The Photo Blog

How about a photographic update :)

This is Jack since Christmas. ANY DAY since Christmas.  But, now that I think of it, if you scroll back through these posts I'm sure you'll find him doing this same thing 2 years ago.

Renae lays down for quiet time in her room everyday.  Some days she sleeps, some days she just plays with whatever stuffed animal 'friend' she took with her.  This particular picture was taken during Sunday afternoon naps.  :)  She came out from her nap, found us all sleeping, and joined in :)

Here's what she looks like when she sleeps in her bed.  Her poor 'friends'.  I have often found her asleep on their face. HA!  So cute ;)  Also, Renae's room gets a little chilly, thus the 2 blankets, comforter, long sleeve and hoodie.  Mickey is clearly under dressed.

Jack's hair looks super, super awful after a stocking hat.  Seriously, so bad.  Here's some proof: 

He got a hair cut last weekend because it was getting out of control!  He calls it snowy owl hair. Hahaha! 

Renae's 'short' hair :)  Check out the "W" sitting in the background. (if you're confused, read the post previous to this one).

The fangs!

Here's a fuzzy all  3 1/2 teeth shot with more "W" sitting :)  And her one long clump of hair over her ear.

Here's a picture of Jack and Renae's earrings.  They think it's hilarious.  They rest them on the tops of their ears and wear them for hours.  So funny.  The 'earrings' swing around when they move just like giant hoops.

And this picture is hilarious for multiple reasons.  Noah got Pluto for Christmas.  He has called him Pluto probably 1 time.  Josh and I couldn't figure out what he was calling him for the longest time, it sounded like "Pow".  I finally got it.  When Mickey talks to Pluto he usually calls him his PAL.  "Who's my Pal, Who's my pal!?"  So cute.  Noah says, "Where's my Pow?"  "Don't see him anywhere!"  "Oh! There's my Pow!"  GIANT HUG.  Repeat.  So here's a picture of that.  Also pictured, the yogurt from lunch on his forehead that I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE until I looked at the picture.

"Oh!  There's my Pow!"

The kids were so proud of this tower.  They dumped out all the baskets of toys, put them on top of each other, and the kicker: every container has a toy in it 'sleeping'.  They would look through the handles and make sure the toy was behaving!  HAHA.  Can there ever be a fun game that doesn't involve dumping every single thing out?  After 5 years of parenting experience I'm starting to think NO.  Yes, Renae is wearing a pasta necklace.

And I'll leave you with these two January beauts:  Here are our trees :)

Even closer :)  Sigh. Love winter in GA. Spring is here!

You should probably come visit.

Resolutions?

I, personally, think resolutions are silly.  There are upsides to resolutions, that's for sure: identifying areas to grow, making a plan, planning a remarkable overhaul of personal habits, believing the best of intentions will surely happen this year...  But, I think when resolutions actually work, it's more likely that you are goal setting,   But all that's neither here nor there. I am going to blog more.  I am.  I just am.  (---resolution).  I'm realizing a need for a creative outlet, and I like to blog!  It needs to be quick, mess free, and fun, and I like to write.  I'm aiming for twice a month.  (---goal setting).  On that note :)

Since I last wrote, here are some happenings...off the top of my head.

1.  Noah can talk.  Very well.  He is learning new words left and right. So cute and so funny!   He has a bunch of favorite songs at Christmas time:  Wrosty the No-man, Jingle Bells, anything from the Veggie Tales Christmas album, and the Snowflake song from Mickey Mouse.

2.  Jordan has fangs.  Two top incisors and one lower middle tooth so far.  She looks hilarious.

3.  I have finally realized that some how I have completely morphed into someone very different than I was 10 years ago.  The foods I like...I wear PINK now...I do my hair regularly :)...I like crafts (?!!?) Ok, so it's not a vast transformation but still.  Can't even believe it.  Also, I took a spiritual gifts test and all my tops were lower-middles and my now four highest were brand new!  My outlook on life and the ways God is using me have changed for sure.

4.  I won a chili cook-off.  Yep.  Won it.  BOOM.

5.  Jordan is a "W" sitter.  Whenever she is sitting her legs make a W shape. (knees bent, feet off to the sides) Apparently, this is a physical therapist's nightmare.  So we are now following her around to help her sit correctly.  Disclaimer: this advice did come from a medical professional  :)  Jordan still gets a visit from a NICU nurse periodically to ensure she is growing just right!  And, also apparently, she IS  :) --with one large exception--"W" sitting.  Sadly, it is very cute, and very unique to her so I'm sad to see it go.  We are, however, parents of 4, so I can neither confirm nor deny that we are making any progress.

6.  Jack is completely diaper free.  Well, he has been since late September but here's the funny part.  Well, 'funny' part.  We told Jack that if he could keep his undies dry all night long, 10 nights in a row he could get a big giant cookie.  He was soooo on board with this.  Nothing like a little incentive for learning a new skill!  (----goal setting) Every morning he and his bed were dry, he'd put a sticker on the calendar to keep track.  Well, the 'funny' part was that right off the bat he made it 5 or 6 nights consistently with an oops here or there.  Then he began consistently getting 9.  I'm talking get 9 stickers on the calendar in a row then night #10...in order to get his big giant cookie...wet. FOR TWO MONTHS!  9 nights then oops.  9 nights then oops. Repeat.  Poor guy.  But, he made it!  Right before Christmas he got his big giant cookie :)  And honestly, I don't think he's had an accident since.  

7.  Both Renae and I got a hair cut.  Mine=really short.  Renae's=6 inches off, a few inches below her shoulders.  She is proud of her 'short' hair!  HA!  And, I get home and Josh asks me when I'm going to grow my hair out again. C'mon man!

8.  Renae learned to read.  She's still a little timid, but she likes to figure out what everything says.  She's pretty good!

9.  Josh and I are on day 19 of a 21-day No Junk Food Challenge.  WOOP!  It was good Christmas detox, and now we are set up to make healthier choices until the holiday season rolls around again! (---resolution)

10.  There is a lot of laughing in our house.  Like the time Josh hit Noah in the face with a ball, or the time I stubbed my toe on the kitchen table and my foot made a "red lake", and then the time three days later that I did THE EXACT SAME THING...!!, or when Renae is practicing her reading and butchers a bunch of words and I can't hold it in, or when the kids are playing and the most common repeated phrase is "You suuure have your hands full!" (because it is impossible for me to take the kids anywhere and not have someone say that to me), or the time when Josh fell asleep playing with the kids on the floor in the most flattering way possible--so so funny!  Or then the time we told Noah (fresh out of the bath) to go find something (probably his blankie) and come right back only to find out his rear end had recently #2'd.  Middle of the living room floor (that was on Christmas).  Basically what I'm saying is that our house in a wreck...I mean just flat chaos...and thankfully we more often than not end up laughing really really hard!  Just last night we made a "people stack" after our bedtime story.  Noah had to climb all the way to the top and let's just say it took many tries, and the falls would have won AFV  :)  So funny!

So here's to twice a month (or more!)  :)