I'm not trying to pick on Mason, but he was the difficult subject this year. Anna is old enough now that she does a great job.)

I'm supposed to sit here? HA!

Sissy, I DON'T WANT your arm around me!

Seriously, you really expect me to smile while wearing this hat???

I'm reaching for the key...hold on tight Sissy...gonna turn this 4-wheeler on and get out of here!

Bye-bye!...I declare that pictures are OVER!

Being Mason!!!! This is my favorite "blooper" photo from this year's picture taking sessions. I almost used it on our Christmas card just because it is SO Mason...and still cute even though he's being a little stinker!

I hope you got some laughs out of our funny photos. Having kids keeps us laughing! Stay tuned to see our actual Christmas card on a later post.

The December Fun Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:03:00 +0000

It's been another busy December week for our family. Sunday afternoon one of Kevin's friends (his name is Kevin too) came over to help with the fencing. He brought his son, Ethan, to play with Anna. It was so cold that they had to play inside. But that didn't stop them from having a great time. They only sat still long enough to have a quick snack.

Monday Mason had Santa pictures at daycare. I was very surprised that he actually sat on Santa's lap. He said that he told Santa that he wants Thomas the Train for Christmas. Tuesday night the PTO had a fundraiser at Chick-Fil-A. Our family went and ate, and then I stayed behind to help bus tables and get drink refills for customers. Wednesday night was mid-week worship service. It's always refreshing to meet with our Christian family and rejuvenate for the rest of the week.

Thursday evening Anna attended a school friend's birthday party. It was a makeover party at a local cosmetology school. The girls got to choose two items from hairstyle, manicure & pedicure. Anna chose to have her hair done & get a manicure. Her hair turned out so cute. For her mani she wanted a paw print (to go along with her school's mascot). Her nails turned out cute too. She had a wonderful time. A makeover is a great party for girls this age. Anna is thinking she may want her next birthday party to be a makeover party. (But she has plenty of time to change her mind in the next 11 months.)

Miss curly hair getting her nails done.

Pink & blue paw print finger nails.

We didn't get home from the party until almost 9:00 p.m. Thankfully I had something to use as incentive to get her out of bed Friday morning..."Today's the day that Daddy is a WatchDOG at school!" She had been anticipating the day that Kevin would go to school with her. WatchDOGS are fathers, uncles, older brothers, or any other adult male figure in a student's life. "DOGS" stands for "Dads of Great Students". It sounds like they had a good day at school. Kevin rotated between Pre-K, Kindergarten & 1st grade classrooms. He helped during lunch times and got to eat lunch with Anna. In Anna's classroom he got to play games with the kids. I am so thankful that Kevin takes such an active role in Anna & Mason's lives!

Friday was Mason's Christmas party at daycare. Since Kevin went to school with Anna, Mason & I stayed home during the morning. We went to daycare that afternoon for his party. He kept asking me on the way to daycare "Are you going to leave me?" I guess he thought the fun of staying with Mama was about to end. I don't know how many times I had to tell him that I wasn't leaving him, and that we were leaving as soon as the party was over. When we got to daycare, the other kids had opened their gifts earlier in the day. Mason got to open his gift as his friends watched to see what he would get.

The kids had a delicious snack of cheese slices, apple slices, marshmallows, Cheetos, sugar cookies and Sprite. Mason's favorite thing was the apple slices! He doesn't get that from me...give me the sugary foods. I was able to get a picture of Mason with a couple of his friends for once. The little boy to the left of Mason is Ryder and the little boy on the right is Hunter. These are the two kids that Mason talks about the most. They were all in the same classroom last year too.

Yesterday Anna and I made our annual Christmas sugar cookies. It's a project that consists of opening a packet of Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix, adding an egg, butter and flour, and then using Christmas cookie cutters to make Christmas shapes. So it's definitely not an elaborate baking day! But Anna enjoys it, and so do I. Kevin & I always go on & on about how delicious the cookies are when Anna helps make them. We must have really built her confidence up in her cookie making skills. I heard her tell Mason yesterday "When I make the cookies they always taste the BEST!" This brings to mind something she said a month or so ago that I always forget to write about. One day she told me "I know everything!" I said something like "You do?" Anna said "Yeah, just ask me something!" Then more recently she said something to Kevin about knowing everything. I don't remember what he said but her reply was "I know how old I was when I was born...zero!" See, she does know everything! LOL If she thinks she knows everything now, what will she think as a teenager??!!

Anna is excited that she only has one week of school remaining before the 2 week Christmas break. It hasn't taken her long to start looking forward to school breaks! The list of things she wants to do during Christmas break is growing every day. She wants to go skating, spend the night with Papaw & Grammy, eat at the place where they throw rolls (Front Page Cafe), and who knows what all else!

She's Making a List and Checking Things Off

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:40:00 +0000

My December list of things to do and events to attend seems to be growing every day. When I just LOOK at my calendars (yes that is plural- Anna's, Mason's & mine), I get exhausted! We have Christmas parties, birthday parties, doctor appointments, church activities and so many other things going on this month. But it will all be fun...well except the doctor appointments. Please say prayers for Mason as he will have his yearly MRI and neurosurgeon appointment this month, along with a two year checkup with the cardiologist. I always dread the MRI because they have to sedate him to keep him still. There is just something frightening about having my child sedated. I'm saying prayers of Thanksgiving for my wonderful & awesome eyesight. I had my eye checkup this week for my Lasik surgery back in February. I'm seeing 20/15 out of both eyes. Dr. George says everything looks great. Best of all, everything looks great to me too (literally)! I was able to mark a few things off my list this week, other than my eye appointment. I got our Christmas cards mailed out and completed about 90% of my Christmas shopping. Yea!

Anna is going to have a busy month at school during December. Her class has lots of activities planned. This week they learned about gingerbread men. Her teacher asked for a volunteer to make gingerbread playdough for the class. Anna & I made it Tuesday night. It smelled wonderful. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it. It's really easy (I did it!).

Gingerbread Playdough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tsp. vegetable oil
lots of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, whatever!

DIRECTIONS:
Mix the dry ingredients. Play with the spices till you get the scent and color you want. Mix water and oil together first and THEN add them to the dry ingredients and stir. In a pot, cook the mixture for two to three minutes, stirring frequently. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pan and clump together. Take the dough out of the pan and knead the dough until it becomes soft and smooth. Allow to cool and store in an air-tight container.

Tuesday Anna got to ride the bus again. This time they went to watch the 2nd & 3rd grade Christmas program. Anna must have really been impressed by the program because she wanted to go to the performance that night. We found out this week that Anna is a member of the "I Can Zip" club in her class. That means that she knows how to zip her coat. If anyone in her class needs help zipping their coat, they can go to Anna for help. She is very proud of this accomplishment. She is learning so much. Her reading skills are improving almost daily. She has been helping read her bedtime stories. She reads the words that she knows or can sound out, and I read the other words. It's amazing to see her progress.

Mason is apparently doing great with his potty training at daycare. His teacher asked if we wanted him to start wearing underwear during the day. It is so crazy because at home he doesn't want to potty most of the time. But at school he asks to go potty. That's our MASON!

Anna's best friend, Katelyn, turned 6 years old today. She had a skating party. This was Anna's first time to skate. She was wobbly and did a lot of falling at first, but she soon got the hang of it. Now I'm not saying she broke any speed records, but she was able to go slowly and not fall down too much. She had such a great time and can't wait to go skating again. Katelyn's party opened her up to a new fun activity!

Mason even got in on the action. He got to "skate" too. They had the wheels on his skates so tight that only two of the wheels actually turned. So he really was doing more walking than skating, but to him he was SKATING (with Daddy's help)!

Here are Anna & Katelyn, the birthday girl!

Wow, they look so different than six years ago!! What happened to those babies??

Thanksgiving Is Over...Here Comes Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:59:00 +0000

Our family enjoyed the short week of work and school that the Thanksgiving holiday provided this past week. Anna was so excited that she only had to go to school on Monday and Tuesday. Kevin was off work Wednesday-Friday. Mason did have to go to daycare for a few hours on Wednesday, but not all day. I had a hair appointment on Wednesday afternoon, and that is just somewhere that I can't take Mason along. Anna stayed with Kevin...or more like ran around with Kevin. They left the house before I did to go have lunch together and run by the farm supply store. I called them on my way to town, and they hadn't eaten lunch yet. They had stopped at a guy's farm to look at some cows, and Anna ended up leading one of the steers around (it was halter broke). It looks like Anna may be showing a calf in the spring. Kevin said she wasn't scared and did a great job. It's looking like we have a little cowgirl on our hands.

Thanksgiving Day was spent at my parent's house. Although our family is small, we still have a great time together. We had fun visiting with Papaw, Grammy, Aun'tee, Unc, Uncle Scott & Aunt Debra. The kids love all the attention they get from everyone. Aunt Debra & Uncle Scott are really fun to play with! The kids don't get to see them very much, but they get lots of loving when they do see them. Here are our little Indians in their headbands from school/daycare.

Anna's Indian name was Rainbow Butterfly. It looks to me like Indian Mason is up to no good!

Friday morning Christopher the Elf was found sitting on our entertainment center. It seems that Santa has sent him again this year to watch Anna & Mason's behavior prior to Christmas. Anna and Mason were very excited to see Christopher again this year. Anna has talked about Christopher all year long. This morning he was on top of our refrigerator.

Friday morning the kids and I held our annual tradition of putting up the Christmas tree. We always wait until after Thanksgiving before decorating for Christmas. It seems like after Halloween so many people and stores jump right to Christmas mode. Kevin and I have made comments through the years about this. We were in a store several weeks ago and all the Christmas decorations were out. Anna said "Did they forget Thanksgiving??!!!"

Anna loves to decorate the Christmas tree, and she does a great job. Mason didn't help much, but he did put on a few ornaments that belong to him. But he got mad because he wanted to play with his John Deere ornament instead of hanging it on the tree. Last year when all the after Christmas sales were going on, I bought Anna a small tree for her bedroom. I never told her about it until we got our big tree finished. Then I got out her very own tree and let her decorate it. She is so proud of her tree.

Kevin is still busy trying to get our fence completed. He started stringing barbed wire this week. Anna has been helping him some with the fencing. She is ready for him to get the fence done because she "wants a pony". They are outside working as I type...except I think I hear Anna riding her 4-wheeler instead of helping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

May your stuffing be tasty,
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Party All Week Long

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:53:00 +0000

Anna's 6th birthday was the focus of our attention for the past week. Tuesday (November 17th) was her actual birthday. We started the celebration at breakfast with a candle in her waffle and a Happy Birthday cup. Before leaving for school she got to open two of her gifts from us. (We saved the other two for her party.) She got a new outfit to wear to her birthday party and a Winter Wonderland movie. She got to hear her birthday announced on the radio twice that morning. She thinks that is so "awesome". For dinner that night I cooked her favorite meal, Tacos and cheese dip. Then we had birthday cake that I had made that day. After bathtime we all curled up and watched the new movie. Anna received so many phone calls to wish her "Happy Birthday" on Tuesday. Thank you to everyone that called her. Although she didn't have much to say on the phone, she enjoyed all the birthday wishes. Then on Wednesday evening before church service we ran by Timmy & Debby's to celebrate Anna's birthday with them.

Thursday afternoon Mason had his Thanksgiving party at snack time. The girls wore pilgrim hats and the boys wore Indian headbands. Mason wasn't thrilled about the idea, and I never got a good picture of him. He wouldn't stand over by the other kids for a group picture. Shortly after this picture he took his headband off and never would wear it again.

Saturday morning was Anna's birthday party. It was at a local gymnastic place. She had a great turnout for her party. I counted 14 kids and 18 adults plus our family of 4. The kids were a combination of old friends from PreK days and friends from Kindergarten. It was a little crazy and busy but I think the kids all had a great time. I know Anna & Mason did, but they were so exhausted after the party.

Anna loved swinging on this rope.

Anna & some girls doing flips.

The party had a Taylor Swift theme. We listened to Taylor's "Fearless" CD while the kids (and some adults) played. The cake was Taylor Swift too. It turned out great.

After cake and ice cream Anna got to open all her gifts. She got so many great things and loved all of it. After the party we ate lunch with Papaw & Grammy and Aun'tee & Unc. Then we had to go by the mall for a little bit. Once we got home and unloaded the truck, Kevin spent over an hour taking toys out of boxes. It's crazy how well they secure toys in the packages. I think Anna played with each new toy at some point that night.

I walked into the living room and found Mason inside one of the boxes. I told him to stay in it while I ran to get my camera. After taking the picture I told him to stay out so he wouldn't suffocate. Is that priorities or what?? Take a picture then worry about the health dangers.

Anna's favorite gift was "Lulu", a cat that she had seen at Target over a month ago. (Lulu is the cat in front of Anna with her paw lifted up to her face.) She has talked about Lulu ever since she saw her. I think she was almost obsessed with the cat. It's the FurReal brand and moves and meows by the use of sensors. She also got the white cat on the left at her party. It too is the FurReal brand and meows and moves. She has been named Snowball. Anna bought the puppy on the right at Target yesterday afternoon with a birthday gift card. The puppy walks and barks. Needless to say our house was full of meowing and barking last night!

Happy 6th Birthday Anna!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

A beautiful blessing was bestowed on our family six years ago today. That blessing is Anna! Anna is an amazing little girl who is beautiful on the inside and outside. We thank God every day for blessing our family with her. Happy 6th Birthday, Anna!! We love you!!

Smiley Face Week

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:38:00 +0000

Oh yes, this week has been much better than last week! The smiley faces returned on Anna's daily behavior sheet. She was so proud of herself. As soon as she got in the truck, she would say "I got a smiley face today!" She was very glad to get her stuffed animals back to sleep with at night. What's funny though is she used to sleep with about 12 at a time. After not having them for a few nights she decided that she would have more room to sleep if she slept with one at a time. So each night she has chosen a different sleeping companion. Kevin snapped this picture of her curled up with Hello Kitty.

Mason has a new word for getting our attention. It is "HEY!" One night this week after putting him in bed I walked by his room. We leave his door cracked open so he heard/saw me walk by and said "HEY! I want covers." Then one morning while I was in the shower Kevin said he started saying "HEY!...HEY!...HEY! I'M HUNGRY!!!...HEY! I'M HUNGRY!!!" So now when he wants something he starts it with "hey" instead of "mommy" or "daddy". He says some of the funniest things. Sometimes after our bedtime ritual he will say "I wan a kiss an hug" even though we've already done them. One night this week he said "I wan a kiss an hug an five." So we again kissed and hugged and then I gave him a high five. Where does he come up with these things??!!

Since Anna had a great week, she got to do something that was scheduled for last weekend but we canceled due to her behavior. This afternoon we took her to our friends house to ride a pony. I thought she'd be a little scared but she did great. Kevin lead the pony for a few minutes but then Anna was ready to go on her own. (She was in a round pen so the pony couldn't go far. Not to mention it's around 20 years old and very broken in. Plus Kevin never got very far from them.)

Mason on the other hand was a nervous wreck. He didn't want anything to do with the pony. While in the barn getting the pony saddled up other horses were naying, a chicken bocking and a lamb baaing...his head was turning every direction and he was soon in my arms. He said "I cared (scared)!" He was even scared of a barn cat that was harmless. All it wanted to do was rub against him and be petted. But as you can see, he wanted no part in the cat...he's running from it.Mason finally warmed up to the cat (a little). Kevin kept asking if he wanted to ride the pony. One time he said "yes" but then backed out when it came time to get on. Finally Kevin put him (unwillingly) on the pony with Anna. Within a few seconds he was saying "This is fun!"
Mason seems to be thinking "this pony riding isn't so bad after all!"

Mason decided he wanted to ride by himself. Anna wasn't too pleased with having to get off the pony. She said "Why can't he ride another horse?!!"

Loosened up and having fun. (I didn't realize until viewing my pictures that Kevin didn't even have ahold of the horse.)

Anna loved riding and wasn't ready for it to end. She asked if she's good again this week if she will get to ride again next weekend.

As you can see, Mason ended up having a great time after he got over his fear. He even became "friends" with the cat before we left. We hung around a little bit to watch Kevin and Mr. Harlon rope a few steers. Harlon & Kevin (on the gray horse).

While we were watching the guys rope, the cat and the kids played. At one point the cat put it's front paws on Mason and started biting his hand. I knocked the cat away and told them to leave it alone from then on. (It was only playing but play biting still hurts. I didn't want Mason to be scared of it again.) On the way home Mason said "That was bad kitty! He need to go to the principal's office and get a spanking!" Hopefully the cat is the only one that will need to go to the principal's office this week!

Being A Parent Can Be So Hard...

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:32:00 +0000

...that sums up last week at our house. Being a parent is so rewarding and fulfilling but at times it's just plain hard! I didn't fully understand until having my own children, and I'm sure I'll understand it even more as my children get older and make more mistakes.

Our week was rolling along as normal until Wednesday afternoon. That's when all the trouble began. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Anna got into trouble at school. She said and did some things that we would never have expected from her. We know that she isn't perfect and is just 5 years old, but the behavior was so out of character for her. She has been in SO much trouble at home! What she did was wrong and it has been addressed. But what also concerned us was where she was learning this behavior. (Because it's definitely not from our house.) She has said that she learned it from other kids at school. We have once again discussed with her that because someone tells you to do or say something, that it doesn't make it okay. Her teacher says she has no problems in the classroom. Her problems are all at recess. Thankfully Monday was a better day for her. I'm praying the whole week continues to be better than last week.

Mason had a good week at daycare but by the end of the week he was sick. I took him to the doctor Friday morning because he was so congested and complaining of his ear hurting. The doctor said his ears looked okay but that he definitely had a sinus infection. She gave him an antibiotic and cough/congestion medicine. I explained that he was headed to his grandparents house to spend the night, so she also gave us some drops to numb his ear pain (just if needed). Thankfully we haven't had to use them. Mason had a great time at Papaw and Grammy's house and visiting Aun'tee & Unc.

Due to Anna's trouble at school, she almost didn't get to attend one of her close friends birthday party. However, by Sunday we decided that she had been punished enough and let her attend the party. Brianna's party was at Pump It Up, and the kids were so excited to get there. Last year when Anna's party was there Mason wasn't old enough to play on the equipment. But this year he got to play at Brianna's party. Anna and Mason both had a blast. Poor Mason was drenched in sweat from all his activity. He wore me out by having to take him up a big slide and through an obstacle course repeatedly. I finally had to tell him that I couldn't do it anymore which made him very upset.

Anna & Brianna

Mason & Brianna

Happy Halloween 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:37:00 +0000

Halloween was a fun night for our family. We attended the Trunk or Treat at our church. The kids enjoyed collecting candy from our Christian family, while we handed out treats. It is so great to have the Trunk or Treat so we can feel safe about the candy our kids receive.

This year Mason was a monkey. (I have been joking that he already has the personality and all he needed was the costume.) He loves to watch Curious George on TV. So we called the costume Curious George, and he loved it. I was hoping for some cool weather, otherwise he would have been burning up in the costume. The weather was perfect for our little monkey.

Curious Mason

Eating the banana attached to his costume.

There was so much padding in the back of the costume that if he fell down it wouldn't hurt.

CANDY!

Anna's costume required a little more work than Mason's. Mason's was so easy- just slip it on. But Anna wanted to be Taylor Swift...and they don't make a Taylor Swift costume We had to start on Anna's look on Halloween morning. I rolled her hair in sponge rollers.

She thought this looked crazy and didn't want her picture taken. I thought she looked so cute.

Halloween afternoon when I took the rollers out, this is how her hair looked.She giggled and thought it looked funny.

But when all the work was done, she looked BEAUTIFUL.Between the eye shadow, blush and lipstick, she looked about 10 years older. I had been concerned that her hair wouldn't turn out very good, but thanks to a tip from Mrs. Heather, it was perfect. We decided that Anna's natural hair made better Taylor Swift hair than any wig we could have bought.
Kevin made her an acoustic guitar from wood and painted it. I made the guitar strap that says "Taylor" from ribbon and glitter glue. She already had the microphone from last Halloween. I bought the dress at Target and earrings at Claire's. She already had black boots. We pulled out the tights and black t-shirt since it was cool. We think she made a wonderful Taylor Swift. She seemed very pleased with her Taylor Swift look.Anna kept asking what I was going to be for Halloween. I didn't intend to be anything other than myself. At the last minute I went to the shop and dug out my camo. So I became a hunter. I laughed and said I was a "monkey hunter" trying to keep up with Monkey Mason.

Kevin didn't dress up although at the last minute he thought about wearing his cowboy hat, duster and spurs. But he never got his costume together.

Every year after the Trunk of Treat we always go to one house- Timmy & Debby's. This year Mrs. Debby fed us dinner when we got to their house. It was soooo nice to not have to cook before or after trick or treating! Anna always helps Tim & Debby hand out candy to their trick or treaters. This year Mason got to hand out some candy too.

Our Halloween Family

Tim, Mason, Debby & Anna

After we left Tim & Debby's house it was time to head home. Thankfully it was the night to roll back the clock an hour to Standard Time. So we didn't stray too far from our normal sleep. When we pulled in our driveway Anna asked "Why doesn't anyone come to our house for candy?" As a friend replied when I repeated Anna's question "They'd have to find us first."

Today I took down the Halloween decorations and put out the few Thanksgiving decorations that we have. Anna is on the countdown to her birthday and birthday party. After Thanksgiving, Christmas will be right around the corner. It's the most wonderful time of the year...or busiest time of the year...or craziest time of the year...

A Wet Week

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:05:00 +0000

What a wet week we've had. We barely saw any sunshine this week. Thursday night alone we got about 6 inches of rain! The poor farmers are having a rough year. I'm ready for some dry weather and sunshine. Thankfully the sun is shining this morning (at least for now) so hopefully we won't see rain tonight for the Trunk or Treat. But it looks like it will be a cool night. Gotta get out some warm clothes...

This was Red Ribbon Week at Anna's school. Every day the kids were able to dress up. The dress up days were headband/bandana day, dress like a rocker or wear your clothes inside out/backwards day, sunglasses day, P.J.s & slippers day, and Red & Black or Orange & Black or Halloween shirt day. (I was a bad Mama and didn't take a single picture of Anna dressed up.) Not only does Anna's school use Red Ribbon Week to "Just say no to drugs", the school also chooses a charity/cause to raise money for a donation. This year Arkansas Children's Hospital will be the receipient of the money. Our family thinks this is a great organization to donate to based on our personal experiences with ACH.

Although we had an overall good week, it didn't go without some bumps along the way. Mason has been having some difficulties with his behavior at daycare. His sheet has been saying he was "fussy" a lot. Then Tuesday he kicked his teacher because he was mad. He got in BIG trouble for that!! Hopefully we made an impression on him that kicking will not be tolerated. It wasn't just Mason that had some issues this week. Anna's teacher sent a note home one day that some kids were complaining that Anna pushed and hit them. Of course Anna said she didn't do it and the teacher didn't see it happen, so she just wanted us to have a talk with Anna. So hopefully we came through loud & clear to Anna too. I don't know what it was about this week that seemed to make the kids act out. A few weeks ago one of the planet's gravitational pull made brooms stand up without assistance, maybe there was some other kind of force at work this week on my children??? I just pray that it is long gone now!

Thursday morning after I dropped Anna off at school, I took Mason to the mass flu shot clinic to get his H1N1 vaccine. I assumed there would be a long line, and I was correct. It took us an hour and 10 minutes to make our way to the shot tents. I got the seasonal flu shot and then drove to the next tent for Mason's H1N1 shot. At that point I was told Mason couldn't get the shot yet because it hadn't been 30 days since he got the seasonal flu nasal mist! Since the nasal mist is a live virus, they won't let you get the H1N1 shot until a month later. I sure wish I had known that before waiting so long. The real reason I went was for Mason, not me. But at least I did get something out of it- a shot for ME.

This leads me to another reason there must have been some "force" in motion this week. I hadn't been using the word "shot" around Mason for fear that he would go into meltdown mode. Then on the way to take Anna to school Thrusday Anna mentioned Mason getting a shot. I corrected her and said it was a "vaccination". But it was too late, Mason had already heard her. Except he had the opposite reaction than I anticipated. All the way to town he would say "I need to go to the doctor" and "I need a shot." Now most kids would be happy if they didn't have to get a shot that they were expecting. But not MASON! After he didn't get his H1N1 shot, he started kicking and screaming in his car seat saying "I WANT A SHOT!! I WANT A SHOT!!" See, there must have been something causing crazy behavior this week. However, Anna was so excited that she won't be able to get the H1N1 vaccine at school on Monday (the same reason Mason couldn't get it.)

After leaving the flu shot clinic Mason and I ran errands, he played at the mall, ate lunch with Kevin, ran more errands and then picked Anna up from school. I had intended to keep Mason with me that day because he would have gotten a shot, but I went ahead and let me stay with me even though he didn't get the shot. Aside from the temper tantrum when he didn't get his shot, he was a good boy that day. We had a great mommy & son day!

Friday I volunteered at Anna's school all morning and then met Kevin for lunch. He took the afternoon off work and we did some Christmas shopping for a couple of hours. Then it was time to go to Mason's Fall Party at daycare. He seemed to enjoy all the yummy snacks.

(Notice the little girl to the right of Mason has red hair too. There are three red heads in Mason's daycare class. It seems so strange for a class of about 9 or 10 to have three red heads.)

I have enjoyed this past week so much (other than my childrens bad behavior). I've had the opportunity to do something I've always wanted to have the time to do- volunteer. I volunteered at Anna's school every day except Thursday. Each morning I (along with other moms) worked collecting cookie dough money and t-shirt order money for the PTO, and Arkansas Children's Hospital money for Red Ribbon Week. Then one morning Anna's teacher asked me to help in the classroom when I finished with the money collections. Anna was so excited for her mommy to be helping in her classroom. I cut out the kids' handprints for them to make bats and counted pumpkin seeds they had removed from a pumpkin. There were 503 seeds...a lot more than I would have guessed. Friday morning another mother and myself worked on Box Tops for the speech pathologist. The school collects Box Tops, Campbell's Soup labels and Hays grocery store receipts to get supplies and equipment for the school. Parents send the labels to school in a wide array of techniques. We trimmed the labels to cut down on shipping costs. So if you aren't already saving these items, please save them and I'll collect them from you for Anna's school. I was amazed at what all the school has been able to get from these collections. They really add up! I was also able to volunteer my time at church one night to help wrap gift boxes to be sent oversees to children in need. Although I couldn't do a lot financially, I could give my time to help out. I pray that God will continue to bless me with the time to do the things that matter most in life. I keep reminding myself that when I die it won't matter what kind of house I lived in, what kind of car I drove or how much money I had. What will matter is how I lived my life. I thank God for every day he gives me and pray I will live it in accordance to His will.

Now, there is so much to get done today before the Trunk or Treat tonight. I'll post pictures later of my little Trick or Treaters.

A Tough Life Lesson

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Anna learned a difficult life lesson Sunday evening. We were on our way to evening worship services. We had just turned out onto the highway and got up to speed limit. A cat ran in front of our truck. Kevin tried hard to miss the cat but it just didn't work out. Anna heard the thud and turned around to see the cat laying in the road. She said "I see it's tail moving." Then when she realized the cat was dead, she started crying. It was so hard for Kevin because he was the one driving. Even though he did all he could to miss the cat (other than hitting the ditch and possibly hurting us), he still felt horrible because Anna was upset. I felt sorry for Anna because I felt her pain. As a little girl I was just like her. So tenderhearted, especially about animals. She is an animal lover. At that moment, like others in the past and many more in the future, I would have done anything to take her pain away. Unfortunately, that was a life lesson and there will be many more to come. Even now, several days after the "accident" she still talks about the cat. Wednesday evening on the way to church she asked if the cat was still there. Thankfully the cat was gone.

It's amazing how much of myself I see in Anna. At times it's almost like she is my little clone. Our actions, verbal communication and even emotions are so much alike at times. There is no denying that Anna is my little girl. I love her with all my heart! I just pray that she gets more of my good qualities than the bad ones.

Jack-O-Lantern Carving

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Making sure Daddy does it right!

I've felt guilty for almost a year because we never made a Jack-O-Lantern last year. So this year I was determined the kids would have a Jack-O-Lantern. Saturday evening Kevin carved one of our pumpkins into a Jack-O-Lantern. Anna loved digging the "guts" out of it. Mason tried it once and didn't like it. (Wouldn't you think it would be the opposite?)

Kevin always does an excellent job carving our pumpkins. This year's pumpkin turned out really cute. The kids love for us to light it up at night and turn the lights out (it's in the living room). I guess this is possibly Mason's first Jack-O-Lantern. We didn't do one last year, and I honestly can't remember if we did one the year he was born. He would only have been 6 months so I doubt he remembers it if we did.

Fall Photos 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:47:00 +0000

My favorite photo subjects are Anna & Mason. I love to take pictures of my precious little ones. My life is so blessed by them. When you take their sweet faces and put them with God's beautiful Fall scenery, it just makes the perfect picture!

Busy Time of Year

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Yet another week has went by so fast. It was another busy but fun week. It's hard to believe that our little girl's first nine weeks of school are over. An upcoming birthday party and Christmas are popular subjects at our house right now. The wish list for both occasions seems to grow daily. This is the time of year where the hustle and bustle seems to get greater with each and every passing day. But for now, I'll just reflect on the past week...

Monday I was a substitute at Jr. High...for Special Education. I had declined a few offeres to sub so when they called for the Jr. High I said "yes". Then when they told me it would be for Special Ed, I thought "WHAT HAVE I DONE??!!!" But it turned out to be a good day. It was an English Resource class. Most of the classes only had 3 or 4 students. The class with the most had 6. One class only had one student, and he wasn't there. So it really was a smooth day.

Tuesday morning I subbed in 2nd grade for a lady I've known since I was a little girl. She requested me for her room, which was such an honor. That morning flew by fast, and I was soon home. Then in a couple of hours it was time to go back and get Anna. Anna was so excited about a Sock Hop they had that afternoon in the gym. She said they got to dance and sing.

I had lots of errands planned for Wednesday (since I had worked two days in a row...per Kevin "rough life"). But that all changed when I woke up not feeling so well. I went to bed Tuesday night with a horrible headache and just feeling bad. By Wednesday morning I really felt bad. Kevin even took Anna to school for me. I really think it was just sinus problems. I took a lot of over the counter medicine that day and by Thursday morning I felt better.

Thursday Anna got out of school at 1:15 for Parent Teacher Conferences. She was excited to have a short day and to not have nap time. I took her and Mason to Mimi's house so Kevin and I could go to meet her teacher at 2:45. Her teacher said that she is doing GREAT. She was "Mastery" (the highest possible) in all areas. Her teacher said that sometimes she thinks Anna is bored but that she still behaves well. She said that she can put Anna with any child in the class and Anna will get along well with them. We are so proud of Anna!

Papaw, Grammy, Mason & Anna

Sitting on a forklift at Papaw's work

Friday Anna was out of school so the kids and I went to a potluck for Papaw at work. He is retiring (again). He took an early retirement from Emerson about 6 years ago. He has been working at Anchor and has decided to retire for good. Grammy and us surprised him by showing up for his goodbye meal. He was so happy to see us (especially Anna and Mason). After the meal the kids and I went to the mall so the kids could play. They love the mall playground. While playing Katelyn and Mrs. Holly happened to come by, so the girls got to play together...so much fun! Later on we met Daddy and went to Chuck-E-Cheese's to celebrate Anna's wonderful first 9 weeks at school. I really can't tell who enjoys the games the most at CEC...the kids or us.
This morning we went to a Fall Festival at the Middle School. The kids played games and I did some shopping for Bearcat t-shirts and hairbows. We've got to get our Bearcat spirit showing in our clothing. After we got home I finally got to take some Fall photos of the kids. It was a beautiful day for riding the 4-wheeler and taking pictures.

Anna is selling cookie dough for the PTO. The sale ends November 3rd. If you would like to buy some cookie dough for a good cause, call or email me. Anna has already sold the minimum amount to get to attend Cat in the Hat and to get "light up teeth". She is more excited about getting the teeth than seeing Cat in the Hat!

Preparing for Winter & Some Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:02:00 +0000

Our family is preparing for winter (and now). Monday afternoon I took Anna & Mason to get the flu mist. Wow, so much easier than the shot. Mason did have to get one shot. I found out from his daycare that he was missing a Hib vaccine. Back in April when he had his 2 year checkup there was a shortage of the Hib vaccine. So while we did the flu mist, Mason got caught up on his immunizations. To my surprise, Mason didn't even cry when he got the shot. I was trying to distract him by talking to him and acting silly. His face got a small distressed look but he never cried. The nurse said "What a big boy!" It seems to me that everytime Mason gets immunizations his behavior is wilder for about 24 hours. We hadn't been home from the doctors office long when Anna told me to look at Mason. He was sitting on top of our deep freeze!

Anna got to bring the Bearcat Buddy home again Monday night. I'm really not sure why. She had a substitute teacher that day. Anna said that she told the sub that she didn't have much time to play with it last week so the sub let her bring it home again. I was really afraid that her normal teacher wouldn't be happy that she brought it home again, but Anna said it was okay with her.

Tuesday afternoon Anna was so excited because she got to ride a bus to the high school for a presentation that day. She said "It was an illustrator or something." She told me the lady's name but now I can't remember it. But I think she was an author. Anyway, Anna was so excited to have ridden the bus for the first time.

Anna's class had a pumpkin decorating contest. We had to "disguise" a pumpkin so it wouldn't be made into a Jack-O-Lantern. Anna and I had so much fun painting our Minnie Mouse pumpkin. She was so proud of it when she took it to school. All the kids got ribbons for their pumpkins on Friday. She was so excited about winning a ribbon.

Mason spent the night with Mimi Thursday night. Anna said it was really quiet with him gone. I would have to agree. He just seems to liven up our house! We got out the board games and cards and played for a long time. It's just so hard to play games with Mason around. He destroys the board, moves things around and makes it difficult to play correctly. However, it won't be too long until he will be able to play with us. Mason had a great time at Mimi's house. He even slept in the full size bed in one of her bedrooms. (It's called Anna's room.) He still sleeps in a baby bed at our house. I intend to keep it that way until we HAVE to move him. It keeps him from getting out of bed and running around without us knowing it (and getting on the kitchen table or deep freeze).

Friday afternoon after I picked Anna up from school, we went to Mimi's house. I swapped kids and left Anna to spend the night. We didn't play games with Mason but instead we watched Ice Age. He is really getting into watching movies and kids shows on tv. He didn't go to bed until almost 10:00.

Saturday around lunch time we picked Anna up from Mimi's house and met some friends at their church for a Fall Festival. We ate delicious BBQ and the kids got to play. Later that evening we watched a kids movie we rented and enjoyed snuggle time.

This afternoon Anna had a birthday party to attend. Zoey, a friend from daycare & PreK days, had invited her to a party at the movies. Mason stayed with Mimi while the three of us went. The movie was Where the Wild Things Are. It was an okay movie but definitely not one of my favorites. But Anna had a great time seeing some of her old PreK friends, and that's all that matters. I hope we can continue to get these girls together from time to time because they are always so excited to see each other.

Anna & Zoey the birthday girl

Anna has quite a social life for a 5 year old. She had the party today and has a few more coming up within the next month or so. I'm so happy that she has so many great friends. The one thing I wasn't ready for with having a little girl is how some girls can be so mean. We have already encountered some "mean girl" situations. It's really hard to explain to a 5 year old. As her mother I want to protect her from hurtful people but it's an impossible job. We have had some discussions about how real friends should treat her and picking our friends wisely. I never expected to have these talks with my 5 year old. What will I do during the teenage years?

Our October Week

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Although Anna and Mason fuss with each other a lot, they also play together a lot too. I walked into the living room one day to find Anna feeding her baby a bottle. What a Kodak moment!

Mason is always giving me great photo ops! He just wears some of the strangest things. I found him roping with his daddy wearing Snow White high heels. He is giving us lots of pictures to use as "motivators" when he is older.

The past week was another busy (as usual) but good week for us. Tuesday and Wednesday I worked as a substitute teacher at the High School for 10th & 12th grade English. I was nervous about working at the high school, but it went well. I got lucky and the class I was in had an intern for the semester. She did most of the work, and I was there if she needed help. I had to be mean and settle the students down a few times, but overall it was a good experience.

After school on Tuesday I picked up Anna and we headed to Target and a few other stores. We had to be back at school at 5:30 for a PTO officers meeting. I expected it to last about 30 minutes. It lasted about 1 1/2 hours! It was around 7:15 when we got home. Of all nights, this was Anna's night to bring home her class' Bearcat Buddy. Bearcat Buddy comes home with a journal for you to write what he did with your child and for the child to draw a picture. We didn't have much time to spend with Bearcat Buddy! I read stories to Anna, Mason & Bearcat Buddy. Anna drew a picture of her, Mason & BB reading books. Then Anna slept with him that night. The next morning we had to pack him up and send him back to the class. Bearcat Buddy & Anna

Mason hadn't stayed home with me in a while, so Friday I kept him home. Anna wasn't very happy about him getting to stay home while she had to go to school. I reminded her that she was home all summer while he went to school most days. Plus she has a Friday off in a couple of weeks. That seemed to make the situation a little better.

Saturday morning we had a yard sale at Mimi's house. Kevin is my yard sale guy. He always goes early to get the thing started. The kids and I rolled in about 10:00. We had a large turnout and did really well. Mimi enjoyed playing with the kids while we sat out in the garage by a heater.

Saturday evening we attended Macie and Nathan's 2nd birthday party. Anna & Mason enjoyed playing with all the kids at the party and eating hotdogs and birthday cake. It's hard to believe that Mason, Macie & Nathan are all two years old now.

This morning after worship service was our annual Fall Feast. We gathered in the MPR for a delicious lunch and devotional. Once again Mason fell and got hurt in the MPR. It appeared that he bit his lip this time. I've decided the MPR is a dangerous place for him.

The weather continues to be cool. The leaves are starting to turn fall colors. Another week or two and it should be beautiful. I can't wait to take some fall pictures of the kids.

Fall Is In The Air

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:27:00 +0000

I can't believe that last Thursday was October 1st. The Halloween decorations went up at our house last week. It really is beginning to feel like fall. I mowed the yard on Thursday wearing a jacket. (Big switch from this summer when I about melted during mowing.) Cooler temps also mean cool weather foods. I made a big crockpot of stew last week. It was yummy! Then another night we had chili.

This was Kevin's birthday cake made with love by Anna, Mason and me. I baked the cake and frosted it while Anna was at school. That afternoon Anna & Mason applied the decorations. I tried to keep Mason's fingers out of the chocolate icing but didn't succeed. He was so proud that he helped add the decor. When Anna told Kevin that she "put on the decorations", Mason proudly announced "I help too!" Anna wanted Daddy to have candles too. I don't just keep 36 candles around the house, so we settled for 3. Then we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Kevin.

Anna's week at school went well. Tuesday was Bear Buck shopping day. Anna bought a jump rope with her Bear Bucks. Friday I was called in to sub at 11:30. I had a 2nd grade class. It went fairly smooth. By the end of the day the kids were getting wilder...but it was Friday. Mason overall had a good week at daycare. One day there was a note that he "had trouble keeping his hands to himself". He had to sit in timeout for his behavior. Other than that, it was a good week for him.

Saturday we took our annual trip to Pumpkin Hollow. We met Papaw, Grammy, Aun'tee & Unc at Strawberry's for a delicious lunch. Then we went to Pumpkin Hollow. It was a beautiful day...sun shining and not too cool. We had so much fun and picked out our pumpkins for this year.

Scarecrow Anna & Sunflower Mason

Grammy, Anna, Papaw & Mason

Aun'tee, Anna, Unc & Mason

Our family.

How about this one?

Anna got to ride Red, her favorite pony. She looks forward to riding Red every year. (This was her 3rd year to ride him.) I don't know what will happen if we go one year and he isn't there. Anna also participated in a Pig Scramble. (It's like a calf scramble only with pigs.) Anna didn't get a ribbon off of a pigs tail, but she had fun trying. No, Mason didn't try it. Although he hasn't been fond of pigs, he didn't seem too afraid of these. But they were young and small. Guess they weren't as intimidating to him as the big ones. But he didn't want to ride a pony. He sat on one, thinking he was going to ride, but wanted off very quickly. Maybe next year...

After our fun at Pumpkin Hollow, we went to Papaw & Grammy's house. The kids played and had a great time. Anna spent the night with them. She got to go to a weenie roast and had a wonderful time. Except she apparently was so cold that they didn't stay very long.

Sunday afternoon I met my parents and got Anna back. We got home in time to get ready for church and head back to town. Then we had our Christian Works Team Meeting after worship services. It was a busy but fun weekend!

Now I'm ready for the leaves to start changing colors. It should be a beautiful fall since we have received so much rain. I love the fall colors.

What We've Been Doing

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:16:00 +0000

What a busy & fun time we've been having. Last Tuesday I worked as a substitute teacher at Anna's school. This was my first time to ever sub. I worked as a "float" so teachers could attend a meeting. I had four classes throughout the day. Three were 3rd grade and one was 1st grade. I got to do several things- playground duty, taking a class to PE, worksheets, reading, showing a movie, etc. I enjoyed it except for feeling lost because I didn't know where everything was or how things were supposed to work. But I winged it and must not have done too bad because they called me Wednesday, Thursday & Friday to work again. But I wasn't available on those days. I didn't get to sub in Anna's class (which she really wanted), but I did get to see her twice. I saw her in the lunch room and then walked her class from PE to their room after dropping my class off at PE. She was so excited to see her mom at school. She told me that she wanted me to get a job there.

Thursday evening Kevin & Anna attended an event at her school. It is a program for adult men (dads, grandpas, uncles, etc) of elementary students. They call it Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students). They had pizza for the men and kids. Then the kids watched a movie while the men learned about the program. Kevin will go to the school one day this year to be an "extra set of eyes" and be involved at the school. I think it is a great idea and know Anna will love having her dad at school for a day!

Friday Kevin & I dropped Anna off at school and then Mason off at daycare. Then we went to the fairgrounds for the livestock show. Kevin showed cattle when he was younger and still enjoys being involved. We hung out talking to friends and watching the show until finally leaving for a late lunch. After lunch I dropped Kevin off at the fairgrounds and went to pick up Anna from school. Then we picked up Mason and headed back to the fairgrounds. The cattle show was still going so Anna & Mason got to watch their first cattle show.

Anna said that she wants to show a calf when she gets a little bigger. It didn't take too long for Mason to say "I'm done!" (I admit it is a little slow paced. Not exactly my favorite thing but sometimes we do things we don't absolutely enjoy for the ones we love.) Once Mason was done, we walked around to look at all the sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, ducks and rabbits. Mason is so afraid of pigs. Kevin had taken Mason a couple of weeks ago to a guy's house that had pigs. Kevin had told me then about how much Mason was afraid of the pigs. At the fair he wouldn't even walk by the pig pens. He would say "I cared (scared)" and want to be held. After looking at the animals we went to the petting zoo. Then we walked through some of the exhibit booths. We didn't ride any rides because we were saving that for Saturday night.

Saturday morning Kevin and his friend worked on the electricty for the shop. Ethan came over with his daddy and played with Anna. They had a great time like always. That afternoon we went to the fair. We met Anna's friend, Brianna, and her family at the fair grounds.

Anna, Brianna & Kenzie (Brianna's school friend)

Anna and Brianna rode rides for about 3 hours. We definitely got our money out of Anna's arm band!

Mason & Anna riding the train.

We had been at the fair for a while when we ran into Paige, another former DI kid. Paige and her family were about to leave but she got to ride a couple of rides with Anna & Brianna. They were so excited to see each other.

Mason loved these Jeeps!

Although the fire truck was designed for three people in a row, they all four piled into the same seat. Mason had to share a steering wheel with Anna. I don't think Mason was real excited about being crowded in by three giggling & squealing girls!

Mason rode the Merry-Go-Round with the girls. But as soon as the ride started he started crying. Kevin finally picked him up and held him during the ride. That seemed to be fine with Mason. He apparently just didn't want to sit on the horse. Kevin said when the ride ended that Mason said "That was fun!" He may be one of those people that would rather sit on the bench than the horse.

We really thought Mason would like this motorcycle ride- WRONG! When the ride started it kind-of jerked him out of normal riding position and he never recovered. He was starting to cry so they stopped the ride and got him off.

After all the riding and walking around we were all starving. So we ended our trip to the fair and went to eat at Crackies (Cracker Barrel).

Sunday after lunch Anna and I dropped Kevin & Mason off at Mimi's house and headed to Playhouse Disney. We met her friend Brianna and her mom there. The girls really enjoyed the show. They got to see Little Einsteins, Pooh, Tigger & Darby, Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.

After the 1:00 show ended Anna & I ran to the mall. (We had to buy some new earrings because the 6 weeks after piercing was almost over and she was ready to wear some new ones.) Then we ran to pick up Mason & Kevin and headed back for the 4:00 Playhouse Disney show. Yes, Anna and I went twice. We had bought two tickets for the 1:00 show so Anna could go with Brianna. Then Anna won 4 tickets from the t.v. station through a coloring contest for the 4:00 show. I'm glad she won because Mason got to go. We weren't sure if he would like the show, but he loved it. (I actually think he liked it better than Anna. I decided Anna is almost too old for these kind of shows. She asked lots of questions like "Are they real?", "Is that people making that happen?", "Are they really talking?" So I think the magic is wearing off for her...which makes me a little sad.) But Anna still had a great time. We ran into our friends, Kevin and Angie and their children Ethan & Caleb. (This is the Ethan that comes to our house.) We found some empty seats where we could all sit together. So Anna got to watch the second show with Ethan.

Mason wearing Ethan's Handy Manny construction hat.

Once the show ended we hurried up and took off for church. We didn't have time to make it to our normal church so we were going to visit at Liberty Church of Christ. We pulled in the parking lot about 10 minutes after church had started. Anna needed to potty and Mason needed his diaper changed. So the plan was to go in and I would take the kids to the restroom. When I grabbed Mason his shorts were soaked! His diaper had leaked everywhere, including his car seat. By that point we were so late and it would have taken a while to get him cleaned up. So we loaded back up and went home. I told Kevin that I hope we got points for trying (although I know it doesn't work that way).

Anna was bothered all day on Sunday by a loose tooth. It was her first loose tooth on top. She worked with it all day and by Sunday night Kevin had to pull it. I now call her "snaggle tooth". Her other front, top tooth is loose too. So it won't be long until she is missing both front teeth. I told her that she won't be able to eat corn on the cob and will be singing "All I Want For Chirstmas Is My Two Front Teeth"!

Snaggle Tooth

Yesterday Anna brought home her Five Week Progress Report from school. She was satisfactory in all areas (Behavior, Literacy & Math). Her teacher also made a comment about her already knowing all letters and sounds and "LOTS" of sight words. We are so proud of Anna! She and I made a book out of magazine pictures and wrote sentences using her sight words. She loves to read the book that she made. (This was a suggestion the teacher made at Parent Info night. She showed us a book that the class had made together.)

Today is Kevin's 36th birthday. Anna & I are making him a birthday cake this afternoon. This week is turning into another busy week too. Someone asked me if I get bored being at home. NO WAY! I'm really not at home very much. Kevin said that I "keep the roads hot." I don't know how I ever had time to work...there is just so much to do...and it's a lot more fun than a job. I'm having the time of my life!

Staying Busy

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:00:00 +0000

We've been busy since the last post. Tuesday afternoon was the first PTO meeting at Anna's school. That afternoon we brought Katelyn home to play with Anna and then met her mom at the school for the meeting. Kevin watched Anna, Mason & Katelyn while we attended the meeting. I kind-of got volunteered for one of two treasurer positions, but that's okay because I'm going to let my co-treasurer (Holly) do most of the work (just kidding). After the PTO meeting we attended a Book Fair in the library. Anna picked out a pointer for playing school. Then I told her to pick out one book. In the meantime I got to feeling bad and went into the hall. When she & Kevin came out she had the pointer and three books! And they say women are the shoppers!!??

Wednesday evening we were so excited that a family that we are friends with attended worship services with us. Anna was so excited because Ethan was going to church with us. The first thing she asked when she got in the truck after school that day was "Do you remember that Ethan is going to our church tonight?!!!" We hope that they will go with us again and again and again...

Back to my not feeling well. I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago for a sinus infection. I never felt like I totally got over it. For about a week I've had horrible headaches. Then Tuesday evening in the school library I felt like I was going to pass out. I thought it was because it was hot in the library and I hadn't eaten much that day. But then Wednesday night while sitting in Bible class at church I had the feeling again. After that episode Kevin said that I had to go to the doctor. So Thursday morning after dropping Anna off at school I went straight to the doctor. I walked in and there were all these people wearing masks. I thought great, I'll come in here for one thing and possibly leave with the flu. But I knew I needed to be seen. After two hours and some bloodwork, I was told that the prescription prescribed to me at the last visit wasn't strong enough and I was "inadequately treated". I got a much stronger antibiotic and pray that clears up my problems. (So far it seems to be working.)

Friday afternoon Kevin went to a Men's Retreat at church. My parents came over to visit the kids and me. We had a great evening with each other. Anna & Mason love their Papaw & Grammy. They played so many things: haircut, hide-and-seek, read books, and whatever the kids wanted to do.

Anna had another great week at school. She got a stuffed bunny from the treasure box for her good behavior and having all smiley faces. We are so proud of her! Mason had a good week too. Once again Anna and Mason have been learning the same songs about colors. Mason started singing a song Friday afternoon that Anna used to sing (from daycare) about all the colors. I had no idea that he knew it. He is learning so much and growing up so fast.
Mason wearing bat ears that he made at daycare while learning about the color black.

Saturday night we went to the NEA District Fair Rodeo. We met some friends there, and Anna & Ethan got to watch the rodeo together. It was a normal rodeo until the bull riding when a bull decided to jump over a gate into an alley with people and horses! Another family that we are friends with had a daughter on a horse in the alley. This girl's mother was holding Mason at the time the bull jumped. She gave Mason to us and took off. Thankfully Sara was okay. However another young girl was injured. It was a frightening experience.
Boots on & ready to rodeo!

Our boots.

This afternoon we had a K-3rd Grade Youth Group activity. After morning services we gathered for pizza and a card project. The children signed Thinking of You cards for the sick, shut-ins and nursing home residents. We had a great turnout. I pray these cards will brighten the day of those that receive them! Mason didn't have such a great time at the event. He fell out of a chair face first on the concrete floor. His lip and nose were bleeding. It didn't take long until his lip started swelling up. But he is a tough little guy. Within 20 minutes he ate some pizza. I felt so sorry for him because I know his little nose & mouth had to be hurting so bad.

Changing of the Seasons

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:05:00 +0000

This week everyone returned to normal (thank goodness). Monday was Labor Day so no school or work. Since we had been confined to home for so long with Hand, Foot & Mouth, we finally ventured out Monday afternoon. We went to the mall and a few other places to shop. I'm working on building up the kids' winter clothes. They each had a few items but needed more. So we bought a few more things and will get more as the weather begins to cool down.

Thursday evening was Parent Information Night at Anna's school. We got to meet Anna's teacher again and she explained what they do during the day. Anna's teacher seems really interested in making learning fun for the kids. That is great! They do mostly hands-on learning. She said that she doesn't believe in all paper and pencil learning. I think that will make learning a lot more fun. It felt good to have contact with the teacher again and learn more about Anna's day at school (since we get very little info from Anna.)

Anna had another great week at school. She has continued to get smiley faces every day for her behavior. She got another treasure from the treasure box- a princess wand. (She already has about 10 of them!) She had school pictures on Friday. I can't wait to see them. We've already ordered a yearbook, t-shirt, truck decal and there is a book fair this next week. We may not be paying for daycare anymore, but they are getting our money in other ways! : ) Anna had her first negative experience at school this week. Someone kept stealing her afternoon snack from her cubby. Friday I told her to leave her snack in her backpack until snack time. I guess this kept the stealer from getting hers but apparently he took someone else's. Anna said that the little boy that got his snack stolen on Friday saw another kid eating it and told on him. So at least the teacher now knows who the stealer is. It is the same child that Anna thought she saw eating her snack one day. But she was too kind to tell the teacher.

Mason had a good week at daycare. No time outs were reported on his daily sheets. So I guess his behavior was calmer at daycare this week than at home last week. For that I am extremely thankful! His daycare is raising money for Make-a-Wish. This month they are collecting pennies. The class with the most pennies will get a pizza party. Mason is taking pennies every week for his class. But if they win, I bet they would rather have a chicken nugget party.

Since the temperatures haven't been bad lately, especially of the afternoon and evening, our family has been spending more time outdoors. The kids love to play outside so much.

Here Anna is teaching Mason how to ride her old battery operated 4-wheeler. He can't understand the concept of taking his foot off the petal to stop.

Friday we took the swimming pool down for the year. I think Anna & Mason enjoyed this process almost as much as swimming. As the water flowed from the pool and made puddles on the ground, they took off their shoes and had a blast. When we were finished with our project we were all soaked. The kids on purpose from playing, and Kevin and me from working.

Playing in the pool water one last time...on the ground.

Saturday evening Kevin and I had a church function to attend. The kids went to Timmy & Debby's house to play. Timmy & Debby took them to DQ to eat and then to a playground. The kids had a great time! We didn't get home until past their normal bedtime and they were exhausted. Thank you Timmy & Debby for keeping them and wearing them down for bedtime!

One more thing that is a reminder of Fall coming...the NE Arkansas District Fair is one week away! Anna can't wait!

Vote for Princess Anna

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:02:00 +0000

I entered Anna in a Disney contest. If you have time, please go to the link below and vote for Anna. The website does require that you have a login for their site. It's free to sign up!

http://family.go.com/princess-picture-contest/who-is-the-fairest/princess-anna-14976/

Thank you if you take the time to vote for Princess Anna!!!

Hunger & Memory Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:10:00 +0000

One of the funniest (and most disgusting) events of the past week involved...you got it... MASON. One afternoon Kevin found Mason in the cat food. We thought he had only had his hands in it. I marched him to the bathroom to wash his hands (never even looked at his face because he was walking in front of me.) Kevin was picking the cat food up off the laundry room floor when he discovered some of it was wet. Kevin said "I think he's been eating it too!" I looked at his face and sure enough he had cat food crumbs all around his mouth. (YUCK!) I asked him if the cat food was good and he said "Yeah". We had a discussion about not eating cat food...we'll see if he listened!

Anna said the funniest thing this morning. We were watching the cartoon Arthur and it mentioned checking out Arthur books at your local library. I asked Anna if we checked out any Arthur books this summer (I honestly couldn't remember) and she said "Yes, we got Arthur Loses a Friend." That's right, we did check out that book. I was impressed by her memory. I asked how she could remember that (it happened over a month ago) but can't remember at the end of the day what she ate for lunch or who she sat by at lunch. She replied "Maybe my, my, my, my...what's that word?" I said "Memory?" She said "Yeah, maybe my long-time memory is better than my short." Now how about that for a 5 year old observation??!!!

When It Rains...It Pours

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:05:00 +0000

This has been a crazy week. I have been fighting allergies for several weeks and by Monday I finally went to the doctor. I had a sinus infection, of course. Then Monday night about 10:30 Mason started having a croupy cough. I ended up taking him outside (3 times) into the cool air to open up his airways. We also had an inhaler from a round of croup in March, so I used that on him too. After about 2 1/2 hours he finally settled down and was able to sleep. He even ASKED to go to his bed. (I guess sleeping on me in the recliner wasn't very comfortable. He flipped and flopped about every two minutes.) Tuesday morning he woke up with blisters on his hands. I immediately thought "Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease" but took him to the doctor just to be certain and to make sure his chest sounded okay after the croup. Everything was confirmed- croup & HFM Disease. The doctor did say that his chest sounded good that morning so she wasn't going to give him a steroid. By Thursday morning Mason's cough was still going good (only it changed to a wet sound), and he had green junk coming from his eyes & nose, and he said that his ear hurt. So back to the doctor we went. Sure enough he had an ear infection, so this time he got an antibiotic. (I'm just hoping we didn't pick up something else from sitting in the waiting room...like Swine Flu!)

I was hoping that Anna wouldn't catch the HFM Disease. But that was wishful thinking. Thursday evening I noticed bumps forming on her hands, feet and in her mouth. I prayed that it was just my paranoia and she would be okay Friday morning. Didn't happen! So Friday Anna missed her first day of school (and we are only 2 weeks into this thing). I never expected that she would have perfect attendance (look at our track record), but I didn't expect that she would miss this soon. Thank goodness this is a 3-day weekend for Labor Day. Hopefully she will be able to return on Tuesday!!

Things other than sickness happened this week too. Monday Anna came home with her paper where she had learned about the color blue. Mason came home the same day with a paper about the color blue. I was singing a song about blue that was with Mason's paperwork. Anna went "Hey, how do you know that song?" I explained that it was from Mason's school and she said "We sang that song today!" How ironic is that? My Kindergartener and my 2 year old are using the same curriculum!

This week Anna's class started a new rotation of taking home the Bearcat. Apparently her class has a stuff bear (bearcat) and each week the teacher draws a name from the class list. The name drawn gets to take the Bearcat home for the night. Anna said the Bearcat brings home a favorite book for you to read to it, a journal to write down what the Bearcat did with you and that the Bearcat is "allergic to smoke". She is so excited and anxious for her name to be drawn!

Tuesday afternoon Anna had her first 4-wheeler incident. Kevin was outside fencing, and Anna was riding her 4-wheeler. I looked out the kitchen window to see Anna standing off her 4-wheeler crying. Common sense told me that it wasn't too bad since Kevin was getting on her 4-wheeler and taking it into the shop. (If she was really hurt he wouldn't have bothered with the 4-wheeler.) But I still ran outside to see what was wrong. Here's what happened. Kevin had a string running along the fence line so he would get the poles in a straight line. Anna knew the string was there and had been avoiding it. Apparently with her 5 year old attention span she eventually forgot about it and went flying into it and cut and burned her neck. I'm so thankful it wasn't anything worse! That 4-wheeler really scares me when a 5 year old is driving it. I gave Anna (and Kevin) a "talking to" about her riding habits and grounded Anna from the 4-wheeler for a week. I'm also going to make her watch the safety video that came with it again.

Wednesday evening while I was cooking supper I noticed Mason playing with buttons on our deep freeze. I looked and he had turned the temperature setting down to 1! I'm so thankful that I noticed and all our food didn't thaw out and ruin.

Thursday night while doing laundry I went to turn the dryer on and it wouldn't work. Kevin tried to work on it but couldn't get it going. It went to the repairman on Friday, and I had to hang wet sheets on clothes hangers in the kids bathroom. Thankfully it was repaired and came home Friday afternoon. Oh how I'm spoiled to our modern appliances!

Friday was a wild day with both kids home and not feeling well. (Actually Mason acted like he felt okay but Anna wasn't quite her normal self.) Mason was a mischievous little guy that day. That morning he spilt milk on the living room carpet (on purpose) and threw his Fishies (snack) in the floor on purpose (and I had vacuumed earlier). Later in the day while I was on the phone he went to his room to play. I realized it was too quite and went to check on him. He had shut his door (with him in his room), taken the door stop out of the wall, unplugged his monitor, half-way unplugged his fan, and gotten his Bible down off his chest. Obviously he was taking advantage of my being on the phone. By the end of the day I felt like a horrible mother for all the spanking, yelling and discipline I bestowed on him that day. Being a parent is a difficult job!

Today Kevin left early and went Dove hunting with a friend. Mason got up around 6:00 a.m. and Anna was up around 6:30. With all the sickness I intend to keep the kids at home this weekend. (Although I'm already feeling a little cabin fever. I haven't been out much this week other than doctor appointments.) I don't want to take any chances of sharing this with others. I seriously doubt Mason is still contagious but I'm not so certain about Anna. Anna is going to miss a friend's birthday party this afternoon. She is upset about it, but I don't want to give Ethan and his baby brother HFM Disease for Ethan's birthday!

The reality of this week is that I know it could be worse! It has been worse before and could be worse again! (My saying when things are not going well is "We could be in Little Rock!", referring to Arkansas Children's Hospital.) But still, I'm praying that next week is a little better!