How fast they learn

Oh, it is one of the most amazing parts - watching and learning. Today, while Jackson was taking a nap, Kaitlyn and I played with the chalk on the sidewalk. We weren't making pictures, we were writing. She can write P,9,1,K. Well, those are the ones she liked most to write this morning as well as thinking we were making a Hopscotch board. She likes that game. It amazes me how much she is learning, not just from us, but from everything. Her school has really emphasized, language, letters and numbers. She is ready to move up to the primary classroom and hopefully soon.
Jackson is talking so much. We see the white part of his first tooth. It has taken a month just to see that part. He is a happy little guy and wants to move around badly. He inches whichever way he can however he is sitting or laying. He has a bad habit of reaching for things and in so doing, hair gets pulled alot as well has hitting the face. I have had to wear my hair in a ponytail a lot and he still manages to get my wispys. He is going to be 9 months on Sunday and is wearing 18 month clothes. He is trying to pull up on things and laughs at anything daddy does. He laughs with Kaitlyn a lot too. As for what is going on. One of our bathrooms is in shambles. The cabinet had standing water left in it after a plumber came. It has now been over a month before we could get a new cabinet. And when they pulled out the cabinet yesterday to replace it, they found mold and water stains on the wall. Now we are waiting for the mold-killing spray to dry and for them to come back to put in new drywall. We are lucky the plumbing company decided to pay for it and that we can use the other bathroom for the kiddos. I am glad we don't have too much going on this week or weekend!

What is that?

Sooo we went to Beaumont for Memorial Day. It was fun - hot and we hung out in the pool a lot. We also learned how we can put an outdoor umbrella so it can shade part of the pool for the kids. Jackson loved the water and splashed a lot. Kaitlyn loved jumping into the pool and playing on the steps.

I loved the umbrella idea and have been meaning to get an umbrella for us, that I finally did last night. Kohl's was having a great sale. Can't wait to try it out when the rain stops. This means we can stay in the pool longer. I don't think sunscreen really works that great, and so I have always tried to limit outdoor time in the summer. Although, a friend of mine has mentioned a suncreen at CVS called blue lizard or something like that. It was recommended by her dermatologist.

Wedding Season

Well, we trotted on down to Ville Platte, LA for a wedding this weekend - Brandon's cousin - Josh. He served in Iraq a couple of times. The kiddos did great. We left Jackson with Aunt Bonnie since the wedding was in the middle of the day and we knew it was going to be a long wedding. He was able to get in a good two hour nap and have lots of play time.

Kaitlyn had one too many marshmallows at the wedding and has had a little bit of a tummy ache. She just couldn't hold it on the way home to Plano so we had to make a very quick stop on a side road. Luckily, it wasn't in the car. We had that on the way back and on the way there, Jackson had soiled his outfit a couple of times. Brandon remarked that he was pretty tired of smelling poop all weekend. I laughed. It was just the way he said it because it really was nonstop. But the kids still were happy.

It looks like it is going to be a hot week and we know what that means: Pool Time.

Here are some photos from the weekend. I took a couple of wedding shots that I think turned out really pretty. I just love taking wedding photos. It is the best. I would love to be a wedding photographer, but the hours are crazy. I will just have to settle for being an amateur like in the Olympics.

Attacking the pile

So friends out there who love photos, you will know what I mean, when I say, I am attacking the pile. I have had a huge box, and basically, my pile of photos to be filed, put in books, for scrapbooks just sitting around. I know this is a huge project, and so I let it sit. I know I need a lot of time to work through what I am going to do with everything, but told myself I didn't have the time. The toughest part is getting started.

Finally, I have been inspired. When I was in KC in April, I went with my two wonderful cousins to Hobby Lobby, just so happened to be a huge scrapbooking sale going on, and bought scrapbooking stuff for albums. They also gave me insight into how they are preserving their family memories. I have now devised a plan of attack and have worked a little bit on it every night. I am wading through a couple of years of photos, and it hasn't been too bad because I did try to keep somewhat organized at the time.

And to make things even better, I just received the Exposures catalog. They are having a huge sale on photo albums right now. I can't wait!

So here is my plan: I have a baby scrapbook album for the first year of both kiddos. I will have a scrapbook for each kiddo going forward and just make a two spread layout for each birthday and then another spread or two for the year's highlights. I will then have a family book just for the holidays and special highlights.

Other than that I will have yearly photo albums with the year embossed on each. The photo albums in Exposures allow you to add or remove pages so I can probably do a book a year, I hope. It sounds like a lot of work, but really in a year's time, I think it is a reasonable goal. Also, I plan to contact friends who love to scrapbook. This is the bring a buddy to workout strategy, then you will definitely have to scrapbook!!

If anyone has any other helpful ideas, send them my way. I hope to be on my way to photo organization heaven soon!

Like Spring, there are changes around

Do you hear it? It is Jackson! He has been talking up a storm. Oh, the changes that are going on right now are amazing. It is like everything just clicks and so many things are starting to happen at once. He is saying bye/bye and mama. I think he may be associating these with the right meanings, but maybe it is just really trying to get into conversation around here with a talkative big sister.

I am beginning to see him push around on the floor and he is enjoying his sister joining in more to feed him. He is about to get his first tooth. It is about to push through the gum any day now. We are just waiting because he has been fussy, drooling like crazy, and sleepless, not to mention the diapers!! Kaitlyn enjoys him trying to chase her around in the walk around toy.

Today, at Jackson's Kindermusik class, we were singing the bye-bye song and waving. He started saying bye bye. Miss Jeanie pointed it out and was amazed how he kept going for the whole song. We are doing this class in the fall with both kids again because they loved it so much. Kaitlyn will move up to be with the 3 to 5 year old class where she will go by herself and then the parent joins for the last 15 minutes of class. It has definitely sparked a music interest in Kaitlyn. We will definitely miss the parent/child classes. They are so fun and just another milestone of Kaitlyn growing up too fast!

When parents think everything is funny...

I have to share this little tidbit. I called Brandon right after to share it, and we of course have a good laugh over it.

I have both Kaitlyn and Jackson's baby/kid books out because they have been doing so many things. Jackson is turning and reaching like crazy on his belly, like he is trying to crawl. He has the arm and leg thing down, but can't seem to lift his big belly up. My back has been killing me lately trying to pick him up so I can see why he is having such a hard time!

So back to the original story... Kaitlyn was playing in the little area that is fenced off from the pool, and I went inside to check and watch Jackson. He was playing on his belly. Kaitlyn was having a snack at her picnic table. I brought Jackson out with me five minutes later and Kaitlyn had pulled three juice boxes out of the little pool fridge and put the straws in. Also, there were about four Cheezit crackers by every box. I started to say that we don't get all of these extra drinks out, but I stopped myself. I asked her who these snacks were for and she said some of her friends' names: Jake, Caroline, Matthew, Zoe and of course Jackson. It was so cute. I guess she just wanted to prepare for our little Cinco De Mayo party we are hosting on Monday at our house. Kaitlyn has already named the pinata, Benny. I hope she doesn't mind us hitting the crud out of that thing on Monday!