McCullers (Family of Four)

Helpers x2

2012-02-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

We are settling into our new routine that comes with baseball season. If this is any indication, this might just be our best one yet. Although it is crazy just getting in the door some days with our many bags and then trying putting something nutritious in their mouths and call it supper, I do think I have more help than I accounted for this season.

Just before Cam's birthday, I was actually thinking of putting off the last step to the cookie pop decorating. I could just envision crumbled cookies and a mess of sprinkles everywhere. Sometimes I just don't give them much credit. I had the best little helpers. Cam and Maeve carefully iced each cookie. Then I added the sprinkles. Our assembly line proved to be very productive. And they loved doing such a big, grown-up thing like icing cookies.

Perhaps my days of waiting till bedtime to accomplish my tasks are becoming not necessary. I might can actually go to bed when they do.

Skate Night

2012-02-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

Cam looked forward to Mother-Son Skate Night for weeks before the event. I thought he was looking forward to it so much because it was on the eve of his birthday. I am not much of a skater (actually not one at all...never have been one) and since I was still recuperating for my classroom wipe-out injury, I decided definitely to spare us both insult and injury. Luckily, Nonna came to the rescue and enjoyed some rink time with her favorite little McCullers.

Ready to break in his new skates

Come to find out, he must have been looking forward to it because of his serious skating skills! He was so impressive for a six year old. It wasn't his first time skating, but it was my first time seeing him skate. (Yep. I still avoid it like the plague. Only his Uncle Tommy and Kim have taken him before.) Nonna let him open an early birthday present before coming so he was sporting his very own skates! He had so much fun! He fell many times but nothing too serious. He would get right back up and at it.

Eager to get out on the rink - didn't even need a buddy

I have a hard time believing that my child has skating abilities. He definitely didn't get those from his mother!

No skates on this mama's feet!

Full Swing

2012-01-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

We have enjoyed our six months with Tony. After this weekend, we enter into the "Daddy's at baseball mode." From now until the end of June, (yes, the next six months) baseball season will be in full swing. It will take awhile to get adjusted to our nightly routine without him. What will we scrounge up for a measly supper for just the three of us? Tony is typically the mastermind behind our meals. Who will be the tag-team homework helper and bath giver? Who will distract them from their crankiness with silly games?

Despite his minor quirks that rub me the wrong way at times, his Daddy-mode is something that is unmatched. Most people don't get to see the way he lures our children into the darkness to gaze at the stars whenever we arrive home from a late night adventure. The three of them will stand in the driveway and look up at all the stars. It reminds me to slow down and just take time to be in awe. While they look at the stars, I look at them and am reminded how truly blessed I am with my sweet little family.

I love when Cam wants to give him a "bro hug" or begs to put on a little spray of "smell good" so he can smell just like his Daddy. Just recently Tony and Maeve have been giving each other dramatic kisses. They will start from far off with their lips poked out saying, "Muuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaah!" when they end with a big, loud smack on the the lips.

Our house will definitely not be the same around here and will feel empty and routineless. When it warms up for the ball season, we'll start into our new ballfield routine just to get a glimpse of Daddy.

2012 - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2012-01-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

I know that the old cliche "in the blink of an eye" is true each time I look at my children. With a new year comes birthdays right around the corner. Before I know it, my two little ones won't be little at all. So, this year, I want to soak them up and love them through each stage: the good, the bad, and even the ugly.

The good about Cam right now is that he is so independent. He can totally do the nighttime routine all by himself. He showers and dresses all by himself. The only thing he requests from me is to get his underwear and socks. Maeve's good comes in those moments when she is acting out her pretend life. We love to see her cock her baby doll on her hip and tell her baby, "You are heavy today!" and give it a sweet kiss on the top of the head. With everything she says and does, we realize that we are always on her radar. That, in itself, makes us want to be extra good examples.

The bad stuff now is really not all that bad. There is one thing that really sticks out in my mind as yucky. This is the constant bickering that exists in the evenings between the two of them. It usually starts in the car on the way home from wherever I pick them up. The almost six year old picks a fight with his unsuspecting sister. When I say pick, I mean nit-pick. He will say something like, "Maeve, do you have school tomorrow?" when he knows indeed that she doesn't. She answers, "Yes!" because she is two and has no need to keep up with the days. She also says yes because she loves school and she would really like to go everyday like her big brother does. Then the arguing begins. Cam will say, "No you don't. You don't have school tomorrow. Tomorrow is Friday." Then Maeve will come back at him and say, "Yes! I do, Cam!" And it goes back and forth like that until I stop the madness. Like I said....bad! Extra bad for a mother who has spent the entire day with a similar kind of bickering that goes on in a classroom full of eight year olds.

The ugly. Well, let's just say the potty has been very ugly. We realize now that potty training with Cam was just about as wonderful as it could possibly be because we have now seen the other side - I am talking record-breaking wonderful! After seven months of trying just about every trick known, from pee-pee pezz to the potty app, we think we can finally see the light - or should I say - throw in the towel! (Actually this was the first completely accident free day yet!) Crossing my fingers that the pack of Pull-Ups I last bought really was the last.

Here's to a year full of it all! (No, not the diapers.) A year full of the good, the bad, and even a little bit of ugly.

"Christmas is Over"

2011-12-30T12:44:00.000-08:00

For all the build up of the season, it really is hard to explain the feeling of when it is over. Our almost six year old showed signs of growing up by looking ahead and commenting how it was going to be sad when Christmas was over. Most really small kids can't see past the presents and when they are to be opened. Cam definitely savored his gifts this year and wanted them to last. It was nice to watch his focus shift. He also had a hard time thinking about having to say goodbye to our elf, Elfis. Twice on Christmas Eve, he was upset by the thought of Elfis having to return to the North Pole with Santa.

Of course Maeve didn't have the foresight to think about savoring each moment, but she showed a natural intuition to enjoy the gift of giving this year. She loved each of her presents as they were meticulously unwrapped. She also took note in what others were opening. No tears were shed when the tree was undecorated or the stockings were packed away. She simply walked around stating the obvious: "Christmas is over."

But, whether those two realize it or not, Christmas is always in our hearts. That has been evident by Maeve's mixed-up Christmas carols. Just today she was marching around the house singing, "Glory to the manger" to the tune of "O come let us adore Him" and "Two golden rings" instead of five! Her record gets stuck on repeat to her favorite "Go tell it on the mountain. Over the hills and everyway-er." The calendar says Christmas is over, but you my dears, have found the joy of Christmas and that never leaves us if we take the time to feel it.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

2011-12-29T22:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas joy at its best!

The wonder of new things you never knew you wanted!

Although we joked that school wasn't out this year until about 20 minutes before Christmas Day, we really did our best to celebrate the season this year instead of just one or two days. We had gatherings before school was out, in between, and after. A great time to just enjoy. And, although some of my gifts weren't wrapped until moments before they were packed in the car to deliver to their recipient, it was O.K. Tony helped out tremendously this year with the purchasing efforts. I really couldn't have done it without him.

The hustle and bustle didn't get the best of us. We spent time with those we love the best, listened and sang along to lots of Christmas tunes, went on a trek to see a beautiful lights display, watched a few movies that got us in the spirit of the season, and told and retold the Christmas story so that those two sets of ears who are always listening would know the true meaning of this very special time of year.

A little Christmas courage - trying new things

Spending time with friends and....

family!

This is when I had to use the "He's watching you" card to get them to cooperate!

Christmas surprises!

Japanese Christmas - discovering a new talent

A new gift - tornado big wheel

Catching a moment for rest and relaxation

Hay, Santa, and Cowlicks

2011-12-18T20:36:00.000-08:00

Quite an unusual combination for a Christmas gathering, but with this family, nothing is surprising. Anything goes and that's what makes it so much fun! I told Tony on our way home that Granny's Christmas gathering was my favorite out of all the Christmastime events when I was growing up. Maybe it was because it was always a little bit different....a different place, a different guest, a different menu. Or maybe because it was always full of surprises....tracking Santa on the radar, getting that most unusual gift from Granny, or having chicken feathers coughed up after eating chicken stew. I'm pretty sure I know the reason for it being my favorite year after year....there was never an expectation to be something. It was just genuine enjoying the moment and enjoying each other.

This year proved to be the same. We caught the great-grand boys playing in the Littles' hayloft. It was better than any trampoline. They were climbing up and down like they were all true country boys. We had our traditional visit from Santa, who feels like he is part of our family now. He admitted that we had lost all control as children were going in and out and all about. However, we were able to capture some very organized pictures this year among all the chaos. We got pictures of each generation with Granny and Santa - the great-grands, the grands, and the children.

The Great-Grandchildren

The Grandchildren

The Children

We ended with a life lesson for all of us. The cow was called up (her name will be not be revealed here..ha!ha!). We were going to let Maeve get a close-up view of her. We took a roll out to her as a treat. OH DEAR! Have you ever fed a cow and seen that long tongue???? Wow! Maeve saw her mama totally freak out. I kept dropping the roll as that tongue came toward me. I have never in my life experienced something like that. Several of us gathered around and marveled at her cowlicks.

Cam talking to Santa

Maeve's new baby

As our family has grown, so has our love and laughter.

Bean's Birthday

2011-12-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

Today is your day, Bean!

CoCo celebrated his 12th birthday in style. We had a teachable moment of 12 x 7 = 84. I must say, Bean is looking good for his ripe old age of 84! Cam suggested we get out the party hats while Maeve was excited about him "blowing out him" candle.

Here's a hat mom! Can we put it on CoCo?

"You've got to be kidding me!" declared the birthday dog.

CoCo got the royal treatment. After a little torture of wearing the birthday hat, he got to enjoy a leftover hamburger. I think he liked that far better than cake. For sure, he knew it was a special day. Cam commented later that day that CoCo sure didn't have a lot of people come to his party. But, my love, he had the ones he loves the best and that is a great birthday!

Singing "Happy Birthday" complete with cha, cha, cha

I hope to pass on my love of dogs, especially dachshunds, to them.

He is definitely feeling the love.

Pink Pig Part 2

2011-12-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

For Cam's first Christmas, Pop decided that he would like to carry him to ride Macy's famous Pink Pig. So we made the trek there and made some memories. We didn't make it back for Maeve's first Christmas or second, so we were determined to take her this year. Instead of waiting on the weekend, we went during a school night. It was a big trip for one evening, but there was no wait and both kids were great.

Maeve loved it. Afterall, it was a sea of pink. After riding twice, she got to pick out an ornament like Cam had done for his first time. She picked out Pricilla, just like any girly girl would. Cam, on the other hand, was a bit disappointed. I think he was thinking on a Disney scale, and it definitely was not quite that big. When we got off, he said, "Was that it?" Poor thing. Now he will remember for sure.

They will both have a memory about their Pink Pig adventures as they hang those ornaments each year. Who knows, we might just have to go back for memory's sake.

What is Christmas?

2011-12-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

Somehow this year, my payment was due and it was my turn to be in charge of the kids' Christmas play at church. With much doubt and despair as I anticipated the extra work that would be required to pull this off, I almost backed out. However, something very simple and managable was laid on my heart for us to be able to do. With Tony's help and computer expertise, we were able to bless our community with a children's Christmas musicial. It was very traditional in that it consisted of the Christmas hymns and the reciting of the Christmas story found in the Bible. We also put together a video collage of the kids telling about their favorite part of Christmas and another one of them telling about the true meaning of Christmas.

If nothing else, the kids who particated learned the traditional Christmas carols and will be able to sing along for years to come because of learning and practicing them this year. Also, I hope they have a better understanding of the best gift ever given - Jesus!

Even Cam and Maeve had small parts in the musical. Cam sang all the songs. (Maeve practiced them and loved bellowing out "Go Tell It on the Mountain," but did not stand up in the choir to sing during the performance.) Cam also memorized what the "A" in Christmas stands for as part of the poem we recited. He said, "A is for the angels who made the heavens ring." Maeve dressed like a little sheep, but I was her shepherd on the front row apparently. She never made it up to the stable area, but she looked adorable in her attempts. Wherever we have been and we hear the now familiar Christmas carols, both of them will say, "This is one of our church songs" and join in signing it.

I am glad that I answered the call.

90 Years Young

2011-12-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

Accepting her party guests with lots of stories and smiles

Ninety years ago, on a December day, little Doris Virginia Lord was born. While I don't know what that day was like, I can only imagine that it was calm, and beautiful, and a day full of God's grace. I have only known her in her role as my Grandmama (aka Granny) and now the great-grandmother of my two and a whole brood of great-grands. I knew as a little girl that she really loved me...I mean, she let us pick her chinaberries for our mud pies! I am so glad that I've gotten the chance to see how much she loves and cherishes my little ones. She will bend over backwards to offer them an ice cream sandwich or to watch them while they play.

Grandmama with Regina's Grandchildren

Over the last year and half, I have watched her adapt to earth shattering changes as she has adjusted to life without the love of her life. She not only lost him but with him, she lost all of her familiar, daily routines and much of the independence he provided her. Although she had to celebrate her 90th milestone without him by her side, she did it with grace and graciousness. She says, she'll be here as long "as the Good Lord sees fit." Thank you, Lord, for seeing fit to let me have her for an example for so many years. Love, love, love my sweet Granny!

Little Granny with her littlest great-granddaugter

Parade

2011-12-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

Not the coldest parade, the longest, or the best one - but a nice one, nonetheless. Got to stand with great friends - ones we dont' get to be with near enough. Goats, instruments, floats, and tractors a plenty. Love small town traditions!

Thought the wagon might help us out.

Cam had other ideas for the wagon!

Look cuter than any elves I've ever seen!

Another use for the wagon - patty cake!

Maeve's Parade Post

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

2011-12-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

Love this time of year! Love sharing it with these two little ones. Telling them about our traditions and helping them understand the meaning of it all helps me to relive my favorite memories and Christmastime pleasures.

Decorating the tree was quite an experience. My usual order of ornaments was mixed up a little as they were both trying to dig in the box to look to see what was next. It was a chorus of, "Mama, where does this go? Mama, can you help me hang this one? Mama, can you hang this one up high? We had only two casualties that hit the floor before being hung on just the right branch. Our live tree is very beautiful even in the randomness of its ornaments.

Cam got to decorate his very own gingerbread house too. I think he had done this with Nonna before, but never at home. I actually brought home the extra supplies that were leftover from my class' decorating extravaganza. It was a perfect activity for him to do while Maeve napped. He was very methodical with the placement of his can decor. And, surprisingly, he only ate a couple of gumdrops too.

The Christmas pjs have come out too. We get a whole month's worth of Christmas pjs in around here and can be caught wearing them at other times besides bedtime! I realized that Cam's pjs from last year were about 5 inches too short on the arms and legs. But, Maeve has a plethora of handbydown pjs from Macie that she will enjoy throughout the month. Nothing better than a clean baby decked out in comfy red and green pjs admiring the glow of the Christmas lights!

We have acquired a new tradition this year as well - an elf on the shelf that we lovingly named Elfis. When we retreived the decoration boxes for Cam and Maeve's trees, we had a special package wrapped from Santa. It was our elf. After reading the book, we are very excited to know that he will be hanging out at our house during the days of December, but will head back to the North Pole to report back to Santa on the behavior of the day each night. Cam gets into locating Elfis each morning and is bright eyed like he is on Christmas morning. And even Maeve said with very wide eyes, "We can't touch him cause him will lose him magshic." So far, he hasn't been as mischeivious as some other scout elves we've heard about.

I also get a little carried away with the Christmas outfits, especially for Maeve. Even when Cam was little, I would nearly smother him in some kind of red or green shirt as many days as I could. Now, it is rare if you find Maeve in the month of December not sporting some kind of Christmas themed outfit. I know I will miss the days when I don't get to be the CEO of their clothing!

During this time, I am reminded of the song "Let Them Be Little." Yep. Let them experience all the joys of this magical season. Even when it seems like you can't possibly squeeze one more thing in, do it for them.

We're Goin' on a Tree Hunt

2011-11-25T22:29:00.000-08:00

Instead of a bear hunt, we went on a tree hunt! Usually we just go find our artificial one down in the basement. However, last year left a bad taste in our mouths. Our prelit tree had to be stripped of its unworking lights, which ended up being about a 3 hour process. So, instead of bringing up those memories, we just decided it might be time for our little ones to pick their tree.

It was fun, messy, and I am guessing it will be something they will want to do over and over again. We even decided to go all out and cut one down. Tony and I have never done that because my favorite live trees are fraiser furs. I wanted to give them the true experience where they got to see their daddy work and we got to scream, "Timber!" We picked out a Green Giant on Jacks Creek Farm. It was actually the first one we came to. After looking over several more, we came back to the first one.

And, once we got it home, I realized that all that hunting was in vain. Any tree looks beautiful once you get it home and decorate it. It is especially beautiful when you get to pull out the ornaments and tell your little ones the history of each one. It's even more beautiful as you sit and admire the tree and talk about the symbolism - its star and evergreen branches. These are the traditions I want to keep.

So Thankful

2011-11-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

Life a plenty, laughs so many

Food abound, luxuries all around.

One boy, one girl - who make our life a whirl

Thank you, Lord! Into us you have freely poured.

May we give back to You,

to thank You for all you do.

Cam's class cake - 3rd place

When Daddy Carves the Turkey

The Indian Feast

The Indian and the Turkey

So proud to show sister around his school

Thanksgving Day Feast

Very Thankful for these Two

Even thankful for all of this sassiness!

Thankful for a rest and relaxation

Maeve's First Game at Sanford Stadium

2011-11-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

Family Shot in front of the Hedges

On Saturday 11/19, we took a family outing to the GA vs. KY game. Tony talked about taking Cam, and since I had not been in while and Maeve had never been, we decided it might be a fun outing for the whole family. It was a great day for Georgia football since this game clinched an SEC playoff position for our Dawgs.

Maeve- ready for her first game.
Cam- ready to show her what it's all about.

We layered ourselves in red and black and headed to breakfast at Strickland's first. Then we made our way to the stadium. The walk took a few extra minutes with little feet moving as fast as they could. When we made it to our seats, the snacking began. When Cam and Maeve think of football, they think of unlimited snacks. It isn't the cool stunts from the cheerleaders, the Redcoat band, or Hairy Dawg. They think of all the yummies they get to have. They had apples, grapes, a banana, Pixie stix, popcorn, Little Debbies, suckers, Cheez-Its, and cotton candy. I think I remembered everything. Phew! They consumed enough calories for the entire weekend for sure!

I am not opposed to the snacks as long as it occupies them. I was not intending on staying for the whole game, but the point spread was not enough to just pick up and leave. For that I was glad for the extra snacks.

Serious Popcorn Eating

Made it to the 4th Quarter

Instead of rooting them on, they ate them on to a win! Go Dawgs!

Super tired, but still all smiles!

Maybe he did watch the game a little - he'showing off some moves he saw

Our Georgia Girl

"Cam say that word!"

2011-11-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

Cam and Maeve, in true sibling style, love to tell on each other. There is a fine line between love and hate tread on each night. They can be SO very sweet and loving to one another in one minute, and then the worst of enemies the next. Cam is a huge pesterer right now, and Maeve is a tattler. The combination of the two can be nerve-racking to say the least!

One of Maeve's daily tattles is, "Cam say that word!" if she ever hears him saying something she deems as ugly. And of course Cam denies any infraction. Then, sneakily he will whisper something in her ear to get her in trouble. It is a back and forth interaction. If we ever get on to Cam, Maeve will ask, "What Cam do?" Just like a girl...gotta be in-the-know!

This, too, shall pass. However, I think this will be a quality that grows with them in some form or fashion. They do seem to find some time to enjoy each other's company, every once in a while!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

Usually the first chance to dress up every year is for the Hallow Him party at church. Evidently I must have been hungry this year as I decided on costumes....Cam was a hamburger (or as we referred to him as Camburger) and Maeve was a cupcake. They loved doing the trunk-or-treat and the cake walk. They also got to dress us while we were in Amelia Island. They went around to the different stores at the plantation and got some candy and also did some carnival-type games. Both were very good sports for their costumes. I think they actually enjoyed dressing up.

Then, on Halloween night, we invited the Meelers over to eat supper. After that, we headed out for our first real trick-or-treating. (Usually we just load them up and take them across the county to be able to see all the grands and the aunts and uncles....well, for everyone to be able to see them all dressed up.) We decided to shake it up a little this year and make it easier on ourselves not to have to drive so far on a school night.

We went to a nearby neighborhood and were a little wary of it since none of us had ever really done ther neighborhood trick-or-treating growing up. They had a blast! Although we only went to about 5 houses total, they loved riding around on the back of the truck and jumping off to go ring the next doorbells. It was quite comical as the little ones kept falling and lagging behind the bigs. We are thinking this is going to be our new trick-or-treating tradition. We might have had just as much fun as they did!

More great memories to add to our collection!

Beach and Bulldawgs

2011-11-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

Beach time came around quicker this year because I declared that we would be following the dogs to Florida. We went a few years before Cam and Maeve were here, but haven't been back since they were born. I really just needed an excuse to getaway to my favorite Amelia.

Just steps away from the beach

My Beach Boy

They could not resist the waves...eventhough they were very chilly!

Family Foot Pose

My Beach-Loving Baby Girl

Kindergarten Kid (Part II)

2011-11-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

Cam is having a great time in kindergarten. He is learning so much already. I am so glad that he likes school. I never realized how much I would enjoy having him with me at school. I love running in to him in random places throughout the school. He still runs up and gives me a hug when I walk in to the cafeteria. We have gotten used to our morning ride-in routine and the afternoons when he has to hang around while I finish up working.

He recently participated in the Eagle Run/Walk where he tried to run as many laps in the gym as he could in 12 minutes. He was able to complete 28. I got to pop in and out during the running time. He was really running hard. I think he has his daddy's competitive nature. He also rode the bus for the first time on their trip to the pumpkin patch. He talked about the bus ride more than the cool things he did at the patch. While brushing his teeth on 11/8, one of his wiggly teeth feel out. He came running in to report the news! Then, the very next day, I pulled his other one in the cafeteria at school. He isn't really a snaggle tooth because his permanant ones were already peeking through.

He is growing up so fast. I think the scariest thing to me is that when I started teaching, I remember having a few teaching friends who had kindergartners or first graders, and now those same little ones are big ones in high school. Before I know it, my kindergarten kid will be an all-grown-up-one. Trying to soak up every little part of him.

One of my favorite rituals with him is lying with him every night and saying prayers with him. He likes for me to lay with him until he's asleep. We are trying to get him to feel comfortable just being tucked in and not having to have someone lay with him. I haven't really pushed this goal because I know, all too soon, this nighttime moment will be lost just like those two front teeth. Love you, Cam....my favorite little boy!

Heaven's Best Girl

2011-11-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

Never have I seen someone more excited or on a mission than I have when my daddy came up with his biggest advertising idea. He is constantly researching new ways to cost-effectively advertise for his carpet cleaning business. Well, what do you get when you have a professional photographer as an employee and a Shirley Temple-look-alike granddaughter? The perfect combination for his best adverstisement investment yet!

Now if you call Heaven's Best and need some cleaning services, you will see this coming your way. You got it - in larger-than-life form - Maeve is the carpet model that is proudly billboarded on the carpet truck. On its debut day, his customer asked him who that pretty little girl was on his truck. He was thrilled to tell her it was his granddaughter and the picture was taken just a couple of weeks earlier. And at that bragging moment, the cost of his ad was priceless!

Doo has always had a soft spot for his girls. Maeve, we are pretty certain (with this as proof), has the softest spot!

My Punkins

2011-11-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

Nothing like the traditional pictures of my punkins' amongst the pumpkins and picking out their pumpkins. We had a weekend full of both. After the fall festival on Saturday, we enjoyed a spur of the moment trip to the pumpkin patch on Sunday. Daddy and Granny even got to join in on the fun this year. Just like the various sizes of pumpkins, the patch weather is unpredictable. This year it was hot and sunny. It felt more like a sultry summer day after all that searching for our Great Pumpkin. I know I am partial, but I am pretty certain my punkins' are the cutest ones in the patch!

Wasn't that long ago that I was propping him up between two
pumpkins to take his picture - Now he's picked out his own!

Maeve was not partial to any particular pumpkin.
She wanted to put all of them in our wheelbarrow.

Cam: Good grief!
Maeve: How's this pose?

Just the right touches for this fall scene!

We found it, Charlie Brown - It's the Great Pumpkin!

Holding a chick at the festival

My Punkins

The Colors of Fall

2011-10-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

Ahhh. There is a crispness in the air that invites in those events that were lost in summer: pumpkin spice lattes, crackling fires, rustling leaves, pajama pants, soups in the crock pot, and jackets.

Another only-in-fall sighting is that white stuff in the fields. It still amazes me that something like cotton grows on a plant. "It looks and feels like wool from a sheep!" Cam exclaimed as we trudged through the cotton patch. We went to take pictures and see it close-up. Maeve made it her mission to pick it and get as much as she could.

White, in this case, if definitely a color of fall!

At the Hop

2011-10-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

Cam and Maeve dressed in their 50s attire and went to the sock hop at school. It is very different now that I have a child at school now. I have to remember that he is really excited about after school events when I consider them yet another thing to do on my never-ending list of responsibilities. We made it a family event and made the most of the opportunity to flash back 60 years.

Complete with a leather jacket and poodle skirt, we were ready to hit the dance floor. Well, dancing is not exactly what I would call it, but there was a lot of excitement all over the gym floor. When it was time to leave, Cam was not ready to go. This was our first of many MBES family functions.

First Trip to the Dentist

2011-10-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

Maeve the Brave went to get her teeth cleaned for the first time. She was supposed to just come along to see the whole process while Cam and I went for our check-ups. Well, after waiting on us it must have seemed like a lot of fun because she was determined to jump up in that chair to get her teeth tickled. Yes. Another circumstance that shows just how very different our two children are. Did they really come from the same gene pool? I flashback to Cam's visit where both Tony and I were hovering over every move, where he cried and had to sit in Tony's lap while his teeth were polished. Maeve certainly didn't shy away or ask for a lap. She was ready!

Now, if we can get her to be as ready to wear big girl panties and to stop sucking those fingers!

The D Word, The B Word, and the S Word

2011-09-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

Tony and I have commented to each other and to innocent onlookers recently that Cam and Maeve have definitely become siblings in the last few months. By this, we mean that they interact in the special love/hate/aggravate kind of way that is an instinct for all siblings. On any given day, there can be way more of one of these that throws the other two off balance. Cam and Maeve quite frequently find themselves in arguments, more toward the end of the day, that wind up in a test of wills as to who is going to outlast the other (or should I say out yell!) If you know either of the two, you know that both are very strongwilled!

Assisting with a Saturday morning breakfast

On other days, it is very nice to watch them interact with each other. They can very nicely take turns and help each other out. They can also give each other ideas of things to do or check on each other in times of despair. One of their newest activities to do together is to do their homework. Of course, it is Cam that really has the assignments, but Maeve insists on doing her homework as well. They both busy themselves in their studies. A habit, I hope, that is evident in our home for many years to come.

Homework time

Just the other day, we were in the car and they were in their typical backseat positions. Many times we like to play "I Spy" to pass the time in the car. Maeve isn't always the most honest player of this game, but we tolerate her two-year old inconsistencies. On this particular journey Cam asked Maeve if she wanted to play a game. Maeve is always willing to play a game. Cam likes to set Maeve up for trouble at times, and like all gullible little sisters, she always falls for it.

Growing up together (Enjoying a snowcone at the circus)

Cam very quietly asked her if she wanted to play "DooDoo." The thought of a game called by that name caught her off guard at first. But, she could read Cam's foxlike grin, and immediately started grinning herself. She laughed and repeated his question much louder, just as he intended her to do: "Wanna play DooDoo?" Tony and I just rode along like we hadn't heard any of their mischeviousness. When she didn't get the response she was expecting, the clever little thing changed the name of the game to another head-turning word. She said, "Wanna play Butt? At this point, I had to turn around and give her the mama eye. She obviously didn't get the meaning of my tightly pinched eyebrows because she pulled out another off-limits word. She said, "Wanna play Stupid?" I had to put a stop to her game with a stern, "No Mam! We don't say that!" Not that she had any other bad words to add. She had used all of her bad words up in her game names.

Cam - 5
Maeve - 2

Tony and I had to bite our tongues to keep from laughing. Not that we are laughing that our innocent little two year old has been corrupted by her five year old brother. Cam had never heard any of those words at two, much less know to use them to push Mama and Daddy's buttons. That wasn't it at all. We laughed at how simple our world is with them now. Even in the midst of the "bad," may we remember, just how good this time time with them was.

Red and Black

2011-09-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Whether the Dawgs are up or down, I have two little ones that make red and black always look good! Time for a little tailgating action. We started it off with a housewarming tailgate at Nonna and Pop's. Then the next weekend, Cam got to spend the night in the camper in Athens. He loved all of the action. Then the next weekend, he went to the game. Three weekends in a row of UGA football. He is his father's child!

My Boys

Mama's Girl

Cutie PaTuties

I tried to reinact a picture of them on the grass like the one they took 2 years ago -
Got them on opposite sides

Cooling off in the Camper

Quite possibly the cutest GA cheerleader ever!

Computer issues, but still too cute not to include

Even sideways, you can tell that she is red and black from head to toe!

Summer Sizzles Out

2011-09-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

While our summer routine is long gone, we are still hanging on to some of the fun times we had. Labor day marks the official end of the long daylight days and the long heat wave. I do love the crispness of fall, a good ol' fall festival, and even some football! Cheers to a new season!

Our cowgirl, tutu princess!

Cherish our downtime these days

Swinging Medallions with Chloe

Enjoying the concert and a cool drink with Anna Belle

In Bulldog Town

Washing all the school germs away

Kindergarten Kid

2011-08-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

Cam had a successful start to kindergarten! Although it is obvious at times that he is his mother's child, he has done great with the adjustment to a new school and class. More than ever before, I was actually excited about going back to school. This is just how I pictured it as I was picking out my career all those years ago. I love having my little guy with me!

Tying shoes on the first day! So independent!

All ready and all smiles!

New backpack

Headed to Kindergarten!

I now have a riding buddy and don't have to rely on the radio for company on the way to school. And seeing him by surprise throughout the day is just the best! We get to see each other everyday at lunch because his class comes in right after mine. I love being able to check on him even when he doesn't know.

"My class is this way!"

"Right down here, Mom and Dad!"

Found a hook for his backpack

Found a book to read

My sweet, sweet big boy!

He is so excited about learning already. After the first few days, he was discussing books that he reads and making suggestions of ones I should read in my classroom. I can't wait to watch all that he will learn this year.

Made it through the first day and got to bring home a friend, Puff!

Looking forward to the best year ever!

Sayonara Summer

2011-08-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

At the very beginning of summer, I helped Cam make top-ten list of the things he was thankful for about summer.

10 - Fishing

9 - Swimming

8 - Vacaction

7 - Wii

6 - Exercise

5 - Baseball

4 - Cousins

3 - Beach

2 - Staying up late

1 - Camping

We were able to enjoy all the things on the list and so much more. I feel very blessed to have this time each year to refresh, renew, and reconnect with my sweet family. It's bittersweet to think about moving on from this time. Here is my top-ten lists of what I will miss the most about summer:

10 - Spending time with our favorite people

9 - Wearing comfy clothes everyday

8 - Making ordinary things fun with just an added twist

7 -Completing tasks that seem to get swept under the rug during the rest of the year

6 - Having time to cut loose

5 - Enjoying new places and sights.

4 - Having extra time to make messes and fully enjoy what we are doing

3 - Reading good books and playing games

2- Taking time to enjoy the the beauty that surrounds us

1 - Simply relaxing with a beautiful view

BabyLand General

2011-08-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

Another item on my summer agenda was to take a trip to BabyLand General. We turned this trip into a girls trip (much to Tony and Cam's delight). We loaded up our princess and headed for the hopsital where the the babies grew in cabbages. Maeve was eager to get there and was looking for a field of cabbages all the way.

She finally found the cabbage patch!

Two new patch friends

Squeals and skips led us up to the doors of the BabyLand General Hospital. Maeve was looking in the windows and seeing the all the babies. We walked through the nursery and saw babies upon babies. "Ooowee! Look at this baby! He's so little! She's so cute!" were some of the things Maeve kept saying over and over.

"Let me get this baby's paci."

She was dashing from one cabbage to the next and wanting to love on all of the little babies. She was on pacifier patrol even in the patch. She watched the mother cabbage deliver a baby boy at first, then a girl. Perhaps the funniest part was when Maeve walked into the party room and sat down beside some of the bigger cabbabe kids who were having a birthday party. When she sat, she said, " Hello friends!" She pretended to have cake with them. She also made us sing "Happy Birthday," and, of course, we did!

I think she would have picked up all of them if she had the chance.

Maeve sat down at this party table like she had a personal invitation.

We decided on a bigger kid for her so that she could show her how to use the potty. So, after much searching, we finally found the perfect one to adopt. Welcome to the family, Marylou Anna!

Marylou is headed home with Maeve

Maeve and Marylou have the same initials.
It works perfect for to be able to pass down her monogrammed outfits!

Build A Bear, A Bunny, and A Bean

2011-08-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

When I realized Build-a-Bear had a brown dachshund to build this summer, I made it my mission to take my two this summer. We made it a fun trip with Brenna.

Taking home their new friends

I had plugged Maeve to want to build a dog like CoCo, so she had no trouble picking out her flopsy, no-stuffing shell of a dog and getting busy with the building. When it was time to name the dog, Maeve was stuck on CoCo Bean. So, now we have a live CoCo and a stuffed one. The stuffed one doesn't mind being dragged around with the leash quite as much as the real one does.

Maeve squeezing her CoCo Bean

Cam, his mother's child, had a difficult time deciding what he wanted. At first he thought maybe he was too big to build a stuffed animal. He had decided on just an angry bird. But, then when he realized he had the opportunity to dress his animal in a Georgia football uniform, he decided on a cute bear he named George. The best part about George's uniform is that his helmet comes off. Cam has had a great time pretending with George.

Cam and George the Georgia Monkey

Brenna fell in love with a floppy eared bunny she named Bella. Of course Bella got an Oconee blue cheerleading outfit. I can picture her now dragging Bella to all the games this year.

Brenna with Bella Bunny

Can you tell which one is the real CoCo?

Yes. They are just another stuffed animal to add to the collection, but I hope that building them and bringing them to life will open up a whole new world of imagination that these stuffed things can bring.

Summer Sightings

2011-07-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

Just a few sights that let me know it is summer for sure. Sweet summertime!

Watermelon

Flag

Popsicles

Hydrangeas

Chillaxin'

Floating

Sail Away with Me....

2011-07-21T21:57:00.000-07:00

What better way to celebrate ten years of marriage than to have an anniversary cruise with our best buddies who will also be celebrating their tenth year in a couple of months. We had too many double dates to count with Marc and Hillary so it seemed only fitting that they should joing us for a moumental anniversary. In the words of Dolly and Kenny, "Sail away with me to another world..." is exaclty what we did. Three days of just relaxing and enjoying each other. Kind of like the pre-marriage days were....no responsibilities, no children, no alarm clocks!

Bahama Mamas

The Meelers

The McCullers

A little bit of paradise

Julie-n-Hillary VBFF

We found dates that would work for all of our schedules and booked it back in April. It kind of snuck up on us and felt surreal as we rode down to the port without having to pull over for emergency potty breaks or to entertain someone who was getting cranky. We quickly settled in to a "cruisin'" routine and knew exactly what decks served the food! We ate more than we ever have in our lives, laughed a whole lot, and made more memories to tell stories about for the next ten or so years!

We are thinking that an anniversary of the anniversary cruise is definitely in store!

3, 2, 1, Lift Off!

2011-07-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit of a space geek this summer. While in Daytona, we took a day and went to the Kennedy Space Center. It was stifling hot, but we hoped to inspire a little person in our company with a bit of imagination about discovery and science.

Then, we we found out our anniversary cruise would be boarding on the the same day as the final flight of Atlantis, we decided at the last minute to leave in time to see it. Actually, I had wanted to go all along, but didn't want to pressure anyone into leaving early, especially since it's never a sure thing depending on the weather. Since I had only experienced launches on tv, I wanted to be able to see it with my own eyes just once. Luckily, Marc and Hillary really love me, so they agreed to jump in the truck and head on down a night before we had planned.

We arrived at the port with just minutes to spare. We didn't know where to park to watch it as there were tons of people stopped on the side of all the roads. There were boats riding in from the ocean to see it. That in itself was something to see. We didn't want to be stuck in traffic and not be able to board our ship on time. So, we go all the way to the port (a full two hours before boarding time) and find a spot in the parking deck. Much to our dismay, we found out that they were already boarding the ship. We didn't have time to go through the check-in process and get onboard before the launch. If we had known about the early boarding, we would have made it in time to board the ship so that we could have watched it from the top deck. Instead we positioned ourselves in a window of the parking deck.

Being a "live launch" rookie, I didn't know what to expect. There was no countdown in real life, so all of the sudden the onlookers start to cheer. I see smoke from the launch pad, but I don't see anything else. I couldn't believe what was happening. I had gone out of my way to see this and drug my husband and bffs with me. In all the hustle and bustle to see it, I had a sudden fear that I was missing it. I called out in desperation, "I'm missing it!" Being the rock that she has always been, Hillary pointed my eyes to the right spot so I wouldn't miss the historical event. Phew! What would I do without her. Turns out I was seeing it, I just wasn't sure that the billowing white clouds was "it."I finally found the glowing orange flame that was pushing the shuttle and was able to watch it until it went behind the clouds. It wasn't until then that we finally heard the rumble and roar of the engines powering the object into space.

Julie: "I'm missing it!"
Hillary: "It is right there....the big orange glow."

The smoke that followed the glow.
This is when we could finally hear the rumbling.

The smoke over the boarding area for the cruise ship

Thanks for giving me this experience and for being such good sports about it. I do try to hide my geekiness most of the time. I know it definitely shined through for this event! Thanks for loving me despite of it.

From one out-of-this-world experience to another!

Braves Game with the Boys

2011-07-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Doo's Father's Day gift was a trip to the Braves game. He had never been to Turner Field, and for such a die-hard fan, this was an injustice! The original plan was for the "boys" to take him. Somehow (thanks to my sister who booked it) I ended up with the boys in place of Tony who had his own baseball team to root on. I was Doo's original "boy," so it was fitting that I join in. I think they were glad to have me because I packed the snacks and kept up with the tickets for them.

We had a fun night full of laughs, chops, and a win for the Braves! Couldn't have been better!

Beach Bums

2011-07-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

As usual, our summer isn't complete without a trip (or two) to the beach. We crashed Daytona, the world's most famous beach, this year with Tommy and Kim and some friends and then hit our usual Amelia Island with the Phillips family. We didn't plan it quite right as we had a week lull in between. It would have been perfect to have been away for two straight weeks, but we choese to drive 8 hours there and back, then 6 hours down to AI and back! Grateful for kids who don't get carsick and for two that can wear headphones while watching movies in the car. We kept the suitcases all packed and ready for the week in between. One summer, maybe we can get our weeks just right. Summer baseball is usually what dictates our weeks. However, it also helps to fund our fun so we have to work around it.

We declared this to be the best summer yet since becoming parents. This declaration comes largely because now that both Cam and Maeve love the water! As a toddler, we had to lure Cam out to the beach and pump him with snacks. We could only hope to get a couple of beach hours in with him. While he still doesn't love getting sandy and is a little apprehensive of the murky ocean waters, he does have fun digging, playing baseball, and searching for shells and sand fleas. Maeve had a cranky first year on the beach mostley because she was just a few months old, but last year and this she has had a blast on the beach. She doesn't mind getting sandy (or eating sand) and loves to busy herself in the sand by building castles and retrieving water. She will jump a wave with the big boys and has no fear of what lurks underneath. Some of her best naps have been passed out under the umbrella.

Phew! Finally a little time to relax in my new beach chair! There is nothing more perfect than sand underfoot, breeze whipping the sides of my oversized hat, and the sounds of waves crashing nearby.

Spoiled. For sure. Yet another reason why I LOVE summertime!

Daddy made Cam some giant feet

The braided pigtails must make her feel serious about playing

Cam and Maeve's Castle

Snowcones on the beach

Matching McCullers

Cam, 5 years old

Maeve, 2 years old

Posing (He would not lay or sit beside his name)

My shrimps with the patriotic shrimp

Riding the waves (first time ever!)

Teaching Maeve how to jump the waves

Fine-looking Foursome
Wonder how long they will stay stairsteps?

I couldn't get her to pose on the sand with her name,
but she had no trouble striking this pose by the tree!

Love this place. Love these two.

Sensational Summer Celebrations

2011-06-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

We just can't say enough about summer and all the fun that it holds. We have lots of summer birthdays to celebrate as well and just lots of time to be with those we love the most. Here are our summer sensations so far:

An afternoon with Anna Belle
(These girls are starting to enjoy each other so much!)

Carson's 9th Birthday (He let Cam and Maeve share his throne)

Jumping at PumpItUp

Sliding head first

Feeding the baby lamb at Caroline's Farm Party

Maeve and Brenna checking out the laughing bird

Conquering the Water

2011-06-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

Although Cam starting swimming on his own last summer, the winter months had robbed him of his water confidence. He was having fun in the water but still feeling very limited in his abilities. I was determined that he was going to be my waterbug this year so I recruited some help from a swim instructor. Knowing that he was probably going to unveil his strongwilled nature and make a scene, we opted for private, one-on-one lessons with a girl that I found on craigslist. (I did a little facebook research before I contacted her, and no...I never completely left the two of them alone!) She was able to fit us in on the days before we headed off to our summer water destinations.

After much fretting, questioning, and bellowing, Cam is now a swimmer. In just two short weeks, he has transformed from a lump of sugar who was afraid to hardly get wet to an outright fish who can't seem to get enough water! And luckily, little sister is following his lead and venturing off the steps to try out her own little flipper feet too!

Trying to make-up for all that lost time spent on the side of the pool

Scoping out his next destination

Getting braver and braver

Just being her silly self

Swimming calls for snacking

Her first time trusting her crab float.
(She might do much better if she could concentrate more of her efforts on swimming instead of making sure anyone in a ten mile radius knew about her adventure by exclaiming, "I fwimming! I fwimming!" )

Cam is so confident with his own skills that he can now help out his little sister ;~)

Ahh...I finally will know what it feels like for my children to beg to go to the pool and not be ready to go as soon as we arrive. Cheers to a saturated, swimming-filled summer!

We be Camping!

2011-06-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

Since we bought our camper in 02', this has been our camping catchphrase. Then it was just three campers: Tony, CoCo, and me. We have nearly doubled that and now boast a brood of 5 all packed into our tiny camper. We jumpstarted summer with a camping trip to Lake Lanier with Moo and Doo. We sandwiched the trip between swimming lessons and VBS. I think that the two smallest campers would not complain if we spent the entire summer camping. We need to take advantage of our getaway on wheels more often. Although it was extra hot, it definitely hit the relaxing spot!

Maeve's first boatride

Helping Doo drive the boat

Captain Cam

Nothing beats a camping breakfast

Moo being overly cautious (as usual)

Maeve did the big slide!

Cam sitting and looking out at the lake

Maeve made sand her mission

Relaxing and trusting the life-jacket

Carson highjacked my float

The Sug(pronouned like first part of sugar) of Suggy Island

The four cousins living up summertime

May Madness

2011-05-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

One of my parents at school made the comment to me sometime in the midst of May that she would rather have three Decembers as opposed to one May. I had never considered that comparison, but it spoke volumes to me. Why is it SO busy? Maybe it is because it is unexpected hectic whereas at Christmas we prepare ourselves for the hustle and bustle. Or maybe it is because the anticipation of our routine coming to a screeching hault. We all know the anticpation can be excruciating. Maybe it's just that we try to cram so much into one month...between Mother's Day, graduations, and the end of a school year, there is a whole lot of celebrating and gift giving. Here is our May summed up in pictures:

A little strawberry in a strawberry patch

Silly Strawberry Sleuth

The NewAge was of keeping little ones tamed in church

Mother's Day Treat

Ice Cream run in our pjs!

Swim, swim, swim at Nonna's

Maeve's end of the year party at her "baby school"

Cam's Pre-K Muscial

Singing "Vegetable Jamboree"

Posing with our favorite little one who is ready for Kindegarten

Our Slugger

The last game ended with a team celebration

We have our work cut out for us with the potty training task

Soaking up the SUN!

Success after 5 days of swimming lessons!

And these were just the events that I took the time to capture! We are on the fasttrack and looking forward to a slower pace for the next couple of months. Ahhh, sweet summertime, here we come!

He is Risen!

2011-04-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Although Easter consists of egg hunts, bunny rabbits, and your very best outfits, what I want to remember about this Easter is Cam's reaction as he finally "got" the Easter story.

Digging in before SonRise Service

Maeve in her Easter Bonnet

The week before Easter Sunday, I tried to make our bedtime book one that kept with the theme and the season. We pile up in Cam's bed and enjoy a story before bed. It lures Maeve to the bed since she loves to read books. Cam grumbles as he wishes that Maeve wouldn't have to sit in the middle and about going to bed when it isn't even dark, but he finally succombs to the story reading. One that we read was very detailed but in simple terms. It took a long time for us to finish reading for all of the questions that I got from a very inquisitive little boy. Simple questions like: "I thought Joseph was Jesus' dad. Why does this story say that God was his father?" Maeve was very patient as we read through each page and answered each little thought that big brother was voicing. Then, as we finished the book, Cam stayed very still and said, "Mama, that story just broke my heart." Then, like always, he reached over and turned off his lamp. But, instead of saying the normal bedtime prayers, I was saying a thank you prayer that my little one was able to grasp the greatness of his Heavenly Father's love for him. '

Matching in their Easter Best

So sweet!

Family Pose

The true reason for our Easter celebrations.

Tonsils, Adenoids, and Tubes: Oh my!

2011-04-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, these were indeed Maeve's lions, tigers, and bears that kept causing her pain and sickenss. On Monday, April 4th, Maeve had surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids and to put in a new set of functioning tubes.

Everytime Maeve would see this logo, she wouldsay, "Cam and Maeve"
which is who I told her it was when we went for our first appointment

We traveled to the big city of Atlanta and checked in to a hotel that was right across the road from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Since we had to be there so early that morning and the little one couldn't eat or drink anything that morning, we thought it best to allow her to sleep as long as possible.

Watching Elmo on Daddy's phone - no clue what is about to happen

This worked well for the first hour before the surgery began, but it wasn't long before we were all set and ready that Maeve was ready for her morning ritual of "juice." The first few times I told her that I had forgotten the juice. She concluded that it was 'in the car" so she kept grabbing my hand to try to pull me up and lead me out to the car. It was beginning to be too much. Luckily, the sleepy juice was brought in soon and she quickly calmed down and allowed them to wisk her away from us without a fuss.

All relaxed thanks to the sleepy juice

After reading email and devotionals on my phone and trying to distract myself with a good Starbucks and some Regis and Kelly, Dr. B finally came in and told us things had gone well and that Maeve was in recovery. He gave us eardrops and told us of a few things to expect. We were anxiously awaiting the reunion with our little girl, although we knew it would likely be far from the quiet scene that we had just waited in.

A few minutes later, a nurse came in to tell us that Maeve had been taken back to the O.R. because of drainage they were concerned about coming from her ears. Of all things I wasn't worried about, the ears had been those because she had done fine last year with her first set of tubes. So, needless to say, the worry of a mother surged inside of me and caused me to think all sorts of things. After trying to hold it together, I quickly became a mommy mess, breaking into the ugly cry. Why had I brushed off everyone that wanted to come with us? At that moment I needed the wisdom of all the the mothers that I lean on the most. Then I had a little voice pop into to my head. It was Maeve singing one of her signature songs, "He's got the whole world in His hands" and I was reminded that He did indeed have the whole world in His hands and he most certainly was holding her right now in His hands.

Two nurses came in to reassure me after Tony witnessed my moment of crumble. They assured me that it was very common for little ones to be taken back to the O.R. In just a short while, Dr. B. came back and told us that the recovery nurses thought they saw some bleeding so to be safe, he ordered her to go back under anestesia so that he could check for sure. There was no bleeding, but there was a lot of fluid that he was able to suction out, making it easier on her when she did wake up. He suspected that her most recent battle with fever and ear infections was due to a full blown sinus infection and the extra fluid was a result of that lingering beast that medicine could not make go away.

Sleeping off the anesthesia - the biggest complaint was her red toe

We were led up to room 134 to wait for our sleeping beauty. When we first saw her, she was sitting up, riding on the bed. As soon as she saw us, she starting telling the news! She didn't cry as much as I expected her too because she has been rather melodramatic lately, but she did want me to know that she did not like where she had been. She was also wondering why had she been there without us. The recovery nurses were so complimentary of how well she had done after waking up. One of them said, "We would have never guessed that she just turned two. She answered all of our questions." Even in her most humble moment, she has a way to make my heart dance with pride!

I scooped her up as best I could without hindering any of the medical stuff. Her iv was in her foot so that made holding her a little awkward. We rocked in the chair for a little while as she drifted back off to sleep. Nonna and Pop were there within moments to check on their girl. I was glad to see some familiar faces too. Her oxygen levels dipped down too low, so the nurses came in and helped me put her in the bed so that they could give her oxygen while she slept. It did the trick and got back up to where it needed to be. After about an hour of more snoozing, it was like a light flipped on. She sat up and was talking and drinking juice. She was giving Nonna and Pop orders and seemed to be back to her regular mode.

Feeling better and eating yellow jello

Most of the afternoon was spent going in and out of sleepiness, crankiness, and happiness. It was quite the roller coaster! She was spoiled by a package sent to her from her "Boys" that included a cute bear balloon, a coloring book, and a squishy pig. Then C.G. came in with more balloons and a Yo Gabba Gabba toy. She was executing her princess powers in full force! She continued to drink, which was our main goal for the day. She really wasn't hard to occupy either. She was very talkative and was very distracted by random tv shows.

Feeling much better the next morning and playing with a new toy!

As I was sitting beside her later that evening, finally eating the burrito that Tony had gone to get a couple of hours before, Maeve decided that she wanted a burrito too. Of all times to want my food! She was not going to take no for an answer so I pulled her off a little bit of the soft tortilla. Of course she wanted more and wanted to bite it herself. Luckily I had requested for Tony to bring a cheese quesidlla. So, we pulled that out, and much to our dismay, she ate tiny piece after tiny piece until she had eaten the whole thing! This was definitely NOT on the list of suggested foods, but we thought if she was able to chew and swallow without feeling any pain, then what harm could it do?! Only Maeve...so unpredictable!

She slept well during the night, much better than her parental counterparts who were battling the storm and the makeshift beds. The biggest struggle the whole time was her taking the medicine. (Which later we learned was totally disgusting...and I even tasted it with the so-called flavoring in it!) After a breakfast of a little bit of yogurt, eggs, and grits, Dr. B declared us ready to go home. Tony scrubbed her down while I packed all of the stuff. In moments she was dressed and walking about and waving to anyone who looked like they might wave back. With bouncy blonde curls and a matching pink bow and shoes, she was out of there! No looking back!

All dressed and ready to go home!

She has done GREAT all week! She has eaten well, played like normal, and needed to take very little medicine. She's been singing in a little bit higher and shakier voice than normal and sucking those fingers even more than normal. It really must be true that the younger you are, the easier it is to bounce back from this surgery. And the best thing is, we cannot hear her when she is alseep! No snoring at all! Our baby can finally breathe! Now, if we can say goodbye to all the sickness, we will be able to to say this was truly a dream come true!

It's not everyday mama lets you have two popsicles at once!

"Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,

There's a land that I heard of

Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue,

And the dreams that you dare to dream

Really do come true."

Double Trouble

2011-04-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

The times that I enjoy with my two little ones far outweigh those trying times that were particularly prevalent as I was trying to balance the newness of two little people who were always in need of me. I found myself thinking, "ahhh" one day as I was finishing up some chores downstairs while Cam and Maeve were playing peacefully upstairs without me. (Now, I don't know if it was neatly or safely, but they were having a great time together without me in the mix!) They so enjoy each other's company, most of the time. I hope they can always be as close as they are now. Sweet little loves!

Being silly for one of Mama's pictures

Usually relaxing in the red chair/ Not usually quite so snuggled

Their cousins just add to the fun!

Springtime picnic (trying to avoid eating too much pollen!)

Jumping beans! (Maeve tries to do exactly what Cam does)

A pile of fun!

Posing after church

Play Ball!

2011-04-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

This new season of baseball has brought with it a little boy who is fired up about baseball! Gone are the days of crying and refusing to practice or having to have Daddy with him in the dugout. This little guy is for "real" about every little detail of the game. I wonder where he gets this? ;~)

Looking foward to lots more hits and stops throughout the season! Cam, you are our #1 Rocky!

Terrific Two

2011-03-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Maeve has officially turned into a toddler with the arrival of her second birthday. We are hoping two will be terrific and not turbulent! She started her birthday with a trip outside since it was such a beautiful day. This was the first birthday without snow, so we made the most of the pretty weather. Then we headed out for a treat for both of us - pedicures! Of course Maeve picked out pink for our polish! We went to get balloons. At Maeve's request we got pink and orange! With the balloons and birthday shirt, she attracted quite a bit of attention. Everyone had to ooh and ahh over the birthday girl. She would pop her two fingers out of her mouth and hold them up so everyone would know she was "two."

After not taking a nap like I had anticipated her to do, I was a desperate mother and took her to Moo's house while I finished up birthday preparations. All of the family joined us for a dinner celebration in honor of the birthday girl. We had pink cake, candles, and presents! She loved blowing out the candles and keep recounting it. Then her expressions when opening presents were priceless! Even the clothes got held up and modeled in true little girly girl fashion! I wanted to bottle up all the love that surrounded her that night. I don't know if she will ever know how much she is a blessing to all of us...our favorite little girl!

The Saturday after her birthday, we had a playdate party for all of her little girl friends. The theme was pink and brown and it was all concocted by Aunt Laura, who is enjoying all things little girl through Maeve since she only has the boys. In no time the play stations I had set up, including blocks, dress-up, books, puzzles, and babies, were strewn across the floor in a sea of fun and discovery. The girls feasted on fruit, nuggets, and cupcakes. My favorite part of the party was monogrammed hairbows for party favors! It was a day I will always cherish with my sweet girl.

We look forward to another year full of talking, singing, dancing , pretending, peforming and all things Maeve!

Early Spring

2011-02-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it appears that ol' groundhog was correct this year when predicting an early spring. We have had a couple of weeks now of genuine springlike temperatures. Just perfect days! Can't put away all the winter attire yet because we know this is just too good to be true. I think we all had forgotten how closed in winter can make you feel and just how lively springtime truly is!

Taking advantage of this gorgeous day:

Checking out the flowers on her playhouse

Testing out his jumping skills

"I on top of turtle!"

Excited to find the first dandelion of the year

Having their own parade

Winding down...looks like somebody is ready for a nap

Love Bugs

2011-02-27T19:30:00.000-08:00

Although our original schedule called for a mini break where we would have Monday and Tuesday off, the snow days caused school to be in session on the day of love. That meant I had to spend the day away from those love bugs of mine. At the end of the day I was surprised me with my favorite....multicolored tulips! One bonus to working is flowers could be delivered! I LOVED on my valentines upon returning home.

Sporting their shirts from Aunt Laura

I hope they can feel atleast a tiny bit of how much I really love them. When I first became a mother, I realized then how much my parents loved me. In the little things they do on a day to day basis that make my heart leap with love, the deep kind that reaches down to the depths of your my very being, it reminds me, our heavenly Father loves us that much, too.

Maeve loves her "Ty" (what she is calling Cam these days)

Loved their gourmet supper of mini waffles, fruit, and heart-shaped cheese!

Don't you love these silly five-year old faces?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails ... I Corinthians 13:4-8

Love this Girl

2011-02-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

Enjoying chicken and fruit at the party

DJ Daddy and his girl

Maeve had a big day. It started at school with her "Jesus Loves Me" party. Then later that night, she got to be a guest at the Daddy/Daughter Dance at my school. What a big day! What a big girl!

Loved dancing with mama's students

Cut the rug with Becca too (notice the fingers)

Moo and Doo came to get Maeve early,
but not before a Daddy/Daughter/Granddaughter Dance

Goodness Sakes Alive, Our Cam is Five!

2011-02-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

I have literally said this all day, but it is so hard for me to believe that Cam is five years old! I mean, I can almost remember every detail of the day he was born just like it was a moment ago. Better even than the actual moments ago on many days! That sweet black-headed baby whose first tiny cry threw me into a whole new realm of myself...the realm of motherhood. And as daunting as some of the tasks may seem at the time (from picking out just the right outfit that is not too handsome in any way to laying down beside him when he finally calls it a day), each one encompasses my heart. I cannot separate who I am from who he is and who he is becoming.

We started the day with a "Happy Birthday" serenade from me. Scratchy throat and all. I'm sure he loved that! We put 5 candles in his breakfast banana bread, and we all sang to him again, with Maeve singing the loudest. At preschool, I joined him for lunch and came bearing Spongebob and Patrick cupcakes. His class sang to him. He came back to school with me so that he would not have to endure the dreaded resttime. My class was thrilled to entertain him and insisted on singing for him (and writing him birthday cards). We hurried away from there and stole an icecream date at Scoops. He said he was going to get chocolate, but is just like his mama and always goes for his same thing...superman! He watched his beloved T & J on the way home then a little SB while waiting on his supper entourage to arrive. After feasting on baked spaghetti and cleaning his plate, he waited patiently for presents. We sang one more "Happy Birthday," making that five rounds...perfect for the fifth birthday! Now he is tucked in tight with his SuperMario pajamas on, enjoying his first night of five year old dreams! As he put it several times today, "I'll never be four again!"

Cam, you've heard me read these words over and over: I love you for all that you are and all that you will ever be!

George

2011-01-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

Cam's class has a new class pet, George the Monkey. George got to spend the night with us this week. He was such a nice guest!

George was, by far, the quietest one in the house. He changed his clothes several times and made no messes at all. They played baseketball and got his 100th Day hat ready. George, you are welcome to our house anytime!

Snippity, Snip

2011-01-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

For a little girl who was born with a head full of golden hair, this first hair trim had been a longtime coming. While it wasn't very noticeable, Nonna finally nipped the ends of it to give it a little shape. Just as we were thinking, it gave more bounce to the untameable curls!

Nonna was very patient with this little one who just had a very hard time staying still.

There was a little girl who had a little curl....

Icecapades 2011

2011-01-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

I cannot ever recall having five days off of school because of snow and ice. (Maybe we did in the blizzard of 93, but I don't even think we had that many for it). The news warned us all week that a big storm was brewing and heading straight for us. We heeded the warning and prepared for the days ahead, fearing that we would have no electricity.

Posing with their snowman

Maeve was convinced her wa real!

Well, the storm definitely hit us by the late hours of Sunday night. Snow fell heavily at first, blanketing the ground with a thick layer of white. Then as the daylight came, the temperture rose just enough to turn precipation into rain. After that, we did not see any temperatures above freezing for the next 5 days. Which meant our snow was encased in ice, never to melt (so it seemed)!

There are so many uses for a clothes basket!

A little sledding action

Our 4-Wheel Drive Friends

Snow day one turned in to snow day two, then three, four, and five! It was just too treacherous to venture out on the ice. Our steep driveway was a sheet of ice until the next Sunday. So, we had an impromptu winter break. We enjoyed lots of family time and ate lots of comfort food. We made lots of cold memories in the snow and ice. And, best of all, the electricity stayed on through it all!

Snow Ice Cream!

I could really get used to being at home indefinitely. There's "snow" place like it!

Disney Days

2011-01-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Our trip to Disney World was long awaited. Poor Cam had a countdown a month before Thanksgiving. The rescheduled dates were kept a surprise until Christmas morning. They opened a present that had a Mickey and Minnie inside with a note that said we were finally heading down to Disney on Monday! We didn't quite get the same excitment that you see on the TV commercials when the kids learned they are going to WDW, but we were excited nonetheless!

Sunny Florida would not be the token description of our trip. We evidently brought the cold with us as we rode Dumbo on our first morning at the Magic Kingdom with a layer of frost on him! But the cold did not diminish the magic in the air. No matter what time of year, it truly is a magical place. Seeing it through the eyes of my children for the first time, I can see why families bring their children time and time again. It's just that magical...seeing the things you've only read about or seen in the movies come to life. Cam kept asking, "Is that the real Mickey Mouse?" whenever we would spot the famous black earred character.

As we were there, we found out that we had picked the busiest week of the year. Plus side of that is that the next time we go back, it won't be as crowded. We took advantage of the Magic Hours and were generally a very patient family of four. I think what Cam and Maeve enjoyed the most were the parades that we saw, especially the one at night. They were cold, but awed! Cam was also really in to seeing any of the characters. He was ecstatic to stand beside Buzz! When asked what his favorite ride was, he replied the bus from the resort to the park! I guess we might need to get him out a little more! Maeve also appreciated the simplier side of Disney. She got excited over the play areas and the extra large popsicles! She now completely understands what it is to be a princess and can be caught practicing her wave at random times.

We will definitely try to do this trip on a regular basis, but will never forget the first time we journeyed with our children to the greatest place on earth.

White Christmas

2011-01-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas was fun and exctiting around here, just as we expected. Our little ones make this time of year just incredible! Their excitment over everything makes all of the little tiny details worth it. Cam asked more than once this year if Santa was going to give Jesus a present. That sent me into a conversation about how Jesus was the very first gift of Christmas, and He is the reason we celebrate on Christmas Day and everyday. I cherish their innocence and hope they can always look back on Christmas as a time of great joy for our family.

We always get a little giddy at the thought of it snowing on Christmas day around here. Somehow, it always just misses us or the weather man is way off. Not this time! Just as Christmas Day festivities were coming to an end and we thought the predictions were wrong once again, God saw fit to send a finishing touch on the special day.

The lyrics to "Winter Snow Song" are just perfect for a White Christmas Day:

You could've come like a mighty storm

With all the strength of a hurricane

You could've come like a forest fire

With the power of Heaven in your flame

But you came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Great Joy

2010-12-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

The theme of this Christmas season has been "Great Joy!" This theme started when I read my class a book by that title. I had never read the book before, but picked it up because it was written by the same author of the novel we were reading, so it had to be a good one. The author did not let me down and allowed me the perfect lead in to a little testifying in the public school! Since then, those words have been popping up in my thoughts, my conversations, and most recently in a sermon. Lord, I thank you for showing me daily glimpses of the joy you have for us....GREAT JOY!

Here are some pictures that capture the great joy I have experienced this season:

Cam writing his first letter to Santa

Maeve - not a care in the world!

Matching Christmas Pajamas

Watching the Christmas parade on Daddy's shoulders

Cam full of innocence...

...and spontaneity!

Cutest elf ever!

Policeman Cam - He DID it!

Santa + Granny + Cousins = Nothing but Great Joy!

Pure Preciousness!

Change of Plans

2010-11-21T19:52:00.000-08:00

Just as we were counting down the days till Disney World, we had a slight change of plan. Last week, Cam had to go to the doctor for bronchitis and an ear infection. So, on Sunday when Maeve started running fever, I thought this meant she must be coming down with the same thing. Her fever was strange in that one minute she was playing just like normal and then next, she was burning up with a really high fever. So, on Monday morning, I called the doctor's office to make an appointment for her that afternoon after I was finished with school. (I have quite the luxury with mama keeping my kiddos in that I can send them to her when they are sick and are running fever).

Mama sent me a message at school and left a message on my phone that I might want to get an earlier appointment because she was trembling and jerking with her fever. I bumped up the appointment to early afternoon and was going to leave early to get her there on time. Then mama called the school to let me know that Maeve's fever was 104! By this time, she had already called Laura to get medical advice. Laura told her to put her in a cool tub of water. So, I called the office back to let them know what was going on. They told me to bring her ASAP. So, Moo and Doo loaded up sick Maeve and Cam (who had had to come home earlier from school due to coughing that led to throwing up) and met me at the doctor's office. I know we all looked frantic busting into the office with the whole family and a week-eyed little girl.

Dr. Murthy gave Maeve the once over, checking the normal places first...ears. They are the usual culprit for a sick Maeve. Ears, throat, nose, and chest were all clear. He then proceeded to do a flu test on her, which came back negative too. His conclusion was that she had a viral infection that would have to run it's course. They only medicine that would help was to alternate Tylenol and Motrin every three hours. He said viruses usually last about 72 hours. So, at this point, we still had about 48 hours to get through like this. Selfishly I brought up the fact that we were planning to head out to Disney World on Saturday. He assured me that she should be well by then.

Monday night was uneventful except that I was giving her medicine around the clock for her fever, and she still had a fever. She slept right between us so that we could be close to her and feel her burning up body at intervals throughout the night. Tuesday was round-the-clock meds for fever and her appetitie started to fade. Which for anyone who knows Maeve is a sure sign something is wrong! The fever wasn't as high going into Tuesday night so I didn't set the alarm to give her medicine, but when my alarm went off, I could hear a crackling sound in her breathing that hadn't been there the night before. So, I gave her a saline breathing treatment while she still slept, wrote down notes for Mama to have throughout the day. I was hoping this would be her turn-around day. However, I found myself making another appointment after checking with Mama and learning that she was very lathargic throughout the day. Mama said that pretty much all she had done that day was sleep and lay on her.

When we got to the doctor, she still had fever, and had these eyes that would make anyone feel sorry for her. While waiting on Dr. Murthy to come in, she fell asleep in my arms. That was very atypical as I am usually having to entertain while we wait. He came in and checked her again. Then he said, "She is dehydrated. I want her to go to the hospital to get fluids, run some blood tests, and have chest x-rays." I guess I was holding out that a magic antibiotic would make her better, so when he said this, I couldn't hold back the tears. It wasn't an ugly cry, but the tears just streamed down my face as I listened to all the directions and dressed her for our drive across town. He said that she would probably be able to go home the next day.

Our Sleeping Beauty (blue gown, blonde hair and all)

When we got into the car, Maeve was very quiet and seemed to be drifting in and out of sleepiness. I had to stop and figure out the best way to the hospital before heading out. Then I sent out a text to most of my urgent contacts and called Tony. Of course, he wanted to know what to do, and I didn't know so I told him that I would get back to him after I thought about what "the plan" should be.

We made it to the hospital and my sweet girl was just content to sit in my lap while we signed in. We went into room 3614 and the process began. Luckily Aunt Laura arrived and calmed me down and told me some things to do that I had not thought of (oh the wisdom of a big sister). It wasn't long before they wanted to start her IV. She put up a strong fight, but eventually gave up and let them work. When we returned to the room, Tony was there. I could tell he was very nervous for his little girl. She perked up a little for her Daddy, but soon fell right back to sleep. Soon after, they came in to take her down for x-rays. This was a long process through which she just slept.

Trying to feel better

When we finally got back into the room again, Maeve decided that she felt a little better already. She was playing in her hospital crib and didn't notice the iv too much at all. We told her it was medicine (something she is very familiar with). It was looking as if the fluids were doing the trick. All of the bloodwork showed nothing to be alamred about, so we were still just treating it as a mean virus. After awhile Daddy had to leave to go be with Cam so his whole world wouldn't be turned upside down. Being the "parent" at the hospital was something not-too-familiar to me. It still felt like one of my parents should be sitting with me. We made it through the night, even after one of the night nurses convinced me that it would be fine for me to crawl up in the crib to comfort her. (Talk about a cramped space...and hilarious for anyone who was fortunate enough to witness that sight!)

If I could just get rid of this thing, I would be outta here!

The night brought with it more fever and low oxygen levels. So, upon daylight, they gave her breathing treatments and started a low flow of oxygen into her nose, which meant another tube attached to her. This made the shift from bed to rocking chair to bed and back again very tedious. Later that morning the rsv test came back positive, so she was put on isolation. Dr. Murthy came by to check in with her and cautiosly asked me about our trip. I think he was afraid I might let the floodgates open again. He told us that it would be best if we rescheduled it because she would not have her strength back by departure time. This was a sad realization for me, and I was heartbroken for little Cam who had been counting down the days for a whole month.

Playing with Playdoh makes anyone feel a little better

Maeve just felt miserable, and there was not a whole lot I could do to comfort her. Her usual food comfort was not doing the trick as she pushed away anything that made contact with her mouth. Moo came and helped us out as much as she could. We finally got a regular bed instead of the crib, and she lay beside me in it. The iv monitor kept going off and kept her from drifting off to sleep. Luckily we requested Barney Christmas movie and that held her attention and kept her content until naptime. She slept for a solid three hours. In the meantime we found out that she also rotavirus as well. Both cause dehydration and high fevers. This finally made since why she was having such a difficult time shaking this: it's because she was being hit with a double whammy! Dr. Murthy told us that she would probably not be going home until Saturday, which was, ironically, our originally scheduled day of departure.

Passing the time with a good book

Thursday evening I went home to grab a few more things for our extended stay and to see my little guy who was struggling without his mama. Maeve perked up for Tony and Laura, who were there with her. She colored and played with her stickers and was taking care of her own baby doll. Thursday night she had more fever but did not cough nearly as much as she had the night before. She definitely rested better.

Busy making something

She got up Friday morning after sleeping past 9:00, and was raring to go. She must have walked every inch of that hospital room with the iv pole following her. She was showing her Irish temper a bit too when she felt the least bit restricted by that pole not being able to reach the spot where she wanted to go. She played with playdoh and even ate a few bites of her breakfast. Tony got off early to help me contain her in that little room. We watched a couple of Barney's that day and had our fair share of Elmo. I never realized pushing the nurse call button to request a movie would be a necessity!

When Dr. Murthy arrived that afternoon to check on her, I think he could see the wild in her eyes. He was excited to see her up and about and doing her normal toddler things. He said he thought it may be best for her to go home to rest tonight instead of staying another night in the hospital where it's hard to get rest. He said this didn't mean she was 100% better, and that the possiblity of her having to return was not unheard of. My ears perked up at the thought of being able to go home. He told us that she would need to be at home for atleast the next three days because the R & R were extremely contagious viruses.

Pigtails help to perk up anyone

So, our eventful week is now coming to a close. I have been the juice and diaper police all weekend, writing down all of her inputs and outputs so that I can share this with Dr. Murthy on our Tuesday visit. I couldn't think of a better time to have a week off. We are hoping to accomplish the real R & R while we are at home. And although we are not where we thought we would be this time last week as we were looking forward to our little Disney vacation, we are very thankful to have been at home for all of this. We will look forward to taking the greatest kids on earth to the greatest place on earth once we are all in our greatest health!

Scrubbing off all the hospital germs before heading home

Thankful for our Blessings

2010-11-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

I got to "feast" with both Cam and Maeve at their schools. It was so nice to take a little time out from my normal workday to enjoy them. I love seeing them in their school element. Maeve was excited to eat with mama. I loved meeting some of the friends that she talks about. She also made a sweet turkey trivet for me.

Cam's feast was quite the production. After six songs and a potluck lunch, we were loaded down with all kinds of Thanksgiving crafts that he had been working on. I was very impressed. I do good if I have time to create just one keepsake for my students.

I am very thankful for the chance to be a mother and for the two biggest blessings of my life...Cam and Maeve!

Dawg Days

2010-11-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

Dressed in Red and Black

Although this hasn't been the best season for the Bulldogs, I sure do like dressing my kids up in their red and black. Cam has really gotten in to watching the games on tv. He probably already knows more about football than I do. And Maeve likes to cheer and scream, "Go Dawgs!" Watching the game with friends is just a great excuse to get together. This is the best part of the football season for me!

This was after she screamed, "Go Dawgs!"

She is Red and Black from head to toe!

Cam and his favorite Georgia Girls

Tailgate Games

A little tailgate treat for Cam....Coke!

These pigtails were short-lived, but oh-so cute!

Dragon Breath and Stick Horse

2010-11-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

Maeve's cowgirl suit was one that I saw and just could not resist. I mean, every girl needs a cowgirl suit...you never know when your cowboy will arrive! The brown boots and stick horse were the perfect companions to Maeve's pink and brown outfit. Of course I wanted Cam to be a cowboy so they could be in themed costume, but he had his own idea this year.

His idea changed daily...he wanted to be a witch, a skeleton, and a clown just to name a few. Finally, the day of the HallowHim at church, he went to CG's and decided to be a dragon! And that's what he was all weekend long. He said that he needed to eat lots of peppers so that he could have some hot breath.

Dragon Cam

Maeve enjoyed her oufit. She wasn't the best high-stepper in her boots, but she rode a mean stick horse every now and then. Her hat lasted for about a minute each time we dressed up. So, her normally messy hair was even more messy for dress-up time. I wish I would have practiced "yee haw" with her.

Riding the Rocking Horse

Our Family likes to Dress Up (even CoCo)

Fall Foliage

2010-10-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Weather just right,

crispness in the air,

leaves crunching underfoot,

colors punch all around,

picnic with the cousins

perfect fall day

Pickin' in the Patch

2010-10-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

We had a spur of the moment patch afternoon this year. I did dress them accordingly with the idea in mind, but wasn't sure if we would be up to a Friday afternoon outing. Cam in overalls so his tradition could continue, and Maeve in something with a touch of orange. Moo and Granny accompanied us in the windy patch. Cam was so big pushing the wheel barrow and jumping from row to row. Maeve wasn't as graceful in the patch as she keeping tripping over the vines and stumbling in the tractor ruts.

We picked out three different ones...a small, medium, and large one. It was a successful pickin'!

Upside Down

2010-10-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

The newest craze at our house is for Cam and Maeve to share the little red chair and tilt themselves over backwards. It looks and sounds like SO much fun! Oh to be little...

Blessing

2010-10-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

Our littlest blessing is learning to say the blessing herself. She knows to pause and fold her hands. She hasn't quite gotten the closing eyes part. Here's our simplified version that we say before our meals:

"God is great. God is good.

Let us thank Him for our food."

A Visit from the Tooth Fairy

2010-10-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Although not under normal circumstances, the tooth fairy came to collect Cam's first lost tooth. Since it was extracted and the roots were still in tact, it must have been too heavy for the little fairy to carry because she left it. It made quite the show-and-tell object for Cam the next day. He was instantly better. Loving to see this smile back!

The loot!

Until next time,
TF

Medical Month

2010-09-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

We have declared this our medical month. Between our well checks, sick checks, and rechecks, we cannot even total the number of $35 copays we've handed over. (And it isn't over yet...two more appointments are lined up for next week and another the very last day of September). Maeve started with a pneumonia scare which required chest x-rays and Cam has finished it off with one troublesome abscessed baby tooth. Two rounds of iv antibiotics and one tooth extraction later, the only thing we have to show for any of this a tooth that looks like it belongs in the mouth of Goliath!

No pictures of sick babies! Let's hope we will be seeing more of these smiles to come!

Maybe we do need to wash all the germs away!

I think they are making their own Get Well cards!

Holiday

2010-09-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

When you have a bunch of holidays lumped together like we do in the summer, you don't always take full advantage of them. My how quickly one can forget how hustly and bustly the school year can be. Labor Day marks the first back-to-school holiday each year. So, when it rolls around, we try to take full advantage of the extra day in our weekend. This year, we went to Memorial Park and met one of our favorite babies. Why is it that every Monday isn't declared a holiday?

Maeve, Moo, Doo, and Cam feeding the ducks and geese

She just wanted to reach out and touch one!

Both of them had to get in some Brenna time!

The troll bridge

Sidelines

2010-09-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

My boys between the hedges

Tony and Cam enjoyed the first game of the 2010 season. I can finally send Cam alone and not worry too much about him. Much to their surprise, Connie was able to get them sideline passes to go out on the field before the game. I don't know if it made a big impression on Cam, but I know his daddy was totally excited! He hasn't stopped talking about it yet.

Future Recruits

18 Months Old

2010-09-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

A year and half has passed since our baby girl arrived, and with each new month, she has wrapped us tighter around her finger. We just thought we loved her the day she was born. It's just amazing that our hearts haven't burst.

Clapping and saying, "Yay!"

Right now, she is such a little copycat. She understands so much and will imitate exactly what you are doing. She especially loves to copy Cam as she is assured that she is just as big as he is these days. She is very much into music and entertains herself with songs and dances. She loves to dance in the car with the radio up loud and tap her toe to tunes. She's just started singing the tune of the ABCs, and I'm pretty sure even a stranger who heard her singing could recognize the tune.

Watching Big Brother to see what the next move will be

We love when she comes into the room or picks up a telephone and says a loud, 'HeaWoah!" One of our favorite tricks of hers is to sing a name and she'll sing back the matching name. For example, if we sing "Ma-Ma, Mama" she'll respond by saying "Da-Da, Daddy." She's putting us all together and knows who belongs with who.

The perfect spot to read

Her curly locks continue to get longer, and we are still baffled at what to do with them. If she doesn't have a bow pinning back her hair away from her face, she'll brush it back with her hands (and a little attitude). It's long enough to wear in a ponytail. However, it is rare for her to sit still long enough to put it in. It's so cute how it curls around the holder and looks like a little bun. And the pigtails are precious too, but that's double the time to sit still. Then, after all that work as soon as she gets in the car, she starts pulling out the ponytail holders and giving them back to me.

A perfect sideview of the hair and the finger sucking

And those fingers, are still her biggest comfort. Although she doesn't walk around sucking on them all the time, if she is just the slightest bit tired or upset, they pop into her mouth. Cam was 18 months when we took his beloved "buddy" away. It's going to be a little harder to break her from those fingers. (Surely she won't be 18 and still loving them!)

"How much longer can this day get?"
I just about waited too late to get an 18 month to the day picture.

A year and half of Maeve...seems like we have loved her forever!

Linking the Present to the Past

2010-08-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

This tractor has been in our family for a very long time. It first belonged to Daddy John, who passed it down to Doo. I remember many a bumpy rides standing on the side steps of this thing thinking that there just wasn't anything in the world that my daddy didn't know how to do. From plowing our tiny garden to scraping a driveway, the uses for this old thing are endless. I don't know what families without a tractor do!

I thought this was such a great picture of all four of Doo's grands having such a good time on their great-grandfather's 1940something Ford tractor. (I may have this date wrong - Doo you'll have to correct me). And although Daddy John wasn't there to see them "living the good-life" on his old tractor, his spirit of love and laughter could be felt by us all.

Friday's Coming....

2010-08-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

Phew! The McCullers are still trying to adjust to their new schooltime schedule. It's such a shock to go from our summertime schedule to the hectic week-by-week of the school year. Somehow, we get through it and even enjoy the moments in between.

This picture was taken one Thursday night when we were all zapped. (It took all I had to track down the camera to capture this tenderness.)

Hold on babies! Friday is coming....there is a light at the end of this tunnel, and it's called the weekend!

Ready for Football

2010-08-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

Although it is still sticky hot, my little ones are getting ready for Fall Football. There is just something about that game that makes the McCullers shiver with excitement! From the booming of the bands to the cheers of the crowd, it's a thrilling season. Now, we are just waiting for the cool air to arrive.

Excited to go see the Titans play.

Maeve doesn't really care which ball is being used for the games she cheers for

Cam's game face

Under the Friday Night Lights

Baby School...Here Comes Maeve!

2010-08-31T19:51:00.000-07:00

Maeve started preschool on August 19th. We lovingly refer to it as "Baby School." She is going on Thursdays and Fridays from about 9:30-12:30 each day. Although in the spring I didn't even think of registering her, over the summer it became obvious that she was ready for a little bit of social time with little ones that were her age. So, at the last minute, we registered her for her first school experience. This was to be the first time anyone other than family had ever cared for her. Just like we expected from our eager-to-try-anything Maeve, she did great!

Moo got to do the honors of dropping her off. (Although it does make me sad that I miss out on things like this, it was probably for the best for both of us.) She said that she went right in, discovering the ins and outs of her new place. Of course she cried when the official "hand over" took place, but she got over it and went on with her day of new discoveries.

Her sweet teacher, Mrs. Kristie, commented to us that she had done great. The second day she was even helping out by cleaning up her lunch spot and pushing in her chair! My bouncy baby is quickly becoming my charming toddler. I know people say this all the time, but I think this stage of Maeve is my favorite so far!

Rain Dance

2010-08-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

The hot, hot days are gettin the best of us. We are tired of being cooped up inside. These two decided to do their own little rain dance and entertain themselves in their goloshes. The things they come up with for entertainment make me smile. Just want to bottle them up sometimes and keep them like this forever!

Cam sporting the Frogs and Maeve the Monkeys

Trying out her walking skills in these rubber boots

(She didn't want to take them off!)

Were they meaning to do the Hokey Pokey?

Help! We are trapped inside!

Our Writer

2010-08-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if this is Maeve's way of telling us she is just as ready for school as her big brother, or if she is really going to be our focused little girl afterall. Just recently, she has taken up an extreme interest in any kind of writing tool. Here she is focusing on her work:

First Day of Pre-K

2010-08-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

We were SO nervous to know how Cam was going to react to his new school. A brand new environment with people he had never been with before. Before, he had always been "Mr. Stuff" because everyone knew him. All of his friends seemed to flock to him. Another new thing for him was going all day, everyday. The most he had ever gone before was for three days only from 9:00-1:00. So a full five day 7:30-2:30 schedule was going to be a bit more than what he was accustomed to. Plus he has the disadvantage of having me for a mother. Anyone who knows me well knows that I had some serious cases of school-itis during my school years, and that's putting it mildly! It was probably a good thing that I wasn't involved in the morning routine or else some of my genetic ailments may be inadvertently passed on to him.

So, the big day came. I was checking my phone throughout the day for updates from the dropoff and from my friend Marion who teaches there. The first update was this cute posed picture before they left the house.

That smile made me feel so much more relaxed about the day. Tony reported that when they arrived at school, he dropped him off in the carpool line and Cam didn't hesitate about getting out at all. He even wanted to eat breakfast at school! (Might I just add that I never in all my years ever ate school breakfast! It's looking good that he didn't inherit too many of my worrisome traits!)

I got updates of "AOK" from Marion almost every 30 minutes. After working with me for three years, she knew I would need that many reassurances!

The day ticked right on by for me, and I even remember thinking to myself, "This is my smoothest first day yet!" Maybe it was because most of my attention wasn't on all the things I had to do with my class but on my own little one. Before I knew it, I had all of mine packed up and ready and we were headed out to get Cam off of the van that shuttled him over to my school.

Well, the van was a little later than it usually was so I had time to get all of my students on their buses. Then the van drove up and I hurried over to it. I had my camera ready to take his picture as he lept off the van to happily greet his mother. Not exactly as I pictured - My heart sank and my stomach dropped as my little his face was marked with sheer terror and he was snubbing from crying so hard. This was just too much for him. I wanted him to experience everything that may have been a little scary for him the first day so that he wouldn't have any reason to be nervous any of the rest of the days. What was I thinking? Looking back on it, I was asking a whole lot of such a little fella. They plucked him out of the security of his class to take him to the van with someone that he had only met once. Then he had to get in a strange vehicle with this somewhat strange person. And for all he knew, it was going to take a very long time. Poor baby! Maybe just took it too far asking you to do that!

(Not quite the same grin when I saw him that afternoon).

So, he hasn't been back on the van yet. That was what we compromised the next day in order for him to agree to go back! (He is our negotiator!) He's been teary at rest time too, but that's nothing out of the ordinary as he usually breaks down for us when it's time to take a nap. We will conquer these things in time.

His comment after the first day was that it was fun and that it was very long. He said, "I don't think I'll go back cause it's just too long." Well, he has been back, and each day seems to get smoother and smoother and we pry a few more details out of him. He seems to be most impressed with what is for lunch everyday. We hear about lunch, and we sometimes get an occasional catchy song that was sung throughout the day.

Still can't believe he is an official preschooler!