Random Pictures

Our chubby, smiley girl!

This picture is for Nana and Papaw

Dad and the kids

Jack wearing his cool soccer jersey Nana purchased in Italy.

Feeling Young Again

Today I was feeding Caroline her oatmeal when I noticed Jack had gotten really quiet in the back of the house. Upon investigation, I found him like this. He had crawled up in Caroline's crib with Henry and was sucking his thumb with his eyes closed. Guess sometimes we just wanna feel young again. (And as a side note, Jack's not wearing pants in a lot of these pictures because he's a champ at peeing in the potty these days. We've found pants just get in the way.)

Bad Hair Day

Top Chef

I asked Jack what he was making.  He said hot dogs and broccoli.  He used 67 different cooking utensils, some popcorn and the glass of tea I left on the counter.  It was delicious.

Jack at Play

Jack sitting in the drawer of his train table. He actually came up with this spot on his own. Pretty creative kid. I'm just glad the drawer didn't fall out and scare him to death.

So, we splurged and bought a bounce house (thank you, Craigslist). My parents had borrowed one over Christmas break for the grandkids to use and it was just the perfect size to fit in the garage. The boys loved it. When we came back to Texas I just kind of kept my eyes open for a bargain and when I found one, we snatched it up. Jack loves the thing and spends most mornings and afternoons out there jumping. I love that it wears him out. 

Five Month Milestones

Moving up to the big girl carseat. (We just moved Jack up and then put a new cover on the Marathon.)

I love this picture because she looks like a food addict who was caught in the act.

She loves eating her rice cereal - but I'm not sure how much actually makes it in her stomach.

Sitting up like a big girl.

Caroline is 5 months! It's hard to believe. She has now moved up to the big girl carseat. She's eating rice cereal and she's sitting on her own. She's also sleeping like a big girl, too - which we love!! She usually goes to bed around 7 p.m. and sleeps until 6:30 a.m.. She giggles and smiles all the time and I think the spitting up has actually decreased some. We love our beautiful girl!

Jack and Lily

Make a Smilebox slideshow

For those who don't know, I have someone who comes and helps with the kids three mornings each week. Her name is Ashley and she's fantastic. She a mom of two kids and actually brings her 3-year-old daughter Lily with her so Jack has someone to play with. Jack loves these mornings. It has been such a good fit for our family. Anyway, one morning her mother was in town so they took Jack and Lily to the zoo. Jack had so much fun with Lily, Ashley and Grammy. 

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys

If you know anything about our family, you know how into horses and cowboys we are.  We even have matching chaps and spurs that we wear when we go out every second Saturday of the month.  So it should come as no surprise that when the Fort Worth Stock Show kicked off their event with a parade, we were there.

The parade was good...for the first hour.  Then we all slowly started to melt down.  Caroline was first, then Jack, then me, then Lynsi (she's a rock).  I looked down the road and didn't see the end in sight.  Just a sea of horses and wagons and cowboy hats, oh my.  It wouldn't have been a big deal but we were on one side of the road and our car was on the other and there weren't many breaks in the procession of every horse, donkey, and cow-drawn-carriage in North Texas, so we couldn't cross the street.  

We ended up watching the parade from inside Jamba Juice, the only place that sold food in the vicinity.  We had smoothies, organic chips, one tasteless muffin and two free samples of oatmeal.  That's the lunch of true cowboys.

After nearly two hours, in a bold desperate move, we darted across the street in between a second-rate high school marching band playing My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys and a group of Mexican Vaqueros wearing matching sombreros, and headed for the mini-van.  

 

Funny Jack Commentary

(Lunch time. Jack and Nathan are sitting at the table eating. I am in my office working and overhearing their conversation.)

Jack: Hey Dad, I have a good idea. (This is his new line to say.)

Nathan: What is it Jack?

Jack: How bout after we eat lunch we go to Pittsburgh? Would that be a deal? (Pittsburgh is where Nana and Papa live.)

Nathan: Well, Jack, Pittsburgh is kind of far. I think we have to take a nap instead.

Jack: Well, okay. 

The Caped Crusader

For those who don't remember, Jack really wanted to be Batman for Halloween. So, I found him a costume (actually pajamas) and bought his sister a Wonder Woman costume and was ready for the big event. Well, Jack would have nothing to do with his costume once the big day came. He did NOT want to put it on. So, we went trick-o-treating in jeans and a t-shirt. Even among other friends who were dressed in costume, Jack still showed no interest in wearing his Batman gear. We didn't force it just put the costume in a drawer in case he ever changed his mind. Well a couple weeks ago the girl who watches Jack and Caroline arrived with her daughter who was dressed as a princess. Immediately Jack asked for his Batman costume. I got it out of the drawer and told Ashley, our sitter, that he probably wouldn't wear it. I was wrong. He immediately put it on and said he was playing 'superheroes'. Now, we have to hide it from him to keep him from wearing it 24/7. On our way to Missouri, we stopped at a gas station and I laughed as Nathan and Jack went inside to buy some snacks because he had on a pair of Christmas pajama pants and his Batman shirt (with cape trailing in the wind). Guess he just had to decide on his own he wanted to wear the thing. Funny kid.

Christmas Break

Jack playing with one of his Christmas presents. He owns the road... (or driveway)

Just a sweet picture of Jack playing with his trains. He has still not outgrown Thomas.

Caroline playing with her Christmas present. She's still not sure what to think of it.

Caroline and Hannah hanging out.

Jack and Hayden hanging out (girls play different than boys)

We've been enjoying the last few days of Christmas break before Nathan starts back to school. I've been busy organizing and finding spaces for all the new toys and clothes. It's still amazing to me how much STUFF we collect having two kids. 

Christmas in Missouri

Our sweet happy little girl.

It was cold in Missouri so we couldn't leave the house without our hat. 

Jack found a friend in Franklin.

Cousin bonding time.

Caroline and Aunt Lainee

Cousins on Christmas Eve (nice expression, Jack)

Mr. Sunshine

So, for Christmas we went to my folks' house in Missouri. Had a great time. Spent about 10 days there. It was so nice to be around family. I have more pictures of this festive time; however, these are the ones I hijacked from my sister's camera. Thanks, Lainee.

Birthday with the Cousins

Decorating Christmas cookies with Wyatt and Walker. Jack quickly finished 'decorating' and moved on to 'eating'.

Birthday cake number....I don't know I lost count. But it was still really good.

Four months old

Well, Caroline went to her 4 month check up this morning. We found out she currently weighs 16 lbs 1 oz and is 26 inches long. She's still around the 95 percentile in both weight and height. I love all her little rolls. Anyway, she's has TWO new teeth (both bottom middle) that have just popping through the gums over the past two weeks. It amazed me when I felt the first one since Jack didn't get his first tooth until he was 6 months. She's sleeping better and is overall a really sweet little baby. 

Life with a 3 year old

While I was working the other day, I noticed that the house was extremely quiet so I thought "hmmmm... why is Jack so quiet?" When I went to go check on him I found him in the bathroom, standing up on his stepstool looking in the mirror and drawing on himself. He was covered in green crayon. While you only see the green crayon on his face, it was actually everywhere - even his stomach and on the back of his neck. I have no idea how he got it back there. Luckily it did wash off but it left his skin with a tinge of green for a few days. Crazy kid.

Our boy is a genius. He did this alone while I was getting ready one morning. I was amazed to come out and see this put together without my help.

Random picture of Caroline. She keeps scratching her poor little face despite my attempts to keep her fingernails short. This picture makes her look kind of serious, but really she is such a cheeseball.

Three Years Old

He's concentrating really hard on blowing his candles out.

Well, Jack is officially 3 years old. His birthday was actually last Sunday but I'm just getting around to posting. It's crazy that he's already three. Seems like just yesterday we were walking around Bangkok waiting for him to make his arrival. We had a 'low key' celebration - as the plan is to eventually go to a 1/2 year birthday party (since that would be in June versus December). Jack received all kinds of goodies. I'm not sure if our gifts to him were among his favorites (a new carseat and a portable potty) but you wouldn't know it gauging from his expressions as he opened each gift. This kid loves presents.

A few of his favorite things to do these days (as a three year old): Read books (always), Tell stories (if you start telling him made up stories he will say 'one more' until you cut him off), Play with his toys making up conversations between them, Puppet shows, Puzzles, Hide and Seek (although he's always a little too scared to come find you by himself), and Swinging outside. A few of the things he dislikes: Wearing a jacket/coat, Bedtime, and letting Henry take a bath (in the washing machine). 

My Beautiful Children

Jack has really been into wanting to hold Caroline lately. I thought these few shots were really precious.