120/365

it was a happy day.  busy.  but happy.  and my afternoon was extra happy.  not only did i make myself a fruit punch spark in a mason jar, but i also received my AdvoCare paycheck AND happy mail from a sweet friend.  happy.  happy.  happy.

119/365

i am constantly looking for new things for mykah to do during the day.  she gets pretty bored without sissy here to entertain her and i stay busy a lot with jaxton.  we do preschool stuff every day.  we write.  read books.  color.  color some more.  but sometimes i just need to find something new.  a fun activity.  today was a lazy day.  jaxton has been sick, so i needed something that would entertain her for a while.  SCORE!

i found this play yard in jaxton's closet and remembered something on pinterest where i saw them use it as a reading spot for toddlers.  or a fort.  so i did just that.  we flipped it over.  put blankets all over it.  and she played for hours.  days actually.  it's been in her room for several days and is still the favorite thing to do.  she begs me for the ipad at rest time so she can go lay in the fort.

this morning, however, little brother needed a distraction as well.

he wasn't as much of a fan as sister was.  he sat there for a few minutes, then he was pretty much ready to get out. 

all i can do is shake my head

this is what i'm working with, folks.  looney.  toons.
all i said was "stand by each other so i can get one picture of y'all in your swimsuits."

118/365

happy sunday!

words to remember

i am going to start recording more of mykah's words.  that girl is hysterical.  and you wouldn't believe half of what she says.
tonight it was this ...

"karsyn is the princess of butterflies (she had butterfly pj's on) and i'm the queen of chaos."
truer words have never been spoken.

she always says "seriously?"

the other day, on the way to school, karsyn sneezed probably 5 times in a row and mykah said "stop being so dramatic, karsyn."

and one of my favorites last week was "hallelula it's cold out here." 

she is a VERY dramatic kid, but the stuff she says is beyond funny.  i absolutely love it.

oh, but she did start saying "elevator" correctly a few weekends ago.  we were at my great-great-great-great aunt's 97th birthday party and it was in a hotel that had a really cool glass elevator.  and mykah said "i want to ride the elevator."  i. was. sad.  she has called it an "alligator" for the longest time.  so i said "you mean the alligator?"  and she got the craziest look on her face and said "it's called an elevator."  i hate when they grow up!!!

117/365

we're learning to dribble a basketball in the driveway ...

daddy / daughter dance

this is a HIGHLY anticipated night of the year.  they remember it.  they talk about it constantly.  they countdown to it.  the daddy daughter dance has been an annual even for us for a few years now.  i think we missed last year because we forgot.  yep, mom of the year.  anywho ...

i am a mom who likes everyone to be matchy matchy.  and my family LOVES it.  ahem.  this time, the style of dresses matched, which is what i wanted, but i had a hard time finding a tie for daddy.  all he had were blues and reds.  i didn't want his tie to stand out that much, so i found this pink tie. 

i admit, they were all adorable.  yes, i'm biased.  yes, i'm okay with that.  but lots of people agreed.

they left around 6:00 and went to eat at Texas Roadhouse.  then hit up the dance around 7.  the Ross Volunteers were there and greeted them with swords high.  how neat is that?!?  yep, just like royalty, they got to walk under raised swords.  the details that go into this evening always amaze me. 

they had ice cream & candy and danced the night away.  when they got home, they were wired, but quickly dropped.  i love that they have a sweet, special daddy who will do things like this with them.  AND wear a pink tie.  he rocked it. 

116/365

our countdown to friday is here.  so is our countdown to the daddy/daughter dance.  AND our last soccer game.  it's a busy weekend folks.  enjoy.

115/365

this boy loves food.  he also loves putting everything he can find into his mouth.

114/365

my little guy isn't feeling well again.  it started off with a cough this time.  a visit to the doctor showed that he has an ear infection.  again.  he's miserable!!  he's snotty, fussy, coughing, crying.  it's so, so, so sad.  we're going to try just doing antibiotic ear drops this time instead of oral drops. 

other than not feeling well ... his little personality is starting to show more.  he seems so laid back at times, hence hanging out with the foot on his high chair tray.  i think he may be a soccer player when he's big because he does lots of things with his feet.  like when he's on the floor playing with his toys, he moves them around with his feet.  a ball.  with is feet.  drum.  with his feet.  and lately he sits in his high chair like this every time.  he also puts his feet up on his toy on his car seat.

silly boy.

113/365

"i can only have 1 cup of chocolate milk a day?"  yep.  new rule. 

seems like i come up with "new rules" daily.  and the girls LOVE it when mama says "no rules!"  but our life without rules all the time would be CHAOS.  for example, mykah would drink chocolate milk all day.  non stop.  chugging it.  she really would.  therefore, there's a rule that she can only have 1 cup of it every day. 

112/365

my two favorite guys.  the little one loves his daddy.

111/365

7 months old

how are we here?!?!  just this past week he has grown tremendously.  he definitely seems more of a big boy than a baby now.  here's what this little guy is doing at 7 months old ...

*sleeps 12 hours at night.  yes, that's awesome.
*drinks 6 oz of formula every 3 hours
*likes to snack of puffs every now and then
*eats baby food for breakfast and dinner.
*favorites are bananas and sweet potatoes.  but he eats it all.  applesauce, pears, apples & blueberries, garden veggies, peas, squash
*sits up pretty good now.  he only lasts for a little bit though then topples over.
*doesn't care to be on his tummy
*we are now done with the bumbo.  he can just about get out of it.
*loves taking a bath
*puts EVERYTHING in his mouth
*grabs and swats at everything
*LOVES his sisters
*really likes being outside
*sits up like a big boy in the stroller
*actually wears caps and sunglasses without taking them off
*likes playing peek-a-boo and patty cake
*i just put away the last of his 3-6 month clothes.  he's offically in all 6 month and can wear a few 9 month things.
*still in size 3 diapers
*pees a whole lot, so he wears size 4 diapers at night.  what a boy.
*sleeps all over the place.  starts on his tummy, but immediately rolls to his side and ends up on his back.  and has to have a blanket over his right hand.
*he's a happy happy baby for the most part.  only gets mad when he has a dirty diaper, is tired, or hungry

110/365

i know you all think i'm clean and organized.  all over.  here's proof that i'm beyond clean and organized.  this little red tub sits on my kitchen counter and we throw everything you can imagine in there.  coconut oil.  markers.  neosporin.  camera cords.  a gummy snake.  thank you cards.  who knows what else.  keeping it real.

and when company comes, i do the unthinkable.  this whole bin goes into hiding in the oven.  yes, i'm a mess. 

where has it gone

time?  where has it gone?  i know i just updated on this girl, but then i took this picture.  she's beyond too big for me.  i remember distinctly the first time she sat up.  how i cried the first time she stayed with my parents without me.  the first time she took a step.  the pink tennis shoes she was wearing.  lots of little details.  and now i'm memorizing her freckles.  the gaps in her teeth.  the new teeth growing.  her knobby knees.  the way she tears her nails.  the silly little girl things that make her giggle.  her love for math.  and how she is just a month away from being done with kindergarten. 

and i can't stop thinking about how it's all going too fast.

hot shots soccer

this spring we really wanted to find something for mykah to do.  something active.  something busy.  she really wanted to play soccer, but wasn't old enough for any of our leagues here.  i really didn't want to do dance or gymnastics because i'm weird and felt guilty that karsyn wouldn't be able to do dance or gymnastics too (cost, time, etc).  we stumbled across hot shots soccer and decided to give it a try.

here's our little poser before we left for her first practice ...

i really think she's going to be an athlete.  it seemed to all come naturally to her and she did really well.  i was shocked!!

i think her favorite part is when they play this game where they all have a flag tucked in the back of their shorts and they run around trying to take everyone's flags while keeping theirs.  you can see it in her face ..

another favorite part ... the huddle ... counting to 3 and shouting "HOT SHOTS!"  this really isn't a good picture of her because all you can see is her hot pink socks and shoes, but the team shot is great!

there she is ... all smiles!

109/365

bath time is growing on us.  he hasn't really ever been a fan, which is unusual.  the girls LOVED bath time and still do.  i think now that he can actually sit up by himself, he likes it more.  tonight his bath time lasted like 30 minutes.  he played and played.  mainly chewing on these foam letters.   and splashed and kicked his feet in the water.

108/365

i can't get enough of this little face!  he's starting to eat a lot more and i've been experimenting with a few foods too.  today ... avocado.  i had some on my sandwich at lunch and he kept eying it.  he liked it okay.  his favorite non-baby food so far is mashed potatoes i believe.

kid2 update

mykah.  oh mykah.  what can i say about this girl.  she's a spitfire.  i've always said that about her.  but she's living it for sure now.  she keeps us on our toes.  and keeps our bellies rolling.  you NEVER know what she'll say or do.  NEVER.  she is hilarious. 

here's a few things about mykah these days :
*she still sucks her thumb and carries her "gankie".  maybe she won't go to kindergarten with them both, but i doubt it.
*she is attached to my hip.  both sides.  always.  and she gets very sad when i leave.
*she constantly talks about me getting old and dying and it makes her really sad.  i haven't quite figured out how to comfort that.  we talk about it constantly.
*she calls david "old man jones" ... hysterical, i tell ya. 
*her laugh is beyond infectious.
*her smile brightens my day. 
*she also had to have a cavity fixed.  and did great.  they just gave her laughing gas and she actually hit the nurse 3 times.  crazy kid.
*she likes to fight.  wrestle.  kick.  hit.  we have cut out all power rangers movies.
*she can be as sweet as sugar right after she punches you in the gut.
*she is still very lazy.  she'd prefer the stroller over riding her bike anyday.
*sweets. sweets. and more sweets.  i have to really control what she eats.  she'd pick chocolate & candy over fruit in no time.
*she's very demanding and will repeat questions until you answer them or until you give her what she wants.  therefore, she does get in trouble a lot.  :)
*she needs to be napping daily.  but she doesn't.  lately she's been putting herself down for naps here and there.  it doesn't happen too often though.
*she gets hurt all the time.  mainly because she doesn't pay attention.
*she loves talking to jaxton.  she's super sweet with him.  but i'm pretty sure he's not sure what to think of her. 
*she likes to make up her own songs & dances. 

i always said i wanted a kid that had a good sense of humor.  boy did we get that.  this girl is full of it.  full of life.  full of laughter.  and who knows what else she's got in there.  i LOVE that.  i love that she keeps us laughing.  i can't even make up half of what she says and i'm sure no one believes me when i tell them.  she's not shy.  she likes to make friends and talk to people when she's ready.  and she knows she's cute.  i do too.  it's so hard to discipline her because of her extreme cuteness.  :)

kid1 update

it's been a while since i updated on each kid.  so here goes ...

karsyn is such a beautiful girl and the best big sister ever.  she really is.  she amazes me daily at how she interacts with jaxton.  i thought the newness of having a baby around would end quickly, but she always wants to play with him and talk to him.  she's the one who can make him laugh at any time. 

here are some fun facts about karsyn :
*she has now lost 11 teeth.  seriously.
*she has 6 crowned teeth now too.  yep.  6. 
*she did so good when she had her dental work done.  she was sedated and woke up with no problems.
*she loves soccer still, which i'm thankful for.  and she's now interested in basketball. 
*she still loves school.
*mary hellen is her best friend.
*she is actually excited about being at a new school next year.
*right now, math is her favorite.  she's constantly adding and subtracting.  i love that she loves that.
*is really good at reading.
*she's had some rough days with a really stinky attitude lately.  i think we're just so busy that she is tired.  we've been trying to take time to rest a lot lately.
*has an infectious laugh.
*thankfully she still has blue eyes.
*is okay with having a little sister who copies her every move.  she understands what being a big sister means.  and plays along most of the time.
*loves to sing.  and sings loud. 
*has a tender heart.
*loves to learn about Jesus.  and talk about Jesus.  and sing about Jesus.

it's so hard for a mama to watch her first baby grow up.  i remember everything about her when she was a baby and it has gone so fast.  she crosses her legs when she sits now.  she has her own style.  dresses how she likes.  wants her hair a certain way.  ties her own shoes.  she's way too big.  and it's gone by in a blink of an eye.  her legs are long and lanky.  her feet are long and stinky.  and i have to remind myself sometimes that she's my baby.  i can't believe how much i love her still.

wordless wednesday . outside day

107/365

he is growing way too fast.  sunday he'll be 7 months old.  where has it gone?  i've done my very best to cherish each moment.  to take time to do the small things.  to rock him every chance i get.  to feed him every bottle i can.  i often fight the mister to feed him.  i always win, of course.  and i know it's the "this is my last baby" thing.  i know.  but i have every right to be that way.  and i also know that he is and will be spoiled.  and i'm okay with that. 

106/365

my life has been ridiculously crazy.  i can't keep up.  i tried using the calendar on my phone and couldn't keep up with it.  i have a dry erase calendar over my computer and would still forget things or forget to erase cancelled things, then show up anyway.  it happened.  a lot.  so i ordered this beauty.  i've had one before and loved it, so i knew it'd be the perfect solution for me.  it's an erin condren life planner.  and i love it.  i take it with me everywhere i go.  life. organized.

favorite pictures

i was going through all of my recent pictures, trying to catch up on posts and my project365 pictures and saw this one.  i have tons of favorites, but this one i HAD to share.  my aggie guys are so cute.  jaxton was shooting the deuce and decided to eat them instead.

cool dude

i just can't get enough of him in his hat and shades. 

105/365

i normally buy fruit from HEB.  i got this latest bunch of strawberries from Sam's and they are DELICIOUS.  i think i may switch where i shop for produce.  we're buying a ton more fresh fruits & veggies these days and less canned/processed foods.  this little berry was my morning snack. 

instagram phone dump 4/15

instagram is my new obsession.  i've played around with it before, but now i'm hooked.  and i want to share some of those pictures with you. 

another day?

i was thinking all day about posting about our life today.  what we do all day long.  then the news hit.  i had just picked karsyn up from school and we were on the playground.  my mister sent me a text to tell me about the reports of bombs going off at the finish line of the boston marathon.  it makes me sick.  and sad.  really, really sad.

what kind of world are we living in?  these stories that come up on the news seem to be coming way too often.  i never dreamed that i would be raising children in such a hateful world.  i knew i'd have to explain to them some day how people make bad decisions, but never thought they'd be so young or i'd be telling them in reference to bombings and school shootings. 

i look into their eyes and they have no clue.  and that's what saddens me more.  they have no idea what kind of world we live in.  we're all about snow cones, barbies, and banana flavored puffs at our house.  i choose the rose colored glasses.  i choose to keep them away from it, but it has now become the world we live in.  the chaos and tragedy is talked about on our favorite radio stations and explodes the television too.  thankfully we try not to keep the TV on too much, but they are bound to hear it sometime, somewhere

i try to focus their attention on the GOOD people we do have in the world.  to focus on us being the good people.  us being the ones helping.  there IS still good in our world.  the bad seems to outweigh the good sometimes.  there will always be bad.  but there will always be good too.

i sure hope Jesus will return soon.

the days go by

we had a wonderful sunday.  we decided to stay home.  life is just crazy right now.  not that staying home is the answer, but just a home day felt right.  we were able to get some stuff done, plus load up on baby gear that we were out on.  diapers. wipes. food.  you know, the essentials. 

we laid around.  made breakfast.  packed some boxes.  played some basketball.  played some soccer.  played some baseball.  got spit up on.  took a nap.  went to sam's.

and good thing this boy is cute!  because he's expensive!!

this was his first real time to sit in a basket.  this look says "why in the world are you not holding me?"  he loved it for a little while.  then daddy has to carry him.

jaxton also go his first aggie shirt.  it's a johnny manziel shirt.  picked out by daddy.  coupled with his khaki cargo shorts?  BEYOND cute. 

we've been enjoying the weather like crazy.  being active is super important to us, so we're spending as much time as possible outside doing things.  the girls new favorite activity is basketball.  i'm pretty sure david and the girls spent all day outside. 

i LOVE these days.  they go by too quickly and i want to enjoy every bit of them.  and i did just that today. 

104/365

103/365

mykah seems to be the princess of all things sweet.  and the queen was here to visit this weekend.  on mykah's agenda to make were rice krispie treats, cake with icing, and smurfs (aka smores).  the cake went perfectly with her tea party that only the select few of us were allowed to attend, until a lesson in kindness, then everyone was invited.  no one really wanted, or needed, this cube of sugar, but i cut them into tiny pieces to serve on the tiny tea party set.  it was perfect. and she was happy.

102/365

you got your hands on a puff.  we tried them a few weeks ago and you almost choked on them.  i was hesitant, but decided to try again.  you like them okay.  you don't quite have that pincher action down with your fingers yet, but you sure did get your hands on them.  i put one in your mouth at a time and you play with it.  sometimes it comes back out. sometimes it stays in.  i think you'll get the hang of it soon and be all over them.  i'm sure these puffs will be a new snack time favorite.

101/365

my little lettuce had her program today.  i'll do a separate post about it.  she did so good!

kindergarten program

karsyn was so excited about her program.  when we found out about it, we also found out that we'd have to make a costume.  WHAT?!?!  a lettuce costume at that.  i had no clue what to do.  she talked it up at school though.  she had big plans.  plans that mama didn't know about.  we settled on a green dress, green flip flops, and a green bow.  a few of the kids/parents went all out.  i thought my little head of lettuce was cute as could be.  i like simple.

the program was "how does your garden groove?" and was the cutest thing ever.  the songs were adorable, as well as the hand motions and dances that went with them.  and my girl got into it.  she did so good!

she was mainly excited that nana and papa were able to be there.  :)

100/365

for the big 100th picture of the year, may as well choose a BIG event ...

my little guy had his first taste of real food.  food other than baby food, i guess.  mashed potatoes.  and he LOVED them, if you can't tell.  i had a tooth pulled today and was ordered to eat soft foods, so i made me a big ol' bowl of mashed taters for lunch.  my mom is probably shaking her head because i've never liked mashed potatoes.  they're growing on me.  as long as they have a big glob of butter and some salt & pepper.  but the little guy could hardly stand to watch me eat them by myself.  he ate a good portion too! 

99/365

the coolest guy ever.  enjoying the sun at soccer.  thanks to mimi for the sunglasses.  the hat is one of konner's when he was a baby.  loving this new look for my little guy.

98/365

my little guy fills my folders.  he fills these pages.  mainly because (right now) he's the only one i can get to sit still for a few seconds to snap a pictures.  plus, he's cute.  i promise that i do have 2 other children and that i do love them equally. 

97/365

this little guy loves to be outside.  and he also loves to be held.  and what a great reminder of being outside at home than a view of the water tower in the background.  soon this will not be home, but it'll always be considered home because all 3 of our kids were born here.  they all were babies here.  had cribs here.  grew here.  and that water tower is a wonderful landmark that reminds us of home.

96/365

kind of?  where is our spring weather?  one day it's really nice.  the next day freezing.  or raining.  or both.  is it really april?  is it really spring?