Elf

Around 4am this morning, Makayla came to our room.  She whispered to me "I love you".  I smiled, snatched her up, and cuddled close to her. 

Around 4:15am she said she had to go potty.  I took her to the bathroom and helped her up on to the potty.  After a few long seconds of silence, our conversation went as follows:

Makayla:  Elf is sitting on a Christmas tree in my room...(kind of in shock)

Me:  What?

Makayla:  Elf is sitting on a Christmas tree in my room!

Me:  What in the world are you talking about?!

Makayla:  There is a Christmas tree in my room!!

Me:  Really?! 

Makayla:  Come see!!

...with each one of her sentences becoming more and more filled with excitement and belief, realizing that maybe she wasn't dreaming...!

So at 4:15 in the morning, we went upstairs to Makayla's room.  Wide awake, she excitedly pointed to the Christmas tree in her room -

 ...and sure enough, there was a tree!  A little purple tree with white lights and Elf sitting on the branch.  He put up this Christmas tree and left pretty little ornaments, garland, and a star for her to decorate with. 

We peeked in Mason's room and to our surprise saw another tree - a little blue tree with white lights and a pile of ornaments, garland, and a star for him to decorate with.

Talk about MAGIC!!

Makayla was so excited and is convinced that Santa told Elf to put up the Christmas trees because she has had a dry pull-up for five nights in a row now!  I keep telling her that it's okay if she didn't have a dry pull-up.  I told her that I think Elf put the trees up because Santa is so happy that her and Mason have been so good! 

She also can't believe that she didn't even hear Elf when he was putting the tree in her room!

Tonight after dinner, we had a fun time decorating their little trees.

This whole day has been just as magical for me as it has been for Makayla!!

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So...Who is Elf?

Elf (name picked by Makayla) is one of Santa's elves.  He is magical! 

Every night he flies to the North Pole to report to Santa if the kids have been good or bad.  He tells Santa all of the good things that the kids do and how nice they are to each other.  He also tells Santa when the kids misbehave and don't listen to their mommy and daddy or anybody else who takes care of them or teaches them things.

Elf flies back to our house every morning and is always back before the kids wake up.  When they wake up they have to find him and when they do find them, they usually find a funny surprise with him - like the Christmas trees!

I think Makayla was a little scared of Elf when he first came to our house because she kept telling us that she didn't like him and every time she misbehaved and I reminded her that Elf was watching, she would break down and bawl.  I'm pretty sure that any fear she had of Elf is gone since he's left Christmas trees, though!  I keep telling her that Elf is good and he's here to look over them - to make sure they are being nice and to make sure they are happy and safe. 

From now until Christmas, our days are going to be filled with excitment and magic because we're going to have a tiny little elf keeping us busy with *surprises!! 

...I'm pretty sure I'm going to have some great things to blog about within the next month!!

*Thanks to my Uncle D and Aunt N, we have started a new family tradition!

Art Book

Sunday Morning Art

Still in her Justin Bieber tshirt from the day before, Makayla woke up Sunday morning excited to paint with watercolors from QTips.

My kids LOVE to make art.  They love to color, paint, cut, glue, sprinkle glitter, experiment, and make a mess!

I could save their art forever, filled in a tub, stored in the closet...

...or I could make a book of their art.

Pretty soon, Makayla is going to accumulate enough art for her first book.  I plan to take a picture of each piece of art and create a book on Shutterfly. 

Here are the first set of pictures I've taken of her art.  Each piece of art will have it's own page in the book.

...Just another book of memories and something fun to flip through and look back on!



Here With Our Family

Happy Thanksgiving!!

These past few days have been busy. 

A good busy. 

They've been family-filled, food-filled, and fun-filled!

On Thanksgiving day, Makayla and Mason got to go to both of their great grandma's homes - Great Grandma Allen and Great Grandma McWilliams.  How lucky are they?  Not only do Makayla and Mason still have two great grandmas still here, able, and independent, but they get to see them whenever they want.  They get to grow up with knowing the love of their great grandmas.  And not only are they lucky to have their great grandmas, but they are lucky to grow up in a world surrounded by their family.  

Family is so important and since having kids I couldn't imagine living our life away from our family. 

I know some people are in situations where they don't have a choice, but I thank God every day that we are here.  Here with our family. It's the best thing for our kids.

And for those of our family who do have to live away, we are so thankful that they come 'home' to visit and play.  We always look forward to our special time with them.

Aunt Nina with our two little booger butts on Thanksgiving!

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Friday morning - BLACK Friday - Kevin took the kids shopping for Christmas jammies...and he took his grandma.  Makayla and Mason picked out a pair of cute Christmas jammies and Makayla loved them so much she was insistant on wearing them around the mall.  So, of course, Kevin dressed her in the new jammies and sent me a picture, because while they were out braving the hustle and bustle, I was at work.  The picture of Makayla in her jammies put a smile on my face.

Makayla had a great morning - Daddy, Mason, Great Grandma Mac, the Mall, cookies, Christmas jammies...what more could a little girl want on a Friday morning?

Again - one more reason why I would never choose to leave here - Makayla was sooo excited to take her great grandma shopping with her!...and I'm sure Great Grandma Mac was just as excited to go with Makayla!

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That afternoon, Kevin and the kids picked me up from work and we headed to Osaka!!

Osaka is a Japanese restaurant, Hibachi and Sushi Bar, that I'm in love with!

We were meeting Grandma and Grandpa Allen, Aunt Nina, and Scot for a fun night around the grill.

 Mason loves Osaka just as much as I do.  He squealed and clapped with every burst of fire on the grills, he looooved the noodles, and had a great time flirting with all the cute girls at the next table.

The chef would throw rice and we'd have to catch it in our mouth.  Makayla wanted to give it a try, so Nina played the chef and Makayal opened her mouth wide!

 

Again - one more reason why I would never choose to leave here - Grandma and Grandpa Allen are here.  And so are Grandma and Grandpa Curry.  Makayla and Mason's grandparents are the four biggest and best influences in their lives.  I know it will be years and years from now before my kids ever realize how lucky they were to grow up with their grandparents just down the street and I know it will be years and years from now before they will appreciate it.

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Yesterday, Makayla had a lunch/movie date with her cousins - Bieber shirt and all.  We met at McDonalds to eat a little and play a lot, then we headed to the theaters to watch Arthur Christmas.  After the movies, we went back to Ky and Kole's house so the kids could play for a little bit.  They ate pizza and breadsticks and then each of them grabbed a spoon and ate Egg Nog ice cream right out of the carton.  They were in heaven.  Their mommy and I enjoyed the playdate just as much as the kids did.  It's one of the best feelings in the world when you can see your kids playing together, having fun, and forming bonds that will last a lifetime.

Again - one more reason why I would never choose to leave here - Makayla and Mason have Kyleigh, Kole, Aunt Jenny, and Uncle Andy...and Makayla loves them soooo much.

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 Thankfulness is a choice - one that we have to make in all situations - not just the good.

The Things They Say

Most nights, Makayla and daddy will go downstairs to lay in our bed and watch whatever sport is in season.  Last night, she must not have been in the mood for sports, or possibly not in the mood to lay down.  She kept going from upstairs to downstairs and back upstairs.  She'd lay in bed with daddy for a bit then run upstairs and lay on the couch for some Sprout.  On maybe her 5th run to the couch, I asked her what daddy was doing down there (there, being our bedroom).  She said he was "watching damn football". 

For the past couple of months, Makayla will randomly bust out the story of the day Mason was born.  She'll tell us that she cried and mommy cried and daddy cried when Mason was born.  She always says that we cried because we were so happy.  When she tells this story, especially the part about being so happy, she gets all warm and glows with a big smile.  Her eyes disappear in her smile.  Well...the other day when she told Mason that we all cried when he was born, I asked her why we cried.  She looked at me, and with a dream-like voice, said "It was magic!"...

Our Vacations

Mommy and daddy went to Mexico and Key West.

While we were cruising, we made some unforgettable memories with family and friends. 

We layed on the beach; mommy went kayaking and daddy went para-sailing over the ocean in Cozumel; we went snorkeling and got massages on the beach; walked Duval Street in Key West and visited some of the more popular bars on the island; ate a lot of good food and tasted some escargot and alligator; dressed up in fancy clothes; watched a sunset in Key West and won a conch blowing contest.

 We took lots of pictures, tried new things, and let loose.  We danced, we sang, we laughed. 

It was a beautiful vacation.

Makayla and Mason went on vacation to Grandma and Grandpa Curry's house. 

While on 'vacation' at grandma and grandpa's house, the kids had a lot of fun.  They did a lot of crafts; baked a lot - cookies, muffins, and more cookies; went on a field trip with school to the Festival of Trees; made a few trips to McDonalds (and had a lot of soda.  Ssshhhh...don't tell daddy); visited Grandpa Allen's work and had an exciting night out with Grandpa Allen; opened presents every night from mommy and daddy; ate a lot; and kept their same every day routine of going to school and going to daycare.  The kids had fun, played a lot, and kept busy. 

They were taken care of.  Grandma Curry even rearranged her living room to ease my fear of Mason falling through the rails of their bi-level house. 

They were in the hands and home of someone I trusted with my whole being.

...and that's what made this trip bearable.

As much fun as Kevin and I had on our trip, there were times that my heart was elsewhere.  My heart was being tugged in the direction of home - home with my babies.  And no matter what we were doing or where we were at, Makayla and Mason were always on my mind. 

I appreciate my time alone with Kevin, my mom, my sister, and our friends.  I am thankful for the rest and relaxtion under the sun without a care in the world. I enjoyed having zero responsibility.  It was exciting to lay out at the pool and not have to keep my eyes and ears peeled on my kids.  It was enjoyable to go to dinner all week and not have to let my food get cold while I cut up food and fed the kids.  It really was a great time...but that's not who I am or what I'm meant to do. 

I love being  a mommy.   I love experiencing life with my kids.  I love sharing my time and life with Makayla and Mason. And while I soaked in every single amazing minute of our vacation alone, I probably would not choose to be away from my kids for that long (6 days) again.  Don't get me wrong! - I'll take another vacation 'kidless', because it was absolutely lovely!, but just not for that long amount of time. 

I missed them so badly and by the 4th day, I was so home-sick for them.  I couldn't wait to walk in the door to see their faces and hear their voices.

...and once I picked them up and held them, it was like not a moment had passed.  All the anxiety, excitement, and nervousness of leaving them for a week and seeing them for the first time was gone.  We were all together again - happy, laughing, Mason was giggling, Makayla was hugging strong, and we were left standing there with memories of a wonderful week - happy to be together again.

Miss You

my beautiful babies...

...i'm going to miss you so much.

Two New Features

I've added two new features to our blog.

1.  You can subscribe by email.  In the top left corner, you will see "Follow By Email".  If you type your email address in the white box and click submit, every blog entry I create will be directly sent to your email.  The email will include the entire blog entry with pictures.  From there, you can go to our blog if you so choose, but you don't have to.  I am a subscriber to several of my favorite blogs.  This way, I get updated through email with every new entry. 

2.  You can search my blog.  In the top right corner, you will see "Search This Blog".  If there's something in particular you are looking for, you can search by keyword.  For example, if you type in "babies", you will get a list of entries that talk about babies - whether it be about my babies - Makayla and Mason - or all of the babies that Makayla has birthed!

I'm always looking for ways to improve our blog, and hopefully these two additions can be another good way for readers to keep up!

Four More Days

4 more days. 

4 more days until mommy and daddy go on vacation.

4 more days until we leave our babies and miss them with all of our being.

We've grown used to sharing every aspect of our life with our children.

They do everything with us - go everywhere with us - experience life with us.

We're a family and everything we do, we do together.

  I'm going beyond my comfort level.

And although I feel like a week without my kids is going to be unbearable, I can't wait to be alone with my husband...

...just the two of us -

relaxing,

reconnecting,

rekindling

romancing...

I lose my breath at the thought of missing out on a week of Makayla's and Mason's life.

I'm going to miss kissing them, hugging them, holding them, and tickling them.

I'm going to miss tucking Mason into bed at night and I'm going to miss Makayla's conversations and facial expressions.

I'm going to miss their cackles, soft cheeks, picking them up from daycare, Mason stuffing his mouth, Makayla playing with her babies...

I'm going to miss every single thing about my every day life at home...

...and I'm not quite sure yet how I'm going to make it through the week, but I do know that I will survive.

I will take advantage of my time with my husband, have endless fun with the family and friends who are joining us, and make some unforgettable memories. 

I'm going to be able to have fun and focus on the purpose of this trip because I know that Makayla and Mason are safe.  They will be in the best of hands while we're gone, being spoiled continuously without any interference from mommy or daddy.

But what I think is comforting me the most is knowing that Makayla and Mason will be together.  They won't be alone.  They will have each other while they're waiting for mommy and daddy to come home.

4 more days.

We're looking very forward to enjoying each other's company in ways we did before we had children and we're looking very forward to that strong embrace, filled with love, from Makayla and Mason when we get home.

Fabulous Ideas

A fabulous idea -

My favorite cake turned to cookies.  Oh ya, baby.

These cookies are so good.  They are so good they make me moan with the first bite, and I can't help it.

 Quick, easy, and fun to make with my baby girl.

A fabulous idea -

Displaying my kids' artwork.

Our refrigerator is already filled up with family/friend pictures, cards, invitations, magnetic alphabet letters, and a hundred other things - but I always found room to squeeze in or pile up artwork.  I think it's very important to be proud of your children's art and to hang it up on display.  It not only makes them feel good about themselves, but it also encourages them to do more.

As I literally ran out of space on the refrigerator, I decided to do a 'project' today.  I created this area on the wall, eye level to the kids, that will be our 'art wall'.  

A towel rod, curtain rings with clips, and art!
Voila! 

A fabulous idea -

Giving Mason a kit-kat.

I'm pretty sure the best part of his day was devouring a kit-kat.  When it was gone in 8 seconds, he wanted more.  And this picture below is what happens when you have your first kit-kat and mommy won't give you more. At first, he was sad.  He acted as if he wasn't sure how he was going to go on in life without another kit-kat.  Then his sadness turned into madness.  He was mad.  He was mad that I was sitting there laughing at him and taking pictures (of course) while he sat there and cried for more. 

It was funny, and sad, and he almost convinced me to give him another. 



Silence And Smiles

The kids are napping. I love it.

The house is quiet and the TV is muted. I love it.

…and if I hear the ice cream truck one more time, I’m going to…

Doesn’t he know my kids are sleeping and I’m loving this quiet time?

Last weekend, Kevin surprised me with a girl’s day out. We got pedicures, went shopping, and had a fabulous dinner at Osaka. Since then, I’ve been craving Osaka and can’t wait to go back.

This weekend, Kevin was involved with a surprise trip for his brother to a NFL game. Chiefs vs. Dolphins. The guys are gone in Kansas City having “guy time” for the weekend and Kevin couldn’t have been more pumped this past week.

…And next weekend, Kevin and I are going to escape together - kidless - for a trip the Caribbean. That’s a whole other post in its own. I’m not quite sure how I’m supposed to separate from my babies for that amount of time.

Anyway -

Makayla and Mason were playing in Makayla’s room the other day and Makayla was eating a sucker. Mason was going CrAzY because he wanted the sucker. He wanted it bad.

I told Makayla that maybe she should go downstairs to eat the sucker because since Mason can’t have one, it’s not very nice to eat it in front of him. She told me that "Mas would be okay".

When I went back upstairs to check on them a few minutes later, Makayla was crouched down by Mason, letting him lick her sucker. I was this close to stopping her, but I decided not to. I stayed out in the hallway so she didn’t know I was watching, and continued to observe the two of them. Makayla would take a couple of licks and then stick it back in Mason’s mouth for him to take a couple of licks. I let this go on for about five minutes.

She licked, he licked, back and forth, back and forth.

*Quiet time is over. I hear Makayla running full force into the living room.

So, after watching the two of them share Makayla’s sucker, I couldn’t help but smile. Makayla told me that Mason would be okay. And, she was right. Mason was okay. Makayla had a plan.  She knew exactly what she was going to do make Mason happy.  She was going to share her sucker.

I still can't get the scene out of my head.  Little Miss Makayla crouched down by Mason.  The room was filled with silence.  She proudly moved the sucker from her mouth to his mouth.  Then back to her mouth.  A smile across his face and a smile across her face. 

They were making each other so happy.

Silence and smiles.

Sister and Brother.

I love what they have with each other and in each other. 

I love them.

Here's Makayla after nap time, eating a Swedish Fish, begging to go wake Mason up.

"ya, dude, ya" - her new saying.



So Many Things Change, Yet Still Remain The Same

From 2010...

Makayla was a 2 year old pumpkin.

Mason was a one month old frankenstein.

We were joined by Alice and the Mad Hatter.

...to 2011

Makayla was a 3 year old kitty cat.

Mason was a 1 year old tiger.

We were joined by a pretty fairy and Peter Pan.

So many things change...

time.

seasons.

jobs.

family.

friends.

circumstances and situations.

life.

...Yet still remain the same

the joy.

the happiness.

the traditions.

the people

the love.

the things you know that will always be here with you and for you, no matter how many changes there are in this life.

so many things have changed over this past year. 

yet, despite all the changes, this halloween was just like last halloween.

we met up with cousins at grandma and grandpas house. 

the kids greeted each other with open arms, laughter, and squeals.

we held hands and marched the streets.

ran through the yards.

rang door-bells and filled our candy bags.

we hollered out 'trick or treat'!

we sat in grandma's living room and dumped the candy bags.

laughed and played some more.

it's a tradition.

and no matter what happens in the following year, we know that next halloween will be just like this past halloween.

no matter the changes we go through, we know that our love remains the same.

we can look forward to joy and happiness with each other.

and it's not just halloween - it's everything else in our life.

no matter what happens, our love remains the same.