Baseball All-Star!

 Tate's first peewee baseball game was actually last week, but it was pouring freezing rain and the kids ran around in complete bewilderment about where they were supposed to be and what they were supposed to be doing (It couldn't have been because they were drenched and frozen)
This game was a huge improvement.  Tate did so great!  That kid has a quite the arm and can throw the ball further than me.  No joke! Tate played first base (a very big job).  I was so proud of him.  He's got a mean swing too.  On his first time up to bat he struck out. He hit good on the next two times though.  Later when I was talking to him about the game I said it was okay that he'd struck out cause sometimes you just need to work out the nerves.  He casually replied that he hadn't been nervous one bit, that's why he'd hit the ball so good all the other times.  What a mature attitude.  That's my little dude.  Of course, now I guess he's my big dude.

Tate playing first base and ready for the ball!

Gone Country!

Here's my not so surprising confession.  I have always wanted to be a cowgirl.  I've always liked animals, but I love horses.  So we went country last weekend and went with some friends to their farm to ride horses, tractors and then followed it up with a Lone Star concert!

 Of course we had to get the kids cowboy hats.  It was so windy that Tate's kept flying off.  Allie however, who had to have the pink hat, pulled it down and would not take it off.  So cute!

 Allie and Tate were very impressed that I galloped a little on Pepper the horse.

 Then all the kids got in the bucket of the tractor and went for a ride "way up high".  I was sure they'd both be terrified but they loved it...more than the horse!

 Then the whole family got in.  It turns out Alex was the one who ended being terrified.

The next night we went to Lone Star and despite the freezing wind it was a blast!

Belated Easter Greetings!

 Easter is one of my favorite holidays (right after Christmas).  I really try to talk to my kids about the true meaning of Easter.  Like Christmas, it's real meaning has been distorted and commercialized in order to sell more chocolate and unnecessary toys (although they did get a little of each...but that's besides the point).  When asked by their uncle what Easter was about, Tate and Allie both replied, "the resurrection!"  We had spent a lot of time talking about the significants of what that meant.
 
One night while telling them the adventures of Princess Rose and Prince Alexander (my own stories which represent Tate and Allie and, though set in the fictitious, magical kingdom of Cornwall, I try to correlate events of the day or upcoming activities into their adventure and sometimes teach a moral or lesson).  Anyway, I talked to them about that night thousands of years ago when our Savior, Jesus Christ  was betrayed by friends and taken by wicked men who just didn't understand who He truly was.  I tried to explain, in the most gentle way I could what it meant to be crucified.  And that after all that Jesus wasn't angry with those who had been so cruel to him.  He asked His Father in heaven to forgive them.

Allie was very concerned and a little upset at this point as to why anyone would be so mean.  But then I told them about why He had allowed all those bad things to happen.  It was for us.  He did it all for us! Because on Sunday morning the stone was rolled away and Jesus was resurrected, body and spirit reunited for eternity in perfection.  That is, all except for the marks in his hands, feet and side.  That way, I told them, when he comes again everyone will know exactly who he is.

 I am so grateful to my Savior for accomplishing His mission.  Without Him, I would never be with my family forever.  The very thought makes my heart break.  What a miraculous and loving Father in Heaven who would love and trust me enough to send me these beautiful children and then to offer me eternity with them and my sweet husband.  And all we have to do is follow the example of the One who made it all possible.

Funny things Allie says:

Me:  "Allie open wide and let me help you brush your teeth.  Why are  you making those faces?"

Allie:  "These are all my different smiles"

Me:  "Oh, well they are very pretty."

Allie: "Yeah, this smile comes with a pose."

"The trouble with teeth" & Happy Birthday Miah!

This is just a side note, but I wanted to show how my table-gone-wrong finally turned out.  It's much less  dramatic, but I like it so much more.  Now all it's missing is a lamp.

 Now the trouble with teeth is they seem to cause me nothing, but TROUBLE!  Not mine, my kids teeth.  I took the kids for their 6 month exam/cleaning and the dentist said that Tate's six year molars had for whatever reason, developed "soft" and would be extremely susceptible to cavities.  So he put some sealant on them to protect them a little.  Oh by the way the six-year molars develop around the same time as the two front adult teeth so there's a possibility of them being soft too.  I guess we'll know soon enough, Tate just lost his front tooth...and you'll never guess how.  He pulled them out with pliers!  Any guess as to who's idea that was? (Alex)

Miah's teeth have been trouble since she was about 5 months old when she started teething.  Although she didn't get her first two teeth until 9 months (and hadn't gotten any since).  I am happy to say that the day before her 1st birthday her front top tooth broke through...and then went back in for a couple more days, just to tease us.

Now Allie is the real trouble.  The day after visiting the dentist (when the dentist commented on how "perfect" her teeth were) she and Tate were being naughty and playing instead of going to bed when suddenly I hear a blood curdling scream.  I run into the room sure to find blood and gore, but instead I found this....

 Allie had been jumping on the bed with her baby doll and it's hard plastic head smacked her right in the chops!  It broke her tooth in half!  I was mortified!  My gorgeous little girl looked like a vampire with two sets of fangs on one side!  Luckily it's just a baby tooth, but it's a baby tooth that she'll have to live with for the next 3-5 years.  We have another dentist appointment on Monday.

Now to the fun stuff.  My baby is one!  Miah Lynn my beautiful red headed sweetheart can:

walk on her own about 5-8 steps when encouraged and coaxed.  (It's much faster to crawl)
says: hi dad, dada, mama, Allie, Tate Tate, hi, that, this, eyes, uh oh, caterpillar and things that you're sure she really
       is meaning to say but that she won't say again.
 she loves any toy that has eyes
loves to play with her brother and sister (and is learning to throw a pretty good fit like them too)
is kind of a daddy's girl
loves her baby cousin Emma (fascinated with her eyes)
has a shoe fetish and loves to put on mommy and Allie's shoes.
just started blowing kisses to mommy and daddy
haven't been in for her 12 month doctor visit yet so I'll have her stats later

She has the sweetest most cheerful disposition.  We just love you Miah!

 

Exciting milestones and lessons learned...

Exciting Milestones:
My cute Allie, only three months away from four, is determined to ride a two wheeler!  It's funny because Tate was about the same age when he learned to ride without training wheels too.  Allie has only been going without training wheels for two days and she's really good on the straight aways...its just those turns that she can't get!  By the end of the afternoon she was more black than purple :)

If you've been following my Facebook then you'll already know that Miah has started walking!  She only does it when coaxed, but she can go 5 to 8 steps like a pro!  My baby is going to turn ONE in three days!  I'm not sure yet how I feel about this ; /

Lessons Learned:

So recently I've had an overwhelming urge to rearrange, repaint, reupholster and overall REDECORATE!  Alex and I bought most of our furniture after we'd been married for about a year so basically I have the seven year itch with my furniture.

 I got the before and after pictures in the wrong order but I'm sure you can tell.  My kitchen chairs had seen better days and were coming apart.  So together with Alex's muscles and my ingenuity we're reupholstering them.  This time we're covering them with a clear plastic so they'll hopefully last a little longer  and we won't have to worry about the stains and shredding fabric!

 And my seemingly ongoing "wall" project.  I finally have all the frames I want painted and in place now I just need to finish  by putting the picture in.  I've gotten some very good feedback on this so thank you...I love it too!

Now here is the "lessons learned" part.  Feeling confident I looked at my little Target table sitting lonely and forgotten in the corner...

So I drug it outside and with high expectations decided to go with a look I'd seen a lot at Tia Pan Trading.  Black with tiny cracks of a mustard yellow.  Very subtle, but very cute.  So I got my yellow and black paint and my crackle coat kit ready and....

 Oops! Memo to me - always use primer first.

Much better!  And now time for the fun part...yellow!

Whoa! Okay, it's fine...very yellow...but fine.  No problem.  I'll just add the crackle coat, wait 30 minutes  and then put on the black.  You'll hardly see the yellow...

Oh my gosh!!!

My thoughts exactly Tate.  Although Tate did say he liked it after the initial exclamation of "what is that?"  Yes, it's hideous! Did I feel sorry for myself?  Did I curl up in a ball and hide my face in shame?  Did I want to chuck in the trash?  Absolutely! But I resolved to salvage it.  Apparently I'd done it backwards and should have started with black and done yellow after the crackle.  Good to know.  But I was sure I could just let it dry and do a few more coats of black to make it work.  Needless to say I didn't feel the need to take pictures.

So that means the next step is to...  

start sanding. Well if we didn't have some failures we couldn't ever really succeed, right? 

Fashion Diva Allie!

Recently Allie has discovered her unique fashion.  In fact she has become very opinionated about her outfits, coordinating shoes, hats, sunglasses, purses, hair styles and jackets (when applicable :)

I don't know about all of you, but I love her colorful, "Fancy Nancy" inspired combos!  This is all her, by the way.  She will ask me if something matches and I'll tell her to see if she can find that color on any of the other pieces she's picked.  She does the rest!  She also loves to take and pose for pictures (obviously).  Here are some of the pictures she has taken....

"Smile!"

What a cutie, huh!