and a happy NEW YEAR!

It is very hard to believe a new year is a week away!  What an amazing year it has been.  I cannot believe that this time next year my baby boy will be 4 years old.  FOUR. YEARS. OLD.  How tragic!  I love to see him learn and do new things, but boy is it making me teary that he is so big in my lap these days.  I look forward to the new year and all it brings.  I resolve to try to be the best mother, wife, teacher, sister, daughter, friend, citizen, and servant that I can be.  We have so much to be thankful for, and instead of constantly taking inventory of my shortcomings or faults, I resolve to enjoy my life as it is.  We are all wonderfully made, and we should enjoy each day.  I have made a few changes this year, and I hope I can continue to make the best choices for my family and myself.  We really have a great life, and I want to enjoy it more.  Welcome 2013!

I love this picture.  What a precious hug from my boy at the HERD game in Charleston on Dec. 15th.  I hope I always get hugs like that!

I usually don't post pictures of my school kiddos, but this was a great moment!  We have a gift exchange in our classroom each year, and the moment they start to tear into the gifts reminds me why I teach little ones (it was pajama day as well....of course I wore my pajamas, too!) .  They are all so excited, and it is amazing to watch.  Look at all those little bodies on that carpet with me....I am so lucky to spend my days with them!

Kirk and Bella on Christmas Eve

Kirk's expression is priceless!  He was so excited to open his Bat mobile from Gramma Debi!

Kirk pulling things out of his stocking on Christmas morning

Kirk and his glorious Bat Cave....his life is now complete!

Great resource....

I just found a great site on Pinterest (and if you aren't using Pinterest, you should.  Go there. Now.).  It is rare that I agree totally with any other "expert" working with young kids other than my hero Dr. Becky Bailey (who totally changed my life as a teacher, mother, and person...you should read her stuff too).  This post is from a counselor who has a pretty decent blog.  You should check out this post, and the list of the "10 Things Not to Say to Kids."  If we would all take this advice we'd have more kids who were well adjusted, well behaved, and even tempered.  Read it.  Leave me a comment if there's anything you don't understand.  #1 is my favorite, and most important bit of advice....don't tell kids what NOT to to, tell them what TO DO!  Common sense?  Not for most!

For example, a kiddo who is running in a classroom will hear "WALKING FEET!" from me, not "STOP RUNNING!"  Most of the time, when a child is told what TO DO, they will change their behavior.  Many times when children are told what NOT TO DO, they are left questioning what behaviors are acceptable or expected.  Why create confusion?  Tell them.  Things that are natural to me from working with young kids for 15 years are not natural to others.  Even parents who are highly educated do not always make the best decisions about parenting....especially when dealing with challenging behaviors.  Read it.  You'll be glad you did.


                       http://thekidcounselor.com/articles/10-things-not-to-say-to-your-kids/

We wish you a Merry Christmas..

Kirk, Bella, Auntie Erin and I spent last weekend in Lexington, KY visiting the Kentucky Horse Park and enjoying the Southern Lights.  We were glad to spend another year there and Kirk and Bella loved the petting zoo.  They fed the animals lots of carrots, and they jumped right up on the ponies for a ride.  We were all in the Christmas spirit and we enjoyed the Mickey's Music Festival show last Sunday at Rupp Arena.  The kids loved the show, and we had a great time.  We came home with some Christmas AND Disney magic in our hearts!

Kirk was impressed that our elf, Bruce Wayne, followed us to our hotel in Lexington.  Bruce Wayne (who Kirk did not hesitate to name) has found some sneaky hiding places and left Kirk some great notes around our house.  Kirk is excited to see what he has been up to each morning!

We went to Ean's birthday party yesterday at the Gym Nest.  Kirk loved climbing and jumping on everything.  Kirk has great coordination and strength and he can hold himself up on bars and on the zip line (sideways video below).  I am amazed at his strength sometimes, and even though he is little, he sure is mighty!

We watched the HERD pull off another win last night!  I think Kirk might understand as much about basketball as I do now (maybe more?).  He asked me when one of the players was taking a foul shot, "Is he getting a foul shot, Mama?"  He will be explaining it to me before long, I'm sure.

We have a busy week ahead.  Kirk's Christmas program at day care is this Thursday, as well as a special night at Chick-fil-a with the wonderful ladies from the Barboursville Library.  We are going to make gingerbread houses with them, and I am so excited!  Kirk has been a little bit more interested in the arts lately (maybe from my constant brow beating and craft making....?)  so I hope he will like making a gingerbread house with his Mama.  We have another basketball game next Saturday in Charleston (vs. Cincinnati) and we are going to visit my parents on Sunday.  Whew!  Happy Holidays!

Check out these super cute "girl" reindeer antlers!  When Kirk's teacher at day care told me that one of their songs for the program was "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" I immediately asked if she would like antlers for the kiddos to wear.  I got to work shopping for the antlers, and of course the girls couldn't go without some cute little candy cane stripped bows on theirs!  Of course the bows are attached to clips, so they can remove them afterwards and wear them as cute little holiday bows.  The boys got taller brown antlers, and I'm sure all they will care about is ramming them into each other.  It's a good thing I don't have a girl, right?  How many Mamas of little boys spend hours making hair bows? Ha!  I can't wait to see them on all the kiddos, they are going to look so CUTE! I'm sure it will be worth all my hard work and hot glue gun burns! 

Big Chief Pickle

      Kirk and I have been enjoying my week off.  We went to Chick-fil-a story time yesterday (which I can't get enough of because Miss Willa and Miss Linda from the Barboursville Library are GREAT...and I don't compliment very many people who work with kids...really, I don't.) and Kirk made an "indian headband."  I gave him (and Brady and Riley) an "indian name" and Kirk's was "Big Chief Pickle" because the word pickle always makes him laugh.  I thought of a few others like "Chief Talksalot" or "Super Hero Ninja Warrior" but the pickle name made me laugh, too.  I always laugh when I'm with Kirk.  I'm so thankful this Thanksgiving that he's my kid.  He sure is a great one.
       I keep seeing people going on and on about how "thankful" they are about everything, and I feel like they try to turn Thanksgiving (and everything else) into a competition.  It's almost like their "thankfulness" turns into bragging or attention seeking....which is ridiculous.  I am truly thankful for my family, and I tell them each day to their faces....and I know that many others are happy with less than I have.  I am thankful that I have experienced some bad things in my life and I have learned lessons about the kind of person I want to be and who I want to share my heart and time with.  Jeremy and I have great friends, we stay busy, and we love Kirk and each other....we have a lot to be thankful for.
     I am SO excited about the upcoming holidays.  Kirk is full of Christmas cheer, however, he has NOT agreed to sit on Santa's lap this year.  He says he will "stand close to him and talk very loudly" so Santa will know what he wants for Christmas.  We are in the process of compiling a list with words and pictures so there will be no mistakes made by the elves.  Our "Elf on the Shelf" will show up on Friday to begin his nightly reports to Santa and his mischief in our house (pictures to follow).  Kirk has had a few "naughty" moments, and he asked me yesterday if Santa wrote his "lists with a pencil?"  I told him he probably did, and he said, "Shew!  You think he has an eraser?"  So. funny.  He didn't want to get stuck on that naughty list!  HA!

      Happy Thanksgiving to all, and I hope we can remember to be thankful for what we all have....truly thankful in our hearts, and not greedy with our words....and that we can look forward to celebrating Christmas and remember the "reason for the season."  Kirk remembers every night when he thanks Jesus for just about everything in our house and everyone he knows.  We have to say "second" and "third" prayers when he forgets something.  I don't care if he's stalling some nights, I just like to watch him in his bed, in the dark, with his hands folded together.  It is such a sweet sight.


       Get excited.....we have begun working on planning our vacation for 2013  (our 10th wedding anniversary)!  I almost passed out when Jeremy asked me, "How about a Disney cruise?"  To which I responded, "HOW ABOUT IT?!!  WA-HOO!"  I never thought those words would come out of his mouth.  He knows how much I love Disney magic, and how I love sharing it with Kirk.  I jumped on that quick, and I have a Disney vacation planner working on it right now.  Oh, how I will love a magical cruise....trapped on a boat filled with Disney goodness (with trips to the Bahamas, Nassau, and Castaway Cay)!  Jeremy's pretty good at giving me what I want, so look out Disney Dream....here were come!

Long time, no blog posts...

I have literally been drowning at work in paperwork, reports, and meetings, and I have totally neglected blogging!  I enjoy blogging, so I am trying my best to make more time for it.  The picture above was taken of my little Batman (yes, he had 2 Halloween costumes....one is just not "super" enough!) at the Francisco's Halloween party.  He was so excited to protect Gotham City!

Batman trick or treating...he was really good at saying "trick or treat!" but not so good at saying "thank you" BEFORE he stared into his bucket to see what he had gotten.  Sheesh.

Kirk and Mama trick or treating

So....really....WHO gets their speeding ticket fee returned to them in the mail?  ME!  That's who!  Ha!  I seriously couldn't believe it.  It is nice to know good people in high places!

This is a good picture of Jeremy and I, right?  How funny is it that Kirk took this picture of us on Jill's phone at the football game?!  Great job Kirk!

Look at that handsome boy in the front row in stripes....with the cute little grin!  Kirk sure does take a good picture.  He's had LOTS of practice.  Cross Roads Child Care is amazing, and I cannot thank Miss Jeanette (right) and Miss Sarah for all that they do for my son each day.  Kirk loves going to school, and he absolutely loves Miss Jeanette.  It means so much that he is so well cared for and safe each day while we are away.  Kirk has learned so much and his happiness is priceless to me!

Seriously....that face is precious!

Happy Halloween!

Last Tuesday, October 16, Kirk was my handsome date for "Mother & Son Date Knight" at Chick-fil-a.  Kirk thought it was funny that the people there waiting on us, and that there were candles and flowers on the table.  Kirk seemed to like the special day just for us and kept telling me that "only boys and Mamas are allowed here for 'Mother & Son date night!"  He was a very good date, even if I did have to pick up the tab.  Haha!

One of my preschool students, Abby Queen, had a fun Halloween party on Saturday, October 21.  Kirk had a great time playing in her big back yard.  He loved her trampoline and he had a great time playing with Abby and the other kids there.  Kirk was proud to show off his Ironman costume, and he showed everyone how Ironman flies through the sky.  He also painted a pumpkin....look at that left handed super hero!  He is so artistic...haha....he had to cover almost every inch!

Alice (Abby) and Kirk

"Alright Squadies, time to HERO UP!"

Look at this awesome family!  The Queen family had a great party, and we're so glad we got to attend.  Abby is such a sweet little girl, and I'm so lucky to be her teacher.  I'm so glad I've gotten to know another amazing family!  Happy Halloween!

Vampires and reality

So I have been slightly obsessed with Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) for quite a while now.  I mean, look at that face.  Don't you feel like those eyes are just staring right through you?  I started watching the Vampire Diaries at the beginning of the summer, and I have managed to watch four seasons (of like 22 episodes each) and I was super excited to watch the first episode of season five this past Thursday.  I have previously been obsessed with the Twilight Series, and I will happily dust off my "All I want for Christmas is Edward Cullen" ornament and hang it on my Christmas tree in a month or so.  I love the crazy True Blood vamps as well.  I would love to hang out at Fangtasia and I would have loved to join Harry Potter and the gang at Hogwarts. I remember watching "Interview with a Vampire" when I was in high school with my mom, and we talked forever about vampires as if they lived next door.  Ha!

Why do I love vampires so (and witches, wizards, goblins, werewolves.....oh, you get it)?  I don't really know, but I do know that my whole life I have loved reading about things that I know don't exist in reality.  I never loved mushy love stories.  In elementary school, I loved Nancy Drew the super sleuth, and as a middle schooler, I read Goosebumps and Fear Street novels.  I love to think about creepy, spooky, unbelievable things. I loved watching Poltergeist for the first time, and I loved Amityville Horror (book and movie).  I guess it's a sort of escape from what's real, and it takes me away from my daily grind.  Halloween is all about scary, sinister, weird things.  It is one of my very favorite holidays. I will try my best to scare myself with scary movie reruns and I will wait patiently for next week's episode of the Vampire Diaries.  If you don't like scary stuff....you're missing out.  

Parade, Fresh Beat Band, 2 Pair of Toms=One Great Week!

We went to the Fire Prevention Parade in Huntington on Monday, October 8th.  Kirk was very interested in fire safety this week since they were learning about it at school and had a visit from the firetruck.  He talked about how to "stop, drop, and roll" and how to crawl out of a smoky room (covering your mouth and nose with a WET cloth!) .  He was very interested in firetrucks and the fire station.  I'm so glad that he's learning so much at school!

Kirk is watching the firetrucks, and patiently waiting for them to throw candy!

We saw the Fresh Beat Band on Wednesday, October 10th.  Kirk loved the show, and sang "Just Like a Rockstar!" at the top of his lungs!  Cousin Bella had a great time, too!

Kirk and Mama outside the Keith Albee after the show

So...who gets 2 new pair of TOMS in a week?  ME!  Ha!  I was talking to my friend Shawna last weekend, and telling her about my awful quest for kelly green TOMS.  She found them for me (Nordstrom.com) and I immediately ordered them!  I am so happy to have green shoes to wear to all the MU games....and aren't they just too cute..??  Thanks, Shawna!  She's right...it is a good thing she doesn't live closer to me...we would do some shopping damage!

I had also ordered red TOMS last week, and they finally came.  I have been wanting red ones forever, and I finally broke down and got them.  I wear red a lot, and they will look especially cute with all by red and black LC Bulldogs stuff I wear for work.  I love to show team spirit!  I'm so excited to have 2 new pair of TOMS and now the tough decision is which ones to wear first????

Have a great weekend!

Things just keep on getting better....

I was so lucky to have this past Thursday and Friday off from school.  Kirk and I had 2 fun days together.  We went to the Pumpkin Festival on Friday, and we had a great time.  Things just seem to keep on getting better from year to year, and Kirk was able to enjoy more things this year, and we laughed the whole day.  In the picture above, Kirk is enjoying his pumpkin ice cream while sitting on a "haystack."  He really liked it (shocker!?)!

Kirk climbed in every parked tractor and John Deere vehicle he could find, and pushed every button.  I have no idea why he thinks you should drive a tractor like a race car ????  VROOOMMM!

I told Kirk he had to sit in all these pumpkins, because I always call him my "little pumpkin."  He thought that was really funny!  He said, "but now, Mama, you need to call me your BIG pumpkin."  I told him no way, and I held back a tear!  

Kirk LOVED touring the Alpha XI Delta house on MU campus today for Homecoming.  I showed him every room I lived in and the beds I slept in.  We found this sign, and I insisted that he invade this poor girl's bed to take a funny picture.   He is always ready to party!

Kirk was a candy vacuum during the parade, and pretty much filled up his spider bucket!  He loved the parade...a welcome change from two years ago when he cried from the noise.  He yelled "Go Marshall!" the whole time, and ran all the way into the street to gather up candy.  Jeremy and I just told the other kids to give up and move on down the street.  HA!

Look at all these amazing ladies that I've been lucky to know for the past 16 years!  What awesome memories we have as sisters and friends, and we continue to share our lives and our children.  Sorority life changed my life, and helped make me the woman I am today.  I learned how to work on making myself a better person and work together as a team.  I learned how to volunteer to help the community, and how the bonds of sisterhood were powerful enough to change our lives forever.  Thankful does not even begin to describe how I feel about Alpha Xi Delta.  We are simply XI BEST!

Kirk and J.D. enjoyed running all over the MU softball field while we were tailgating.  Kirk loves to be "on the field!"   

We were so happy to see Adam, Kate, and "Baby Jax" this weekend.  They were visiting from Florida, and Kirk loves trying to play with Jax and teach him new things.  Kirk didn't have to teach him much about corn hole, though...he plays just like Kirk....gather up all the bean bags, and throw them directly into the hole!

Kirk cheered his little heart out, but the HERD still lost!  Such a bummer for our Homecoming game, but we still had a great day.  Kirk fell asleep in the car on the way home, and barely blinked while Jeremy got him ready for bed.  He had a great day, and he was very well behaved all day.  

       I was very moved by a kind old lady who approached my friend Jill and I during the game.  She sat a few rows back, and she came down to tell me how well behaved she thought Kirk was.  She said he was the best little boy she'd ever seen, and that she had pointed us out to her husband after the first quarter and said, "Look at those parents.  They are amazing!"  I had to turn away from her a little, because I thought I was going to cry!  She went on to say that it was so wonderful to watch us because it was so obvious that we love Kirk so much, and that he knew he was loved.  She said that he was never ignored or unhappy, and that she thought we were a very special family.  I was a little choked up, and all I could manage to say was "thank you."  I've said before that I know God sends us people and events when we need them the most, and it was so nice to hear her comments today.  People are always so surprised when I tell them that Kirk tailgates with us and goes to the game (the whole game).  He is happy, and we are surrounded by people that love him (almost) as much as we do.  I will go to bed grateful and with a full heart tonight.....even if our team did lose...because today, the Walkers won.

Gritt's Farm

 We went to Gritt's Farm today and had a great time.  Kirk loved the playground, and I loved picking a pumpkin right off the vine!  We walked around in the 10 acre corn maze for a LONG time (Kirk was our fearless leader!) and Jeremy finally found us a way out!  I love everything about fall....the beautiful weather, blue skies, pumpkins, mums, and crunchy leaves.  The farm was beautiful, and a perfect way to end our weekend.

Kirk climbed a rope up the hay bale stacks.  I am amazed at his strength and coordination!

Kirk loved digging in the corn!

We rode the tractor to the corn maze.

Kirk is leading the way....

Kirk & Mama in the corn maze

On our way through the pumpkin patch

Kirk found a great one!

We chose another one, too.  Kirk protected them in the wagon ride down the hill.

Kirk liked the mums I picked out, too.

Isn't fall beautiful?  I love the colors, textures, and the cooler temperatures.  I am so excited about Halloween, and I think Kirk will have so much fun this year.  Jeremy and I are so lucky to be parents to such an amazing kid!  He definitely makes our lives so much better and everything so much more fun.  We are looking forward to more fall fun in the upcoming weeks!