A Visit to Cookeville

Last weekend, we took a trip to visit our cousins in Tennessee. The boys were very excited about our break from our routine. Coleman especially was about to pop! We left after preschool hoping the boys could get a nap in the car. I think Jonathan slept for about thirty minutes the entire way. So needless to say, they all slept well that night. Here are some pictures of our fun.

Friday night, we ate supper and enjoyed playing with Amelia, Lily, and Nolan. Here's a cute shot of Amelia and Jonathan reading on the couch. JonJon was getting over a cold or something and wasn't quite himself until Saturday night.

Andrew and Coleman got to sleep in the room with the bunk beds, and boy were they excited! Here's a picture of Andrew in the top bunk. A lot of the weekend, we could find the four oldest cousins piled up there playing together.


For breakfast Saturday morning we had biscuits. Then everyone got ready for the day while Jonathan got his morning nap.


When Jonathan was ready, we loaded up and headed to the children's museum. The boys had fun playing with different, new toys. Somehow, I got pictures of everyone but Nolan.


Lily and Andrew


Coleman and Amelia are our two artists. They worked at the craft table for a long time.


Andrew was fascinated by the physics activities. His engineer daddy was very pleased to see this!


They even had a small playground outside. I would like to know who these big kids are and what happened to our babies?!


We left the museum and headed to Chick-fil-A for lunch. Then it was back home for naps, and Margie and I headed out to see some sites. We even stopped for coffee/hot cocoa at a cute little coffee shop. Our plan was to keep the weekend low-key so we could all just enjoy each other. We were hoping for "play outside" weather, but winter decided to make one last show of itself and it was rainy and cold all weekend. So after naps, we moved the cars from the garage and let the kids play in there.


Jonathan and Nolan had fun in Aunt Margie's ginormous pantry.

Saturday night, Uncle Chris cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for supper. Then we watched "The Incredibles" together until bedtime. Sunday we loaded up before church, and after the service we ate lunch at one of their favorite Mexican restaurants. It was really good, and a huge treat since we don't usually eat out on Sundays. As we were getting ready to leave, we decided to get a group shot of the cousins. When Brent put Jonathan down on the bench with everyone else, he gave his very best big boy smile. He was so happy to be part of the gang!

It took JonJon about twenty seconds to fall asleep in the car, and Coleman about three minutes. We had a good trip home, and can't wait to visit again. Thank you cousins for having us over! We love you all!

Seen and Heard

Here are a couple of funnies courtesy of yahoos #1 and #3.

In my former life, my coworkers and I used to say quite often that communication is a miracle. This second year of life has always been fascinating to me as the boys' conversation and non-verbal communication explodes. Jonathan is beginning that process and is starting to understand so much more than we realize. Last night after his bath, I put Jonathan in some "new to him" pajamas. Brent was in the bathroom supervising Andrew's bath. I told Jonathan, "Okay. Go show Daddy your new pajamas. Go tell him 'Look!' " Mr. Cutie Pie marched himself right to the bathroom door and said, "Wook!" Then he proceeded to stand there and 'model' his pajamas. He held out his arms and turned them over and back several times. Then he started rubbing his chest and tummy with his hands. The whole time smiling and looking quite proud of himself.


*For the next anecdote, you should know that we have had several conversations with Andrew about the word "fat" and it's tricky usage. So far, he hasn't embarrassed us in public, but there have been a few close calls. The following conversation happened this morning. And please forgive my less-than-perfect parenting in the moment.

So this morning, Andrew, Coleman and I were cleaning up the playroom. Things were going well, but somehow Andrew got the idea to start being the boss of me, his mommy. I had corrected him a couple of times, but he finally crossed the line and I busted out with, "Andrew. If you talk to me that way once more, you're going to get a big, fat spanking."

I know. Less than stellar.

He replied with, "Now Mommy. What have you said about saying fat?"

Smothering a giggle, I came back with, "Well, how about a big ole spanking?!"

He said, "That sounds MUCH better."

Starting Out Right

Just before naptime yesterday, the doorbell rang. We looked out to see the UPS man and a package on our doorstep. It was addressed to Andrew. I asked him what he had ordered, and he said, "I didn't order anything. Did you order something?" No, I hadn't ordered anything either. We opened the box to find a "Baseball Starter Kit" from Uncle Roger and Aunt MerMer! Uncle Roger played ball in the minor leagues for a couple of seasons, and still loves the sport. He had picked out some things for Andrew to help him his rookie season.

The box had baseball pants, socks, and a practice shirt. He had also picked out a NY Yankees tee shirt with the name of a player who went to Georgia Tech. There was our first pack of baseball cards, some eye black, and some Big League Chew! Oh the excitement!


Coleman was so happy about the gum that he wanted his picture made with it.


Later in the day, Jonathan was carrying the gum around and I had to take a few pictures of the cuteness that he is.




After supper, they went outside with Brent to practice for a while. Here they are trying to get the gum into their mouths. Notice the eye black on both faces.


And, Brent brought home Andrew's first pair of cleats last night. Andrew has already noticed how much faster they make him run. His feet barely touched the ground all night long.

Thank you, Uncle Roger and Aunt MerMer for being so thoughtful. We would love for you to come to a game or two, but we'll video some just in case you can't. We love you both!

First Practice

Andrew's first tee ball practice was Saturday morning. He was so very excited! The coach seems very experienced and very nice. I think Andrew may be the only rookie on his team. In spite of that, he did great on the field! There is a lot to learn this first season. Learning to think the game is just as important (and probably more difficult) as being able to catch and throw. He caught on quickly, and we were so proud of him for not getting frustrated or tired. We made a LOT of pictures.

They started off with a coach and another player practicing grounders and throwing the ball back to the coach. Andrew did great! Not a single ball got by him.



A blessed genius of a person thought to build a playground right next to the field, so Coleman was very happy to play during practice. He did wander over a couple of times to watch Andrew and then went to stay in the dugout with Brent and Papack.


practicing throwing the ball up and catching it


Jonathan and Gigi amused themselves by swapping accessories.



After a water break, they played a "game." Andrew did super in the infield. He stopped every grounder that came to him and threw them in the general direction of first base. I know this is blurry, but you can see the ball in his glove.



at bat - He LOVED the batting helmet!







Then they practiced running the bases a couple of times before practice ended.

Please be proud of me that I did not cry at this big milestone!! I only teared up slightly when they gathered in the dugout at the end and huddled up with hands in the circle and yelled, "1-2-3, CLIPPERS!" I just cannot believe that we have a ball player in the family already.

Flashback Friday

When Andrew was 18 months old, Brent and I went to Asheville, NC for a weekend away before Coleman was born. Gigi and Papack came to stay with Andrew that weekend. It was the first time we were away from him overnight. We had a great trip, and he had a great time with his grandparents. I was going through a stack of papers the other day and came across the schedule I had left for them that weekend. It was so fun to see and remember how our days used to flow.

8:00ish - wake up, throw bitsy out of crib, come eat breakfast



Breakfast ideas: oatmeal and blueberries or raisins, cheese grits, waffles with bacon and cheese, milk



After eating, change diaper and clothes (can stay in pjs a while)

9:00ish - juice sippy cup (1/2 water, 1/2 apple juice)



Playtime or errands - toys in living room, outside play, bubbles, reading and dancing in his room, strolling, "housework", errands, etc.



He usually "helps" me make our bed and do some laundry.



10:00ish-snack - chewy granola bar or nutrigrain bar and water



Playtime until lunch




11:30-12:00ish - Lunch



Lunch ideas: ham and cheese pieces, peanut butter and honey sandwich, chips/pretzels/fish/Ritz, applesauce/grapes/strawberries, milk



12:30-1:30ish - Down for nap. Read a story (he can choose), get bitsy and buddy and sit in his rocker. Sing Jesus Loves Me and lay down.



Sleeps usualy 2 1/2 or 3 hours.


3:30-4:30ish Wake up. Have afternoon snack. Juice/water sippy cup and grapes or graham crackers. He usually sits in the floor of the living room or in the recliner with me and eats/snuggles.



Playtime or errands - Same as AM ideas. Snuggle time is usually necessary as we get closer to supper. Cooking is another good activity. Give him some pots, pans, and bowls and let him stir in them. He can play in the cabinets under the microwave if it's okay with you.



Dinner



Playtime - Have him help pick up the toys in the living room before his bath.



Bath - Be sure he puts his diaper in the trash, clothes in the hamper, and then puts his toys in the basket and lets the water out in the tub.



Bedtime - Brush teeth, he can help. He likes to have buddy and bitsy while getting his pj's on. Read Bible story and say prayers before going to bed.



They had such a fun weekend, and made lots of good pictures, but I cannot find them on our computer for anything. I also remember that Andrew and I had a weekly routine that went something like this:

Monday: Laundry and WalMart grocery shopping
Tuesday: Playgroup or errands or lunch and play at the mall playground
Wednesday: Bible study
Thursday: Storytime and play at the Children's Museum
Friday: Errands or the mall or something else fun

I am so glad I kept that schedule because I know I wouldn't have remembered all those little details of our life as a family of three. Such sweet times they were!

Coleman and George

George spends his days in the basement due to an unfortunate habit he acquired years ago. He gets to come upstairs at night, when the yahoos are all in bed, and the doors to carpeted areas are safely closed. Every now and then, he comes upstairs before Andrew and Coleman go to bed. One evening recently, I snapped these pictures of a tenderhearted Coleman and his pet.

Spring Training

Tuesday night we entered a new era of family life. Andrew started tee ball. We went to Spring Training at Candler Park, along with about one hundred other families. I was very glad this was Brent's off day, as he was able to help get everyone corralled and to the right place. Here are some pictures from the evening.

We took the wagon for Jonathan to ride in. Andrew is so excited about his new sport. He is super proud of his equipment bag too.

The boys and girls gathered in the center of the field and the coaches called out their names to divide them up for the drills. Andrew's group was based in the dugout.


They had to catch a grounder and throw it back to the coach a couple of times. There was lots of waiting in between turns.


They also took two laps around the bases. Andrew did perfectly!




At the end, they grouped up again and said that the coaches would be calling this week to give details about practice times and everything else.


Then we took our very cold selves to Chick-fil-A for supper.