The Bates Family

My Latest Project...

2012-01-19T06:57:00.000-08:00

I have been eyeing some beautiful clear candle holders at Hobby Lobby for quite a while, but even with my 40% off coupon they are $25 each and I would need 8 of them. I just couldn't see spending $200 on candlesticks for my kitchen table that would surely be knocked over at some point by the kiddos. So, the other night when I was looking through the West Elm catalogue I came across this picture:

I LOVED the crisp whiteness of the candle holders. Of course they were very expensive too and since they were smaller in scale I thought I would need the vases instead or quite a few of the candle holders. So, I thought, what if I bought the shapes in the scale I wanted and just painted them white? I took a trip to our local Goodwill and bought these 8 pieces for less than $20!
I then got Krylon spray primer, paint, and clear glaze. After washing the candle holders, sanding them, priming them, painting them with two coats, and then glazing them I was SO pleased! Here they are on our kitchen table:
An up close view:
I know they are missing the candles, but Hobby Lobby doesn't have them on sale yet. So, once they go on sale I am planning on getting white ones and wrapping the bottoms of them with burlap twine. I will post update pictures when I do. (The final cost for the project was $32!)

Christmas in San Antonio

2012-01-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

For the past two years we have driven to San Antonio on Christmas Day. It is a LONG 10 1/2 hour drive, but SO worth it! We hadn't see Ace and Lily since the cruise, so the kids couldn't wait to see them!

Brookelyn wanted to feed Lily her bottle (and Lily so sweetly "allowed" her to)!

And, what Big Sister does, Little Brother has to also. So, Sashi helped Braedyn feed Lily her bottle. Ace also got in on the action.

Our little chefs cooked up an amazing breakfast!
Lily Kate was VERY impressed!
Since I am always behind the camera, I have very few pictures of the kids and me. So, I asked Allen to snap a few. LOVE my little man!
My babies are getting SO big!

Here is Brookelyn posing in her "fascinator" with her very own diamond earrings. Thanks Aunt B!

Braedyn stopped to read the book he helped make (full of the kids artwork) with Honey.
And, here is a shot with Daddy! Braedyn has become fixated on doing everything that Daddy does. It is adorable!
We managed to get a family shot.
It is almost impossible to get a picture with all the kids and Honey and Sashi, but here was a fairly good attempt.
We had a wonderful time with everyone--the only problem was that time flew by TOO FAST! Can't wait to get everyone together again soon!

Christmas Morning Fun!

2012-01-04T04:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning was SO special this year. The kids were the perfect ages to enjoy the excitement, and we had a special guest--Uncle David to make it that much more fun!

Here they are all poised and ready to rush down the stairs! They were so excited--love those little smiles!

You can see from Brookelyn's little face that Santa did a great job with her pink ballet outfit. And, guess what Braedyn just spied with that ecstatic look on his face?!

Yes--the all anticipated BOUNCE HOUSE!

Another favorite of the morning was his whoopie cushion! (He called it his "rooty tooty pillow!")

We all loved having Uncle David wake up and enjoy the fun with us. It may have to become a tradition! We missed Emily bunches and wished she could have been there too!

Santa's elves wrapped all Braedyn's presents in Grinch paper and all of Brookelyn's in Hello Kitty paper, so the presents wrapped 1/2 and 1/2 were for them both!
Ants in the Pants was a HUGE hit!
Brookelyn got a clock that rolls off her night stand and hides in her room when it goes off!
And, B-Man got a disco ball for his room!

It was a great Christmas morning that I am sure we will look back on for many, many years!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2012-01-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

We had such an amazing Christmas Eve this year! We started a new tradition this year--each kid gets to pick one special gift for the other, and they can each open those gifts on Christmas Eve. Of course any tradition involving a gift is a good one in the kids' eyes, but in all seriousness, they had a great time picking out a thoughtful gift for each other. And, surprisingly enough, they BOTH kept each other's gift a SECRET!

Here they are all poised and ready to open!

Afterwards, they gave each other the sweetest hug!
And, then Uncle David and Daddy had to put everything TOGETHER! Good thing they both have engineering degrees!
Afterwards, it was time for another tradition (this one we started last year)--breakfast for Christmas Eve Dinner! And the boys went to work cooking! Uncle David cooked up the hash browns!
And, Daddy scrambled the eggs! (No this is not normal for him; the singed hairs on his arm prove it!) The breakfast tacos were amazing!

The kids made us special ornaments at school, so we opened those next. So cute!

Gramma and Grampa headed outside with us to spread the special reindeer food the kids had made. They spread the food EVERYWHERE!
Daddy helped out!
And, Uncle David did too!
After baths, the kids headed back down to get ready for Santa. Braedyn took a quick spin on his gift from Brookelyn first!

Here they are in front of the tree.

Daddy poured Santa's milk.
And, they set out the cookies they made for Santa too!
Then, they headed upstairs!
Daddy read them The Night Before Christmas.

And, then Brookelyn and Braedyn drifted to sleep with "visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads!"

Santa Visit!

2011-12-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

Last week the kids had an amazing visit with Santa Clause at the Sam's Club Home Office! They were lucky enough to be chosen to fill out a survey and then meet with Santa, who then knew EVERYTHING about them! He greeted them by name and knew where Brookelyn went to school, what she wanted, and even that she needed to work on not talking back to her M0m! Brookelyn was blown away. Can you tell she was deep in thought here?

She loved here special time with Santa!
Now Braedyn, ran and jumped on Santa's lap, announcing, "I am your little elf, Santa!" It was hilarious! (he was referring to the elf feet on his shirt.) Santa knew that Braedyn wanted a "jump house" really badly. He also reminded Braedyn not to pitch angry tantrums.

It was a fabulous experience! We can't wait for Santa to arrive in a couple of days!!

I Love New York!

2011-12-16T11:15:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday night we returned from the most amazing vacation! It was just Allen and I in NYC for three nights. We shopped, and ate, and walked around the city until our legs and feet hurt so bad I didn't think I could take another step. (Oh, and I was also able to use the bathroom by myself, eat with two hands, try on as many things as I wanted to in the fitting room, and sleep as late as we wanted!)

This is our gorgeous room:

Each morning we had breakfast in the hotel. It was super modern and fun!
On the 13th we got to see a taping of Kelly Live! It was so fun to see all the behind the scenes action.
We also managed to eat A LOT of delicious pizza! If you know me, you know I am not a huge fan of pizza, but New York City pizza is an exception! It was so good! We even ate at the same pizza place that they filmed Celebrity Apprentice!
So, while Mommy and Daddy were away having fun, two little kiddos were also having the time of their lives! Check out this picture my Mom and Aunt sent me of Brookelyn and Braedyn:

Something tells me Daddy is going to be getting quite a few requests for sink baths in the next few days. A HUGE thank you goes to Honey and Aunt B for loving on the the babies and catering to their every whim while Allen and I were able to take a little time for ourselves. It was perfect!

Triathlon Training Begins Today!

2011-11-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

So, three years ago right around this time Allen talked me into training for the Chicago Marathon. While that might not seem daunting for seasoned runners, at the time Allen and I couldn't even run HALF a mile! But, Allen made us a 9 month training plan and we hit the gym 6 days a week. At the end of that plan we ran our first race ever--the 2009 Chicago Marathon! So, with that said, I guess I have stalled and bandaided his pleas for another race with smaller races for long enough. While I wouldn't agree to another marathon, I did agree to a triathlon. (I'll let you know in 10 months which is worse.)

We have ordered our bikes, bought our diaper-like bike shorts, special biking shoes, and bike trainers (that let us ride in place in the living room), tried on and purchased the ultra-hideous swimsuits (jammers for Allen instead of a speedo, but honestly just as hilarious to see him wearing) and goggles and swim caps, and all other sorts of special equipment that in my opinion costs WAY too much. And, tonight we start our training plan from ground zero with swimming. Here is the plan that we made yesterday afternoon:

Oh, and did I mention we are tandem training for the Bentonville Half Marathon for the first 19 weeks? Allen seemed to think that would be "fun and challenging." And weeks 30-45 I am just pretending do not exist. But, with all that said, I am looking forward to having time back to spend with my hubby--just me and him. While I will moan and groan along the way, few things beat training for a seemingly impossible goal alongside my best friend.

Princess Luncheon

2011-11-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

Every year Brookelyn's school holds and Art Auction to raise money for the teachers to spend on supplies for their classrooms (remember my post of the kids making the melted crayon art). As a part of that event, parents can also donate their "time." So, another mommy, Elizabeth, and I decided to donate a Princess Luncheon for the Kindergarten girls. The parents could sign up their little girls for $10 and then they could come to the luncheon instead of going to school lunch. Here are all our little princesses:

We made little sandwiches and finger foods for them, had Shirley Temples to drink, crafted tissue paper flowers, painted the princesses nails, and even had them make rice krispie treat wands that they dipped into a pink chocolate fountain! Thank goodness my mom and Elizabeth's sister, Sara came to help us! We needed all the help we could get!
But, it was SO much fun and they all had a blast!

Thanksgiving Fun with Kindergarten!

2011-11-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

Today was Brookelyn's Thanksgiving celebration. I went up early to help the kids make edible Thanksgiving crafts, and was expecting at least three other mommies to be there to help. However, NO ONE else showed up! So, thank goodness Emily (David's girlfriend) and Sara (one of Brookelyn's friend's aunt) could come to the rescue! Here is Brookelyn holding her goodies (from the left: a pilgrim hat, a tepee, and a turkey):

Then, Gramma and Grampa showed up to surprise Brookelyn! We were so glad they could make it!

Next, the kiddos all got into their "Thanksgiving Best" and we headed down to the cafeteria for our feast!

Here is our little pilgrim!
Brookelyn ate all of her lunch, and we enjoyed chatting together. Here she is with Emily:It was a great morning! Can't wait to celebrate Thanksgiving next Thursday!

Go Hogs! Beat South Carolina & Tennessee!

2011-11-13T08:43:00.001-08:00

We have had SO much fun tailgating this football season! Last weekend we cheered the Hogs on as they beat South Carolina. Honey made the kids hundreds of red razorback beads to hand out to the fans as they walked by. Brookelyn couldn't wait to start handing them out!

Here are the kids calling to the people walking by and then handing out their beads. Our set up was perfect because everyone walks right past the fence as they head up to the stadium. The kids were able to hand out the beads and we didn't have to worry about them wandering through crowds of people.
Here is the view from the other side of the fence!
Then, Honey got out her "stash of goodies," which included an interesting game where the kids put on these elephant masks and tried to hook rings on their trunks. However, the trunks looked awfully x-rated. We laughed and laughed. But, hey--it kept the kids entertained!
Here is the princess and her daddy waiting for the game to start!

And, here is B-Man and Honey trying to stay warm! It was SO windy!

Yesterday we cheered the Razorbacks as they gave Tennessee a "whoopin" (as Braedyn says)! Emily and David were back from their cruise (yes, we were all so jealous) and joined in the fun!
We picked up the little Razorback costume from Walmart, and it was a HIT! Braedyn loved running around in it. He even got to meet Marshawn Powell (from the basketball Hogs) and shook his little Razorback tail for him.
Right before kickoff it was sunny and a little warmer, but it got COLD and WINDY quickly!
It wasn't long before my little razorback pooped out! His big sister fell asleep too!

We are so sad the tailgating season is over! And, you can bet Allen is already planning his list of tailgating toys for Santa to bring him for next year!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

School Fun!

2011-10-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy week of FUN with Brookelyn's kindergarten class! First, we made a trip to the pumpkin patch. They were all adorable!

Of course, Braedyn came too and thought he was every bit as big as the kindergarteners! (Like the shorts with the sweater? That wasn't a battle I wanted to fight that morning.)

On Friday we went trick-or-treating on the Square with Brookelyn's kindergarten class. They were all dressed up, and we walked around for about an hour and a half. It was so much fun! Here is our "posse":

B-man showed the kindergarteners how it was done!

My Little Red Riding Hood and Big Bad Wolf (minus his head) were SO cute!

Like the new mohawk? I figured since it is getting colder, it just isn't fair to shave his head anymore. So, we are going back to the faux-hawk look.

This shot tells the story of the whole morning:

Braedyn kept falling behind and we would have to RUN to catch up with everyone. Why? Not because his little wolf paws were tired, but because the businesses would have huge buckets of candy and tell the kids to pick out one piece. Well, deciding which piece he wanted was a life changing decision at each and every ONE of the TWENTY businesses we visited!

Here is one last shot of the class and Brookelyn's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Scott (the witch). She is amazing and Brookelyn absolutely adores her!

I don't have pictures of trick-or-treating at Daddy's office, or of us setting up our school carnival booth, or of us staying at the carnival until the very END to help clean up. It was a CRAZY day. But, it was SO much fun!

My Beautiful "Babies"

2011-10-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

A friend of a friend asked if she could take pictures of the kids for her new website. So, last week we headed out to the Metropark for the photo shoot. I was beyond THRILLED with her work--thank you to Personal Paparazzi!

She set up a graffiti scene for Brookelyn.

And, got some SUPER cute close up shots!

Braedyn got to throw rocks into the stream. Can you tell he hated every minute? :)

We finished up with some shots of both kids together. I think this one is my favorite!But, I also love, love, loved this one.
My "babies" are getting so big and I am enjoying EVERY minute of it (or at least 99.9% of those minutes)!

Tailgating for the Auburn Game

2011-10-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

We set out on Saturday morning (after Braedyn's soccer practice) for Fayetteville and some tailgating FUN! Yes--we were there before 11am and the game didn't even start until 6pm, but we loved every minute of the absolutely beautiful weather and electric atmosphere!

Here is my little "Boss Hog" all ready for the game:

And, here is Sashi and Allen leaned back with the kids, watching the football games (you can't see the TV--it is in the back of the car)!
Brookelyn took a little cat nap on Honey--and no, she wasn't sick. She was just exhausted!
Our tailgating neighbors deserve some sort of award for the spread they set up every game. They even brought a huge blow up hog this time. Of course, the kids loved him!
We had a wonderful time tailgating and and even better time at the game, since we put those "mean tigers" as Braedyn calls them in their place! GO HOGS!

Kindergarten Art Auction--Melted Crayon Artwork

2011-10-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

One of the duties of Homeroom Mom is to come up with a piece of art (that every child in the class helps make) to sell at the school's art auction. I had NO idea what we were going to make, so one of my friends suggested I join Pinterest for ideas. Now I am hooked! But, it was on that site that I found this idea!

Thursday afternoon (with both kids in school) I sat and peeled 151 crayons and then glued them to a huge canvas I bought from Hobby Lobby. I lugged it to school and we put newspaper all around it to protect the teacher's walls and floors.

I brought two hairdryers and then, let the kids get to WORK! For 20 kindergarteners, they were so well behaved! The kids came up in pairs and took turns heating up the crayons and letting the wax drip down the canvas.
About halfway through we blew the outlet and then we had a fire drill, so we had to relocate to finish it up! And then, of course we blew that outlet and had to move again!
But, in the end it turned out great!
All the kiddos were so proud!!

Ozark Corn Maze

2011-09-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

Braedyn goes to school with the little girl whose family owns the Ozark Corn Maze, and every year they have a "Friends and Family Night" before it is open to the general public. So last night, as soon as Allen got back from his business trip, we hopped in the car and headed to have some fun!

The kids each got the feed the goats:

Then, we headed over to the maze! I managed to snap a couple of sweet shots before we went in:I think they are looking more alike every day!
Daddy led the way through all the corn!
He managed to lead us perfectly through without getting lost even once! (I told him it was good practice for the Adventure Races I have been trying to get him to do with me.) The kids had been eyeing the cow train, so we let them hop on for a ride. Mommy was nervous to let them go by themselves (it was all the way around the farm and WAY out of sight), but they did great.
And, of course, we couldn't leave without trying out the corn cannons.

It was a beautiful evening! I can't believe Halloween is right around the corner!!

Tough Guy

2011-09-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

My little man took quite a spill on his balance bike the other night. Uncle David and Emily were over, and we were all talking in the driveway when Braedyn went headfirst into the concrete! Thank GOODNESS he was wearing his helmet! You can see his lip and face got all scratched up (the big bruise on his head was from the night before)!

The next day (and for a few days after) he could only eat ice cream because his little mouth was so sore.
And, here he is a few days later. It seemed like everywhere we went people would ask what happened--I would've too. He looked just terrible!
And, then...his front tooth started turning grey! Uncle Travis (Braedyn's Godfather), an oral surgeon, explained that his tooth was dying (oh joy) and might just turn darker and darker and stay in place or might fall out.
Here is his tooth as of last night (and those are bubbles on in chin--he was in the bathtub):
Dear tooth, please stay in place until we have our Christmas pictures taken, as I think photo-shopping a dark tooth is much easier than adding one in! Allen thinks he looks tough now. I'm not convinced.

Wooo Pig Sooie...It's Tailgating Time!

2011-09-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well, our second tailgate of the season didn't go quite as planned. It not only rained--it POURED! Here I am ducking for cover in the back of the van!

But, finally it stopped raining and we were able to get all set up. And our set up is AMAZING! Check out that TV in the back of the car (thank you Honey and Sashi for contributing the generator to make it all run)!

We have a huge tent to keep us dry and lots of food to keep us full!

Braedyn found a friend (aka a grasshopper) who kept him busy for a while!

Luckily, it didn't rain on us at the game (but it was really windy and cold). Daddy kept Braedyn warm.

And, the princess conked out on Sashi's lap!
Can't wait for the next home game to do it all again (minus the rain and the cold)!

It's Organization Time at The Bates' House

2011-08-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Wow--we have actually managed to stay in one house for an entire YEAR! (Let's hope that statement won't jinx me.) So, that means I can actually move beyond survival mode and into nesting mode. I readily admit that Allen and I both suffer from OCD--so nesting in our house means ORGANIZING! And, I love it! Here are my latest projects:

Organized all the kids' winter-wear in a clear plastic shoe organizer. This way they can SEE what they need, and more importantly, put it away THEMSELVES!

I had Allen hang some hooks for the kids' backpacks in the back hallway. Again, they can hang them up THEMSELVES! Also, we have an organized space for their artwork and important papers.The kids' closets drive me CRAZY! So, when I stumbled upon an awesome deal on hangers (at the Walmart Associate Store), I seized the opportunity. Now Brookelyn has all matching pink hangers and her clothes are sorted by type and color. I love how it looks and how easy it is to put together outfits.
This is Braedyn's closet with the blue hangers. (He also has a shoe organizer that he can get all his shoes out of and back into by himself. Brookelyn's shoes don't fit in a hanging organizer, so hers are under her bed in a pull out organizer because we all know that a girl must have A LOT of shoe options!)

Then, I found these two AMAZING organizers (one pink and one blue) at the Goodwill. They a have bin for every day of the week. So, on Sunday I sit down with each kid and we pick out their outfits and put them in the bin. This is awesome especially for Brookelyn because we have to keep track of what days she has gym (tennis shoes) and art (messy clothes) and 6:15 am is not a good time for me to try to remember which day is what!

So, far I am thrilled with all my little projects. Up next is the butler's pantry. I have to paint it to match the rest of my kitchen cabinets.

Braedyn Stars Preschool!

2011-08-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Braedyn's first day of 3 Year Old Preschool at His House! He was lucky enough to have his friend Riley's mom, Ms. Summer, as a teacher. Braedyn was excited to go--after all he had been going to drop sissy at Kindergarten for quite a while, and he missed all his friends from last year!

Here is the "big man on campus" showing how old he is:

And, here he is just looking cute:
He walked right into class with no problem and had an amazing first day!
sd

Rhea Lana Time in the Bates House!

2011-08-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

It is that time again...time when I stock up on ziploc bags, magic erasers, safety pins, hangers, and all the other little things I need to sell all the kids' toys and clothes at Rhea Lana (the local consignment sale here in AR)!

So, for the last two weeks I have been spending my afternoons in the guest bedroom ironing, starching, hanging, tagging, and entering in the computer all the kids' clothes that they have grown out of. And, if you know Allen and I, you know we love to dress the kids "to the nines," so there is quite A LOT of clothes to sell. I am actually already up to two consigner numbers (they only let you consign 150 items per number) and 250 items!!

Here are a couple of pictures of all the items I have been working on:

Clothes:

More clothes:
Toys, books, DVDs, etc:
And, I have two huge plastic containers full of shoes (this is just one):
While all of this is A LOT of work, it is SO worth it! Every year we are able to sell all the stuff the kids have grown out of, and then outfit them in all new stuff while usually coming out ahead!

Kindergarten!

2011-08-01T07:47:00.001-07:00

Brookelyn started KINDERGARTEN! As I laid in bed this morning, I thought about all her first days of preschool/MDO. There has been quite a few with all of our moves and school changes. I think all of those prepared me and her for this big day. She did AWESOME! I took a TON of pictures, so bear with me.

Here she is proudly holding her Kindergarten sign. We went shopping yesterday for the "perfect outfit" and had so much fun together!

And, of course, a "model pose."
I couldn't decide which close up between these two I liked the best, so I included both!

And, here she is with her new backpack.

Uncle David and Emily brought her over a kindergarten surprise last night--Juicy Couture folders, notebook, and pencils! She loved them!
Here is Daddy leading the way to the school this morning!
Her school is R.E. Baker. She is officially a bobcat!
Of course, brother had to get in on the action!

Brookelyn walked in like she owned the place and led her brother right to her classroom!

Here they are right outside her classroom. The picture above her is the one she drew at Meet the Teacher Day.
She settled right in and started coloring!
One last hug from Daddy! (She wasn't sad or crying--just wanted a good, big hug.)
And, one from Mommy.
Then, we headed out. I can NOT wait to hear all about her day!! I love my big girl SO much!

Brookelyn Turns 5!

2011-07-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Brookelyn's birthday was a wonderful whirlwind! She woke up to find her huge blow up birthday cake (a tradition we have started) waiting for her!Then, it was time for breakfast, and some birthday candles on her pancakes.Braedyn had to get in on the candle action too!

Aunt Barby sent them both money for their birthdays and so they decided to go to Build a Bear. It was a first for them both, and they had a blast making the bears!

Here is Brookelyn making a wish on her bear's heart before putting it inside.
And, here is B-man giving his new puppy a nice bath!Brookelyn put her bear in it's new home and was on her way!
Later that night, Gramma and Grampa stopped by with lots of birthday love.
The next day, the celebration continued at school! Here is the cake she brought to share with her class:
Brookelyn had a great time!

Saturday was her birthday party at gymnastics! Here is the birthday girl:

Braedyn loved hanging like a little monkey from the bars (you can see big sis in the background too)!
Here is Brookelyn taking the leap into the pit!

This was her birthday cake from her gymnastics party:

Everyone sang and she made her wish!

Brookelyn told me it was her "best birthday ever!"

Braedyn Starts Soccer!

2011-07-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

Braedyn is finally old enough to play soccer, and he was SO excited to have everyone watching and cheering for him (rather than big sister)!

It was so cute to watch him run all over the field!

Honey and Sashi Visit!

2011-07-18T12:52:00.001-07:00

We had such an amazing time with Honey and Sashi! We did so much more than theses pictures show, but I am terrible at remembering my camera!

The kids went bowling, and had a BLAST! Here is Sashi helping out B-Man:

And, here is Honey helping Brookelyn:

I think Honey beat everyone, and the kids tied with the same score!

One night, we launched the kids' wish lanterns (like in the movie Tangled). They each made a wish and Allen and Sashi lit them and helped launch them into the sky.

They were gorgeous!

We had an amazing time with Honey and Sashi, and we can't wait until they are back for football season!

Fourth of July Fun!

2011-07-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

The past three days have been amazing! It has just been wonderful to be together as a family! Here are the kids the morning of the 3rd...we started celebrating early!

Daddy already had all the fireworks lined up for the show!We really started earlier in the week with bottle rockets every night, but the 3rd was supposed to be our "big show." We started around 6:30. They couldn't wait!
I had to include this "devilish" little picture of Braedyn.

This looks safe, right? A three year old with a lighter! Don't worry though...we were careful!
Allen let the kids take turns lighting all the fireworks. Brookelyn helped Braedyn out a little, but before long he was doing it all by himself!

The kids LOVED the smoke bombs!

Look how smoky it got!!
When Allen lit off the firecrackers, everyone pretended to shoot guns. It was hilarious!! Yea Gramma and Grampa!
Braedyn absolutely loved having his very own root beer bottle! Gramma and Grampa spoiled him!
Grampa took care of Sooie during the fun. Surprisinly, the fireworks didn't bother her. I guess a 3 year old and a 4 year old bugging you all day is WAY scarier!

The night of the 4th we decided to just shoot off a few more. We were still exhausted from being up until 1:00am the night before with the kids, so we told them just a few on the 4th and then next weekend Uncle David is going to come over for another big show!

Here is B-Man chasing Sooie before the fun began:
Braedyn started us off by lighting the little chicken that shoots sparks!
Here is Miss Priss with a punk:
I can't explain how much Braedyn loved every second of fireworks! This smile helps you understand!
Here they are jumping up in down with excitement over all the fun they were having!
4th of July may rival Christmas around here. It was so great to just be together, outside, watching the kids run around with the dog, play in the sprinklers, light off fireworks, and just talk and enjoy each other. It was relaxing, exciting, and just amazing!

Sooie!

2011-06-18T13:17:00.001-07:00

Many of you have asked me if I have LOST MY MIND. And the answer is YES! Actually, quite a long time ago (maybe about 5 years ago--right around when Brookelyn was born)!

With that said, here is our newest family member, Sooie...as in Wooooo Pig Sooie.

She is precious and has two forever friends in Brookelyn and Braedyn who just ADORE every inch of her!

Brookelyn's Kindergarten Assessment

2011-06-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

This morning was very exciting! Brookelyn was scheduled for her kindergarten assessment test at her new school, R. E. Baker. I took a couple of pictures of her before she headed out:

She is getting so big! After the assessment, she told me it was "easy!" They just asked the kids basic questions to get an idea of where their ability level falls. I'm so proud of her!

Disney Parks

2011-06-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

After the cruise was over, we hit the parks! Everyone had an amazing time (but I think I got tired out of taking pictures, so I don't have quite as many as I would like)!

Here is the whole gang in front of the castle:

Here is Auntie B with her "babies":

The kids (including Sashi) wanted to get their faces painted. They looked great!

Brookelyn got some loving from her Honey:
And, Braedyn loved on his Sashi:

The kids loved running around the parks together and just being wild!

The last night we got to go on a pirate cruise (those are bandannas they gave us on our heads). We got to meet Captain Hook and Smee. The kids loved it!
Here is Honey and Sashi with their little pirates:
And, Aunt B and Uncle James with them too:
We took a boat out and got to watch the fireworks over the castle. It was amazing!
We were all so sad to come home. It was a wonderful trip that I know we will talk about for years and years. Can't wait for the next time we can all get together!

Disney Cruise

2011-06-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

Our Disney trip was a trip of a lifetime! And, I took around 600 pictures, so narrowing it down was HARD! This first post is only the cruise photos.

This was the first night before we got on the boat. It was the kids first time to see the ocean!

Here is the whole gang before we boarded the boat. We couldn't wait to start the fun!
Our first night before dinner, we managed to grab a quick picture with Mickey, Ariel, and Woody!
While on the cruise, we took an excursion to Atlantis. The aquariums were amazing, and my mom and Barby managed to do some damage in the jewelry stores!
This is one of my favorite pictures. I captured it before dinner the second night. If only they were always this sweet!

Another family shot before dinner. I love that we got so many family pictures because it seems like I never get the chance to have any taken!

Here are the kids at Castaway Cay. I think the island was the highlight of the cruise!
Braedyn made fast friends with the ocean! He didn't want to get out!
Uncle James braved the water and helped the boys swim.
We found a mermaid on the shore!

There was all the ice cream you could eat...and Braedyn ate A LOT!

My little model striking a pose.
The kids loved dancing with Captain Hook! He was such a gentleman.
Allen and I even stole away for a little alone time. You can see our boat in the background.
While on the island we took the kids for a bike ride. It was awesome!

Getting some Daddy loving!

That night was Pirate Night on the boat.
The next morning we met Cinderella in the foyer. Here's Honey and Sashi with the kids:
And, Aunt B and Uncle James with them too:
Braedyn is already working on impressing the ladies!
It was a magical cruise, and we loved being able to enjoy it with everybody!

My Kitchen Cabinets are DONE!

2011-05-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

When we first bought our house, I knew I wanted to change the kitchen cabinets. It wasn't that they were ugly; it was just that they didn't match our style. So, a few weeks ago, I jumped into my first real DIY project.

Here they are "in progress" all laid out in the garage:

That was all fine and dandy, until it rained for two weeks straight and I had to move "the party" into the dining room! But even with all the obstacles, I am SO glad I took this project on.

Here is the BEFORE looking into the kitchen:

And, here is the AFTER:

Here is the BEFORE looking at the stove:

And, here is the AFTER:

Here is the BEFORE looking into the living room:

And, here is the AFTER:What a difference a coat of paint (or really a coat of primer, two coats of paint, and a TON of sanding) and new hardware makes!

A Chuck E Cheese Birthday!

2011-05-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

Braedyn had his THIRD birthday party on Sunday! He immediately knew he wanted it at Chuck E Cheese, so that made it easy for mommy and daddy to plan.

Here he is with the Toy Story cake he picked out at Walmart:

Braedyn and Daddy headed right for the game and started playing! Here he is showing that he is THREE now!

Daddy and Braedyn challenged Uncle David and Uncle Jamie to some serious games of basketball!

And, Emily was amazing to take Brookelyn all around! They played and played!

Here's B-Man showing off his tickets:

Braedyn challenged Brookelyn to a water gun game:

And, then Chuck E Cheese himself showed up!
We all sang Happy Birthday, and the birthday boy blew out his candles!
He had a BLAST!
And, even shared a little cake with Chuck E!
Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated with us on Sunday (and to those who couldn't be there but were in spirit)! Happy Birthday Braedyn!

Brookelyn Starts T-Ball!

2011-04-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Brookelyn recently started playing t-ball for the Speedy Cats! While she has never played before and knew nothing about baseball, she LOVES it! Here is Miss Brookelyn playing right field:

Notice the princess glove?! She fought her Daddy for that! Here she is hitting the ball:Miss social butterfly makes friends with everyone, so of course she had to stop and chat with the first baseman!

And, she SCORES!

And, then poses for her close-up!
Brookelyn's favorite position is catcher. She likes being able to put the ball on the tee for the batter.
She has already improved drastically, so by the end of the season, we may have a pro!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T13:25:00.001-07:00

Easter 2011 was GREAT! The kids must have been very good, because look what the Easter Bunny dropped off for them:

He even ran eggs all the way up the stairs and into their rooms!
This morning we went upstairs to get them and they immediately started collecting eggs!
They collected them all the way down the stairs!

Braedyn kept stopping to open his eggs and check out the candy...

but, Brookelyn was on a mission to see her loot! Then, Brookelyn saw all her goodies!

Uncle Jacky helped her inspect the Barbie make up she apparently had been wanting "her entire LIFE!"

They couldn't wait to dig into their chocolate bunnies!
Then, it was karaoke time with Uncle Jacky!
And, everyone got all dressed up to head over to Gramma and Grampa's for Easter lunch.
We LOVED being able to have Uncle Jacky here to share in all the fun!
And, if that wasn't fun enough, there were MORE eggs at Gramma and Grampa's!

It was a wonderful day!

The Great Wolf Lodge

2011-03-15T08:18:00.001-07:00

We had an amazing vacation to The Great Wolf Lodge! I cannot describe how impressed I was with the facilities and hotel rooms--the kids (and parents) had so much fun! We drove down on Friday and met up with my sister, her family, and my parents. It was great to get everyone together!

Our rooms were great--they looked like they had a little "cave" for the kids to sleep in!

But, the water park was even BETTER! They had tons of slides, buckets, water guns, ride on toys, wave pool, etc! Here we are in the kiddie pool, riding the banana boat!

The kids especially LOVED the little slides (and mommy and daddy loved the big ones)!

Braedyn was on a constant loop between the pool and the slide--he was exhausted by the time we left!

While we were there, we also celebrated (a little early) ACE's 4th birthday!

And, in the evening, Honey and Sashi were so sweet to watch the kiddos while Allen and I shopped and had dinner! Here are the "Three Musketeers" eating some pizza:

And, here is Woody and Princess Brookelyn looking super sweet--we all know that was a short lived moment!

It was a wonderful trip that would make a perfect yearly family reunion! We can't wait to go back again!!!

Snow Fun!

2011-01-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

We had SO much fun this morning! After keeping the kids inside yesterday (since it was still snowing so hard and they had been sick on and off lately) we decided to brave sledding this morning. Of course it took FOREVER to get everyone dressed and ready to go, but managed it and headed out!

Here is Miss Brookelyn headed to the backyard:

And, B-Man was right behind her!
On our way Braedyn busted it! He couldn't move or get up! Brookelyn got a good laugh out of it.

And then it was sledding time!

We played and played. After about 45 minutes I told the kids we had to go inside before they turned into snowmen! But, before we headed in, they wanted to eat a little snow! Braedyn thought it was yucky:But, Brookelyn LOVED it!
Doesn't he just melt you heart? (Note: this picture was taken after he dumped out Brookelyn's whole wheelbarrow full of snow and had to sit in time out. Amazing how much difference a few minutes makes, huh?

And, one last one of my princess:

What a great morning! Valentine's Day pictures are this afternoon, so I am hoping the trend continues--fingers crossed!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

We had such an amazing Christmas and were lucky enough to enjoy it with the ENTIRE family! The night before, the kids put out some cookies for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer.

That night, Santa came and piled presents high for our good little princess and (mostly) good little prince!

The next morning, the kids were SO EXCITED to come downstairs! Here they are at the top of the stairs, just before they got to see all their presents:

After furiously opening presents, Braedyn decided to put on some of his! Here he is in his Darth Vader mask and Sponge Bob pjs--quite a combination!
Here is Brookelyn (also wearing new pjs) as she realized that Santa had brought her an American Girl Doll and chest full of doll clothes! Think she was excited?
Christmas morning Uncle David, Emily, Gramma and Grampa also came over! (Not sure why we have no pictures of that, but I am guessing because of all the excitement.) We finished opening more presents and had breakfast together. It was GREAT! Then, we packed up the car and headed to San Antonio for more Christmas fun!

Here are the kids with Sashi:
And a great shot of them with Aunt Barby and Uncle James!
I am guessing Honey was running around like crazy taking care of everyone and that is why I didn't get a shot of her. But, it was such fun to have Tata and Jonathan, Ace and Lily Kate, Barby and James, and Honey and Sashi ALL together! We couldn't be more blessed!

DISNEY WORLD!

2011-01-09T11:06:00.001-08:00

First, I apologize for taking so long to post this!! (But, life has been a whirlwind to say the least!)

Well, we woke up a little after 1 am, finished loading the car, scooped up the kids (they had no clue), and began the 18 hour drive to Orlando! It was so crazy to actually begin the trip we booked a YEAR in advance! We had talked about going to Disney for so long and planned and planned, so to finally be going was surreal! We managed to keep our destination a secret from the kids for 15 hours, and finally told them at a gas station/Dairy Queen combo where we celebrated with ice cream! It was awesome!

The first day was amazing! I think this picture says it all:

The kids were in total awe and we were in awe of watching them love every second! Brookelyn stopped to kiss Minnie
and Braedyn to take a shot with Goofy!
After taking pictures and wandering around for a bit, it was time for the kids' FIRST ride! We were so excited to show the kids just how much fun Disney was going to be. Right through the castle and next to where we were standing was a Snow White ride. There was no wait, and what could be better than starting off the trip with a princess ride?! So quickly got on the ride and were ready for the fun! Ummm...not exactly! The ride was TERRIFYING for the kids! It was all about the mean witch from Snow White; it was dark and jerky; the kids immediately jumped into the ride floorboard and started screaming and crying. When we got off they wanted to go HOME! To ARKANSAS! It was terrible! We finally convinced them to stay, but the ENTIRE trip the kids were worried about witches and if the rides would be dark or scary! They still talk about that ride.

In other, happier news...that first afternoon, we had scheduled a visit to the Bippity Bobbity Boutique inside Cinderella's Castle for our little princess. It was just adorable! The fairy godmothers came out and swept Brookelyn up in the process of becoming a real princess. She got her hair and make-up doneand came out looking like the pretty little (Tinkerbell) princess that she is!
The kids loved the rides, and the lines were non-existent, so they had their pick of what they wanted to do. Here we are on the tea cups. Daddy spun us so fast the kids could barely walk when it was time to get off!
Day two was Animal Kingdom. Here are the kids in front of the Tree of Life!
After having a blast all day at Animal Kingdom, we headed over to Hollywood Studios. We had to wait in line for almost an hour, but Braedyn got to meet his heroes, Buzz and Woody!

Day three was Epcot. Here are my little Snow White and Buzz in front of the park:

We had scheduled a special Princess Breakfast for that morning. The kids got to eat while all the princesses came around for pictures and a little chat. It was AWESOME!
We also managed to squeeze in a quick family photo!
Day four was Hollywood Studios! Braedyn was showing his sister a little love as we arrived!
The newest, hottest ride in the parks is the Buzz Lightyear ride. It is a 3D carnival game type ride. Here are Daddy and Braedyn waiting to go in:

That night we had tickets for Mickey's Christmas Party. It is an event in the Magic Kingdom where they close the whole park down to the public and convert it into a winter wonderland! We got to watch a special parade (the same one as on TV Christmas Day), have special fireworks--the most amazing display I have ever seen, special character meet and greets, and free cookies and hot chocolate all night! Allen bought the kids some light up swords and they sparred while we waited for the parade to begin!

Day five we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. We decided to get the kids' faces painted. Here is my little princess kitty:Braedyn got his face painted like a ghost pirate! It was so cute and amazing how quickly the lady was able to paint his face. Here he is right before we rode the Pirates of the Carribean ride:
Our last day we tried to hit everything we still hadn't managed to get to (or wanted to do again) in the Magic Kingdom. The kids were dying to see Tinkerbell. We had to wait in line for her, but she was worth it! The kids LOVED her, and she loved Braedyn's Buzz Lightyear wings!

Here are Braedyn and Daddy on one of the kids' favorite rides--a rollercoaster. It didn't have any loops in it, but it went really fast and jerked all around. I think we rode it four or five times!
We were so sad to leave Disney! It will always be a trip we will remember and talk about. I know the kids couldn't have had more fun, and Allen and I just enjoyed watching them experience each new adventure!
Until next time, Disney!

Christmas Program 2010

2010-12-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday the kids had their Christmas Program. It was absolutely adorable! Here is Brookelyn on the bleachers with her classmates:

She did wonderfully, saying all the words to the story, singing all the songs, and acting out all the motions her teacher had taught her. She even bowed at the end (even though no one else did)!

For Braedyn, this was a first! His first Christmas program. He did great. Didn't say a single word, sing a single song, or act out a single motion. But, he stayed on stage, didn't cry, and flashed those killer dimples the entire time!
I guess I should take back that he didn't act out any motions, because the little girl he has a crush on, Dowery, did grab his hand during the program and they stayed locked together! They were front and center, so everyone was saying how absolutely adorable they were!
Afterwards, we caught a cute picture of them by the Christmas trees.
Brookelyn LOVED her "princess dress" and twirled around for the rest of the afternoon!

What a wonderful afternoon!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2010-11-01T11:04:00.001-07:00

We started celebrating with the kids' school parties. Braedyn LOVED the popcorn balls we brought!

And, Batgirl had a pretty good time at her school party too!

On Friday, we took the kids trick-or-treating at Allen's office. It was great! They had the conference rooms all decorated in different themes. Batman LOVED it!

Batgirl and Honey had a pretty good time too!

As if they didn't already have enough candy, we headed to Uncle David's office to do a little more trick-or-treating at Walmart!
When Sunday arrived, the kids were old pros! We loaded them up in the wagon and headed out.
They loved all the scary decorations.
And, Daddy pulled them all over the neighborhood! It was a great time!

Hogs vs Ole Miss

2010-11-01T10:39:00.001-07:00

Honey and Sashi arrived on Wednesday, and that night we went to Bobby Petrino Live (where the head coach of the Razorbacks, Bobby Petrino, brings players and talks about the game ahead) at The Catfish Hole. Many of you know that Brookelyn's dream has been to "touch Bobby" and she is evidence that dreams do come true! Here is Brookelyn with Bobby!

The game was Saturday, and we were lucky enough to be able to go on the field with the Junior Razorback club (the kids are both members). It was pretty cool to be that close to the players!
Brookelyn got to see the cheerleaders as they arrived on the field.
And, she got to get some love from Pork Chop!We headed up to the stands to watch the game. The kids were GREAT!
Can you tell Braedyn was having a great time?!
And, then the rain came! But, Mommy was prepared with stylish garbage bags for everyone.
We finally left after the second rain delay. I think this picture sums up how we felt as we drove home!

Auntie Jenna Comes to Visit!

2010-10-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

We hadn't seen Auntie Jenna in quite a while since we had ALL been busy with work and moving. But, we were SO lucky that she was able to come visit us a few weekends ago! Since she lives in downtown D.C., we thought we would show her a good time out in "the country" here in Arkansas. What better place to take her than the Ozark Corn Maze?!

Allen led us all the way through the maze without any trouble! Here we are at the end:

And, we had to get a shot of the kiddos!

Mommy got talked into riding the cow train (which was not made for Mommy hips I might add). The kids LOVED it!

And of course Daddy couldn't leave without shooting the corn cannons--the real reason he wanted to go in the first place. Brookelyn thought they were too loud:

But, Braedyn LOVED them!

He and Daddy shot the corn REALLY FAR!!

We miss Auntie Jenna already! Hopefully she will be able to show us around D.C. soon!!

First Razorback Game!

2010-09-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

The kids were so excited for their first Razorback game at the stadium! We had already had a busy morning with Brookelyn's soccer practice, but the kids were raring to go!

Here we are right before we left--all Razorback ready:

And, here are the kids with Honey and Sashi:
Mommy stole a quick picture with B-man, rocking the red mohawk:
And, here is the little Razorback princess in her bedazzled jersey:
We walked all over campus, through The Gardens, and finally up to our seats. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the kids acted through the entire game--way past their bedtimes.

Everyone cheered when the team ran through the A!

Here is B-man on Daddy's shoulders watching a play:

And, Brookelyn loved calling the Hogs!

It was an awesome evening! We are hoping our little good luck charms will bring the Hogs MANY more wins!

First Soccer Practice

2010-08-29T18:32:00.001-07:00

Brookelyn had her first soccer practice with her new team, The Breakers, on Saturday morning. She was SO excited!

Here she is thinking about her big day:

We got there and got set up. B-man took his post in his own little lawn chair. He loved watching the girls, but he REALLY wanted to play!

Coach Allen started by stretching all the girls out really well. (Notice B-man is in the circle too.)

Then, practice started!
Here is Coach giving the girls a super pep-talk!

The star player takes the ball down the field!
At the end of practice Coach Allen let the girls have a little fun with the parachute. Notice his whistle? It might be taken away at home if he can't learn that it is for use ONLY on the field--there are no soccer players in this house!
It was an amazing first practice! I am not sure who had more fun, the girls, Coach Allen, or all the parents watching! Tomorrow night Coach David takes the reigns, as Allen will be out of town. The Breakers home opener is Monday September 13th at 6pm!

First Day of School for Brookelyn and Braedyn

2010-08-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

This has been a wonderful week! Both kids started school, and I am finally beginning to feel like I am digging out of all the moving mess.

Brookelyn's first day of Pre-K was on Monday. She will go Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8-2. And, let me tell you, trying to get both kids dressed, fed, and ready to leave this house by 7:45 is HARD! Here she is on Monday morning:

If you notice, her shorts match her backpack :)
She had a great first day, and couldn't wait to go back on Wednesday!

So, on Tuesday, Braedyn had his first day. He will go on Tuesday and Thursday from 8-2. I love this schedule because it will allow me to have special one-on-one time with each of them. I had an adorable collared shirt all picked out for him to wear, but the diva that he is (and learned from his sister) decided he was going to wear Spiderman or nothing. As I said before, it is hard enough to get cooperative children out of the house by 7:45, much less my two stubborn ones. So, mommy lost. Here he is on Tuesday morning:
This is his GQ pose:
And of course, flashing those lady-killer dimples!
He also had a great day. It started off a little tough because he had gotten used to having his sister at school with him during the summer, but she gave him lots of hugs and told him to "pick a flower on the playground for me" and he happily waved goodbye to us.

WOW--What a CRAZY Summer

2010-08-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

To say that we had a busy summer is the understatement of the century!

It all started when Daddy got a new job at Sam's Club, so Mommy got to sell the house in Dallas, pack up the house in Dallas, load the entirety of the house (well technically the movers did) onto a truck, and drive the kiddos up to Arkansas.

Goodbye Dallas house!

Hello new Arkansas house! Allen fell in love with this house at first sight (literally) and so did I. But, we have NEVER had to do so much to a house to make it ready! It had cracks in the brick, overgrown flowerbeds, needed paint, carpentry, SO MUCH cleaning EVERYWHERE, new furniture, stain, putty, you name it--it needed it. With that said, all the work is slowly coming to a close, and it is by far my most favorite home we have ever had. I love every inch of it!
And, since coordinating the endless contractors wasn't enough to put me in the looney bin, I decided to push myself over the edge with my least favorite mommy job--POTTY TRAINING! But, after a week of the nudie-bootie method, Braedyn had it all down. Of course, his favorite place to pee is outside!

When I thought I just couldn't take it for one more second, summer school started. Thank you Jesus! The kids had so much fun with their new teachers and friends. Here they are on their first day!

Of course the kids kept things interesting this summer, as the Bates' kids always manage to do. Braedyn had a terrible bout of Croup which landed us in the pediatrician's office for THREE hours. And, introduced us to one of Braedyn's least favorite things in the world, breathing treatments! (The sunglasses were not a stylish accessory--they kept the mist out of his eyes.)

And, of course there was the Chick-fil-A black eye I blogged about previously, which brings me to Braedyn's lovely gashed forehead. He managed to do this while Allen was out of town in New York. Brookelyn was being a kitty cat in the bathroom when he decided to sit on her back. After I told her to get up, he managed to fall forward right into the corner of the tile. Thank goodness Melinda rushed right over and helped me triage!

Not to be outdone by her brother that night, Brookelyn scared me TO DEATH by having what I now know to be a night-terror, but what I thought to be a seizure later that night. She screamed my name and then was totally unresponsive, shaking, and glaring around with glassy eyes. Terrifying! What a night. Needless to say, Allen has not gone on another business trip.

On a happier note, we got to take the kids to their first Broadway play, Beauty and the Beast! They loved it! Braedyn even cried the whole way home because he wanted to see the Beast again! Here is my little princess all dressed up ready for the show.
One of the most exciting events of the summer, was the birth of my new niece, Lily Kate! She is just perfect in every way--except that she lives 10 hours away! We had such an amazing time with everyone celebrating her arrival!
Whew! Seriously, a jam-packed summer. But, as summer ends, we know what that brings...Daddy's favorite 8 letter word--FOOTBALL! So I had to start the kids' education by taking them to a Razorback practice!

Tonight we had our end of summer dinner (a new Bates' tradition). While summer isn't technically over yet, the kids start school tomorrow so it feels as if it is. We are so thankful for all of our family and friends who have helped us through this crazy time, and we are looking forward to an amazing fall! Woooooo Pig Sooie!

Preparedness Fair

2010-08-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

Since Allen and I can't sit still for very long (and thus, neither can our children), before we headed to the Razorback Fan Day, we checked out the Preparedness Fair (as in how to prepare for a disaster--little did they know I know it is impossible to prepare for the sorts of 'disasters' Miss Brookelyn and Mr. Braedyn stir up every day).

Here is Brookelyn sitting in a fire truck (no Braedyn wanted NO part of the firemen or the truck).

And, in an AWESOME life flight helicopter. It was SO cool! (Again, notice Mr. Party-Pooper is missing.)
Finally, something Braedyn loved--a balloon sword he could whack everyone with!
Brookelyn got her face painted with Ryan Mallet's number. No it isn't in any of the pictures from Fan Day because she got sweaty and it got wiped off, but it was super cute while it lasted!Here is the little princess playing in a ball pit...
and another one because I thought she looked so pretty!

Sister managed to talk Braedyn into going for a ride on the HUGE blow up slide. Here she is talking him through how to go down (AKA bossing his business).

And, like the amazing big sister she is, here she is catching him as he slides down!
It was an awesome experience! We will definitely have to go again next year!

Razorback Fan Day

2010-08-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we officially indoctrinated the kids into Razorback football on Saturday! Here they are all dressed up and ready to meet the team!

We started off by meeting Tusk (which I didn't get a picture of) and, then the kids got to try out their very own Razorback tricycle!Brookelyn LOVED every second of the day and just couldn't pose for enough pictures (B-man--not so much)! Here she is with Sooie:
And, with the cheerleaders! I probably have five different pictures of Brookelyn with different cheerleaders, but chose this one. She loved holding the pom-poms!

Finally, a shot of Braedyn. Everyone commented on how cute his hair was.

He watched the pep-rally from Daddy's shoulders.
And, Brookelyn got to be a part of the pep-rally, as one of the cheerleaders brought her up to dance with her!
Here is Brookelyn with Boss Hog. B-man was T-E-R-R-I-F-I-E-D of him!
And, while she didn't get to touch him, Brookelyn got to see Coach Petrino!

Overall, the kids and Mommy and Daddy had a BLAST! It was so hot (over 100 degrees), but so worth braving the heat. Can't wait for the first game day!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th! Of course, in true Bates' tradition, Allen took the kids to pick out all sorts of fireworks. Thank goodness we live just outside the city limits!

Here are Brookelyn and Sashi right before the fun started.

Can you tell Brookelyn is excited?

Braedyn loved his little snap-pops. He would throw them on the ground and the step on them. Everytime they popped he was so proud of himself!

Can you tell how thrilled he was?! (As a side note, I think he looks just like his Uncle Jamie in this picture!)

Allen got the kids these big smoke sticks. They made a TON of thick smoke. A HIT!

B-Man loved holding the fireworks!

After all the excitement, Braedyn needed a quick rest...on TOP of Honey!

Here is Brookelyn with a HUGE sparkler!

And, Braedyn loved shooting off the roman candles (not dangerous at all for a two year old, right?)!

What a wonderful 4th of July! The kids can't wait to do more fireworks--really Allen can't wait even more than them!

Wilderness Safari

2010-07-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had an amazing time at the wilderness safari! We started off by getting to pet and feed all sorts of animals!

Here is Brookelyn and Sashi. They were making friends with Apple the Lemur.

And here we are petting the most adorable 13 week old tiger cubs!

Brookelyn made friends with a BIG piggie!

And the kids loved petting the kangaroos! I couldn't believe they would just lay there and let the kids pet them. Some even had babies in their pouches!

Here is Brookelyn petting one all by herself!

Honey helped the kids feed Bambi the deer.

Brookelyn was fascinated with a little bunny.

Sashi helped the kids feed some little goats.

After the petting and the feeding came the drive through portion. Of course Allen and Sashi felt the need to give me a heart attack by disobeying the prominently displayed directions of "KEEP YOUR WINDOWS UP AND DOORS SHUT AT ALL TIMES!" They thought it was hilarious to roll down the windows and lure the animals to the car. We had many, many emus look us eye to eye and almost stick their heads in the windows! They also made "friends" with the camels and zebras. I have never heard Brookelyn laugh so hard--but of course she was sitting in the far back of the car away from the windows. She wanted no part of sitting anywhere near where the animals could get to her, but she loved laughing at mommy freak out and yell at Daddy and Sashi!

It was an awesome time, and we have decided to go back at least once a year!

Checked That Box...

2010-06-25T12:18:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday night we were headed to Taco Bueno for dinner, when Braedyn declared, "Cheese! Cheese!" Which, really means he wants chicken. (I know, I know. It only makes sense in Braedyn talk.) So, since we are obedient parents, we turned into Chik-fil-A. After dinner, the kids went to go play, so Allen and I could have a few, short moments of peace. However, it wasn't three minutes, and we heard Braedyn crying and a Daddy shot into the playplace to talk to his son. Allen walked into the playplace and found our little guy in bad shape. Translation: the other Daddy was not watching his son as he trampled/pushed Braedyn eye-first into the steps. I thought we were headed straight for the ER, but Allen assured me that the huge purple lump and cut were fine--WOW, Allen has come a LONG way in the last few years, huh?!

Here is B-Man on the way home after it happened. The picture does not do his poor little eye justice at ALL!

After we got home Allen and I promised him everything from candy to Diet Coke out of the can to make him happy. Finally, he stopped crying and seemed better. (I also called my friend in Dallas who is an opthamologist. She said he should be fine. Please, all of you out there who are my friends and happen to be doctors, don't disown me! I am sorry for always calling you with my crazy issues!)

Here is B Man day two right before he went to school:

And, here he is this morning. I had to bribe him with Diet Coke to take this picture--that is why he is smiling with so much emphasis.

So, we have officially checked the "Black-Eye Box." Please, we don't need any repeats!

And, I had to include this shot of my little Sugar-and-Spice-and-Everything-Nice Princess. She would never give her mom an ulcer over a black eye, right?!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-21T12:56:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day Allen! We started the morning by having a great lunch at the Bates' house and going for a swim. Of course the kids didn't want to get out of the pool--I think they have both oficially turned into little fish! Both jumped off the diving board and paddled all around the pool wearing their new water wings. It was GREAT!

Then, after naptime, we took Allen on a surprise trip. Brookelyn blindfolded him and we drove him to Gator Golf in Fayetteville. Here they are right before the first hole. You can see that B-man picked out the pink dolphin lemonade and of course the pink golf ball to match.

The kids had a great time (even though it was SO hot), and Allen even won us a free game by getting a hole in one on the 18th hole! I don't know how he managed to do it with the kids all over the green, but somehow that ball rolled right through Braedyn's legs and into the hole!

Then, the blindfold went back on and we drove him to dinner. We surprised him with Catfish Hole. It was delicious, and we had a great time! Here is Brookelyn with her Daddy.

It was a great day! We love you Allen!

Rain, Rain, DON'T Go Away!

2010-06-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Few things have delighted the kids more than playing in the rain the other evening. We were cleaning up the playroom before bathtime when I looked out the window and saw the downpour. I asked the kids if they wanted to play in the rain, and of course they did. It had been so hot outside all day, that it was perfect.

Here they are smiling quickly before they ran back and started splashing again.

Brookelyn had the idea to lay in the puddles and catch the rain with her tounge.

Of course, Braedyn had to copy her!

They played and played! Braedyn even tried to drink the rain rushing from the gutters! It was a great evening!

Potty Progress

2010-06-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well, so far so good! Braedyn has been doing so well with his potty training! He now tells us when he needs to go and wakes up most days dry from his naps. I am so proud of him. Our one fatal mistake was letting him go potty outside ONE TIME. Well, that one time has turned into many, many times. In fact, his favorite place to go potty is outside. Honestly, I am just thrilled that I am not changing diapers anymore. Way to go B-Man!

Busy, Busy, BUSY!

2010-06-03T09:05:00.001-07:00

We are still trying to settle into our new house, while at the same time keep the kids happy--not an easy feat! So in the midst of painters, carpenters, electrical guys, etc, we have been having some FUN!

While mowing, Daddy found the kids a new friend! We put him in a big box and the kids were entertained for almost an hour! Finally, I put him back in the pond across the street.

Since we no longer have a neighborhood pool, Daddy went to Walmart and bought the kids one. It has been a BLAST! Of course Brookelyn has fallen off backward at least 8 times and has tried to do cannon balls off the slide.

We had a wonderful lunch the other day at Allen and Melinda's house. The kids gave a lot of loving to their uncles!

And yes, in the middle of all this fun, B-Man is potty training. Day 3 and still no accidents. Of course there is A LOT of bribery going on.

On Tuesday night Allen took Brookelyn out for a date after Braedyn went to bed. They went to Braum's and had ice cream. She dressed herself.

It has been a crazy but fun couple of weeks!

Our House: Before and After

2010-05-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend was all about cleaning up our yard. Since no one had lived in the house for so long (and no one had ever owned the home--only rented), the yard was a DISASTER! The rose bushes had taken over everything, and there was layers and layers of leaves in the flower beds.

Of course, Allen wanted to jump right to the power tools. And, yes, I know this is incredibly unsafe. Trust me, I voiced my opinion many times. He wasn't listening.

To give you an idea, here is a before picture of the front, left side of the house:

And, here is an after picture:

Let me just say, I have no idea why whoever built this house decided to put in the prickliest plants ever! My arms are covered in rose bush scratches and holly tree (they are too big to be bushes) pricks! We probably bagged at least 7 huge lawn bags just from that one flower bed.

Then, it was break-time. I brought out popsicles and everyone took a load off to recuperate!

N0 rest for the weary though! We had to work on the left entry-driveway flowerbed next. Here is a before picture of it:

And, here is an after picture. We bagged about 10 huge lawn bags full of leaves, dead plants, and trimmings from this bed. And, yes, I know the driveway needs to be blown off, but we have no gas for the blower yet.

This morning we got up at 6:15 (thanks to our human alarm clocks) and headed outside to work on the last bed in front of the garage. I don't have before and after pictures of it because I was too groggy from going to bed really late and waking up way to early. But, I had to get a shot of the kids, who I bribed with the sprinkler and huge candy canes. Can't you tell they are working hard?

Here is a shot of Braedyn. He insisted he needed goggles for the sprinkler (yes those are tool goggles, but he was happy) and a floaty (no clue why he needed that)!

So here are the "official" before and after shots. Although, I have to say looking at them I am not as impressed as I am in person. Just trust me, we have over 20 huge garbage bags full of stuff in our garage. It is a huge difference!

Before:

After:

Next weekend we have to tackle the weed infested, horrid looking lawn. Wish us luck!

Life in Arkansas

2010-05-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

Well, we are still digging out of boxes, but the kids can only take so much. So, today we headed outside for a little bike riding on the driveway. They had a blast!

Here is B-Man on his new bike:

And, my fearless princess was taking hairpin turns around my car on two wheels:

While the kids were riding around we had some visitors. They came waddle-running toward us from the pond across the street. Obviously, they are not scared of the kids. They were right next to us, so close in fact a couple of times Braedyn screamed and grabbed my legs. Check out the video:

Happy Birthday Braedyn!

2010-05-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Our little man is TWO! It is so hard to believe, but Braedyn is no longer a baby--he is a big boy! Here he is right before he blew out his candles. He loved is razorback cake!

Here is a short video of us all singing to him:

Can you tell he loved eating it? I thought he would dig right in with his hands, but he didn't want to get his hands dirty. So, he just leaned in with his face!

Here is a video of him in action:

After the party we gave him his big boy bike. He did just great pushing it along!

Then, the whole gang hit the street for a little whiffle ball!

It was such a great day! Special thanks to Grandma and Grampa for all the help with the party. We have been so swamped with moving that it was great to have you both get everything set for his important day!

HAPPY EASTER!

2010-04-03T12:16:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter to everyone! The Easter Bunny came early to our house--Daddy wrote him a letter, asking him to stop by on Friday because Daddy had to go to Arkansas for his new job. The kids must have been very good, because the Easter Bunny brought them LOTS of presents!

This morning, before the egg hunt at Braedyn's school, I took some pictures of Brookelyn and Braedyn in their Easter outfits!

Stopping to smell the flowers:

B-man showing his pearly whites:

Miss "model" Brookelyn:

Both Bates Babies looking cute (and mischievous):

Braedyn is saying "cheeeeeese":

Brookelyn thinking of her Daddy:

Smiling by the flowers:

Two little angels:

We have BIG news...

2010-03-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

Almost five years ago Allen signed his offer to join AT&T (then SBC), and we moved from New Orleans to Dallas (just two months ahead of Katrina)...

Since then we have moved from Dallas to San Antonio, had two children, and moved back to Dallas. It has been an amazing ride! However, today, our "ride" turned down a new road. We have decided to accept an offer from Sam's and move to Arkansas!

We are very excited about the possibilities the future holds for us. The next few weeks and months are going to be very crazy, as Allen reports to his new job in two weeks, but we welcome the turmoil (someone might have to remind me of those words). Watch out Razorbacks...here we come! (Oh, and can I please request a National Championship in the next few years, so I don't have to listen to Allen and David postulate for too long?!)

Brookelyn's Latest...

2010-03-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

Today was "Dress Like Your Favorite Storybook Character Day" at school, so Brookelyn went dressed as Olivia. She was the cutest little pig! Here she is with her Olivia book:

She loved her nose the most--and brother was scared of it!

These next pictures are a little late, but Brookelyn had a school program last Monday. The kids all sang on stage together, and then we got to walk around and look at all the amazing art she had created. It was a wonderful evening!

You can see Miss Brookelyn in the middle of the stage singing about the B-I-B-L-E!

Yesterday, Brookelyn started swimming lessons. She was very timid at first, but slowly warmed up to her teacher, Miss Brenna. She will go twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday) for the next five weeks. Here is a little video of her swimming on her back:

Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day!

2010-02-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day and hope you did too!

SNOW!

2010-02-12T05:58:00.000-08:00

Well, Honey arrived on Monday morning and brought a surprise with her--SNOW! It started snowing on Wednesday night (we were oblivious) and by Thursday morning we awoke to a winter wonderland! It continued snowing all day Thursday and into Friday morning! We have had such a great time playing in it!

Here's Brookelyn on Thursday morning when she first got to go out:
And, B-Man loved it too--he kept trying to catch the flakes:

Honey and Brookelyn set out to make a snowman together:

They did a great job working on it!

And, here is Braedyn getting ready to go out for his second trip--this time with Daddy on Thursday night:

After sledding, which was really Daddy pushing the kids down the hills because the snow was so dry, Daddy set out to build a bigger snowman with Brookelyn! You can see B-man struggling to walk in the background. He looked just like a little bundled marshmallow!

The snowman broke apart, so Braedyn used it as a mountain!

Brookelyn has one huge snowball!

And, here is Daddy with his two little snow angels!
After we came in and warmed up, Mommy made "snow ice cream." We got a big scoop of snow, put in chocolate chips, and covered it with chocolate syrup!
The kids were EXHAUSTED and so were we! We had such a great time in the snow, but we hope it doesn't prevent Sashi from coming in this morning!

Kristine and Madison Come to Visit

2010-02-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

We were so excited for Madison and Kristine to come visit! Last time they tried to come Brookelyn came down with the swine flu, so we have been anticipating their visit for a while. We had such a great time together! The kids played themselves exhausted every day, but some highlights included the playplace at Chik-fil-A, makeovers for the girls at Sweet and Sassy, shopping, and running around the house like wild animals! We can't wait to get everyone together again soon!

Here is a short slide-show of some of our fun:

Braedyn Starts Gymnastics!

2010-01-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

Braedyn started gymnastics last week, but I forgot my phone in the car. So, I didn't have any pictures. I remembered my phone today, but trying to take pictures of Braedyn while also participating in the gymnatics class with him was HARD! So, the only ones that really came out were from the end of class (when I was able to sit down and take them).

Each week his coach teaches him different letters, colors, shapes, and animals. This week each child got to carry a snake around from station to station:
At the end of class the coach gives each child a sheet with all their activities on it. Then, coach puts a sticker next to two of the skills the child did very well at. Braedyn did a good job on the trampoline today!

Here is Braedyn saying "TaDa" at the end of class. He was very proud of himself (and so was I)!

Braedyn loves his coach, Nick (also Brookelyn's coach)!

Here he is right before we leave. I was trying to get him to look at me, but he was too engrossed in his skill sheet and stickers!

I will try to take better pictures next week! But, most importantly he is really enjoying himself, and I love having the one-on-one time with him!

Officially a Soccer Mom...and LOVING it!

2010-01-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, so as of 5:30 pm yesterday, I am officially a "Dallas Soccer Mom!" But, that is okay with me because Brookelyn LOVES soccer! I wasn't sure what to expect out of a three year old soccer class, but it truly blew me away. Her coach is named Luiz--imagine a South American soccer player, and that is what Luiz looks like. Of course Brookelyn had some minor issues with her new coach, but after warm-ups were over, I was able to return to the parents cheering section (thank goodness because Braedyn was getting heavy on my hip) and sit down. Her coach was amazing with the kids (all girls and one boy) and really taught them quite a bit in just an hour. He made a great point that most parents want their kids to start playing in games right away, but this class allows each child to have their own ball (rather than only one in a game) and teaches them all the skills they will need to truly play the game of soccer with skill. Here are some pictures (not great I know because I took them with my phone while Braedyn was on my lap):

Here is Brookelyn (the last little girl in line wearing the black shirt and really cute skull legwarmers) waiting her turn at the agility course. Each child had to hop with two feet over the noodles and then kick the ball into the goal. She was so excited!

Here she is jumping. She was trying so hard to use both feet to jump over the noodles!

And, here she is scoring her first goal! It was great because after each child scored a goal, all the parents would yell and cheer. I could tell from the huge smile on Brookelyn's face that she was super proud of herself.

Coach Luiz had the kids running up and down the court so much that they had to have MANY short water (or juice) breaks. Brookelyn sucked down all her juice halfway through the class, so Mommy is going to have to bring back up drinks next time.

This was another agility exercise. Here, she had to run, weaving through the cones and score a goal. Again, she loved it.

We did have a minor problem. The kids were running after Coach Luiz with the noodles and Brookelyn busted it. She didn't catch herself because she was holding on to the noodle. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the time we took her to the ER for hitting her head on our bed, this was probably a 7. One mom wanted to go get a teacher, but I calmly assured her that we were pros at head bumps and that the ER doctor had previously advised us that it was very difficult to injure your brain by hitting your head on the forehead. After a few kisses and a nose blow, Brookelyn was out on the court again running around with everyone else.

Next Wednesday we get to do it all over again (hopefully, minus the head injury this time)--can't wait!

San Antonio Christmas

2010-01-05T19:06:00.001-08:00

We had such a great time at Honey and Sashi's house over Christmas! Of course we were so busy having fun that I didn't take nearly enough pictures but here are a few that I managed to capture:

The kids began opening presents almost immediately! Braedyn just wanted to launch himself off the couch--luckily Daddy caught him. In the background you can see Brookelyn's special Christmas tree.

Here's Honey handing out the gifts and Sashi helping Braedyn open one of his presents. Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Tata were taking it all in.
Here's Daddy playing trash man.

The boys loved cuddling with Sashi in his big chair! You can see Brookelyn on the side--she can't sit still long enough to cuddle!

Daddy and Braedyn helped Honey cook breakfast one morning.

And, Sashi and Brookelyn cracked eggs for the breakfast tacos (only one ended up on the counter by some miracle).

This is a terrible shot, but it had to make it in because it is a one time event; Sashi actually took all three kids to the bathroom by himself. Who knows what happened in there, but everyone made it out in one piece.

We had such a great time and an amazing Christmas! Thanks so much, and we can't wait for everyone to get together again soon!

Christmas Morning

2010-01-05T18:48:00.001-08:00

Allen and I had spent countless hours researching, shopping, looking, and buying the "perfect" gifts for Christmas morning. We couldn't wait for them to come around the corner and see all their loot! Here are the pictures from that morning:

The first thing Brookelyn went for was the Hello Kitty gumball machine (this is the item Allen had to fight a lady for at Target on Black Friday)! As a side note: Brookelyn has not eaten a single piece of candy out of it--on the other hand, Braedyn has gobbled enough for them both!

Here is Brookelyn pulling all her stocking-stuffers out. She was amazed at all the gifts because Allen had told her that maybe if she was really good Santa would leave her three or four presents.

And, here is B-Man taking it all in with Dino (his stuffed animal). He didn't quite "get it" at first and just watched sister rip through her presents.

That is until he spotted the candy canes Allen had put on the ground leading up to the presents. Then, he was thrilled to crunch his candy and sit on the sidelines.

Allen found these online and knew the kids HAD to have them. Yes, they are huge and have metal points on the end, but the kids did love them. Once it gets a little warmer I am sure we will have great pictures of the kids in their boots with their umbrellas!

Braedyn finally got going after about five candy canes. Here he is with his rubber lizard.

What you can't see in this angelic picture is that he is sitting next to the plate of Santa's leftover cookies. Let's just say Santa's leftovers were quickly gobbled up!

And, here is Brookelyn opening her highly anticipated Dyson vacuum (that really vacuums). She loved it!

And, of course so did Brother!

Then, Braedyn found even more candy canes inside his big bulldozer!

It was an amazing Christmas morning! We are so thankful for our beautiful babies (yes we are biased) and the memories we are so blessed to make with them!

We're Ready Santa!

2009-12-24T19:18:00.001-08:00

We had a great evening tonight! It is SNOWING! So, tomorrow the kids should wake up to a white Christmas morning! After dinner, Allen bathed the kids and I got them dressed in their pjs. Then, we loaded up the car and drove around looking at Christmas lights. Poor Brookelyn fell asleep on the way home, but Mr. Braedyn was awake so Allen took him for a run through all the whirling, swirling snow. Needless to say he LOVED it. Once back inside, with Brookelyn awake, we set out the cookies and milk for Santa and the broccoli for his reindeer. Here are the kids:

Once we took these pictures Brookelyn announced it was bedtime, so she didn't even get to open the present we had saved out for them. But, oh well--that just means more presents tomorrow! Can't wait! I am sure Brookelyn will be up with the sun!

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

Today Brookelyn and I made cookies for Santa; we want this to become a tradition. Together, we picked out the cookie recipe--sugar cookies that look like candy canes. They turned out great, and taste even better! (I might add this is my FIRST time baking cookies from scratch, so I was a little worried.)
Here is baker Brookelyn unwrapping the butter (outfit courtesy of Auntie B):
And, here we are rolling out the dough:

TaDa...

Something tells me Santa will gobble them up!

Best Gift EVER...

2009-12-14T19:48:00.001-08:00

As soon as I walked into Brookelyn's classroom to prep for her class Christmas party, Brookelyn announced loudly that she had a present for Allen and I. (All of you who know Brookelyn know that she LOVES a present like no man, woman, or child I have met before--even if it isn't for her.) She insisted that I open it immediately, but I was able to pacify her with many promises of getting her big girl mattress later in the afternoon.

She brought it up several times throughout today, but I was so proud of her that she was able to keep a secret and manage to wait until Allen got home for us to open it together. Inside was the BEST present I have ever gotten (and I know Allen agrees)--a little nesting doll set of Baby Jesus, Mary, and Joesph. She was so proud that she helped her teacher, Ms. Cathy make it and glue it together. Baby Jesus rests on the bottom, Mary sits on top of him, and Joesph goes over her--such a happy little nested family together. It reminded me of our family (sure we really need two Baby Jesus' but close enough) and how thankful I am for the place we are at right now. I know that each year I will unpack these little nesting dolls and think back to this place in our lives with a smile!
Here are a few pictures from the party--it is always hard to take them since I am coordinating everything:

This is Brookelyn making her snowman ornament--the "smile" you see is driving me crazy these days. I don't know why she insists on channeling Garth from Wayne's World?!

Here she is with all her little classmates. We were about to play Christmas Bingo.

Yum-reindeer cupcakes! Hey, I bought the cupcakes at Walmart, but the kids had fun decorating them! I was obviously not in charge of the juice you see pictured because I am not sure what mother in her right mind (I am giving the mommy who bought these a break because she is pregnant with two kids under three and a half, so she probably isn't in her right mind) would purchase juice in GLASS bottles with NO straws!

Here is a better shot of the cupcakes and the juice, which she later spilled in her car seat (don't tell Allen because we spent almost two hours cleaning out the car on Sunday)! It really was a fun party--Merry Christmas!!

Santa Pictures

2009-12-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Well, we took the kids to get their picture taken with Santa, and here it is...
I guess it speaks for itself!

Our Tiny Dancer

2009-12-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

When we got home this afternoon from gymnastics Brookelyn wanted to dance. So, I put on her "ballerina music" and she was in the zone. She danced for probably 30 minutes! Here is a short video of her in action (remember you have to go to the blog to see the video):

First SNOW!

2009-12-02T09:14:00.001-08:00

This morning I got a text from Allen saying that it was SNOWING! I rushed to the window and sure enough, it was POURING SNOW!! I rushed around getting the kids' raincoats, boots, and hats so we could head outside. This is the FIRST time the kids have EVER seen snow!

Here is Miss Brookelyn, checking out the snow from the front porch:
Braedyn immediately rushed out and started playing in the snow like a pro:

Brookelyn was really cold--after all mommy didn't put any clothes on them (I was scared it would stop snowing), so they only had their pjs on:

Here they are together. As you can see Braedyn is already pitching a fit because I told them it was time to come inside. The fit lasted at least 45 minutes after we came back in!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful time in Arkansas! Brookelyn and Braedyn loved playing with Uncle David, cooking with Gramma, and loving on Grampa!

Here's Brookelyn and Grampa:

And here are the kids helping Gramma cook--they LOVED cooking!!

We took the kids to Fayetteville, and couldn't pass up some Razorback photo opps:

When Daddy and Uncle David went to the Razorback basketball game, Gramma and Grampa brought over a picnic dinner:

Braedyn loved swinging on Gramma and Grampa's swing:

And, Brookelyn loved sweeping:

A little cuddle time with Gramma:

And, Uncle David was nice enough to let the kids help him put up his tree:

Thanks Grampa, Gramma, and Uncle David for an absolutely AMAZING Thanksgiving! We love you!

TODDLER TANTRUMS!

2009-11-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

My so sweet little laid back baby boy has morphed into a tantrum throwing toddler! He is super dramatic and very good at making a loud scene--much better than his big sister was at his age! This afternoon when he grabbed their little play phone and realized it wasn't charged, he LOST his mind. Here is his initial reaction:

I picked him up, rocked him, tried to distract him, promised we could charge it, but NOTHING worked. So I sat him back on the floor and walked into the other room so he wouldn't have an audience. SIX MINUTES later he was still at it. Here he is take two:

Again, I picked him up, kissed him, and tried to love on him, but he was MAD-MAD-MAD! So again, I walked away thinking he would at least get tired. But no, not my stubborn child. Here he is SEVEN MINUTES later:

Whoever has taken my sweet angel, please kindly return him, and take this creature back to wherever he came from! (By the way, I got him to stop by offering him a drink of my Taco Bueno soda--thank goodness for small miracles!)

Happy Fall!

2009-11-18T19:25:00.001-08:00

Here is Brookelyn's fall picture from school:

She is doing so well in school and has really learned a lot already this year. Today, they had their feast (or "beast" as Brookelyn called it the other day) where each child brings something to share with their classmates. When I picked her up this afternoon she went through what each child brought and exactly what she ate (and what she didn't like). They have also been collecting milk jugs to build an igloo with--she can't wait to sit inside it. It is hard to believe that she will be going to school four days a week next year...where does the time go?!

The Bottle Fairy Visits

2009-11-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

After Braedyn's 18 month check up yesterday, the doctor explained that we needed to get him off the bottle sooner rather than later to help with his weight. He is still only in the 10th percentile for weight as compared to his 55th percentile for height. She thinks he is getting too full on milk and then not wanting to eat his meals. So, last night the Bottle Fairy, a nice princess who takes bottles from big boys and girls to babies who need them, came to visit us. She has been to see us before, when Brookelyn was 18 months old. I explained to him the bottle fairy was coming to take his bottles to babies and that he was a big boy who didn't need them anymore. He shook his head yes that he understood, and thoroughly enjoyed packing all his bottles up:Here he is waving goodbye to all his bottles:And, then he carried the bag outside to put on the front porch:Here we are waving bye-bye one last time--he does look a little sad here. Maybe it was setting in:After that we bathed the kids and put them to bed with no milk for anyone. Allen put Braedyn down and after a few "milk" signs and a bit of whimpering Braedyn went right down and slept through the night. When I kissed Brookelyn good night she asked if the Bottle Fairy brought presents for big sisters too. Luckily, I have a stash and in the morning both babies got surprises! Brookelyn got some craft projects:And Braedyn got a Spiderman thermos. Can you tell he wasn't thrilled?

He made it out the door and off to school with NO bottle and managed to eat a pancake, sausage, and cheerios! Yea Braedyn!!

Brookelyn's School Performance

2009-11-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

Last night we went and saw Brookelyn's school music performance. She sang beautifully! Here are a couple of pictures from the show:

And, here is our little trouble maker (can you see the sticky sucker running down his chin)?! Daddy had to take him out of the church for a breather!

Marathon Picture

2009-11-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

Finally, I had a chance to scan in Allen and I's picture from the marathon. This picture was taken right after we crossed the finish line and received our medals and warming blankets (remember is was about 35 degrees outside)!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great Halloween Day! After the gym this morning, we had a wonderful lunch at On the Border, and then took the kids to the Halloween Family Expo. They got to see Ronald McDonald, trick or treat, jump on a huge bounce house, and just have a great time! Then we headed home for some rest time before trick or treating. The kids got up and carved pumpkins with Allen, and then I gave them baths while he ran to Sonic to get them corn dogs (their first time tasting one). After corndogs, the kids put on their costumes and we hit the streets. Trick or treating in our neighborhood was amazing--there were so many kids running around, and the houses were all decorated super scarily! Check out the pictures of one house in the slide show--crazy scary (which means Braedyn LOVED it)! After chowing down our black Taco Bell tacos (piled the kids in the car), we headed home, and the kids are OUT! Now time to watch the DVRed Hog game!!

Check out the slide show:

Halloween Fun at School

2009-10-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

Today was Brookelyn's Halloween party at school! She got to wear her Ariel costume to school, and the mommies got to come sit in on their chapel time and watch their costume parade. It was SO much fun! Here is Ariel on her way to chapel:
And, here is Ariel sitting in chapel:

And, here is Ariel walking in the parade:

Later this afternoon, all the mommies came back up to school, and we had the Halloween Party! It was so much fun! Here is Brookelyn and her best friend, Riley, working on their craft:

And, here is Brookelyn showing off her eye ball cupcake that she made:

These were the examples I made--don't they look cute? The kids loved them!

And, here is the peanut gallery--Braedyn and Riley's little sister, Morgan. They were all eyes during the party! These are the little treats I made for Brookelyn's teachers. They are supposed to look like owls:

When we got home Brookelyn went through her goodie bag and found these scary teeth:

And, Braedyn got to enjoy an eye ball cupcake of his own:

It was a great afternoon!