Well our holiday season continued right along last night with the annual McCool family gag gift party. Matthew and I hosted but could not have done it without the help of the entire family. This party is one that you never know what you will get and is always a guaranteed good time.
What I loved about last night was sitting and watching all of the kids. They sat there together and watched everyone open their gifts, they are all close and they all fold my little ones into their group - they protect them and take care of them. It warms my heart to know that even though there are 6+ years in age difference these young adults get that my little ones look up to them and enjoy spending time with them.
Of course there were lots of good gifts given, Adam gave himself a gift - that was a first, Andy was gifted gear for the shot spot, Doug and Ashley learned that their LaRosas obsession can now be remembered everyday with their photo of Josh, Eddie got yet another card to remind him of the snow blower, Kasey and Brady were introduced to the exchange with great gifts and Candy got a dog. There were many more gifts, too many to share.
What I can share is that the McCool family is truly an amazing and fun group. I am honored to be a part of their family and so glad that they could all join us for our fun times last night.
I cannot wait to see the couples photos, Aunt Cathy picked up a fun photo opt for us, hopefully I will be able to share some soon.
I love Christmas and I love all of the family time that comes with Christmas, the gifts are fun but they aren't want is important, our time together is priceless and I am so glad that we were all able to get together last night to kick off our week of Christmas!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Where we are at this time of their lives
Over the last few days I realized how much more my children have changed and grown. I see it everyday but the little things are starting to really show so I am going to take a few moments to write them down so that we can remember this time in our lives. As I write, Maggie, Caden and I are sitting down to watch Charlie Brown's Christmas - one of my favorites.
Caden - he is a solid 41lbs and almost 42 inches tall - wow - where did that 4lb 10z baby boy go?
He is super excited for Santa to come and ask almost everyday when his Beyblades that he asked Santa for last weekend will be here. He wakes every morning and looks for our Elf - Santa's Little Helper - to see where he is hiding out. He did a great job last night at his Christmas concert, he sat up there and sang with all of his friends and really just surprised me that he even participated. He loves to "rock out" with daddy every morning on the way to school and just last weekend we finally created him his own play list on the iPod so that we don't have to keep looking for the same 4 songs. Of course all 4 songs are songs that the Reds players come up to bat with but he loves them and sings along - really a 4 year old singing Riot - guess Rock on the Range when I was pregnant with he and Maggie set in! Caden is very emotional right now, many times we hear, "I am so upset." and the reason why following. He is a better big brother to Mallory and Cale then I could have ever imagined. As long as they are not taking their toys he loves them. Caden is finally trying new things and interacting with his friends at school, he takes his time but once you are a friend he talks non stop about you. And of course his blanket is with him everywhere he goes. He is our little Linus.
Maggie - what can we say about Maggie, she lives in Maggie's world and it is simply an amazing world where everything is wonderful and the fun never stops. She only weighs 31lb 8oz and is 39.5 inches tall, she is a peanut but a very determined peanut. She is enjoying dance class and loves to practice her ballet at home. She enjoys playing with her babies and being a mommy. She thinks that I am, "the best mommy in the whole wide world" and that daddy is, "the best daddy in the whole wide world" and of course we do not disagree. She LOVES to dress up and her #1 item on her Christmas list is a Jessie outfit with a pink circle hat. I sure hope Santa can deliver. She actually wrote Santa a letter and sat on his lap this year. Maggie sang her little lungs out at their school performance and is doing great in school. She is coloring in the lines and very proud of it, she even took one of her first "in the lines" artwork to show and tell the other day - she had colored it about 4 weeks prior - she is as proud of herself as her momma is proud. Maggie loves the Christmas lights and of course sweetly convinced her daddy that we needed to decorate our house. Poor daddy has had a fight with those lights! She is a baker, she is learning Memaw Donna's secrets for Mrs. Kraus's cookies. Her favorite line right now is when it is time to close our eyes and go to sleep, "but my eyes won't close." We will have our hands full with Miss Maggie but for now I am enjoying my adventures into her world.
Caden and Maggie as twins, they do fight with each other but they are playing together better than ever and playing nicely together. They are still the opposite of each other but they love each other and that twin thing - yeah it's there.
Mallory - oh Miss Mallory, you are amazing your momma with just how much you know. She knows all of her body parts, she knows lots of animal sounds. She has learned to say Santa and walks around the house saying, "ho ho ho" however, when it came time to sit with Santa she had a death grip on daddy. She is just a funny little girl and makes lots of cute and silly faces. She will discipline with the best of them, most of the time it is Cale who just followed her and did what she just did and got in trouble for but her NO is stern. When you ask her, "did you have a good day at school?" her reply is, "Yeah" like she knows what you asked her. Her favorite sayings right now are: "I stuck" - for when she is trying to climb up on something, "I pooped" for when you asked her if she pooped, "Melmo" which is for Elmo, one of our current obsessions, "blank" for her blanket, "Hi Friends" for everyday when we walk into her classroom to say good morning to our friends, and "mine" what else did you expect when there are 4 kids in a house? She LOVES art and holds her crayon beautifully. Just tonight she pointed to an apple on the wall and knew what it was, "apple" of course it took me 3 times before I realized where she was pointing but that made me proud, she is learning. She can repeat each family member's name and probably says Caden or Papaw best (well besides momma and dadda). She is just a sweet heart, she will be our quiet trouble maker and probably always blame her brother.
Cale - he is definitely ALL BOY! He is as much lovable as he is a bully. He has a BEAUTIFUL head of curly hair - and no I am no where near ready to cut it. He has taken to Curious George just as his older brother did at this age and proudly carries George and his "blank" with him every morning into school. He is a climber - on everything and anything. NOTHING scares him. He loves playing with cars and right now his favorite is a fire truck. He lines up his cars just as he has seen his big brother do a million times. His favorite word is probably, "No" but he says many other things. "Spoon" which goes for a fork or a spoon, "more" for usually more food, "Nana" as he LOVES bananas and would eat 2 a day if we let him, "milk" is another must have for him and "push play" anytime he sees a TV that is not turned on. He never sits still and loves to explore. He is a ham when you pull out the camera and definitely loves to see his photo after you take one. He can "sing" his ABC's and loves to count to 3, usually when he is running to jump in his ball pit. He is a creature of routine and I am okay with that as he makes it easy to get up and put to bed that way. But you better not be late for getting lunch, he will come to you, grab your hand and lead you to the pantry - the kid is on an eating schedule as well. He is a brute and will not hesitate to jump in the pile to have fun, but he is a snuggler too. And again, for the record, no I am not ready to cut his hair.
Mallory and Cale as twins, they too are very much opposites. They eat their bananas different, Cale starts at the pointy end, Mallory at the part where we broke it in half to share with Cale. Cale would rather dump the box of crayons or eat a crayon than color. However, they can share with each other and both love their blankets. They are getting too big, they are transitioning to cots soon for naps at school but their teacher isn't worried, she said just the other day, "you could throw their blankets on a pile of rocks and they would grab it and go to sleep!" And yes, they too have that twin bond thing going on - it is truly a blessing to watch.
I am so honored and proud that God chose Matthew and I to be the parents of these amazing little people. It isn't easy but nothing matters more than the smiles on their faces, the holding of a little hand and a hug and a kiss that can make anything go away. They are teaching us more about the world and ourselves than I could have ever imagined. I am so looking forward to creating more holiday traditions with these kiddos and cannot wait until Christmas morning!
Enjoy a few photos from a quiet moment tonight when they all sat down to color - this was their doing I just made sure everyone stayed of the table top! It only lasted about 15 minutes but I will take this sweet moment and I am so glad I captured it - don't mind the missing clothes - if you know our house it is the norm!
Caden - he is a solid 41lbs and almost 42 inches tall - wow - where did that 4lb 10z baby boy go?
He is super excited for Santa to come and ask almost everyday when his Beyblades that he asked Santa for last weekend will be here. He wakes every morning and looks for our Elf - Santa's Little Helper - to see where he is hiding out. He did a great job last night at his Christmas concert, he sat up there and sang with all of his friends and really just surprised me that he even participated. He loves to "rock out" with daddy every morning on the way to school and just last weekend we finally created him his own play list on the iPod so that we don't have to keep looking for the same 4 songs. Of course all 4 songs are songs that the Reds players come up to bat with but he loves them and sings along - really a 4 year old singing Riot - guess Rock on the Range when I was pregnant with he and Maggie set in! Caden is very emotional right now, many times we hear, "I am so upset." and the reason why following. He is a better big brother to Mallory and Cale then I could have ever imagined. As long as they are not taking their toys he loves them. Caden is finally trying new things and interacting with his friends at school, he takes his time but once you are a friend he talks non stop about you. And of course his blanket is with him everywhere he goes. He is our little Linus.
Maggie - what can we say about Maggie, she lives in Maggie's world and it is simply an amazing world where everything is wonderful and the fun never stops. She only weighs 31lb 8oz and is 39.5 inches tall, she is a peanut but a very determined peanut. She is enjoying dance class and loves to practice her ballet at home. She enjoys playing with her babies and being a mommy. She thinks that I am, "the best mommy in the whole wide world" and that daddy is, "the best daddy in the whole wide world" and of course we do not disagree. She LOVES to dress up and her #1 item on her Christmas list is a Jessie outfit with a pink circle hat. I sure hope Santa can deliver. She actually wrote Santa a letter and sat on his lap this year. Maggie sang her little lungs out at their school performance and is doing great in school. She is coloring in the lines and very proud of it, she even took one of her first "in the lines" artwork to show and tell the other day - she had colored it about 4 weeks prior - she is as proud of herself as her momma is proud. Maggie loves the Christmas lights and of course sweetly convinced her daddy that we needed to decorate our house. Poor daddy has had a fight with those lights! She is a baker, she is learning Memaw Donna's secrets for Mrs. Kraus's cookies. Her favorite line right now is when it is time to close our eyes and go to sleep, "but my eyes won't close." We will have our hands full with Miss Maggie but for now I am enjoying my adventures into her world.
Caden and Maggie as twins, they do fight with each other but they are playing together better than ever and playing nicely together. They are still the opposite of each other but they love each other and that twin thing - yeah it's there.
Mallory - oh Miss Mallory, you are amazing your momma with just how much you know. She knows all of her body parts, she knows lots of animal sounds. She has learned to say Santa and walks around the house saying, "ho ho ho" however, when it came time to sit with Santa she had a death grip on daddy. She is just a funny little girl and makes lots of cute and silly faces. She will discipline with the best of them, most of the time it is Cale who just followed her and did what she just did and got in trouble for but her NO is stern. When you ask her, "did you have a good day at school?" her reply is, "Yeah" like she knows what you asked her. Her favorite sayings right now are: "I stuck" - for when she is trying to climb up on something, "I pooped" for when you asked her if she pooped, "Melmo" which is for Elmo, one of our current obsessions, "blank" for her blanket, "Hi Friends" for everyday when we walk into her classroom to say good morning to our friends, and "mine" what else did you expect when there are 4 kids in a house? She LOVES art and holds her crayon beautifully. Just tonight she pointed to an apple on the wall and knew what it was, "apple" of course it took me 3 times before I realized where she was pointing but that made me proud, she is learning. She can repeat each family member's name and probably says Caden or Papaw best (well besides momma and dadda). She is just a sweet heart, she will be our quiet trouble maker and probably always blame her brother.
Cale - he is definitely ALL BOY! He is as much lovable as he is a bully. He has a BEAUTIFUL head of curly hair - and no I am no where near ready to cut it. He has taken to Curious George just as his older brother did at this age and proudly carries George and his "blank" with him every morning into school. He is a climber - on everything and anything. NOTHING scares him. He loves playing with cars and right now his favorite is a fire truck. He lines up his cars just as he has seen his big brother do a million times. His favorite word is probably, "No" but he says many other things. "Spoon" which goes for a fork or a spoon, "more" for usually more food, "Nana" as he LOVES bananas and would eat 2 a day if we let him, "milk" is another must have for him and "push play" anytime he sees a TV that is not turned on. He never sits still and loves to explore. He is a ham when you pull out the camera and definitely loves to see his photo after you take one. He can "sing" his ABC's and loves to count to 3, usually when he is running to jump in his ball pit. He is a creature of routine and I am okay with that as he makes it easy to get up and put to bed that way. But you better not be late for getting lunch, he will come to you, grab your hand and lead you to the pantry - the kid is on an eating schedule as well. He is a brute and will not hesitate to jump in the pile to have fun, but he is a snuggler too. And again, for the record, no I am not ready to cut his hair.
Mallory and Cale as twins, they too are very much opposites. They eat their bananas different, Cale starts at the pointy end, Mallory at the part where we broke it in half to share with Cale. Cale would rather dump the box of crayons or eat a crayon than color. However, they can share with each other and both love their blankets. They are getting too big, they are transitioning to cots soon for naps at school but their teacher isn't worried, she said just the other day, "you could throw their blankets on a pile of rocks and they would grab it and go to sleep!" And yes, they too have that twin bond thing going on - it is truly a blessing to watch.
I am so honored and proud that God chose Matthew and I to be the parents of these amazing little people. It isn't easy but nothing matters more than the smiles on their faces, the holding of a little hand and a hug and a kiss that can make anything go away. They are teaching us more about the world and ourselves than I could have ever imagined. I am so looking forward to creating more holiday traditions with these kiddos and cannot wait until Christmas morning!
Enjoy a few photos from a quiet moment tonight when they all sat down to color - this was their doing I just made sure everyone stayed of the table top! It only lasted about 15 minutes but I will take this sweet moment and I am so glad I captured it - don't mind the missing clothes - if you know our house it is the norm!
I love these children and could not be more proud!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Today is the day our lives changed forever
4 years ago today - almost to the hour - our lives changed forever as Caden and Maggie entered the world. Okay really our lives changed back on April 16, 2007 when we implanted two embryos who both decided they wanted to be part of our family but nothing prepared us for the day when we would become parents to these two little people.
Caden and Maggie entered the world at 10:38 and 10:39 PM on November 28, 2007 and our worlds changed for the better.
As I have said before we waited so long to become parents and to finally be able to see the babies I carried for 34 weeks was amazing. I would love to say that holding you both was the best part but Caden, I didn't get to hold you for a few days as you need some support in the NICU. I did get to give you a kiss as the wonderful doctors took you out to get you going on your life. Maggie, I was only able to hold you for a short time before you too needed the attention of the NICU doctors, fortunately for mommy you were there less than 16 hours so I got to have one baby with me at all times. After all, we went through so much to finally have you I didn't want to let you two out of my sight.
I have to truly thank our support system who made you possible, from the family and friends who were there through the hard times of trying and then the support of finally turning to IVF, to Dr. Scheiber and the nurses, to Dr. Gardner - really all of the doctors at the practice - who made sure I was doing everything right to keep you safe and to finally Dr. Johnson who delivered you into this world and all of the nurses (including Aunt Nicole) and doctors at Good Sam who cared for you once you were here. To our family and friends who provided support from day one of your lives and who continue to provide support after 4 years - I thank you - each and every one of you have made an impact in their lives and are making them better people for what you do. They say it takes a village to raise children and that is for sure - our village is wonderful and I could not imagine not having you all in our lives.
Caden Joseph, you are growing into a young man. You are so straight forward with what you think and say. You have a big imagination and you care about everyone and worry about everything. You love deeply and you have passion for life and the things you enjoy. You love to cuddle, you love your blanket and you continue to amaze me each day with what you know.
Maggie Lynne, you are blooming into such a beautiful little lady. You have so much passion and love for many things but mainly life in general. You remember everything. You are smart and continue to amaze us each and every day. You are tiny but love big. You love your family and have endless energy. You have an amazing imagination and can enter many worlds in one sitting. You are sweet and kind. You cannot wait to be 5 but please let's just be 4 for 364 more days.
You are two individual people who can be the best of friends or the worst of enemies but no matter what I know you love each other and could not have a better twin. You miss each other when you are not together and would do anything to cheer the other when they are down.
Daddy and I are proud of who you are becoming. I cannot believe it has been 4 years but it has been an amazing 4 years and I am looking forward to what the next 4 years will bring.
We love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays!
Caden and Maggie entered the world at 10:38 and 10:39 PM on November 28, 2007 and our worlds changed for the better.
As I have said before we waited so long to become parents and to finally be able to see the babies I carried for 34 weeks was amazing. I would love to say that holding you both was the best part but Caden, I didn't get to hold you for a few days as you need some support in the NICU. I did get to give you a kiss as the wonderful doctors took you out to get you going on your life. Maggie, I was only able to hold you for a short time before you too needed the attention of the NICU doctors, fortunately for mommy you were there less than 16 hours so I got to have one baby with me at all times. After all, we went through so much to finally have you I didn't want to let you two out of my sight.
I have to truly thank our support system who made you possible, from the family and friends who were there through the hard times of trying and then the support of finally turning to IVF, to Dr. Scheiber and the nurses, to Dr. Gardner - really all of the doctors at the practice - who made sure I was doing everything right to keep you safe and to finally Dr. Johnson who delivered you into this world and all of the nurses (including Aunt Nicole) and doctors at Good Sam who cared for you once you were here. To our family and friends who provided support from day one of your lives and who continue to provide support after 4 years - I thank you - each and every one of you have made an impact in their lives and are making them better people for what you do. They say it takes a village to raise children and that is for sure - our village is wonderful and I could not imagine not having you all in our lives.
Caden Joseph, you are growing into a young man. You are so straight forward with what you think and say. You have a big imagination and you care about everyone and worry about everything. You love deeply and you have passion for life and the things you enjoy. You love to cuddle, you love your blanket and you continue to amaze me each day with what you know.
Maggie Lynne, you are blooming into such a beautiful little lady. You have so much passion and love for many things but mainly life in general. You remember everything. You are smart and continue to amaze us each and every day. You are tiny but love big. You love your family and have endless energy. You have an amazing imagination and can enter many worlds in one sitting. You are sweet and kind. You cannot wait to be 5 but please let's just be 4 for 364 more days.
You are two individual people who can be the best of friends or the worst of enemies but no matter what I know you love each other and could not have a better twin. You miss each other when you are not together and would do anything to cheer the other when they are down.
Daddy and I are proud of who you are becoming. I cannot believe it has been 4 years but it has been an amazing 4 years and I am looking forward to what the next 4 years will bring.
We love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays!
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| You chose a rainbow for your cupcakes and we made and decorated them! |
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| You also picked an ice cream cake! |
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| Making birthday wishes! |
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| Birthday Surprises Bring Smiles! |
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| Driving at 4! |
You had a ball for your birthday, from picking and making your cupcake treats to playing hard at Jump In, I think it is safe to say that it was a successful 4th birthday!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Just fitting for me today....
I am not one who will steal someone's facebook post and copy to my own but today I saw this from a friend who has a house full of girls and I just love it and it is very fitting as we prepare to host the family tonight for a little pre-Thanksgiving fun.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The things they are thankful for....
This week Caden and Maggie had the opportunity to bring in pictures and photos of the things that which they are thankful. Being that they are almost 4, I was not sure what to expect but I have to tell you they did a really great job telling Matt and I what they wanted pictures of for their posters.
So here are their list:
Caden is thankful for:
So here are their list:
Caden is thankful for:
- Baseball
- Toy Story
- Ice Cream
- Race Cars
- His Family
- Lightning McQueen
Maggie is thankful for:
- Flowers
- Colorful feathers
- Ballet shoes
- Ballerinas
- My Family - those were her words
- Cupcakes
- Princesses
I love the way these two look at the world. They have the simple things figured out. While I know that life will not always be simple to them, I am sure glad that they are seeing the world through their own eyes right now and that just about everything is beautiful.
I am thankful that I am their mom!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Blessing of a New Baby! Happy Birthday Abby!
Yesterday some very dear friends were blessed with a beautiful baby girl.
Miss Abigail Taylor entered the world at 8:31 PM weighing in at 5lbs 4oz and 19.5 inches long.
She has a head FULL of beautiful black hair and is just the most precious thing ever. I still have to work on convincing her mom that the head full of hair requires an obnoxiously large bow or flower but even without she is just gorgeous.
Matthew and I were able to visit at lunch today and the proud, first time parents are doing great. Miss Abby is super sweet and I was lucky enough to get to snuggle her for a few moments today. Just too precious.
To Scott and Megan, congratulations, you two did great work on her. We are so lucky to have you 3 in our lives and thank you for letting us visit today.
To Abby - the 4 McCool kids CANNOT wait to meet you. Caden and Maggie are developing plans of their own on how they will play with her once she is big enough to play! It happens to involve some racing with Caden and dress up with Maggie.
And to Brandy - nice job on the photos - lots of memories were captured that I could easily "borrow"
Miss Abigail Taylor entered the world at 8:31 PM weighing in at 5lbs 4oz and 19.5 inches long.
She has a head FULL of beautiful black hair and is just the most precious thing ever. I still have to work on convincing her mom that the head full of hair requires an obnoxiously large bow or flower but even without she is just gorgeous.
Matthew and I were able to visit at lunch today and the proud, first time parents are doing great. Miss Abby is super sweet and I was lucky enough to get to snuggle her for a few moments today. Just too precious.
To Scott and Megan, congratulations, you two did great work on her. We are so lucky to have you 3 in our lives and thank you for letting us visit today.
To Abby - the 4 McCool kids CANNOT wait to meet you. Caden and Maggie are developing plans of their own on how they will play with her once she is big enough to play! It happens to involve some racing with Caden and dress up with Maggie.
Happy Birthday Abby and Welcome!
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| Patiently waiting Parents to Be! |
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| The Happy New Family |
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| Proud Daddy |
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| Aunt Z and Momma with Miss Abby |
And to Brandy - nice job on the photos - lots of memories were captured that I could easily "borrow"
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The Precious Moments of Life
I am continuously amazed by my children and this past weekend was no different. The simple everyday moments with them are the ones that amaze me the most.
Sunday I gave up my Bengals ticket so that my mother in law could go watch her loved Steelers in person and that meant time with my kiddos, which I love. So as I was sitting there with Caden and Maggie, we were watching the Bengals and Steelers play. Caden who, god love him has been brain washed by his Memaw Jo, was cheering for the Steelers and giving me a run for my money on who was cheering on their team more. He is sitting there wearing his jersey, saying they are going to win and really just cracking me up that he has passion to cheer on a team who he would have never had known if it wasn't for his Memaw Jo.
We watched the first half together then Mallory decides to join the party, well he got her to cheer with him. So there I am laying on the couch with 3 kids sitting on top of me, 2 of them cheering for the Steelers, me cheering for the Bengals and 1 - Miss Maggie - just cheering for the "people". It was a beautiful and amazing moment. I asked Maggie who the "people" were and she said, "you know - those people" pointing to the TV - I guess she was cheering for both teams and their supporters too!
Cale wasn't to be left out - he eventually woke from his nap and got in some snuggle with mommy time. He thinks I am very good at pushing play on the DVD so that we can watch a movie together, right now Toy Story 3 and Curious George are our favorites. Laughter was all around us this weekend as we watched these movies and the kids act them out with their own toys and to hear the monkey sounds of Cale and Mallory are just priceless.
Later in the day on Sunday, as the tag team of Caden and Maggie emerged to get mommy to cave on what they wanted to do, Maggie proceeds to tell me, "mom, you are an awesome mommy" I think it was because I got their game down for them but either way hearing it come from her was heartwarming. And yet those two amazed me by playing nicely together for an hour then picking up their game and asking me to put it away for them.
Then just yesterday as Caden, Mallory and I are driving home from Connor's basketball game - which he won and played great at, Way To Go RED! - Caden says to me,"mommy, I want to get an After Burner Monster truck for my birthday and Christmas, you know the one we saw when we went to get toys for the kids who don't have any" my heart melted. At work we are collecting for Operation Christmas Child, which delivers a shoebox size of gifts to children who may otherwise have nothing for Christmas. I decided this year to involve Caden and Maggie in this process, I really did not think that the meaning would sink in for them as Matt and I took all 4 kids with us to purchase some items, it was just chaos and took everything we had to just get out of the store. But my little man proved me wrong - he got it and I couldn't be prouder of him. Yes he maybe asking for something for himself but he knows that there are children out there who don't have toys and who don't have the things that he does. I can only hope that this is the beginning of the many teachings I want to share with my children about doing things for others.
Yesterday those precious moements hit me and made me stop to think about our many moments lately, so today as I finish up my lunch I had to take a minute and reflect on what is truly the precious moments of life...
It is the everyday things that my children continue to teach me that make it just an amazing honor to be lucky enough to be their parent. It is their love and laughter that sends smiles to your face and warmth to your heart. It is knowing that they are learning and watching you everyday. It is knowing that they are becoming amazing people. It is knowing love! Thank you my babies, thank you.
Sunday I gave up my Bengals ticket so that my mother in law could go watch her loved Steelers in person and that meant time with my kiddos, which I love. So as I was sitting there with Caden and Maggie, we were watching the Bengals and Steelers play. Caden who, god love him has been brain washed by his Memaw Jo, was cheering for the Steelers and giving me a run for my money on who was cheering on their team more. He is sitting there wearing his jersey, saying they are going to win and really just cracking me up that he has passion to cheer on a team who he would have never had known if it wasn't for his Memaw Jo.
We watched the first half together then Mallory decides to join the party, well he got her to cheer with him. So there I am laying on the couch with 3 kids sitting on top of me, 2 of them cheering for the Steelers, me cheering for the Bengals and 1 - Miss Maggie - just cheering for the "people". It was a beautiful and amazing moment. I asked Maggie who the "people" were and she said, "you know - those people" pointing to the TV - I guess she was cheering for both teams and their supporters too!
Cale wasn't to be left out - he eventually woke from his nap and got in some snuggle with mommy time. He thinks I am very good at pushing play on the DVD so that we can watch a movie together, right now Toy Story 3 and Curious George are our favorites. Laughter was all around us this weekend as we watched these movies and the kids act them out with their own toys and to hear the monkey sounds of Cale and Mallory are just priceless.
Later in the day on Sunday, as the tag team of Caden and Maggie emerged to get mommy to cave on what they wanted to do, Maggie proceeds to tell me, "mom, you are an awesome mommy" I think it was because I got their game down for them but either way hearing it come from her was heartwarming. And yet those two amazed me by playing nicely together for an hour then picking up their game and asking me to put it away for them.
Then just yesterday as Caden, Mallory and I are driving home from Connor's basketball game - which he won and played great at, Way To Go RED! - Caden says to me,"mommy, I want to get an After Burner Monster truck for my birthday and Christmas, you know the one we saw when we went to get toys for the kids who don't have any" my heart melted. At work we are collecting for Operation Christmas Child, which delivers a shoebox size of gifts to children who may otherwise have nothing for Christmas. I decided this year to involve Caden and Maggie in this process, I really did not think that the meaning would sink in for them as Matt and I took all 4 kids with us to purchase some items, it was just chaos and took everything we had to just get out of the store. But my little man proved me wrong - he got it and I couldn't be prouder of him. Yes he maybe asking for something for himself but he knows that there are children out there who don't have toys and who don't have the things that he does. I can only hope that this is the beginning of the many teachings I want to share with my children about doing things for others.
Yesterday those precious moements hit me and made me stop to think about our many moments lately, so today as I finish up my lunch I had to take a minute and reflect on what is truly the precious moments of life...
It is the everyday things that my children continue to teach me that make it just an amazing honor to be lucky enough to be their parent. It is their love and laughter that sends smiles to your face and warmth to your heart. It is knowing that they are learning and watching you everyday. It is knowing that they are becoming amazing people. It is knowing love! Thank you my babies, thank you.
Friday, October 21, 2011
I almost missed an opportunity...
Last week Caden was selected to be Star Student at school, this week Maggie was selected and because I was too busy worrying about life and what was going on at work, I almost missed the opportunity to record the kids answers to questions about their life.
That was until I was brought down to reality by our Maggie. I will post more on their answers later but right now this is the one line that brought me back to reality, made me realize that it is definitely time to slow down and to stop missing time with my family....
The question was, "When I grow up I want to be..." Maggie's answer, "5 and ride on a school bus"
Just think about it, that is the realm of her growing up and it is only a short year away.
So to start my Friday, I have tears in my eyes, proud, happy and sad tears, and I took 5 minutes during my morning coffee to stop and record this moment because my little Maggie Lynne made me remember what is most important, mommy needed this to bring her back to her priorities. No it should not take my almost 4 year old to remind me but sometimes it does.
Here is to a happy Friday and a great weekend filled with lots of family time!
That was until I was brought down to reality by our Maggie. I will post more on their answers later but right now this is the one line that brought me back to reality, made me realize that it is definitely time to slow down and to stop missing time with my family....
The question was, "When I grow up I want to be..." Maggie's answer, "5 and ride on a school bus"
Just think about it, that is the realm of her growing up and it is only a short year away.
So to start my Friday, I have tears in my eyes, proud, happy and sad tears, and I took 5 minutes during my morning coffee to stop and record this moment because my little Maggie Lynne made me remember what is most important, mommy needed this to bring her back to her priorities. No it should not take my almost 4 year old to remind me but sometimes it does.
Here is to a happy Friday and a great weekend filled with lots of family time!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Our family vacation to Gatlinburg TN
This summer we did not get to take a week long vacation but we did get to take 4 days and head to beautiful Gatlinburg, TN. Our reason for when we decided to go is so that Matt, Caden, Papaw Frank and Big Papaw could go to the NASCAR race at Bristol but we enjoyed our trip and here are some great photos to remember our time by.
Waiting to start our adventures in the aquarium! What a great place for the kids to explore and learn plus they are stroller friendly - bonus!
The little ones loved the carousel! We rode 3 trips making for a dizzy mommy!
And now for when Matthew decided it would be a good idea to take the older two to the race park - not a good idea. Here are Caden and Maggie trying to see if they can ride the rookie track by themselves.
And since they couldn't ride by themselves daddy thought they should ride with the adults - Caden's face says it all! He cried the whole time and Maggie spent most of the trip hiding under Papaw Frank's arm! GREAT IDEA??? Oh well they did it but they both said they do not want to do it again but being a McCool I know this was just the beginning of race track driving tries.
So that is our trip - it was relaxing, even with sick kids - of course there were sick kids we went on vacation didn't we? It was great family time. Plus anytime we can take these kids to places to learn and explore I know we are blessed.
I would like to give a big shout out to Matt and Jesse. Matt for letting me borrow his camera and Jesse for having Matt as her boyfriend so I had the opportunity to use and try with a wonderful camera! It was a great way to capture our memories so thank you both!
Waiting to start our adventures in the aquarium! What a great place for the kids to explore and learn plus they are stroller friendly - bonus!
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| Don't they look thrilled to be there? |
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| Matt making fun of me for capturing all of our memories! |
Condo time:
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| Where Cale spent most of his time, rearranging the furniture on the deck! |
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| And this is where Cado spent most of his time. He played at least 2 rounds a day! |
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| Maggie showing her golf skills - hold still ball! |
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| Mallory came out to play |
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| Matthew taking some lessons from Caden at the end |
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| This is how Mallory walked for at least 2 months - on her knees! |
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| More putt putt - this time a new course |
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| Riding the carousel |
The little ones loved the carousel! We rode 3 trips making for a dizzy mommy!And now for when Matthew decided it would be a good idea to take the older two to the race park - not a good idea. Here are Caden and Maggie trying to see if they can ride the rookie track by themselves.
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| Maggie trying, Caden NERVOUS |
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| He had way too much time to think about it |
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| We were in the cars but Maggie was too short so we bailed! |
I would like to give a big shout out to Matt and Jesse. Matt for letting me borrow his camera and Jesse for having Matt as her boyfriend so I had the opportunity to use and try with a wonderful camera! It was a great way to capture our memories so thank you both!
I love vacation and this one was no different.
There was swimming, eating, walking in the beautiful mountains and most of all FAMILY TIME!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Official End of Summer Photos
Finally - here are the photos from the kids, Memaw and Aunt Erica's trip to Kings Island and a few others from Katy's Wedding! Thank you Jane for tagging along to KI with the group and way to go Memaw for learning to use the new camera. You are getting there!
It was a great day to end the summer and I think the photos say it all!
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| Maddox on one of the few rides he rode without Mommy! |
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