State Sport Stacking Championship

On Saturday Abby competed in the State Sport Stacking Championship.  She was asked to be on the Kindergarten Sport Stacking team this year at school.  She loves it!  She has already won three medals at the local meet a month ago.  On Saturday she won 3 third places and a 1st place finish.  This time she got an actual trophy.  She started checking out those trophies the minute we got there Saturday.  It was a really long day.  It started around 8:30 and we didn't leave until almost 4:00.  She was so tired but she was a trooper.  Taking home 3 medals and a trophy always helps! 




Doing her 3-6-3 formation.



The cycle



Her first medal of the day for the 3-3-3.

 

Daddy and his little girl!

Winning her medal for the 3-6-3.



The cycle-  She has to stack so high that she can barely reach it.






She was so excited to win her trophy!





Books! Books! Books!

Abby has officially started reading.  She read me a few little books before Christmas at her school.  Last week I finally pulled out all of our Level 1 readers.  She read 3-4 books the first night.  She is so excited to read every night.  I was worried about her sounding out words at the beginning of the year but it has all come together.  Last night she read me Good Night Moon.   That has always been a favorite around here.  I love to read so I'm so excited to see her share my love of books.  We might have just a few (haha) books here at our house to read. 


We started her out early.



Doing a little late night reading.



Reading to Noah!



Big Changes Around Here!

Well... the day has come.  The day that I have dreaded since I saw these sweet little faces for the first time.

As a parent, there are two things that I dread more than anything.  They are potty training and teaching my kids to drive.  I've already decided that I will be too old and not have enough patience to teach them to drive so I'm leaving that to Bobby.  However, I couldn't seem to get out of the potty training.  So...Tuesday began the dreaded POTTY TRAINING.  I have tried a few other times and they just were not ready.  Since they have turned 3 they have no choice.  We have realized that we have changed diapers for the last 5 years, 10 months and 12 days of our lives.  Diapers have to go! 



Tuesday started the same as the other times.  I went through about 6 pair of "big boys" in about an hour and a half.  Finally, Noah's competitive nature (thanks Daddy) kicked in.  He wanted those M&Ms and stickers.  From this point on Noah has stayed dry.  He is doing great.  Poor Nathan just wants to hold it.  He has gone several times but he's having a harder time.  I'm sure that he will just wake up one morning and have it down perfectly.  We find that this is how Nathan does most things.  He's on his own time table. All in all it's going pretty well.  We have stayed home all week and I have spent most of the week in the bathroom floor reading books, singing, dancing, giving pep talks, begging, bribing, etc.  It will all be worth it in the end when we get that "No more Diapers" pay raise!  Here are some pictures of our adventures this week.

P.S. Abby had a little drama the first night because the boys were getting so much attention.  She has a total meltdown when we insisted she eat a few bites of corn (one of the 2 veggies she will eat.)  This caused a little "No one loves me" fit.  I had to include a picture of that.  I know it seems mean but I want her to see this when she's older. Ha!Ha!  After she recovered she decided she needed a sticker chart too.  She told us that she would get a sticker for good jobs or setting good examples for the boys.  Whatever works!!



Notice Mommy hanging out the corner.



Nathan and his stickers.

Noah is very proud of his sticker collection!

The Charts

Our "Drama Queen"



Here are the last few snow pics:

It looks like Noah is waving but he is actually about to hit the gas.  So mischevious!

Everyone is aiming at Mommy!

Snowball Fight!

Noah in the middle of a snowball fight.





Snow Jam 2011

I know it has been awhile but the whole family has been snowed in together all week.  We have been very busy playing in the snow, watching movies, eating, drinking hot chocolate, playing with our new toys, watching the latest weather reports, looking out our windows in amazement and relaxing.  The snow was predicted to start Sunday night.  I joined the rest of the town stocking up on supplies Saturday.  It was a little exciting standing in those long lines at the grocery store with the rest of the town.  Bobby even came home from church Sunday and cut down a dead tree in our yard and split it for firewood.  I was starting to wonder if it would ever come Sunday night.  The phone rang every few minutes with family or friends asking if we had snow.  I had just walked to the door to check about 20 minutes earlier when someone called to check.  Bobby walked in and looked out the front.  He started yelling.  I, of course, thought he was making it up.  In about 20 minutes time it has snowed enough to cover our entire yard and drive.  It was beautiful. It snowed all night long and we ended up with about 6-7 inches.  We got Abby up long enough to look out the window Sunday night but she didn't even remember the next day.  Everyone was so excited.  As soon as we had breakfast we bundled up in many layers and went out to play.  We played for about an hour and a half.  After lunch and a long nap for the boys we went back out for at least another hour.  Bobby had charged the battery on his 4-wheeler so we enjoyed the snow like all good red-necks.  The kids loved it and had a blast.  By this time it has started to turn to ice and our drive was very slick so we didn't make it out any more the next day to play.  It is unbelievable that we have had two rounds of snow in just a few weeks.  I love it and I get more excited than the kids.  I remember listening to the radio for the announcement of no school when I was little.  What excitement!!!!

Bobby making snow angels!

Our house in the snow!



Noah throwing snowballs!  He loves this!



Daddy and the boys checking out the ice in the street.

Abby and Mommy

Poor Noah got hit with a major snowball.

Miss Priss posing in the snow!

So happy!

Some redneck fun in the snow!

Nathan and Bobby

Waving for Mimi and Nana at the camera!





Nathan and Bobby-Like father, like son-check out their windup



I have exceeded my picture limit for the blog.  Look for more to come in the next couple of days!



A Little More Christmas...

Abby sang in the preschool musical at church this year.  She has such a pretty little voice which she obviously doesn't get from Mommy.  Thank goodness for Daddy and Aunt Alicia.  They have the music covered.  She was offered a solo but she very politely said, "No thank you."  She told me that she was just too nervous for a solo.  She did a great job despite a few jitters over waiting in a "new" room.  I could pick her voice out of the group.  We were so proud of her.




On her way in...



Cute expression (excuse the obstacle)

Abby and Karlie afterwards

Our silly, happy, little girl after her performance!

Girls' Night Out

Abby and I had a little Girls Night Out with our friends Emma and Sharon before the holidays.  We took the girls to dinner and to see The Nativity Ballet.  We had such a good time.  There's nothing like taking 2 silly little girls out to dinner.  Abby loved the ballet and it held her attention for most of the performance.  She is growing up so fast!  I love getting to take the kids out to spend one on one time with them.  It's such a rare treat!

Abby and Emma outside the theater