Max's Busy August

Max has had a very busy August.  He started off the month by beginning a Preschool class at a local church.  This has been stressful for Mommy, Daddy, Max, and anyone close to the family.  It has been a big adjustment and we are still "adjusting" (to say the least).  Max really enjoys his class and teacher.  He loves all the new stuff he is learning, singing, and drawing.  Each week if the student is good and their star stays on the wall they get in the treasure box.  Max is very proud every Friday when he brings home his treasure box treat.  Along with the changes he has found new friends and loves calling them all by first and last name.  It is so cute!  I posted some of his work and one of his adorable new songs.  With the knowledge he is getting he is also having to learn to live on someone else's schedule.  He is not use to being so structured.  I know it is good for him, but the scheduling has been his biggest enemy.  Learning to potty when told, learning to eat at certain times, going to school when Mommy is at home, and being expected to absorb all the new info.  Whew!  It has led to some whiny moments, but we will survive! (I think . .)  Also this month we have started back to soccer and swimming. I will post some of those pics at a later date.  Jay is his soccer coach this year and cousin Tristan is on his team.  He is thrilled with his upcoming soccer season.  At swimming, he moved to a different class with a new teacher.  His previous teacher moved over the summer, but he is loving his new teacher and seems to have made that transition without a bump.  Our little man is somewhat BUSY these days.  To say the least he is sleeping fabulous at night, goes to bed much easier, and most nights stays in his bed.  YAY! 

Mary Kate's 7mo

Okay, so I am behind at getting the seven month high chair pic up on the blog, but I was waiting on purpose.  Right?  Yea, I wanted to put what all she has been doing in the last 2 weeks on the entry.  Yea.  Right.  Anyways, here is our little sweetheart and since she had turned seven months she is on the go!  She is crawling and moving where she wants.  Last week she was in the living room and Jay went upstairs with Abby and Jack . . .they heard something in the kitchen . . .it was Mary Kate who had found the magnets on the fridge.  While I was home one day I left her playing in the living room to go get ready and she followed me to the back bathroom.  She is very proud of herself.  You can see it in those happy blue eyes.  This morning when Jay went to get her out of the crib and ready for church . . . she had pulled up and was standing waiting on him.  She is growing Too Fast!  She is also FINALLY beginning to "enjoy" foods.  She will open her mouth when she sees the spoon coming at her and will holler at you if you take too long for the next bite.  It is really funny (unless you are in a restaurant) because she squeals for each next bite.  We are all three having so much fun with our little girl. 

 7 Months Old

Exploring a sippy cup with apple juice

Our girls napping

First "pulling up" - Sunday, Sept. 5

Mary Kate's Heirloom

August 28, 2010

This weekend we took an adventure to find Mary Kate a special gift.  She got a special treat for being Grandma and Pawpaw's last grandchild.  The highchair that was purchased when Trace was born 9 years ago had seen better days by the time it got down the line the Max (#5).  Once he had out grown the chair it was time for it to be retired.  The seating was torn and aged and Grandma just felt like it wouldn't make it to the next child.  So once we found out that Mary Kate was on the way Grandma said that we needed to find her a new chair when the time came for it.  Well, the time was this weekend!  Mary Kate is now sitting up and beginning to eat with her hands and didn't have anywhere to sit at Grandma and Pawpaw's house.  They decided to solve the problem and off we went to find a chair.  Jay and I purchased our wooden chair at the Flea Mkt, so we thought we could find another one there.  No such luck!  We did locate the shop that made the chairs and ventured there after an afternoon at the Flea Mkt.  We were in luck here!  They had one just perfect for her, and it matched Grandma's table finish at home.  Jay and I were really excited to find it.  Now she has her very own chair and will probably never have to share it.  Sometimes being the last can pay off!  Grandma and Pawpaw even said that it will be her's to take home when the time comes.  She can have it in her house with her children and grandchild.  What a great start to a very special family heirloom!  We are very sentimental about things like that, so it means a lot to us to know she will always have that from Grandma and Pawpaw.  I even snapped a few photos of the three of them while we were still in the store.  Now she will even have pictures to show her family of the day the chair was bought.  Oh!  It just makes be smile to think of her placing her children and eventually grandchildren in that chair that was sought out and found JUST FOR HER.  What a special little lady she will always be to all of us!

Family Heirloom

On the GO without Training Wheels

GO Max GO!!!!!!

Our Molly

August 15, 2010

After much discussion and hours of searching we have found our newest member of the family, Miss Molly.  Saturday we took a trip to visit her and fell in love.  We left with the intentions of purchasing her brother since we are familiar with boy dogs, but she choose us.  Once she got out of the cage she was all over Max.  He was on the floor giggling as she kissed, nibbled, and climbed all over him.  Of course that melted our hearts and here she is . . . in her new home on Wembley Court!  She is so tiny at just 8 wks old and probably won't be more than 15 lbs full grown.  Her breed is a West Highland Terrier or a Westie as they are called.  She is the same dog that is on the Cesar dog food commercial.   She is as bright white as Tahoe snow and as energetic as Max.  They will make the perfect pair.  Bebe gave Max Bruce's old bed and Molly has made it hers beside Max's bed.  When we can't find her, she is usually in her bed all cuddled up.  Mary Kate loves to sit and giggle at her, but she doesn't care for the kisses yet.  Please help us welcome her to the family, and say a prayer for us as we do the puppy thing. 

Little Miss Molly Kelley

Uh Oh Green Beans

August 15, 2010

Saturday we began our annual green bean picking!  We started bright and early to try to beat the heat.  It worked, but our beans were not ready.  Jay, Big Daddy, Max, and I picked the rows while Bull supervised from his chair at the edge of the garden.  We got about one 10 gallon bucket.  That is NOT ENOUGH!!  We usually get lots of 10 gallon buckets to can for the next year, but not this year.  Bull has decided we planted the wrong beans.  So he had Big Daddy till the rows and replant with more seeds.  Now we are in the waiting period again for them to grow and come in.  I guess we will be canning into the fall this year. That's okay with me as long as we get our green beans!  And just think, we won't have to pick in 100 degree weather!

Evening Fun

August 11, 2010

Tonight we had several FFMs (Fun Family Moments).  We took an adventure to the fountains at the Streets to let Max play.  We haven't been much this summer because it's just been too hot to sit out with mKate.  Max was very excited and played really hard.  Since mKate can sit up, we decided to let her try it out.  She went nuts-o and loved the water.  We sat her by one of the fountains and she kept leaning over to the water.  She would put her feet in the spray, her hands, her booty, and eventually her face.  When it got her face we expected a melt down, but she just cackled and leaned in for more.  Whoa, she is so easy going!  After the water play, Jay took us to eat and then to the new CeCe's.  Max had a really yummy time preparing his frozen yogurt cup.  His recipe was vanilla yogurt, gummy worms, lucky charms, fruity pebbles, peanut butter chips, captain crunch, oreos, and m&ms.  Jay stuck with the safety of oreos and vanilla yogurt. I scooped up cake batter yogurt with gummy worms and heath bar bits.  Poor mKate ate baby food squash, but she did it like a trooper and ate the whole cup!  Memories are so important in life, I am so glad we made some simple special ones tonight!

In Mary Kate's words, "Hoo Hoo, HOOOO!"