Jaydan is FIVE!

How is my tiny baby boy FIVE years old?  Jaydan, at five you are:

*  So, so funny!  You never cease to amaze us with your wit, spazticity, facial expressions and word misuse!  Friends and family from across the whole country wait anxiously for the next "Jaydan-ism".

*  Very smart.... you knocked preschool out of the park.  You are reading already and made a lot of good friends!  You were such a good boy, all of the other Moms and your Teachers (Miss Jessica and Miss Nikki) raved about what a sweet boy you are.  I think there was only one week all year that you didn't get to pick a treasure from the treasure box!

*  Some of my favorite things that you say incorrectly are "beesaster, beediculous, beesgusting (see a pattern?) tach-ed (attached)"  You are smart enough to use big words in context, but you don't always get the pronunciation 100% right.  BUT, its so cute, I can't bring myself to correct you!

*  Getting soooo big,  you want a "piddy back ride" to bed every night and you're almost too big for me to carry!

*  Still very empathetic..... if you see someone sad, you are sad.  You are still very protective of your Sissy, though you HAVE started to antagonize her some too!  No one else had better though.... including Daddy and I.  Sissy got swatted last week and you yelled "HEY, YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF"!

*  A great helper.  You're a sweet boy and like to help Mom and Dad out however  you can!

*  Just absolutely delightful!  I can't believe that you're five years old and will be a big ole kindergartener in a few short months!  Mama wants to slow down the hands of time, but with each passing year I am prouder still of who you are becoming!  We love you, Jaydan Chase!

Another One

I get shivers of glee down my spine when I think of all the ways we'll be able to torture our kids in the future with these little clips ;)  This is from a few months back, but oh so delicious I had to share it!

I have a lot to catch you up on.... its been a very busy Fall so far.  BUT, I haven't had time..... its been a VERY busy Fall!

Itty Bitty Sports

We decided it was time to get J into some kind of activity. After looking around, we decided on "Itty Bitty Sports" through the YMCA. Its sort of a sampler of soccer, basketball and flag football, so we decided it was a good place to start and he could see which he liked the best.

Its been a lot of fun. There are about ten 3 and 4 year old boys on his team, so practices are..... interesting. There is not a lot of focus, but there IS a lot of cuteness!

(this is what jumping jacks looks like when you're four.....ba ha ha!)

J was one of a handful of kids who could catch the football and one of two that could throw it. They all seem a little more adept at soccer.
I can't wait to see what basketball brings! He's having lots of fun and we are enjoying watching..... hopefully this is just the beginning of our sports-watching careers!

Its very family oriented..... Daddy, Sissy and even "Gumpa" got in on the fun!

Bye Bye Binkie!

Oh, my baby girl is growing up :( I have been thinking for a while that it was getting to be time to pull the plug (ha ha) on the binkie. I'm convinced its the reason Miss Thang didn't talk for the first year and a half of her life and she still liked it a little more than she probably should at this age. I refuse to have one of those preschoolers who is carrying on full conversations around a mouthful of paci. BUT, I was going out of town, she was sick, then I was sick.... on and on. You get the idea. I had more excuses for not weaning her off of it than I had desire to do so.
Until.... she stated biting through the tips of them. Miss Heather, the wonder sitter, brought it to my attention and said no more at her house..... she was worried she would get a hunk off and choke! My mom had weaned my brother and I off of them by cutting the tip off, so I sensed an opportunity. I brought home one of the bitten binkies and that evening offered it to her a couple of times. She would take a couple of pulls and cry.... and throw it down! Pretty soon she wouldn't even take it.
But, what about bedtime? Was I ready for an all night throw down? I mean, she has NEVER gone to sleep without one in her precious little life! We did our usual.... bath, book, binkie, bed..... except we skipped right over the binkie part. And then it happened...... I kissed her goodnight, gave her a baby and.......she went RIGHT to sleep!

I can't lie and say there haven't been a few rough moments, but overall it was sooooo much easier than I'd expected. To celebrate on Saturday when we went to the store I let the kids each get a balloon with the idea that we would do a binkie send off into the sky. We tied a binkie on to the string (she didn't even reach for it when she saw it), I explained that the balloon was going to take it away, she waved "Buh bye" and blew it kisses and we launched the balloons toward their heavenly destination. At least that's how it went in my head.... in reality, the binkie was too heavy for the balloon, so I had to yank it off real quick and stuff it into my pocket, before she could see. Either way, NO MORE BINKIE at the Little House!!! YAY....... I think.
Its unbelievably bittersweet. The last Little Baby is not much of a baby anymore. Its not fair, how fast they grow! She gets more and more fun with each passing day, but its a slow agonizing pain for a Mama to see them leave that "baby-ness" behind. And now that there is not a plug in her mouth, she is free to be just as sassy as she wants to be!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I love Christmas.... I really do! I love the lights and parties and goodies and presents. I love there is madness with shopping, and decorating and programs and school stuff and work stuff......... and then just when you can't stand it anymore, you get time off to spend relaxing (and recovering) with your family.





I love Christmas specials on TV and corny Christmas movies.... but I love slowing down to watch them and snuggle the babies that are growing up far too quickly even more! The kids are SOOOOO much fun this year. Kennedy just loves that everything is pretty, but Jaydan is at prime Christmas age.... old enough to anticipate and be soooo excited about it all! I wish I could just stop the hands of time right NOW!



Merry Christmas! Take a moment to remember the meaning of it all..... and hold your loved ones close!!
P.S. Although that pic looks sweet enough, it was about .2 seconds before she socked him with her cup. Ahhhhh, siblings ;)

Fabulous Fall

The weather has been absolutely perfect the last few weeks. I mean, t-shirt during the day,
windows open with warm blankets at night perfect.

The kids and I spent Saturday playing at the park. Kennedy is now walking all over.... back and forth from the playhouse to the swings several times. Busy, busy.


Jaydan's preschool uses that park for recess, so its not AS much fun as it used to be for him. Still, its fun for me to see the new ways he's playing now that he's playing on his own there, with other kids. His class also took their first field trip...... to the Pumpkin Patch. I almost died of anxiety, he had a ball and so all was well. Now, I'm debating on still taking the family or not? We've gone every year, but he just went and Kennedy doesn't have a strong opinion either way.... yet. I have time to decide. For now, I'm just going to enjoy the Fall Fabulous-ness!

Little Bitty Steps!

Kennedy is finally a walker! She'll be chasing big brother before we know it!