Tis the season!

We have been soaking up every little bit of the Christmas season this year.  It is so fun with Banks being so into it!  He has only asked me 1,375,499 times when Santa is coming.

He was definitely a fan of the big guy this year.  Andrew, not so much.  Banks is asking for a Dodge Charger (matchbox car), a movie and boots.  We have seen Santa three times this year and he's asked for the same thing all three times UNTIL we saw the Santa yesterday and Banks pulled a fast one on us by asking for some different things.  Didn't realize how dangerous it was taking a kid to see Santa SO close to Christmas.  Hopefully he'll be happy with what he gets!

  We went to a cookie decorating party.  Please note the MOUND of sprinkles on his cookie.  Sheesh.

He had a ball decorating (mostly eating) his gingerbread house.

And perhaps my most favorite thing this season:  Banks' school Christmas program.  Just the cutest cow ever!

 

I have terrible writers block.  I'm sorry I've been so awful about updating the blog lately.  I'd like to say it's on my list of resolutions but it's not even on the bottom of the list.  Life is getting busy and I'm trying to keep up and blogging is taking a major backseat!!!  Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

I'm back!

Well, sure didn't mean to take a blogging break but I guess that's what happened.  We have been super busy soaking up every last minute of having Matt at home.  His most recent job finished up about three weeks ago and we've been loving having him home with us. 

 

 

 

We spent one week at the beach with our friends the Jones'.  We have never been to the beach in November and while we had a few chili days, we had an absolute blast.  It was so nice and relaxing (well, as relaxing as it can be with four kiddos); no pressure to hurry up and get to the beach.  We ate when we wanted, and ate a lot I might add.  Watched football, shopped and I RODE A BIKE for the second time in my adult life.  And, I didn't crash the thing.  No pictures to prove it, though.

 

It's bright out there for a baby...

 

Perhaps my most favorite picture of all times.  Nothing but love here but it sure looks like Maggie is about to get knifed!  There may be a smidge of fear in her eyes...

 

 

We spent one week gearing up for Thanksgiving.  Since we had just travelled to the beach, we didn't feel like loading up again to go to Jackson for Thanksgiving with my parents.  So, they came here instead!  We had a low key, great meal and thanks to Taylor Grocery, I didn't even have to worry over botching the turkey!  We did go over to Batesville for a quick trip and Banks had an absolute blast playing with his cousins!

Last week, we spent most of our time marking things off the to-do list.  Mainly, we got most of our Christmas shopping done.  And it's just December 2nd!!!  Love being ahead of the game this year.

 

Giving his seal of approval on the tree...

"These people are crazy.  Did ya'll know there is a real tree in our den?  And they don't expect me to touch it???  HA!"

So, Matt started his new job today.  It's the first time he's worked outside the home in four years.  It'll be the first time, since being a stay at home mom, that I'll be here all day with the kids by myself.  Crazy, right???  I am so, so very excited for him.  I know he'll love being away from us for a bit and getting more connected with some people in town.  Plus, it'll give us something to talk about when he comes home since we won't already know every minute detail of each others lives!  I am so proud of him and constantly reminded of God's timing and goodness in finding this job for Matt.  Yay Daddy!!!

All about Banks

An ode to my oldest little man...with a few random pictures interspersed.

 

Man oh man does this child give us a run for our money.  He is an energetic, fun-loving, non-stop little boy who loves to wrestle, pretend that monsters are around every corner and "fix it right" with his tool bench. 

He is fearless.  Halloween is proving to be his holiday.  The scarier the better.  Bugs...loves 'em.  Want to ride a camel at the zoo?  Of course he does.  Go down a two-story slide?  Absolutely.  And he'll do it on his stomach head first.  It's a miracle we've only been to the ER once for stitches *knocks on wood*.  It's so fun watching him soak up every minute of the things we do.  It is NEVER enough, though.  We could stay at the bounce house place for 12 hours and he'd still cry when we had to leave.  It's his Achilles heel.

He is very imaginative.  Always pretending there are ghosts, bears, wolves and other scary things after him.  I about died one day a few weeks ago when we had a girl friend over to play.  She came tearing into the house in hysterics that the Big Bad Wolf was after her.  She may never come back.  He is forever wanting to hear a story.  I'm telling you, my creative juices are running thin.  For a while there, his favorite story was some ridiculous one I made up about a roach eating birthday cake.  I'm sure he shared it with his teachers and they are certain our house needs to be condemned.

He is non-stop.  The only thing that slows him down is food and TV.  And those two aren't as reliable as they used to be.  He would play from sun up to sun down without ever stopping.  He wants to chase, hide, build forts, do art projects, go for a bike ride and that's all usually before 9:00.  It.  Is.  Exhausting.  Also exhausting is the fact that he rarely wants to play alone.  So all this chasing and hiding usually includes me. 

He is doing a little better with Andrew.  Not quite as rough and tumble but I still find him purposefully stomping on Andrew's fingers, taking away whatever toy Andrew has/is crawling for, or pushing him down when he's crawling.  There are moments when he's sweet...I overheard him telling Andrew yesterday that he couldn't play with something because it "had sharp edges."  Never mind that something was a ball with which Banks just wanted to play.

 He is both a great and terrible listener all at the same time.  I bet I've said 100 times not to take something from Andrew and he acts like it's the first time he's heard it every time.  But he can recite every word to almost every book he's ever read and remembers conversations that we've had verbatim.  He still loves to read book and will sit for a while to listen to books.  We're regulars at the Library!

All about Andrew

Andrew is 8 months old!  What???  Where has the time gone???  He is crawling machine, an eating machine and is now pulling up on things!  He is a chunky monkey, that is for sure.  And he's tough.  Has to be for all the rough-housing that Banks puts him through.  He is still a very happy and low maintenance baby although he does have his likes and dislikes.  He does not like for me to leave the room, nor does he like his exersaucer.  He does like Buford's water bowl, the bathroom garbage can (eww), and cheerios.  Well, any starch for that matter.  Big fan of the puffs and crackers as well.  Also fond of throwing his paci in between the crib and the wall.

 

Happy babe with his two little chompers

Serious face.  Andrew's first trip to the zoo!

 

First trip to the Grove!

On the move and in the Grove

Andrew is on the move.  It only took a few days after he mastered the crawl to be everywhere and into everything!  I'm moving breakables and putting in outlet covers pronto.

 

Playing with the Tupperware is SO much fun!  Banks loved having a new excuse to make a mess!!

 He's already trying to pull up some.  Oh boy...

 

Last weekend we took Banks to the Grove.  It was nice for about an hour before the rain came.  Mark my words...never again will I take a kid to the Grove in the rain.  Never.

 

Some of the boys in our tent...

 LOTS of wrestling between these two!

Life with two...

If you asked me one day after Andrew was born if I wanted to have another baby I would have said yes.  Asked me again at one month and I would have said the same.  But now, at seven months, I'm beginning to reconsider.  Life is starting to get considerably more busy with two. 

Andrew is on the verge of crawling.  It is so fun watching the little wheels in his head churning trying to figure it out.  He can definitely get to something he wants and I guess I need to start thinking about baby proofing the house again.  I've been out of that mindset for so long I almost forgot that they like to get into things (like the dog's water).  He's in the spends-a-lot-of-time-in-the-high-chair phase.  Trying to learn to self feed is a hard job and one that his little pincher fingers just aren't quite ready for, but he can palm some puffs like no other.  I almost think he's going to be over baby food sooner than later as he's started protesting anything on a spoon that comes near his mouth.

Chompers!

 

I mean, ya'll!  The eyebrows really crack me up.  They make him so expressive!!!

 Happy, happy baby!

 Banks is just as busy as always.  He just doesn't have an off switch.  I don't know why I'm not super skinny after trying to keep up with him.  As of late, his game of choice is crashing his cars.  It is a pretty fun game he made up!  He's starting to love to wrestle and play make-believe.  He loves hearing and making up stories.  He is loving school and I really think he's learning a thing or two.  He came home saying the Pledge of Allegiance and has learned all about the five senses. 

Showing his Banks that he decorated.  He has a fishing pole in one hand and a Lightning McQueen in the other.  They hung these up at school.

 

Having fun fishing with Daddy

 

It's not that the two of them are more difficult, it's just that my role with them has changed somewhat.  I went from mother/caretaker to referee.  No joke...Banks woke up two weeks ago and realized that Andrew existed.  AND NOW HE WON'T LEAVE HIM ALONE.  "Can Andrew play with me?" "Can Andrew and I take a bath?" "Can you bring Andrew in here so he can play cars with me?"  It is all day, everyday.  Which is sweet and great and brotherly and all BUT that's not the whole picture.  By "play" Banks means form-tackle, steal toys, tease and taunt and boss around.  Poor, poor Andrew.  He has gone from being the happiest baby to being frustrated and bullied and I feel the need to stand up for the poor fella.  So while so many people tell me I should just let them "work it out on their own" I fear that doing so may mean imminent danger to one of them.  But, they are brothers and apparently that's the way it's supposed to go down.  This only child knows nothing about that world but I guess I'll figure it out!!!

 

Enjoying a little bathtub time!

So, for this month, two is enough.  My cup runneth over and my house is never clean.  Maybe try me again later...

Playing catch up

Things have been a whirlwind around here lately.  After we had Banks' birthday party, we had Andrew's baptism.  It was such a sweet day filled with family and friends.

I wanted his baptism luncheon to be "upscale picnic."  I think that may be an oxymoron but we made it work...using McCarty and mason jars and having fried chicken, baked tomatoes, potato/green bean salad and biscuits.

His sweet cake

After Andrew's baptism, we started gearing up for our annual beach trip with two of our couple friends and their kids.  It is always such a fun and crazy week.  Six kids among us all and they never slowed down for a minute.

 

Love my boys!

Shew...getting a good family pic is hard.

Speaking of hard...it takes next to a miracle to get the two of them to look at the camera and smile.  I dread Christmas cards already!

Nothin beats a beach snack...

We just got back Saturday and Banks had his first day of preschool Monday!  He is loving it so far and I am enjoying some quiet mornings with Andrew.

Banks is 3!

I cannot believe my little Banksy Poo is three!  Where has the time gone???  We had such a fun weekend celebrating.  My parents came up Friday to help me get ready for the party and they brought Banks his first present!  A Beta fish he named Pinchy.  Banks was so excited to get his first fish! 

RIP Pinchy.

His party was a fishing party.  We had magnetic fishing, fish hand print art and food galore. 

Walkway to the games...

My little fisherman!

The magnetic fishing was the hit of the party.

So proud of his fish hand print!

The rest of these pictures will probably be so boring to ya'll but I had so much fun planning out the food and decorating for the party that I want to show it off!!!

Singing Happy Birthday and loving every minute of it!

 Obsessed with his cake!  If you need a cake lady in Memphis call me and I'll give you her number!  It was perfect and tasted so yummy!

 For favors, each kiddo got their own fishing game!

Monday was his actual birthday and we celebrated by eating some more.  We got donuts as we do every year and he got to pick where he wanted to go to dinner.  He said he wanted a quesadilla so we headed out for Mexican food.  He LOVED it when they came out singing to him!  The boy loves the lime light...

When you're three you get to do lots of cool things.  Like buckle yourself in to your car seat even though it takes 100 hours to do it.

And you get to be a super hero...

And you get to wear a frat boy visor...

Happy Birthday Banks!!!