Sink or Swim

Cody is now in his 4th week of swim lessons and probably has one or two more to go. It has completely consumed our mornings. She lives about 20 minutes away and the lessons are 4 days a week for 10 minutes. It definitely is a commitment. I'll give you a little background on this type of swim lessons...This is a survival swim versus a mommy and me swim class. Babies are not able to lift there head above the water to take a breath like a older child can. They teach them to roll over and float on their backs to catch their breath then turn back over swim towards the side, roll back over and float. *Swim*Float*Swim* If you have never seen this type of lessons, check out the link.
http://www.infantaquatics.com/whatisia.htm

Sounds like a piece of cake......well not so much. The first few days the teacher puts them in the water to let him know cause and effect...you go underwater.....you cannot breath. They don't throw them in but she lets them know what would happen in a second or two. It is very hard to watch but you have to know why you are here.....only to protect them around water. When Aubrey was 3 we did this same approach and I will tell you it was the BEST investment we ever made. Truly a life skill they MUST learn. Since we have a pool, Cody had no choice but to take the lessons.

Let me take you back to week one..... Our first day we walked in and he was ALL smiles. I handed him off to the teacher and it was all good....for about 30 seconds. She had him swim towards the step about 2 feet away. Not what he was thinking 'fun swim lessons' would be. I'm not sure how much water he drank but it didn't sit well in his tummy. O I guess I should say he ate a FULL breakfast of his famous green eggs and yogurt.....is that clear enough? His teacher very nicely asked me to be careful with what I feed him before lessons. YUCK!

The only time he was not screaming was when she would have him 'swim' towards the step....aka...his face was in the water. He would come up and cry (plead) for me to get him out. I held strong and sat on the side cheering him on. Floating was not going so well either. They have to relax and trust the teacher and themselves to be able to float. Neither was happening! The next 2 weeks were exactly the same.

By week 3 it clicked! He got in the pool and swallowed water not from crying but because he was smiling so big! He was not only happy but turning over somewhat on his own with little help from the teacher. WOW! He not only goes in happy but stays happy. I know he will not be 'water safe' but we are on our way to knowing what to do if he were to fall in the pool.

Happy Birthday Cody!

Happy (and sad) Birthday to Cody!

I guess when you are a third baby your birthday takes second stage...at least until you actually know! Since Cody is only two and had NO idea that it was his birthday we carried on as usual. We headed off to Ashlyn's last volleyball game that morning and then for a quick bite to eat. He is absolutely the worst diner so our eating out trips are not as fun as they use to be. After that we came home and let him open up his one gift...again no sense going overboard.....he doesn't even know what this day is all about! We got him a basketball goal thinking he wouldn't know what to do with it but completely shocked us.... slam dunking the first ball. Daddy was pretty proud. The girls were all about bubbles....they loaded him up with a ton of different bubble toys!
Then it was off for a nap before the next activity. He must of figured out that it was his birthday because he had no intention of sleeping. After two hours playing in his bed we let him out. Then it was off to Ashlyn's soccer/pool party. We told him that the party for all for him.....again he didn't know! After a full afternoon of swimming and NO nap we headed home for some birthday cake. The NO nap was becoming evident. He was not crabby but seemed to trip and fall over everything. The good news was my kisses seem to make it all better. When he gets hurt he will come to me and show me EXACTLY where to kiss. If you do not get the EXACT spot you have to keep kissing. Then when you get it...you are golden and he is all better. As soon as we pulled into the house he stepped out of the car and for whatever reason touched the car tailpipe. You know how much and LONG burns hurt! That pretty much put a damper on his day. He was in so much pain and all my kisses could not make it feel better. He wanted to play but would come to me every few minutes for a kiss....hoping that would help and make it all go away. We put numbing spray on it and then I realized that my lips were numb from all the kisses. We managed to get him happy for the birthday cake then he was past-ready for bed. It ended up being a early night for him. Poor little guy wanted to just get in bed but his little hand was hurting so bad he just wanted me to hold him. I did take advantage of this and held and rocked him before bed. It makes me so sad to see any of my children in pain but I did enjoy some sweet lovin' out of it.
Happy Birthday Cody! We love you!

Deal or Dud?

The end of summer last year, I was walking down the clearance isle at Wal-Mart (my favorite isle) and came across this fun looking pool toy. The Splash and Spin. The picture on the box showed two kids smiling and effortlessly spinning the wheel (kind of like the tea cups at Walt Disney World). I thought my girls would love it....I double checked the weight limit and it said 120lbs. It would be close but I knew it would work. The kids on the box looked about the same age as the girls. Since we were about to move I bought it and packed it away in a box. SOLD!

FAST FORWARD 7 MONTHS AND A HUGE GROWTH SPURT...... Ashlyn is almost as tall as me and Aubrey has grown leaps and bounds.

Well, we pulled it out a few days ago and I immediately thought to myself...hmmm.... looks a little small. Blew it up and passed it off to the girls. I could tell by the way they were looking at it they were thinking the same thing. It was almost comical to watch Ashlyn (11 years old and over 70 lbs) and Aubrey (9 years old and about 60 lbs.) climb and squish into this toy. They eventually made it but with their long legs all wrapped around the steering wheel they could not make it do what it was supposed to....spin. We rate this a big DUD!





















Just to keep up with the theme from the last post......Cody is still having trouble keeping up his shorts.

Baby's got his blue jeans on....kind of

Going.......


















Going.....



















Gone!









Poor guy just cannot seem to keep his jeans on. At first he would run to me as soon as they would start to droop but now he just goes on about his business. If you are in the need of a plumber in say twenty years I think I may know someone!

TaG YoUr iT!

I was tagged from my sweet friend Nancy weeks ago. If you think you know me...read this and see if you're right! :) Here goes....

4 JOBS I'VE HAD:
1) Nursery Assistant coordinator at our church.
2) Graphic Designer for a direct mail company
3) Graphic Designer for a Optical
4) Michael's or MJDesign as it was called years ago.

4 SHOWS I WATCH
1) Lost! That is my all-time favorite show. It is so confusing but Dell and I love to get in bed after the kids are down and watch it. Just when you think you have it figured out it changes.
2) Survivor! I've yet to miss a season. Never seems to get old.
3) The Office! Not sure why but that humor is right up my alley. I can watch the same episode over and over and laugh just as much each time. Love it!
4) The Apprentice! Love it.

4 BLOGS I READ REGULARLY
1) Nancy S. - Her blogs are so inspiring....she lives for the moment and doesn't miss the small things in life. Keep them coming!
2) Angie Smith - although this is someone I have never meet and probably will never meet but have been engulfed in her life. If you ever have time to read through her blog, start from the beginning and be ready to be encouraged and lifted. They have been through so much pain over the last few months but her love of God is amazing. http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/
3) Colleen S. Her pictures are priceless!
4) Tracy K. - Just found out she has a blog! I think the world of her and her family and will miss them when they move.

4 FAVORITE FOODS:
1) Any kind of Mexican food. Not sure if I like the food or the Margaritas better! :)
2) Pizza. My kids are not huge pizza fans....so sad.
3) Ice Cream.
4) Babes Fried Chicken. We only go a few times a year because it is just so bad for you...but o so good! I'm in trouble when they make it here to Frisco and it is only a few minutes away.

4 PLACES I'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1) Nail Salon. I only make it there 3-4 times a year. So, when I go I take it all in.
2) Vacation. Somewhere and anywhere just as long as I don't have to cook and clean.
3) Dinner out with friends....without the kids or maybe I should say without Cody! (Love ya Cody but you are not much fun out at restaurants!)
4) The Movies. Dell and I LOVE to see movies at the THEATER but I think we actually get to do that maybe one time a year. Miss those days.

4 FRIENDS LIKELY TO RESPOND: (THIS MEANS YOU'VE BEEN TAGGED BY ME)
1) Tracy K.
2) Colleen S.
3) Amy B.
4) Sarah S.

4 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR:
1) Watching Ashlyn take that leap from Elementary school to Middle school.
2) Sleeping in (ha) this summer!
3) Not having the hustle and bustle of school and enjoying the summer.
4) Hopefully slowing down and not missing the little things in my kids lives that makes our wonderful memories. Life gets so crazy and hectic that I tend to miss the fun and simple days.

A day at the park....

I hate to admit that Cody has only been to the park a time or two in his sweet little life. This past Sunday Aubrey was at a soccer game and Ashlyn was begging to go to the park. One hand I was all for it but on the other hand it sounded like a lot of work. You know….chasing Cody, helping him up the steps, pushing the never ending swing and so on. But, after all the begging I gave in and we headed to Friendship Park here in Frisco. As soon as we walked in Cody’s little face was all smiles. It was priceless. Ashlyn was so kind in giving him a tour of the park…..showed him all the slides, the swings, all the ladders and how to climb up them. After the tour he felt right at home and was soon telling her where to go next. He would grab a hold of her leg and push/direct her where to go next. He is a bold little guy! It turned out to be a great experience for me…..um I mean him! We will definitely be going back…..but only if I have the girls to help!

Willy Wonka a.k.a. Cody

Busted!

When I am getting ready in the mornings Cody keeps himself busy while I am showering and all. Totally unsupervised I might add....but he has earned his stripes/freedom over time by showing me that he can be 'good'. He rarely gets into anything that he isn't supposed to......rarely! This morning I had gotten Cody up and he wasn't acting too hungry so I thought I would go ahead and shower before I made him breakfast. As I was getting ready, listening to my radio in the bathroom I was enjoying the calmness of the morning. It was all good. Calmness......yes calmness.....o no! I peaked in the bedroom hoping to see Cody quietly watching Sesame Street but there was no Cody to be found. Then I noticed Chloe was gone....o no not a good combo at all! When I walked in the kitchen I find Cody and Chloe (or Chlody to cover them both) in the kitchen digging into the candy drawer. We have had this drawer full of candy for MONTHS and he has never really showed much attention to it...until today. Chloe was thanking him for all the candy he was giving her....wrappers and all. She could hardly keep up. I'm really not sure how much either of them ate.
Later that morning when I was making his favorite green eggs (eggs with puree spinach, wheat germ and flax seed) for some reason he didn't want very much...hmmm wonder why!

Ashlyn's plea

Ashlyn is totally and completely obsessed with animals and she is back on the dog bandwagon to get another dog. Just so you don't think I am a big 'ol meanie for not buying into another dog, let me remind you.......we have one HUGE 100 pound dog and 2 cats! Top that off with 3 kids....and can I add one is a pre-teen and one is a toddler! Are you following me here?
Here is the good news (from her perspective).... she told me that she wasn't thinking about getting one anytime soon...... no earlier then June! Whew....that was a relief! haha
She wants to be able to bond with it over the summer!
So, in Ashlyn's world she is ready anytime.....my world.....a big fat nope!

Here is the e-mail plea from Ashlyn....not edited.....enjoy...

I relay want a dog and me and Aubrey are ready for one. We are very responsible and this can be a simple thank you for doing all that baby sitting. Remember I will babysit for free for YOU and YOU only!!! And help out by doing chores. We will clean up any mess this puppy will make.(or will try relay hard) It can sleep in me and Aubrey's room so you don't half to mess with it at night. We will still give Kinlee, Kylee and Chloe ton of action remember animals need homes that's one thing we can do to help. I think God is telling me to keep trying because every one is getting one around me. I know your not ready but you will be. Check out theses puppies if its not the one for us then we will keep trying!! Please I love you. Ashlyn
http://www.terrificpets.com/dogs_for_sale/viewad.asp?adid=76895

Chores
1. Clean the bath room
2. The dishes
3. The litter box
4. Make our beds
5. Brush all the animals
6. Scoop Chloe’s poop
7. Feed all the animals
8. Vacuum any room
9. Clean the house
10. Put shoes away
11. Less computer time and TV
12. Homework
13. Put away toys
14. Help Cody

You have to give it to her for trying...I'm thinking debate club is in her future!

Sandbox full of fun

We have had a sandbox for months now but Cody has showed zero interest in it. He has touched the sand a time or two but would always come to me and say 'mess' and want me to wipe his hands off......he isn't the typical boy that likes to play in the mud....yet! But this past Sunday Ashlyn showed him how to scoop the sand, fill up a bucket and 'play' in the sand. You could see his little wheels turning in his head. Concentration at its best! It was so sweet from my perspective to sit back and watch Ashlyn and him bond. He loved it, and I think Ashlyn loved it just as much and enjoyed spending that time with him. I am so thankful that the girls are so in love with him. It isn't always easy having a toddler around and they never (well I will not go that far.....rarely) complain about him. They are usually more then happy to have 'Cody Duty' as we call it and help me out with him. I know they are held back a little because of him but the love they have for him is amazing! He is one lucky little boy!

Game Hopping

We just hop from one game to another on Saturday! Here are a few pictures of our past Saturday.

Ashlyn just picked up volleyball and had her first game. She left full of smiles.... she LOVED it! I think this may be her new gig. For only practicing a few times she had a awesome game. She has a nice arm and an amazing serve! Wow - it was super fun to watch. After that game we were off to soccer. Ashlyn had another great game....6 goals!!!! Aubrey is playing on a pre-select team so she plays Saturday and Sunday. Sunday's game she was playing defense but was able to get up to the goal on a corner kick a 'toe pocked' a ball in for a goal. Our weekends are FULL of games (usually 4 in all) but we always look forward to going out and cheering them on.

Very sad day.......

I had a very sad day yesterday..............

Let me give you some background..............

As I have mentioned before Cody has always been my wonderful sleeper and a great napper. I love him to pieces but I am more then happy to give him a kiss, put him in his bed and know that he is safe and happy. During nap time that is my ONLY alone time all day, and I use that time to clean (rarely), check e-mails, do church work or absolutely NOTHING. Sometimes when he wakes up from his nap, if I am not ready to be blessed by him, I can leave him in his crib for another 30-45 minutes and he will play contently until I get him. I need that time to recharge because once the girls come home my day gets crazy.

Well.............Yesterday I put him in his bed with his sippy cup of water and his Mamma dog. He sleeps with this 'Mamma Dog' that is almost as big as he is. She even went on vacation with us......she is huge! I was sitting in the study playing around on the computer when I was scared out of my mind. Cody was standing behind me and very calmly said 'HI' like is was no big deal! Yep, he can officially climb out of his bed. My thought was he used Mamma dog to help him escape. So no more mamma dog for him at nap time. I guess during his escape he scratched his face pretty good. When Dell got in last night he asked what happened to his face.... I told him it was a escape wound.

It was such a sad day for me. So far today I have put him back in his bed twice. Now I have to decide to put him in a toddler bed or just let him keep getting out of bed. I'm keep you posted on what we do.......Little stinker!

Easter Day

Easter was pretty uneventful but relaxing this year. We started out by attending the early service at church then after Cody's nap we decided to take in a movie. Cody loves movies and TV so I thought he would love seeing a movie on the big screen. We sat down at our seats close to the door - AKA escape route - to see Horton Hears a Who and Cody was loving it. He had his bag of popcorn and a sippy cup of milk....mmmmm. As soon as the opening credits were over HE was over. He discovered the door and Dell and I took turns letting him run out in the hallway. Needless to say, he will not go back to see anymore movies anytime soon.
When we got back the girls were extremely disappointed that we had not hunted for Easter eggs....it just was not complete to them yet. Since we are in a new house and our shrubs and bushes are tiny, the hiding places were pretty slim. Cody watched what the girls were doing then started putting a few eggs in his basket. After he found about 5 or so he was done and just wanted to stomp and kick the eggs. I remember when the girls were his age and they would so delicately pick up eggs and put them in their basket. They would have so many that they would fall out as they bent over to put another one in....one in and 8 fell out......one in and 5 fell out! Much different story with Cody....but funny to watch.

More San Antonio

San Antonio

San Antonio and beyond.......

Our first family vacation turned out to be on the great side! I guess you start to judge a trip by the number of melt downs and I have to say we didn't have many at all. Even Cody!!! He is my baby that LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his naps------in his bed. I can put him down at 12:00 and sometimes have to wake him up at 3:30 or 4:00. So, I knew he would not get much if any of a nap any day....and he didn't. But, I have to say he was wonderful!

We started off the day driving to Austin. We were able to go over to my aunt and uncles house for dinner where we had a awesome dinner and yummy mojitos between keeping up with Cody. I like to let anyone and everyone know before we come over to put up any one of a kind, special nicknack's that CAN NOT be replaced. I have a 2 broken rule....once we (Cody) breaks two things it is time for us to go. Luckily, that happened at the end of the night so we didn't have to end our night too early. Sorry Dennis and Brenda.......:) Dennis put the girls on a 'Texas Treasure Hunt' around their house....they are still talking about it today. It is the little things that they love and remember.

The next morning we went ahead and left for San Antonio and dropped by to see my sweet cousin, hubby and their new precious little girl. It was so nice to meet their little one.... Molly and I were such special buddies as kids it is hard to believe she is a mommy! One a good note.... Cody didn't break anything! Whew!

Sea World was on the to do list for the next day. It was crazy windy and pretty chilly but all in all it was great! The kids all loved the shows....Cody sat still for every single one. The girls decided not to sit in the splash sections because it was so chilly.....good choice. We never made it down to the River Walk.... we will save that for when Cody is a little older. There is just something about a narrow walkway with no fence and a river that scares me with a toddler...call me crazy.

What I am thankful for.....my husband. I don't know if any of you are watching Celebrity Apprentice or not but there was something that Donald Trump said that I really respected. There are two celebrities left...Piers and Trace. Complete opposites. Piers talks a lot and hurts more with his words then good. Trace is very quiet but says something when he has something to say not just for the sake of talking. In the 'boardroom' a few weeks back, Donald said he really respects Trace because he listens and doesn't talk ALL the time but only when he has something to say. And what he says is always respectful and intelligent. That really made me realize that Dell may not be Chatty Kathy but he is respectful with his words and uses them wisely and not hurtful. I am thankful that Dell treats me with love and respect and is who he is as a husband and father.

Snow - 2 times in one week...what are the odds?

What are the odds of snow twice in one week? I looked outside last Thursday afternoon and saw the most beautiful HUGE puffy snow flakes. You could stand there and watch them slowly fall to the ground. It was quite a sight. Cody was sleeping and the girls were at school so I sat here with Chloe and the cats and watched the snow piling up on the ground. I felt so bad for the teachers because I knew their day was pretty much in the bag. Do you remember that feeling as a kid seeing it snow and being stuck at school? Ashlyn left her classroom and called me on her phone at 2:30 and whispered if I would pick her up from school early? As much as I would of liked to, I told her that she would be home very soon and have plenty of time to play in the snow.The second - I mean the SECOND they walked in the door they were
out front ready to go! The snow was very 'wet' so they would
come in every 30 minutes for a fresh outfit and new gloves. I think I did 5 loads of laundry! They attempted to make a snow man but since the snow was so wet it was way to heavy to lift, so they ended up with just bottoms - no heads! I was able to get Cody out for a few minutes but he wasn't really all that thrilled with the whole snow event anyway. He would not wear gloves so the first time he fell and got his hands wet he was D-O-N-E!!! I handed him off to Dell and he got him in the nice warm bath. Finally, about 6:30 the girls decided to call it a day and come join Cody in the nice warm bath. It was a great day! Today - about a week later as I am typing this it should be about 85 degrees. What a difference a week makes. As much as I love the snow it will be nice to go outside in the warm sunshine and play.

What I am thankful for... nap time! I think every mom loves nap time. I absolutely adore my little man but I can happily put him in his bed every day for nap knowing that I will have 2-4 hours for some 'me' time. I need that time just to recharge for the next few hours before bedtime! I will be one sad mom when Cody decides he doesn't need a afternoon nap. Hopefully that will be a few years off!

Candles and Snow!

This past Monday was Aubrey's 9th birthday! She had school as usual but knew she would have indoor recess because it was cold and rainy. We had the WHOLE gang over for dinner- my mom, Barry, Missy, Will, Jessica and Callie. I like to stay in on their 'real' birthday and make their favorite meal. Aubrey's favorite meal was mine as a kid also....... Hamburger/Rice Casserole and you MUST have it with mashed potatoes and green beans. It is not the same without them! And a hot brownie sunday with hot fudge and LOTS of whip cream!

After dinner and dessert Dell told the girls to take a look outside. It was snowing! What a way to end a great birthday!

Here is something you don't see everyday..................... a cat on a big (dirty) snow ball!

What I'm thankful for...... the power of prayer. Today the girls had their Reading TAKS test. There was a lot of anxiety and many hours of tutoring to get them ready. They got off to school with a awesome breakfast. Biscuits, bacon and scrambled eggs. I'd like to say I make this for them every morning but it just doesn't happen. As I was driving them to school I told them that I would cover them in prayer today. I am thankful that I was able to send little popcorn prayers up for them all day.

Lets get started!

I have always loved keeping up with my friends blogs so I have decided to start one of my own. If not for you, but a fun keepsake for me. It will also make me take some time to reflect on the kids and what they are up to and doing.

A few weeks ago Dell was a proud daddy and took the girls to the annual Daddy Daughter Dance. Because of their ages he has the 'privilege' of going to 2 dances - about 4 hours in all. I feel a little left out not being able to go and share in their night but it puts the biggest smile on my face to see him take them each and spend time with both of them. They looked so beautiful but way too grown up......

In past years he orders them each a corsage for their wrist. They always are beautiful on and in pictures but the girls (mostly Ashlyn) dances her tail off and comes home with a few sprigs of babies breath left. So, instead of spending the money on flowers that don't last, Dell had a pretty James Avery charm put on their charm bracelets! They loved it!

Ashlyn is ready to finish out her 5th grade year and counting the days until 6th grade (MIDDLE SCHOOL). We had a tour of the school the other night and she was able to turn in her schedule. She debated over her electives......Art or Band. She really wanted to take art but her best friend is going for band. BIG dilemma in our house. She finally settled with her heart and went for art.

Aubrey is still the soccer girl. She lives, eats and breaths soccer. She absolutely can not get enough of it. I received a nice phone call today from the assistant principal. Her teacher gave her a positive referral for never having her behavior chart signed and her willingness to participate in class. I have been blessed with two girls that are wonderful role models in class are are perfect angels that I am a tad bit worried about what is to come with Cody!?!?

Of course I could not leave out a update and picture of our little man...... What energy he has. If he is awake he is moving and grooving! He is talking so much more every day. Although the average person would not understand what in the world he is saying. The word he uses the most is 'more please' AKA "Mo, peas". He still uses his signs too, thank goodness because that is the only way I know what he wants sometimes.

Many, many times a day he goes into the pantry and brings out some kind of snack and says "Mo peas". When I tell him "no more snacks" he puts it back (good boy) and brings me something else and says "Dis? (this) Mo, peas". Then I will tell him 'no' and picks out a new snack and says "Dis? Mo, peas". It can go on forever!

Cody absolutely loves dogs! It is almost on the side of obsessed! Anytime he sees anything that 'looks' like a dog (like a bear) he yells 'Dog, Dog, Dog, Dog' until you acknowledge him! It is a good thing that Chloe is a good natured dog as you can see from the above picture. He has NO fear of dogs which makes me very nervous when he gets around other dogs. He thinks they are all like Chloe.

He loves our kitties dearly but the love is not returned. They run as soon as they see him coming. Smart cats!

I will try to keep this updated once a week or so. At the end of each post I wanted to put something that I am thankful for.... I get so caught up in the craziness of life that I forget to take some time to be thankful....

Today I am thankful for the smiles on the girls faces when they got out of the car for school. For the most part they leave happy but today was great! Also, for the time I was able to sit on the floor and play with Cody. I love that time that I can bond with him.