Merry Christmas Gage!

Gage was happy to find out that Santa Claus managed to get inside of our house. He was a little worried about the fact that we have no fireplace! I love it when they still believe in Santa. It makes Christmas more magical. Gage has been a very busy boy this year. He is doing great in all of his studies. He is reading 3 grade levels above the average 7 year old. This kid is an Einstein! Gage is a very mellow little boy who loves to tell creative stories from his wonderful imagination. He is such an angelic little boy. He rarely gets angry and his patience are something we can all learn from. Gage is always thinking and pondering ideas. One day we will all own something that's life changing and it will have been invented by Gage. We are so proud of everything that this little guy does. He is amazing.

Merry Christmas, Gage. I love you!

Merry Christmas!

Too Much Merry Christmas for Hudson

Trying not to show approval for what Hudson was saying in the above picture, it was pretty darn funny. Finally after opening all of his loot he looked at me with a worried look and said, "No more Merry Christmas okay Mom?" Is it not ALWAYS true that little kids like the simplest things more so then the really expensive ones! All of the kids got Tootsie Roll piggy banks in their stockings and Hudson was completely obsessed with ALL of them. He wanted to dump the candy out and have the empty containers for HIS MONEY. The money that he gets when he climbs up on top of the counter and quietly opens the money jar and sneaks a few handfuls of loose change! If your ever at my house you will notice that Hudson is ALWAYS caring a little baggy of change all around the house. In fact I am constantly finding these little bags of money after he sets them down somewhere in the house and forgets where he left them. Then he gets a new bag and starts a new stash. He loves money. Is that so bad? When most toddlers scream for candy, Hudson screams for MORE MONEY!

Merry Christmas Son. Please stay out of my wallet!

Merry Christmas Vannie!

Savannah may be 10 years old, but she still holds that magical Christmas spirit that all young kids have. The kind of spirit that makes parents want to relive their childhood and shell out yet ANOTHER $50.00 bucks for a MUST HAVE present. As I see it, the kids love the gifts, but the parents LOVE watching their faces light up with the magical happiness of a good surprise. This year we hid all of our gifts at the neighbors house and we told the kids that since we just got a new house and SUV that this Christmas would be very small. Savannah asked if we were poor and I jokingly told her, Yes! She took it serious and rewrote her Christmas wish list:

A coloring book (its okay if someone already colored some of the pages.)

toothbrush

5 pack of crayola crayons

pack of gum

and only if you have enough money mom, I would like some more rubber bands for my hair.

She was completely overwhelmed when she came down the stairs on Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas, Vannie. I love you!

Merry Christmas Taylor!

Taylor was so overcome with joy about this gift, that his entire body froze in a seizure looking posture of happiness. Luckily, Savannah was there to help unwrap the entire present. Unfortunately with all this snow, Taylor will not be able to rip this stick with some death defying tricks. Taylor continues to grow taller then everyone in our house. His hair has to be cut every month (I think it needs a cut now, but Taylor likes it long and curly). I've just begun to notice that the girls go Ga-Ga over this young man. It's an odd feeling as a mother to feel threatened by these little girls who are trying to steal my little boy's heart away. I admit jealousy may be one of the emotions involved. I've been the only girl in his life and now I am competing with a bunch of giggling girls. It's all new territory. Nonetheless, I am very happy with who this young man is becoming.

Merry Christmas, Taylor. I love you!

Merry Christmas Addy!

This beautiful girl is the most giving, warm hearted and lovable girl you will probably ever know. She always befriends the kids who are usually picked last. She is very passionate about many things and she believes she will change many of the world's problems and I believe she will. This girl has ALWAYS known what direction she was going. I truly believe that Addy will make a difference in this world. I can't wait to find out how. Watching her grow and develop her own thoughts and ideas has been one of the best gifts I have ever received in my life.

Merry Christmas Addy. I love you!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

Actually, this sweet girl's birthday was in September, but we were busy moving so she had to stay younger longer. I am accustomed to calling her my "baby girl", but she reminded me that she was now in the "Double Digits". Yep, this will be the last year that she can communicate her age with her fingers. 10 years came quickly. It's depressing to think about the fact that 60% of her childhood is already complete. She has become an amazing young lady with many talents. I asked her a few questions:

Favorite color: Pink & Purple

Favorite animal: Ducks

Favorite Music: Hanna Montana

Favorite Food: Mac & Cheese

Hobby: Karate

Least Favorite Food: Pickles

Happy Birthday Vannie! I love you.

Who did this to you?

I asked big brother to watch his little brother while I got some serious work done on the computer (emailing friends & doing some online shopping). A little later I hear a strange moaning sound and find my poor baby boy sitting on my bed with his eyes jetting around the room as if he were attempting to figure out who or where the sound he was hearing was coming from. He was terrified, so as any good mother would do, I ran to get the camera. However, when he saw the camera he stopped looking so scared. (Darn! Another good picture missed!) It ends up that older brother told Hudson to sit on the bed and not move because the "brain eating ear monster" would get into his head if he dare remove the brain protector ear muffs! So poor innocent Hudson sat on the bed being neglected and fighting off brain eating monsters while mommy shopped online. You can see in the bottom picture how slow and careful he removed the brain protector. He walked around the house with his hands over his ears for another hour after his horrible experience. I'm thinking we should stop contributing so much money into his G.E.T. account (college money) and start paying into an I.N.A.T.T.B.S account (I need a therapist was tortured by siblings).

Move over Scrubbing Bubbles!

Having a shower with glass doors is a pain in my back side. We have terrible hard water and it stains after one shower. So I started a rule that the shower had to be wiped dry after each use and then we spray Scrubbing Bubbles- shower cleaner all over. It gets rather spendy and I am probably poisoning my family. Well, Move over Scrubbing Bubbles and meet the newest competitor.

Out smarted by a 2 year old!

This is the cute little boy that I get to watch twice a week. It's nice because Hudson has someone his age to play with. Although Hudson is 3 1/2 and this little boy is almost 2, they get along nicely. Hudson is a very late bloomer in speech and this little boy talks as well as a 4 or 5 year old. He may be the next Bill Gates. Anyhow, today I was reading the boys a book that was a picture dictionary. There was a picture of a french horn and I was drawing a blank, "Little Bill" looks at me like he's giving me time to think and then says, "That's a french horn!" Hudson looks at the picture and calls it a Cow!

Splish Splash I'm Takin A Bath!

These little boys had fun in the tub tonight! Gage and Hudson added extra bubbles to their bath and then turned on the jets! Water and bubbles were everywhere! They both tried to build a snowman, but for some reason Frosty wouldn't stay standing!

"Can I lick the bowl?"

After enjoying a nice meal with our friends on Sunday evening, we decided to make ice-cream. Everyone enjoyed the yummy treat, but I was surprised to see Savannah refusing a bowl of ice-cream. She had other plans. She patiently waited until everyone was through eating and I began to take the machine apart to wash it. "Mom, I didn't get to have any ice-cream. Can I lick the bowl?" Savannah asked me with puppy dog eyes. I saw no harm in it, so I told her to dig in. The funny part of the story is the fact that we lecture our children on proper meal time manners and how to act when we have guests over. (when guests aren't at our home there is usually more food on the floor then on our plates.) I can only imagine what our guests were thinking when they saw the girl above licking a bowl with her tongue and smearing ice-cream with her fingers. All the while her mom is taking pictures! Secretly I too have licked the ice-cream bowl.

Here it is...as requested!

Everyone is asking to see a pic of our new house. It is kinda cloudy outside today, but this will work. Basically it is like our last house. It has a roof, front door, and many rooms inside!

Title: Oh No, Mom has a camera! or Wow, the kids are doing homework!

"Mom, leave me alone!" "Mom, I'm trying to do my homework." Those are the nice threats. I can't post some of the other comments that my children said, in fear that I might get booted from blogger!

Over-rated fun for the whole family!

The Museum wasn't very stimulating, but....

Playing in all of the raked up piles of leaves was a blast!

More pics of the chatter boxes

Meet The Baby Chatter-Bug

Meet Hudson, the newest chatter-bug to join this Chattering world. He is 3 yrs old and he has a lot to chat about.....the only problem is that we can't always understand him! Hudson is the baby of the family and everyone has always spoke for him. He was our little surprise gift from above. We so wanted another baby, but were told that it was not possible. Surprise! Hudson so wanted to meet us that he decided to come nearly 7 weeks early. I'd have to say that having Hudson was the greatest gift our family has ever received. Everyone loved him so much. He was always being held by someone when he was a baby. I can't believe he is already 3 years old. I am completely in love with this little boy. My only regret is that he isn't a cuddly boy. However, his skin is baby soft and his hair is like silk. In one word he is YUMMY! Hudson likes hanging out with Dad, helping Mom with housework, hiding from mommy until she threatens to spank, driving his Mustang convertible power wheels, taking bubble baths, making ice-cream, Bologna, Elmo, and ringing the door bell. He dislikes taking naps, going to bed, being told it's time to come inside after playing outside, diaper changes without powder, green vegetables, the toilet, and strangers. Hudson is a late talker, but he often chatters non-stop and we (his family) understand him well. His favorite saying, "Dad, come home from work now. Mom need you." He yells that into my cellphone which he steals and then hides in his closet and somehow finds the quick dial for Dad's number. Lucky for Hudson his cry for help always works. Not so lucky for Daddy, who leaves work and drives home at 90 MPH worried that his wife is lying helpless on the floor. When Daddy arrives and runs through the front door, Hudson, says, "Dad, you come home to see me?" We can't be mad at him for this. He is just too cute. I believe that Father God sent Hudson to me to keep me going. I have MS and I could easily become very lazy, but having a 3 year old to chase around has kept me in better health. Hudson has not only changed our lives, but he has saved mine. I love this little boy more then I could ever express in words. Everyday is a gift to watch this little person develop into the man he will someday be. I love you, my little man Hudson.

Meet The Younger Chatter-Bugs!

Meet Gage (Gage on left, Savannah on right!) He is rarely seen chattering, but once he gets started he can chatter like the rest of them! Gage is almost 7 yrs old. He likes math, video games, hanging out with Taylor and watching TV. He loves his Mom and and thinks his Dad is a real hero. Gage is never afraid to try new foods. He even likes sushi! The one thing he hates is peanut butter and that's probably best since he is deadly allergic to it. Gage is an inner thinker. His personality is calm and reserved. He enjoys creating and sharing stories from his endlessly wonderful imagination. Gage is excellent at solving puzzles and playing critical thinking skills games. His IQ is higher then everyone else in our home. Gage is an angelic boy that everyone loves. We love him just as much as we do our own children. I can't wait to find out what kind of man Gage will be someday. He can offer this world so many wonderful things. Love you, Gage!

Meet the Jr. Chatter box

Meet Savannah our youngest girl chatter box. She is 10 yrs old and still (always) our baby girl. Savannah is a speed chatter. She's the fastest chatter box this side of the Mississippi. Savannah likes roller skating, math, karate, Webkinz and Ketchup! She likes ketchup so much that she puts it on everything, including: cereal, toast, waffles, rice, rolls and sometimes plain on a spoon. Savannah is a small girl with a huge heart (a servants heart). She is always helping me when I am feeling ill and often times she disappears for a while, only to be found later in a kitchen that's been cleaned from top to bottom. Savannah loves to serve others. She is the kind of girl that never asks for much, but is always giving to others. She has the most beautiful blue eyes and her smile and laughter could melt the coldest of hearts. She dislikes pickles, eggs and her younger brother getting into her things. She is afraid of black widow spiders and going downstairs alone in the dark. Savannah is our free spirited child. She'd rather be alone then in a crowd. She still considers me (mom) cool and she's never embarrassed to show me affection in front of others. She will always be my baby girl. I love you, Vannie.