The Angels Sang and I Swear the Heavens Parted

I know I usually reserve the blogspot for cute lil quips about something cute or sweet my angels have said or how much I love my amazing husband, but today, I have to break the rules.
Isn't she so pretty??? This picture truly does not do her justice. I could just cuddle with it on the couch for a few short moments and take in all of her wonderful smells. I have wanted a red shiny bag for over a year now and have waited because the heavens didn't part when I saw one.
A few weeks ago I heard the angels sing and I swear it was glowing on the shelf at Dillards during their year end clearance sale. I was with my mom and it's beauty was so hard to resist. I did resist, amongst all of the angels trumpets and all of her radiating warmth that I knew I felt. I had, the day before, decided that I was going to save more and spend less. To buy the bag would've been like cheating on a diet the day after I had started, right? I told myself, if it is still here when I come back, it is meant to be. If she's gone, I would remember her and kick myself, but move on.
I went to see a friend the next day and told them of the beautiful bag and how I decided not to buy her. I got a phone call later from my friend who works at the store, and said she was still on the shelf, did I want her to get it? I couldn't help myself. "Yes!!"
My sweet friend Tammy came by today at 8:00 this morning to drop off the bag so I could wear it to MAPS. I had my checkbook ready to pay her and she insisted that it be a gift. Seriously too much, but she wouldn't let me.
So this is my Tammy bag and each time I carry her I will think about my sweet girl and our treasured friendship. I knew there was a reason the heavens parted and the angels sang...

Also an added surprise that I didn't even know until I started filling Tam before we rushed out the door; Zebra lining. So perfect and so fun! Love you Tami-kins! So thankful that I can call you my girl.

Hangin in the tent

My sweet goobley came and dragged me into his toy room this afternoon saying, "Mom, come 'ere, come 'ere". After he was almost screaming at me, I came to see what he was dragging me to play with, thinking it was some boy toy that he wanted to fight me with as I made an attempt to make my girlie version of gun and fighting noises. Instead I found that he wanted me to get the collapsible Sesame Street tent out to set up in the toy room. We set it in the middle of the floor and I climbed inside with him. He sat in my lap and we looked from the inside and talked about all of the Sesame Street characters. What were their names, what were they doing and such. Ernie was holding rubber duckie and Maddox said, " Aww, they hold hands. That's friendly." I couldn't help but giggle at his use of a BIG word and his sweet frankness about the relationship between rubber duckie and Ernie. He then says, "this is my hiding place mommy. I love you". Could I just cry??

I am so glad that I got up and went into the cramped tent with my Maddox today, leaving behind whatever meaningless task it was I was doing. He is standing next to me now, making his cars drive on the computer desk, and making sounds as they race and crash into each other.

How sweet and incocent he is at this very moment. Why do I feel that if I blink it will be gone??

Lil Miss Princess

Lil Miss has become quite the diva princess of late. Carrying around mommy's purse, forever into mommy's make-up, mommy's nail polish strewn everywhere, carrying around a baby constantly, and beginning to play dress-up seem to be the norm for sis. The boys never did any of those things!! Except the dress-up. Super heroes costumes are a daily thing with masked twosome.
The pic to the right is a frequent new look for miss Ava. In some sort of shoe that is not hers and carrying mommy's bag and waving goodbye to her adoring admirers...her brothers and any one else who gives her the least bit of attention. She usually has a baby slung over her shoulder saying how nice it is when she kisses baby's forehead or pats baby's back. It is really, really adorable, I must say. Although the gut hanging below the shirt may call for a little Stacy and Clinton rescue from "What Not to Wear" for a style fix if she gets caught. I'm sure I could possibly find some way to spend the 5 grand they'd give us on the Visa check card!! They make designer bags for toddlers and I have seen heels for babies!!
The make-up thing is enough to drive me crazy in the mornings when a eye liner or blush brush cannot be found. I spend more time looking for my make-up than time it takes to put it all on. Zipping the make-up bag does help, but I know that is only a short term fix before she figures out how to get into the beauty products. She's my daughter....can't go anywhere without lipstick of course!!

The sweet tu-tu to the left was made by Nana for the lil princess for Christmas. She loves it!! She does not want to take it off unless it falls off her mid run and she doesn't realize that it fell off her tiny little behind. She's already for Meggan to come and teach her how to twirl and leap with the best of them!! Is 18 months old to young???

So my sweet lil princess is beginning to sprout into the baby girl that I always wanted. I had to pinch myself the other day as we sat in the middle of the living room combing Darby's synthetic red locks and talking about her shoes. I cannot wait for Barbie's and doll houses and sweet little clunky plastic shoes as we go into Dillons.

How could I be so lucky to find 3 handsome heroes and 1 lil princess?? Maybe I'm the evil queen....

Big brother

I need to tell all about how sweet I have caught my sweet lil goobley being.

Sis was throwing one of her dramatic fits over not getting juice or a cracker or some little thing that I did not drop all to get for her. Since Jackson was at school that morning, Maddox had to step into the comforting big brother role. He chased her all over the room until he finally caught her and embraced her with loving pats on the back and words that everything was going to be alright. I got this pic just before the drama queen pushed him away saying, "no, top it!". He then began to chase her again...

When did he decide to get so big?? Usually he is my ornery little mess that I cannot resist. But this morning, he was sissy's comfort.

His speech has begun to improve by leaps and bounds and suddenly he has shown interest in being a big boy and wondering about the potty. Wondering is something, right???? Ahhh, to only have one child in diapers again... I can only dream.

Sweetie's birthday

My sweetie Danno celebrated his birthday last week and I thought I'd share some of the fun. The entire day the kiddos had been so excited to give daddy all of his gifts. We made his FAVORITE cake, decorated the house with balloons, and practiced singing happy birthday and saying surprise about 1000 times. The kids were ecstatic for his arrival. Daddy called and said he would be late. I suggested meeting him at dinner so the kiddos growling stomachs would get fed as soon as possible. Once home following dinner, giggling and grins followed. Our theme for the year was "garage organization". Dan and I spent a VERY cold day following Christmas organizing and arranging the cabinets that he had received for fathers day back in June. So proud of all of our hard work, he needed a few more things to make this project complete, thus, the garage organization theme. The above picture is of the kids with the gifts that they picked out for daddy. SO fun! and below, is the complete garage before FATHEAD placement on an adjacent wall. Happy birthday baby!!

Finally, Christmas pictures

Long time no Blog

I have given up on my husband ever downloading a video from Jackson's program for me. It was really cute and he did a great job. Maybe Danno will post it sometime before the 4th of July!!

To catch everyone up on our holiday happenings, it can simply be summed up as short lived sicknesses, passed to the entire family. Pink-eye, began the week before the Christmas, along with Ava's ear infection, hives and cold. Jackson then began throwing up and 2 days later got pink eye. I in turn got pink eye and a sinus infection. Maddox then started puking, then me Christmas eve, Papa Christmas day, my sister-in-law the day after Christmas, and my brother 2 days following that. Gotta share the love!!

After the company left, Dan and I felt that we needed to cleanse the house and clean -up all the gunky illness that had settled over the holiday. We took down all 7 trees, Santas, lights and snowmen the weekend following Christmas and I felt so much better sitting in an illness free, clean home.

All in all, the kids had a fun Christmas and actually "saw" their presents. After last year's opening fiasco, the kids with piles of gifts, Dan and I decided to do less. We gave each child 1 gift, and they gave each of their siblings 1 gift, along with all of the other gifts they got from nan and papa and aunts and uncles, it was more than enough. They seemed to enjoy what they got instead of throwing it aside for the next gift. I think we continue this for years to come. And it makes the shopping so much easier on mama!!