Garden

I've always wanted a garden.  In our last house, we had no back yard (I mean, it was a deck :)) and the deck wasn't big enough to let Libby play on at 1 and have a deck garden.  Libby has been begging for the past 2 years to plant roses or any flowers she sees and calls a "rose".  This year I decided to give in only I wanted to up the experience a tad and instead of focusing on flowers, focus on foods our family would eat.  It would, if it took, be healthier for us and cheaper - WIN WIN!  So over the course of the last few weeks, I have been growing seedlings of tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, carrots, cucumbers, watermelons, pumpkins, apple trees, roses, gerber daisies, peas, etc (I've lost count) in our dining room.  I've had the kiddos involved in planting the seeds and watering them and explaining how good this is for us and the earth.  They get so excited about watching them grow:
After the seedlings became pretty large and I figured out my dining room is the best green house EVER, I had to decide what to do with them next.  So we bought some edging "stone" that was cheap (again, not sure if this will last nor take) and made a garden bed.  Then we started transplanting the plants.  Most are taking off like champs!  I can't wait to see what happens soon!  We don't have the potatoes & strawberries in the garden.  They are in special bags...but everything besides them and our "miniature banana tree" are now out there.  So excited - grow babies grow!

Potatoes

"Greenhouse" aka Dining Room

GARDEN with about 1/4 of the plants

Life

you know - i have had this blog and regular updating the life of my kiddos since we became pregnant with Libby.  I have done a horrible job over the past year updating the blog because...well...if I am going to make excuses (which I don't want to), it's life.  And, honestly, I am just enjoying it or at the very least living in the moment.  I do need to find a balance because my kids and myself really enjoy looking back at old posts.  I'm going to try to do a better job (yeah, yeah - I have said that before).  But here is a quick and dirty recap of what's been happening.

Libby

Toothless - Ok, she isn't really *toothless* but the tooth fairy does seem to make regular stops at our house nowadays.  She's lost her bottom two teeth first and now the top two are gone.  Her permanent teeth are coming in pretty quickly on the bottoms but the tops were just lost so she has the adorable space that causes a lisp at times.  I just absolutely love hearing her talk and watching her smile right now.

School - It's amazing that she's almost completed her first year (Kindergarten) of school!  Will all of the other years go this quickly?  Gosh I hope not but I fear they will.

Sports - We've done swimming for awhile and I am just waiting for the green light to have her signed up for swim team...but a few weeks ago she started soccer.  I am beyond proud of how well she is doing.  She went from being afraid to being confident and wanting to go after the ball.  She takes after her momma and wants to play defense.  I still think it's because she doesn't want to run as much as a forward has to...but for now I will choose to just think she likes defense ;)

Personality - Sweetest. Kid. Ever.  That's all I ever hear and I 100% agree.  She's kind to EVERYONE and makes friends where ever she goes.  Has at least 3 boyfriends in her class alone (yikes!) and a good circle of friends.

TJ

"School" - TJ is in preschool and has his ups and downs.  He's definitely going to be my wild child as he really is his own person and does what he wants, when he wants it and how he wants it.  That's awesome but not good when trying to follow routines and rules of a school.  He seems to do awesome for a few weeks and then regresses but his teachers are so amazing and patient.  And they work / talk with us so much that it really helps make it less confusing for the boy-o.  A++

Potty Training - Holy crow will this EVER end? :)  Yeah, yeah...I think it's people that haven't potty trained in awhile or have never potty trained that say things like that "well, they won't wear diapers in college so just give it time".  Seriously one of the most frustrating things ever.  It is not up to you and you cannot control the situation at all.  They just have to learn on their own and sometimes it takes a long time.  With Libby it didn't take super duper long (except for the BMs) but with TJ we've been doing this for a year!  A YEAR!  He's really starting to take to it now though - the last few months have been AMAZING so I think (JINX!) we are on a downward spiral to have this journey end.  He even has been saying no to a pull up during nap time / bedtime and that he isn't a baby and wants to be a big boy.  This from the boy that a few weeks ago was begging for a "diaper" and that he wanted to stay a baby.  The fact he can communicate this so well shows how ready he is to move onto the next phase ;)  Sorry buddy but I'm glad you are coming around!

Chatterbox / Story Teller - I remember with Libby all of a sudden the verbal skills tripled in what seemed overnight...well, that has occurred with TJ which I think is helping with Potty Training.  His favorite thing to do is to tell stories and I have to admit they are awesome.  If he would let me, I would love to record some of them (even if they are just audio) because they are really adorable and funny.  Sadly the best stories seem to come during bed time when he is avoiding the sand man. 

Personality - Snuggly.  Talkative.  Brut.  I don't know what else to say ;)

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Ok, so I will do a better job going forward and doing this - at least once a week.  Really.  I think ;)

First Snow of 2013

We had some fun in the first snow a few weeks back.  This was TJ's first time to really get to get out and play in it.

family pictures

I LOOOOVE taking pictures as you know.  I HATE being in any of them.  I am not photogenic.  I always do not like how I look.  

BUT!  Due to some recent events I realized that 1) we have never taken a family picture - not even with Libby.  and 2) Life is SHORT!  I don't want my kids to have all of these pictures of them growing up and having their daddy in there but mommy is never in there with them either.

So, we had a wonderful photographer, Lisa, take some family pictures of us in April (yes, I am waaaay behind).  They were wonderful and everything I could have hoped for.  Here are some of my favorites for you to enjoy with the rest on our flickr site.

Graduation

My "baby" starts Kindergarten in the fall.  Actually in almost a month.  Holy Cow!!!  Well, that means she graduates from her current "school".  This school is so amazing they did a graduation ... outside...with caps and gowns...and a party afterwards.  I am amazed but not surprised.  You can tell they love their kids.  And yes, I may have shed a tear or two.  I mean - how could you not?!  She is a-freaking-dorable!

Swimming Lessons

We have started swimming lessons back up for the kiddos.  That's right - BOTH kids.  We're opting for private lessons this time and boy are they paying off for Libby.  She is really excelling!  These kids truly are sponges!

Prom

Yup - I said that right - Prom.  Libby's school/daycare is SO AWESOME that they host a prom for the two oldest classrooms each spring.  This year's was animal print themed so we luckily picked up an adorable dress at WDW this year.  Jim wasn't able to go so his Dad took over and did an awesome job.  Love those guys! 

Libby's class also performed a dance...it was so fun!  And it was similar to a "real" prom cause someone got sick, got a black eye, and there were fights...yup - totally a prom!

Hair Cuts

Last year I started to cut Jim, TJ and Libby's hair myself to save money.  I am still doing it and today was "cut everyone's hair day!".  Everyone except for TJ did awesome...he is not a fan of getting buzzed :)

TJ Before:

TJ After:
 

Libby after (forgot the before!):

Swimming Lessons

We have started swimming lessons again for Libby.  I have never seen her so excited/happy to be there!  Here is to hoping that she starts swimming more on her own so she can move up to the next class.  She did really, really awesome the first lesson.  I just have to figure out how to make her not so afraid!

Stylin'

Picnic

Little Suckers

My kiddos LOVE suckers!

Besties

I am so lucky that these two are so close right now.  Sadly, I know it won't last forever but for now I am really enjoying it!!

Princess Libby

My kid's daycare/school is AMAZING.  This past week they celebrated their 25th birthday and spent the entire week doing different themes.  I think my girlie's favorite was the "Pirate/Princess Day".  She's so cute (not that I am biased).

Laces!!

Libby's feet are big for her age.  She hates shoe laces.  You can see the trouble.  The past year I have been begging her to get shoes with laces and trying to explain how much better it would be.  She finally gave in yesterday and we got her first pair of shoes with laces.  So excited!!!  Oh and she also thought she could already tie shoes because, and I quote, "I learned how by watching Blues Clues".  Oh boy.  I cannot wait till she is 16 and thinks she can drive a car because she watches us or someone else do it.  Yikes.  Volunteers to teach her? :)

Photographer??

Like I said in an earlier post, I like to daydream about what Libby will be when she gets older.  I recently gave her my old camera and she loved, loved using it.  I'm not sure she really understands how to use it yet though ;)

Story Time

We love books in my house.  LOVE them.  The kids will ask us to read them all of the time.  I hope they never grow out of that.

Buddies

So my kids are become friends.  I don't know how it happened but over the past week I noticed that TJ was following Libby around like a puppy and Libby was including him in almost everything.  TJ in return would ask Libby to do things with him.  It melted my heart to see them help each other and hold hands VOLUNTARILY!!!  I won't say they do this all of the time of course - they are kids and siblings.  But, I will say the first thing TJ does when he wakes up (after giving me a hug and a kiss) is ask where Libby is.  I am just truly blessed and am happy for however long this phase lasts!

Teacher? Journalist?

Sometimes I wonder what Libby will be when she grows up.  She says she wants to be a teacher.  I can totally see her doing that.  Her nature and patience with helping people just oozes teacher skills.  However, there might be another avenue she would enjoy.  Lately she has grabbed a notebook or piece of paper anytime she can and writes stories.  Now, the stories look like Charlie Brown wrote them but they are still so incredibly special to me.  She's even starting to use her laptop to write stories.  They are just a bunch of random letters and she will occasionally ask for assistance in writing actual words.  So maybe she will be a journalist?  Or who knows!!  The sky is the limit :)

Dance Party

We do a LOT of dance parties in our house.  I decided it was time to bring out the camera to capture these two yahoos dancing around.  We know how to party!