A Cookie Party

My friend, Tracey, had this brilliant idea to have a cookie exchange party. I totally jumped onboard. I love me a party!
I hosted.
All we had to do was each bake two different kinds of home-made cookies.
Tracey provided the tins...for everyone.
So generous.
So Lana, Jackson and myself baked alllllllllllll afternoon yesterday.
We had Christmas music playing.
It was cold outside.
It felt like Christmas.
James is out of town for the weekend, so I didn't have to cook..and I didn't!

We had a really fun afternoon.

Until Mr. Charlie woke from his nap and decided to start circling the island full of cookies.

He managed to get his paws on quite a few of these cookies.

He'd lick them real quick, then, well, they were his.

I wasn't going to put them back.

Smart little booger.

These two were like hungry sharks circling a boat full of people.

It was all Lana and I could do to keep surveillance on the cookie island non-stop.

And then the party started!

I decided to add to the festivites and make it a Mimosa Brunch full of yummy stuff to snack on while us girls chatted the morning away :)

There were 10 of us. It was great fun. We each loaded up our cookie tins and packed them so we could deliver them. This is such a great idea for teachers, bus drivers, mailman, etc....

Next year we have decided that we need more cookies and less tins!

Tracey on the left...this was her brilliant idea. Her mom does this every year with her friends in Missouri and she wanted to start this tradition here.

Lana and Tracey

This sweet, sweet wildly energetic woman washed all my dishes.

Every last one of them.

I hugged her neck extra long when she left.

I hugged this little neck too.

Miss Evie is soooo cute!

My friends: Sara, Nikki, Me :)

It was such a fun party! I got so many gifts out of the way too! As soon as it stops torentially downpouring outside I plan on delivering some cookie tins to my neighbors.

Thanks to everyone who came! ALL of your cookies were delicious :)

One More Step Away From Babyland...

Charlie has graduated to a toddler bed. Several factors were involved, but it's true, he was ready for a "big boy bed."
He had tried to escape from his crib a couple of times and that resulted in tears and bruises.

I found this toddler bed on craigslist and went and picked it up the next day. It's practically brand new looking! And a fraction of the cost of a new one...James was so proud! I bargain shopped!




Can I just tell you Charlie loves his new bed! He has not gotten out of his bed ONCE in the week that we've had it! I am so proud of him.

I was inevitably expecting the worst, seeing as what we went through with Jackson [and are STILL going through with Jackson].

I put him in it for a nap one day and winced all the way to the door...Jackson and I stood outside his door for a good 5 minutes...waiting.

Waiting for a cry.

Waiting for a thud.

Waiting for the door to open.

It never happened.

I was shocked. Pleasantly shocked :)

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I also wanted to share with you the new book I am reading for my "Book Club".

It's called Crazy Love and this morning was our first meeting.

There's only four of us in our little club, but it's fun.

We drank coffee [well I drank green tea since I kicked the other stuff recently] and ate muffins and let all SEVEN kids run around us while we chatted and got real with each other.

It was good for the soul.

I am really looking forward to this.

Of course us four moms had oodles of other stuff to talk about to...but it's good to see that you're not alone in your journey.

And people have the same struggles as I do. And the fact that they're not ashamed, embarrassed, or too prideful to share those struggles is just way cool.

I gravitate towards those kinds of people. I strive to be more "real" everyday.

Can't wait to finish this book :)

Happy Tuesday!

boys will be boys

We get to play with this character when we come to PA.

He's quite a hamball.

He's hilarious to watch.

Oh, and his name is Carter.

But he goes by Gus.

It's his wrestling name, I'm convinced.

He's requesting that Charlie, my 2 year old, change his diaper.

This must be how he ropes his next victim in...

watch.

Charlie figured out what was going on and ran the opposite direction, out the door and down the street.


Carter was upset that his mommy had to change his diaper instead and decided to take it out on my sweet innocent son.


Just kidding.


A wrestling match ignited and there was no stopping it.


Chelsea (Carter's mom) and myself stood at the two corners of the wrestling match and protected our wrestlers from any harm a couch corner or desk could bring.


Oh, and we laughed. A lot.


Did I mention Chelsea has another boy growing in her belly?


This should add even more fun in the years to come when these guys decide to duke it out on the floor at the drop of a hat.

Believe it or not, there were no tears shed during this wrestling match.

Chelsea and I were counting down, just waiting to rush in and console our babies, then throw them back in the ring.

It never came.

And might I add that this little guy, Carter, the youngest of the group, was one tough cookie.

He must wrestle with his dad, I thought.

I fear this would be my plight IF, big IF, I were to go and get myself impregnated, yet again.

'Cause you know it would be a boy....as my husband says, "We Gilmore's don't make girls..."

blah.

My life would be one big wrestling match.

Things were starting to migrate into the next room.

These two have each other in a head lock.

Then a thought crossed their minds that it could be naptime.

"What's that mom? You said nap?"

Charlie: "HECK no! I gotta beat this little dude. He's waaaay smaller than me. I gotta make my daddy proud."

Carter: "I own you."

.....to be continued.

Indian Summer

We are in PA for the week! Inevitably it's warm today [70 degrees today].
We headed to Blue Spruce park to soak up some sunshine.
I'd rather it be snowing....but oh well.
It was a beautiful day!

Seems we brought some southern weather with us...

Jeffrey and Mom. Jeffrey decided to take a big dump once in the hands of his "Grandma"

Holly lucked out on that one!

Holly and Jeffrey.

James, Beau and Steve decided to enjoy the weather too and went golfing for the afternoon.

This kid loves to swing. He was kicking and screaming when i finally had to remove him from the swing...

Cutie-pa-tootie :)

We had to take turns rotating pushing Charlie. He did not want to get off the swing!

Jackson quickly made friends with this teeniney puppy.

It was so cute!

Good to see her smiling :)

We are looking forward to a week here.

And I love blogging on my mom's computer because it is super fast and high-tech,

very much unlike my laptop at home...

hmmmm.....maybe I know what I want for Christmas now!

More to come :)

"Adorable"

oh my word. I am laughing so hard right now.
A huge helicopter just flew over our house and Jackson came running into the office and said with fists pumping the air, "That was ADORABLE!"

HUH?

To that I replied, "What was adorable?"

Jackson: "That helicopter was so loud, it was adorable."

Me: "Umm, [snicker, bite lip, snicker], adorable means something is cute."

Jackson: "huh, huh, oh".

Me: "Did you mean to say AWESOME?"

Jackson: "Yes! That helicopter was awesome."

Four year olds are hilarious.

The End.

Halloween and a Race

The boys got to go trick-or-treating twice this year! Jackson picked out his costume, black Spiderman, and poor Charlie was Lightening McQueen--which he was super excited about, but it was Jackson's costume from last year. Oh well, such is being a second child!

We went to my cousin's neighborhood in Madisonville and the kids went on a hayride to each house. Jackson and James decided to ride their four wheeler behind us girls in the truck.

It wasn't redneck at all....:)

This house passed out bags of chips! What a great idea!

Last Sunday night our church held a "Trunk or Treat" for all the kids.

We each decorated the trunks of our cars and had fun games for the kids at each "trunk."

There was tons of food, cookie decorating and...

A Pinata!

Charlie did pretty good considering the stick was longer than he was!

Look at that face! Determination! He took a couple of good swings and let the next kid have a turn.

His daddy was proud. Look at that baseball stance!

Next up, black Spiderman.

It was so funny watching these kids try to swing and hit the pinata. You know James was on the other end of that rope pulling it all kinds of directions. Especially for the older kids!

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Saturday morning the kids and I loaded up bright and early and went downtown to watch Lana race in her second half marathon (13 miles total).

This one was getting mad at me because I wouldn't let him splash in the huge pothole in the street that was filled with water. Mean mommy!

And this one was perfectly content sitting in the stroller watching the competitors zoom by.

These two are like night and day, I tell ya.

Allow me to introduce my speedracer, I mean sister.

She's a runner. I couldn't do this. I would have peed myself by mile 5 and the shin splints would have kicked in around mile 5.1

She was dedicated to her training though and we were so proud to watch her cross the finish line.

Her goal is to run a marathon someday, and I know she'll do it...

and I'll WATCH her do it :)

1 hour 49 minutes

Beat her goal of 2 hours!

Bloody feet=bloody socks

ouch.

Micah, Hern and Lana

They all did a fantastic job!

Aunt Lana and Charlie

Poor guy, I cut his hair myself.

He almost accosted the lady at the hair salon last week.

I had to take matters into my own hands.

Even if that meant a "bowl cut"

that I still won't let my own mother live down for doing to me.

Sorry Charlie.

Congrats Lana...we love you!