Dallas World Aquarium and Victoria's doll

We took the kids to Dallas World Aquarium. This was Victoria's first trip there since she has become so mobile. She wanted out of her stroller and was trying to crawl into the aquarium! She was hiking her leg up, intending to scale the glass wall into the shark tank! We went outside to the Penguin exhibit, and she was hiking her leg up trying to get into the penguin exhibit! She has no fear! She is a climber, into everything! We all had a great time! They love the aquarium!

Victoria is very sweet with her doll. She carries her doll around and hugs and loves on it, so sweet. Very maternal :-). Let's hope we survive her upbringing!

Christmas and Aidan's Birthday

Nana and Papa, and Aunt Mindy, Uncle Shawn, Aidan, and Ainsley came to celebrate Christmas with us! We all had a great time! We went to church on Christmas Eve with the kids, even Aidan, and they were all so good! It was so cute. I told Kaden that it was time to pray, so he slapped his hands together and started praying so earnestly. Upon seeing Kaden, Aidan copied him and did the same! So cute! We opened our family presents on Christmas Eve, as is our tradition, and Santa came Christmas morning.

Kaden and Colin loved their Star Wars toys. Katharine like her doll house, and Victoria was playing with whatever anyone else got! We all got marshmellow guns, and marshmellows were flying everywhere! It was fine because they were edible for Victoria!

Aidan had his birthday party at Gattitown. What fun! They all love the bumper cars, including daddy and uncle shawn! They all won stuffed animals from the water shooting game :-). It was a good time. They miss cousin Aidan so much when he goes home!

Victoria is walking!!

It's official! Victoria is walking! She is doing great and is now into everything! Yea Vixie! So proud of her! She has been taking a shower for a few months now with Katharine. She loves that too! Our little girl is growing up!

Victoria is taking steps!

Victoria started taking some steps by herself! Like 4 or 5 steps! This is the first time she has taken steps unassisted! She is climbing every where, including up to Colin's top bunk bed and standing up there! Yes, she does not possess that healthy dose of fear. Yikes! We have to keep a close eye on her. Yea that she is taking some steps at 15 months!

Homeowner's association Halloween Festival

Yes, Jason is still in Lubbock, and I felt compelled, yet again to get them all dressed up in their costumes and take them down to the green area in our neighborhood for the Halloween Festival. They had a costume parade, a bounce house, bounce slides, a magic show, and a bake sale. They all paraded in the costume parade, then watched the magic show where they all got balloon swords :-). Then on to the bounce slides and bounce house.

I had an altercation with one of the boys in the bounce house, and I was all ready on edge from the monsoon halloween festival the night before. He (about 7) was pushing other children down. I warned him that he would have to get out if he pushed another child down, after the 3rd. He chose to push someone else down, so I told him to get out. Thank goodness he did, or I would have gone in there and gotten him out! then another little boy about 4, was pushing other children down too, including Kaden and Colin. He pulled Colin down the 3rd time, and Colin kicked him in the nose! The kid got out crying, and I checked to make sure he wasn't bleeding. He wasn't. Colin was devastated that he had hurt him. I told him he shouldn't hurt a boy smaller than him, but that the little boy should have not been pushing him down. Poor Colin :-(.

Overall, everyone had a great time! Kaden said his favorite part was the magic show. He was enthralled. Katharine said her favorite part was the bounce house. Colin said his favorite was buying a piece of cake, all by himself, from the bake sale. He was very proud :-).

Halloween at Safety Town during a Monsoon

Jason is out of town, but I knew the kids would have a great time at Frisco's Safety Town Halloween fest! It's a miniature town with child size buildings, streets, etc that teaches biking, driving, fire, etc safety. Anyway, I decided to get all the children ready and take them to this function. It started at 6pm and my goal was to be there at 545. We got there at 605, and apparently, were late :-). We had to park a few blocks away, and met a woman on the way back to her car that said they opened the doors at 4! That would have been nice to know.

While getting out of the car, I saw that the sky was overcast. I checked the weather map on my phone, but it didn't show anything, so I hoped it was just clouds. The kids said they still wanted to go, even if it did rain. I went to all the effort of getting us there, so I took their word for it and grabbed the two umbrellas, and my raincoat from the bus.

We got there and the line did not look that long, until we made it around the building and saw that it wrapped around the building a few times! Yikes!! You can guess what happened next. Yes. We are standing outside in the horrendous line when a monsoon erupted! The kids were squeezed underneath the ginormous umbrella, and I tried to cover myself and Victoria in the stroller with the other umbrella. We were doing well, but then the line started moving. Kaden, Colin, and Katharine were having a hard time moving in unison while staying under the umbrella. I was getting soaked as I kept the umbrella over Victoria. Poor Katharine was upset, and then she tripped and fell down :-(. The people behind us helped me get her up and back under the umbrella, though I had to leave Victoria to help Katharine. Poor Katharine! Thank goodness I had thrown my rain coat on top of Victoria, so she wasn't wet at all. I was miserable and the kids were damp and a little upset. The organizers opened the Fire Station bay, and let us line up in there. Thank goodness! That was awful! I asked the kids, even Katharine, if they wanted to go home, but they all wanted to stay and get candy. Wow, candy, what the motivator :-). Aunt Stephanie met up with us in the bay, and she was a great help! Victoria was thrilled to be held!

Needless to say, we made it through the town, got candy, and only got a little sprinkled on :-). The kids were so happy! They had a blast, even damp! They kept thanking me for taking them. They were so happy and had so much fun, it was worth taking them, even wet :-) Victoria even got a little candy :-). They were playing rock music through the sound system, and Victoria was baby head banging in my arms! So cute! She wanted to get her groove on!

Aunt Stephanie stayed with the kids, and I went to go get the car, as it was still raining periodically. We all made it home safely, though still damp. Candy has amazing power :-)

I called Jason to tell him about our ordeal. He said he wouldn't have taken them even if he were here! Yes, I should get mom of the year, or crazy person of the year one :-). They all had so much fun, that it was worth it :-)

Kaden on Prednisone

Kaden's asthma has been acting up. We went to the MD and got a prednisone pack. Poor Kaden doesn't fair well on oral prednisone :-(. Zero coping skills :-(. He goes around saying, "I'm so mad! I'm so mad!!" He isn't aggressive. He just states that he feels angry. Poor guy. Kaden, Katharine, and I went to Pottery Barn after a MD appt. Kaden, being the good big brother, was keeping an eye on Katharine. She was not cooperating with his efforts. As we were leaving, Kaden said emphatically, "Mommy, I love you, and I love Daddy, but I DO NOT LOVE BABY RIGHT NOW!!!" So funny! Poor Kaden on prednisone :-(. Only a few more days!

Legacy Homecoming

Legacy, their school, had their homecoming football game tonight. So we all went :-). We all had a good time! Kaden and Colin were watching the game and commenting on the score. Katharine was jumping around and cheering with the cheerleaders, "Go Legacy Eagles!!" She was beyond cute. Victoria did really well considering she was tired :-). It was their first football game to witness in person, though we watch a lot of Tech football on TV. Great fun! I haven't been to a high school football game since I was in high school! We are so old!! :-)

Kaden gets the Character award for Respect!

Kaden won the character award for respect for his class! He was recognized during Chapel, and as his reward, he got to have ice cream with me and Ms. Tucker, his principle :-). It's funny because I usually tell him at home that he is being disrespectful! Oh well, at least he is respectful at school! We are really proud of him :-)

The Winter Family Goes to the State Fair!!

Lord help us, we took ALL of the children to the fair! Kaden and Colin had a short school day and got out at 11, so we thought it would be a good day to go to the fair. It wasn't crazy busy. We went to the Petting Zoo that is sponsored by Children's, and they pet everything they possibly could, including the giraffe and the zebra :-). We then went and got airbrushed tattoos :-). Kaden got an eagle for school. Colin and Katharine both got a Lady bug. Colin still loves lady bugs :-). We then went and rode all of the rides we could possibly fit in during our time frame aka before Victoria lost it :-). I rode the small conquestador ship with the boys. Katharine wasn't tall enough :-(. I sat in between them, and they cracked me up! They held on and kept their heads down with their eyes closed, as they were scared :-). I kept telling them how brave they were! I was really proud! They rode every roller coaster they met the height requirements for and had a blast! They also had to see every snake or alligator on display :-). They rode the log ride twice with Daddy :-). They wanted to stay longer, but we had spent 300 dollars and Victoria was done! Good grief! We all had a wonderful day, but thank goodness the state fair is only once a year!

Colin gets Character Award for Kindness!

Colin won the character award for kindness in his class! He was recognized during chapel, and as his treat, he got to have ice cream with Mrs. Tucker, his principle, and Daddy! Colin has always been so kind, even as a baby baby, so I am not surprised he won this award. He and Kaden would speak their "language" then Colin would crawl across the floor and bring Kaden his drink or snack or whatever. He has always been so giving and kind. I am so proud of him! Way to go Colin!

Kaden's Crazy Prednisone Dream

Kaden woke up from nap today, and he was very upset. He came down and sat on the bottom stair mumbling to himself. I asked him what was wrong, and this is what he said :-) "My giant carrot is stuck up in that pear tree, and it won't come down! Daddy won't help me get it down! I've all ready gotten it down a few times, but it keeps going up there! All I want is my giant carrot!!" Thankfully, we had watched a show about a giant carrot that morning, or I would have thought he was nutso for sure :-). He also said that he didn't like that boy Colin because he lies and gets him in trouble :-). So familial history of craziness on Prednisone continues! Last dose last night so hopefully sanity is in sight! Poor KK :-)

Katharine's First Day of School

Katharine had her first day of preschool! She is going to the Musical Arts Schoolhouse where she has an hour of theatre, an hour of dance, an hour of music, and an hour of art. She went there this summer for camp and really enjoyed it. We call it Hi-5 school, after the show that she loves where the performers sing and dance. Ms. Misti is her homeroom teacher, and she knows her from summer camp. She was apprehensive when I dropped her off this morning, but she didn't cry. She was just giving some "stank eye", her signature look :-). Misti said she had a good day, and she was thrilled to see me when I picked her up! She is only going Tues-Thurs 830-1230. We went to Chick-fil-a after school to celebrate her first day of school :-). So proud of her! I know she is scared, but she puts on such a brave face! Love her so much!

Colin and Kaden's First Day of Kindergarten

The boys had their first day of real school today! They were very excited! We took them the week before to meet their teachers and find their classroom, lunch room, playground, etc. They are in separate classrooms, but are right across the hall from each other. They can sit together at lunch, and see each other at recess and during PE.

I took them each into their classroom and introduced them to the children at their table. They were so brave and both acted as if they had been going to this school for years! I was very proud of them :-).

Kaden's teacher is Ms. Buffington. She is supposed to be more type A and scheduled. She suits Kaden to a T, as he likes having a schedule and knowing what to expect. Colin's teacher is Ms. Balesteros. She is supposed to be more laid back and not as structured. She suits Colin's personality to a T. He is easy and just goes with the flow for the most part.

I cannot believe they are all ready in Kindergarten! I am so proud of them! They are amazing boys, and we are so blessed by them! Good job guys! I picked them up from school and took them for ice cream to celebrate their first day of school :-)

Colin's liver analysis

We were discussing vitamins, and I stated that to many vitamins make you sick and hurt your liver. Kaden and Colin asked what the liver does, so I told them that it does a lot, but it makes the proteins that make scabs or body band aids. So Colin then says, "so if you have to many vitamins and hurt your liver, that you'll just keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding."  Yes!  Exactly!  Those are the lyrics to a song called Keep Bleeding Love by Lena Lewis, but I can't believe he is all ready analyzing like this!  Wow!

Toxic Vitamins :-)

The kids love their vitamins and jokingly said they wanted more than the recommended dose. I told them that to many vitamins can hurt your liver and be toxic. Kaden then asked what your liver did, so I explained that one of it's jobs is to make the proteins that help your blood clot and scab over after you are hurt. Colin then said that if you take to many vitamins and hurt your liver, then you will just "keep bleeding, keep keep bleeding" like the song "Keep Bleeding Love". It cracked me up! Yes, exactly right, Colin. So love your liver :-)

Victoria, the Stair Climber :-)

Jason was doing the dishes when he realized Victoria was no longer playing in the living room. Suddenly, he heard Kaden upstairs saying that Victoria was upstairs! Sure enough, in about 2 minutes, she scaled all the stairs and was heading down the hall to the play room! Crazy girl! She was only doing 4 stairs yesterday! She is getting super fast!

And So It Begins

Kaden, Colin, and Katharine have musical arts preschool this week. This morning, Kaden says: Mommy, we want to wear the same shirt today. Me: Okay, why? Kaden: We like to trick our teachers. And so it begins :-). I can't believe God chose to give Jason identical twin boys! He was devious enough on his own! If they have figured out the impersonation of each other at 5, what will they be capable of in 10 years? Good grief! :-)

Victoria is clearly saying Mama!

Sweet baby is saying Mama in reference to me :-). I missed her and the other kiddos terrible while I was in Italy! She is pulling up all over the place, though she is still commando crawling. She now weighs 15lbs 13 oz and is steadily gaining, though she is still tiny :-). She is a really good baby, and rarely cries. She doesn't like to be rocked! When she is tired, she wants you to put her to bed! She reaches for her crib :-). She is just very stubborn, especially when it comes to eating. She only wants to eat when she is "good and ready" :-). I don't know where she gets the stubborness from. . . :-)

Victoria has her "eye" teeth

It's official! Victoria now has upper and lower teeth! She got her eye teeth in today! She is doing well with the teething, and isnt' that fussy. She is still commando crawling every where! She got placed back in PT every week to help her crawl in the "quadraped" position, which she hates! She is getting really fast with the commando crawling! She can make it from the living room to our bedroom in two shakes! She is constatnly babbling from ma, ma, ma, ma, ma to da, da, da, da, da :-).
We go to the GI specialist tomorrow for our re weigh. Let's hope she has gained weight on this appetite stimulant. We'll find out tomorrow. She is such a tiny thing!

Victoria is Dedicated

Victoria was dedicated in church this morning! She did great and did not mind being in the spotlight :-). She got a lot of compliments on her dress :-). We had to bribe her with her veggie crunches prior to going on stage. She loves those things! We chose this Bible verse for her: Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
We are so incredibly blessed with our family. I am so thankful.
Jason left for Lubbock, so I am on my own tonight. I put Victoria down in our bedroom so I could bath the kiddos. A few minutes later, I felt light fluttering on my foot. It was Victoria! She had commando crawled all the way to the shower in no time! Smiling the whole way :-).
She did not drink very well today, though she did eat two servings of Yo Baby yogurt! Here's hoping she puts on some weight! We see the GI specialist on Wednesday :-(. It's okay. We'll take her skinny :-). She is a sweetie!

Taste of Addison/Fair

We met Keith, Joanne, and Emma at the taste of Addison. Kaden and Colin ave been asking to go to the fair for a while now. We figured this was close enough :-). They had a really good time! We ate lunch, got some airbrushed tattoos. Colin and Kaden got a lady bug tattoo on their arm. Katharine got a butterfly tattoo on hers. Victoria just watched :-). They played in the bounce houses, and the boys rode the kiddie roller coaster 3 times! I'm so glad they got the roller coaster gene! Katharine rode the flying elephants :-).
As we were leaving, we walked past the mini water park with small sprayers, fountains, etc. I told them they could go and get a little wet, but not to wet, as we were leaving. Apparently, they don't understand the definition of a "little wet". They were all soaked. . . , but thrilled :-). They all rode home in their skivvies, but were very happy :-). We get a gold star for parenting.
Victoria did great! She doesn't nap much outside of home, so she did spectacular considering how tired she was! She is such a good baby! We all had a great time!

Victoria's Weight Check

We took Victoria in for her weight check, as she has only gained a pound in 3 months. She has gained an ounce in 1 month :-(. Now 14.bs 5 oz. The MD thinks it is probably just our skinny genes at work, but wants her to see a GI specialist next week. We are also increasing the calories in her milk for now. Poor baby. We do everything but force feed her to get her to eat! She likes solids, but doesn't really care milk. It's a struggle to get her to drink :-(. We are hoping she is just skinny! We'll see what the specialist says next week. . .

Victoria is Commando Crawling!

It's official. Victoria is mobile. Say some prayers! I've been dreading this day, as it's difficult to keep the older kids' toys away from her. Now that she is mobile, that just compounds the problem! She is commando crawling with her belly still on the ground. She can get along pretty quickly on the hardwood floors! So proud of her! She is such a sweet baby! She loves to smile and giggle. She loves to be tossed in the air and caught. I'm trying to roller coaster train her :-). We will have to see what trouble she can create with her new found mobility :-) GO VICTORIA!!!

Dinner with the kids

Jason is in Lubbock, so I decided to eat dinner with the kids at their table. Upon sitting down, Kaden says, "Wow Mommy! This is like Jesus' Big Dinner!" LOL! Yes, I'm sure He had pizza too :-). So funny!

Late for School

We were running late to school today. I was taking some corners a little faster than I usually do. Kaden says to Colin, "Hold on to your seat!" LOL!

Victoria's 6 month check up

Victoria had her 6 month well check today. She weighs 13lbs 3oz, 25 inches, and is doing well. She did not appreciate her shots :-(. She had cereal for dinner tonight for the first time and gobbled it all up like a champ! So cute!

Don't Call Katharine a Toot

Today: Katharine: Mommy, I love you. Me: I love you, too. You are a good girl. . . except when you are a toot. Katharine: Mommy, don't call me a toot. That's tacky! She is so goofy! I love it. She reminds me of Granny.

Sadly, Kaden is no longer engaged

Kaden ended his 4 month engagement today. Apparently, he saw another girl on the playground that he thought was "more beautifuler", and he "fell in love". So goofy! Being that his ex finance is 5, I think she will land on her feet :-). My goodness, my little ladies man!