Twenty Questions with Colton (3 years old)

It's hard to believe but my little guy is now 3 which means it's time to start the annual birthday Q and A with him. Colti's words are in blue:)

1.  What is your favorite color?    "Lellow" (okay, I know I should start correcting him and making him say "yellow" but it's so stinking cute!)

2.  What is your favorite Movie?  Mickey Mouse (I was positive the answer to this was going to be Wreck it Ralph or Peter Pan which we watch endlessly right now!)

3.  What is your favorite toy?  Mickey Mouse, Mickey One and Big Mickey

4.  What do you like to do with Mama?  Play peter pan

5.  What do you like to do with Daddy?  Play Jake and the never land pirates and daddy is Captain Hook

6.  What is love?  Valentine's day and flowers.  I will give you a flower.

7.  How do you know Mama and Daddy love you?  Because I make good choices and you told me that

8.  What do you want to be when you grow up?  ummmmm.....a scarecrow (Lol...he has seen a LOT of Wizard of Oz lately!)

9.  What do you think Brynnie will be when she grows up?   uhhhhhh....Brynnie will be the tinman.

10.  Who is your best friend?  Trae Loper and Madi and Mama and Daddy and Brynnie and Pumpkin.  Not T.O. because T.O bite me.

11.  What is your favorite song?  I had a little Turtle.  I named him Tiny Tim.  I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim.  He drank up all the water.  He ate up all the soap.  And now my little turtle has a bubble in his throat. Bubble, Bubble, Bubble.  Bubble, Bubble, Bubble.  Bubble, Bubble, bubble. Bubble, Bubble, POP! (sang at the top of his lungs).

12.  What do you like most about school?  Playing with my friends

13. What is the worst thing about school? When I make bad choices  What happens when you make bad choices?  I get in trouble and it's not good

14.  What is your favorite thing to eat?  Candy

15.  What makes you happy?  Mama (yep, totally melted)

16.  What are you good at?  Playing toys  What else?  Splashing

17.  What is your favorite thing to do with Brynn?  When she read her book to me and when we play in the rollers (roller skates).

18.  Where is your favorite place to go?  Mommom's house

19.  What is the most fun thing you have ever done.  Play toys

20.  What is something that you are looking forward to?  Huh?  What you said?  Uhhh...I don't know.

Happy 6th Birthday Brynn!

Dear Brynn,

Today is your 6th birthday.  I am just in awe.  How did the time go so fast and what did we ever do before you came into our lives? Exactly six years ago Daddy and I were in the hospital awaiting your arrival.  We were anxious, excited and somewhat overwhelmed.  We always dreamed of you and talked about what it would be like to have you but nothing could have prepared us for the surge of emotion we would feel that day.  I will never forget the terrifying lows of that day but the highs were some of the most amazing of my life.  When you finally made your grand entrance into the world you took Daddy and I's breath away.  Our purpose on earth became crystal clear as we looked at your sweet face.  Someone once wrote a quote that said "Choosing to have a child is choosing to walk around the rest of your life with your heart exposed."  That couldn't be truer...you and Colti are without a doubt "our heart".  We love you so much and would do absolutely anything for you baby girl.

This morning we woke up early and Daddy, Colti and I sang Happy birthday to you.  After that you followed a balloon trail to your birthday gifts.  You got a Doc McStuffins outfit, a new pool, some elbow and knee pads and the coveted purple roller skates.  You were so excited to go to school today.  Your best friend Carley and you just happen to share a birthday and are in the same class.  Carley's Mama and I teamed up to create a nice birthday celebration for your class including cupcakes and ice cream.  You are also super excited to head to a family dinner at Chuckie Cheese tonight.

You are growing into the most amazing young lady.  You love soccer and have gotten quite good at it.  It's not uncommon for you to score several goals in a game now.You are also still dancing and getting ready for this weekend's production of the Wizard of Oz where you will be a munchkin and a gem.You are quite the little over-achiever at heart and have quite the list of "lessons" that you advocate often for including horseback riding, T-ball, piano and gymnastics.  You are so smart.  This year, you were one of two kindergartners to win a Reading Counts Award and you scored at the top of your class on the DIBLES test.  You have also been Student of the Month and your principal called me to tell me how wonderful you are doing in school.  You are also a sweetheart and take such good care of your friends and little brother.  Can you tell that we are SO proud of you??

Your favorite color is still purple.  You love rainbows, Hello Kitty, Doc McStuffins and any sort of craft/art project.  Your favorite food is easily ice cream.  You like mint chocolate chip the best but will settle for pretty much any flavor. Wizard of Oz is topping the list of your favorite movies right now along with Wreck it Ralph.  You are also a big fan of the tv show Good Luck Charlie.  You are currently wearing a size 6x and an 11 or 12 shoe.  We have recently started a chore chart at home at your request and you love earning stickers every day. 

Happy 6th birthday Brynnie Chicken Dinnie.  I love you all the way up to God and back 5,422 + infinity times:)

xoxo,
Mama

Hello Tubes and Goodbye Tonsils

I wrote this post months ago but for some reason never published it.  So  here it is...


So this particular post is way over due (like two months...but whose counting) but I'm determined to go back and catch up on some of those big moments that I missed.

We started our fall in not one of the best ways possible.  Both of the kids had to have minor surgery (I say minor but at the time this Mama thought it was anything but minor).  Colton had to get his third set of tubes in his ears and Brynn had to have a tonsil and adnoidectomy.  I was quite honestly a nervous wreck (yea...I know but Drama Queen is just in my blood).

The night before the surgery we stayed at Grammie and Grampie's house (to save us 40 mins of drive time).  Brynn was feeling a little bit of apprehension about the whole thing at this point so I decided to get the kids a cake to celebrate the new tubes and say goodbye to those yucky tonsils.  The cake was supposed to say "Hello tubes, Goodbye Tonsils"...

Whatever, the kids were happy..


Prior to taking the kids into the operating room the nurses gave both them some medicine to help them relax.  The doctor told us that it was an anti-inhibitor.  He said that it would make them feel "drunk".  It had very different effects on the kids.  Colton turned into the life of the party.  He was laughing at everything and being really silly.  Someone asked him if he could whistle and he stood on his hospital bed, shouted "woot woot" and then busted out laughing.  Brynn on the other hand got really weepy and snuggly.  Thus Colton went into the operating room laughing the whole way.  Brynn went in crying for Mama and holding her arms out to me.  It seriously broke my heart.  I stood there and bawled. 

Over all both kids made out great.  Within a couple of hours, Colton was released to Ronald McDonald House with Daddy.  Brynn came out of surgery in pretty rough shape.  She was in a lot of pain.  Once they got the pain under control she was a champ!  She at tons of icecream, watched a lot of movies and enjoyed charming all of the nurses.  There was a vomiting incident in the middle of the night but the nurses quickly got that under control with the help of some medicine. 

Colton was back to himself a day later (he did have the post-anesthesia rage the night of the surgery but I spent the night in the hospital with Brynn so I missed it).  It took Brynn about a week to get back to normal.  She was really pale and tired easily for longer than I expected. 

All in all I'm really grateful that things went smoothly and that we did both surgeries. Neither kid has been back to the doctor since the surgeries (knocking on wood).

Easter 2013

We had a great and traditional Easter. It's a jam packed day for us but one that follows the same pattern every year.  We get up and check to see if the Easter Bunny came.  Next we, go to the sunrise service at church and then eat a yummy breakfast with our church family,  after that we head to my step-aunt's house for the annual Easter egg hunt and then we end the day with dinner at my grandmother's house.

The Easter Bunny came:)  Note to self:  Never let your children pick out their own jammies on Easter Eve.

My cuties in their Easter finery

Taking a little break during the egg hunt. 





 

Cousin time

It was a pretty amazing day.  I was completely exhausted when we got home but could definitely feel all of God's blessings.  Happy Belated Easter everyone:)

Happy Birthday Colti!!!

Dear Colton,

My sweet boy...I can't believe you are three.  If I think back I can easily recall exactly what you looked, smelled and felt like on the day you came into our lives.  It sounds cliche but it truly feels like yesterday.  I remember being totally overwhelmed with love for you that day and though it's hard to believe I love you even more today.

From the day you came into our lives you have been a wiggly mass of energy.  Your curiosity and nature to go full speed ahead have brought us more joy, laughter, trouble and hospital visits then I could have ever imagined.  I thank God every single day that I get to be your Mama.

At three you still love many of the things that you always have.  You still carry around "Mickey One" and your "Magic Blankie (though it is now called "Blue Blankie") daily and cannot sleep without them.  You have added "my buddy Mickey" or "Big Mickey" into the mix now and he has begun traveling everywhere with us.  Your favorite color is currently yellow and you love anything to do with Peter Pan and Jake and the Neverland Pirates.   I think mostly you love the swords.  You have had a sword in your hand every day since your were given one in Disney this year.  Peter Pan is your favorite movie. You love singing Nutcracker music while playing the role of the Nutcracker or a Ginger Baby.  You adore your big sister and most of the time you are the best of friends.  Your other best friends are Madi Yencer and Trey Loper. 

Visions of Mickey dance in your head

With Madi at Hoppin Good Time (your favorite hang out)

You are attending the Pre-School Program at Little Spartans.  You do very well in school and your teachers often brag about how smart you are.   They say that you are at the top of your class even though you are one of the youngest.  You just finished up another session of music class, which you just adore.  You often ask to go to music on days when there is no class.  I think you will probably be a musical genius:)  You are suddenly starting to develop a lot of Independence but thank goodness you remain my cuddle bug at home...on your terms of course.  I love the sweet little kisses you are giving these days and nothing lights up my heart more to than to hear you spontaneously say I love you.

All set for your school Christmas concert

We are still working on potty training.  You do great when it comes to pee pee's but have demonstrated a pure stubbornness to do the other.  It's a good thing you are so stinking cute.  You sure can light up a room with your sweet smile and dimples.

Though we say it so often it may sometimes lose its' meaning, I want you to know how very much you are loved.  We "Buzz Lightyear love you".  You light up our lives daily and we are endlessly proud of you.

xoxo,
Mama

Birthday boy at Toys R' Us...Mama played hookie from work so we could go shopping:)

The Tooth Fairy

Brynn's tooth has been loose for a little over a week. This is not just any tooth but the FIRST TOOTH.  This major life event has been long awaited by Miss Brynn.  Her BFF has already lost two teeth making the topic of Brynn's first loose tooth a huge topic of conversation at the String household for the past several months.  Last week, Brynn was complaining to Dan that her tooth hurt.  Upon inspection of the offending tooth, Dan discovered that it was actually loose.  Oh the excitement that ensued.  We have talked of little else following the discovery.

As Brynn and I were having our nightly bedtime chat last night in her bed, she sighed and said, "Mama, what if my tooth NEVER falls out?".  I assured her that it would definitely fall out at some point.  I asked her if I could take another look and after my professional examination (me peeking out from between my fingers), I told her that it was really close and that if she pulled it it would probably come out (no way was I going to try!  Sorry but it gives me the heebie jeebies).  She tugged on the tooth and it popped out!

I will never ever forget the expression on her face!  She was beyond elated!  "OH MY GOSH!", she screamed, "IT'S OUT!".  Daddy and Colton (who were in Colton's bed) came rushing in upon hearing all of the excitement.  We all then had to admire the adorable new little gap in her teeth and the tiny little tooth now lying in her hand (bleck). 

It took quite some time for everyone to settle back down after we had the appropriate photo shoot, facebook announcement and made sure the tooth was tucked safely in a baggie and under her pillow for the Tooth Fairy.
The Tooth Fairy came through for us last night and left us some sparkley money.

Life is so good<3

I'm back!

Okay...let's just address the giant elephant in the room.  Yes, I dropped off the face of the earth for four months. Sorry about that.  The thing is that life got busy and I missed a bunch of things that I really wanted to blog about and then I got overwhelmed by the prospect of catching up so I just didn't.  I'm super mad at myself because the whole purpose of this blog thing is to preserve memories for my fam and I have totally dropped the ball.  So...I've decided to just start anew today.  Yes....I missed some pretty amazing memories during my blog break but I'm determinded to not miss another moment so off I go.  Take two...