four.

delight { a cause or source of great pleasure.




four months old.

you are a big fan of your feet right now. those toes are the only thing more entertaining to you than your brothers.

this is typically the position you get yourself in when you are in your bouncer. gotta get to those feet! just look at those thighs!

irresistible.

you love to be held, to be with the people.

you are starting to really get ticklish. which is so fun. we'll do anything to get a giggle. you love to "talk" to your paci, to be bounced so that you can listen to how your voice changes, and you love to eat!

i love it when you get that sweet look on your face when we are nose to nose...just waiting for another kiss....you know it's coming because we can't stop showering you with them. or when you stop eating to look up at me and grin...

you are a delight and the joy of my heart.

God, Castles and Cowboys

Grayson has really been talking more about God lately and saying Scripture back to us. Of course, we are encouraged to see this in him and love to hear his questions and prayers.
He also sweetly resides in LaLa Land 90% of the time and we never know what he'll say next. The other day Jamie took the boys fishing and all of a sudden Grayson shouted this out across the water: "God! Where are you? I want to see you! I want to see what you look like! Say something! Ring the doorbell God!" ~3.17.08


This morning, the boys came running out of their room exclaiming about a castle they had built with the oversized blocks they have. After viewing all the hidden passageways, I asked the name of the king who owned the castle. Grayson replied,
"King Spanehoder!" {he's quite good at making up names on the spot} "And Peter (of Narnia) is the Prince. And Susan is the Princess."
"Well, Hello Susan, pleased-" I started to say, but Grayson cut me off... "She doesn't talk to mommies. Only other tiny people." ~3.21.08

On the phone the other day with his aunt who lives in Texas, Sumner asked,
"So...have you fallen in love with any cowboys?"
~3.17.08

new eyes.

one of the things i love most about photography is how it has changed the way i view everything. i look at details, light and colors with new eyes...things that i once would have passed by now make me stop in my tracks. i am more awe struck by the beauty of God's handiwork. like when i open up the images i've captured with my camera and see my reflection in my child's beautiful brown eye...or when i look at one of God's creatures with an appreciation like never before. the richness of the pink of this flamingo, the texture of his feathers, the odd carriage and gait that this bird has that is entirely unique. the handprint of God can be seen everywhere.

firstborn

you are six today. what better way to start your first day as a six year old than by having your parents sing happy birthday to you while wearing silly st. patrick's day hats? after that silliness, you had a breakfast of your choosing: green eggs for the holiday of your birth, grits and strawberries! now you are off fishing with Dad. we have a fun filled day planned just for you....fishing, lunch outside on this sunny day, a trip to mcwane, and to the pizza place for dinner. i wonder if we can fit it all in?

last night i looked at you while you were sleeping and my mind went back to the day you were born. the day that i became a mother. the day that changed my life forever. i never knew such love. how those six years have flown and yet at the same time, it seems like just yesterday we brought you home to summerbrook lane.

now you are a big, boisterous, full of energy, front-toothless boy!

you are such a delight.

things i love about you...watching the wheels in your mind turn when daddy and i spell something (when we are trying to keep you and your brothers from knowing what we are talking about) and the light bulb moment that always follows. no more spelling for us! we are going to have to learn conversational italian or something.





the joy you take in learning. your observations of the world that are no match for my thirty-one years.
how you puff with pride when you do the things to help me or your brothers that only a big boy can do!

the high pitched voice that you soothe your baby brother with, the way you peddle with such fury down the bike path on our walks, talking to yourself in your own little world as you charge forward.

how your creative side is coming out more and more. you are really enjoying art. how you always seem to have a song in your heart these days. i love to hear you singing in the back of the van with abandon....like your life depended on it...whether it's three tall trees, hide 'em in your heart, or yellow submarine.


and a million more things...

you are my buddy, my gift, my sweet firstborn.

happy birthday!
i love you so.

It's official

I am officially a soccer mom now...and I love it :)

Sum had his first practice a couple of weeks ago and his first game the other day. He's very much into learning about the Presidents and all the different battles in history right now. So, he's pleased to be on the Patriots team...although there was a little confusion as to whether they were the Patriots...or the Revolutionaries....or the Dictionaries as he told us the other night ;)


Mom and her player before the game.
Good thing one of my best friends is married to a soccer coach so I have a go to for all my questions! Otherwise, I'll be buying Soccer for Dummies. This girly girl has a lot to learn about the world of sports, but I'm so excited! I could hardly wait until his first game.

Coach Antonio kidding around

One on one with Coach (trying to squelch a grin...so cute!)

Yes, that's the goal you want....run that way!
VICTORY for the yellow team! They won their first game.

This is how Grayson passed the time on the sidelines. He frequently reminds us of the little blonde curly headed boy on the movie Parenthood....

And I'm happy to report that no yellow or red cards were shown during the game....at least I know the terminology, huh?
;)

Sumner and Grayson Recommend

This Caldecott winner by Norman Juster is Grayson's current favorite. We love this sweet story of the window at the grandparents house. "It looks like a regular window, but it's not." Told from the child's perspective, it is spot on!

Sumner's current favorite is Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. This is a very clever book about the town of Chewandswallow where food drops likes rain from the sky as told by a Grandpa to his grandchildren . "Wouldn't it be marvelous? Or would it? It could after all be messy. And you'd have no choice. What if you didn't like what fell...?" He notes that his favorite parts of the book are the pea soup fog and the gorgonzola storm.

Ever get tired of the annoying run of the mill children's music? If so, this is for you! I would say it's probably best for the 4 and up crowd. Our friend Diana gave this to the boys last year and it was an instant favorite. These two guys, Keith and Ezra, really remember what it was like to be a kid and offer a lot of funny sing alongs. Jamie says he likes it so much he's going to load it on to his Nano for his jogs! Our favorites are What I Want is a Proper Cup of Coffee, I Think I'll Need a BandAid, The Window and Pico de Gallo.
I would totally listen to this even if the kids weren't in the car!

a few more

a few more i couldn't resist posting...

such a willing model

i wish i could record all these little conversations. i love how they make each other giggle...how they use a silly language all their own. how the younger never wants to leave the side of the older.

on the way home the other day, i was struck with the beauty of the sky. i had my trusty sidekick, mr. canon, riding shotgun, so i had to pull over right there in the middle of traffic and shoot the sky. the clouds looked like lambs wool. like you could just reach out and touch them.

sunday was a glorious day. we spent the better part of it barefoot in the gardens.
these boys+sunshine+a day in the gardens=my favorite things

"in the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." -margaret atwood

and they did...

yea! for the underdog

it's always fun when those you are rooting for win...especially when they are the underdog!

jamie and i got in sunday night just in time to watch the oscar's on the dvr and were so excited to see 2 of our favorites win.



marion cotillard for la vie en rose...now we can't say we are avid edith piaf fans, but we always try to see the nominated films and performances (within reason). this film is quite heavy, but an amazing performance by both cotillard and the oscar winning makeup team for their transformation of cotillard from her adorable self to the french icon. even if you aren't exactly up on piaf's troubled life (we weren't), the performance is amazing and uncanny. she dove into this role headfirst, shaved her eyebrows and everything. if you've seen her in big fish or a good year then see la vie en rose, you'll see what i mean.
julie christie was the favorite to win, which we do want to see her performance in away from her, but we couldn't help root for the underdog and lesser known cotillard here.

we were also pumped to see glen hansard and marketa irglova win for best song. quite a feat to beat out alan menken's 3 nominations for enchanted!

three.

three months today
we are completely and utterly in love

what joy you bring to us
your brothers adore you
your infectious laughter brightens our day
when your face erupts into that gummy smile
we remember there is nothing greater than
the LOVE
of a parent for his child

...and again we are in awe that He entrusted you to us.

lazy day

happy heart day

my funny valentine

mommy's newest valentine


don't those eyes just say, "be mine?"

SUPER FAT TUESDAY

Just a reminder to get out and

VOTE
today on Super Tuesday...

and in celebration of

FAT TUESDAY, which is also today, I'm off to Edgar's
to indulge in
some pastries for breakfast
with a few friends
;)

prayers of the (little) people

we have a bedtime routine here where we read the bible together, sing some hymns and then share prayer requests. up until recently, the older boys have just shared who or what they would like to pray for ("help uncle michael to feel better", "help ewwie's house to sell", etc.) and then let me or Jamie say the prayer. they had not really shown much interest in actually saying the prayer themselves. we've encouraged it, but wanted them to feel the need to do so on their own. well tonight grayson offered this prayer up to the Lord. it's so sweet to hear his little voice praying these things so earnestly albeit stream of consciousness.

"Thank you, Fodder. Pweez pwotect God. We have harmonicas here. It's so womantic."

don't ask...i have no idea.
;)



*note: by the way, we haven't recently adopted two more children :) those are our buddies O and JD over for the evening.

food for thought

as the Alabama primary approaches on Feb 5th, i really appreciated this post by a friend of ours on how those who are in Christ should challenge their thinking on certain issues in the upcoming election. it's very eloquently and fairly written and it put into words some of the things I haven't been able to reconcile in my head. take a look...

looth tooth

this big guy, the master of the silly face, has lost THREE teeth! what a milestone we have reached. i can't believe i have a child old enough to start losing his baby teeth! he's so excited about being able to whistle now ;) here are a few shots we took outside in what i call his "john krasinski look" (see gap ads).

just playin'.

just a few shots of mr. brown eyes i took the other day while big brother was at school...

isn't he a ham ?
;)

For my frugal friends

For all my friends who love a bargain and to complement my friend Amanda's blog who is always posting her found deals, I want to share the wonder that is CVS. Where have I been? I've had an Extra Care Card for years and have never paid attn. to it other than knowing it allowed me to get the advertised sale price on items.

Well, I recently learned the system....and now I'm on my way to never paying for toiletries!

Basically, if you don't have an Extra Care Card, go by CVS and sign up and get one on the spot. You are then in their computer system. Each time you shop, give them your card to swipe. It records your purchases and for starters, you get 2% cash back on annual purchases as well as the advertised in-store specials. You also get 1 Extra Care Buck placed in your account for every 2 prescriptions you get at CVS.

This great system requires that you spend a little more up front (I spent $43 tonight), but after that you will be well on your way to paying nothing for toiletries, etc.

Here's how to do it...get the CVS flyer in the paper or one in the store. Find the items w/ the red Extra Circle stating how many Extra Care Bucks you receive if you purchase that item. Make your list of items you need that will give Extra Bucks back.

For example, tonight I purchased Cottonelle toilet tissue, Colgate toothpaste, Nature's Valley granola bars, Palmolive Dish soap, Lysol wipes, etc. all because for each of these items purchased, CVS gave me at least $1 back in my account. Most of them earned me $2 per item back in my account, though!

So, after purchasing just 8 items in the store, I have $12 in my account that is like cash!
After you purchase the items, your extra care bucks print out on your receipt (or you can print them out at home 2 days later). You can then bring those printed bucks back to buy items that are offering Extra Care Bucks and pay nothing for them while making more money in your account at the same time!!

Also, regular coupons will often print out w/ your receipt for items to use in store. Or once you sign up, you may get emails from CVS offering a printable coupon for $4 off a total purchase of $20 or more! So the savings just continue.
It's really so great, it makes you wonder when they are going to figure out what a steal it is and stop offering it!

Tonight, which was my first time to do this (so I was spending a little more up front) I still saved $8 additional dollars b/c I had $3 Extra Care Bucks from a previous purchase, a manufacturer's coupon for $1 off the Cottonelle, and a $4 coupon off a $20 purchase.

I know this is a little confusing, it takes a little time to get used to it, but after shopping once I got it. And, the best part is, it didn't take a bunch of extra time! My goal is to NOT give Walmart so much of our monthly budget. I LOATHE that place and and hope to be able to stay far, far away! Every time I come home from shopping there, I complain to Jamie of how I nearly lost my religion in the check out line or left the store completely out of the Spirit or had to go to 2 other stores to get things b/c THEY WERE OUT OF 10 THINGS ON MY LIST...AGAIN!!!

To further explain, if Colgate is on sale for 2.99 with your Extra Care Card at CVS and they give you 2.00 back in Extra Care bucks (it's like you paid 99 cents for the toothpaste) you can ALSO use a manufacturer's coupon that you clipped from the paper (or if one is not in the coupons this week in the paper, google for one and print it at home!) and use that. So, if you have a 50 cent coupon for Colgate, you are only paying 45 cents for toothpaste!

So to sum up...

• I circle the things in the flyer that we need (and not necessarily for this week, but down the road...it's a great way to stock the pantry/bathroom cabinet and not have to shop for things as often...or if you don't need it, give it to someone who does!) that give extra bucks back into my account AND ONLY PURCHASE THESE THINGS.

• I take my Extra Care Bucks (printed on my receipt from previous trips or from the computer) and any other coupons from CVS or clipped from the paper to save even more, and then I shop for things that are giving Extra Care Bucks back this week.

• I pay for the items with my printed Bucks and accumulate more bucks in my account... and maybe hand over only a couple of dollars in cash!

**Note...Extra Care Bucks do have an expiration date...so don't let them accumulate too long. I believe they expire about one month after they are issued/printed out at the register.

Happy Shopping/Saving!

good stuff

a couple of quick reviews...

ONCE
this little gem had been in the netflix queue for some time and i was delighted to finally find it in my mailbox the other day. i'd been hearing great reviews for it for a while. it's a very simply shot, but emotionally packed film about two musicians in Ireland who find each other and the relationship and music that comes from that...it is a very touching film and I haven't heard such refreshing music in a long time. we immediately went to emusic after watching the film to download the music. this film is bare bones and seems like you are there with them watching it unfold before you, which makes it touch your heart even more. go to the amazon link and listen to the song with the 2 of them in the music store and tell me your heart doesn't break. it won at Sundance and is nominated for a Grammy among other awards.
the music is just...wow! i can't do it justice in words, just rent it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

this is the newest book by the author of the Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini. This man, who was born in Afghanistan, moved to America as a teen, and is now a doctor. He has written, I believe, 2 epic novels of our generation. I loved the Kite Runner. A book like that leaves quite an impact on you. But ATSS, unlike Kite Runner, is about women thus resonating with me even more. The gut wrenching part of reading his novels is knowing that millions of people live this life every day. Again, I am not much of a reviewer. I can't find words to do this piece of literature the merit it deserves. It opens my eyes to the plight of women around the world. Women who are the majority, women who are basically slaves and prisoners in their way of life, women who face war and death every day, women who love (no less) their families than I do, yet find love and joy in the midst of their circumstances. Certainly a lesson I need to daily remember in this cushy American life. I find that it is easy for me to block out what happens elsewhere across the ocean...I don't want to think about it...this tends to make me think of these women as faceless, who don't somehow feel the same that I feel. ..who don't have the same hopes and dreams that I have. They are different, I think. But they are not. If not for the grace of God, I could have been born an Afghan woman. I pray that God would continue to open my heart and call me to pray for them.
It truly, as my friend Angie says about the Kite Runner, makes me forever change the way I view immigrants.

I think to myself, if my family were starving, if I knew that there was a strong likelihood of my children being killed or taken prisoner to evil, would I not do everything in my power to flee that hell and take them to a place of freedom? If I knew that having my child born in the U.S. would offer it a life wholly different, wouldn't I go to great lengths to bring my child that life?

But, I ramble. This book is much more than what I can say here. I highly recommend reading it.