Happy 2nd Birthday, Little Man!

Today marks Will's 2nd birthday, and Matt and I couldn't be prouder of the energetic, happy little boy he has become over this past year.  He is the sweetest little fellow who loves giving his big sister and Mommy lots of sweet kisses.  He is also quite fond of holding hands...be it when he is going to sleep, riding in the car, or just sitting around on the couch.  I say that he is a lover, not a fighter.  We'll just see how long that lasts because he definitely is all boy as well.  He loves riding horses, tractors and his John Deere jeep.  Basically anything that moves has his attention.  He notices everything, so you best be on your best behavior around him because it won't be long before he copies you.  While he was a little slow starting to talk, he is definitely coming around now.  He still butchers some words, but he is trying to have conversations now.  And boy does he love to sing!  He can't keep a tune, but anything coming from those little lips is precious.  Perhaps one of his cutest tricks is all of the many sounds he can make....from snoring like Pop, to whining like a horse, or oinking like a pig...he can impersonate sounds to the tea.  Time flies when you raise children, but Matt and I are just so happy to have been given the opportunity to raise this little man.  He has blessed our lives in so many ways and we love him more than words can say!

Now on to more pressing matters...how we helped Will celebrate his big day!  First, we had the traditional Fisher birthday breakfast...donut holes.

Then it was off to playschool for the Harvest Party.  I usually don't take the kids to playschool on their birthdays, but since today was a party day, we couldn't miss it.  Will dressed up like a train conductor, while Caroline opted to wear her cowgirl outfit again.

After a good afternoon nap, I asked Will what he wanted for supper.  He made the typical boy choice...spoonburgers (aka sloppy joes) and tator tots.  Seriously, I offered to make him just about anything and he kept saying "poonbuggies and tots".  So, the birthday boy got his wish.

After dinner, we got all dolled up to go to "Trunk or Treat".  Since Caroline inherited her cousin Helen's Raggedy Ann outfit from last year, I knew we couldn't have a Raggedy Ann without an Andy.  So, I made Will a matching costume.  Granted, it's not a tough boy costume, but when the two of them were finally dressed, it was precious!  Will even agreed because once he saw himself in the mirror, he put on a big ol' grin!

Mamaw Kat and Pappaw came into a little early for Will's upcoming party, so they joined us at Trunk or Treat, and then we headed back home to finish the day with a icecream cake and present.  Caroline personally picked out the present she gave her brother and was delighted that he liked it so much.  It was a great way to end a big day for our little man.  Happy Birthday, Trouble!  :)

We just got back in town...

...from a fun-filled trip to the Great Smoky Mountains with Pop and Mimi.

 We couldn't have timed it better because the leaves were absolutely beautiful and the weather was perfect. 

 Now I just have to find time to sort through all of my pictures and post them to the blog.  Until then, here is a preview...

Will's 1st "official" haircut

Despite having given Will a trim or two in the past, I quickly realized my limitations in cutting a little boy's hair.  It is not nearly as easy as cutting Caroline's hair straight across the back, so I enlisted the help of a barber. 

I don't know if he was intimidated or just glad to finally be getting a haircut, because he was so still and quiet.  When Ms. Robyn was finished, there sat a little boy where my toddler had once been.  I thought I was going to need a tissue. 

And to document his 1st official haircut, he received a lock of hair and a certificate!

Keeping up with Trouble

Over the course of our trip to Texas, Will inherited a new nickname...Trouble.  Perhaps it has to do with the fact that he tends to find trouble wherever he turns, or at least that is what Nana thinks.  I have realized that there is a BIG difference between boys and girls, and since Nana never had a little boy, I think she came to the same conclusion on our trip.  When we asked Will what his name was on the trip, he responded, "Trouble."  He thought he was so cute and started laughing about it.

Anyway, I decided I might should invest in a little security system for Trouble.  I am scared to death that he will get out of my sight before I realize it, so I really don't care what people think about my little solution. Hey, he thinks it is funny to have a monkey on his back and his sister thinks its great to walk her brother around the neighborhood!

Happy Birthday, Mamaw Kat!

As it turned out, the day we left to go to Aunt KK's was also Mamaw Kat's birthday.  So, Pappaw and I planned a little birthday surprise and met for lunch at Cracker Barrell.  Mamaw Kat was suprised and happy to see her little monkeys.  Unfortunately, we hadn't planned our little surprise until after we mailed Mamaw Kat's handmade birthday card...and because of my perfectionist, it took us forever to actually finish it so I knew it was going to arrive late.  Oh well, if I got a precious card like this is the mail, I wouldn't care how late it was.

 In case you were wondering, there are little pieces of paper taped on the card.  Caroline did not want to have any mistakes in her card so every time she messed up a little, we had to start over.  After several tossed cards, I came up with placing little pieces of paper over the mistake so that she could then write a more perfect letter.  She found it acceptable, so I was greatly relieved. Don't you just love the family portrait she included?

Of course she wouldn't dare let her little brother write on her card, so he gladly made his own.

Mamaw Kat's birthday surprise was a perfect plan...a break from riding in the car, good food and getting to give Mamaw Kat a birthday kiss! 

Will just couldn't wait...

so we made a special trip to Texas with Nana to see Katelyn.

None of us knew quite what to expect when Will first laid eyes on his new baby cousin, but it didn't take long to realize he was quite smitten with her.  In fact, I think he gave her about 100 kisses the first time he held her.  We finally had to tell him that he had given her enough kisses, which he obviously didn't agree with.  He puckered up and instead of kissing Katelyn, turned around and kissed the chair!

 Of course he didn't get much holding time in because his big sister quickly said it was her turn.

Thankfully, the new parents weren't overly protective (either that or they just held back their concerns really well) because both of the big cousins got plenty of chances to cuddle with little Katelyn.

They also got to help give Katelyn a bath and even helped instruct KK on how to do it correctly.

They loved Katelyn's little bathtub, which greatly resembled a feed bucket if you ask me.  KK agreed but added that you could see thru it and that was not the case in any of the feed buckets she has seen.

After bath time, Caroline volunteered to rock Katelyn.  Who knows what these girls were discussing in this picture?
Since Katelyn tends to keep her Mommy up at night (I have to admit that there is a part of me that is glad her baby isn't perfect so that she can experiece the true joys of motherhood her sister went through as well), we made it a point to get out of the house during the day so the two of them could get some rest.

Since Caroline had already been to Texas recently, she helped plan the activities for the day.  She decided her brother would like seeing the fish and wildlife at Cabelas...

and the Rainforest Cafe.  While Will was fascinated by the marine life at Rainforest, he was not too thrilled with the rain forest thunderstorm  took place.  The apes and elephants were a bit too overwhelming for my little fellow. 

Of course we couldn't visit Aunt KK without getting to ride Cody.  Caroline even got to ride Valentine all by herself (which, next to holding Katelyn was the highlight of her trip)!

My little Cubbie

This fall, Caroline officially became an Awana Cubbie.  Awana is an awesome program that helps children memorize scripture.  At first I was a little skeptical about how well 3 year olds would be at learning a Bible verse every week, but my little angel has surpassed all of my expectations.  She is even the teacher's pet...perhaps this has to do with her Mommy being the teacher, but none the less, I couldn't be prouder!

CenturyLink picnic

Before baby Katelyn was born (this explains the delay in this post...babies take precedence you know), our family made a special trip to Lousisana to attend Mamaw Kat's company picnic.  Before going my husband informed me that CenturyLink has been doing these for years and that it would really be a lot of fun for all of us, not just the kids.

Well, he was right because we all had a blast.  All adorned with matching t-shirts (we'll do just about anything for Mamaw Kat), we ate until we couldn't eat anymore and played until they closed it down.  The picnic was really unbelievable...basically a free fair filled with rides, inflatables, activities and plenty of food.  But I must admit that the food was much better than fair food since they served barbecue plates and pizza.

 

Caroline loved sliding down the massive gator slide with Mamaw Kat alongside, while I had the pleasure of toting Will up the steps a couple of times so that he could go down as well.  He obviously didn't get his fill of it because after I was pooped from toting him, he went straight to his Daddy to see if he could talk him into going.   The both rode the ponies several times as if neither of them ever got a chance to ride at Pop's every visit. 

Caroline just couldn't believe Mamaw Kat worked somewhere that was just so much fun.  She even stated that her Daddy should start working there.  Too bad Mamaw Kat doesn't have this much fun everyday!