Motto

Since starting a family blog, I have almost become addicted to reading other blogs. (Please keep in mind that any addiction at this point in my life with young kids is nothing to be concerned about...I don't have much down time.) By far, my favorite blogs to visit are those of my friends. While reading my college roommate's blog, I stumbled upon a cute motto that made me feel a little better about the current state of our apartment. I thought I would share it with all the mothers out there who find it hard at times to keep everything as tidy as they may like. Thanks for sharing this Ashley!

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

For babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; dust, go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep."

A few of my favorite things...

Though she's only two, Caroline already has a few favorite things she loves to play with, eat and do. Here's her Top 10 list at the moment:
10. Parmasean cheese...not the shredded kind, but the grated kind you put on top of spaghetti...she eats this by the spoonful!
9. Playing with my makeup (especially my favorite lipstick which she seems to find every time) and fixing her hair.
8. Brushing her teeth...or should I say eating the toothpaste!
7. Her Mermaid pjs...which she is getting too big for, but cannot seem to sleep without them and her new Mermaid panties...luckily, they are available in larger sizes.
6. Playing in the park
5. Jumping on her Daddy's belly
4. Going shopping...that's my girl!
3. Playing with a water gun...especially spraying the water on her head
2. All of her babies, but especially Reese, her favorite baby doll
And what tops her list?
1. Her baby brother of course!

Good Morning

What's my favorite thing about waking up in the morning?

Getting a good morning smile from my Little Man!

Potty Training 101: Day 3

Sunday marked Day 3 of our potty adventure. Though Caroline had to wear a Pull Up to church, the rest of the day she tinkled in the potty successfully. Notice I said tinkled. Obviously all of the chocolate had passed through her system, because she managed to poop in her panties twice. Despite Matt being home on Sunday, I was the lucky one who got to clean up the little booger. Funny guy...Matt snickered and said, "No one ever said Motherhood was not going to be messy every now and then." Perhaps he's right, but his day in the sun will come when it is time to train our little man!

Hopefully the rest of the week will go a little smoother. Despite a few glitches, Caroline is doing quite well in my opinion...especially considering we haven't stayed at home the whole time. This week should be interesting because I'm keeping my cousin Mecie's two little ones, Hunter and Helen. That means I'll have 4 kiddos under the age of 5 in my care! I'm hoping that since Helen is potty trained, she will help influence Caroline even more and we'll get this thing whipped by the end of the week. Keep your fingers crossed!

Potty Training 101: Day 2

Saturday morning marked Day #2 of our potty training adventure. Right out of the starting gate, Caroline told me she needed to go to the potty, so happily I obliged. She really likes her big girl panties and her M&Ms. Personally, I didn't know a toddler used the bathroom this often...I think she holds some back so that she can frequent the potty more often and thus get more M&Ms.

Unfortunately, I didn't think the potty training timing through just right, because with Matt home on Saturday there is NO WAY he could tolerate staying at the apartment all day. Sooo, I went to the store and bought some Dora Pull Ups. Then came the dilemma...how do you get a toddler to use potties outside of the home? I quickly discovered that she is adamantly against such, so she went back a step and gave Dora a little surprise. At this point, I became a little nervous that our previous achievements would be flushed down the drain (cute pun, huh?) and that we would have to start all over again at point A. However, much to my delight, as soon as we walked back into the apartment, Caroline informed me that she needed to go to the potty. Woohoo!

Now back to the dilemna...for those of you who have potty trained recently...how do you get toddlers to go potty when you are out shopping, eating at a restaurant, etc.? Any words of wisdom would be much appreciated. (Laura...using a cup is not a valid answer.) Also, what do you do about bedtime in case they have an accident during the night?

Potty Training 101: Day 1

Well, I'm finally to the point that I must bite the bullet and potty train Caroline. I've tried off and on for a while now, but have never really been committed to it. Perhaps it is because I know I will be stuck within the walls of this small apartment all day as we try to conquer the potty. Thursday evening she finally tinkled in the potty and was so excited that I thought to my self...this is it...now or never. So, Friday was D-day. She wore her panties all day long and had only 2 accidents, one of which was in the bathroom before she made it to the potty. Needless to say, I am thrilled! Granted, by the time Matt came home I was like a cat that had been locked in a closet all day long and had clawed all over the walls, but nonetheless, I was thrilled that she is on her way to being potty trained. To celebrate our first big successful day and to get me out of the apartment, we went out for pizza. Since she is a big girl now, she wore her panties. I think I asked her a dozen times if she needed to go to the potty, and she so big girlishly responded, "No, not right now." The plan was to pick up a pizza, but we decided we would be really brave and eat at the restaurant. Believe it or not, we made it the whole trip without having to go potty. When we got back, Caroline just had to play in the rain puddles with her rain boots. You can guess the rest of the story...playing in water...not having gone to the bathroom recently....at least we were outside of the apartment and could clean up easily. Well, that concludes Day 1. Enjoy this last picture of Caroline in her diaper, because those days are about to be long gone! By the way,we're taking donations for M&Ms, because they are going like hotcakes!

Unsettled

At this point in my life, there are a lot of unknowns...when will our house in Dothan sell, when will we find a house, will my new job prospect work out, getting the kids started in a new daycare, finding a new church home...the list goes on and on. For those of you who know me well, you know that I am a planner. I like to have everything in order in my life, know where I am going and what I am going to do. Needless to say, all of these unknowns have left me a little unsettled lately. Then I stumbled upon this on another blog:

"Murmuring is no better than mutiny in the heart; it is a rising up against God. When the sea is rough and unquiet, it casts forth nothing but foam: when the heart is discontented, it casts forth the foam of anger, impatience, and sometimes little better than blasphemy. Murmuring is nothing else but the scum which boils off from a discontented heart." Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment

Just what I needed to hear at this point in my life. How about you?

Will meets Will

This week we had the chance to spend a little time with the world travelers of our family. Matt's cousin, Alison, and her 3 precious kids, Mary, Will and Suzanna, stopped by for a visit on their way to Louisiana. When I refer to them as world travelers, I am not kidding. Alison's husband Joe serves in the Foreign Service, so they have the opportunity to live around the world. So far they have lived in Jamaica and the Netherlands. Matt and I have been fortunate enough to visit them in both of these countries. We went to Jamaica for our honeymoon and they happened to be living nearby, so Alison picked us up and gave us a tour of the "real" Jamaica...not what the tourists see. It is really a very poor country and when we went downtown, Matt told Alison he would probably cry if she made him get out of the car in the midst of all the chaos. I told Alison I would be fine because I did not grow up sheltered in Mississippi and was accustomed to such! :) Anyway, Alison's family invited us to visit them in the Netherlands a few years ago and we jumped at the chance. Of course this was before we had our kids, so we didn't have any strings attached. We absolutely loved the Netherlands and we even made a short trip to Brugge, Belgium...our favorite place on the trip!

Well, after spending a short time in Washington, D.C., Alison and her family are getting ready to head to Africa! Before heading out, she and the kids made a trip "home" to Louisiana. We're just thrilled they stopped by for a short visit. After all, it was the first time Will got to meet Will! The two hit it right off. I think my Will enjoyed having another boy around and Alison's Will enjoyed meeting someone with the same name. (If you are wondering why I don't refer to them as Big Will and Little Will, ask around...I've been told that someone in the family doesn't like using "Big" and "Little".) Anyway, we also had the chance to meet baby Suzanna for the first time. She is the prettiest little girl and is so sweet! We can't wait until we get to play with all of them again soon. I guess we better visit them in Louisiana; otherwise, we'll have to board a plane to Africa!

A package from William and Wes

Caroline loves to go check the mail with her Daddy and this week she had a surprise package from William and Wes. She couldn't wait to open it though I told her what was inside would probably be for Will. Nonetheless, she quickly ripped the package open to find two pairs of Wranglers. She was ecstatic! Since William and Wes couldn't wear them anymore, I thought that Caroline would probably be too big for them as well. However, I had to appease my little one, so we both held our breath as we tried to slide her into a pair. Luckily, they fit perfectly! Will's plump rear end fit perfectly into a pair as well, but they were about 4 inches too long! Thanks to my friend Laura and her two little boys, both kiddos are ready to be an official cowboy and cowgirl when they ride Mini Horse again!

Mini Horse

This past weekend we made a trip to Philly. We worked in the garden, picked blueberries, had a picnic at Mammaw and Pappaw's house and visited Pop for Father's Day. Matt helped Pappaw put up an electric fence around the garden to prevent the deer from enjoying the fruits of our all of our hard labor. The most unique part of our weekend, however, was when we met Mini Horse. Mini is the cutest little miniature horse I have ever laid eyes upon...she is tiny and isn't much taller than Caroline. Mini was a baby gift for the newest addition to our family...Amanda Lane Deweese. Lane is the daughter of my cousin Josh and his cute wife Sarah Betts. (Quite a baby gift, hugh?) Pop couldn't wait for Caroline to meet Mini Horse, but we were all surprised when she said she didn't want to ride her. Granted, we didn't have a saddle on her, but she is much smaller than the big horses she is used to riding with Pop. Maybe she just prefers to keep her little rump clean and will ride the little horse when we have the proper equipment! Since his big sister wouldn't ride, Will decided he would take the opportunity to get on his first horse. Way to go little cowboy!

Mississippi Cousins

This past Tuesday, my cousin Mecie and her two cute kids, Hunter and Helen, came over to swim with Caroline and Will. Helen is a year older than Caroline, so Caroline wants to say and do everything Helen does. They are so cute to watch. Anyway, after we went for a swim, we came back to the apartment for pizza. Though Caroline usually loves pizza, she was too busy entertaining to eat much. As you can see in the picture, the three big kids had a blast playing in Will's bed of all places. I don't know who enjoyed having them over for a visit more, me or the kids. It was great getting to visit with all of them and we can't wait until they come over again, especially since they live so close by in Madison (yipee)!

Aunt KK's Art

My sister, a.k.a. Aunt KK, has always been a talented artist in my book. I am so pleased that she has finally decided to put her talent to work, as she has begun painting home decor that she is now selling. I've been lucky enough to get a few of her pieces as gifts so my home is filled with her cute designs. Anyway, if you are interested in checking out some of her artwork, visit Zanzibar Designs. You won't be disappointed!

Our Anniversary

On Sunday, June 8th, Matt and I celebrated our 6th Anniversary! It seems that the years have flown by, but especially since we have been blessed with children. To celebrate the occasion, we made a trip to Dothan without the kids. We needed to check on our house (which still hasn't sold, so please keep this in your prayers) and just enjoy a little alone time. We went to a movie, did a little shopping and enjoyed all of our meals at our favorite restaurants.

Caroline and Will seemed to enjoy their weekend away from us since they received undivided attention from Matt's parents. According to Caroline, she ate chocolate, jumped on the bed, saw animals at the Ag Museum, and went shopping at the Bass Pro Shop. I confirmed with Mamaw Kat that Caroline's recollection of the weekend was correct. Mamaw Kat confessed that she can't get away with anything now that Caroline can fill us in on all of the details!

Sitting Tall

He finally mastered it! Yep, for the past few weeks Will has been doing his best to master sitting up for long periods of time, but unfortunately he has been teeter tottering around and falling on his back, face, side, and every other way imaginable. This week he finally got the hang of it and couldn't be more pleased with himself.

Caroline is thrilled as well because it means that they can finally play together a little better. Next on Will's agenda...learning to crawl. He is still swaying back and forth on his hands and knees and can scoot backwards (just as his sister did when she was learning to crawl), but has yet to really get the hang of it. Personally, I hope he holds off for a little while, because I know when he gets to moving around, I'm in trouble!

In our own little corner

Well, the kids found their favorite spot in our apartment (or condo as Caroline calls it). Since I needed to keep an eye on Will while drying my hair, I put him in the small hallway that connects the bedrooms and bathroom. Before I knew it, Caroline had brought several pillows and toys to her brother to make it a little cozier. They had the best time in this little nook. Isn't it fun to watch how kids can get a kick out of just the smallest little thing? They don't need lots of money spent on them, but rather time, affection and lots of imagination! Grandparents, in case you are wondering, I monitored playtime with the balloon. I know they can be dangerous when in the hands of young children. :)

Under the Weather

For the past few days, Will has been a little under the weather. Lucky for him, his big sister is a great little nurse. She asked me to get her a cold, wet cloth and when I gave it to her, she proceeded to place it on her brother's forehead. She then gave him kisses and told him she hoped he would feel better soon. With that kind of loving care and attention, he should be back to his normal, happy-g0-lucky self very soon!

Happy Birthday Pappaw Bill!

Today is Pappaw Bill's 82nd birthday! He is a wonderful man who I love and respect more than words can say. He has taught me a lot in my life: how to drive a truck and tractor, how to plant a garden, how to bale hay, how to raise cows...the list is endless. He is an extremely generous, kind and loving man and does so much for our entire family. I am so glad that my children are getting the chance to know him as well. As soon as Caroline sees him she wants to go see the bull in his pasture. As for Will, well, he is named after him and has his blue eyes to prove it! I am so fortunate to have such a close relationship with my grandfather, so much so that I consider him one of my best friends. We love you Pappaw, and hope we can help you celebrate many more birthdays!

Gone Fishin'

This past weekend we made a quick trip to Philadelphia to celebrate my Pappaw's 82nd birthday. Saturday morning, we all decided to go fishing, and I even managed to talk my grandfather into tossing a line into the water. He started out a bit rusty but it turned out that he got the best birthday present ever....he caught a 7 1/2 pound bass! Granted, it took him a while to get the big mouth bass to shore (especially since he ran up the bank instead of reeling him in), but according to Pappaw it didn't matter how he got him to shore, the bottom line was that "he got 'em". Pop Buddy said that some people go an entire lifetime without ever catching a fish that big. Not Pappaw....he caught Big Howard two days short of his 82nd birthday! For those of you who don't know my grandfather, he has never been much of a fisherman because he stays busy on his farm taking care of all of his cows so that makes his catch of the day that much more special.
As most of you know, when you go fishing, there are always stories that go along with the trip. Matt and Pop Buddy were in the boat on the other side of the pond, while I was on the bank with my Mom and the kids. Since we are such good fishermen, we were catching all the fish while the men were coming up empty handed. Wouldn't you know that they did not leave us anything to put our fish in so that we could keep them? According to them, they had to have two separate lines to hang the fish they caught with because they didn't want to lose count of who caught the most fish. Well, we asked Pappaw to get us a bucket out of the back of his truck for us to put our fish in and he informed us that he didn't have an extra. So, we finally talked the men into bringing us a line. A few minutes later Pappaw caught Big Howard. Since the fish was so big, we were concerned that our line wouldn't hold him. Wouldn't you just know that all of the sudden, Pappaw found a bucket we could use for Big Howard? That stinker!

Busy Day

It seems as if we are beginning to embark upon what some refer to as the "Terrible Twos". Don't get me wrong, Caroline is a very sweet girl, but she does have moments in which she likes to play a little rough with her brother. For instance, the other day I caught her riding his back and saying "giddy up, Big Boy". I quickly informed her that Will was not Cody, but rather a little baby that is very fragile and should not be ridden. Caroline loves her brother so much and would never intentionally hurt him; she just doesn't realize the damage she could cause.

Well, since my warnings have not stopped the rough play, Caroline has visited her time out chair quite often over the past few days. I thought that would be a good form of punishment since she is such a busy body, but since my little person has such a creative mind, she can always seem to find something entertaining...even in a corner. Examples: the little doorstop behind the door near her chair, the toile wallpaper at my grandparents' house in which she began talking to all of the people in the pictures, turning around in the timeout chair and pretending to ride it like a horse. My favorite time out excuse came today when she informed me that she could not sit in time out because "I have a busy day!" What is a Mommy to do when her toddler is booked for the day?

Future Colt

Is there a mouse in the kitchen?

I baked a cake for my grandfather's 82nd birthday and right before I started icing the cake, I noticed that a mouse had been in the kitchen. I quickly looked around the kitchen to find the little mouse and soon discovered a cute little pig-tailed girl with a mouth full of something. I asked the little girl if she had swiped a bite of my cake which was obviously located too close to the corner of the table and she informed me, "I sure did!"

Watering Plants

The other day I told Caroline that I needed to water our plants. She wasted no time in telling me that she would be glad to help me...this is what she had in mind....

I thought she had come up with the perfect idea...she could shoot her water gun at something other than her brother while also helping Mommy with the chores!

Pop and Mimi's Visit

Pop and Mimi came for a short visit this past week. We visited the Ag Museum, played at the park, went out to eat (my Daddy can't get within 15 miles of a Cracker Barrell and not stop for a good breakfast) and even did a little shopping. The Ag Museum was alot of fun...Caroline got to see several farm animals and eat a push up at the Country Store. Daddy and I enjoyed a bottle of Coke from a glass. I don't know what it is about drinking coke from a bottle, but it is definitely better. Unfortunately, Matt had to work while the rest of us got to play...somebody around here has to pay the bills...right? :)