Thursday, January 19, 2012

Our "Today"

I am wanting to capture more of our "normal" so I can remember some of the details of our family in this season of life.  So, last night I charged my camera battery and set it by the bed and made a goal to try and snap some shots of a "normal" Thursday.  Except when I finally jumped out of bed (see below) I forgot to snap one of Sydney, mostly because she was already in my room and using my iPhone by the time I remembered and processed I had snoozed WAY too long!  Oh well, I am getting ahead of myself.  Let's just pretend our day started calmly with this smiling face and move forward!
 Good morning sunshine!  Both of the girls wake up ready to smile, talk and eat!  Work days, I usually set my alarm for 6:03, snooze once and get up around 6:10.  This morning I snoozed three times and finally got up when Sydney came in and started singing to my alarm clock radio station.  Sydney almost always gets up and comes into our room when she wakes up (around 6:30am- 365 days a year!).  Kate wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00.  We headed downstairs for whole wheat waffles, bananas and milk and Brent "supervised" watching an episode of Curious George while I jumped into the shower.
 While I was getting ready for work, Sydney "supervised" me putting on some makeup and Brent and Kate played in the playroom, then we got the girls dressed, teeth brushed, hair tamed, and out the door.  I wish I could say the beds were made and the breakfast dishes were cleaned up.  But overall it was a fairly typical morning for us, except that I was running about 15 minutes late.  So the beds were not made.  And the plates got rinsed off and dropped into the sink.  
 And we're off...
 Today Kate stayed at Mrs. Heather's house with Walker (as soon as we got there she needed to "supervise" him eating his snack).  Are you seeing a trend here???  Logan was there too but I didn't snap a picture of all 3 babies :(.
 Once the littles are dropped off at their 2 spots, my "work" day begins.  I am a speech pathologist for the local school districts Early Childhood Office.  I have a desk in a room with 16 other speech pathologists, but I generally only spend about 6 hours a week at the office.  Therefore, my therapy bag this year has a sassy and true monogram.
 My days are crazy busy and almost non-stop from 8-3:30.  I currently see 37 clients at 12 different schools in North Little Rock and Jacksonville twice a week.  I literally spend as much time in my car as I do at my desk!  I do love that I get fresh air, random moments of prayer in the car, and when the mood suits, time to sing along to my favorite Lady Antebellum song while heading to my next school.  And my work days FLY by because I am so busy.  Before I know it...
 I am peering over the deck at Sydney's preschool trying to sneak a picture of her playing with some buddies on the bike track.  But I got busted immediately and got grins instead!
 I warned Heather that I was bringing the camera back this afternoon so she "happily" let me snap a few with Miss Prissy wearing pigtails for the first time!
 Sincerely, Heather has been such a blessing to our family over the last 13 months by taking such great care of Kate.  She is moving to just a day or 2 a week this semester to take time to focus on homeschooling and her own kids and I couldn't be more thrilled for them.  And God is SO GOOD to me that he worked all the details out perfectly so that Mrs. Renee (another wonderful, Godly woman whom I LOVE) can keep Kate the other days.  I will have to highlight life at Mrs. Heather's and Mrs. Renee's another day!
 Sydney is begging to take a picture of me with my camera at this point, and she didn't do too bad, considering my Nikon D40 you have to look through the viewfinder and not the LCD screen.
This Spring: Mondays we have swim lessons, Tuesdays Sydney has dance class, Wednesdays Erin and I are leading a women's bible study (Beth Moore's Revelation and it is NOT too late to sign up!) so Thursdays are quickly becoming one of my favorite days.  Nothing scheduled to do!!!   So today we headed home to enjoy the warm afternoon with some swinging.

 Gigi was near our house after Pilate's and she came by for dinner (nothing fancy tonight- a naturally rising frozen pizza, corn and pears because at 4:55 I hadn't even brought my purse inside, much less had a moment to cook a great meal).  It is a goal I am working on to use the crock pot more and to cook on weekends.
 I LOVE this picture!!!  Bath time is loud and messy every night!
 "Enough pictures today already MOM!!!!"
 Brent had been hunting this afternoon with my Dad, but he got home just in time to love on a sleepy Kate Emerson for just a minute.  She is asleep and down for the night by 6:45 most nights!  
 Sydney loves to drag out the bedtime routine, which these days feels more like a ritual.  I am trying to go with it, because I enjoy spending the time with her and I keep reminding myself that soon enough she will be begging me to stay out of her room :(.  After we work on taming the hair situation and pick out clothes for the next day, she loves to read books, play teacher or some other imaginative game, and the singing machine from Christmas has been a big hit.  She loves falling asleep to music.  AFTER we say prayers, rock for one song, and then I have to climb in bed and listen to one more song in her bed.  I am not kidding.  The baby is SO easy compared to the big sister at bedtime.  My goal is lights out for Sydney by 8:00.
Brent is fantastic at cleaning up the kitchen and downstairs while I bath the girls, but most days the first moment I have had to relax all day is around 8:30.  I wish I could say that every night we sit and have great conversation about our days, but the truth is I love to settle into the couch or bed with the iPad, blogs, pinterest, and email while watching something random I have DVR'd.  This season it has been New Girl, Hart of Dixie or Parenthood.  And I like E!News and some Kardashian on the side :).
OK!  I will be shocked if anyone besides my Mimi or Aunt Cathy even read this random post, but at least I will remember some snapshots of our routine!  
Hope your Thursday was as full of blessings as mine.  The DVR is calling- night!!!

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Sydney-isms part 2

Sydney is a very verbal and funny little girl. Here are a few of her recent comments: 1. Her Sunday school teacher asked her where she got her curly hair from. She replied "From the root!" 2. Brent's full name is Christopher Brent. Sydney, Kate and I were in a crowded doctors office checking in Kate. It was in west little rock at the pediatric GI specialist and I told the lady "Oh, Kate has a new insurance card. It is under her dad, Christopher." to which Sydney loudly exclaimed "Who is that?!?!?" and everyone in the waiting room and the front desk lady died laughing when I turned so red and said "That is your dad's first name honey!" 3. She rode with a friend to church and they have a huge 15 passenger van because they have a daughter in a wheelchair. Sydney had a blast riding in the big van and as Heather pulled onto the interstate Sydney said "Wow! This is like the log ride at Silver Dollar City!" 4. Brent and I were playing "school" with her and she handed us both pieces of paper. Then she said "be careful, these are Norman Rockwell prints". Keeping on the theme of artists... 5. She looked at a picture on the wall at my in laws house and said to her Nan "Is that a Van Gough or a Monet?" 6. One Saturday she actually stayed asleep until 7:05! I was making a big deal about how she slept in and she stretched her arms up and said "Yeap. I slept in like Dad always does". 7. Her teacher Mrs Suzanne read their class "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and then read them "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Sydney raised her hand and asked "Where was Rudolph in that story?" meaning the part about on dancer, on prancer, on donner, etc. Mrs Suzanne kindly explained that he was not born yet. To which Sydney nodded her head and said "Yeah. He is still in Santa's belly". 8. One night at dinner, Kate was fussing for something, maybe more food or to get down. Sydney sighed and really dramatically said "Mom, I am the Princess and Kate is the Drama Queen, right?!?" If y'all are not praying for me every day, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Christmas!!!!

 Christmas Eve- we spent time at Brent's grandmothers house and my moms. 
All of our aunts got in some good snuggle time, and Aunt Sherri got in a book or two.
 My mom and I in the FIRST picture I think we look alike in!  Everyone else says it but I am seeing it in this shot.  I'll take it as a compliment :)
 Holly and our new cousin- Ross :)


 My precious grandmother Mimi
 After opening a few presents at Gigi's, we came home and left cookies and milk for Santa and put out the reindeer food.
 My sweet Misty girl is a good watch dog but she didn't even bark when Santa came!
I am sorry for all the pictures, but I print out our blog as a scrapbook and I want to remember these sweet faces from Christmas morning. 

 Sydney went straight to the jewelry box she asked for!
 And she was happy to see a Princess tent with room for two!
 Kate got a sweet discovery house made for a 1 year old that makes all kinds of noises
 AND a really cute owl hat!

 Brent and I got the girls a singing machine and dolls, and they were thrilled!
 No way!!!  Santa knew she loves sour gummy worms!


 Kate loves to "sing" and hear her voice.
 OH  MY!!!!  Sydney got a twin doll...
 and matching pajamas!!! 


Our Christmas break at a glance

 Oh my!!!!  Did we see some joy-filled faces this Christmas!  We had a wonderful break from work and school, and we didn't travel far or spend much money, but we were very happy and blessed.
 One night, Santa visited the Ashley's house and we were invited to join in the party!

 Sydney loved getting to see Santa (again- breakfast with Santa at ACH) but Kate was NOT a fan.
 One night, the Eaton family came over to make gingerbread houses...


 One night, we made a birthday cake for Jesus...
 and had an amazing meal with Uncle John, Nanny D and Poppa Gene.
 One afternoon, we got to go visit Aunt Teeny at the farm!!!  One of our favorite places full of some of our favorite people!  Sydney got to "go deer hunting" on the four wheeler.
 Baby Cakes loved getting some fresh air.
 Precious Baby Alice did too!!!!
 Here comes trouble!!!!!!
 Alice and Kate getting to know each other.
Sincerely, this was a fantastic break from the regular routine and was filled to the brim with friends and family, sleeping in, great food, and lots of time to celebrate Jesus and concentrate on seeking God's will for our family in the new year.  I am one very blessed and thankful Momma.

Merry Christmas 2011!!!!