pieces of me

tradition

each year shortly after thanksgiving we decorate our tree and each year there are new ornaments.  when we got married candy began the annual tradition of giving each child a christmas ornament that was representative of the past year.  it might be related to an activity that they had a great time participating in or related to a book that had caught their attention.  today she sometimes regrets starting that tradition because it can sometimes be very hard to decide what is the best ornament to get or, even worse, decide what would be perfect then be unable to find it. 

but each year she comes through.  and each year i think the kids are more excited than the last to see what was chosen for them.  it is an exciting kick off for our christmas season celebrations. 

after each new ornament is opened we then place them on the tree first.  then it becomes a wonderful stroll down memory lane as we unpack and hang up each ornament for each child from the previous years.  our tree has few decorations that are not related to a childhood memory.  as christmas, at least the tree, presents and santa, is really for kids it is a deep pleasure to open ornaments from years past and talk about what was going on in each child's life at the time the gift was given.  if you asked any one of them what they got for christmas last year or any year for that matter they would be hard pressed to give you and answer.  but if you asked them what ornaments are their's and what is the meaning and memory behind that they can talk and laugh for hours. 

tradition.  it binds us together by reminding us that we have a shared past, shared memories, shared love.

this one is for you, peepie....

so i was talking with my very sweet niece today and she enlightened me on my lame blogging.  i know i have been sooooooooo bad but life has just been so crazy.  but wait, life was the reason that i started this blog.  i want to document what is happening in our lives so that family can stay in touch with us and watch the "itty bitties" grow up.  ("itty bitties" is the name the laura has so lovingly given to her three younger siblings.)  anyway, i just had to post today because i know carla will look tomorrow to see if i have posted.  surprise -- i did and it is just for you.  oh by the way, peepie is the name we so lovingly gave carla as a "itty bitty" baby so many years ago.  love you baby girl!!! 

i will end with a picture of will.  he is getting so big.  this picture was taken in late august.  we took the kids out for a photo shoot.  i promise to post more of the pictures later.  i guess i am recommitted now to keep up with this blog. 

it's july, it must be another birthday

july is birthday month.  yesterday was will today is mg tomorrow is... well we do get a little break before the next round of b'days.  mary grace, mg, mar-mar, mrs. taylor (that still sounds a little weird to me) she answers to them all.  as she has grown she has taken on many identities and roles but she will always be my baby girl.  i just don't want to get this look that she gave ben the other day.

too bad dad or candy always has a camera handy, huh?  anyway she is an accomplished young woman now, having gained tenure at her teaching job, about to finish her master's degree, and many other things.  but in this family she will always be mar-mar or mg, big sister and daughter.

we love you,
dads and candy
ps remember to smile when the camera is out

my baby

turned 3 today!  i can't believe he is already 3!  it just seems like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital.  time is going by sooo very fast.  i really wish i could stop time and keep him a baby a little longer.  it really hurts my heart to see him grow up so fast.  will is so proud of becoming a "big boy".  he tells me everyday that he is a big boy now and is growing up as high as benny.  he will be on his tippy toes reaching up for the sky as he says, "as high as benny".  he is such a joy in our lives and really completes our family.  he is loved by everyone that knows him.  he is spoiled rotten and loves all the attention he gets. 

here are some of the things he is doing right now at 3:

1. can count to 5.
2. can sing his abc's.  which he only gets to c. 
3. he knows about a quarter of the alphabet and can name the letters.
4. he loves to play ball and can hit a baseball off of a tee.
5. he loves to go to the park with his big sister laura.  he loves to go in her car.
6. he is totally potty trained and trained within a week.
7. he can throw a ball with a lot of force.
8. he fights off "bad guys" with any stick he finds outside.
9. he loves to play cars.
10. he loves to aggravate his older sister especially emily.
11. he loves to watch the backyardigans.
12. he will point his laser at you and shoot.  (learned that from buzz lightyear who he loves)
13. he favorite blankies are blue dots and little blue which he still calls them mmmm, mmmms.
14. yum yums are candy and his favorites are skittles and mints.
15, favorite saying is "i don't really know".
16. asks why about 1000 times a day.
17. loves to eat: strawberries, corn on the cob, tomatoes, fruit snacks, cold hot dogs, peaches, oranges.
18. is saying "i love you too."

and we love you, will!
happy birthday, mommy and daddy.

mia or a lame blogger

not sure which one it is.......missing in action or just a lame blogger.  i promise i do have many reasons/excuses to my absence, but i will not go into that part of my catch up post until later.  i need to backtrack a little and do a post on my very special 9 year old.  i was telling pat the other day that i needed to post because i had not even posted for hannah's birthday.  well she overheard the conversation and was very unhappy.  she said "it is already the end of june and my birthday was in april."  (well, as i thought about it i guess it is better she learned now that i had dropped the ball on her post instead of years to come when she is reading back through this blog)  just remember hannah ~ i do love you!  :)  mommy is just running in too many directions sometimes. 

april 13th,  our baby girl hannah turned 9!

hannah is such a great daughter, sister and friend.  she is well liked by all of the kids at school.  everyone loves to be around her and is always telling her how great a friend she is.  she is a super big sister to her two younger siblings. she loves horses and has been taking horseback riding lessons for a year.  she loves to draw and paint.  she likes to write stories.  she likes to read and has begun to read harry potter!  she loves to discuss lots of things and is always asking questions.  we are so proud of the young lady she is growing up to be.  hannah we love you very much.  mommy and daddy

before i end this post i must tell you about the holiday that you might not be aware of that today is.......today is benny is great day!  you see a few years back the big kids were babysitting for us one night (early june)  and ben decided to write on a day on the calender that did not have anything written on it.  well what he wrote was benny is great day on june 23rd.  so when june 23rd came around we took a cookie cake to his work celebrating benny is great.  since that time we have continued to celebrate benny is great day.  we love it....gosh, everyone should have a great day.  truth is that we really do think benny is the greatest and this is a great way to show him.  love ya, benny. 

Happy Mother's Day

The kids and I have jumped on the blog again while Mom does other things (thank goodness for the downstairs computer).  We just wanted to post a GREAT BIG HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to our mommy (and wife).  The mommy who does it all for us and every one else.  She takes care of us at home and where ever we go.  She volunteers to help at school and around town for many worthy causes but always comes back to us because she loves us best!

Happy Mother's Day to all.  We also wanted to say a GREAT BIG HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to Grandma and Mimi.  We LOVE YOU!!!

The kids (and Dad)

Ready for School

So Candy goes out of town for a "girls weekend" Thursday through Sunday I might add.  Before she leaves she laid out clothes for the girls and instructed Laura to do their hair. 

Ok so I know that I am not the best at matching clothes or fixing hair but come on, you be the judge, these kids look very cute.  They both helped pick out their clothes and decided to decorate their hair.  Personally I think it looks good.  And if it doesn't then maybe Candy will think twice about abandoning me and the kids just to have a few days of relaxation and fun without having to cut up someone's meat or wipe a nose that isn't hers or any of the thousands of things she does every day to make sure we all get out the door on time and dressed appropriately  for the day. 

Well I guess this will also teach her to leave her passwords around where I can find them.

Have a great day and remember, cute is in the eyes of the beholder.

Pat

i boy

will is becoming such a little independent boy these days.  he gets very upset when he is not allowed to do things himself.  he now considers himself a "big boy".  one thing that he does not like is to be called anything but boy.  i will walk into his room to get him up from his nap and say "hey sugar".  he promptly says "no i boy".  it is so funny.  no matter what you say to him he comes back with "i boy".  he is always very funny about telling me when there is a "big mess" as relation to my past post.  when we are driving down the road and he sees something that he considers to be a "big mess" he will tell me.  so when other people in public comment on how cute he is, i usually will say "yes, and he is a mess".  he will always turn to me and say "i not mess" as he is pointing to his clothes to show me he indeed has not made a mess.  so sweet!  other sayings he has right now:
- lots (as he is waving his hands in the air in circles) this is when he wants a lot of something. 
- big one...meaning this is big.
- one more...asking for another one.
- b r b r b r....this is his name & the alphabet.   hannah will often times spell his name, so if you ask him his name he will not say will but spell it for you. also, when he sees a  letters on something, he will say b.
- much...i love you too. 
- yes, yes....he has gotten into when you tell him no about something he will say yes-yes in return trying to convince you his is right and knows what he is talking about. (wow - wonder where he learned this???)

just in case you are wondering......he is definitely spoiled rotten.  but when you are this cute -- how can you not be????

7 years old

yep...our baby girl is 7.  can you believe it?  emily is a very sweet and compassionate child.  she likes to help others and is always wanting to please everyone around her.  she will usually think about others before herself.  anytime she has her own money to spend she will buy something for hannah and will before she will look for herself.  she loves school. she is often put in leadership roles at school.   she loves to dance and sing.  she is all into picking out the perfect outfit and often can be found in front of the mirror fixing her hair.  her daddy says she is becoming more and more like her mother everyday.  she is not a baby anymore and that makes me so sad.  daddy loves to have them grow up and i would love to freeze this time and keep them little forever.  but i guess if they do have to grow up, i am glad she is growing into the person she is. 

our sweet emmy.  we love you and you make us very proud. 

grateful

i must say that i have started to post about a dozen times in the last month and it just has not happened.  actually, i am not sure where the last month has gone.  here are some highlights of the month:
-went to ikea in atlanta.  loved it.  must go back real soon.
-taxiing kids around to horseback, dance, writing class, and piano.
-celebrating benny's bday.
-attending a band concert.
-several weeks of nightly meetings to include school board, fto(school), committee for jsl planning and church.
-planned and hosted a baby shower for lois gregory (hannah's 2nd grade teacher)
-watched mg become a tenured teacher for the city of maryville. 
-planned a bday party for emily and made invites.
-planned a bday party for hannah.
-planning the major fund raiser for junior service league.  yes, you guess it i am in charge of the whole event. 
and all of this was done in the first few weeks of march.  after this was spring break.  i was so excited for spring break to come because we could relax without a schedule (somewhat).  so pat leaves for the sec tournament in atlanta on friday, march 14 (first day of spring break).  this was going to be one of my catchup days ~ he calls after he arrives in atlanta to inform me that he had left his tickets at home.   so i offered to meet him in chattanooga so he didn't have to drive all the way back.  the kids and i loaded up in the van and off we went.  needless to say, this was not a catchup day for me.  that pretty much set the tone for spring break.  of course pat being in the georgia dome at the time the tornado hit and then having to drive home on saturday after the games were moved to georgia tech was not exactly how he had planned his tournament weekend away.  so i guess we all have to be flexible.  wrapping up the end of the spring break week, emily got sick on friday with a nasty stomach bug. she was still sick on monday so i took her in to the doctor.  dr. gilley said she had a nasty virus and would hopefully be better in a few days.  i did keep her home from school on tuesday because she had not eaten anything for several days so i was afraid she would get sick at school.  pat gets up tuesday morning and says he is not feeling well but off to work he goes. he comes home very sick about an hour later.   i nursed him as much as possible on tuesday.  that evening hannah had her writing exhibit at school.   i took all the kids and we went to her exhibit after we got home and i got the kids in bed i started to not feel so well.  about 11pm i got the bug emily and pat had.  oh my was i sick ~ i don't think i have ever been that sick.  luckily (if you call it luck) pat was ahead of me in the sickness by about 14 or so hours.  so he was somewhat able to help me late into the night tuesday and early wednesday.  pat had canceled his patients for wednesday and while recouping from his illness he was able to be home to take care of me and the kids.  we were a pair i promise!   pat had to call mg on wedneday afternoon and ask her to go by the grocery store for bread and soup.  we did not have anything in the house to feed the little ones for supper.  (have not had time to fit grocery shopping into the schedule).  he told mg to drop the food and run ~ sure did not want her to get the bug.  of course, she was sweet enough to help us.  thanks, mg!  well.......what does all of this have to do with my post title of grateful????  on thursday night when we were saying our family prayer emily was praying.  in her prayer she says "we are so grateful that we have so many siblings that can help us when we are sick or faced with fears".  it is these times that i don't want to forget.  emily has such a sincere spirit and often humbles me.  i love that she understands the love that her siblings have for her and that she is grateful for it.  it is these times as a mother that you get the glimpse of the eternal perspective of this life.  i am grateful for my family and the love we share. :)

hannah all smiles at her writing exhibit and her watercolor illustration on her story cube.