Momto2Monkeys

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

2010-06-05T16:00:00.009-05:00

Well summertime is definitely here and we've been busy already. On Carson's last day of Kindergarten Cole wanted to go to Northpark to "see the ducks and turtles." We had such a fun and relaxing day together, just hanging out, having lunch, and playing tag in the courtyard.

On Memorial day we took the boys to my mom's to swim, grill and visit. She gave Cole a fresh haircut for summer!

Carson has begging for his cousins to come over and spend the night. Ashley had recital practice, so we definitely missed her, but the kids had a great time together. They loved making this Jiffy-Pop. Avery said, "This is the best popcorn in the entire world!!"

Sweet Avery

Cole is normally a daredevil but in the pool he sticks pretty much to the steps and the shallow ledge. Probably a good thing, really! He does love the water though.

These two absolutely love each other. They both swim like fish and had such a fun time playing together. I have never seen two kids who get along so well. They stayed up talking until almost 11PM but I found them up and playing in Carson's room at 6:15 the next morning.

Carson's End of Kinder Awards Ceremony

2010-06-01T17:04:00.010-05:00

I can't believe the end of Kindergarten is here already. The year literally flew by! It seems like yesterday we were walking him to school on the first day in these pics:

But my "not so little guy" is now a first grader! They had an awards ceremony to commemorate the end of the year.

Car's principal Mr. Fisher and Assistant Principal Mrs. Crabtree. They are so nice and great with the kids, and they both live on our street so we run into them a lot.

Carson's sweet teacher Mrs. Tuley and his classmates. He could not have been more blessed with a better teacher to get his school career started off on the right foot. I feel so fortunate that she was everything I could have asked for and more.

Getting a certificate for reading and free ticket to Six Flags... YAY!

Car is SO tall... always has been and is still growing like a weed. He already comes up to my shoulders and is only 6!

He was so happy that Cole got to visit his school! Cole was thrilled as well. Of course, he wanted to go on the stage, too.

Splash Day!

2010-05-01T15:59:00.000-05:00

Fun times at Preschool on Splash Day. The kids could blow bubbles, wash the riding toy cars, play in the sand/water table, slide into pools, etc. So much fun! Cole, of course, barely tore himself away from the slip 'n slide.

This are his sweet classmates.

Snow Day!

2009-12-11T06:18:00.004-06:00

Gingerbread House... FAIL

Game Night

2009-12-11T05:57:00.004-06:00

Why I should never take a shower

2009-12-11T05:52:00.002-06:00

Carson's 6th Birthday

2009-11-29T19:50:00.015-06:00

Preschool Pics 2009

2009-11-29T19:47:00.001-06:00

Giddyup!

2009-09-27T16:54:00.005-05:00

Thursday was Western Day at Preschool. Cole's sweet teacher Allison.Jetters!

Cole with Addi

He laughed and laughed at my pigtails that morning. Said he though I was soooooo funny and looked just like "Sanannah."

Cole and his buddies "Sanannah" and Noah

4th of July at Hideaway Lake

2009-07-04T05:19:00.005-05:00

Rewind

2009-04-03T10:17:00.005-05:00

After seeing the pictures of Cole and Caroline in my last post, my friend Brenna sent me these old pics of Carson and her daughter Chloe at the zoo when they were much younger. Wow... I can't believe these two are going to be starting Kindergarten next year!!

When I showed Carson this picture I asked him, "Do you know who this is?" He said, "Yes.... Chloe." I said, "Who else?" His reply was a quick, "I don't want to talk about it!" HA!!!

Shamu, San Antonio and Spring Break

2009-03-15T18:59:00.013-05:00

A Glimpse of Spring

2009-03-07T17:12:00.018-06:00

The other day we had some really great weather, so my friend Lindsey and I decided to pack up the crew and head to the Dallas Zoo. It was just a perfect day... we really enjoyed being outside. Much love for the 'roo!

How cute are these two?

The funniest moment was at the end of the day when we were leaving. I was carrying Cole on my shoulders, and he fell fast asleep! So I walked all the way to the car balancing Cole with one hand, pushing Kennedy in the stroller with the other hand, while trying to make sure Carson was right beside me. Talk about multi-tasking!

In 3-2-1...

aaaand... he's out!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Cole!

2009-01-26T21:50:00.003-06:00

Cole 1/9/09

Sorry Dear Blog, to Have Deserted You for Facebook.

2009-01-14T21:52:00.016-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's with family and friends. There was a lot of food, fun, board games, and Wii playing. Putting reindeer food in the yard on Christmas EveCole was not a fan of Santa again this year.We gave it a second shot and he was okay as long as I was holding him.Guitar Hero ROCKS!!!!Kayla and Todd... board game fun!

Cole lovin' on his new Elmo

Laura, David and Carson. Carson lost his second tooth on Christmas Day.

For some reason this is our classic Christmas Eve shot. This is from 2007. The oven went out just when we were about to bake cookies for Santa.

2008 classic Christmas Eve shot. Cole shoved a toy under the oven and we were trying to retrieve it before baking Santa cookies. Never a dull moment around here!!

Gotta Love the Trees

2008-12-12T21:21:00.018-06:00

We put up a couple of Christmas trees this year. Cole says about a million times a day, "Momma - wook! wook!" (look! look!) pointing at the trees. This is a picture of him hugging one.

And these are some of the various decorations I have found in the trees from time to time, left by two little boys who like to "help" decorate whenever I turn my back. :)

Batman

Tiger
TurtleRandom bat leftover from Halloween

The Twelve Possums

2008-12-12T20:56:00.010-06:00

When we picked Carson up from Bible class on Sunday, he informed us that he had learned all about the "12 Possums." Ummm... not so sure his teachers would be proud of his recollection of their lesson on the 12 Apostles.

Thanksgiving and Fire Station Visit

2008-12-12T20:54:00.007-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving with our family and friends. I didn't get many pictures because I was too busy chasing you-know-who, but I did get one of the kids playing Pin the Tail on the Turkey.

The next day our friend Joey showed the boys around the fire station.

Cole was a little afraid of all the loud noises.

Carson is obsessed with firemen, firetrucks and all things involved. It's all he has talked about ever since.

Oh yes, he sure did

2008-11-24T13:05:00.002-06:00

Sleepover

2008-11-24T08:37:00.006-06:00

Ashley and Avery recently came to our house for a sleepover. We went to see Madagascar 2 and came home to jump on the trampoline and make aliens:

Pajama party!! Oh, how Carson loves his cousins

Fake sleeping!

Arboretum

2008-11-21T10:02:00.008-06:00

Carson's 5th Birthday

2008-11-17T09:52:00.012-06:00

Preschool Pictures

2008-11-17T09:29:00.007-06:00

October 2008

2008-11-17T08:42:00.015-06:00

State Fair

Preschool Carnival
Pumpkin Carving

Trick-or-Treating

Home Sweet Home

2008-10-27T21:18:00.008-05:00

I am happy to say that we are no longer surrounded by boxes (for the most part).
Even though they were fun to climb on...

We are loving our new house and neighborhood, and we are having fun fixing up the inside. We need to paint before we can do much more. Not loving the stark white walls, but at least they are not wallpapered! It is so nice to have more room for our growing boys. Carson and Cole love having a much bigger yard to play in and a new trampoline (an early birthday present from Nan) to work off all that energy!

Five Years Ago Today...

2008-10-27T20:51:00.002-05:00

...our first baby boy was born (two weeks late). After months and months of preparation that included attending useless childbirth classes with our friends (I have never laughed so hard!) it was finally the big day. Mark and I had dinner at Chili's the night before I was induced (our "last" meal before becoming parents) and then headed to the hospital. We brought baby Carson home on Halloween Day. We carefully laid him in the bassinet in our living room and then sat looking at each other, wondering what to do next. (We figured it out pretty quickly).

Today he turned five years old... so hard to believe. Everyone warns you how fast the years fly by, but you never fully understand it until your babies are no longer babies!

Carson had a fun day with Cole and our friends Brenna, Chloe and Hayden. We took the kids to the Rainforest Cafe in Grapevine and had a great time. Of course, both of our camera batteries were dead so we have no pictures to document the occasion. Tonight Mark brought balloons home, we had a spaghetti dinner (one of Carson's favorites), and cupcakes. He opened a couple of presents and went to bed happy and content to finally be five!

One down... one to go.

2008-10-02T16:22:00.007-05:00

Yea! We closed on our house today!

State Fair

2008-10-01T14:23:00.005-05:00

Last Friday night we took a hiatus from packing and went to the fair. We all had a great time. We watched the parade, ate, went to the petting zoo, and Carson and I rode the big ferris wheel together! I could not believe he was brave enough to ride it, but he was not the least bit scared.

Cole walked around the fair with his hands behind his back just like we do at preschool! It was so funny.

Howdy Folks!

2008-09-22T15:43:00.035-05:00

Big Tex did not speak today, but that is what he usually says. Today my dad "Grandaddy" and stepmom Deniece "Niece" invited us to the annual unveiling of Big Tex at Fair Park. They volunteer with the parade at the fair each year and we get to enjoy the perks! We all had a great time! Here are some pictures from our day:

Big Tex is under that sheetCole is getting a little nervousWell... a lot nervous!Carson enjoying the golf cart... And he's up! Big Tex got a makeover this year including a yellow shirt and new boots!I attempted to keep Cole out of the water, but who am I kidding?Checking out the floats in Granddaddy and Niece's tent

After we left Fair Park, Deniece and I took the boys for lunch at Campisi's (my favorite) and then back to her house to feed the fish.

Right after this, Cole fell into their hot tub.

The State Fair opens on Friday and I could not be more excited. My dad has taken me every year since I was a little girl, and now we take the boys at least once (usually a few times) each year. I am hoping Carson will be brave enough to ride the ferris wheel with me for the first time.

I love everything about the fair; being outside, the car shows (even though I hated this when I was little and couldn't wait to get to the midway) the rides, and most of all... the food! I do not get excited about the new fair food each year, such as chicken-fried bacon, fried banana splits, etc. I am perfectly satisfied with the tried and true fair food... a Fletcher's corny dog, funnel cake, tornado twisters, and fresh-squeezed lemonade. You know... all of the healthy stuff!

Happy Birthday, Julie!

2008-09-21T17:30:00.003-05:00

This weekend my cousin Julie turned the big 3-0 and we had a fun girls' dinner to celebrate her birthday!

Wacky Wednesday and a Couple of Videos

2008-09-17T20:51:00.015-05:00

Carson was absolutely thrilled about Wacky Wednesday at Preschool this week. Seriously... you'd have thought he had been to Disney World! Our preschool has one day per month that the 4 year olds can go for a fun day with enriching activities. Oh. my. gosh. Carson talked my ear off the entire way home about how Ms. Leah popped popcorn ALL BY HERSELF in a Mickey Mouse popper IN THE ROOM, not in the microwave, and the popcorn went down the slide into a bowl and it was JUST LIKE BEING AT THE CIRCUS! And they painted with "dry soap!" That stumped me at first, but then it occured to me that he has probably never used any soap other than liquid soap and so he thought the bar soap was SO cool. Who knew that Wacky Wednesday was going to be just like the circus! I bet Ms. Leah felt like she had been at the circus as well!

This weekend I was talking with my cousin Laura and I was trying to get Cole to say her name. He kept pronouncing it "DORA." I started laughing and tried to correct him, then he got mad and would only say "NO!" Here are some videos of him saying Laura (Dora) and Carson (Sarsen).

Scary Doctor!

2008-09-15T19:39:00.008-05:00

A funny thing happened at the doctor's office today. I took Cole to the ENT to have his ears re-checked. I just love this doctor because he has a great sense of humor. For instance, when he walked into the room he asked Carson if he would like some Barbie stickers and Carson said no thank you! So he brought in Hello Kitty stickers instead. :) He finally redeemed himself with monster stickers.

Before the doctor came into the exam room, Cole was dancing, singing, and standing on his head (seriously). As soon as the doctor walked in, he must have flashed back to two weeks ago when that same doctor had to suction his ears out - obviously NOT a good memory. He clung to my neck for dear life as he was examined.

When we started to leave, I stood at the counter to pay and Cole ran back toward the exam rooms yelling, "Bye-Bye!" I said, "Cole, come here." He waved again and took a few more steps away. I repeated myself - "Cole, come here. right. now." He inched a few more steps away from me. I told him, "You'd better come back here or that doctor is going to get you," but he was just being a little stinker and kept taking steps backward saying, "Bye-bye". Well, that doctor reached around the corner and grabbed Cole's leg, and you should have seen the SHEER TERROR on his face! He completely freaked out and screamed at the top of his lungs trying to get away, while the doctor, nurses, receptionists and I all cracked up! A lesson learned, maybe?:)

The receptionist took pity on Cole and tried to calm him down with a sucker, but his little hand was shaking so hard that he could hardly hold it.

I was telling Mark about it tonight and said, "Cole, tell Daddy about the doctor." He ducked his head, glared his eyes, and said, "Scary Doctor."

Lazy Day

2008-09-13T20:17:00.005-05:00

It has been a lazy, rainy day at our house! The weather from Hurricane Ike didn't get as bad as was predicted (we had visions of wind gusts blowing trees into our house/fence 3 weeks before we close on it). We should be packing, but we have spent the day watching Million Dollar Listings, taking naps, watching Notre Dame football and having Wii tournaments. Carson is pretty good at the Wii! Of course, not as good as his Mama. :) Cole has spent the day "singing" the new songs he has learned at Preschool, and it is so cute. I need to get him on video. He has also spent the day taking off his diaper (a new trick that I am not very fond of). I guess we can always pack tomorrow...

Whirlwind

2008-09-08T22:22:00.020-05:00

Well, I haven't posted in awhile, so I have a lot of catching up to do.

Preschool started last week and it has been great! I have an awesome class, and Carson and Cole both have the sweetest teachers. Cole didn't get to start with Carson on the first day because he was still getting over an ear infection (our first and hopefully last of the season). Carson bounced out of bed at 6 AM and requested a breakfast of bacon and eggs. Mark said, "What do you think this is... IHOP?"

Sweet Ms. Leah!

Cole's first day of Preschool:
Cole is all about the backpack. He wants to be just like Carson. He almost fell over backwards trying to wear it!
The week before last, we put our house up for sale. We got two offers after 9 days on the market, and accepted the second offer. We've been searching for new homes online, but it was time to get out there and see them in person. We searched from morning until night all weekend, and found a house in a great neighborhood that we just love.

Since we had a contract on our house, we went ahead and put an offer on the house we found, contingent on our house selling. On Monday we found out they got a second offer (so we were sure they would not accept our offer), and then the lady who was supposed to buy our house decided to change her mind because she wanted us to do a million things, which included putting in a sprinkler system for her. So Monday night, we went to bed thinking we would not be moving after all. Tuesday afternoon we got a call saying that the lady wants to buy our house after all and our offer on the new house was accepted! A few things have to fall into place, but it looks like we will be moving at the beginning of October!

Oh, and one final note. Cole experienced his first time-out this morning. Just for the record, it was for pitching the biggest full-blown fit you have ever seen in your entire life all because I opened a banana before handing it to him. Apparently he wanted to do it himself, and right then, the world came to an end.
And then there was fallout when I washed his favorite blanket.
OH, the drama of being almost two!
But don't worry... the blanket finally came out of the dryer and all is well in Cole's little world.

Full of the Bull

2008-08-31T19:20:00.002-05:00

Tonight when I was giving the boys a bath, Carson said, "Mom, can I get out because I am about to get a water-burn. And Cole and I would like some popcorn, please."

He'd better become an attorney when he grows up because he sure knows how to spin it!

Back to School!

2008-08-31T09:44:00.010-05:00

With the school year starting back up, things are definitely hectic at our house!

The main thing keeping us busy:Yes, that is a For Sale sign in our yard. And YES, we have lost our minds for putting our house on the market just as school is starting back up. As much as we love our little house, we realized a few weeks ago that we would like a little more room for these growing boys! A playroom would be just great. Let me just say that it is not easy keeping a house ready to show at all times with two young boys! Carson has been pretty helpful at keeping things picked up. Cole not so much. :)

I have also been working in my preschool classroom this past week. I teach preschool at our church, and both boys go to school there, too, which works out great. School starts on Tuesday and I have several last-minute things done before then. Like buy Cole a backpack. It should be easy to find a backpack/lunchbox on September 1st, right?

Last weekend was my mom's birthday and she came here to celebrate. We went out to eat with Debbie and Joyce and we all did some shopping.

Yes, that is a bruise on Cole's cheek. I have been wanting to have his and Carson's pictures taken but he always has a bruise or cut of some sort from all of his climbing! He was up last night with an ear infection, so Mark took Carson to church this morning and I stayed home with him. Poor little guy!

As hectic as our lives have been, there is always time for Blue Bell ice cream on a hot day!

Evidence

2008-08-21T15:13:00.004-05:00

I don't need to work for CSI to recognize evidence when I see it!

Splishin' and a Splashin'

2008-08-15T15:17:00.013-05:00

Earlier this week my friend Brenna and her kiddos Chloe and Hayden joined us for some swimming fun.

Group shot

Cole showing off his battle wounds from the other day
Carson swimming underwater (thanks, Stacey) :)

Chloe, Cole and Carson

Woo-hoo!

Cole playing in the fountain w/the rest of the crew in the background ready to jump!

This little one almost fell asleep in the pool. He was exhausted by the end of our fun day with our friends!

Summer Fun

2008-08-12T15:08:00.011-05:00

Carson came home yesterday after spending a few days with Mark's mom (Grandma) for two nights and my mom (Nan) for one night before preschool starts back up. He had a blast! He enjoyed playing outside on the swingset and with Bonnie the dog at Grandma's house. He was also very excited about going to see a movie (Space Chimps) and going to the Petsmart. At Nan's house he swam and went on walks to look in the creek and then we met at McDonald's the next day to have lunch. Of course, Cole climbed all the way to the top of the play area and did not want to come down! Carson had to retrieve him. Carson was exhausted after his fun weekend!!

Sadly, the frogs had to be returned to the pond while Carson was away. They were missing their froggy friends. :) Cole became a little bored with me while Carson was gone and and fell in love with ... DORA!! He's never really paid much attention to cartoons before, but boy he is hooked!

Last night some friends came over to play and have an impromptu dinner since both of our daddies were working late. We let the kids play outside, threw them all in the tub together and then let them have a pajama party. Here are Cole and Caroline yelling "DORA!!!" when we turned it on for them.

A little kiss...Today has been a not-so-fun summer day for Cole. We headed to the gym in the rain, I might add and as we walked to the children's area he clung to me like I was taking him to walk the plank, shaking his head "no" the entire way. I knew it was probably going to be a short work-out. Sure enough, I had been on the treadmill for a grand total of 10 minutes when I heard them paging me. (I swear every person in that place knows my name by now). I said good-bye to my friend and did the walk of shame to collect my crying boy. Then we headed to Taco Bueno. Because that's where you go when you leave the gym. I planned to have a quick lunch and then run a few errands.

The boys and I had a nice lunch together. Cole sat in the booth next to Carson and ate his party burrito, didn't scream and didn't throw food. Success! But just as we were leaving, Cole tripped and face planted into the concrete. Poor little guy, he just cried and cried. Fell asleep in the car and took a 3 hour nap. He ended up with a scraped nose and lip, and a little knot on his forehead.

Flashback

2008-08-08T07:29:00.000-05:00

I have to take a break from all the family fun talk to say that this is just wrong. Someone please tell her that we do not want to relive Jr. High!

Have a great weekend!

Love Triangle

2008-08-07T08:56:00.000-05:00

A little background: little girls Carson's age like to talk about getting married. A LOT. The first time Carson's friend Chloe asked him to play "getting married" he said, "Okay! Where's Mary?"

So last night we had dinner with our friends Ron and Susan before church. Their daughter Emma and Carson chatted each other up the entire time, as they always do. Susan called me later to tell me something funny she overheard at dinner:

Emma: Are you going to marry me or Avery?
Carson: Married is for grown-ups.
Emma: (Laughs and giggles) Mommy, Carson says he wants to marry a grown up! (She thought that was just hilarious).

Susan also went on to say that Emma gets concerned that Carson is going to marry Avery instead of her. Susan tries to reassure her that, no, Carson will not marry Avery because they are cousins. She said this is how the conversation ususally goes:

Emma: I think Carson might marry Avery.
Susan: No, Carson will not marry Avery because they are cousins.
Emma: But they are friends, too. So maybe he will marry her?
Susan: Don't worry, they are also cousins....and the cousin thing comes first.

My Boys

2008-08-02T15:41:00.002-05:00

Today Cole is 19 months old, so I thought I would post an update about him and Carson.

I'll start with Cole. Here are a few of the words he is saying now: go bye-bye, go night-night, Bible, thank you, help, frog, fish (shish), hot, yes, no, back!, uh-oh (this is a frequent one), bath, baby, flower, teeth, nose, eye, ear, toes, hair, mama, daddy (daaeeee!), juice (he calls any drink juice), please, more please, apple (ap-bull, yells this whenever we go grocery shopping), cracker, cookie, shoes, outside (side), etc. Whenever he falls down he says, "Whoa!"

Today in the car I handed him a couple of french fries and he yelled, "YAY! YAY! YAY!" :)

His hair has gotten so blonde this summer:
His personality is really starting to show. And boy, does he have a lot of personality in that little body! Let's just say I emailed my friend Lindsey last night and told her I need to borrow her copy of The Strong Willed Child ASAP. We are definitely inching our way toward 2! I truly believe his strong will will be an asset as he becomes an adult, but it sure does test us at times.

One example: Last night at dinner he started throwing his food. After telling him no several times, he just laughed and kept launching food across the room. So we took his tray away and even though he didn't have anything to throw, he sat there PRETENDING throw things and laughing! Oh, my...Carson said, "Our baby sure is a little stinker, isn't he?"

Here are some SWEET things about Cole. And he can be SO sweet!

Whenever he sees Mark he yells, "DAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Love it!

When he wakes up in the morning he yells, "Mama! Daaeeeeeee!"

Can kind of spell his name: "C-O-E! Yea!!"

Tries to say his ABC's

LOVES to dance! (See video)

Always carries his blanket around... we call him Linus!

LOVES to give hugs and kisses. Yesterday he kissed everyone (multiple times) we were playing with when it was time to leave!

Is obsessed with balls, cars, and a dancing Elmo toy we have.

Likes to give high-fives!

Both boys love for us to chase them. In fact, this is what we do for much of our day!

Oh! He also loves to color. Here is one example of his handiwork (there are many). Thank goodness for magic erasers!

CARSON:

Still LOVES his brother so much! I can't believe how well they get along... for now!

Likes to play Lincoln Logs w/Mark.

He is obsessed with firemen and policemen. Anytime we see a fire truck, ambulance or police car, he gets SO excited!

Is also obsessed with bugs, snakes, lizards, dirt, you get the picture...

Loves to take baths with Cole:

Enjoys his pajama party every night. Now Cole can join in! Both boys get cozy in their pj's after a bath for a snack and a short cartoon in mommy and daddy's bed before bedtime.

Whenever he gets in trouble, he says, "Do you still love me?" Breaks my heart and makes me smile at the same time.

Both boys love to swim and Carson can swim well underwater. We usually go swimming 2-3 times per week.

He misses our dog Nate (our boxer who we had to have put to sleep a few months ago) terribly. Always asks when he will be able to see Natedog in Heaven and prays for him.

We've been using this prayer with Carson when we tuck him in at night and I love it! (You have to scroll down a bit). It sure cuts down on the laundry list of "God Blesses" which usually starts off with, "God bless my mommy, daddy and little brother..." and ends somewhere along the lines of, "God bless the chocolate chip cookie Mommy let me have at lunchtime today."

Carson likes to play "paramedic" and makes Cole be his patient:This weekend Mark was grilling steaks and I was inside making the side dishes, Carson ran in yelling, "TODAY IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!! DADDY LET ME HAVE A LIZARD!!" (They found a lizard outside and Carson put him in his "bug catcher").
Of course, Carson begged to keep him. I said, "Lizards don't live inside very well. We don't want him to die." Carson said, "But what if I keep my promise every day and feed him and take care of him?" I said, "Well, how would you feel if he died?" He thought and said, "Well, Jesus would just open up the lid and take him up to Heaven with the Angels."

PS, We did not keep the lizard!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2008-08-01T09:11:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was Mark's birthday. Carson helped me make a chocolate cake and that night Mark and I went out to eat and to see The Dark Knight. It was a fun day!

Making the cake Trying on Daddy's new kicks Happy Birthday, Daddy! We love you!

Julie and Doug's Wedding

2008-07-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

This weekend my cousin Julie got married! Her new husband, Doug, and Mark work together.

New family - Julie, Doug, Ashley, Avery and Havannah

Julie encouraged us to bring the boys, but Cole didn't last for the reception (there was a staircase...need I say more)? Mark ended up taking him home early...

Carson and Avery

My cousin Debbie (Mother of the Bride), aunt Joyce, and my mom Jane

Ashley and Carson

Avery and Havannah

Ladies' Man

Laura and Steven

The bride

Lemme see that Tootsie Roll!

Night-night, Laura!

Mark helped Carson say his prayers that night, but when I went in to tuck him in he asked me to say them again. When I finished he said, "And Mommy, don't forget that girl I danced with."

That "girl" was Crazy Ray's wife of 53 years, Mattie. She tore up the dance floor!

R&R

2008-07-22T11:26:00.000-05:00

We're back from our relaxing weekend and today was Mark's first official day back to work after his two weeks off. We had a wonderful time, the boys did great without us, the food was delicious, and we met some really nice and fun people. The Gaylord was like another world to itself - I'd highly recommend it.

We had a huge suite on the top floor with a balcony that opened up to the atrium. Here is the view from our balcony:
Here are a slew of pics from our trip. If we look really red it's because we are; we both got too much sun at the pool on Saturday! They had a lot of things that the boys would enjoy, so we want to take them back when Cole gets a little older... like indoor fireworks

This guy (who was real)
A performing monkey And this creature (who was really a lady)

Like Daddy

2008-07-22T09:13:00.000-05:00

The other day Carson wanted to dress up like Mark because, "I want to pretend I'm a daddy. I want to be just like my daddy."

I grabbed the camera and told him to stand still so I could take his picture and he said, "Wait until I button this button, Mommy, so I can look distinguished."

Where does he come up with this stuff?

As much as this kid can talk, he has never really said anything too embarassing when we've been out in public together... until yesterday. We were in a shoe store and I was glad to see a play table for kids at the back of the store. I sat the boys down at the table and a few minutes later a little boy almost as tall as Carson sat down with a pacifier in his mouth. I did a double-take and then I heard Carson say to him, "Don't you think you should take that paci out of your mouth?" The boy shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yes" and took it out and sat it on the table. I was horrified and quickly looked around to make sure the mother wasn't within hearing range (thankfully she wasn't). I caught Carson's eye and shook my head and mouthed, "NO!" Carson nodded and kept playing.

I shopped around a few more minutes and then decided I'd better not press my luck any further so I gathered everyone up to leave. We almost made it to the door and were walking right past the mother when Carson says, "Mommy don't you know big boys aren't supposed to have pacifiers?"

After My Own Heart

2008-07-16T19:06:00.001-05:00

This kid right here... He looooooooves himself some corn on the cob! Here he is covered head to toe in corn. (More head than anywhere else)!

Gaylord Texan... Here We Come!!

2008-07-14T17:07:00.000-05:00

Mark surprised me by arranging (big points there) a weekend getaway before he has to go back to work next week, and I could not be more excited! The best part is that our moms are going to take turns babysitting, which means we may be able to enjoy some adult conversation over meals without Cole letting the entire restaurant know he does not want to sit in his high chair.

On Friday night we're going to take a tour of this vinyard and the rest of the weekend we plan to spend a lot of time eating and working out at the fitness center. Not really. We'll probably relax here instead:

Did I mention eating? Can't wait!

Campout (Kind Of) And Dress-Up

2008-07-10T17:35:00.000-05:00

Ashley and Avery stayed with us today and the kids got all geared up to go camping... in the kitchen!

Avery and Carson laid down to watch a cartoon and "rest" in my bed and when I went in to check on them I found they were up to no good. She had dressed Carson up in all my clothes! If you could only smell the perfume! Blackmail, Baby...Spiderman Avery and Pirate Carson. Arrrrrrgh, Matey!
Look at those Spiderman curls!

18 Months and change

2008-07-10T17:26:00.001-05:00

Look at this sweet face! Right before he BIT me!!!!!So sad.

Fourth of July 2008

2008-07-07T20:04:00.001-05:00

Popsicles... Yum! Fun in the lake. Trying to get everyone to pose...
We weren't very successful...

Fireworks!
Cole wasn't afraid of the fireworks, but he stayed right in my lap and I could feel his heart just pounding away.

Watching a video on the ride home...
Have you ever seen such a tired face?

Fort Worth Zoo

2008-07-07T19:31:00.001-05:00

Check out this getup. Carson was THRILLED to go to the zoo and wanted to wear his "zoo hat!" Feeding the birds

Busy, busy!

2008-07-07T19:04:00.000-05:00

Boy, have we had a busy past 4 days! Mark is off for two weeks (yea!) and we have been all over the place. On Thursday, we headed off to Fort Worth to visit the zoo. On Friday, Grandma Martha came to keep the boys so we could go to our friend Michele's wedding in Frisco. We got home late that night and the next morning we had our cousin Avery's 5th birthday swimming party. We came home to let the boys take naps and then we packed up and hit the road to join our friends Brenna and Craig at the lake for some 4th of July festivities.

We swam at the beach all afternoon and evening, ate hot dogs and watched fireworks. The kids had a blast! After the fireworks show, we drove to my mom's house to spend the night. Everyone was exhausted from swimming all day Saturday, so I thought we were good for a restful night. Not so much. Cole slept for a couple of hours and then woke up in his pack 'n play screaming! I put him in bed with me and he thought it was playtime until the sun came up the next morning... no fun! We swam and played at my mom's for much of the next day, grilled hamburgers and then headed home. Needless to say, we had a ton of fun but we're worn out!!

Good Intentions...

2008-07-01T20:17:00.000-05:00

Mark and I joined a gym this past weekend. The following day, we took the boys swimming there and had a great time. The next two days, I actually attempted to work out. On both days, 20 minutes would go by smoothly, only to be interrupted by a voice on the loudspeaker: "JENNIFER FREEMAN, WE NEED YOU TO RETURN TO THE CHILDREN'S AREA." One guess what (or who) the problem was...
Yep... he cried and carried on from the moment I left him.

Babysitting Antics

2008-07-01T13:59:00.000-05:00

The other night, my friend Lindsey offered to keep the boys so Mark and I could go to a wedding reception.

We laughed about a funny conversation she overheard at the dinner table between Carson and her son, Grayson:

Carson: When I grow up, I want to be a lizard catcher and a fireman.

Grayson: I want to be a lizard!

Carson: You gotta have a dream!

Speaking of dinner table, this is where she found Cole at one point in the evening:

A few other pics she took:

Bathtime

Blanket Buddies (notice how Cole is touching Caroline's blanket and she is NOT happy about it). HA!

Pajama Party!

Slip 'N Slide Gone Wrong

2008-07-01T13:24:00.001-05:00

It all started out very innocently... Cole takes a turn.Carson takes a turn.
Only Cole decides he doesn't want to get out of the pool of water at the end of the slip 'n slide. Not only that, but he gets mad when Carson wants to sit there with him.

First he tries to push Carson out... Then he pulls his hair.And before I knew it, Cole HEAD-BUTTED him! Twice! Seriously.
Notice Carson laughing. Not helping the situation...

Sprinkler Fun!

2008-07-01T12:58:00.001-05:00

Some Kung Fu Panda moves...

Little toes

Growing...

2008-06-25T22:03:00.000-05:00

Carson has a favorite stuffed pig that he sleeps with every night. Tonight when we went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, I looked at him in the mirror and realized how much he has grown in the past few months.

Me: Carson, you are getting too tall! You HAVE to stop growing!

Carson: But Mommy, there's just nothing I can do to stop it.
Me: But I want you to stay little forever.
Carson: Mommy. I have to get bigger. But even when I get big, I'll still be your little boy.
Me: You will?
Carson: Yes. I will always love you and even when I get big, I will still have my Piggy.

Friends

2008-06-25T14:54:00.000-05:00

We played with our friends Grayson and Caroline today and the kids had a fun morning outside. When we were starting to leave, Grayson was asking Carson about his car seat and I overheard them having the following conversation:

C: Grayson, this is my big-boy car seat. I'm a big kid now. I'm a big brother. I sure do love being a big brother. I have waited my WHOLE LIFE to be a big brother. I love my baby brother, you know.
G: I know, I share ALL my toys with my baby sister. I love my sister!

It'll be interesting to see if they still talk this way about their younger siblings in a few years...

Climber

2008-06-24T15:35:00.000-05:00

Now, I know lots of kids who have been known to climb out of their cribs, but this morning my crazy kid climbed INTO his. I saw him go into his room and a minute later I went in to find him sitting in his crib reading books. I think he stood on a toy to get a boost.Guess he was brushing up on his Bible verses... Boy was he mad when he realized he couldn't get out as easily as he got in!

Sleepover

2008-06-24T15:10:00.000-05:00

This weekend Carson went to spend the night with my mom. He had a great time and swam the entire time he was there. He was sad that he had to come home! When I met her to pick him up, he was exhausted... but not too exhausted to talk the entire ride home. He randomly told me that when he grows up he wants to be a daddy and he wants to have 30 babies(!) I asked him what his job will be and he said that his job will be taking care of the babies, mowing the grass and killing ant homes, and taking everyone to church. I asked him where he will work and he said, "I think I'll go to work with Daddy. That way we can play in the gym together every day."

Apparently all Principals do is (1) eat and (2) play in the gym because we were recently driving in the car we passed a fire truck. (Carson is obsessed with fire trucks). Mark asked him if he wanted to be a fireman when he grew up. He said, "Yes, but I also want to be a Principal like you so I can go to football games and eat nachos!" We cracked up. Must be fun to have Mark's job... :)

Cole missed him while he was away, and that night he sat in Carson's lap while he read him books.

T-Ball

2008-06-22T15:40:00.000-05:00

This past week has been a busy one. We had swimming lessons during the day...
...VBS at night, and we just wrapped up Carson's first season to play t-ball. I use the term "play" loosely. His team was called the Rebels, and it was comprised of 4, 5 and 6 year olds. Carson was one of the youngest players on the team (even though he looked older than most of the 6 year olds) and his inexperience showed. He did a lot of kicking around in the dirt and looking for ants in the outfield. His first time at bat, he got so excited that he ran to the pitcher's mound from first base instead of second! Luckily, he began to catch on, and it was (mostly) uphill from there.

His team actually came in 2nd place in the league, and he was thrilled to receive a trophy! At the end of the season, we had a team party with a Moms vs. Sons wiffle ball game.

Why We Call Him Our Little Monkey Boy

2008-06-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

Ever since Cole began pulling up, he has been a climber. We have to watch him like a hawk or we will invariably find him on the fireplace, end table, dining room table, open dishwasher door... you name it.

Carson recently found him sitting in his high chair in the kitchen. I had taken the tray off to wash and I guess he thought the chair was fair game. Carson yelled for me and when I ran in, Cole waved and said, "H-i-i-i-e-e-e-e-e!"

Dental Hygiene

2008-06-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

The other day, Cole was carrying around his toothbrush pretending he was brushing his teeth. He came over wanting to brush mine, so I let him, and I thought YUCK! because it was dripping wet and cold. A few minutes later, I heard him banging around in the kitchen. I walked in to find him sloshing the toothbrush in the dog's water bowl. That is why it was so wet when he brushed my teeth!! Gross!

Thanks Cole.

Feelin' Froggy?

2008-06-20T22:55:00.000-05:00

Our sweet Grandma took Carson to Target and let him pick out a toy the last time she visited. He came home with a frog habitat (she told him he could use it for his bugs that he is obsessed with). Our daddy had a different idea. The next day, he took Carson to the pet store to buy a tadpole for the frog habitat and came home with two frogs. Not too happy with our daddy, by the way.

That very night, Carson was playing outside and yelled, "There is a frog in our backyard!!" Sure enough, there were two huge frogs (not the tiny ones we bought) just jumping around our backyard. We have never seen frogs in our yard before. He was thrilled!

Trying not to squeeze... He brought it inside (briefly) to show daddy and cole, who was in the bathtub. He was so proud.

Huge. I'm starting to feel surrounded by frogs...

Cole

2008-06-20T21:38:00.000-05:00

Our Cole can be so sweet and loving. He wants to do everything Carson does, and he loves giving him hugs and high-fives. He loves to pat you and say, "Pat! Pat! Pat!" He will hold a stuffed animal close and say, "A-w-w-w-w," and when you ask for a kiss, he does not hesitate to come at you (open-mouthed).

As loving as he is, he pretty much hit the terrible two's the day he turned 1. I have plenty of evidence to prove it:

Now that I look back, it probably started before the age of 1. One day he was asleep in his his carrier and I set it in his room so he could sleep, but I unbuckled his straps. When I heard him stirring, I walked in to find this.

I realized he was playing too quietly in his room and walked in to find this. Pulled out every wipe in the box.

This is Carson trying to hug Cole and Cole pushing him away.

Intros

2008-06-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

This is Carson (AKA Batman). He's 4 1/2 years old.

And this is Cole (AKA Trouble). He's 17 months old. We already have a cell reserved for him at San Quentin. But he sure is sweet while he's sleeping.

Welcome to our website!

2008-06-20T19:34:00.000-05:00

Our mommy decided to start a blog for us because we keep her way too busy to scrapbook! Read all about our adventures here.