Friday, September 20, 2013

Fall Fun!

I saw a funny e-card on Pinterest the other day. Basically, it said "If you say pumpkin spice latte three times, a white girl in yoga pants will show up and tell you everything she loves about fall". Well, I guess I am a big ol' cliche, because I love fall!

I never really cared one way or the other about fall until Olivia was born. Her birthday is in October, so every year after her birth, fall was a time of celebration. I love breaking out the fall wreath, scarecrows, ceramic pumpkins, etc.

So, today Mike and I took the kids to a cornfield to take some pictures. I know if most parents had heard that 30 years ago they would have been baffled. Pictures are done at Olan Mills, right? Well, first of all, I think all of the photography studios in our town have closed down. Second, I just love fun, outdoorsy types of photos. I have a Canon Rebel that has more buttons than I understand that takes great pictures, so we try to do our own as much as possible.

Without further ado, here they are. Cute if I say so myself...


I love this one. Matt looks up to Phil so much and he is such a good big brother!
My beautiful, grown up girl!
This is the view of our house through the trees across the street. I just liked it for some reason.
This guys is FIVE!
Love this girl!
I adore how this turned out!
He was up in a tree and worried about it!

Sunday, September 8, 2013

So I don't forget the "Terrific Twos"

Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I have one of "those" kids. My baby, my #3, Matt, is a pistol. He is also a delightfully sweet child who worships his daddy, his pawpaw, and all thing Power Rangers. He is funny and smart and will no doubt be something amazing in life. But, he is also a lot of work!

It's not all his fault, he came upon the heels of one of those "perfect" babies. His older brother was a quiet, still, smiling, dimpled baby who didn't cry, didn't get into much, and was just happy to sit and play quietly. You know, the kind of baby that tricks people into having children, because they think all babies are like that. He's a firecracker of a little boy now, but he was an incredibly easy baby. His sister was also a very easy baby, a little fussier and opinionated that Phil, but still a delightfully easy baby.

Then, we had Matt. Matt moved constantly before and after he was born. He was a wonderfully happy little baby, in fact we dubbed him "the happiest baby in the world". He smiled early and often. But, when he was upset, he was scream and turn red and give you just a taste of what was up. Then, he turned one. And he got mad, because he couldn't tell you what he wanted. He was not an early talker. He is now officially a "late talker". Words come slowly and with much effort. He is also not able to do everything his brother does. This makes him MAD. He is also the most independent, stubborn, "I DO IT" kid you have ever met. He has NO FEAR. He will slide down a 30' slide alone, he will walk into dark rooms and "talk" to anyone.



Last week, we took Matt (and the other kids) on a little trip. We stayed two nights in a hotel. It was horrible. Matt was so upset that he wasn't at home. He would not sleep, would not eat, and was a giant cranky pants the whole time. I became convinced he was sick because of how awful he was. He normally sleeps 10-12 hours a night plus a 2-3 hour nap (I know, awesome!). On the trip, he slept 5-6 hours a night (fitfully) and took no nap.

We got home, he saw the house, yelled "YAY", ate food, and asked to go night night. He slept 12 hours and woke up a new man. So, add that to the list, Matt hates travel. Disney is off the table for a while...
 



Today is Grandparent's Day (has that always been a holiday, seems new?) and Mom & Dad came to church with us to see Phillip sing in the Grandparent's Day program. Well, as the kids walked past our pew on the way to the platform, Matt got in line and joined them. I panicked a little. What should I do? I decided to wait it out and see how he did. He walked all over the stage while the speaker was talking. He walked up and down the steps of the of the platform. He smiled at all of the people in the audience. Then the music started. He sauntered over to the microphone his brother was at and proceeded to try and wrestle it down to his level. Phillip tried to stop him. A scuffle ensued, followed by Matt's trademark "MAAAA MAAAAA" right in the microphone. I then went up on the stage, took him off the stage, and he SCREAMED all the way out of the sanctuary. He laid face down in the floor of the nursery and wailed for 10 minutes.

So, one day, he will be a handsome, intelligent, verbal child and I want to remember the terrific twos! They tell me I will look back and them and laugh. We will see ;)