Autumn Adventures

With Billy travelling to Ft. McCoy so much this summer and fall, we decided to take a family vacation over Veteran's Day weekend. We made a quick trip to Nashville, Tennessee and had a GREAT time!! The kids did wonderful on the road trip (Alexa enjoyed a movie marathan on the portable DVD player and Brody slept for much of the trip). Billy and I enjoyed the changing leaves as we drove down the beautiful winding roads.

We stayed just down the road from the Grand Old Opry and its surroundings, so on Saturday, we took Alexa to the Opry Hills Mall where she was thrilled to get to ride another "horse" (she loves carousels). We ate lunch at the Rainforest Cafe, a themed restaurant complete with animatronic elephants (which moved and made elephant noises) and man-made rainstorms (lights and thunder only!). She seemed to enjoy it, although she kept a close eye on the elephants! Brody somehow slept through the whole thing. As you can see in the photo below, she liked the Old Navy Dog much better than the elephants (she refused to pose by them).

Sunday we were able to connect with some of my relatives that still live in Nashville! We were able to go to Uncle Bill and Aunt Sue's house that afternoon, and Alexa LOVED running through the leaves in their beautiful yard.

Sunday evening, we met Aunt Thelma for dinner and I think Brody made a new friend!! Great Aunts, like Grandmas and Aunts, seem to enjoy spoiling children! We were immediately served cookies at Aunt Sue's house, and Alexa left Cracker Barrel with a toy suitcase stuffed with candy, thanks to Aunt Thelma! We truly had a wonderful time and have vowed to make more trips to Nashville during our time in Columbia.

After dinner, we went to the Opryland Hotel on the recommendation of all my relatives. It should be called Opry World since there seems to be an entire universe existing beneath their glass roof! We took a boat ride down their river because really, how many times can you get on a boat inside a hotel!?! They took a great famiy shot of us on the boat, so when I finish unpacking and find the photo, I'll scan it in! These photos were also from inside the Opryland Hotel:


Brody will be six months old a week from tomorrow (I can't even believe how quickly the time has gone by!) and he rolls from his stomach to his back constantly (he's mid-roll in this photo). His next check-up is November 27th and I will be sure to post his latest stats after our visit.

Alexa, of course, still keeps us constantly entertained. She has a blanket/stuffed puppy that she has slept with almost every night since she was about 15 months old (see photos below of puppy in 2004 and puppy in 2006). After numerous washings, the thing has lost its eyes and nose and has holes in its arms and ears. Somewhere along the line, Billy and I got into the habit of spelling out P-U-P-P-Y if we were discussing the toy in front of Alexa because we knew the mere mention of its name would cause her to instantly want it. Well, last night while getting her ready for bed, Billy realized it was not in her room and asked me, "Where is her P-U-P-P-Y?" Imagine our shock and surprise when Alexa immediately answered, "It's in your bedroom." Laughing, because our daughter doesn't know how to spell yet, but just gave us the correct answer, we asked her what was in our bedroom. "Puppy," she answered nonchalantly. Kids. You really don't realize how much they pick up on!

Meet Miriam and Moses...

Have you ever tried to dress your child as a bible character on short notice? (Ok, it really shouldn't have been short notice considering her AWANA teachers sent home a note the week before, and oh yeah, I volunteer with AWANA every week...) But despite that, Wednesday October 25th rolled around, and I suddenly remembered that Alexa was supposed to be a Bible character that evening! We flipped through one of her Bible story books and found the story of Miriam and Moses. Alexa loved the story (especially since she was also a big sister) and was particularly excited about the fact that Mommy would let her take a baby doll with her. Baby Moses (who by the way has kept that name since that fateful evening) was easy to costume; it was his big sister who proved problematic. Inspiration finally struck when I remembered I had a wrap skirt, sent from my dear friend in Malaysia, hanging in my closet! A few tugs, ties, and binder clips later (I couldn't find my safety pins), we had a dress! The headpiece was fashioned from a scarf Billy had sent Alexa when he was in Kuwait, and since it was pink, I heard no complaints from my typically opinionated daughter! We found her brown sandals (now only referred to as 'her Miriam shoes') and crisis was averted! It has been two weeks, and not only is her baby still called Moses but he also still resides in the basket, wrapped in his blanket. We also now alternate between requests to be Minnie Mouse and requests to be Miriam. She loves dressing up so much we've debated buying her more costumes, but as it is she changes personas so many times throughout the day, I'm never quite sure who I'm talking to!

Speaking of dressing up, Alexa got plenty of wear out of her Minnie Mouse costume - on October 28th, we went to a Halloween party, on the 30th she wore it for her school's story book dress up parade, and on the 31st we went trick or treating. She did well on Halloween, remembering to be polite and tell everyone thank you...although she did also tell one kind woman who handed her M&Ms that "she liked beans but she didn't like chocolate." (try explaining that one to a complete stranger!)

Since Halloween, we've asked for candy every single day. She understands the concept of no candy until after we eat pretty well, as evidenced this morning when she finished her breakfast and announced, "I ate all my cereal! I so happy, now I can have CANDY!" We're still working on the concept of not being able to eat candy after EVERY meal...

Due to the increase in our sugar intake, brushing our teeth has become an even greater priority. Tonight, she was protesting bedtime and told me she didn't want to brush her teeth. I explained that brushing our teeth keeps them clean and healthy and if we don't take good care of our teeth by brushing them, they could get really yucky and fall out. She apparently took this to heart because when I suggested again that she brush her teeth, I heard no objections, and upon reaching the bathroom, she handed me my toothbrush and asked if I would like to brush my teeth. I explained that I would brush my teeth later, and in horror, she said, "no mommy, you have to brush them now so they don't fall out!"

Other adventures over the past few weeks included visiting the state fair on October 15th. Alexa loved the cotton candy and the carousel - not a shocker considering her infatuation with horses. Brody, as you can see from the photo below, enjoyed his thumb.

On October 27th, Aunt Misty kept the kids while Billy and I attended a Dining Out (formal dinner). Last Saturday, I kept the kids so she and John could attend a dinner. Keeping both the boys at the same time has left both Misty and me in awe of our friends who have twins. The boys were good, but two babies are still two babies!

Add a chatty three-year-old to the mix and you're guaranteed a night to remember!

The boys seem to enjoy being together, or at least Brody does. We'll lay them side by side, and typically, Brody will grin and grab John's hands or clothes, which in turn causes John to cry, which then causes Brody to laugh. (I hope this isn't an indication of their future relationship)

Anyway, thanks for reading my ramblings...and if for some reason I don't make it back to the blog before then, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

A reminder of what is really important...

A real update will be coming soon...hopefully Sunday, with photos and another long winded description of what's been going on the past few weeks (really, where is the time going!?). In the meantime, while looking for something for my mom on the internet, I stumbled across this poem. I felt a sense of 'poetic justice' when I read this, especially since every night, after the kids are in bed and I survey my surroundings - toys covering the living room floor, a 'to file pile' that stands taller than my three year old, and laundry that is threatening to take over my bedroom - I ask myself this very question:

What Did I Do Today?

Today I left some dishes dirty,
The bed got made around 3:30.
The diapers soaked a little longer,
The odor grew a little stronger.
The crumbs I spilled the day before
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints there on the wall
Will likely be there still next fall.
The dirty streaks on those windowpanes
Will still be there next time it rains.
Shame on you, you sit and say,
Just what did you do today?

I held a baby till he slept,
I held a toddler while she wept.
I played a game of hide and seek,
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess that's true.
Unless you think that what I've done,
Might be important to someone
With deep blue eyes and soft blonde hair,
If that is true...I've done my share.

Catching Up...

It's been a busy few weeks since my last post!! Billy came home on October 8th after being gone to Ft. McCoy for three weeks. October 8th happened to be my 30th birthday, so he was my best present, especially since he doesn't have to travel again until January!!




We've spent lots of time with Misty, John, and John, Jr. over the last few weeks, as well as Mom and Dad since Mom stayed with Misty for three weeks to help with the baby. On October 9th, we took Alexa to the children's museum. They have a 40 foot replica of a child which is one of their "biggest" attractions. Alexa, however, didn't want to be anywhere near him!



Dad came up on October 12th and went with us on Alexa's class field trip on October 13th. It was so cute! They got to pick out a pumpkin, go on a hayride, and meet all kinds of friendly farm animals! The little girl in the photos with Alexa is her friend Allie.






Brody had his four month check up this month and weighs a whopping 11 lb 8 oz (apparently my kids are just small babies). He keeps us smiling all day! He's so happy and laughs all the time. He's rolled over from his stomach to his back several times, and rolls really well from his back to his side, but hasn't quite flipped completely onto his stomach from his back yet.

As you can see from the photos, he's also made friends with one of our cats.

This week, I started teaching music at Alexa's preschool (translation: I sing and act silly with the kids and get paid for it!). We had so much fun! Mondays I sing with the one year olds (that involved a lot of me singing and them staring), Tuesdays I have three and four year olds, and Wednesdays I have two year olds.

They get to wear their costumes on Monday the 30th, so I had Alexa try her costume on today to make sure everything fit well. Her Aunt Misty picked everything out! They got her the Minnie dress and headband at Walt Disney world, and found the gloves and shoes in Charleston. Alexa LOVES her outfit and wore it all day today! I'm sure it's going to get quite a bit of wear before Halloween ever hits!!

And of course this blog entry wouldn't be complete without an amusing story about my precious three year old...it actually got cold enough in Columbia this week for us to turn on our heater for the first time. As is typical with the first time the heater runs for the season, the entire house had a burnt plastic smell for a few minutes. Alexa, upon noticing the pungent odor, promptly asked her father, "What's mommy cooking?"

Hmmm...I really did think my cooking had improved since college. Maybe not...

My Adorable Nephew!

Here's a few more photos of my precious nephew, and a few of the two boys together! And Misty does plan to start a blog of her own soon, but until then, I'm happy to continue to show him off!

The Princess & The Beans

Emily got her wish. Back in college, when I teased her for her incessant obsession with her hair, or her prim and proper mannerisms, or the best yet, her prissiness, (and she teased me for a long list of other idiosyncrasies), we 'cursed' each other. I told her I hoped that one day she would have a daughter who was a total tomboy, and she told me she hoped I would one day have a daughter who wanted to carry purses and wear dresses every day. We are now on day 7 of the dress wearing phase.

And why do we wear dresses every day? It's a simple answer. Because she's Cinderella. If you don't believe her, watch her walk in her prissy dresses, holding one side of her skirt between her thumb and her forefinger as she sashays down the halls. And when people tell her she has a beautiful dress, what is the response? "I know." (we're working on "thank you.")


So, now for the explanation of the beans. Several weeks ago, Alexa opened our pantry door and told me she needed a snack. I asked her what she would like, and she told me beans. I thought this was an interesting response, but not an unhealthy one, so I offered her every type of beans that we had, and she told me no, with increasing frustration. We ended up with a fruit snack that day. Later that week, I made a crock pot recipe that incorporates sausage and four types of beans. She didn't eat any of it. I couldn't figure out why my child continually asked for beans, yet refused them every time I offered them, until grandma and grandpa came into town. Alexa spent the night with them in their motorhome, and when I went by the next day to pick her up, she said, "Mom, I had beans with Grandma, and look, she has more!" I followed her tiny pointing finger to a container of M&Ms. Beans. Now, here's the interesting part about Alexa's new favorite snack. She hands back the brown M&Ms stating she doesn't like chocolate. Go figure.

Life is definitely entertaining! You really never know what a three year old will come up with next! I bought her some pink mary jane shoes the other day because they had the disney princesses on the inside sole. I was tired of seeing her wear her disney princess tennis shoes with her dresses because, as she put it, "princess shoes match a princess dress." I had no idea a three year old even contemplated matching! One day, she went so far as to put on blue socks with her princess tennis shoes and her pink dress because, "the blue matches the blue on Cinderella's dress." That would be the Cinderella on the side of her tennis shoes! So yes, we ran our errands with a flowery pink dress, blue socks, and tennis shoes, all the while holding the side of her dress with her two fingers. All we need is a tiara.

Brody also makes life entertaining in his own, smaller way! He adores his sister, watching her, smiling at her, and even laughing at her anytime they are together. His laugh is precious and we make fools of ourselves trying to hear it again and again. This is the age Alexa was when Billy deployed to Kuwait. I'm just so glad he will be around to watch firsthand with Brody all the milestones he only saw on video with Alexa.

Anyway, that's enough rambling for tonight! Hope you enjoy the photos!!

Home at last!

John Curtis, Jr. got to come home on Thursday! Even though he did not get to eat the three days he was on oxygen, he has already surpassed his birth weight! As of today, he was 9 lb 13 oz!! Here are a few sweet photos from the last few days.

Cousins!


Grandma and John


Contentment


Brody and Alexa!

A Few more photos

John Curtis had a great day today! He took 2 oz from his bottle and has done great without the oxygen. They have even let Misty hold him several times today. She is hoping tomorrow they will let him try nursing! Here's a few recent photos!

Quick Answers!

Many of you received an email earlier this evening just asking to remember Misty and John Curtis, Jr. in your prayers! Well, those prayers have been very quickly answered!! John Curtis is completely off of oxygen now and doing very well keeping his levels where they need to be all on his own! He also drank from a bottle tonight, I think they said about an ounce, and did not have any breathing issues while drinking!

Also, John (Sr) found out from his command that he will be able to come home for the weekend! Pray that he will be released earlier than expected on Friday so he can catch a stand-by flight (his current itinerary puts him into Charleston around 11:30pm). Also, continue to pray for Misty's recovery - she will be discharged tomorrow but will be traveling back and forth from her house to the hospital until John Curtis gets to come home too. Hopefully by this weekend I'll have more photos to post of my nephew!

More photos...

Here's a few more photos of John Curtis, Jr. from yesterday. We went back by the hospital this morning before heading home, but did not take any more photos as he is staying in the nursery right now. Last night, when the nurses took him to give him his bath, etc., they weren't happy with his breathing so they hooked him up to a nasal cannula to give him a little more oxygen.

John and Misty spent much of the night in the nursery with him, since John (Sr.) flew back to Virginia this morning for his Marine training. The doctors all say John (Jr) is doing very well today! They think he probably inhaled fluid during the long delivery and that is why his oxygen level was low, but he will remain in the nursery for a few days until they feel he is breathing well on his own. Misty got to hold him for quite a while today while they changed his bedding.



Please remember to keep them in your prayers as it does not seem like John will be able to go home with Misty when she is discharged. He is such a cute little boy! (all 9 pounds of him!!) He has the longest feet and I cannot wait until we can take a picture of them to show you! He seems to really enjoy not being so 'cramped' and stretches his arms and legs out in his bed! We plan to go back down to visit sometime toward the end of this week and hope to be able to take more photos then!

Also, here's a few photos of my kiddos from our weekend in Charleston!