Poolside Fun

This past week we got out the baby swimming pool so Max could break out his cute swimsuit and have some fun with Sissy!  Both of the kids absolutely love the water (which I always say is a good thing since we live on the lake!) and had a blast!

A Month of Milestones!!! (Max is 8 months old)

HOORAY!!!  I'm 8 months old! (I'm well aware that this is not a good quality picture, but it's so telling of what's going on right now!  And that is CHAOS!!!)

This truly has been a month of milestones for little Max!  I knew a lot of these accomplishments were coming, but I really didn't think they were all coming at once (and so soon).  As you can see from 4 of these pictures, they were all taken in the same day, so when I say "all at once" I really mean it!  Bailey was a late bloomer as far as crawling and walking were concerned.  As a baby, she was content to just sit in her room and play with toys and books,  But not this little guy!  He is EVERYWHERE!!! 

 At 8 months, he weighs 15 pounds, 15 ounces (10th percentile).  Yes, this is my baby who started out in the 75th percentile, but my nemesis (acid reflux) has had its way with him.  But being little has not held him back one bit!  He did have a month or so when his reflux improved a lot, but now that he's teething, it has flared up again. 

Max has really been busy lately...he grew not one, but TWO teeth!

He started crawling (and is already EVERYWHERE and into EVERYTHING!!!)

(case in point...)

He's also learned how to pull up on things (his current favorites include anything dangerous or unstable!  i.e. the fireplace, the toilet, toy boxes that easily tip over, etc.)

He has also started eating finger foods (bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, etc) which he LOVES!  But I don't particularly love cleaning up after him!

And since he's not satisfied with regular crawling, he's moved on to the man-cub crawl!

We've also tried to experiment with a little hair product!  Needless to say, mom needs some styling lessons!

Max also learned his first word, Dada!  And it just melts our hearts!

Wanted: Outstanding Teachers

I've had some requests for pictures of the Teacher Appreciation Week at Bailey's MDO and Preschool. I helped with the planning of the week and it turned out SOOOOOO cute! There are some really crafty mamas in the group and what they came up with was awesome! Can I just say that I LOVE this little school! Bailey has attended MDO since she was one, and every single year she has had amazing teachers that have loved on her just like their own children. I'm kind of sad that next year will be her last year there in 4 year old preschool, but I know she'll be in great hands. For those of you who don't know, I'll be starting working there this summer in the 3 year old class and I can't wait!

Here are some pics of the decorations. Wish I had taken more. There were lots more cute things!

Parents brought breakfast every morning for the teachers and every day they had a gift waiting on them in their room. (Monday- "Happy Trails" trail mix in a mason jar; Tuesday- potted Gerber Daisies and vanilla brown sugar bath scrub; Wednesday- gift certificate to a local BBQ restaurant; Thursday- CASH!!!)

Each day, an activity was also planned and parents volunteered to watch the classes while the teachers had a break. (Monday- teachers got to visit the General Store and "purchase" snacks and sweets with their gold coins they got that morning; Tuesday- 10 minute back and neck massage from local massage school; Wednesday- catered BBQ lunch; Thursday- CASH!!!)

There were also some AWESOME gift baskets donated by parents and local businesses. I'm talking $100 Target gift card, a Keurig (did I spell that right??? I don't drink coffee), a watch, etc...

Can you see why I'm excited about starting work there???

The last day was a hoe-down that Max and I came to help with. Miraculously, he slept through most of the blaring country music! It was just a fun day for the teachers and kids to come to the gym and dance, ride stick horses, eat ice cream, and go crazy!

We're off to see the Wizard!!! Bailey's 4th Birthday Party

We're off to see the Wizard... the wonderful Wizard of Oz!!!

Bailey is sooooo into the Wizard of Oz right now! She was Dorothy for Halloween and wanted to have a Dorothy party for her birthday too. It was a theme I actually liked, so we went full force into Oz! Unfortunately I was too busy to take pictures, but my sweet photographer friend Lindsey stepped in and snapped some for me! The party was a huge success. It seemed like everyone had a great time and Bailey was super-excited to see all of her friends there! It was a beautiful day for playing outdoors, aside from the fact that it was really windy ("It's a twister!" how appropriate!)

We had some tasty food on the menu- all Wizard of Oz inspired: Uncle Henry's Gumbo, Toto Dogs, Melting Witch Punch, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow Fruit Skewers.

I planned a few games for the kids and they were fun, but I think the little munchkins were just as happy running around and trying to knock over my cardboard box Dorothy house. We played Pin the Heart on the Tin Man, Musical Chairs with characters from the movie, and the Wicked Witch Race.

(This one's for you Linds! Here I am demonstrating the proper way to ride the broomstick! You can insert your own nasty comment here!!!)

Here's some other snapshots from the party!

Favors were Dorothy straw baskets for the girls and little buckets for the boys. After each game, the children got prizes to put in their buckets (coloring pages rolled up like the Scarecrow's diploma, "Glinda's Bubbles," and Lion and Tigers and Bears... Oh My! animal crackers).

My baby is FOUR!!!

I can't believe my baby is four years old! Oh my word- how time flies! Bailey has grown into a smart, hilarious, imaginative, and dramatic little lady! At four years old, she loves eating strawberries and blueberries, playing with her best friend Chloe and her brother Max, pretending she's a different Disney princess every day of the week, and snuggling with her "buddies"! She can write her name and knows all of her letters and letter sounds. She's even started reading!!! Bailey is a true Bulldawg fan (did she really have a choice otherwise???) and loves going to Tech games and singing the Tech Fight Song. She can throw a temper tantrum with the best of them, but I like to think that just means that she's passionate about life! (or at least that's what I tell myself to make myself feel better!!!)

For the day of her birthday, David was off of work so we took Bailey to the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, TX. She had been asking for a while to go to the "big zoo" so she was pleasantly surprised! (We have a small local zoo, however my friend Holly says that it can't be labeled as a zoo unless it contains animals NOT found in your own backyard) We had a great time with our little princess! Here's some pics from the day...

Her first impression of the zoo ("Mommy, it's stinky!!!")

By far, Bailey's favorite part of the zoo (besides the giraffes) was the Wild Bird Habitat. I don't know how "wild" these birds really were, but you could buy a birdseed stick and feed them. The birds would come right up and sit on your stick. One even took Bailey's stick and ran off with it!