long overdue...

Over Labor Day weekend we headed to Knoxville for a visit...some of our friends adopted a precious little girl and we celebrated them with a taligating/shower on Saturday. That is the way to do it...all of the fun of tailgating before a big game and celebrating a little one...so much fun! It was great to see some of our friends that we haven't seen in years and Charlie was able to go to the game. Which may have been the highlight for him...he hasn't been able to go to a game in a while so he was like a little kid on Christmas morning...We stayed at my dear friend Megan's house. Her girls McKenna and Marinn were so much fun. Seriously...so cute. Meg and I were even able to sit down and catch up b/c the kids entertained each other. Mac was in heaven...we were all sad to leave. Meg thanks so much for having us--we can't wait until we see you all again!!!

*don't you just love the pic of the kids laying in bed!! Meg was reading them a bedtime story and Mac couldn't be more excited. We all thought it was so cute...well, it may have made Jared a little nervous:)

another summer ends.....

I just realized it has been WAY too long since my last post. I have no idea where the time has gone...i mean..did we really even have a summer?!? To recap as much as I can...we have had a great couple months. Most of our time was spent at the pool and outside, if the weather would cooperate. Mac turned into a little fish this summer. He took his first swim lessons, learned to jump in w/out a floatie, hold his breath under water, swim under water, put on his goggles and dive for items, and even learned how to do a "flip" with Grandpa Chippy. It is crazy how much he learned in just a few short months. Maybe next year I will be that mom that gets to sit on the side of the pool and read a book. well...maybe not.

Other than turning into a water rat...Mac also decided to tackle potty training a couple weeks ago. I had tried to get him interested during the middle of the summer but for some reason that stubborn little personality of his decided it wasn't time. All of a sudden a few weeks ago he just up and decided he wanted to put on his big boy underwear and give it a try. He is done really well...considering. Of course he has the occasional accident..usually when I am on the phone for work. Nothing like being on a phone call with a patient and then Mac takes a poopy on the bathroom floor and I just spit out "oh--mac try to get to the potty...we dont go shooey on the floor" and then remember that I am on the phone when I hear the other person say" ummm...excuse me??" Oh..the joys...I could write about book just about the past couple weeks!

These pics are of Mac hosing himself off after eating dinner. He wanted to go outside and play so Charlie took him outside to let him get the rest of his energy out (and let me tell you he has more than i could ever imagine)....of course the "hose down" wasn't planned but he basically face-planted into one of Malleys landmines and needless to say that was the best solution. He has been so much fun this summer and I hate to see the days of summer end. Thanks for hanging on with me through this post...I really needed to catch up!!

hmmm....where to start?!?

It has been a while since I last posted....everything electronical in my posession has crashed in the past month:)

We had a great visit from Mary Mac and her crew!! The boys played so well together and we had so much fun!! Mary Laslie and her girls visited also...what a treat. Unfortunately, Ebee broke her arm/wrist during Mary Mac's visit...but she ended up having plenty of help. We all enjoyed tons of time at the pool, good food and great family time. We sure do miss our Alabama and Texas family!

breakfast buddies....

I know--I have been slacking on the posts lately...this one is for you lindz (sorry there are only a few pics:)

Let's start this by saying that my sweet little boy is a creature of habit. He eats the same thing for b-fast every morning...at the same time...says the same blessing before he eats..you get the picture. Some may say it is a little OCD--i like to think he is just comfortable with the routine:) However he threw a little change up this morning. Right after he got out of bed he took "meerkat" and "doggie" (creative names huh?) and sat them on the kitchen table. I asked him what he was doing and he said they asked if they could watch him eat. Don't you just love two-year old imagination?!? He was so cute having his b-fast with his best buds this morning I just had to catch a few pictures. 

Mac continues to keep us on our toes. His personality is really starting to show (and so is the attitude!) He really is so funny and there are several times that I just find myself giggling over something he has said. He is such a sweetheart too. We have realized he is very sensitive to other kids. Anytime there is a kid or baby crying he goes up to them and tells them "it's ok..mommy will be back". At school he is know as the "little charmer"...he hugs everybody. Literally, some days we will leave and he will go and hug every teacher that he sees standing in the hall. Can you tell that I am a little biased to how cute I think he is?!?



 

finally...

After a long week of updating we have finally been able to get back in our house. Charlie and I decided that is was time to update all the things in our house that we had been talking about for years (literally:) so last week we knocked it out. Mind you...it didn't happen exactly the way that I planned. I mean....in my head I was thinking "ok i can handle this, Mac and I can stay here...just b/c they are working in one room doesn't mean we can't have the rest of the house". Um..no. In a house our size, once you take stuff out of one room-all that stuff has to go somewhere else. Somewhere between my kitchen being moved to my living room, my oven sitting on the front porch, and my toilet hanging out in the bathtub-Charlie and I decided we better make a move. C's parents so graciously let us move into their house with all of our stuff. Thank goodness we had somewhere to go. Mac had a blast being there and I actually got out of having to fix Mac breakfast for a whole week:)Thanks Ebee.

Honestly, the hardest part was going back and forth--constantly. I was always coming back for food, clothes, work and then coming back at night to try and clean and get the house put back to together. C was great and was always trying to reduce my stress level...we all know that sometimes I get worked up and have to be talked down off the ledge:) We are so excited that everything is done and we feel like we are in a new house. I have included some before and after pics for you to see. We still need to put in our new countertop (if you can imagine it w/a black one) and fix several small things, but we will fill like the big items are done. Mac still asks where Mr. Ray is (our fix-it guy) and whenever he walks into the kitchen he says "oooo-it looks new."

On another note, Mac is doing great. Talks all the time-seriously. He is always wanting to help with whatever we are doing and sometimes it is actually helpful! (He filled up all my flower pots with potting soil yesterday). He is getting so big and continues to make Charlie and I laugh-quite a personality. I just had to add a pic of Mac in here too!

*on a side note--after looking at the old bathtub pics you are probably wondering how could I bathe my child in that...I promise I scrubbed it all the time...it didn't matter:)

an update.....

Well...finally I am getting a chance to sit down and give an update! The past few weeks have been crazy....nothing super serious..just life! Charlie and I have both been swamped with work and we have been battling some sickness around here. Mac has been sick for about two weeks now...it started with a really bad cough/cold and then turned into a high fever which turned into a ear infection, which quoted from the doc "whew, that is nasty!" Poor little guy-he has been all out of sorts lately. He has missed about 2 full weeks of school and really hasn't eaten that much in that time either. Surprising, I know...he barely touches food these days. Hoping it is from him not feeling well and not that he has turned into a picky eater! I got hit with that nasty stomach bug this week and it pretty much threw me out of commission until yesterday. All that to say--I am hopeful that we are all on the mend over here. 

Mac is still up to all of his old tricks and some new ones. Charlie and I usually just find ourselves laughing or looking at each other like "did he really just say that?" He is still so sweet and often asks me now to "snuggle with you?"...which just about melts me. As you know--he has never been one to sit still long enough to snuggle (about the only perk of him being sick).  He is all about the library and checking out books. He loves, loves, loves to read. I love it too b/c we can actually sit together for a while and interact. He is catching on to so many things now and I am loving the imagination that comes along with it. 


A few Mac moments:


*We were driving home the other night and there was a gorgeous full moon out and Mac said to Charlie "daddy- we need to get a big ladder to get that moon from the sky"

* King of negotiating these days (at the science center) "mommy- we see goats and then dinosaurs and then we will play-okay?"

*Everything is "in a few minutes okay?"

*He is not a fan of the cow at chick fi la--we were there for his buddy Eli's b-day last week and he wanted nothing to do with him. When I was putting him down for bed he sat up and said "That big cow is not allowed in the park(play area) right? 
(me) "No, Mac the cow is too big to get in and play". 
(mac) " Yeah-the big cow just get in his car and go bye-bye"


* Hooray is "hor-yay" and high five is "fy-five"


Not a dull moment around here....

quote of the day....

We were at the library this morning for storytime..which has become one of Mac's favorite things to do. Anyways, I was trying to get him to check out his books and follow me outside. He started playing with the metal bars that you lock bicycles to outside and I was kind of starting to lose my patience. I told him that it was time to go and that was his last warning. He looked up at me and started smiling. (this is one of his newest tricks).  I started walking toward him and as soon as I reached him he said "you are driving me crazy"! I about fell out there on the sidewalk...it was so funny. I was completely called out by a two year old....I guess I say that more often than I think!!!