First day of school pics, finally

So, I know this is late, but I just wouldn't be a good mom if I didn't post about Kalen's first day of school (we finally put the pictures on the computer). He did soooo well!! I was so impressed with how excited he was, and more than anything I was super surprised--NO TEARS AT ALL!!

This is one in front of school--first day!

And here he is, starting the day--the girl behind him doesn't seem as happy...

Brady wasn't as happy--the entire three hours he kept talking about "Bubba" (that's what he calls Kalen, and we think it came from him trying to say "Brother"). The saddest thing was on the way home he looked at Kalen's booster and said (slowly because he's just starting to form words), "Bubba's seat...I miss bubbaaaaa." It was adorable.

Truly Southern

So, as often happens in my household, we were watching the food network. This time some show was talking about the "Southern Tradition" of eating Fried Chicken with Waffles. I told Brian I grew up in the south and never heard of that, but he assured me it was a very southern thing to do.

Thus, to help me enrich my true 'southern' intellect, we had fried chicken and waffles for dinner. Crazy, huh? Has anyone ever had it before, because if you have NOT, then I highly recommend it--really! We fried the chicken tenders and put them right on top of the waffles, then poured syrup over it all and it was really good! Needless to say, I was impressed--but I always am with Brian's cooking. :-)

Try it out and let me know what you think.

P.S--I did the "plating" and photography all by myself--Brian says I'm getting pretty good at plating. I should have ripped that extra corner of that waffle off though...

Three of a kind (not my boys this time)

I was recently able to see and spend time with some of the most important people to me (of which I don't get to see much of). And here's a little tribute to us...it means so much to me that we're still so close.

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born- Anais Nin

The most beautiful discovery that true friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart -Elizabeth Foley

I don't remember how we happened to meet each other. I don't remember who got along with whom first. All I can remember is all of us together...always- Anonymous

End of 2001

(all of the following pictures were taken very recently)

I married my Brian in 2003

Megan married her Ollie in 2004
And Laura married her Scott in 2007

And then came the kids:

My Kalen

Megan's Evan (sorry it's a smaller pic, but I borrowed it from meg's site)

My Brady

Megan's Ryan

My Trace

Laura's Will

And Laura's Lizzy

And here we are--together again two weeks ago.

disclaimer: no make-up was used in the making of this photo

I love these girls.

Hide and Seek

Lately, Hide-and-Seek has been the game of choice for my oldest two. And sometimes, it really does take me a while to find them. Last week I was playing with them and was very impressed with their choices to hide, Brady's in particular, so I took some pictures.

Could you have guessed Kalen was in there?

Here he is!!

And Brady picked this spot all by himself :-) Isn't he cute!

The Man in Charge

I like putting pictures on my blog, and this doesn't have to do with the following story, but it's cute, nonetheless. My boys--brothers forever!

This week has been really rough for us...I was the sickest I think I've ever been in my life, going to the ER twice--once with a real swine flu scare (it was detected at my workplace)--but I didn't have it, and another time with my first major adult ear infection...and it was awful!!

One particular morning it was really bad and I couldn't move; the boys were playing so well (they were so good the entire time, I have just great boys, I really do), but I was so worried because I couldn't keep chasing Trace around the house to watch him at all times like I normally do. The boys were in the playroom so I called Kalen over. He knew I was sick, and I asked him if he could be the biggest brother ever, and keep a close eye on Trace and help me watch him, since I couldn't see him always. Kalen agreed, then I heard him a minute later announcing to Brady and Trace that mommy as sick, so he's in charge now. Since Brady didn't complain, I let it go.

About half an hour later I was talking to my dad on the phone and I saw Brady stomping by me with a pout on his face, followed by Kalen. I said, "Why's Brady so mad?" as I watched him go to his bedroom. Kalen said, "I sent Brady to his room because he hit Trace." I was dumbfounded... Brady actually went. What's even better is that when Brady wondered out of the room, as he so often does after a minute or two, Kalen said, "Okay Brady, you need to stay in your room until I come in there to talk to you." A minute later, he was 'talking' to Brady saying, "Brady, Why did you have to go to your room? What could you have done better?"

It sounded so familiar... :-)

Guess who's standing?

Trace is!! All by himself, without holding on to anything!! Even long enough for me to snap a few pictures of it! And he's so proud of himself, but who wouldn't be with two older brothers and a momma yelling "yay!!" and clapping for him. He's so cute!

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He turns 9 months old tomorrow~so big!

Growing boys-fun fun fun!

I was talking to my friend Megan the other day--just our usual bi-weekly/tri-weekly update about family, kids, etc., and had a realization sort of, maybe a re-realization of just how amazing my boys are individually. Each one is so different in so many ways, and each one is growing so fast. Even at their young ages, it's amazing how I can tell what kind of men they are going to be. Kalen is so smart--book smart. He hears things and immediately it's put to memory. He's a thinker and loves having deep conversations. Brady is mechanically inclined. He has always been able to scale the tallest thing in the house (like since he was 7 months old), but more and more each day I'm realizing how he knows processes and understands how things work...and picks up on functions so well. Then there's Trace, the peacemaker in the family. He's quiet, always smiling and watching his brothers--and now that he's a crawling machine, he's started exploring and following his older brothers everywhere. He doesn't mind being toted around by his arms with Kalen, and he's starting to even deal with Brady's smothering pretty well. He rolls off the couch, cuddle bag, and anything else with ease, hardly ever a fuss. He's just content being with others and brings joy to those around him.

I just wanted to post some updated pictures I took tonight in the tub (Brian thinks I'm silly for taking so many pics of them in the tub, but it's just so cute!):

Also, I've been reading my friend's blogs, about how much fun they had on the fourth and I wanted to share some "borrowed" pictures from Destiny's blog. Also, if you have a moment, she and her hubby put together a video of our water sliding that day (put to music), and it's awesome...some of you may recognize others in the video, so feel free to click on Destiny and Tyler's link from my page and watch it--it's really fun (hope you don't mind Des). One of the first clips is of the kids all going down together, and yes, that is Brady in front, getting twisted around and going down on his back, head first. The boys just loved it!!