So Long Christmas Decor!

The Christmas decorations were all packed away on the 1st, but I wasn't ready to pack away our Christmas dishes just yet.

Nam and Pa get me a new Holiday Plate with the year each Christmas, and I want to display it longer than a week. I especially love this year's, because it reminds me of Becky. She loved snowmen, and David loved the St. Louis Cardinals. I have a feeling that I will hug this one each year as I unpack it.
Wade came to help wearing his Daddy's work boots....backwards none the less.

Sleepy-time Friends

Back to School

Today was rough. Lee did not want to go back to school. I did not want Lee to go back to school. Lee had to go back to school. We trudged through our morning routine and made it to school. Then Wade cried all.the.way.home. from school. "I want Lee! Go get Lee!" I saw no point in him crying alone, so I cried too. We got home, and Wade went room to room looking for him. Finally, we got our act together and made the best of it. Around 11:30, the school nurse called and said Lee had gotten hurt during PE and needed to come home. Wade had just gotten down for a nap, so I called to see if Matt was available to go get him. Thankfully, he was. The nurse at Rhea is out of this world. She assured me that he was fine, but she knew that he would be much better if he got to recover at home. (I'm pretty sure she was thinking he just needed his Mommy!) I really figured he just exaggerated to get to come home early, so imagine my surprise when he walked in the door with a swollen lip that looked like he just went 3 rounds with Tyson. Okay, that's a bit much, but he did look pitiful. He had dried blood all over his face and clothes. Two classes go to PE at the same time, and they were playing tag. According to Lee, "Some Kindergartner wasn't watching where she was going, and she ran smack into his lip with her head." He toughed it out and finished the game. He said that his friend, Hayden, told him he had a lot of blood on his mouth. That's when he started to cry, and by the time the teacher got him to the bathroom, he had swallowed enough blood to make him sick. That led to him throwing up a couple of times, thus prompting the nurse to send him home. He recovered very quickly once he was home:-)

Later as I was cleaning out his backpack, I found an "accident report" from his PE teacher. I thought that as a hoot!

Potty Time

Santa left a potty reward chart in Wade's stocking, so he took the hint and has started going to the potty some.

He loves adding the stickers way more than he loves going to the potty, but it's a start!

New Slippers

Thanks for the new kicks, Nam! We love them!

Post Christmas Fun

The weather has been so mild that we have been able to get out and enjoy the new toys the kids got for Christmas.

Lee got a Rip Rider from Mawmaw and Pawpaw that he L-O-V-E-S!
In the instructions, it says that a "helmet is not required" because it can't turn over. Hmmm....

Next up, Lee was itching to try out his new BB gun that Paw got him.

And the baby got a turn on the dangerous toy:-)

Matt was pretty excited to try out the BB gun, too. He put Lee in the back of his truck, so he could lean against it to shoot.

Lee was a good listener and wanted to do it all right.

I didn't get a picture of the target, but the two of them wore it out! They were awesome and had a blast.

Meanwhile, I was in charge of keeping the puppies and Little Bit out of their way.

No problem, since Wade has learned to climb and slide on his own.

He could do this for hours!

Keep the sunshine comin' so we can keep playin'!

Beaver Baby

See this precious angel of mine?
Well, he loses his halo and turns into a beaver when he gets into his high chair!

Those precious teeth right there have done a number over the past couple of weeks on his high chair. My dad bought us a cherry high chair when Lee was born, and I immediately had visions of it being a sweet heirloom to use for many years. I don't think Lee ever took a bite out of it. However, Beaver Baby can't get enough of it. He has one particular place that he sharpens his teeth at each meal. We quickly stop him, but not before he leaves his latest mark. Last night, we decided it was time to get tough. I suggested putting something that tasted bad on it. Matt jumped up and grabbed the hot sauce. (Okay, maybe something a little less cruel!) Lee suggested vinegar. (Wonder how he knows it tastes bad:-) Bingo! Vinegar to the rescue. I dabbed some on the appetizing spot, and not only did it not deter the Beaver, he couldn't stop licking it! Next, I found some tomato pesto seasoning that is VERY strong. I sprinkled it on there, and he licked it a couple of times and then stopped. I forgot to "pre-treat" the spot this morning before putting him in for breakfast, so after his first bite, I grabbed the first spice I could reach, which was garlic powder. Not only did he lick off all the powder, but he kept licking his fingers and "dipping" them back in the spot where I put the garlic. So back to the tomato pesto we went. It did stop him, if only temporarily. If you see us out and about today, don't be alarmed at the strong stench of garlic, it's just my baby!

Out of the high chair, he resumes his angelic ways. I suppose one day when I'm a grandmother, I'll tell his son the story about when his dad left those precious teeth marks in that very high chair in which he is sitting. But for now, I'm going to keep spicing him up until he stops!