So fun these days~

Every day Livvy is saying so many new words and expressions. 

This morning's just might have been the cutest thus far.

I was putting in some laundry when I smelled nail polish very strong.  Sure enough, I look in the next room and there is Livvy just a painting her little toes.

I said, "Oh, Livvy~ you need to give that to Mommy." That is going to make a big mess!" 

She looked up a little annoyed with me and said,

" I dust  (just) painting my paws!"

Man, I love her to pieces! :)

Still Laughing...

Thursday had me in stitches.  I was laughing all day! It started out when Chase had to wear these super cool Cheetah pants (Livvy's).  He is sooo into wild animals right now!  He reads his animal encyclopedia for hours a day.  I thought it was cute, but then that afternoon we had to go to Parent- Teacher Conferences and Chase refused to wear anything else.  

(You have to pick your battles with this kid!)  

So, this is how we went...

 

On a different note,  I have been hearing that recently there is a young patient at Wade's work that is absolutely smitten with him!  He has already been given a hard time about it from all his co-workers.  The situation didn't improve when all these signs started appearing all over the premises:

(this is a ceramic tile!)

    

So, the funniest part for me was on Thursday when I saw this newest sign posted there at Wade's work:

I started laughing so hard!  Then I looked over at Sommer and see that she is fuming red!  (or "green" whichever way you want to call it!)  

She said, "MOMMY!  Doesn't that make you sooo MAD???"  

"Nah... I think it's pretty hilarious, actually."

Then I asked, "Sommer?  Does it make you mad?"

She crossed her arms, pouted, and said, "Yes!"

As I looked at her closer, I noticed there were tears in her eyes!  She was so stinkin' jealous!  That made me laugh even more.  I'm just not a very jealous person.  And apparently Sommer will stick up for me if I should be.

Does anyone think it's crazy how funny I find this?  When you know Wade and how embarassed he gets by this, combine it with Sommer's jealousy, it's just too funny!   

(Besides, Can't say I blame the girl!  Wade is very lovable!)

However, Maybe it is time I start wearing my heart more on my sleeve , or entire t-shirt, to let the world know how much I love my husband!

   I  (too)

Love

Wade!

The Help

I just finished this wonderful book. Not only was it such an engaging, heart-wrenching story, it took me back to my birthplace-- good Ole Mississippi. It brought back all the memories I have of growing up. Since I no longer live there, it really made me homesick. In my heart, I will always be a southern gal. I love grits, pecan pies, sweet potatoes, turnip greens (much to my husband's dismay). Oh, and Fried Okra, oh fried okra... If for no other reason I am thankful to be from MS! :)

I miss the hot , the accent, and black people. I always thought they had so much heart and personality! Read this book, you will think so too!

At the end of the book, the author shares her experiences of growing up in Mississippi. As I read this particular verse, it almost felt like I had written myself...almost. (I've just never been to New York.) It sums up my very feelings, so I borrowed her words to include here:

"The rash of negative accounts about Mississippi, in the movies, in the papers, on television, have made us natives a wary, defensive bunch. We are full of pride and shame, but mostly pride.
Still, I got out of there. I moved to New York City when I was twenty-three. I learned that the first question anyone asked anybody, in a town so transient, was "Where are you from?" And I'd say, "Mississippi." And then I'd wait. To people that smiled and said, "I've heard it's beautiful down there," I'd say, "My hometown is number three in the nation for gang-related murders."To people that said, "God, you must be glad to be out of that place," I'd bristle and say, "What do you know? It's beautiful down there."When a drunk man at a roof party from a rich white Metro North train type of town asked me where I was from and I told him Mississippi, he sneered and said, "I am so sorry."

I nailed down his foot with the stiletto portion of my shoe and spent the next ten-minutes quietly educating him on the where from abouts of William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, Elvis Presley, B. B. King, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Henson, Faith Hill, James Earl Jones, and Craig Claiborne, the food critic for The New York Times. I informed him that Mississippi hosted the first heart transplant, the first lung transplant and that the basis of the United States legal system was developed at the University of Mississippi. I was homesick and I'd been waiting on somebody like him. I wasn't very genteel or ladylike and the poor guy squirmed away and looked nervous the rest of the party. But I couldn't help it. Mississippi is like my mother. I am allowed to complain about her all I want, but God help the person that raises an ill word about her around me, unless she is their mother too. "

I too have had people tell me they are sorry I was from Mississippi... many times. When I first moved away and was looking for a job, I had someone tell me no one would hire me "sounding like that." People have asked if I have crosses hidden in my closets. Those things really hurt. I feel like I gained a good education in Mississippi. From my baptist kindergarten all the way to the University of Southern Mississippi ("Southern"). I made friends with black kids in school and in 5th grade, my black neighbor across the street, Lynette, was my best friend. She and her sister taught me how to make a delicious lemon cake. Seriously, so good. I guess my whole purpose for writing this is to say, I hope everyone who reads this will go out and buy the book. And even though it doesn't sugar coat what the south once was, it does make us realize just how far we have come. I'm so proud of my heritage! I am glad that growing up wasn't always easy, because it has made me who I am today.

Get the book!

Candace, thank you so much for recommending it! I loved it!

More baby talk

Yesterday in the car, Livvy dropped her baby on the floor and out of reach. She cried,

"MY BABY!!! MY BABY!!! MOMMY GET MY BABY!"

So, I said, "Livvy, ask nicely. Say 'Mommy, will you please get my baby?"

She said, "Mommy, pease get my baby."

And I did. Then I was turning so I was a little distracted from our conversation for a moment but faintly recall her saying. "Tank you."

Since I didn't respond right away, she said to me,

"Mommy, you say 'Oor welcome!"

I laughed. She knows just how this goes!

Spring Chicken

Today is a special day! My little Sommer shine turned NINE!

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Sommer!

She is so excited to be nine.

Here are nine things we love about Sommer:

1) She is so good. Very honest and kind! She Loves the Gospel.

2) She is so talented. She loves to perform too!

3) She has the best imagination. (I hope she will write one day because she has the creativity for it!)

4) She is a great sister!

5) She is very respectful of others and always remembers to compliment and thank others.

6) She has a huge fascination for Greek mythology. I think that is so cool! She is a great reader!

7) She loves us all unconditionally.

8)She has big dreams. I can't wait to watch her achieve them!

9) She is such a beautiful girl inside and outside.

We love her so much!

I remember on the day she was born and I was holding her for the first time, I was looking at her wondering what she would be like. What things she would like and do, what her voice would sound like, what her interests would be. I remember praying that she would grow up healthy and strong so I'd have the opportunity to get to know all of the things about her. Now looking back, I am so thankful to know my little Sommer. It has been such a joy to see her grow. She really is such a sweet girl. I am so happy to have Sommer as my daughter. She is a ball of energy and fun!

And even though nine is big stuff, in my heart I know she is...

(her cake top).

For my spring chicken. :)

Livvy's words

I just can't say enough how much I love my baby. She is so much fun and so loveable! I wish I had recorded every word and date she said it, because at this point, she really and truly is saying everything! She speaks in full sentences and understands so much! She especially LOVES to sing. She can sing her whole ABC's with only a few letter mix ups. She makes up cute songs too like,

"I happy. I happy. I love my baby." and on and on...

(whatever she's thinking at the time.)

She also loves singing the theme songs to Caillou, and Olivia. We all sing "Olivia" to her. It is fun having her name put to a cute tune.

She counts so well- to about 20. She participates so well when I teach preschool. She just seems like one of the big kids.

She tells everybody that they are her best friend. She knows just how to get people to fall in love with her. :)

She loves playing with my camera.

She tells me everyday,

"Mommy, let's go. I unna go outside. Help me Mommy. I need boots on. Put oor soos on, Mommy! Let's go!"

(We are quite ready for warm weather!)

She tells Daddy, "I wanna ride in de jeep. Come on, Daddy."

The other day, she hit Chase. When Sommer asked her why, she replied, "Cuz I mean."

(which of course I corrected immediately, but told her not to hit)

I told her the other day to come get in the tub so we could wash her tangly hair and she said,

"and to wash the markers off me?"

YES! That is a daily chore! She is very artisitic at the moment!
I know all moms do this too, but I look at her probably hundreds of times a day and think she is the cutest little thing. I tell her how pretty she is. I just love her little smile and all of her perfect little features. Even when she is a mess, I think she is so beautiful. Sometimes my eyes well up with tears looking at my baby. I really think being a mother sums up the phrase, "my cup runneth over." That's exactly how I feel.

So much pride and joy!

I wish I could remember each day with perfect memory. But I will never forget just how much I love having Livvy in our family. Next year, when Chase goes to Kindergarten, it'll be just me and her during the day. So hard to believe. I am so glad she'll be home with me. I'm so grateful for each day with all of my kids. Being a mom really does make me so happy. I am so grateful for my blessings! There are so many things that I need feel inadequate about. So many things in my life that I want to improve. So many things about being a mother that I want to do better, and sometimes that guilt gets to me when I fall short. But in writing things down like this, I hope that all of my kids will know that if nothing else, I truly loved them with all my heart! Because I do. I really do!

A true childhood moment...

Wade came home from a fire call Sunday morning and said that one of the guys on the department shared with him this story about Sommer and his daughter Piper.

Piper came home from school and said through tears,

"Daddy, Sommer is mad at me!"

When he asked why, she said,

"I don't know. All I did was tell her she had a really nice uni-brow."

Shocked he said, "Piper, that's not nice, you can't go around saying that to people.

Do you even know what a uni-brow is?"

Piper said, "yes, it's when you're eyebrows make a nice pretty curve."

"No it's not!" he told her.

Then he said he laughed so hard that he fell off the couch.

(of course Wade and I got a pretty good laugh from this one ourselves).

The next day, Piper brought Sommer the sweetest little apology note to school, along with some smarties. Sommer was so relieved to find out that Piper didn't think she had a "real" uni-brow, just a cute one. :)

Lucas

...is doing well after his extensive surgery today. Gabi and Nick say he is very swollen, but doing well. The hardest part is over... now, he just has to heal. Say a little prayer for him if you can!

Thank you!