Growing up...

In a couple of days Ethan will be attending preschool twice a week! He is super excited and tells everyone that he is going to go to school like "big kids". I on the other hand needed a little bit more convincing to let him go but I know he is sooo ready for it and will absolutely love it. Plus, it will prepare him for elementary pre-k next year and that happens to be everyday. I just hope I am ready by then too. He has grown so much this year and it shows. Anytime, he listens really well or solves a problem by himself he replies with, "It is because I am growing up Mom!". I have to agree with him, he can still act like a three year old but now he knows the art of reason. Just the other day we were in the checkout line at the store and Ethan asked for some candy. I said "NO" and he said, "But I ate all of my dinner and I have been a really good boy in the store." I started to laugh that he knew to point out his good points in order to get what he wanted. He was able to get his candy. He still rocks as an older brother and Gracie is lucky because some of things she has done to him that he has let her get away with is crazy. I remember being a young sister and hitting after being hit. Ethan just says, "We don't hit Gracie" and walks away. That is some constraint! A couple of nights ago, I had dinner cooking in the oven and Gracie kept walking by touching the oven door. Ethan scolded her right away, "Don't touch that, it is very dangerous and HOT!". After he said that, I didn't think twice about what Gracie was doing, I was surprised my kid used a 4 syllable word and he was not repeating after me!

Now, little miss Gracie is her own person and is either hot or cold. You got to love her tenacity and stubbornness though. She loves to play with other girls her own age but the boys already know not to come too close because she will give them a tongue lashing. When we are at playgroup, I will say "Oh man, where is Gracie?" and the other mom's all say "oh she is fine, just playing, no one will hurt her. I laugh and say, "Yeah I know she is fine but I am worried about your kids!" She is in the whole baby doll phase and likes to put her babies to sleep and feed them. She loves singing songs and her favorite is "Ring around the rosey". She loves playgrounds and running with the big kids. If Ethan is playing with his friends that are his own age, than that is where she will be. She will be the pesky sibling that follows the older one around. She has a major shoe fetish and loves trying on everyone shoes. She hates to brush her teeth but loves taking baths. Recently, she has insisted on walking around the house shirtless and just thinks it is the coolest thing. It is a game that Ethan plays with her. He will take off his shirt and say "Look at me Gracie" and she will come running up to me upset because she is still wearing hers. Her and I are learning the fine art of time out. It would be okay normally but when you have two people who are too alike pitted against each other it can be quite hard. I have a feeling over the next 17 years, Gracie and I will have many more moments like that. It will be interesting but I guess that is why there is that saying - Daddy's Girl-.

Gracie loving dinner

Ethan riding on train

Duck Pond

They were acting like they were talking to each other

Chasing the duck

Gracie kept eating the bread instead of throwing it.

Jeremiah and Ethan

Three's a Charm!

I don't know if there is any truth to that but we will see in about 5 months. Our little family of four will be welcoming it's newest member. That's right, we are having another baby! We are excited and were a little surprised by how quick we got pregnant. We weren't planning on actually trying till June but it seems that once your husband comes back from deployment, you lose track of everything. I am due January 31st, which cracks us up because we will be celebrating a birthday every two weeks in our house but if my life isn't busy, it wouldn't be my life. Of course, Ethan is excited and that was to be expected seeing how he has been requesting a new sibling for some time now. I asked him "How does the baby come out of my stomach?" and he replied with "Mom, they will cut you with some scissors but don't worry because they will put your blood back in and use glue and tape". Ethan also thinks we are having a baby boy and I have to agree with him. I am having the same pregnancy and cravings I had with Ethan, but we will have to wait and see.

However, since becoming pregnant, people have been so kind to ask us what we were thinking since we already have a boy and a girl. "Why on earth would you have more?"..... Ugh, in our house everyone is treated equally and if one gender came out potty trained you can bet your house that would be the gender I would be rooting for but since that doesn't happen, boy or girl we are blessed to have more. People may think we are weird but the one thing that Eric and I know is that we are not normal. I don't know if this will be our last, I am secretly waiting for my internal baby switch to turn but we really don't know. Of course, if it was up to Eric I could be pushing our 10th child out and he would be right there asking if I was ready for 11! I always thought it was the other way around, where guys were the ones you had to pressure into having more kids. Not my husband, he seems to love me barefoot and pregnant!

If you give a mouse a cookie...

Today we went to the Magik Theater to watch the play "If you give a mouse a cookie". Ethan loved it and was laughing at all of the mouses crazy antics. Gracie was throwing the biggest fit beforehand but as soon as the play started she was glued. She sat there patiently eating her popcorn like she was at the movies. It was such a cute play and the actors did a great job getting the kids involved. I know we will be going back again!

Ethan watching the show

The Actors

Us right before the show

All of our friends

Annalise and Gracie

The kids getting ready for the show

Before the show

Swimsuit Mania

I think it is official that I have seen my kids wearing their swimsuits more than any other piece of clothing this summer. Plus, we still have two more months of summer. We are either at the pool or at someone's house where they have a pool.

Ethan making the baby pool a wave pool

Mom has friends???

Yesterday I was making a pie to take to a book club and curious Ethan happened to notice what I was making and started asking questions.

Ethan: ooohhh, Are you making a pie for dessert Mom?
Me: Nope, this is for my friends, but I will save you a piece.
Ethan "You have friends????" The expression on his face was priceless. Like if I had totally surprised him.


Then I started to wonder what Ethan must think of my social life. It got me thinking that he must assume when all of us moms get together it must be to only let the kids play. He has no idea that we enjoy each others company just as much as he enjoys his friends company. I wonder if he even notices that we talk to each other while he is playing. He may just think the world revolves around him and his friends.

Well what really cracked me up was earlier today we went to a friends house for dinner. All of the older kids were sitting at small table by themselves having their own conversation. Out of no where Ethan tells his friend Sami, " Hey, my mom has friends!!!". He didn't say it like it was common knowledge but more with a weird look on his face insinuating that it was just bizarre for his own mother to have friends. He just only thinks of me as "his" mother but not as my own person.

Dora Dance

Isn't she too cute! She loves her Dora.

Firehouse Tour

Yesterday our playgroup got the chance to tour a Firehouse. We got to see their trucks, uniforms, all the gadgets along side the trucks, and even got to spray the hose. Of course, since water was being sprayed out like a sprinkler, the kids had fun running underneath it. Thankfully, the Fireman were smart enough to leave that surprise to the end because all the kids got soaked. Ethan was watching his friends run in the water and asked me if he could go. I told him sure. Then he said that he didn't want to get his clothes wet so he asked if he could go naked. I laughed and told him that if he wanted to get wet, his clothes would have to get wet too and reminded him we only lived 3 miles away. He decided to let loose and joined his friends. By that time Gracie was already exhausted so she was already in her stroller with a snack and didn't feel like running in the water. I think everyone had a great time and it was nice for the kids to see the trucks up front. Sorry, there are a lot of pics but it was a really fun day.

All the kids with the fireman

You can see Ethan is loving it

The fireman showing the kids what he wears

Looking at all of the gadgets

Gracie was running everywhere

Annalise and Gracie playing. They are about a month apart.

Gracie trying to lift a heavy helmet

Gracie in the front seat of the truck

Can you see how strong willed my daughter is!
She wouldn't look at me

There's my photogenic child!

In the front seat

Amelia and Ethan.
She is one of his best friends

Here is Ethan's other buddy Jeremiah. We were stationed with the Clarke family in Ohio and now stationed together again here in Texas. Plus, we were in the same playgroup there too. The boys are about a month apart. Annalise (previously pictured) is Jeremiah's sister.

Ethan spraying the hose

The kids getting soaked. Ethan is on the far right.

All the wet kiddos

Another picture

Girl's Night

Last night was a chance for me to enjoy talking and eating without saying " No, Stop it, please eat". In other words, it was Mom's Night Out. I got to hang out with all of my friends and enjoyed a peaceful night of sushi and ice cream. However before I left for dinner I realized my toes were seriously lacking some color, so I whipped out the nail polish and painted them leaving the nail polish on the counter. Well, when I came home and went to check on a sleeping Gracie, I realized she also got a little pampered. Her toes were nicely painted the exact color of mine. It seems like Eric is more wrapped around her little toe than her finger. Although this morning Ethan seemed a little left out. He told me he wanted blue polish but Dad told him No.