A Window into Warnerland

The Young and the Restless

2012-01-25T13:12:00.003-05:00

In regards to the boy on whom Caroline has had a crush all year, on the way home from school today Caroline declared from the back of the car, "Ben must really be getting to love me because he never roars at me, he never attacks me, and he never makes me dead." That settles it: he's a keeper!

Coach Daddy

2012-01-16T20:41:00.002-05:00

So, at the risk of bragging... my sweet husband is currently the coach of the #1 NAIA basketball team in America. 17-0 or 0-17, we're super-proud of him.

Going, going, GONE!

2012-01-16T06:46:00.003-05:00

Due to some problems with her ability to hear, Caroline got her third set of tubes put in this morning, her adenoids out for the second time, and her tonsils out. After the surgery, the doctor said that her hearing should be much better and without those "rotten tonsils", she should have a much easier time with breathing and just staying healthy, in general.

As for the patient, she is UNBELIEVABLE! We have heard a lot of horror stories over the past week, and though we have a ways to go, she has proven to be her usual tough self.

Here's our baby girl, pre-op and very excited

Although she woke up from surgery crying, "I don't like my throat. I wanna go home" she has rallied. She's drinking, eating, smiling, and watching lots of tv. Who could ask for more?!

Superstitions aside...

2012-01-10T09:18:00.002-05:00

Channeling a little of our own Tebow Magic, the Hawks are now 15-0, and ranked #2 in the country! If you're interested, you can read more.
Two big games coming up at the end of the week...

Bye Bye, Baby!

2012-01-05T14:34:00.003-05:00

He may still walk around the house with a pacifier in his mouth, but Jack has passed a milestone, moving him even further into the "toddler" world: no more crib in the room! He was so excited to do it, he wouldn't even let me finish our usual routine reading of Goodnight Moon. Unlike Caroline, who experimented with climbing the curtains on night 1 of a big bed, this little guy laid down, went to sleep, and stayed put until we woke him up the next morning. Sweet dreams, Little Man; don't grow up too fast!

Christmastime, Cliffs Notes-style

2011-12-22T21:40:00.008-05:00

Wow... another month-long interruption from this blog! And how do you summarize a month's worth of life, especially when that month included Christmas and all activities-Christmas? I guess through pictures!

A visit to a Special Somebody. Jack was a little unsure but didn't need me to sit with him. And a 'first' after 5 years of visiting Santa... NO LINE!!

Christmas programs. Same day, across town, but luckily at different times. Both girls did a great job.

The Nutcracker. My favorite Christmas tradition. This year was perfect. And I realized how much older the girls have gotten when I realized at the end of the day that this year was much more fun and much less work. Chad surprised the girls by bringing Jack down and joining us in Atlanta where we spent the night in a hotel, had a special dinner out on the town, and walked around the mall enjoying the decorations.

Quick ER trip. What's a holiday without a little sick? This poor guy had ear infections on Thanksgiving, bad case of croup on Christmas and strep on New Year's. 'Tis the season!

Boy toys!! Finally, this little boy has some things to play with that aren't pink, purple, and involving dolls!

Swing-set from all the grandparents. This has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving!

Looking through these pictures, I see one similarity with all of Jack's pictures...the pacifier! I guess we need to work on breaking that habit! (or at least removing it before we take the picture!!)

Ho Ho Ho and see you soon!!

Lessons from the Parade

2011-12-03T19:28:00.005-05:00

The girls were glued to the Macy's Parade this Thanksgiving...saw the entire thing. In the past week, I've observed a few new things, courtesy of the parade:

1. 'Good-bye' ballet slippers and tutus; 'hello' high heals and short tap-outfits. It seems that being a "Rockette" is the new desired profession.

2. "You can tell that we like Alex because when we see him, we scream and run away; that's what girls do when they see Justin Beiber." This was Aly's explanation to Caroline, when talking about the boy across the street. (courtesy of the Pepsi or Coke commercial with Justin Beiber they saw every 5 minutes.)

3. "Spider Man is my boyfriend." After the Broadway performance by the webbed-hero, Caroline has a new obsession.

4. "Boys sometimes dress up like girls." This keeps coming up after another Broadway performance with a cast of transvestites. That was a fun one to explain.

5. "When are we going to see the floats?" This is the question I kept getting during our town's very humble, simple Christmas Parade. (while sitting in the cold drizzle it took everything I had to give a positive, non-sarcastic response!)

I can't help but be in awe of the amount of information
absorbed and processed by these little minds!

P.S.-- Just finished listening to Chad's game on the radio. Have I mentioned that the Hawks are 9-0?!

Who are the people in your neighborhood?

2011-12-02T15:12:00.002-05:00

I realized today that I am more "middle-aged" than I picture myself. Let me explain:

In high school, if I saw certain kinds of cars- mostly either pick-up trucks or little cars of the Eclipse/Probe variety- I would speed up next to them and crane my neck to see who was driving, as there was a good chance that I might know their driver.

In college, I would do the same double-take if I saw cars with certain sorority/fraternity crests on the back windshield. Again, there was a good chance that I might know the driver.

Today, I realized that I now strain to see the driver of... mini-vans! Who would have guessed 10 years ago that I would speed up in excitement to see which friend of mine may be sharing the road with me in her mini-van?!

I guess I'll still take that over looking for my friends in a stretched-out Buick!

The Missing Month

2011-11-28T21:27:00.004-05:00

Are you kidding?! Is it really the end of November? I feel like we're still eating the last of the Halloween candy! And have I really not posted anything for almost a month?! I guess that somewhere between school programs, basketball, family visits, and Thanksgiving the month disappeared. Here's a quick recap before the slow-paced December (ha!) sneaks by too:

Aly's Thanksgiving Program

Caroline's Thanksgiving Program
Our little "Smiling Horse"

Jack found a girlfriend at Daddy's game
(did I mention that the Hawks are currently 7-0?!)

Chad and the girls during the post-game interview
Aly was thrilled that Nana heard her say, "Go Hawks" all the way up in NY!

Some sister lovin'

Thanksgiving Day Football

We got to spend a great couple days with Nana and Papa as well as our Alabama family.
Obviously, we didn't use much of the camera during that visit!

Jack feeding his new-found buddy

The kids reading The Nutcracker to...the nutcracker

Super Powers

2011-11-04T20:17:00.003-04:00

The girls love Super Heroes and the idea that people have Super Powers. Aly cried at one point when she awoke from a dream in which she was flying and realized that it was not real. Caroline has worn her SuperGirl outfit each day since Halloween and practices flying daily. Once, on the way to school, I looked back at Aly and saw her squinting her eyes at the cars in front of us; when she saw me looking, she informed me, "This is my super power that only I have: I can make things blurry when I look at them." (She apparently doesn't realize the "power" of my astigmatism!).

After thinking about it for awhile, I told them that they do, in fact, have a Super Power--one that grown-ups don't have. I told them that they have imaginations that can make them anything, anytime, doing any action they want. I told them that this power is different because only kids have it.

As I try to keep up with what and who they are pretending to be each day, I realize that this super power of childhood imagination truly is an amazing thing. It allows a cardboard box to be several hours worth of entertainment; it allows a little girl to be a detective, ballerina, and character from a book all at the same time; it keeps them up at night when it fills their closet with scary monsters; and it allows them to have an invisible friend named "Fritz" who is with them always. I can't remember when my imagination left, but I know that our little world will be a lot less interesting around here when these kids' "SuperPowers" are no more.

Junior Prom, revisted.

2011-11-01T13:32:00.004-04:00

As I sit at the computer looking at the pictures that I was sure would be Christmas card-perfect, I had to laugh at the fact that the only two that I ended up getting looked like this:

As I thought about it, I realized that Halloween and Prom are really eerily similar in many ways:

10. You decorate with a bunch of things that would be considered either gaudy or bizarre any other time of the year.

9. You visit and revisit stores trying to pick the perfect outfit.

8. You answer the same question leading up to the big day. "Who are you going with?" (Prom) or "Who are you going as?" (Halloween).

7. You spend a long time on hair and make-up, just to find that something is not quite right with the end result.

6. You have to stand around taking a bunch of pictures when you'd rather be doing something else.

5. You get a random group of people together for dinner beforehand but can barely eat because you're either too nervous (prom) or too excited (Halloween).

4. You can't believe that someone else at the party has the same outfit as you!

3. Someone always ends of crying.

2. By the end of the night, you're feet are hurting and you're tired from staying up so late.

1. You're already counting down the days until next year!

Happy Halloween from Popeye, Olive Oyl, Wonderwoman, Supergirl, and Batman

Say, "Cheese!"

2011-10-22T22:02:00.002-04:00

Not much to say... happy smiles all around describe how we're feeling!

Gettin' Down on the Farm

2011-10-14T13:50:00.003-04:00

Aly had a Kindergarten field trip to a pumpkin patch so Caroline, Jack, and I tagged along. We had such a fun time petting all types of animals, feeding cows from the hayfide, getting lost in the enormous cornmaze, and enjoying a picnic in the beautiful temperature. Between the tractors, goats, and haystacks to climb on, Jack could barely contain his excitement and enthusiasm! And the rain graciously held off until we were home, safe and sound.

This is about as good as "group picture" gets these days!

A Full Calendar

2011-10-11T09:51:00.008-04:00

We have a huge calendar on our refrigerator in the kitchen where we mark all of the holidays, birthdays, and special days throughout the month. September has always been one of those months where there is not a lot going on: school has already started, there are no real holidays, and no family birthdays. It's just a plain month. I guess that's why September was a great month for the process of finding, testing, and diagnosing my MS. It added a little excitement to the usually vanilla-flavored month of September! But now that we are settling back down and enjoying these doctor-appointment-free weeks, I wanted to catch everyone up with some pictures of our past 6 weeks or so. They have included separate visits from both Nana and Papa (I think they now believe me when I say that I feel great!), ballet, school events, and (finally!) last week's fair.

The October calendar in the kitchen is already full of birthday parties, fall festivals, field trips, the pumpkin patch, and of course, Halloween. So I guess we won't need any added heath-issue-induced excitement!

Reading with Papa

Back to Ballet!

Daddy's Dessert at school

A visit to the fair with friends

Playing with Nana

**I do realize that there are really no pictures of Jack on this post. He is not exactly at an easy stage to take pictures (translation: he runs from the camera!), but I am now committed to do a better job of it! So more pictures of Jack to come!!**

Aly learning to read!!

The Body

2011-09-16T14:57:00.001-04:00

For the few of you who read this blog, you know of my recent pending/possible diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. It has been a crazy 2 weeks for us, but this post is really not about that. Chad and I have been absolutely floored. But it's not the news of the diagnosis that has blown us away. The doctor's appointments, and tests have been a scheduling nuisance but nothing earth-shattering. The spinal headaches that followed the spinal tap have hung around for a week have absolutely kicked my rear end, but they haven't rocked us. The thing that has been the most unbelievable, amazing, heartwarming, and unexpected thing to us has been the people around us. From emails to texts to letters in the mail. From dinners on the doorstep to prayers for our family. From taking the kids for an hour to setting up doctor's appointments for me. It is amazing the importance of not only the community but also of the Church Body. We have seen first-hand the love of Christ exemplified through people both near to us and across the country. It is truly a comforting and refreshing thing. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Charlie Jack

2011-08-18T14:25:00.008-04:00

This is the girls' and my affectionate name for our Jack. Chad's not a fan of the moniker and prefers, instead, "Champer." But tell me that this face isn't just a perfect "Charlie Jack":

This summer, he probably could've answered to anything, mostly, "Where's Jack?" or "Has anyone seen Jack?" But now that school is back in for the girls, I'm getting some much-anticipated Jack-time. Regardless of the name, he is perfect. To us.

Here are some of the things that you need to know about Jack. Jack loves:
1. Trash. Putting trash in trash cans entertains this boy all day, everyday.

2. Balls. Any size, any shape, but most preferably basketballs. He and Chad shoot ball each morning after breakfast.
3. Sticks. Picking them up and making piles of them.
4. Cars, trucks, and trains. Currently, there is a construction crew on our street with a giant excavator and dump train. Combine that with the fact that today is garbage day and this boy is in heaven.
5. Dogs. He thinks that they all like him as much as he loves them. Thankfully, there are a lot of fences in our neighborhood.
6. His family. He has a different way of addressing and loving on each of us. He wakes up asking for "Dada", and gives him lots of pats and head-butts. He adores Aly ("Aggie"); he calls for her often and copies everything she does. He is amused by Caroline ("Ca") and is as hot-and-cold with her as she is with him. And he moans "Mamama"and buries his head into my legs every time he's shy, tired, or hungry.
7. His paci and blue "Jack blanket". He carries it everywhere wrapped around his body, like a towel.

8. Big kids, especially big boys. He watches them and wants to play just like them.
9. Peanut butter. It's the only source of protein this little vegetarian gets.
10. Routine and order. With parents like us, I guess he has no choice.

Me, through child-colored glasses

2011-08-13T03:17:00.002-04:00

I am a runner. I love to run. Now, I have taken a bit of a break from it (and by "bit", I mean about 4 years.) I stopped when I was 7 months pregnant with Caroline, and because of inconsistent schedules, another pregnancy with Jack, and an unwillingness to wake up at 5am, I've come to realize that now is just not the season in life for my running. But it is definitely a part of my identity. I started it when I was about 10 and just love love love it. I love running with no music, no people around me; I love to think, hear my own breathing, hear my own footsteps, and just tune out. I am a runner.

Two days ago, I overheard a conversation Aly was having with a friend whose mother runs. Aly said, "My mom doesn't ever run. She doesn't like running." I was struck by the fact that my daughter, who is with me the majority of everyday of her life, could be so mistaken about who I am! Doesn't she remember that I ran with her until the day she was born? That I ran with her for the first year and a half of her life? Of course not. She knows what she remembers experiencing, and my running is not a part of it. So it made me wonder how my kids do see me? And not just the interests that make up my identity... what about the actions that make up my character? I know that they see girls coming over to our house for Bible studies, but do they ever see me sit down during the day and actually open up my Bible? I know that they hear me tell people that I will pray for them, but how often do they see me stop what I'm doing and actually pray? I am confident that if they were to make a short list of who their mom is, the daily jobs of cook, house-cleaner, clothes-washer, diaper-changer would all be named. But what a great reminder that these kids are watching and making judgements on what they experience. I hope that I can remember to drop that broom from time to time so that they can see what is really important.

Markers, Crayons, and Vital Records

2011-08-11T09:10:00.005-04:00

I think that it really hit Chad and me this week that our 5 years with Aly have flown by. You see, after moving, we carefully stored all of our 'important documents' somewhere...we just couldn't remember where. When we finally found the stash, we realized in horror that we do not have a birth certificate for Aly. And you need a birth certificate to start Kindergarten. How could we not have it? What kind of parents are we that we don't have a birth certificate for our child? And then I remembered a foggy conversation with the nurse in the Williamsburg hospital 5 and a half years ago when she said, "Oh, you won't need a birth certificate anytime soon. You'll just have to get one before she starts school." I remember laughing as I looked down at my bundle of newborn heaven thinking, "School? Kindergarten is forever away."

And today, it is here. Oddly enough (except for the whole birth certificate debaucle), the day came as it should. Clothes were ironed and ready, pictures taken, everyone loaded up, and we were on our way. She is so ready for this and amazingly, so are we! Leaving her in the cafeteria, sitting next to her forever best friend, Lizzy, Chad and I got a little teared up. But how blessed we are that she is in the perfect place at the perfect time for her.

And now, onto applying for Caroline's birth certificate...

First Day of Kindergarten, 2011

"We're Going To Be Friends"
by Jack Johnson
Fall is here, hear the yell
Back to school, ring the bell
Brand new shoes, walking blues
Climb the fence, books and pens
I can tell that we are going to be friends
Yes I can tell that we are going to be friends
Walk with me Suzy Lee
Through the park and by the tree
We can rest upon the ground
And look at all the bugs we've found
Safely walk to school without a sound
We safely walk to school without a sound
Well here we are no one else
We walk to school all by ourselves
There's dirt on our uniforms
From chasing all the ants and worms
We clean up and now it's time to learn
We clean up and now it's time to learn
Numbers letters learn to spell
Nouns and books and show and tell
Play time we will throw the ball
Then back to class through the hall
The teacher marks our height against the wall
The teacher marks our height against the wall
And we don't notice any time pass
Because we don't notice anything
And we sit side by side in every class
The teacher thinks that I sound funny
But she likes it when you sing
Tonight I'll dream in my bed
While silly thoughts run through my head
Of the bugs and alphabet
And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet
That you and I will walk together again
Because I can tell that we are going to be friends
I can tell that we are going to be friends

The Secret's Out

2011-08-10T13:22:00.005-04:00

Every birthday and half-birthday, we mark down on a growth chart how much each of the kids has grown over that prior 6-month period. Looking at those lines as they creep their way up the chart are a visible sign that these kids are growing. But nothing marks the passing of childhood-time (to me) as does the first day of school each year. It is this momentous day that lets me see before my eyes that these children are growing.

Caroline started school today. And this morning, this child who has become another part of me over our 3 months of summer together--always with me-- is independent enough to eagerly jump from my car into the arms of her new teacher. We talked about the fact that her's is the oldest class in the school now, and that all of those little 2-year-olds would be looking up to her. That's funny, though, because it's hard for me not to imagine her as one of those 2-year-olds, picturing her like this:

2009- first day of preschool

So as my Baby Girl hopped out of the car, so ready to be that Big Girl, I couldn't help but cry a little as I drove off. From the backseat, Aly (who doesn't start until tomorrow) cautiously asked, "Mama, why are you doing that?" I laughed when I realized that I had an audience and said, "Well, the secret's out! I do this every year when y'all start school, but you aren't usually in the car to see it! Don't worry, though; it's a happy cry. I'm excited for y'all."

And that's true, I am of course excited. But it's also true that each first-day-of-school hurts my heart just a little bit.

2011

Happy Birthday, Carolina!

2011-08-09T07:21:00.003-04:00

Oh, this little girl. I marvel at her and am tickled by her each and every minute. She is never at a loss for questions, hugs, or imaginary friends. I made a list of things that we love about Caroline about 2 years ago, so I thought that a birthday list was well-overdue.
Just a few things we love about our Sweet Caroline:

1. She always, ALWAYS wakes up happy.
2. She often tells us, un-prompted, how much she loves us.
3. She tries to love on/ nurture Jack but almost destroys him in every attempt.
4. She has multiple imaginary friends, but "Fritz" has been around for a long time and is a really good friend, according to her.
5. She hugs with her entire body. Imagine a koala bear.
6. Her smile- lips, cheeks, and eyes- is the most darling, contagious thing I've ever seen.
7. She loves to make people laugh, and is not afraid to laugh at herself.
8. She still falls asleep during most afternoon car rides lasting more than 10 minutes.
9. She has bad dreams often- that's bad. But she cuddles up next to us in bed- that's sweet.
10. She loves to sleep with her bed covered with dolls and animals.
11. She would rather eat at home than a restaurant any day. We pack food for her anytime we eat out.
12. She is quick to get upset, and quick to get over it.
13. She is just as happy playing by herself as she is playing with others.
14. She loves playing "eye-to-eye, cheek-to-cheek, nose-to-nose" with Chad.
15. She gets excited over the smallest, most trivial things. Really excited.
16. She has an incredible memory.
17. She L-O-V-E LOVES Justin Beiber. He is yet another imaginary friend.
18. She loves to dance and wears a leotard and tutu on a weekly basis.
19. She is not easily-influenced by others, even Aly.
20. She sleeps exactly as she did as a baby: on her back with her hands behinds her head.

We could go on and on. She is precious and we are blessed everyday that she has made these past 4 years so fun. Here are a few pictures of the big day on Sunday:

Proud of her new Big Girl Bike

Birthday Breakfast at Panera

Waiting for friends to arrive

Repunzel cake

Decorating Headbands and Hair-clips

A mixed guest list of Santas, ballerinas, and Mulan

Loving the attention!

Everyone admiring the gifts

A slice of Heaven...

2011-08-08T13:51:00.004-04:00

In our typical August tradition, we cram lots of milestones into one week, all of which fall on the heels of our long, 2-week-vacation to New York. Our stay with my parents was wonderful, relaxing, memorable... and as an attempt to keep this blog updated during this week full of birthdays, meet-the-teachers, first days of school, KINDERGARTEN...I'm going to piggy-back off of my extremely talented sister-in-law and allow her to sum up our trip (much more poetically than I would myself!). Please read about our time here and here. Thanks, Cort!

More milestones to come...

Vacation Bible School

2011-07-17T20:21:00.000-04:00

Just a quick picture to explain why, though I've been on my computer every possible free minute since about April, I haven't posted more than just a few times to this blog:

This past week, our church had our annual VBS and this year, I had the privilege to "direct" it. 90 volunteers came together to make it a memorable week. As fun as it was, it was so nice today to sit, relax, and not think about one thing, not one to-do list.

Chad took each morning off of work to help out. I so wish that I had a picture of his alter-ego throughout the week: a break-dancing, egg juggling, basketball-goal-swinging guy named "Bustin Jeeber" who wore my (knock-off) Uggs, my puffy black vest and cowboy hat, and some basketball shorts from about 1994. It was simply hilarious to hear 250+ kids chanting "Jeeber" every morning! I have no picture of Bustin Jeeber, but I do love this picture of Chad and his girls:

Now, onto packing for a much-anticipated, long-awaited trip to Nana and Papa's!

A few "firsts"...

2011-07-16T20:30:00.001-04:00

...from the past month:

Going, going...

GONE!!

A haircut (much to his grandmother's dismay!)

The Good Ol' Summertime

2011-07-01T13:20:00.004-04:00

You've gotta love summer. Long days, lazy mornings, plenty of time for catching up with kids. (although that same list of long days, lazy mornings, and plenty of time can also result in crazy parents!) But when I look back on summers with young kids, I'm almost positive that I'm going to remember them like this:

Cuddling with Daddy before work

Lemonade Stands

Boo-Boos and Black Eyes

Long-Awaited Summer Dance Camp

Afternoons at the Fountains

Although life can be tiring with kids this age, I know that life will always make me tired. That's Life! How blessed I feel to have 4 precious people to share that exhaustion with!

Introducing...

2011-06-16T13:06:00.002-04:00

...the newest member of the walking world!

Good things come to those who wait--even 16 months worth of waiting!

Friend Island

2011-06-13T13:55:00.007-04:00

Some of our friends had the generous (and crazy) idea to invite 3 other families to join them at their beach house for 4 days. And when I say "crazy", I mean that there were 18 of us... 10 of whom were kids! (It's no wonder all of the kids took it upon themselves to rename Fripp Island "Friend Island".)

My expectations going into the trip were low: I would consider it a success if no one got the stomach bug. Shame on me for having such low expectations! Every minute of the trip was incredible. The kids had a blast, entertained each other, and enjoyed a virtual 4-day slumber party! And we grown-ups had the chance to sit back, talk, laugh, and enjoy a time with no schedules, clocks, chores, or work. The weather was perfect, the food delicious, and the beach was beautiful. Even an all-nighter in the ER with Jack for a bad case of croup the last night couldn't put a damper on the fun we had. Because hey, at least it wasn't the stomach bug!

The big kids

And the little ones

Beach Races

Healthy Jack...

...and not-so-healthy Jack

The Rooster Crows

2011-06-06T21:44:00.004-04:00

I'm blogging... Chad must be out of town. It seems like that's the only time that I venture into the quietness of my kitchen to sit down and attempt to update our life over here in our corner of the world, to those of you who check in.

Chad is gone for a few days, and right now--at the end of the day--I'm struggling with being the mom I want to be and being the mom I actually am. Summer has, paradoxically, been a mixture of relaxation at a whirlwind speed. With the girls not taking naps anymore, I feel like the days--as lazy as some of our days are-- are nonetheless full. I don't think that I've quite gotten used to being "on" for 12 straight hours. I feel like I can have some really meaningful, quality time with the kids--the girls in particular-- followed by a scolding. In a time frame of 12 hours, this cycle is repeated...repeatedly. Being the worrier that I am, the scoldings sit much heavier on my mind and seem to outweigh the "quality time." I often wonder if it feels the same for the kids or if, because they are kids and kids need to be scolded, reprimands are more of just an expectation of childhood.

I feel like I had one of those days where I was just counting down the hours until bedtime... trying my best to manage, control, deputy, and corral. Nothing bad, nothing sad, just not enjoying the presence of my kids. Now, as they all lie sleeping, I want nothing more than to wake them up and love on them. Notice I said wake them up...I want them to realize and remember that I'm loving on them because I feel like I am lacking in that category, now that the day is done and the tallies are being made in my mind.

I guess that the beauty of motherhood--parenthood-- is that you continue to get chances. The kids will wake up with the same eagerness to attack the day; the same willingness to give me a clean slate; the same loyalty to love me because I am 'Mama'. I pray right now that I can greet tomorrow morning with the same expectations and know that the best medicine for a regret-filled night is simply my spoken "I love you".

Dancing Queens

2011-05-22T20:19:00.005-04:00

The girls' spring dance recital was Saturday afternoon. It's been marked on the calendar all month but as the 4:00 hour approached, I was able to get a little better understanding of both girls and the inborn behaviors they possess.

Aly awoke and knew exactly what the day held, and had a game face on from that moment on. In the pool, she was practicing moves. At lunch, she wanted to eat food that would "be good for her body for dancing." She asked several times during Jack's naptime if it was time to go. By the time that we were in the car to head to the auditorium, she was down-right agitated. She was not in a talking mood on the drive. Her nerves hit a high-point when we pulled up to the auditorium and she had to wait on me as I looked for my keys to lock the car. "Can you pleeeease hurry, Mama? We're going to be late. I really need to be in there." Bless her heart, she can't tell time and me telling her that we were an hour early had no effect on her anxiety.

This is a picture of her (forced-smile and all) at the top of the auditorium steps in the midst of pacing and chewing her nails:

And then there was Caroline, blissfully void of nerves. Her only concern was that we watch her dance. She was in such a zen-like state, that this is how I found her after our short 5-minute drive to the auditorium:

Granted, she's a year younger, but these are the personality these two have had since they first began displaying their personalities.

After fixing hair and make-up, I settled in next to Chad in the auditorium (a good 30 minutes before the curtain went up!) and told him that I thought that Aly was genuinely irritated with me and explained the story of her frustration and anxiety. He calmly said, "Have you ever been late to anything? No. Have I? No. We are anxious, timely, type-A people and she is our daughter. We can't expect that she'd be any different." I think that I've spent 5 years hoping that Aly would not be as tightly-wound and anxious as I am. Yesterday I realized that she probably is that way; now it's my job to help her cope.

So after this 4:00 parenting revolution hit me between the eyes, we were able to enjoy watching our two amazing (yet very different) ballerinas do what they love to do: Stand side-by-side and dance their hearts out.

Backstage (with plenty of time to spare!)

Well done, little girls.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2011-05-20T21:05:00.005-04:00

Thanks to a free hotel room from Chad, the girls and I got a chance to have our first girls' night on Friday night! Dinner at the counter of Steak n' Shake, swimming in the hotel pool and jumping on hotel beds was the perfect equation for an unforgettable night. I loved getting the chance to cuddle, hold, read to, and pay special attention to these sweet things without muttering the usual, "Sorry girls, I've gotta help Jack." That's not to say that we weren't all ecstatic to see Chad and Jack show up the next morning for a family swim. But sometimes a girl's just gotta have some girl time!

Surveying the Pool

Pomp and Circumstance

2011-05-17T09:34:00.006-04:00

I know that today was just a little thing compared to the big milestones in the lifetime that lies before Aly. But in our little world, today was a big day. Aly graduated from pre-K today. Chad teared up and I had a knot in my throat as I acknowledged that our little girl in now a Kindergartner! She is so ready, so I guess that we need to be too.
But as she took pictures under the sign that read, "Class of 2024", I was so happy that today is only 2011.

1st day of preschool (2007)...

...And the last day of preschool (2011)
"What I like most about pre-K is my teachers."

Receiving the "Great Author" award
(look at her just beaming!)

A Boy and his Ball

2011-05-14T13:48:00.002-04:00

We have always had balls laying around the house. But they were never really noticed or played with until about a month ago. Jack's third word (followed closely behind "Mama" and "Dada") was "ball", which is repeated continuously throughout the day. From the time that he wakes up in the morning, he wants to play. He refuses to eat breakfast (by putting his arm up to cover his face) until Chad takes him out to the basketball goal to "shoot ball". Even after that, if Chad is around, it is a constant and persistent chant from Jack of "Dada, ball. Dada, ball". If we're in the playroom, he crawls right over to the Elmo book and hunts for the page where Elmo's room has balls laying around on the floor. "Ball, ball, ball." When we go for walks in the morning, Jack proudly holds the basketball while being pushed in the stroller; and we've started keeping a big bouncy ball in the car that he holds immediately after being buckled in. He fell asleep on the way to pick up his sisters the other day, and my heart just melted when I turned around to see this:

I feel like I'm looking at what Chad must have looked like 34 years ago. My sweet boy.

Just Days Away

2011-05-14T13:30:00.002-04:00

Summer is coming; it's signs are undeniable. The downtown fountains have been turned back on and visited by us twice now. The pool is opening this weekend. There is a smell in the air of magnolia blooms and cut grass. The mornings are warm and dewy. Tickets to New York have been purchased, while a trip to the beach is less than a month away. And the calendar in the kitchen says that the last day of school is Wednesday. We can't wait. Fewer schedules and emptier calendars make it feel so good to just breathe easy.

Happy Birthday, Crosby!

2011-05-04T09:25:00.002-04:00

This morning, the girls woke up in excited anticipation because today was to be their new cousin's Birth Day. Their baby cousin, Crosby, arrived in this world at 7:52am (Dallas time!) We are so excited that Ben is a big brother and that our family is growing and growing!

The girls were buzzing with excitement to hold Crosby "when we see him this summer in The New York". (no pressure, guys!)

Can't wait for more pictures of this sweet baby boy and family of 4! Love y'all-

Crosby Nelson Bonner
7 lbs., 4 0z.

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.
~ Psalm 127:3

Long Live Princess Catherine!

2011-04-30T09:54:00.000-04:00

If there is one thing that almost every girl has in common, it's a love of Fairy Tales.
Now let me stop and say that I love everything about America. But I've got to admit that England does it right when it comes to tradition, pomp, and circumstance. And what a show was put on yesterday! From the buildings to the coaches to the hats, the Royal Family did not disappoint. Though we didn't see the actual wedding until we attended an afternoon Princess-Wedding-Watching party, we were all struck (and by "all" I mean the girls and me) by the Prince and Princess' first kiss. Not bad timing for Jack that the military fly-by was just a short minute or so later! (as he sat watching the planes and repeating, "brrr-brrr").

The cast came complete with King, Queen, Prince, commoner-turned-Princess, and even a stepmother! Not even Disney can top that!

The Power of a Storm

2011-04-29T20:50:00.003-04:00

Along with probably every other person living in the northern Hemisphere, I love spring. I love the new green leaves, the dogwood trees, bare legs, and breezy days. But ever since our experience with a tree falling on our house two springs ago, the season also reignites my fear that I've held since growing up in Texas: storms and the tornadoes they bring. Rome has had a tough spring storm-wise, losing power several times, having countless trees fall around town, and even having rows of utility poles snapped in half as high-force winds have caused havoc.

As we were heading out the door on Wednesday morning, a storm bringing nearly 70 mph winds made a quick entrance and exit through our city leaving trees down all over and much of town without power. As schools let out early, evening church was canceled, and helicopters buzzed overhead, the town prepared for a storm that was promised to be much worse. Huddled down in the basement were the 5 of us, our family friends from down the street, along with a couple guys from the team and their girlfriends. After the first big storm passed, we ventured back up to track the storms that were following. Although the earlier prediction was spot-on for much of our region, Rome had little more damage than we'd already received from that early-morning storm. After waking up Thursday morning and seeing the destruction that changed the face of areas just a short drive from here, it's hard to believe the power of nature, along with the blessing that we received in avoiding it.

Virtually oblivious to the danger were these four. Although I won't ever forget the imagine of the four of them in the baby pool in our dark, damp basement (with Jack bouncing up and down in his neighboring pack-n-play), here is a shot of them waiting for the adults to decide our next move. Nothing better to little kids than a midnight storm party!

What a wild night; what an unbelievable reality to wake up to.

Easter Sunday

2011-04-29T20:48:00.003-04:00

We had a great Easter celebrating with Chad's sister and her incredible family, Big D and Poppy, and one of the boys from the team, Marqis. The girls are always so excited to see their cousins and, although it was a quick visit, it did not disappoint.

Discovering some early-morning goodies

Our attempt at a family picture... might have to do some zooming on this shot!

Aly, Caroline and Warner before the egg hunt

Jack and Big D... look at that resemblance!

...and resting with Poppy

Snow Birds

2011-04-29T20:34:00.004-04:00

Growing up, I remember the time between Super Bowl Sunday until May 1st as being just so special. It was for this 3-month time period that my grandparents would make their annual migration south from the northern tip of Minnesota to where we were in Texas. They would stay at a condominium close to us, be at our sports and school events, and be at our house (often with ooey-gooey Monkey bread) when we came home from school. I LOVED it. Although their stay was not quite as long as the time my brothers and I had with my grandparents, it was just as much of a treat to us. Nana and Papa came for the week prior to Easter, and although it was a short stay according to the calendar, we packed as much together-time as we could. Chad and I were sleeping in the room across from the girls and I think that their conversation while waiting to see Nana and Papa for the first time early Monday morning explains their excitement perfectly:
Aly: "Caro, do you think Nana and Papa are here?!"
Caroline: "Aly! I smell their coffee!" (then after peeking out of their bedroom door),
"Aly, I love Nana and Papa more than Mama and Daddy."
Aly: "Caroline, you can't say that!"

I am rarely caught with my camera so these few pictures don't do the visit justice at all. They were all I took during the entire week!

...At the children's museum in Chattanooga...

Making bugs

Playing in the water

It was so fun to be at a place where Jack could actually get down and enjoy some of the action!

...And just hanging out at home...

Cuddling with Papa

Undivided attention (wait, what's that?!) from Nana

...Now just anxiously awaiting this summer when this family of sick-of-the-heat birds can migrate North to New York!

Christmas in April

2011-04-05T22:16:00.003-04:00

What's there not to love about spring? We have spent so much time out in the beautiful weather that our evening bath water is literally yellow from the pollen and live-oak blossoms! But it's amazing how even pollen-filled air just feels so good and healthy.

Although I wouldn't trade these beautiful days for anything, I eavesdropped on the girls playing before dinner and realized that they were longing for another time: Christmas eve. They had on their pajamas they received from us on Christmas eve, they were pretending to leave snacks for Santa, and they kept opening the front door and yelling, "Nana and Papa are here!" It was all I could do not to sit down and book a flight for the family to Syracuse for the weekend!

Just for the record...

2011-03-31T20:14:00.003-04:00

We have had spring break this week and, though the weather took a turn for the worse (cold and rainy everyday?!) the kids and I have had a fun time just hanging out. Our goal was to do one special thing everyday; I love that they are still so young and naive that even little things can be a thrill. Tonight, after dinner and baths, we took a quick pajama-clad trip to the new frozen yogurt place in town. There is nothing like making your kids happy... I can see how it would be so easy--if money were no object!--to buy without regard. Just to watch your child's face! (I guess it's a good thing that we have a tight budget because I also know that as quickly as the kids want one thing, it just as quickly ends up in a drawer with all of their other treasures.)

It is so fun to see each of the kids changing and growing. I thought that 4 was a tough age for Aly, but what a difference a year makes! I truly enjoy her company, love watching her heart and compassion, and am blown away by her imagination. Recently, she has really gotten into sounding out words in books and attempting to spell:

"butterfly", "tomato", "cat", "dog", and "puppy"

Caroline continues to march to the beat of her own drummer, rarely realizing what is going on around her. She loves to make people laugh, makes faces at Jack when he's upset, but still loves to cuddle with me (though her "cuddling" is more of a jump-in-my-lap, strangle-me-hug, hop-back-out). She still has her imaginary friend, Fritz, who is apart of every story she tells. She even pulls a chair up for him at the dinner table!

An in-depth conversation. I just had to catch how "into it" they were.

And Jack is just doing new things by the day. This month he has started waving, kissing, clapping...and getting into everything! He's got a mouth full of teeth and is trying to grow into his huge, buck-tooth smile right now.

I can't believe that an entire month has flown by already; summer will be here before we know it! I hope that everyone has a great weekend--

Spring Resolution

2011-03-20T20:14:00.005-04:00

Let me start off by apologizing, mostly to my parents. I'm sorry that I've been so awful about downloading (and taking, for that matter!) pictures of your grandkids. It's not a lazy thing; it's not that we are just so busy that I can't take pictures; it's certainly not that I don't care! I blame it solely and whole-heartedly on our less-than-great Internet service from at&t. I'd chronicle the time and conversations I've had with operators, service-technicians, and my children ("Hang on, Sugar- this person is telling me how to fix our computer...AGAIN!"), but that would be a mixture of boredom and frustration on both of our ends. So I'll just settle for "I'm sorry." With a new modem, new wiring, and a new positive outlook on the Web, I vow to begin this spring with a resolution to capture, download, and send more pictures.

With that said, here are some pictures of the Warner kids over the past several weeks. To be honest, a good majority of them are of Jack because if I were to compare the number of pictures I'd taken of the girls by 13 months to the number I've taken of Jack at the same age, the ratio would be about 10,000 to 3. So, being the guilt-ridden person that I am, I'll make up for it in a single blog post. So, here's to Jack and the girls:

Making cupcakes for Chad's birthday

A little outside art. Too bad Mama left it out in the overnight downpour.

Jack crawled over to a junk pile in the corner of our driveway with the sole purpose of playing with an old, deflated football. Makes his Daddy proud.

See those feet? Caroline was playing 'house' in the cabinet.

Jack playing in his room...

...and under his crib

A little NCAA tournament action for my boys

Our make-shift swing for Jack while we contemplate what to do with the new yard...

Saturday afternoon was a gorgeous, 80-degree day so we (Chad) used the afternoon to clean out the old barn (someday-to-be-playhouse) in our new backyard. The girls were so excited, and spent at least 10-15 minutes sweeping while pretending to be Snow White.

After a fair amount of 'cleaning', we left Chad to the years and years of neglected junk and dust for some fresh air and bike-riding at the school down the street. Here are the girls on their "obstacle course".

Caroline just started riding the 'big-girl bike' about 2 weeks ago and is already a pro. It helps that she does not have a timid or scared bone in her body. (did I mention that she fell down our 10-stair-metal-spiral staircase after church Wednesday night and after just a short crying spell said only, "Ow- my body hurts!")

Life, Love, and Basketball

2011-03-02T18:57:00.003-05:00

I suppose that, for a good majority of people, it's hard to imagine that these three things are very similar. Life, love, and basketball. For our family, however, they get so intertwined that the line that connects one to the other gets a little blurry. Basketball is a huge part of our family, as it is present 12 months out of the year. I'm sure that it's sick to even half-jokingly refer to basketball as a family member, but it's our reality. And when we win, it's a reality that we love. Like any member of the family, this member is sometimes more needy and demanding than others. The "off-season" is filled with recruiting, planning, scheduling, conditioning, tutoring, worrying, and counseling; but it knows it's place and sits quietly while other family members take the forefront. But October through March is where this family member gets most of it's attention.

Chad and I got married 9 years ago tonight, and I can't help but look back and laugh at the date we chose; if planning a wedding now, we would never have picked a date that was still in the realm of 'the season'! But 9 years ago, Chad was teaching, this was spring break, and the thought of waiting 6 more months until summer break was out-of-the-question. But now, 9 years later, this needy family member called Basketball sits on the ground--throwing a temper-tantrum that could rival any two-year-old's-- until we, again, give it our full attention.

This was the Hawks' season. When Chad took this job, he refused to kick anyone off the team. So now, 4 years later, this was the first team that Chad had recruited from top to bottom. We've been nationally ranked throughout the year, had the highest number of wins in 40 years, and were just 3 games away from making it to the national tournament in Kansas City. Chad wanted to go so badly that I think he could smell the bbq sauce. But today's game ended, and we lost by 3 points. And I know that most people must have thought that I was foolish as I sat in the emptying coliseum crying. But I couldn't help it because this part of our family, the one that demands so much of our attention for such a big part of the year, broke my heart today.

I know that basketball is not life. I know that- I really do. And thank goodness that it's not love; But tonight--as my Love is hurting and sitting at a banquet for a tournament he is no longer a part of, I'm ready for basketball to take a much-needed back seat for awhile-- just what it deserves.

Daddy's Dates

2011-02-19T13:17:00.003-05:00

I still remember exactly what I was wearing when my dad and I went to the Girl Scout father/daughter dance (a pale yellow and white striped shirt with a yellow corduroy skirt). It was a sweet night with a sweet memory.

Chad took Aly and Caroline to their first father/daughter Valentine's dance last night and all three of them savored every minute of it. They have been talking about it and excited about it for two weeks and, since the dance didn't begin until 6:30pm, yesterday was a LOOONG day. But with hair washed and curled, new flower-girl dresses (from a wedding which the flu kept them from attending back in December) and a tulip for each date, Chad and his girls set out for a night that did not disappoint. They danced, dined, and danced some more. Chad said that one of the first songs playing was Tim McGraw's "My Little Girl" and he almost lost it! They walked in the door with stories to tell, dance moves to share, and corsages to show off. I love that, though it was just a few short hours, all three of them will carry a memory that they can hold tight to forever.

Nothing Better...

2011-02-19T11:10:00.003-05:00

...than siblings, laughter, and spring weather.

Best Seat in the House

2011-02-18T21:05:00.003-05:00

We have just moved to a new house (albeit a house one block away from our other house) . Well, new to us but not new. Pretty old, actually. And with it's age comes the fact that it tends to be a little drafty. There is a heat vent in the living room that is really, really warm and has become the place where the kids all play. And this is how I saw sweet Caroline a few days ago. Sweet, silly, and warm Caroline.

Baby Mine

2011-02-18T20:28:00.006-05:00

Everyone always told us that we would just keep finding more love to give as we continued to have kids. That was so hard to imagine with just Aly, as I felt like she carried my entire heart in her little one-year-old self. And then I guess that somehow a photocopy was made of my heart, as Caroline holds it with just as tight (if not a more amusing!) grasp. And then came Jack. Sweet Baby Jack who took us all by surprise but, wow, would this family be so incomplete and strange if he weren't a part of it. I have to say very sincerely that having Jack Warner in our family has been such a thrill, treat, and privilege this past year. I don't know if it's a boy thing, a knowing-he's-the-last-one thing, or just a Jack-thing, but he has captured this heart in a whole new way. I love watching him and seeing Chad 34 years earlier; I love picturing the kind of man that he will grow to be; I love the attachment he has to me; I love that when he gets excited, his little feet move in circles; I love that when he hears his sisters from anywhere in the house he immediately starts laughing and searching; I love that when Chad calls him "champ" he responds with pride. I love him. Completely, strongly, protectively, and proudly. He is my son and I love that that will always be true.

We were able to celebrate twice for Jack's birthday: once on his real birthday and once with a few family and friends. You would think by these pictures that all we did was eat... I guess that as a one-year-old, what else is there to do on your birthday?!

Birthday Breakfast at Panera (our family really should own stock!)

Chad had a game so the girls and I had a mini "first-cake" celebration with a mini cake.
But I don't think there is such thing as too much cake!

"First Cake" part two with a bigger audience

Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy.

The Jumping "Bug Ball"

2011-02-18T20:10:00.005-05:00

I am a huge fan of at-home birthday parties. I think that it's so fun to pick a theme and just get creative! I love putting together party favors, making fun cakes, playing silly games, and having a house-ful of kids. With all that said, I was thanking my lucky stars on the evening of February 3rd that we had made the decision 2 months earlier to have Aly's birthday at our town's giant-inflatable-jump place. Knowing we would be moving at some point and therefore not sure which address to put on invitations, I thought that this would be smart. As it turned out, we were in mid-move, Chad had a game, and cold, icy weather was moving in. The fact that there were people there to serve the kids, clean up after the kids, and get all of the presents from the party to my car in the snow with three kids was so worth a year's break from a home party. All we had to bring were the kids and the cake!

At the end of the day, Aly had a wonderful time and felt so special. As we were leaving, huge white snowflakes were falling, which she truly thought was orchestrated for her. She had originally wanted a "Bug Ball" birthday so she was a sport and settled for a butterfly cake. And the clever little thing picked out a dress with flowers on it because, "that's what a bee would land on and a bee is a bug." What a smart cookie.

A Little Friendly Teamwork

Look at those sweet faces in the background!

My party lifesaver: Big D.

Admiring the loot before bed

The Internet drought amid a dizzying windstorm!

2011-02-17T14:04:00.004-05:00

We have been internet-less for the past 2 weeks. Within those two weeks we've had two birthdays, two birthday parties, two Valentine's parties, fevers, and countless basketball games. Oh yeah--and we moved. (Hence the cut-off from The Great and All-Powerful World-Wide-Web.) We are finally settling down and catching our breath but I have some serious downloading to do. So stay tuned...

Half a Decade (gulp!)

2011-02-02T20:26:00.004-05:00

5 years ago today we met our baby. She is about 14 in a 5-year-old's body, but she was our first-and-always baby. She has a tender heart: she hurts when others hurt and loves to make people happy. She is sharp: she not only picks up on what is said but also on things unspoken. She is a Daddy's girl through-and-through but also loves special time with me. Caroline and Jack absolutely light up when they hear her voice, and she gives them her full attention and love. She is graceful, imaginative, opinionated, and a leader. She is a good friend, a sweet girl, and our very own princess. She is our precious Aly-bug.

Birthday Breakfast at Panera

Treat at School

Phone call from her cousin, Ben

Dancing Cinderellas

2011-01-24T13:48:00.004-05:00

I love ballet. I've written multiple posts about the girls' and my trips to Atlanta to watch various ballets and how much we love those elegant, graceful, beautiful ballerinas.
But they don't hold a candle to watching my own girls twirl and kick. There is nothing like sparkly costumes and a touch of make-up to make any girl feel like a true prima ballerina. Add the fact that the entire recital is danced to praise music and it makes for quite an emotional day. There is nothing like watching the two most precious girls in your world envisioning themselves as the Sugar Plum Fairy as they dance their hearts out to "Everlasting God". As I watched Chad watching his girls, I couldn't help but think about the truth of the lines from the Steven Curtis Chapman song "Cinderella":

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...

They may decide to never take ballet again, but they will
always be our very own Dancing Cinderellas.

Dress rehearsal with best buddies Alli (left) & Lizzy (right)
{and WONDERFUL Ms. Meredith!}

Word Choice

2011-01-20T13:12:00.004-05:00

I realized this morning that choosing words is important, even to a 3- and 4-year-old. Our realtor called late last night and asked if he could show our house at 9:00 this morning. So in the midst of the already-hectic morning routine, we had to throw in an extra cleaning and straightening. While I was in the girls' room surveying the havoc, I saw a pile of 'junk' at the foot of each bed:

Aly's

Caroline's

I said (quite carelessly in hindsight), "Girls, you need to come in your room and find a place for this JUNK." Catching me off-guard were wails of, "Mama, it's NOT JUNK!" But yes it was! (to me, that is.) To me, they were two piles of old party-favors and Happy Meal Toys. Even a broken camera. In a hurry, I re-phased: "Ok. It's not junk, but I want it put away before the people come to look at our house!" But to the girls, these piles were carefully-selected treasures. They said, "But Mama, last night we made a pile of the things we're going to put in our suitcases to take to Nana and Papa's house!" Though the trip isn't scheduled until late summer and these piles will have to find another home until then, I couldn't help but realize that one man's trash truly is another man's (or child's!) treasure!

Hibernation

2011-01-18T10:58:00.002-05:00

I have to laugh when I look back at my last post when, after one snow day I wrote, "Now I'm trying to gear up for a couple more." Turns out that our entire town shut down for the week--school cancelled for the entire week, no grocery deliveries, and most businesses closed until at least Thursday. On top of a snow week at home, the stomach bug came to visit our family, starting with Jack Friday night, working it's way through the parents, then Caroline (and Jack again!) last night. I went ahead and kept Aly out of school today too, as I felt like it was the responsible thing to just go ahead and quarantine ourselves.

There are a couple silver linings to our germ-infested prison:
1. Our washing machine broke down last Sunday, right as the snow began to fall. We, of course, couldn't leave our house to buy a new one until Thursday...just in time for load-after-load of throw-up-smelling towels and sheets! Praise the Lord this bug didn't visit a few days earlier!

2. Chad was out of town a few days last week. As he was cleaning Jack while I was bathing Caroline around 2am this morning, I had to praise the Lord again that this happened while he was at home with us! Nothing says, "TEAM" like early-morning-multiple-vomit-cleanup.

So, if my predictions are correct, Aly should wake up in the middle of the night tonight, get sick, stay home tomorrow...and then we'll be finished? Right? We'll see. But above all else, I'm thankful that the worse is behind us. (Quick! Knock on wood!!)

Snow Day

2011-01-10T19:39:00.003-05:00

We woke this morning to a thick6-inch-blanket of snow. It was a day full of cuddling in bed, movies, playing, and snowman-building.

We were joined in our yard this afternoon by 8 other people to construct the biggest snowman around!

{poor little guy!}

The men stayed outside for several hours with this as the end result:

Very impressive! It was so big that it had to wear a beach towel as a scarf and baseball bats for arms! One snow day was a fun break from the ordinary! Now I'm trying to gear up for a couple more. Yikes.

A Little Monday Night Heartache

2011-01-04T13:48:00.003-05:00

We have had a great Christmas vacation, but school for the older two started today and I can't lie about the fact that I was ready for a schedule again, ready for some one-on-one time with Jack. But as I was packing lunches last night, I was overwhelmed by that familiar feeling of bittersweet sadness. It hit me that this will be the last semester that Aly is in preschool; the last semester (for a while) that the girls come home with stories that include seeing one another in the others' classroom and sitting together at pick-up; the last semester when Aly is home in the mid-day when we can steal an hour away from the other kids to have some "special time" of sewing or coloring. The fact that her 5th birthday is only a month away makes that wound a little more poignant today. I remember sitting in bed on the eve of her first birthday watching Steel Magnolias and just crying. I can't believe how quickly it goes! I find that it's a relief to me that Caroline still has a year of preschool left, still has 7 months to a birthday (and best of all, pretends daily to visit Neverland so that she'll never grow up!) And my baby baby, Jack, is a month shy of one! Just one more month of bottles and then they'll disappear from this house...forever!

I know that childhood is fleeting, that every stage is precious, and that stages just get sweeter and sweeter. But I have to say that last night, as they were all asleep in bed, I couldn't help but stand and stare at each sleeping baby just a few minutes longer than usual.

Christmas Catch-up

2011-01-01T20:55:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas and happy New Year! What a memorable two weeks we've had! The flu-bug made it's way around the family which kept us from our usual Christmas parties (boo!), but we still packed in our annual family traditions--aches, fevers, and all! Although the flu was an unwelcome guest, it left the house just in time for a Christmas Eve and Day full of welcomed guests: Nana and Papa, Big D and Poppy, one of our favorite basketball boys, and a day full of snow! Between a house-full of Christmas toys and a yard-full of Christmas snow, the kids were out-of-their-minds crazy. The adults voted for a post-bedtime Christmas dinner...the kids were asleep by 7 and we were left to enjoy some peace and conversation!

Christmas Eve

'Twas the night before Christmas...

'Princess Baby' from Santa

Aly's biggest Christmas request: a Baby Alive

A very excited Jack (thanks to the rocking horse from Big D & Poppy)

Jack's first snow!

The Warner Family (along with Snowman Warner)

Papa and Jack (after a full Christmas day!)

The train at the mall (2 happy girls and one ECSTATIC little boy!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND HAPPY 2011!!

Sugarplum Fairy Land

2010-12-14T13:56:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, the Warner girls (including Big D!) took our annual trip to Atlanta to see the Nutcracker. The day did not disappoint. The girls were up extra early in anticipation, the new Christmas dresses from Nana fit perfectly, the weather was nice and chilly, and the Fox Theatre was unbelievable, as usual. How lucky I am that they enjoy this tradition as much as I do! Thanks, Chad!

Getting ready to leave

Lunch at Steak n' Shake

Outside of The Fox

Intermission...

10 months later...

2010-12-12T14:26:00.003-05:00

...Jack rolls!!!

May I take a moment to brag...

2010-12-06T22:29:00.003-05:00

Chad would never announce this, but I just have to let the 3 or so readers of this blog (all of whom love Chad too!) know that the national polls came out and the Shorter Hawks are ranked #12 in the country! We are also #1 in our (very competitive!) conference. I feel like I'm jinxing something by saying it, but we are excited and thankful tonight! Go Hawks! (and Go Daddy!)

The Wait is over...

2010-12-05T06:41:00.000-05:00

...and I don't mean the wait until Christmas. I mean the wait to see Santa. It is definitely atop our Christmas "to-do" list, but the line involved always causes me a little stress. (as I've written about before!) Chad's mom was sweet enough to go with the kids and me this year, so I could hold the line while she took turns taking kids to see other parts of our not-so-huge mall. Two hours later I had 3 very happy and (2 very eager!) kids. He was a sweet Santa who took several minutes talking to each of the girls before posing for the picture. And this was the first year in recent times that I haven't joined the picture to appease a crying babe!

A picture of our picture with Santa
*******

When we returned home, the girls immediately got busy on separate activities while I fixed dinner. Aly was hard at work making her Christmas list on the special notecard Santa had given her:

*******

Meanwhile, Caroline had stripped down, put on her Santa dress, found a red chair, and was playing "Santa" to her dolls:

Although we are only one week into December, it has been so fun to see how "into" Christmas the girls are this year. They really 'get' Santa, loved the local Christmas parade a few nights ago, and have been waking up extra early this week in anticipation of hunting the house in search of our "elf" (named Coca-Cola!). We've been trying to stress the fact that Coca-Cola and Santa's job is just to help us to celebrate Jesus' birthday, but it's fun to see just how much of this whole season they are in complete awe, fascination, and wonder of.

So as I sit here tonight, I feel happy that I have kids in bed, dreaming of Santa. (and more importantly, that visiting Santa is behind us for another year!)

*******
(No significance to Santa...Just had to include a picture of my little bundled-boy!)

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2010-12-04T20:43:00.002-05:00

I have sat down at my computer multiple times to try to sum up the awesome Thanksgiving we had. With family in town from New York, Texas, Alabama, and Rome (ha!), we packed our house with people and our tummies with food. The reason it's been so hard to post is two-fold, both boiling down to my dependence on my sister-in-law! First, I have not a single picture to show for the 3 1/2 day family-fest because she is a camera queen. Second, I can't even begin to verbalize what she was able to sum up in two posts on her blog (here and here.) So I'll piggy-back off of her for her words and her pictures. Thanks to all the family for making such an effort and making Thanksgiving 2010 so memorable.

The Best Time of Year

2010-11-22T19:38:00.007-05:00

The anticipation of what is to come is almost too much right now! The arrival of Nana, Papa, Uncle Chris, Aunt Cortney, and Ben is marked on our calendar; there are Christmas trees in the lots already; carolers sang on the street corner this weekend; Aly had her first spend-the-night at Big D's; school is out for a week and the ending was marked by a big feast at school with the girls dressed as a pilgrim and an Indian; the basketball team is 7-0...what are we to do with all this excitement?!? Count our blessings and be thankful!!

Indian Princess "Sunflower" and "Sister Caroline"

Enjoying a little mild weather...

Aly's Backyard 'Project'

Caroline rides her bike!

Good night

2010-11-12T21:10:00.002-05:00

Chad and the team left for a tournament in Nashville yesterday, so the kids and I packed up and joined them today. They have been talking about the hotel to anyone who would stand still to listen for the last few days that they've known about it. We got to stop in Sewanee, TN to enjoy lunch with my dear friend, Cortney, and then got to the hotel just in time to say 'good-bye' to Chad (and jump on the hotel beds for a few minutes.) We survived the game with just one chocolate-milk-spill, one 'potty' accident, and a win for the Hawks! I hear deep breaths coming from three different kids as I type, and I know that the hard day was well-worth it when I see these faces:

(well, not literally SEE this face--this is the way that Jack sleeps!)

A Day in the Week...

2010-11-09T22:23:00.005-05:00

Gobble, gobble. And gobble.

*****

This was not posed. This is honestly how we found Caroline entertaining Jack!

*****

Nana couldn't resist ordering the girls the nightgown the catalog called "Clara's Nightdress." The squeals that I heard from their room when they ran in after bath tonight and saw these on their beds were priceless.

The Boys are Back!

2010-11-06T14:42:00.006-04:00

By the end of February, I hate basketball season. That may be a little strong, but I'm definitely sick of it. But it's funny how God seems to give me a short memory because here, on November 6th, I am so excited that the season is finally here! After months of conditioning and practicing, we are all so excited to just see these boys play.

We had a tournament with games both Friday and Saturday night; though I hired a babysitter for both games, I surprised the girls and took them to the game Friday night. With a start time an hour past bedtime, you can imagine how exhausted they both were at the end of the game when I tried to take this picture:

They were so excited, though, to surprise Chad at the first game of the season...and it was definitely worth it. The Hawks pulled off a 106-47 victory. Our personal victory was the fact that these two girls sat, colored, and drew for the entire game! My, how things have changed in just a few short years!

We also won the game tonight; not a bad way to start off the season! My prayer is that we can continue to feel as fresh and excited in February as we feel this weekend. Go Hawks!

Charlie Jack

2010-11-04T13:14:00.005-04:00

What is not to love about this sweet face? I could eat this little boy up... I am in LOVE!

Learning to play...

A Week Fit for a Kid

2010-10-28T09:39:00.009-04:00

What a great time of year. Oh, to be a kid!! Last week was Farm Week at school and so (like last year), the girls boycotted the cowboy/farmer attire and went for kitty cats. Meow.

And then there's Halloween...the girls really "got it" this year as we hit every inch of the neighborhood. Here in Rome, the Halloween date was officially changed to Saturday night, and it seemed that everyone was ready for it. Jack was a champ and did his usual: sat back and watched all of the action!

Sometimes I think that the girls have gotten so big; but tonight, as my little ladybug and bumblebee made their way up the big steps to each door, as masked ghouls and witches ran past them, I realized how little they still are and thanked God for that. And now Chad and I are kicking back for a little candy feast.

A ladybug, bumblebee, and (very hungry!) JACK-o-lantern

The end of the night...

...and a late-night snack!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
(Tomorrow, that is!!)

Warner Jam Session

2010-10-23T19:45:00.002-04:00

Move over Jonas Brothers. We've got a beat that can't be beat.

Fast Track through Fall

2010-10-17T20:21:00.003-04:00

There is little that I like about Chad being gone during basketball season. The only thing, actually, is the fact that I can keep up with this and others' blogs. I don't ever have a chance to sit down at the computer during the day, and when Chad is at home at night, well...he is much cozier than a laptop. So until the season is in full-swing, I will have to sneak in time here and there to update our lives in pictures.

We have tried to take advantage of every wonderful thing that this season has to offer: plenty of playing outside, the county fair, football games, pumpkin patches, and hayrides. I guess that if it were autumn for 365 days, I would even get tired of it. But then again, that seems just impossible!

The Ferris Wheel atop Rome

Tummies Full of Delicious Fair Food
(Aly's holding a Bible the Gideon's handed out to the kids...if you're wondering what to get for your child's Christmas gift, track down a Gideon! Who would've guessed that the favorite part of the fair was a FREE Bible?!)

Caroline...what can I say. Aly HATES to be silly, Caroline lives for it. This is the kind of thing she strolls around in every day! Gotta love it.

Aly's field trip to a nearby town's pumpkin patch (Caroline, Jack and I got to tag along!)

Yet another pumpkin patch

Impatience

2010-10-07T13:50:00.004-04:00

Our computer is fixed, but it is painfully slow. Painfully. It really makes it impossible to sit down to quickly do anything on it. Downloading pictures is the worst. So now that I've used way too much time to post 4 pictures, I need to go do some real work!

Dancing in the rain, after our long drought

Why not dress up like Mrs. Clause?!

All bundled-up for our first chilly morning of fall!

We're BACK!!

2010-09-29T09:21:00.004-04:00

After 2 weeks with no internet, we are re-connected! Unfortunately, when the AT&T guy left our house, he also left a tangled mess of black, yellow, and green cords. I cannot find my white USB cord anywhere, though, so no new pictures! These pictures are from the last time I sat at the computer and realized it didn't work... almost 2 weeks ago.

Gotta run-- hope to get more pictures out soon!

The ever-happy Jack

Chad and the girls before their school's annual "Daddy's Dessert"

Jack has two airplanes above his changing table which he loves talking to. He is actually making airplane noises, in case translation is needed!
Also, though he loves bathing with the girls, Jack's favorite part of bath time is after the girls get out, the water is draining, and he gets to lay down and have a little "splash-time" all to himself!

Basketball in the Fall

2010-09-14T19:30:00.003-04:00

It may be football season, but it's starting to feel like basketball around the Warner household. Here is a video of what has been stealing Chad's thoughts these days! November 5th is right around the corner!

A Page Has Turned

2010-09-11T13:21:00.004-04:00

Aly's Bun-Bun. She received it as a baby gift from Chad's aunt when she was just weeks old, and it has been her favorite companion ever since. It has made trips to the doctor, to new houses, to grandparents. We almost missed a plane to Texas once because we had to turn around when we realized it had been forgotten. It has seen plenty of sicknesses and been washed hundreds of times. Bedtimes have been held off as we stop everything to search for the missing friend so that Aly could fall asleep. There was a time when Caroline first arrived that Bun-Bun seemed more like an addiction than a 'lovey'. Though it started off soft pink and white, it is more of a grey color now, with ears that look almost brownish. But it is still Aly's Bun-Bun.

For four years, she would hold it with her left hand and play with it's ears with her fingers while she sucked her thumb. And then she gave up sucking her thumb. Little did I know that by giving up thumb-sucking, Bun-Bun would also lose some of it's drawl.

I wasn't even looking for him today...no big search to calm a crying child. Aly hadn't even mentioned that he was missing. I was actually looking for a lost marker top under Aly's bed and this is what I found instead:

So, with a bit of a lump in my throat, I realize that the sweet baby above is getting bigger. She comes home from school talking about how much she wants make-up, and even uses words like "cool" and "gross". All three of them are getting bigger and I am just not quite ok with that!

I can't help but think about the story "The Velveteen Rabbit". As a brand-new toy rabbit was sitting on a shelf with a worn-out skin horse, they had this conversation:

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.

"The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

Who would've guessed that being a parent could hurt so much sometimes, even over the tiniest things?

IV and V

2010-09-08T18:56:00.002-04:00

Like father...

Like son

Good-bye, Summer

2010-09-07T09:17:00.005-04:00

It's always hard to believe in the sweat and heat of August that summer is coming to a close. But what a difference a week makes! We had a perfect weekend this Labor Day with cloudless skies, weather in the 80's, and plenty of fun things to do.

On Saturday, we went to a nearby lake in Alabama and spent the day with some great family friends whom we haven't seen in a long time. The girls fished, rode jet skies, and even SKIIED! (our friend took the pictures that I hope to get and post soon!)

We then woke up early on Sunday and went with Chad and his team to another lake several hours away for some more water fun. Our kids absolutely love the guys, and the boys are all great with them. Luckily, the kids and I were able to spend the night in a nearby hotel- as there was no room for us at the house! Nothing says "vacation" to Aly and Caroline like sleeping in a hotel bed, swimming in a hotel pool, and eating from a hotel ice-dispenser! We so appreciate getting the chance to tag-along.

"Jump in!!"

An (almost) nap-free weekend for Caroline!

Notice there are no pictures of Jack: he was either napping or being entertained by some guys who must look like giants to him!

Good-bye, Summer. We will miss you!

Cracker Jack

2010-08-23T14:33:00.003-04:00

I went to a baby shower and realized that:
1. Jack's no longer a newborn.
2. I would have 20 more just like him, if I could.

Over six months have flown by, and I can honestly say that I've enjoyed every minute. I'm sure it's a combination of knowing that he is the last and the fact that he is just an absolute joy, but he has made these six months enjoyable and easy to savor. He is a sweet, sweet little boy and I feel so blessed that he is a part of our family.

The Good

2010-08-17T19:38:00.007-04:00

My parents' house. It has come to be a trip that we talk about months before we leave and talk about memories months after we return. It is cool, relaxing, full of new adventures, and best of all--the home of Nana and Papa. I love watching my parents with the kids (and I love the 2 extra sets of hands!)

I took the kids for a week, and then was joined for almost another week by Chad. And the biggest treat was that my brother Chris, sister-in-law Cortney, and amazingly precious nephew Ben joined us for part of the time.

I cannot do justice to Cortney's account and the way she described our family time on her blog.

Despite a few illnesses (and by "a few" I mean strep throat, hand-foot-mouth, stomach bug, ear infection), we enjoyed and took advantage of each and every day. We even squeezed in a mini-birthday celebration for Caroline!

When I taught 6th grade, we would begin Monday mornings talking about The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly of the weekend. Our list of The Good for this trip is entirely too long to note. The Bad was probably the flight delay and late arrival back to Atlanta. And I just have to include the trip's Ugly: Caroline had been battling an ear infection all week. While on the flight back, she was complaining about her ear hurting, but the lights in the plane were off and little I could do. Once we landed (after midnight) and the cabin lights turned on, this is what I saw:
Actually, this was after a little cleaning. The poor girl! And you can only imagine the looks that I got from every passenger as they de-planed!

But don't get me wrong...I would trade a year of 'Bad's and 'Ugly's for the 2 weeks of Good that we had!

First Day of School and More Birthday

2010-08-12T13:43:00.007-04:00

You would never know it from my blog, but we actually went on an awesome 2-week vacation up to New York. But because we got back on Caroline's birthday with a week of partying (3-year-old style!) and starting school to follow, the pictures of NY will have to wait. At least one more day!

School started for both girls yesterday. Because the week has been so filled with birthday, unpacking, and readjusting to the heat, we barely were ready for school! But by the wee hours of Tuesday night, hair was trimmed, lunches were made, school bags were packed, and clothes were ironed. No tears this year, though Chad and I have already started mourning the fact that this is the last year of preschool for Aly! We will try to savor every last moment.

Ready to conquer the world!

The beginning of school also marks the beginning of some time I've really been looking forward to: some one-on-one time with Jack. He is sucha happy, laid-back baby that he often ends up sitting (or laying) to the side while the more...high-maintenance... girls steal the majority of my attention. I can't wait to finally get a chance to get to know this sweet guy a little better:

In this week of "birthday" which began with a small party at my parents' last Thursday, we ended our week-long celebration today with cupcakes in Caroline's new classroom. I guess she is now officially three!!

Believe it or not, the BEST picture we could get all together!

Birthday Girl!

2010-08-08T21:04:00.004-04:00

We had a couple friends over this afternoon to help celebrate Caroline's birthday. She and Aly talk about their birthdays on a nightly basis, so this afternoon was a long-time-coming. After changing her mind about 10 times, she decided that she wanted a Clara and Nutcracker birthday. Happy third birthday!

"Clara" waiting on her guests

Aly strikes a pose

Happy Birthday to you!

The scene towards the back of the house

Visions of ballerinas danced in her head
(this is honestly how we found her!)

Birthday Ballerina

2010-08-07T22:06:00.004-04:00

Wow! What a month! So much to write about and so many pictures to share, but today I just want to wish Sweet Caroline a happy third birthday! We got back home from our vacation in NY at 2 am this morning but heard Aly singing "Happy Birthday" to her best friend bright and early. We had a great day with our absolutely wonderful, happy, joy of a daughter today. More pictures to follow...

Checking out the mirror

New Baby Doll

Wizard of Oz dolls

Daddy's Girl

Bang of a Weekend

2010-07-06T13:19:00.002-04:00

Happy Fourth of July to everyone! We had an incredibly fun and relaxing weekend...nothing says summer like the July 4th!

A kitchen tea party

A walk in the park, collecting cicada shells

Fourth of July party with friends

A talk with Daddy

Aly rides a bike!

2010-07-05T10:00:00.002-04:00

We've been practicing all week, and I think she's almost got it!

Pillow Talk

2010-06-29T13:45:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite things about the girls sharing a room is that I get to eavesdrop. As soon as Chad and I tuck them in and leave the room at night, Caroline usually says, "A-yee, wanna talk?" They plop themselves on the sides of their bed and have conversations like only a 4- and almost 3-year-old can. The first thing that they were talking about tonight while their mama stood 15 feet away listening was about our upcoming trip to Nana and Papa's. Aly was excited to surprise them (they definitely know we're coming!) and Caroline couldn't wait to feel the airplane bump (definitely not my favorite part!) When I went back about 15 minutes later, Aly was telling Caroline about everything there is to look forward to at the dentist. I wish that I could tape these conversations to listen to years from now. Sweet, sweet, sweet.

The following pictures have nothing to do with this post, but I wanted to include them for Nana and Papa...

Baby Blue

And just one guess at what these two are doing!!

Ballerina Girls

2010-06-25T13:25:00.001-04:00

Dance for yourself. If someone understands, good. If not, then no matter. Go right on doing what you love.
-Lois Hurst-

If you know my girls (or have ever read this blog), you know that Aly and Caroline are a little obsessed...with ballet. I'm sure it's a phase, but it has been a fun one. They also like being princesses, Superman, pumpkins, waitresses, doctors, teachers and more--but they usually begin and end the day as ballerinas. Dance camp was this week and they both agreed that it was just as magical and wonderful as they had dreamed it would be. Beyond just dancing, the highlights were that they made headbands with jewels to wear and got to put on their own make-up for the performance today. Does life get any better?!

Encore!

My Boys

Caro showing Sam some moves afterward

Dancers are the athletes of God.
-Albert Einstein-

Say "Cheese" (or "Cheese-y"!)

2010-06-21T21:47:00.006-04:00

I am definitely a sucker. Even more than that, I have an absolute inability to say "no". But I would also love a family picture, which we've never had. So call it a perfect storm, but 3 weeks ago while walking into Kroger, a nice older man with 2 huge gold rings on his fingers persuaded me to pay $10 for an entire picture package. Who can say "no" to a family portrait ("portrait" may be a little bit of an exaggeration) for $10? My husband, that's who. But he played along, we all got dressed up and showed up. To Kroger. The grocery store. Chad was a little horrified, but entertained himself with his cinematography skills:

Only 2 weeks and we'll get to return (to Kroger!) and see if our $10 was well-spent...

Life in a Wardrobe

2010-06-19T15:47:00.004-04:00

The girls aren't as much into toys as they are clothes...dress-up clothes. This morning, Caroline was pretending it was winter:

This afternoon, we had a superhero-ballerina and Pumpkin-head (Caroline's favorite).

Sometimes, Chad and I just have to look at each other and ask, "Who is this girl?!"

Taking the Plunge

2010-06-18T18:56:00.003-04:00

I got a chance to video Aly jumping off the diving board. This is her favorite new thing to watch!! At this pool, you have to be a good-enough swimmer to swim unassisted to the ladder, and Caroline is not quite a strong enough swimmer; she did a great job as a cheerleader, though!

Don't Blink

2010-06-17T21:07:00.004-04:00

Something strange has happened in the past week: we've blinked, and suddenly we're surrounded by little people who are not so little anymore! They seem to be passing milestones, each at their own rate, and I can't make them stop!! Aly and Caroline have turned into little fish (well, mermaids, according to them!) They want to spend every afternoon at the pool and it's just amazing to watch them swim! And both of them love the diving board. The diving board?! When did they get old enough for that?! I'd love to get some video of them, but I don't think I'm talented enough to tread water, watch out for a sinking kid, and manipulate a camera at the same time. Poor Jack doesn't exactly love the water yet, so he spends a good majority of the time sweating in his stroller in the shade. He doesn't seem to mind, but it is enough to kill a mom whose guilt-meter is already off the charts!

On Jack's part, he is teething big time and always has half of his hand in his mouth.

I don't know if it's a boy thing or a Jack-thing, but he is quite the little eater! He is already starting to eat rice cereal. The girls didn't start until closer to six months, but he just eats a lot--too much for me to keep up with! He seemed pretty excited about the new food... though I do have to say that he is the happiest and most easy-going baby ever so I didn't expect anything less.

Caroline and Aly still dance everywhere. Our kitchen is a permanent stage with The Nutcracker playing constantly. They now refer to me as Ms. Meredith (Aly's dance teacher!) The will have the privilege of attending her dance camp next week--they are absolutely ecstatic. Pictures of the big week to come!

Next Week

2010-06-11T20:10:00.002-04:00

The girls have been really curious about death lately. Apparently that's normal with kids around Aly's age, but it has definitely made for some interesting questions and conversations lately! Obviously, Aly's comprehension is about a year and a half ahead of Caroline's, so Aly's questions probably lead to a little confusion in Caroline's world. After a conversation tonight about how great Heaven is going to be, Caroline very thoughtfully asked, "Mama, are we going to die on the cross next week?" Gosh, Sugar, I hope not!

Not much!

2010-06-06T10:53:00.005-04:00

I am tired tonight! I've had these pictures downloaded onto this post for 3 days, and every time that I sit down to write something descriptive about what we've been doing lately, my fingertips lack the words to type! So here are a few pictures and a video--mostly for the benefit of Nana and Papa! Have a good week!

Memorial Day fun with friends

Bathtime: my favorite time of day with Jack

"Welcome Summer" party

Jack started really "talking" this week, just all of a sudden! There is a lot going on in the room during this video, but the squeals are actually him!

Jack's Day

2010-05-31T09:21:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was a special day for Jack, as he was baptized! It was made even more special because his godfather, Bill, performed the ceremony. (And Jack was Bill's first baptism since graduating from seminary and being ordained last fall!) Chad's mom had bought him a beautiful gown that he wore, and then we had a little celebration lunch with family afterward. It was a great day for our sweet boy!

Our Family with Reverend Bill!

With Big D and Poppy

The Ceremony

Jack and Bill

Snapshots of our Week

2010-05-27T21:48:00.004-04:00

I guess that now that school is out, I seem to find the camera in my hand a lot more often; maybe it also has to do with finally settling into a normal routine with 3 kids! Here are just a few shots from our events over the past few days:

A visit from the cousins. Aly and Caroline totally look up to Warner and William and stood at the door all morning on Sunday waiting on them. Caroline took out her binoculars and, looking through them, yelled repeatedly, "Warner, William!!" They arrived about an hour later!

This is how I find Jack every time that he naps. He LOVES this blanket, but surely this can't be good, right?!

Our sweet, hilarious Caroline. Truly a non-stop source of entertainment. This morning, she and Aly were playing in their room when all of a sudden I heard her wailing. I ran back there and tried to translate between her hysterical sobs but all I could get was "glass slipper" and "booger". With the help of some tweezers, this is what I found crammed up her nose. Yes, babe... quite the booger you've got there.

Aly has really been working on giving up her thumb-sucking, and has gone almost a week without it. Caroline said she was ready for the Paci-fairy to come tonight, so we kissed it good-bye and left it in a treasure box.

She is quite addicted to her paci. The poor thing was awake until at least 9:15 just struggling (her bedtime is 7). I felt like we were in an episode of "Celebrity Rehab"! But, the Paci-fairy didn't disappoint and brought the girls sleeping bags for breaking their "addictions"!

I realize that the majority of this post is about Caroline...here's a video to end on:

Caroline, the Fairy Godmother. (singing "Bibbidy-Bobbidy-Boo")

Third Time's a Charmer

2010-05-24T13:58:00.002-04:00

The three kids, each around 31/2 months:

Aly

Caroline

Jack

Dog Days

2010-05-23T09:31:00.005-04:00

We are so lucky to have the job that we do here at Shorter. It's in a town we love, doing what Chad loves to do, and working for some great people. Perhaps the single biggest reason that we decided to take the job here was the athletic director whom Chad would be working under. This man is an incredibly gifted business man who also has an enormous vision for not only the athletic department but also the entire school. He's also enormously generous: for the second summer, he has offered up his beach house on beautiful Dog Island to our family to use. We just got back and had an amazing time! There is nothing on the island but a few houses, so you do all of your grocery shopping beforehand, load a water taxi, and head out for a week of seeing no one but the people you love the most: family! We had a great time relaxing, swimming, sand-castle-making, playing games, and more swimming. The weather was great, the kids were great, and we will be talking about our trip for a long time!

On the boat to the Dog

Jack's bed

Morning swim

Dock-jumping in the bay

Mama's Boy

Bathed, full, and ready for bed!

Jack "enjoying" the beach

Getting brave in the waves

Little Mermaids

Some guy time

Strawberry Fields Forever

2010-05-14T19:41:00.004-04:00

Mmm...nothing better than fresh strawberries. After about 5 minutes, Caroline said, "I finished." She was covered with strawberry juice from the mouth down, and had about 3 berries in the bucket. She knew that at the end of the visit was strawberry ice cream. That's my girl! On the other hand, the always-obsessive Aly kept comparing buckets to see who was "winning".
We had a great time and came back with plenty of strawberries to enjoy over the weekend!

Fresh-picked sweetness

Little worker

Finally...Strawberry ice cream!

Always can find a stage

Creepin' In

2010-05-10T09:42:00.004-04:00

It's coming...the signs are everywhere: we went for a walk a few mornings back and were greeted by the sweet scent of honeysuckle; we're making a list of what to look forward to at the beach next week; the swimsuits and sunscreen are easily-accessible; the crickets and cicadas are getting louder and louder; and a big star marks it on our kitchen calendar... SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!! And we can't wait! 3 more days of schedules and hurried mornings, 3 more days of tennis shoes, backpacks, and lunch boxes. I feel like the onset of summer is just as exciting and magical as a 32-year-old as it was as a kid. I think that the thing that gets me is the way summer break marks an ending to things: this is the last year of Aly in a mother's-morning-out type program just a few mornings a week...next year is 4-mornings a week pre-K! Caroline started the year just a week from turning 2 and know she communicates in full sentences and thoughts! And the baby who started the year just barely the size of a lime in my belly is 3 months old today! So to celebrate these milestones, we're going to spend the next 3 months in sandals and flip-flops, eating popsicles and ice cream, and trying to get into some kind of water everyday. We will enjoy a trip to the beach, 2 full weeks in New York, strawberry-picking, sprinkler-running, and firefly catching. Happy summer to all!

The new (and easier!) summer-do

My sweet 3-month-old

A Summer Treat

Baby Mine

Pictures for the grandparents!

2010-04-26T19:38:00.004-04:00

When Aly was a baby, I sent an email out to the grandparents every week with pictures. I didn't send as many of Caroline, but definitely kept everyone well updated. My poor parents... Now that Jack is here, I am awful at more than just sending pictures, but taking them and downloading them as well! So here are the few pictures of our sweet little guy from the past month.

4.10.10

4.20.10

4.23.10

4.26.10

We are having such a great time with him; it's amazing how quickly a family can fall in love. He is smiling, laughing, and cooing regularly now (the above picture doesn't do justice to how precious his toothy grin is!). The girls make it their goal to get him to laugh, and recently they've taken it upon themselves to "teach" him to roll over-- he gets stuck on his side! He is so laid back and sleeps well, whether in a crib, infant carrier, or on one of the girls' beds while we are meticulously picking out what to wear every morning!

The girls really have been great with him, but also do a great job sharing him; he is the main attraction at Wednesday night dinners at church as kids wait around our table for a chance to hold him! Chad has never been big on personal space, and I think that the trait has been passed down to the girls...but he loves his sisters and lights up when he hears their voices.

A little afternoon sprinkler fun

Jack Smiling :-)

Open Wide!

2010-04-08T14:19:00.003-04:00

Aly had her first visit to the dentist a couple of days ago. I'm not sure which was more exciting to her: the new toothbrush, the after-the-visit Frosty, or the fact that Daddy took her. All-in-all, a proud little girl!

Splish Splash!

2010-04-06T20:16:00.001-04:00

Who doesn't love spring?! We had a 90+ degree day here, so we went downtown to the newly-built fountains for some water fun. The girls got to try out their new bathing suits from Aunt Elizabeth, which they've been begging to wear since they got them. We had a great time!

These next couple pictures just capture the girls' personalities. Caroline loved running into the fountain and screaming AT the water, while Aly... just a little more reserved.

...and sweet Jack. Just hanging out in the stroller. He'll have his day too!

Final Four and Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T15:01:00.004-04:00

Yet again, I've let lots of time go by without putting new pictures up here! It honestly has less to do with having a newborn and has more to do with the end of basketball season...now that Chad's home, who wants to sit in front of a computer?! Speaking of basketball, each year, Chad goes to the coaches' convention which is wherever the Final Four is. This year, Jack and I went with him and had a blast. We were in the same hotel as our good friends, Bubba and Cortney, so got to spend lots of kid-free (well, except for Jack!) time together shopping, eating, and walking the streets of Indianapolis. It was such a fun atmosphere as Butler fans were swarming! Cortney is the real photographer, so I only got a couple shots and am relying on her for more! (hint, hint Cort!) Jack was such a trooper and hung with us, even as we were out until midnight each night!

One of many delicious meals out

A tired boy in the airport

Jack has finally started smiling on a regular basis...especially at his sisters!

We came home Saturday night and were greeted by two very excited little girls! When we walked into their room Sunday morning, we found Caro in Aly's bed; they both sat up and yelled, "He's alive! Happy Easter!" It's funny to think that they must've been just laying there talking about what to say! We had a wonderful day of church, brunch, an egg hunt, and just playing outside. A happy Easter, indeed!

Pre-church pose

The Kids

Ready for some CANDY!!!

Picture Update

2010-03-26T20:10:00.004-04:00

I wanted to get some pictures posted for the family to see, but I can't seem to get my thoughts together to write anything! Jack's had a few firsts in the past weeks: his first smile, his first vacation (we went to Chattanooga and Sewanee to visit some friends for two days), his first visit to the Easter bunny, and more I'm sure! He's also (knock on wood!) dropped one feeding over night! It's amazing what a difference waking up only once a night instead of twice!

Sleepy-Morning-Jack

Enjoying new-found baby toys

Our Little Man

This is how Caroline thinks that helmets should be worn!

Visit to the Easter Bunny

I have to say...I know that I'm biased but Caroline is the funniest little person I've ever met. Chad, Aly, and I sit back and watch her just being her and just get such a kick out of it! The funny thing is that she is absolutely oblivious to what she's doing--she's not trying to be cute, she just is! Several days ago, she asked me to say the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme. When I did, she started acting it out...over and over! She's been doing it everytime we go outside to play! Hilarious.

Days of our Lives

2010-03-06T14:16:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures from our past week or so. We are settling into somewhat of a routine, and although we are a little more house-bound than we were a month ago, we seem to find plenty to do.

The Trooper: all bundled-up outside while the girls play

Caroline in the swingset

The girls' new favorite game is to play Cinderella. They like us to be the mean stepmother and order them around (which comes in handy for cleaning up toys!) I've made a rule that I will only be the stepmother when Jack is in bed... I'd hate for him to think that he is growing up in a house of domestic unrest!

Jack has a habit of waking up each morning at 6am. Here's the sleepy boy in bed with Daddy.

...and because Jack's room is right next to the girls', everyone has been waking up earlier than usual!

The Warner Kids