Monkey Business

Andrew has a monkey pillow that he uses to kick back and watch a movie with. That is it intended purpose. Ainsley has decided its intended purpose is that of a tackle dummy. For some unknown reason, Ainsley went up to this poor, innocent monkey and started attacking him. I blame it on pent up aggression from her brother using her as a tackle dummy. Since she can't yet catch him, she can the monkey and therefore he bears the brunt of her release.

Pee Wee Golf Time!

I am not sure who is enjoying Pee Wee golf more...Andrew or Josh. You should see the two of them out there. I am not sure why they do not hire them to teach the class, they just have such a good time working together. I love it! Here is what I am talking about:

There are 4 stations that the kids work on every week: putting, chipping, and 2 swing stations. At the chipping station, they get to chip at the target. This is Andrew's favorite part, especially when he hits the target:

Just a Swingin

In addition to hanging like a monkey in the tree, Andrew loves to play on the swings. Thanks to gymnastics, they have become supports for him to flip over, hang upside down from, or swing from like Tarzan...all which I am still trying to get on tape! Little Miss has decided that she likes to swing. Other than reminding her not to let go, we all have a big time swinging out back.
"Mama, can I push her?" I get this question a lot. My first response is normally, "Are you out of your mind, Son?" But, I bit my tongue and say, "When she gets a bit bigger, Buddy, then you can!"

Andrew has decided he is going to try to learn to swing himself...this comes from multiple suggestions from Josh and I as he yells in from the back yard..."Can someone come push me?"

Every time we are swinging Ainsley, I feel the need to remind her a thousand times to hang on. Now, I do realize that she has probably not a clue what I am talking about, but it sure makes me feel better to say it! One of these days she will look over at me and say, "I know Mom...enough already!" Boy, can I not wait for those good times! :)

Movin on Up!

This is Ainsley a good portion of the time...mouth opened and pushing her baby at a mach 1 pace around the living room. She has not mastered steering, but she has gotten better at the walking part. Keeping up with her brother and doing a bit of her own terrorizing seems to drive her to walk and keep up. Heaven forbid if she were to miss something with him! Her baby stroller has done wonders for her and getting her legs ready and revved up for taking steps on her own!


We lay our crawling Ainsley down for nap and she gets up a walking Ainsley. On Thursday, Josh was home, off from work due to Spring Break. He gets her up from her nap and brings her into our bedroom where I was on the computer. He puts her down against a cedar chest we have and she walks over to me at the computer...about 5 or 6 steps for her!!! Fabulous, until we get the camera out and she acts like we are crazy people wanting her to walk.

Our Monkey Man...Really!

The weather here has been very spring-like, so therefore Andrew has been playing a lot out on his backyard play set. In keeping himself entertained, he has learned a new trick. He climbs up the slide about halfway and then reaches for the tree, in which he then grabs and hangs or swings around like a monkey. Here is a pictorial procession of what I see from the patio as he is yelling, "Mama...come watch me!" Step #1: start at the bottom of the slide and climb up to curve in the slide. Step to the edge of the slide and reach for the tree!

Step #2: swing your legs around, try to climb up the branch, or just hang for a bit.

Step #3: fall and yell like a crazy man!

After my heart stops racing, he really is monkey-like. He has fallen one time and landed pretty good on his back shoulder blade...but like any thing else, he got up and tried it again after some prodding from me. The fall did scare him and slow him down for about 2 minutes, but that was short lived. Every now and then he will yell, "Help! Help!" We have tried to explain to him about the boy who cried wolf. Of course he thinks its fun, but we have convinced him that Mama and Daddy don't!

Movin' Right Along!

That she is. This picture is a common site around our house these days. Ainsley has started trying to roll. As you can see, she bends over, puts her little hiney in the air, her little head on the ground, and waits for someone to roll her over. I am not quite sure where she learned this, but she loves it...and so does her brother. Andrew thinks her rolling is great and feels he needs to join in. I will tell you that there have been several near collisions, but neither roller is worse for the wear.

In addition to her trying to roll, Ainsley is in the beginning stages of trying to walk...not the most stable yet, but she is sure trying to get places! She is constantly walking along or around things and has ventured to take a step or two. Life is about to change with two completely mobile little ones. With a bit more practice and a smidge more self-confidence, this girl should have it in no time!

Pom Pom Pals!

We had some friends over last weekend to help celebrate Josh's birthday. I rolled out pizza dough and the kids made their own pizzas. After supper, the kids made Pom Pom Pals. If you are not familiar with Family Fun magazine, I highly recommend it. To be honest, I have no idea why I get it. I am sure I signed up for it somewhere, but that somewhere escapes me. Anyway, when it come each month I end up tearing half the pages out and saving them in my "craft idea" binder. Yes...I have a craft idea binder for a rainy day. Blame it on the teacher in me. Once a teacher, always a teacher!

I digress...anyway, in this months Family Fun was how to make Pom Pom Pals. I tore it out and took my page to Hobby Lobby to get all the goodies. Got home with all my goodies and realized I had left the instruction page at Hobby Lobby. Well, like any good teacher, I winged it and the Pom Pom Pals were a hit. Here is Andrew with his. He named it Aggie! Surprise, surprise.
The rest of the kids seemed to enjoy it. Emily is definitely a craft kind of girl...she got into decorating her own. The boys sure tried, but Susan and ended up helping them quite a bit. When all was said and done, I think they turned out splendidly. Now, let me impart some wisdom to future Pom Pom Pal makers...choose yarn that does not shed, otherwise you will have bits and pieces of your Pom Pom Pal all over the house!

"Smile Moments"

I know you are not supposed to laugh at your kids, but they are just to precious and sweet sometimes, that I cannot help but smile! For instance, I know every morning when I go to get Ainsley out of her crib, her hair is going to by crazily sticking up in ALL directions...one just has to smile. When Ainsley crumples up her little face, closes her eyes, and snorts at you completely expecting you to make the same face in return...one just has to smile. When she puts her slobbery mouth on your skin and blows a zurbert on you...regardless of all the spit now on you, one just has to smile.

Andrew got this accordion for his birthday...and it falls under the gift that keeps on giving category. Every child that comes over and sees it just has to play it...like a moth to a flame. Let me tell you, this thing is LOUD and it really works. (I know all of you with kids are secretly wishing yours too had an accordion. Thanks Gammie and Poppy! :) ). For all of its obnoxiousness, it just makes me smile to see him play it. Also, when you send Andrew into his room to get his shoes on and he comes out with tall socks and flip-flops (he thinks this looks good!)...one just has to smile. When Andrew purposely falls off his bike to make sure his helmet is working...one just has to smile!

The list goes on and on, but what I have decided today is that these precious moments (sorry for the cliche) are truly gifts from God! My prayer tonight would be that God would shower and bless each and everyone of us with an overabundance of these "smile moments". I hope by sharing some of mine, it brings to mind some of your smile moments and makes you smile too!

Who Needs a Gym!

Well...after falling off the work-out bandwagon over the holidays (yes, I realize the holidays were quite sometime ago), I have decided to get back on and have been for a couple of weeks now. They just put in a new Snap Fitness down the road from us. You know they type of place: open 24 hours, pay by the month, no high maintenance! Sounds great, and I thought seriously about joining. Then I thought for a minute and realized, I know myself. I would go for one week and then quit. Even though this gym tries its best to be low maintenance for its members, it still is for me! I can easily come up with 1 million excuse in 2 seconds flat to talk myself out of going. So, I needed something else, and I found it!!!
We get Fit TV with Direct TV...I think its channel 261 for all those interested. You should check it out. They have about 1,000 different shows for all types of workouts. I am a big fan of In Shape with Sharon Mann. She is a bit on the bubbly side as I am gasping and sucking in air, but she kicks my hiney EVERY time. I love it. I just tape a few of her shows and another guy named Gilad, once again a bit cheesy, and rotate episodes and workouts throughout the week! No gym or excuses necessary.

For some reason, Andrew likes to watch me when I workout. I would just assume that no one, even God, see me. For some reason I am not coordinated enough to get my arms AND my legs moving like Sharon or Gilad. Graceful aerobics is not one of my gifts! Think of Elaine dancing on Seinfeld...that's pretty close to me and aerobics! With that said, Andrew still likes to be in there with me. He and I talked about it last night. I told him he was not allowed to laugh at me no matter how silly Mama looked. He informed me, "Mama, I would never, ever, ever laugh at you. That's not nice!" I just had to scoop him up and kiss him for that! And, he never laughed once. He does try to ask 2 trillion questions as I am gasping for air. Safe to say many of them go unanswered, but I think he understands why! :)

Back in the Day!

You know a picture is not recently taken when you have to scan it into the computer from the back of a dusty photo album...but what fun they are to look at and reminisce. In pulling pictures for Josh's birthday, I found a couple of me and the girls I thought I would share. Boy how time flys and hair styles change...at least mine! Enjoy...

A good time was had by all at Denium and Diamonds this evening...playing a little pool. I am sure I won being the pool shark that I am (not...I have a tendancy to cheat my way through the game). This would be me, Amy, Susie, and Broc (Susie's future husband). I am guessing this was taken in 1997 sometime. This is the shortest and darkest my hair has ever been!

Here we are somewhere...I cannot remember if we were in Austin or San Marcos. Anyway, this too was taken sometime in 1997. Janice, me, Carla, Amy, and Cheryl...with this group there is not telling what trouble we got into that evening. :)

Josh lived with the same 3 guys (from high school) in the same apartment (nasty apartment...at least Josh's territory in the apartment) for all 4 years at A&M. These are the 4 girlfriends (at the time), now wives, of those 4 roommates. My roommate Susan (at the time) is on the far left, then Missy, Me, and Michelle. This was taken sometime in 1998 if I were guessing. Three of the roommates and their families still live in College Station.

I love looking through old pictures. It makes me a bit sad for the "good ole days," but so thankful that I have grown up, gained wisdom, and moved forward from the "good ole days" to even better "now a days!"