Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great day today at Nanna and Pappa's house and ate a ton of good food. It was great to see everyone, but we missed Memaw not being there. The kids had fun with their cousins and Juddson helped himself to food all day. He'd climb up into a chair and eat whatever was on the table in front of him, he ate turkey, ham, strawberries, choc pie and spicy dip... all at the same time. The kids hadn't napped and were exhausted when we left at 7. We are excited to do it all over again tomorrow at our house with Granny and Pa and Grandmom and Kara and Scott.

This week, Juddson has been the funny one. Noah has been sick all week and hasn't done much at all. He's been taking his antibiotics, but has still had fever almost every day and just hasn't been himself. Harper has been pretty quiet except for her outbreaks of leg kicks and booty shakin'. Judd asked for blocks and I got them all down and he stacked a few and smiled and said "I love it!" (as plain as day) and I said "Did you say 'you love it'?" and he did the massive "uh" "HUH" with the big head nod. We were all laying in bed the other night, trying to bore the kids to sleep and Juddson pointed out that we were watching "Football" and he'd cheer for them, or say "uh oh" when a guy got tackled. He will also stand at the baby gate and holler for "HOOoooVer!" And when Hoovy boy was chewing on the bath stopper, Juddson was crying "Hoover, bath! Hoover, bath!" over and over until I looked and saw what he had and took it away.

Oh yeah, also this week, I thought it was so sweet. I told the kids Granny was coming over because mommy had to go to the doctor (for a face treatment) Harper's eyebrows came down and she looked really serious and said, "Mommy, are you sick?" it was so thoughtful. I told her no, I just had to go get some lotion for my face and she said "oh ok..." and told me that she wanted to go too, to play with the trains.

On the way to Noah's therapy yesterday, I don't know how, but somehow the baby in the pool video got brought up and Noah, just thinking about it, started crying. He can't stand for us to watch it or talk about it... Poor little sensitive thing....

Well, I am off to hopefully find some online deals, so I won't have to get out and shop in the morning.

Yikes!

Once again, I have been terrible about keeping the blog up to date this week. I have so many pics I am going to put up, just not this second. Josh gets irritated that I write more than I upload pics, but I am doing this so I will have a record of all the cute, little funny things they do and say... I will always have the pics, and I don't need two copies, but I would never be able to remember things if I didn't make notes, and that is the purpose of this blog...
Anyways, Noah is now a Mario Kart trash talkin' expert. He's beaten the first level and has one more trophy to go to beat the second level. He's amazing and knows how to do all kinds of tricks. Josh played against him yesterday and was saying "You ready to go down? Daddy's gonna win!" And Noah said, "I not going down, I going up... Daddy going down." Josh did end up beating him a few times and he cried and cried like you wouldn't believe. He could NOT stand to lose. He cried so loud that it woke H up and she came in and saw what was happening and told Josh, "Daddy, you don't need to win" and started cheering for Noah. She is so smart, she says she can't play because she falls off, but she knows exactly what Noah is doing and says things like "Good turn, do a double flip" and she'll come and tell me, "Noah won the star cup..." etc...

At the dinner table at night, before we eat, we give thanks for our food. The kids are finally catching on and are putting their forks down, folding their hands, and closing their eyes.... and they sometimes repeat what Josh says or say their own prayer. Last night after Josh finished and everyone started eating, Juddson clasp his hands, closed his eyes and said "God....pood...MAYMEN" Translated, that is 'Dear God, thank you for our food, Amen.' Awwwe, it was so sweet. Today Harper said 2 prayers, the first was "Dear God, thank you for my Tootee shirt and Plex shirt and Brobee shirt, Amen." The next was "Thank you for Lexi and Luke and Nanna and Pappa and Grandmom and Granny and Pa and Kott and Kara, Amen."

Scott and Kara came over last night to hang out for a while and the kids were so excited for them to get here. All day Harper talked about showing Scott her leg kick and booty shaker, which she practiced on and off throughout the day. And, sure enough, as soon as he walked through the door, "Hey Scott, wanna see my weg kick?" And before he could answer, she was on her hands and knee with that leg up in the air... then, yep, the booty shaker! It was awesome. Noah and Juddson followed suit and drove Scott nuts for his first 30 minutes here.

The other night I was laying down with Harper and I tell her things like, "You are so sweet, and you are such a good helper, and you make pretty pictures, and you are a good sister.... " and she nods after each one... Well, I said "You are so smart." and she yelled out "I not fmart, I pretty." and I said, "You are both, you are smart and pretty", and she said "I not both, I pretty." Oh well.

She's been using pronouns lately, but everyone she uses is "he." Like, if she's looking for Kara, she'll say, "I can't find he." It's so funny, I guess, she'll get it right eventually.

Harper is now calling Josh, "Joshua".

Today, Noah was sick with fever and a tummy ache, so we didn't go to church. We all layed on the bed and watched First Baptist on tv, while Noah played MarioKart in the den. He came in the room once to see what we were doing. We tried to talk him into staying in there, with no luck. He shut the door and left. Judd hollered..."Wo---ah...CHURRRSH" and every few seconds after that, he'd look at the door and yell "CHURRRRRRRSH."

Oh yeah, last night, Kara and I took the kids for a drive in hopes they'd go to sleep and for the first 2 miles of the drive Judd said "Byeeeee, Kott... bye bye Kott" Ahh... they love their uncle Scott.

Everybody's sick, even the dog

After the gym and Noah's school we ate, got everybody changed and headed to take Noah to therapy. Juddson had fallen off the train table and almost split the back of his head open-- he's got a huge knot... right before we left, so he was crying and was not happy. Luckily, the Tylenol kicked in and he went to sleep on the drive over... as did Harper. We dropped Noah off and sat in the car for a few minutes and let them sleep, then went to Walmart for a couple of things. We came home and let Hoover out and Noah played a little Mario and then mom got there to watch Harper and Juddson and I took Noah to see Dr. Fred because he'd been complaining that his ear hole was hurting. We signed in and they told us the wait would be over an hour, so we went across the street to the mall and Kara gave him a 5 minute haircut.... oh dear.... and then we went to the "bridge" and he played and ate pizza and drank coke. After he finished eating, the doctor's office called, so we loaded up and headed back over. I think they jumped the gun on calling us because we still had to wait forever once we got there. Noah did have an ear infection, so next we had to go get his prescription. By then is was 5:30, and I knew Josh and the kids would be starving, so I stopped and got Chick Fil A and hurried home. It was a wonderful surprise when I walked in the door to see that Josh had picked up the house... I was dreading that and he had it done for me! Noah played MarioKart and the rest of us sat at the table and ate dinner. We did story time and went to bed early. It was a rough night though because before bed I put some stuff on Harp's fingernails that were supposed to make her stop biting them, but it grossed her out so bad that she was throwing up... then I tried to remove it with nail polish remover and it still wouldn't come off, so I called dad and we tried several things, but finally after the pure vanilla extract, it was rubbed off enough where she didn't get sick when her thumb was in her mouth. Hoover threw up too, but was acting fine, so I didn't think much of it and went to bed. Noah woke up crying saying his face hurt (around midnight) and I gave him Ibuprofen and finally got him situated and back to sleep. He was also saying his legs hurt and had me rub them, that was a first for that. Juddson woke up too, screaming-- like he'd had a bad dream or something and I had to nurse him-- for the first time in a week... boo... to get him back to sleep. Hopefully, he won't remember and won't ask for it again. This morning Josh and I woke up to a very sick Hoovy-dog. He's throwing up every few minutes and is trying to poop but can't go. He can hardly move, poor thing; Josh is coming home from work so I can take him to the vet. I don't have a very good feeling about what he's going go say though.

A week!!!

Worn out

How we see Noah, since he got Mario Kart for his birthday.
Noah's recent project:

He's claimed Daddy's hat.

I can't believe another week has gone by with no time to post. I apologize to my readers (if I have any left) from all the crazy blog drama that has happened in the past couple of months. Last week I spent my ususal blogging time doing online Christmas shopping, which is much easier than getting away for 3 hours by myself, or loading the kids and taking all of them with me... So, I have taken notes all week and will try to back track all the good things that happened.

This week has been full of funnies, mainly by Harper. She is talking, talking, talking. And, talking like a grown up, and it's so cute. She has been taking her Iron supplements and it's made a huge difference in her attitude. I can tell she has more energy and is feeling so much better and for that I am very thankful. Last Sunday, I wore makeup to church, which the kids rarely see me in.... And, in the car on the way to church, Harper looked at me for a long time and said, "I love your purple eyes, it's pretty." Granted, I was wearing blackish grayish eye shadow, but it was so sweet. After church she worked on her leg kick, and Juddson and Noah followed suite....but she is the creator of the back leg kick. After the kicks, she looked at Josh and said "Now the booty shaker" and did the booty shaker dance. She likes to eat smarties and calls them "farties." She came up to me and said "Noah's ticked." I guess she got that from Josh, because I don't think I say that... I couldn't believe she picked it up and used in correctly though... I was like what, did you say "Noah's ticked?" she said "Yeah, he mad." Next, she was watching Noah play Mario Kart and he opened a new volcano land and she said "Volcano, volcano, volcano....I WIKE that wud.... Volcano, volcano, volcano." She was sitting on Josh's lap and tooted and looked up and smiled and said "I tooted" and he said "Yeah, you did." and she said "I wuv tootin'.... BIG TOOT!" The girl likes to toot.... But, her main phrase is "Mommy, hold me very much." Have I written that?

One night last week we were driving them to try to get them to go to sleep and Harper was wired and talking and talking and Noah was almost asleep and Josh said "Harper, I think Noah wants you to be quiet." Harper said, "NO, NO, NO, no be quiet" and at the same time Noah was saying "YES, YES, YES!"

Another day last week, we were in a rush to get Noah out the door to get to school and they were looking out the front window and Noah accidentally pulled the curtain rod and curtains down and I got mad and was yelling for them to listen, and obey and to get by the door and sit down and wait for mommy.... all the usual stuff I tell them in the mornings, and Noah is standing behind me as I am trying to put the curtains back up and breaks out into the gabba gabba song... "I so, I so sorry, I so, I so sorry." Ahhh, who could be mad at that? It was precious.

Judd is still talking up a storm too, he'll get a pen and say "picture" and want to make a picture. He still is overly dramatic, especially when I pick him up from the gym childcare or nursery. When he first sees me he'll say "MOMMY!" and he'll run to me, then drop to the floor and put his hands over his face and cry, and glance out the side and make sure I am watching his agony... He answers everything with a quick "No" or an "uh huh" for yes. He reminds me of the Little Rascals character he says it so much.

No More Babies

Well, this morning around 5, Judd started crying, so I let him cry for a few minutes, hoping he would go back to sleep, but no luck. I went in to get him, and his diaper had leaked and he was wet and freezing. I got him all changed and into warm jammies and of course he had to "nurse" to go back to sleep. Harper's empty bed looked really inviting, so I went in there and got 2 more hours of peaceful sleep. Around 7:30, Harper found me and crawled into bed with me and asked me what I was doing because it was not night time, so I needed to wake up and she pulled the curtains back, so I could see the daylight outside. She snuggled in with me and within a few minutes, Juddson's door swings open and he walks out of his room saying "mommy?" and looking for me! Harper and I looked at each other in amazement and sure enough, I put him in bed and he climbed right out! Oh dear... once they reach that stage, they are officially toddlers.... I am sad... no more babies.... but-- that means, I am officially going to wean him (it's not like he's getting milk anyways)... So, a big challenge is right in front of me. I think while I am weaning Judd, I am going to put the nasty polish on HJ's thumb and try to wean her off her thumb. May as well go through a couple weeks of hell and just put it behind us rather than draw it out, right? When Judd is nursing and he can look up at me and talk to me, it's just weird... time to wean, no doubt about it.
Harper is officially the musically inclined child of the family. The other day we were coming home from the gym and I was scanning the radio stations and it scanned right through a classical piano piece and Harper asked me to turn it back to that "pwanno song" so I did, in amazement she new what instrument was playing. She must have learned that from Baby Einstein "Meet the Orchestra" or from church in Hector, because I think those are the only places she's seen a "pwanno." After the song was over, she asked to hear it again, but I told her our truck didn't have a clicker (like the tv at home) and the next song came on and she was not happy that it wasn't another piano song. The next day, as soon as we got into the car, she asked for "pwanno song" again. I turned on the classical station and she said "that not pwanno, that's barraca's" and she was right, it was maracas! I was impressed!!! Her favorite instrument was first the tuba, then the flute, and now she wants to play the harp because her name is Harper, how fitting would that be? She and Josh were watching a movie and he told me to come in the room and look at her and she was waving her arm around pretending to conduct the score to the movie!!! Duane will be proud!
Noah is still all about some "Ario Kart." Little gamer. I am regulating it though, and not letting him live on it, which he would.... and he is obeying and stopping when I tell him too, no major melt downs yet. He loves to play outside with Hoover, but Hoover is still a little too wild and bites Noah instead of the dog toy, so the play sessions don't last for too long. Tonight, we were driving the kids to put them to sleep and we drove past the UAFS gym and Noah said "Noah, Daddy, run" and he was remembering back to last Halloween when Josh let him run from the church fall fest, all the way up Waldron, to the gym, and into the gym where the guys were practicing. He has a spectacular memory!
Harper went to sleep before we left the driveway, literally tonight, and it took Juddson 17 miles before he went out. Noah stayed awake and wanted to sit on the couch and watch football. He wanted "black" to win (Texas Tech) and was really into the game for a good 30 minutes before he went to sleep.

Note: One of Harper's favorite sayings right now is "Hold me very much" and she asks me that all day long. Today she started saying "OK, mom." in a tone like she was 15 or something. It was hilarious, and she did it several times. Like, I said, "Harper, you need to eat your sandwich." and she said "OK, mom..." and glanced back over her shoulder making sure I noticed her new terminology!

Already Thursday

We've had a busy week getting back into our school routine. Noah has cried every day when I drop him off for school, poor guy. He'll say "I sick, I tired" in hopes of me saying, "OK, we'll say home," but it hasn't worked. Harper's blood test results came back and they said it was low Iron, so we started her on Ferinsol yesterday, and I guess it kicked in pretty fast, usually she is ready for bed by 6, and last night she was up until 8:30ish! Juddson has some teeth coming in and still has a runny nose and now has a bad cough, as of right now, he's been asleep a little over 12 hours. Maybe he'll feel better when he wakes up.
Harper thinks it should be time for her birthday now and does not want a birthday in January! And, she wants a Maggie jump-a-round--hmmm, that's going to be really hard to find. Hopefully, we can talk her into a Chuck E Cheese party or something.
We have started a new night routine. After dinner and baths, we play for a little bit, then turn off all electronics and spread a couple of blankets out on the floor and tell them to sit and we tell stories, with their help... About Mario and Luigi driving through the woods and their tire breaking, so they have to call Wubbzy and the "super fixers" to come help.... which, of course, they do, then Mario and Luigi go see Little Bear and go to Hop Frog Pond and swim..... It was supposed to wind the kids down, but they have started acting out the scenes, flopping on the floor like they are swimming, etc. But, it's been really neat and they enjoy story time. After our make believe story, they each go to the book shelf and pick out 1 book, then Josh and I read to them, then we go to bed. Now, if they would only fall asleep once we got into bed!!
Noah loves his MarioKart and wants to play it all the time. I am regulating the time, and he handles it pretty well when it's time to turn it off. He's caught on really quick and can already get 1st or 2nd place when he tries, sometimes he gets distracted and falls into the water over and over. He has a little dance he does after his race, I gotta get a video camera!
Juddson loves his Gabba Gabba men, when we can find them. Harper tends to sneak off with them and stash them. She loves to hide things. A couple of days ago, we couldn't find the men anywhere and they were at the foot of Harp's bed, tucked in under the sheets "sleeping" she said. Last night, when we were all in bed, Noah asked for "Jungle Blanket," which he hadn't wanted in months and months, so I went to find it, and just happened to open her cubby in her chest of drawers, and there on the pile of folded blankets, were Josh's keys. AMAZING... that was a little miracle of God that Noah asked for that blanket. I NEVER EVER, maybe once every 2 weeks open that cubby. We would've NEVER found Josh's keys, and he wouldn't have been able to work with out them! Thank you God for Noah asking for "Jungle Blanket!"

Happy Birthday Noah!

~~~ Noah's 4th Birthday~~~

His favorite part was the "Happy Birthday" song."Make a wish"

Opening his favorite, and long awaited gift "MarioKart" (not because they were late, he's been wanting this game for months..... just to clarify.)

Kissing Scott and telling him "Thank you!"

Harper and Juddson got a few gifts too, for being good siblings.
Juddson was protecting his Gabba Gabba men with his life, so Hoover wouldn't eat them.By the end of the night, this is how Josh and I felt towards each other.

Happy Birthday my sweet "Baby Boy"!

You don't have to grow up so fast.