The end of an era

Jon Tyler & Allie are spending their first night in their new bunk beds. This moment is bittersweet, meaning Jon Tyler is now in a big boy bed! For me, these things are fun because it is something new and sad because my baby is growing up. We are in the process of bidding farewell to our old faithful crib which is almost 16 years old and has been through 6 kids, obviously not all mine. In the process means that I can't get it apart. I've always had trouble with it and it's always led me to the point of losing my sanity. So it is partly disassembled and still in their room (which I do not recommend when trying to transition. 'nough said). Allie is as tickled as she can be and so excited about her new bed and being big enough to sleep on top. I think when you are the third child being big enough to do anything is exciting! So we'll see how this new phase of life goes for them. I'm praying for a smooth transition.

Speech Update

A few months back I posted about Jon Tyler's speech delay. Since then he has started early intervention with Easter Seals every Tuesday. He really enjoys his time with Ms. Monique. He is picking up words and she is teaching him some signs to go along with basic words. He can sign "please" and chooses to do that instead of saying it. Last Tuesday Ms. Monique brought Mr. Potato Head. Jon Tyler enjoys Mr. Potato head and quickly put his eyes, ears and nose in. Then he turned him over and made a pooting noise with his mouth. Ms. Monique (stifling a laugh) tried to redirect him. And again he turned him around and made a pooting noise. Ms. Monique asked him what Mr. Potato Head did. I'm not sure what he expected him to say but plain as day, he said, "Pooped." Even though he doesn't say a lot, he seems to have just the right words at just the right time. LOL!

Out of the Mouths of Babes - OUCH

I wouldn't be human if I didn't post some of the not funny, but brutally honest, things my kids say. And my blog wouldn't reflect our real life either. So here goes.

Tonight after our family devotions, Corey prayed and when he finished his prayer, he prayed, "And please don't let Mom get mad during homework." OUCH.

I have to admit I am short-patiented and mean during homework, so tonight I vowed to work on that. As a former educator, I have to admit that I find homework to be totally useless. I probably owe my former students and their parents an apology, because I gave homework. Now as a parent I find it to be a nuisance, a thief of what's left of the day's play time.

So after my reality check, I sat with my two middle kids and worked with them, without losing my cool. It was much more pleasant, for both them and me. Sometimes what kids say is not funny, but it is what I need to hear. Has anybody else ever gotten a reality check from their kids?

Birthday Girl!

Happy and humorous and helpful
Adamant about whatever she believes in
Nice to everyone
No is not in her vocabulary
A "tween" now
Has drama in her veins

Happy 11th Birthday to my precious oldest child!

January by the Numbers (and pictures)

50 (give or take)- laps on the go cart


3 - go kart repairs

1 - trip to the ER (unrelated to the go kart or snow)

7 - inches of snow



2 - new sleds



5 - extra days off from school

2 - days of playing in snow





6 - extra loads of laundry caused by snow

1 - car repair

2 - doctor visits

1 - kidney stone (passed, thank God)

2 - cases of the flu





60 - dollars worth of Tamiflu

0 - dollars left at the end of the month

48 - days until the official start of spring


But who's counting?

Did Ya Miss Me?

You probably didn't even notice I was gone, but I was. So here's the synopsis of our beginning of 2011.

To begin the new year, my pastor introduced the idea of a 21 day churchwide fast. It was up to each person if and how they participated. I would have considering fasting from food but the purpose behind the fast is to take our minds off food and focus on our relationship with the Lord. Considering the fact that I still have to feed 5 other people, I didn't feel like a food fast would be very effective for me. So I chose to fast from all things unnecessary on the computer - meaning no blog, no Facebook, no window shopping. Only bill paying and checking email every few days. I have to say that I was looking forward to it to have a chance to refocus and my time away provided me with just that. At lot of my devotional reading was centered around seeking God. Not by coincidence either. I needed to be reminded of that. I am reading a new book called Jesus Calling. It's a pretty neat devotional book if you're looking for one.

The kids 3 week break got extended to 4 weeks thanks to a monster snow and freezing weather. The day they were supposed to go back it snowed. I am as bad as a kid when it snows. I get giddy from the first mention of the word in the forecast. Corey had a short little emergency room visit during the snow for back pain. He'd been laying around not feeling really well all weekend and on Monday morning he woke us about 4 in bad pain. We thought maybe he had a kidney stone, it tends to run in the family. They checked him for that and appendicitis but thankfully he didn't have either. Turns out to be "digestive issues" and I think you all can read between the lines there. Thankfully he still got to play in the snow.

Jon Tyler has started an early intervention program for speech and will be evaluated by a speech therapist to see if he will need speech therapy to "catch up". He is speech delayed, which means basically not talking as much as he should be but there is no apparent cause (no hearing issues, autism, etc.). He has his first session on Tuesday morning which went well.

Other than that there is little to report on the homefront. While I was fasting, I thought of a hundred things I wanted to blog, but now I can remember them. Go figure. I'm hoping they might return to me and I'll post them. I know you can hardly wait...

Farewell 2010

I hope that those of you reading this blog have had a prosperous year and a blessed Holiday season. I stole an idea last year to recap 2009 and I like it so I'm doing it again.

January was cold, colder, and coldest. I don't remember it ever being so cold for so long. Our year started out inside, well most of it. Donnie and his brother did get to go see the Gamecocks play in a bowl game but they froze and the Cocks lost so I'm pretty sure that wasn't money well spent.

February was birthday month. Hannah entered the double digits and we were able to celebrate with friends and family. We also pulled off a surprise party for my mother in law who didn't expect everyone to be there for her. We also took a trip to see my dad and stepmom and were there for a wonderful snowstorm .

In March we completed a home improvement project that was long overdue and we have enjoyed that immensely. Hannah and Corey finished up the nine weeks with science projects and we enjoyed a nice 3 week break.

April brought Easter and a fun family gathering with an Easter egg hunt followed by an Easter egg fight and of course, singing. We sat around in my mother in law's front yard and enjoyed each other's company for hours. It was a beautiful, perfect afternoon. I will never forget that, because 2 weeks later we faced the tragedy of losing my brother in law. His death was hard on so many levels, to process that someone so full of life could be gone so quickly is still beyond my comprehension. I know many of you prayed for us through that and I realize more and more that prayer is no small task in a situation like that. For that I am grateful to you all.

May was a big month for Allie. She celebrated her 5th birthday and graduated from preschool in pirate fashion.

In June,Hannah and Corey finished up their school year. Hannah played the lead role as Stuart in Stuart Little in their school play. As soon as school was out we enjoyed a trip to Charleston with my inlaws (I think we actually squealed tires leaving car line that day). By the time we got home it was basically too hot to breathe, and I am thankful for year round school because we only had a few weeks of trying to find some cool entertainment.

In July the kids were back to school and Allie started with them. She was proud to start K5 and I managed not to cry as I left her - barely. I have enjoyed my time with Jon Tyler, but I'm not sure he enjoys playing with me as much as them. Corey celebrated turning 8 with a family party.

For August I have little to report. Hannah and Corey participated in the Little Theater's performance of a Kidsummer Night's Dream. It was a cute spin on Shakespeare's play. I was really proud of both of them. I was impressed that Corey stepped out and did something different.

September brought fall break for the kids and our trip to the beach. I absolutely loved the beach this time of year. It was perfect weather, not too hot, not too cold. We had some friends there at the same time we were there and we really enjoyed getting together with them and walking a mile down the beach to get ice cream. A whole mile. Really. The bright side is I'm sure I walked off all my ice cream. Jon Tyler also turned 2. We had a great time celebrating his and his papaw's birthday since they are a week apart.

In October Donnie and I celebrated our 14th anniversary. We had a nice date at Frankie's Fun Park, rode the go karts without having to figure out what kid was riding with which parent and played a round of put put. We also got the best present any parent could wish for when Hannah and Corey asked Jesus into their hearts and were baptized on Halloween. We had a great time celebrating that!

November began the typical holiday stuff, which I love. Donnie celebrated his birthday on Veteran's Day (which means he gets his birthday off). We enjoyed Thanksgiving at my sister in law's and followed up with some Black Friday shopping, of course. If anything else significant happened during November I have since forgotten it due to the whirlwind of the holidays.

This month has been a busy one as well. My father-in-law had aortic valve replacement on the 8th and is recovering well. He is ready to be "back at it" but isn't quite up for a marathon. Prior to surgery he was in excellent physical shape so I'm sure he will be up and about again soon. He was home in time for Christmas which was the best present any of us hoped for. Our kids had fun hosting a birthday party for Baby Jesus to celebrate with their friends the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Savior. We had our typical family celebration on Christmas Eve and enjoyed time with my family on Christmas day and the day after. It was a nice holiday season.

As for 2011, I pray that it will be a blessed year for you all. For those of you we see often, we treasure you and for those of you we haven't seen in years, we hope you know you are never far from our thoughts and our memories.