Monday, March 18, 2013

Happy 18 months!

The first year went fast, and the last six months have warped us! I say it often, and I mean that these days fly by. I love most of the moments, and there are some that I wish would pass sooner. Overall, I am incredibly blessed to have three amazing kids.

Mac and Paisley are getting more fun (and challenging) every day. Tantrums are here, and so are kisses. We'll take the good with the bad, I guess. I don't see any other option, but these mood alterations give me a window into the little person  you are. I do love that. 

Getting the two of you to sit still is ridiculous. I have to jump up and down, make crazy noises and promise a treat just to get your attention. Fortunately Mac has started saying "cheese" and showing a sweet smile when he sees me trying to capture the moment. Paisley could care less. I get more pictures of her profile than anything else. Figures. 
You still love bath time. Peek a boo is your favorite bath time game, and 'Wheels on the Bus' is the favorite song. You both master the movements of the wheels. It's pretty cute.  
 
 Mac's faces... there's about 384. I managed to catch a few of my favorites.
We have a biter. Paisley. Mac fell victim to her in the bath. Believe it or not, parents don't teach their kids to bite. Kids just do it. I've only realized this truth in becoming a parent of a little vampire.
Our days go like this:
Breakfast at 7
Take LS to school at 7:45
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (your FAVORITE!) at 8 
Snack or YMCA at 9
Music/Play or MDO at 10
Lunch at 11
Nap at 12
If it's a Tuesday or Thursday, I pick you from school at 2, we go home and walk to pick Lilly Scott up from school at 2:40.
Snack at 3:30
Dinner at 6
Bath at 6:45
Bed at 7:20
All of these times need an asterisk as they are all the 'plan', but we know how well plans go around here... ;o)

A couple cute pics of our Mickey Mouse moments.  Mac says 'Kiki' and Paisley calls him 'Titi'.
You are both SO active. Mac still gets too nervous to walk more than a few steps. We've been cleared by the physical therapist, and you WILL walk. You hold yourself back. It's hard not to compare you to other kids, but as I look into the window of your personality, the individual you are is very apparent. It's who you are. I won't try to change that. This is part of your journey. You're sweet and timid. And I love that I can hold you for cuddles. You don't love cuddles from Paisley, though. You'll let her kiss you, but then you're over it. As the pictures show below, it doesn't stop her.
You LOVE music and balls. You dance and throw the ball like a champ. Dad loves throwing the ball with you. He's your new favorite person, by the way. You scream 'Dada' at the back door all day. 
You are a terribly messy eater, and you rub your hands in your hair after you eat. The other day I found a green bean in your hair. 
You've also mastered opening doors. You love playing in toilet water. Gross. You do move much faster that I can keep up sometimes, and you're so smart to know when I'm tied down. 
You love wheels and watching how things work. Are you a future engineer? 
Paisley, on the other hand, doesn't stop. You love to climb and jump and wrestle. You still love bows too so I'm happy. ;o) 
You are full of SPUNK. You laugh ALL the time, and mostly you laugh at yourself. You go from laughing to crying because someone bumped you. You're strong and sensitive all in one. There's a spiteful side there too, my dear. If I tell you 'no', you'll go to the very edge of whatever it is and watch me. I see a lot of clashing in our future. I will try to remember to bend the will without breaking your spirit. 
You ADORE Lilly Scott, and you want to be wherever she is. You're quite the little mother as you pamper and love your baby. The double stroller is very fitting for your world of baby dolls.
You love sitting on your potty, but we haven't gone in it yet. Once you did, but it was pure luck. I saw your face and knew what you were doing. Then we ran to the potty where you finished. Hasn't happened since.
You are nonstop until you crash. You love your bed and try to climb in when you're ready. You've pulled down the bumper pads to use as pillows, silly girl. I watch you on the monitor and know you're safe. When you wake up, it's not long before you hit Mac's bed and yell his name. Dad and I race to get to you before you wake him.
 Mac= 1, Paisley= 0
 Mac= 1, Paisley= 1
You are both loved to pieces!!
-mom and dad












LS turns 7!

 Lilly Scott turned 7 on January 11. She was SO excited to share in the month long celebration. She wore her official birthday dress, had a party at school and celebrated with a few close friends and family at the Gymnastics Center of Chattanooga.
 Classroom party where we served warm KK donuts.
 
 Lilly Scott came home to a big surprise :o)

 Probably my favorite picture of the whole weekend.
 Her second big surprise... Nana came to Chattanooga for the birthday dinner!

 Party time!
Happy Birthday to you!
Go, Gracie!
 Gracie, little Maggie, big Maggie and Logan enjoy their cupcake
 Go, big E!
Lilly Scott,
You weigh 49 lbs, and she is 48" tall. You love art and animals and people. Your heart and outgoing nature amaze me. You're not shy in unfamiliar settings and adjust when your nerves make you uneasy. You have been such an amazing addition, and our family has been blessed by your very presence. Stubbornness is part of what we are working on as well as first time obedience. It absolutely melts my heart when I hear you sing praises to Jesus. I know that you are surrounded by amazing teachers and caregivers at SBA, and it makes me proud to send you there.
Humor is something you come by VERY well. Comments, songs and gestures absolutely have us to the floor in laughter.
Here are some of your 'Lilly-isms':
-In college do you have to wait for your food, or do you have a waiter?
-Me: Fix your headband. Your hair is in your face.
LS: It's not a headband. It's a crown.
Me: If you're a princess then I'm the queen, and you have to do what I say.
LS: I'm a princess with dead parents.
-I want to be president when I grow up. Their house has pools and games inside. It even has a Walmart.
-After walking in circles behind you for 10 minutes in the corn field, we decided to take the lead. You continued to yell 'just trust me!'
-Talking in depth to you about college and the importance of being a good student beforehand. You interrupted me saying 'one, two, buckle my shoe...'
 
Your favorite foods are tomato soup and pizza (you eat about 5 pieces!), and you strongly dislike tomatoes (oh, the irony) and mushrooms.
We have learned so much on this journey, and we look forward to being your mom and dad for the next 184 years :o)
We love you, Lilly Scott!
-mom and dad

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

NYE 2012

Carsen saved the day! She stayed in town a few extra days and until the new year. She let us go out for dinner for NYE, and we so appreciated the adult time! 
Before the dinner, Jordan decided that 'no shave shutdown' at the plant was over. He shaved in stages, and here's the grossest one. I had to get a picture of he and Mac with 'scruff' on their faces.
 Our last family picture in 2012.
 Date night!!

 To thank Carsen, I took her to see Les Miserables at the theater. I think she enjoyed it, and I cried three times. It was so good!
as always,
ashley

Mac's First Hair Cut

In the midst of the December chaos, I realized something... It was something I had denied for quite some time, and I wasn't able to ignore it any longer... Mac had a mullet. It was time to take him for a trim. My baby. Another inevitable sign of him getting bigger and older.

Amy is our friend at Hair Junkie, and she's cut our hair for years. We knew she would be the perfect person to share in this big milestone. ;-) 
{Yes, I'm always this sentimental about our kids.}
 Mac's before... a mullet to the side, if you will.

 He's all finished, and he knows he was such a big boy!
I have his sweet hair in a special pouch. Who knows why except that it's his first precious baby hair.
as always,
ashley

Christmas 2012


My word. It's February, and I'm just now sharing our Christmas. I have GOT to do better with this... Honestly, I don't want to resent the blog and sharing, so I take a break when needed. I enjoy it, I do, but there's times when I have 3957392 other things to do, and blogging doesn't happen. I guess that's been my past few months, huh?


This is the picture we used on the front of our Christmas card:
For the first time in several months I had three kids at home. It was certainly an adjustment at first, but we got into our routine and enjoyed the time together. Lilly Scott's imagination ran wild, and I was able to get a picture of her creativity. Here's our picture story:

 Southern Stamp represents with the Christmas shirt
 Snack time!
 

 Onward...
 We celebrated Christmas with the Allens a couple weekends early. We all stayed at Mimi and GeeP's and had the regular: board games, hot drinks and party mix. Yum. That's- of course- after a delicious Christmas traditional meal of steak, savory side dishes and Mimi's homemade rolls. Calories, anyone?;-)

 Paisley and Paxton
 Uncle Kyle and Jordan help open gifts
The cousins decorated a gingerbread house
 
Mac and Paisley went to bed before we opened the gifts so we opened theirs the next morning. 

 Lilly's classroom Christmas party
 Lilly Scott and her one of her favorites, Taylor
 A few of our random pictures. When there's too much fuss, we get out the camera and get silly.
 LS put M and P in the laundry basket and pulled them around the house. They loved it.
We didn't have a high chair suited for the new baby, so LS invented one. Hysterical. 

Can Paisley wear these forever? ;o)

The weekend of Christmas we traveled to Knoxville and Oak Ridge to celebrate with the McKinneys.

After cookie decorating
 Granmom and Paw Paw bid us farewell. (LS was already in the car ready to watch a movie.)
 Christmas EVE!
 Our Elves working hard!
 The monstrosity of Christmas.


 LS is SUCH a fun age on Christmas morning!


 Dad's turn...
 Cole Haan shoes!
 Our Christmas traditions... breakfast muffins and monkey bread :o)

 After clean up... relax. Notice the socks... They were put on as a joke, but he wore them all day.

 My loves.
 The next weekend Carsen and Bailey came to visit and brought the kiddos more gifts. I had to show y'all this hair Paisley wakes up with...




as always,
ashley