Birthday Dread

Shepherd asked yesterday how old I was going to be on my next birthday....

Why did he have to ask THIS year? WHY? So I told him I was going to be... 30...

Then he asked what kind of birthday I would have. I asked what should I have?

Spencer answer and said a Star Wars Angry Birds Party...

Guess it is settled...maybe that will help with turning 30...probably not..but maybe...

18 Months

This past Sunday, Sophie turned 18 months old. I can't believe my spunky little girl is 1 1/2 years old. Time is flying by, but I am so glad she is a snuggler! I am not ready to have babies who do not want to snuggle all the time.

SOPHIE LYNN

31 1/2 inches tall

-mama's girl

-loves to be rocked

-loves to read books..Her favorite is Go Dog Go, Llama Llama, and the Not My Books.

-very persistent- if you do not do what she wants, when she wants, she get HIGHLY upset...

-very sensitive---all things GIRL!

does everything her brothers do

-DRAMA! One night when I went and checked on her before I went to bed, she had her hand on her 

forehead...drama girl even when she sleeps! 

(mama loves it)

-has very curly hair! 

-loves her brothers. If they are asleep when she is awake, she calls them and searches for them

-plays very well by herself

loves to play in the dirt

Loves her lovie!

trying to get away

-loves to play in the dirt and sand box

-loves to pretend to have tea parties

-loves to sit on little steps and chairs

-has started to walk backwards and thinks it is SO funny

-loves to tackle and hit her brothers

-loves to take toys and RUNS from her brothers

-loves to run everywhere and be outside!

This captures her personality perfectly!

-can say Mama- started last week saying mommy (PRECIOUS!), bubba, dada, hey, bye bye, book, bath, Here it is, I don't know, lovie, night night, moon, hop hop (her bunny that she sleeps with), minnie,  66 (books in the bible) and I know there are more... I may add as I think more today

-Loves to run and give her Daddy a big hug!

-loves to hold hands and bring you to where she wants you

-loves to help cook, dust, unload the dishwasher

-gives kisses to everyone

loves sweets like her mama

-is very friendly and waves her little hand to say hey to everyone

-not very interested in learning, but understand everything I say!

What's going on in that sweet head 

Bird Week

Shep and Spence have really gotten into playing the ipad and now LOVE the Angry Bird app. It amazes me how GOOD they are at it. Even at 3 years old, I have had to limit their screen time. Since they love ANGRY birds, I have incorporated that in our school time. I found free printables to use and we have had fun learning about birds. To start our week off, we made bird feeders this weekend. All the kids have loved watching all the birds come and eat off of them.

Sophie loves looking for the birds!

I made pigs and painted a red ball for us to hit the pigs down. This was a HUGE hit!!
Also, I practiced letter sounds one-on-one with each boy. I pointed to a green pig and asked Spencer
"What is this?"
"Pig"
"What sound do you hear at the beginning of pig?"
"Oink Oink"
LOVE IT! I used to ask what sound animals make, now we are working on what sound the WORD and LETTERS make. Transitioning into big boy questions... My sweet heart!
(after we giggled and I repeated the question, he could tell me that PIG starts with the "P" sound)









We went on a nature walk and went bird watching...and flower picking...and puddle jumping...and hand holding! :)


















Last week we studied being helpers and servants during bible time. The boys began having a couple of set chores around the house. They have loved being able to help unload the dishwasher. What big boys they are!

Just a sweet picture of my precious girl who is a little mommy! Her talking has really taken off! She is now saying short sentences.

Happy 3rd Birthday!!!

We had a fun small construction birthday party. All of us have been sick on and off for a few weeks, so we had an outside party. Sophie was very sick during this time, so she was quarantined to the house. The boys love all things truck, so picking this birthday theme was easy!

If I ever have to make a cake, a digger cake is the easiest one to make! :) Make it and dig it up! HA!

Building and using the wrecking ball with our friend Brooks!

Very exited about his Team Umizoomi video.

Papa and Nana gave them BIKES!

Shep loves to ride his bike!

STICKERS!

All the friends got hard hats when they entered the "Party Zone"

Daddy built them a sand box for their birthday. The love it! No more digging in mommy's flowers beds!

It was big enough for all their friends!

Love me handsome boy!

Daddy got in the construction spirit!

It was such a fun day!

Birthday high fives!

These 2 are so lucky to have each other! 

Updates:

Shepherd

34 1/2 pounds

-loves to play all the time

-is always busy doing something (has a hard time being still)

-LOVES learning and wants to be doing school or building puzzles, or playing games. I am always trying to find another way to challenge him

-would sit and play a game over and over again and over and over and over...

-Loves his brown blanket and takes it all around the house

- Talks all the time (very loudly I might add)

-has a great number sense (can do simple adding and subtracting)

-knows all his sounds and letter recognition

-loves to have you read books to him. 

-loves to swing, and has climbed up in the swing by himself in our garage

-got an ipad mini and loves to play angry birds (called it grumpy birds at first) HA!

-has amazing driving skills! When he drives his tractor, he can park, reverse, and maneuver it like nothing I have ever seen! Hoping he will be a good driver at 16!!

-loves building tracks for his trains

-loves to drink orange juice

-loves most fruit..hates grapes! (I thought all kids loved grapes..not my boys!)

-potty trained! Most of the time at naps and night too!

-still a mommas boy..(hopefully forever!)

Spencer

31 pounds

-loves all things super heroes! He loves to dress up like them..favorite is Batman and Superman

-has to have all 4 of his blue lovies when he sleeps

-loves to watch tv and takes it very seriously. (since he does, things on tv can scare him easily) 

- loves to play catch (make sure you are on guard when he has a ball)

-he loves spiders...or just finding spider webs!

-his 2 favorite books are Do Hippos Live in Houses? and Just for You

-loves playing trains and trucks...he lets Shep build the track and he pushes the train

-loves building tunnels and towers with his blocks

-wants to only drink milk

-still hates all fruit and most veggies

-does not like to do any activity for too long...wants to be on the go

-potty trained! Woohoo

-We call him "Mini Matt"

-gets so frustrated if he feels like you are not listening to him

-loves fire fighters and his favorite app his killing fire monsters :)

Our prayers were answered with the arrival of 2 healthy baby boys January 11, 2010! They truly have added so much joy into our lives. I can't wait to see what God has in stored for these two! 

What a great end to 2012

Merry Christmas

We had a fantastic Christmas with our family and friends. I told myself I am going to do better at blogging this year, but it is already January 6 and still no Christmas update...

Before we get to the many pictures, here are a few special sayings and memories from my kiddos..

-As we were driving past Dean Road Elementary, where I used to teach. I told the kids that I used to teach little kids there. It was quiet for a moment, then Shepherd spoke up and said, "Please don't go to school mommy. I would miss you and I would cry." Talk about tearing up! I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with my sweeties! He has said it a few more times and I remind him that I am staying home with him.

-Shepherd and Spener both tell Matt "I miss you when you leave and go to work Daddy". They love their Daddy!

-At the table, Sophie loves to get Spencer going. She will scream at him and wait for him to scream back. Then she giggles and they do it back and forth. What a blessing they are to one another!


More elf Fun:

 Peter Pan left magic beans to be planted. The next morning chocolate chips and candy canes had grown!

Peter Pan is so silly!

The boys made Christmas cookies and cards for our mail lady and UPS man. 

COUSINS!

 Christmas at Nana and Papa's

Very into the gifts this year!

LOVED his trains!

Loved his batman car!

The boys didn't mind "helping" Sophie open her gifts.

I absolutely LOVED watching my little girl opening her presents this year. She has become SO girly! (I love how Batman is in the background)

LOVED his umbrella!

LOVE these 3!

Sophie was very into Christmas this year. She loved finding Santa everywhere. She would say "HO HO HO". SO cute. She still does this, everytime she sees a man with a beard.

Waiting on Santa

Was so excited that Santa brought back their tractor that they had found in the garage earlier that week....

Are all about some firetrucks!

"These are to see far away"

Sophie wasn't sure what to think at first, but quickly got so excited about her new toys!

What Christmas morning isn't complete without a little candy!?

The boys LOVED getting games  and puzzles this year! 

Christmas with Mee Mee

Sophie loved spending time with Ryker in Houston.
These 2 became big buds while we were out there!

Zoo with Dee Dee!