Carter...

Carter is into EVERYTHING! Now that he's mobile (crawling and pulling up), he has the run of the house. And nothing is safe from his busy little hands. He's not picky about what he puts in his mouth (paper, dirt, socks -- he LOVES socks --buttons, rocks, power cords -- those are his favorite --bugs, leaves, etc., etc.), so we have to be EXTRA careful about what we leave within his reach. Which, by the way, is the longest reach of any baby I've ever seen.

He started crawling and pulling up at the same time, not giving me time to properly Carter-proof the house. He can even climb the step from our new sewing/playroom into the living room. I can already tell such a big difference in him and Hannah...which worries me to a great extent. Hannah is so much like me it's scary. But Carter is so much like Jason it's terrifying!

He's also adding to his vocabulary. I was SURE that Ma-Ma would come first. I was wrong. Da-da won that one. So I was certain that ma-ma would be next. Nope. But I shouldn't be surprised because that boy loves his big sister...han-nah-nah is so proud that her brother yells for her non-stop. I think he accidentally called out for me the other night as a last resort for somebody (anybody) to come get him out of bed. At least it sounded like ma-ma-ma. And there have been a few times that he said ba-ba, which is also no big shock because that boy loves his groceries the most. And I'm pretty sure that he says his own version of "hey there" which also comes as no surprise because I probably say that to him at least 100 times a day. He also says "bye". Not the baby version (bye-bye)...just Bye. So cute!

I guess my worries that he wouldn't talk (because he would have a certain somebody to talk for him) were unfounded. He's definitely interested in making his presence known. He has the absolute loudest voice I've ever heard on a boy that small. In fact, at daycare he has to sleep upstairs in the farthest room of the house away from the other kids because he's so loud at nap time that he wakes everybody up. I guess that loud voice will come in handy at some point. With his above-average size, I guess it would be strange if he had a soft little voice.

Random updates

Since it's been a while since my last post, I'll give some brief updates on our peas:

Carter now has both bottom front teeth, and don't think he doesn't know what to do with them. He'll eat anything he's offered...I'm ready to do away with baby food and get to the good stuff!

Last night at bathtime Hannah refused to come to the tub. Carter was already in there, happily splashing away, and I kept calling her..."Hannnnnnaaaaaahhhh....come get in the tuuuuuubbbb..." to no avail. Finally I guess she'd had enough and my sweet child yelled at me, "I'M COMIN'!! I NOT GONNA TOLD YOU AGAIN!" Oh my! I'm so glad I was in another room. After I got over the shock that she'd actually said that (and a fit of laughter she need not know about), I had to put on my Mommy-mean-face and get on to her. Then she stood outside the bathroom door with her hands on her hips and said, "I'm not gonna take my clothes off. I'm not comin' in there. I'm not doin' ANYTHING." OK...pushin' it young lady. Not so cute any more. And THEN, after I'd coaxed her with my sweetest little voice, she says, "You're not my friend any more. I don't want to see you any more." And that was the icing on the cake. I didn't say a word, but she knew she'd said too much. Geesh! I can only imagine what the teenage years have in store for us!

Leave it to Hannah to see the beauty in everything. Now that the Christmas lights have come out in full force, Hannah'll say, "Look at those beautiful lights!" But they don't have to be Christmas lights...they can be street lights, store lights, reflectors on the highway, 18-weelers, etc. The other morning Mama was taking her and Carter to daycare when they got behind a garbage truck. My child says, "MIMI...look at that BEAUTIFUL truck!" (She meant the flashing lights on the back of it...I hope.)

I can already see the difference between girls and boys (or at least my two). Hannah hated the walker. She'd rather scoot around on the floor or play quietly on her pallet. But Carter gets in the bull dozer (aka walker) and tears up anything in his path. He's become so adept at maneuvering it that he can get into just about any space in the house. Last weekend I was in my sewing room with one french door open and the other closed, making a hard right turn for a little guy in a walker. So here comes Carter...plows into the open door, mutters a little "uh" and backs up and pulls up until he makes his way inside. Then, just to make sure Mommy noticed him, he looked up at me and grunted. I even watched him push a bouncy ball all over the house...kinda like polo but with a walker instead of a horse. I can't wait to see what will happen when the Christmas tree goes up. Anybody have a baby fence I can borrow??

Hannah loves her movies. This week, her movie of choice is Stuart Little 2. Now that I've convinced her his name is "Stuart Little" and not "Chicken Little" (I can see where she'd be confused), she and Stuart are big buds. She loves the part where Stuart is scooping out some jelly and falls down beside the jar and the part at the end where the falcon falls into the garbage can and the cat says "thank you." I know that doesn't make sense to those of you who haven't seen the movie 489 times like I have, but trust me -- those two scenes put Hannah in stitches.

All he wants for Christmas is his two front teeth...

After much ado, Carter's first little tooth finally peeked through today. Boy are we glad! I've been expecting it for months because of all the slobbering (he literally soaks through 3 or 4 vinyl-backed bibs every day!), and now it's here. Now he's one step closer to that cheeseburger he's been eyeing!

I guess now he'll only have to wish for the other three front teeth for Christmas this year!

It's amazing how those little teeth pop in. I checked his gums just this morning and no tooth, so he must've done a heap of chewing today for it to break through. Dr. Baldwin predicted on Friday that he would have two teeth in 3 or 4 days...guess she knows her stuff, huh? (Well, her prediction is half true so far.)

Poor little guy...he's had the earache, a flu shot and apparently sore gums since last week. Maybe now that we've got him some meds and a new tooth to try out he'll start feeling more like himself. And Mommy's hoping he gets some sleep tonight...

The great pumpkin

For some reason, Carter has made it his mission to search for and destroy the $1 wooden pumpkin I hung from a cabinet knob in the kitchen. As soon as he gets in his walker, he makes a B-line for it (no kidding) and paws at it until he gets it down. Most of the time he doesn't even hold it, he just knocks it off, looks at it and usually drags it around under the wheels of his scooter.

He's got his technique down-pat:

The approach...

The reach...

The execution...

The pumpkin is evil...it must be destroyed!!

My little cupcake

Hannah and I tackled the task of making Halloween cupcakes. I'd say we did a pretty good job! Hannah is thee best little cook...you can tell she's been getting a lot of practice at Mimi's house. She cracked those eggs like a pro. Silly me thought that she needed to crack them in a separate bowl in case the shells "accidentally" fell in. Ha! Hannah did better than I could have...and not a stray shell in sight.

It didn't take long for Hannah's little OCD to kick in. She had to be sure that each little cup had EXACTLY the same amount of batter. Then, when it was time to put on the sprinkles, she got upset when each container didn't have the EXACT same amount. She'd literally pour some out of one container to make it "match" the other one. Bless her heart!

Cupcake? What cupcake? I didn't eat a cupcake! :)

I got tagged

Heather @ Now I'm a Grownup tagged me with this little task, and since I'm in a sappy, my-kids-are-growing-up-too-fast kinda mood, I thought I'd give it a shot.

Six things I value:

A relationship with God. God's grace and unconditional love allow me to have the blessings in my life that I value. I am so fortunate to live in a time and place that I'm free to worship and express my faith without fear of harm or persecution. I pray that if that time comes in my life, I'll have the faith and strength to worship Him in spite of the physical dangers. I pray that He continues to bless my family and me with our health, happiness and well-being, and I pray that I never lose sight of where these blessings originate.

Family. Yes, I know this is the most obvious, but I value my family above everything else in my life aside from God. I am thankful that God has entrusted me with the care and upbringing of my two precious children, and I pray that (with His guidance) I can do a good job of it. I value my husband and thank God for bringing us together as man and wife, and I pray that He blesses us with many more years of happiness together. I value the love and support of my parents -- without them I would not be able to function. I am so very thankful to have such a wonderful Mama and Daddy. And the rest of my support network that I consider "family", though many are not blood-related (my dear friends included).

Time. The older I get, the more quickly time passes. And as a mom that works outside the home, my time with my family is so precious. Lately I feel like I've become a bystander in my own life because my life is so busy. I catch myself getting so caught up in doing the essentials that I don't have time to have fun and enjoy my children. I make a conscious effort (and sometimes I even say it out loud) to focus on the important aspects of life and everything else will get done somehow. Bethany reminded me yesterday that this hectic time in my life is just temporary, and believe it or not, I'm going to miss these days of running ragged.

Good health. Jason and I were discussing just last weekend how often we forget to be thankful (or even mindful) of the fact that we have healthy children. We don't have to look far to see others less fortunate. Our own experience with Josh a few years ago (I can't believe it's already been 4 years!) gave us a taste of what it's like to face uncertainties and fears about a child's health, and it was an eye-opening and humbling experience for all of us. And our own health. I daily take for granted the blessing of being able to get out of bed, drive to work, etc., free of pain or hinderances.

Opportunities. I value the opportunities given to me in all aspects of my life: to earn an education; earn a living; make friends; learn something new; read the newspaper; eat a piece of chocolate; travel to a new place (or an old one); laugh; cry; buy some of the things I want; sing a song; look at the clouds; I could go on and on.

Privacy. I consider myself a "people person," but I also value the time I spend in my own company, free to do whatever I choose. Since Hannah was old enough to walk, she's my shadow. Don't get me wrong, I love her company, but sometimes Mommy just needs a moment or two to herself...to have a quiet moment alone...in the privacy of my own bathroom...you get the picture. Not only that, but I treasure a few minutes when I can just have peace and quiet and nothing to think about or plan or DO.

Six things I don't value:

The outcomes of sporting events. I could care less about sports scores. True, I am a football fan (War Eagle!) and I enjoy NASCAR for the most part (GO JIMMIE), but it doesn't ruin my day if my team doesn't win. I could even care less if I actually watch the events (although I do enjoy going to a McKenzie football game to socialize or a Talladega race once a year). The outcome will be the same whether or not I watch it, and I usually end up doing other things during the game/race, etc., anyway.

Shopping. For me, shopping is such a chore. It stresses me out. I never find what I'm looking for. I'm too cheap and cringe at the thought of spending excessive amounts of money for things that won't be around very long. And I despise rude and unhelpful salespeople. I'd much rather shop online...at least I know I don't have to stand in line!

Worry. No matter what's going on in our lives, worrying won't change a thing. I can't waste my energy on worrying -- I'd rather do something about the problem. And when there's nothing I can do, I just leave it up to God. There are many times in life that we can't change our circumstances, but we can control our reaction to them. (Case in point...the upcoming election.)

Exercise. Obviously.

Politics. On the national level, I just get frustrated trying to keep up with who's on who's side and who's doing what. I don't really get caught up in choosing sides, I just choose to vote for the candidates who share my values (for the most part). I think we'd be a lot better off if people will just do the right thing without drawing party lines. In the corporate world, I hate it when decisions come down to "politics." Don't try to step on anybody's toes; don't make anybody mad, etc. But sometimes this gets in the way of doing business and making decisions that benefit the common good.

Fashion. Again, I know this is obvious to those that know me by my wardrobe. I like to look nice and it helps my feelings to get something new here and there, but I don't get caught up in name brands and fashion trends and the sort. I'm pretty sure the sweater I'm wearing right now has been in my closet for 5 years, and I'm not even sure if it's still in style. But these days, if it's clean, relatively free of wrinkles and it fits -- I'm wearin' it!!

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Now -- I'm s'posed to tag other folks, but I think everybody in my blog buds list has already been tagged at some point. So, if you wanna do this, too, please have fun. It makes you really think about your priorities.

Hannah says...

Pop shared this little jewel with me last night and I crack up every time it crosses my mind...

Pop & Mimi took Hannah and Carter to Old Time Farm Day on Saturday (more about that to come) and they had the BEST time. Of course, since this event was in the middle of a field, the restroom facilities were a little "rustic."

Hannah is bad about waiting until the LAST....POSSIBLE....SECOND to tell you that she has to potty. So, in the middle of jumping on hay piled up in a loft, she ran over to Pop and told him she had to GO.

So he dashed to the closest port-a-john and let her tinkle. As he was pulling up her little pants, she looked down into the potty and saw, well, you know what she saw, and (as serious as can be) said...

"Hm. I didn't know I had to poop."

Kids say the...well you know the rest

It's Homecoming week in McKenzie, and that means the toilet paper is flyin' in true Tiger tradition. For the second time this week, those sneaky little pranksters "decorated" the school last night. This time they did an awesome job (I can't believe they surpassed the previous roll job)...up in the trees and even all the way up to the chimney.

Hannah LOVED it...she said, "Why did they put out all that WIPING paper?" (which is actually a pretty good description)!

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For some reason (unbeknownst to me), the words "hockey stick" prompt a fit of laughter from my daughter. Want her to go into hysterics? Just add "bunny ears".

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Several months ago, there were a couple of housefires in town, one of which was close to our house. Hannah is obsessed with the remains of that house. She calls it the "broke" house and says that it got "broke down" because some kids played with matches.

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The other night I was watching "The Biggest Loser" or at least a few snippets of it in between feedings and baths. I didn't even realize Hannah was paying attention until I changed the channel. She glared at me and said, "I was watching that!!"

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Picture perfect

I just had to share these photos of Carter and Hannah taken by my dear friends (and photography genuises) Heather and Patience. They are BY FAR the best photos ever taken of my children!

I'm lovin' the "3-point stance!"

I have no idea where she get's THIS look!!

da-da-da-da

Woke up Sunday morning to the sound of little Carter testing out his newfound ability to make syllables. At first it sounded like blah-blah-blah, but when I clawed my sleep-deprived subconscious back to reality, I realized he was really saying "da-da-da".

What?!

You mean to tell me that MA-MA has been the one to change all those poopy diapers; MA-MA gets up with him in the middle of the night; MA-MA bathes him, feeds him, clothes him and makes sure he has his favorite toys, and he says DA-DA first?!

Da-da enjoys all the fringe benefits...sweet kisses, smiles, playing in the floor...and of course the joy of hearing his name spoken aloud first. And Jason is a WONDERFUL daddy to both of our little peas, but let's face it...mama is the one who is down in the trenches on a daily basis (and enjoys every minute of it).

I'm convinced that he REALLY means ma-ma...he just said the wrong thing.

So all day Sunday he practices his "skillz" until he's pretty much got it down pat. Then he started boo-hoo-ing every time Jason left his sight. It was so sweet. That boy loves his daddy!

Now I think he even said "ba-ba" today when he saw a bottle sitting on the table. Not that it surprises me that he would ask for food before his mommy...it's obvious how much Carter loves his groceries!

In fact, at his 6 month checkup last Friday, he weighed 21 lb. 7 oz...about the weight of an 18-month-old. Dr. Baldwin said that he's in the 99th percentile for his weight and length. Atta boy!

He's a little Auburn offensive lineman in the making...Lord knows they could use some right about now.

Furry friends

Since Hannah has proven herself as such a good caretaker of small critters (especially insects), we decided it was time for her to have a REAL pet.

It really became apparent to me that the poor child needed a pet when yesterday I picked her up from daycare and she was so excited to show me the bug she'd captured and kept all day. Mrs. Bev said that one of the other little girls looked at the bug and asked, "Is it a stink bug?" And my child replied, "No. I think he took a bath."

Bless her sweet little heart!

So, after much deliberation on my part, we decided to see about get her a puppy. And by destiny (or was it fate?) this little adorable creature found us.

We surprised her with him this afternoon...big bow around his neck and everything. She squealed and screamed and seemed absolutely delighted to have a puppy of her very own. To begin with, she wasn't quite sure what to do with him (and he was utterly scared to death), but it didn't take long for them to become "buds."

She decided to name him Snoopy. Not because she's ever even heard of Peanuts, but because she plays with one of my old toys at her Mimi's house...a small wooden dog with red wheels and a string for her to pull him by...and his name is Snoopy. This doggie actually looks like that little toy.

She toted him around like a little rag doll (and he let her) and then she and her daddy fixed him a nice cozy spot in the back porch. I kept hearing her say, "I love you," to him and he would lick her on the nose. So sweet -- for both of them.

After supper (which was all of 2 bites for her), she went out to "put him to sleep" -- which she did. And he's out there snoozing away right now.

It took a lot of convincing (and a little discussion about fleas) to convince her that dogs should stay OUTside (at least at our house).

Jason said, "You know how people say newborn babies get sore from being held too much?" Yeah. "Well that dog's gonna be sore by tomorrow." And he's probably right.

All my life I wanna be a Tiger...

I'm sure that at some point in my high school days I made fun of those "old" folks in the stands yelling their heads off. Tonight I realized I've become one of those "old" folks. I think the lightbulb came on for me when they announced the upcoming "old-timers" game, and my friends and I actually discussed participating. We even went so far as to think about what we would wear (sweatsuits) and how in the world we could cover up all this extra weight we've accumulated over the years since our days as cheerleaders.

Old timers? Us? ME?

Now don't get me wrong, I still remember every cheer, chant, move and dance step I learned as a cheerleader. I just don't know if my body will allow me to do those moves now. At least not without much complaint and a few days' of soreness afterward. Frankly, I don't know if it's even worth it for a few minutes of reliving the "glory" days.

Now Miss Hannah had the best time EVER tonight at the ballgame. She stood beside her daddy and cheered along, danced with the band and just had a ball. I've never put Hannah in beauty pageants, but I can't WAIT until we...er SHE...can be a cheerleader! Talk about living through your child!

All in all, the game was awesome. McKenzie continued their winning streak with a 25-21 win over Geneva County.

YAY TIGERS!! (Now if my other Tigers can just pull it off tomorrow.)

Yummy in Carter's tummy

I know what the experts say. I've read all the parenting magazines and listened attentively to what the doctor says when it comes to feeding babies. Yes, I realize that babies shouldn't eat table food until they're 8 months old or something ridiculous. But guess what...I'm sure that my parents fed me from the table long before that magic age and I somehow survived. And I know that the pioneers didn't run down to Wal-Mart and buy Gerber baby food to feed their babies. And yet, they grew to be adults. (Yes, I also realize that the average life expectancy was somewhere around 40, but I'm convinced it had nothing to do with their eating habits as babies.)

All that said...Carter LOVES green beans. And it's a good thing because they are a staple at our house. Jason and Hannah pick on me because I literally cook them for every meal. (And I think Jason is refusing to eat them any more).

Last night, big sister Hannah took on the task of feeding her brother some of her green beans...and what a sight it was. See for yourself > > > HINT: Let it play all the way through once, and watch it again so it won't be "jumpy" > > >

Sweet little Carter chomped on them beans as long as she stuffed them in his little mouth. Notice him grabbing her hands at the very end to make sure she keeps 'em comin'! =]

I have by-the-book friends who would literally STROKE OUT if someone tried to feed their child anything other than pediatrician-approved items. And I vaguely remember having minor panic attacks at the thought of Hannah eating things she wasn't "supposed" to. With her, I think it was more that I was afraid of her not eating baby food any more...more of a convenience issue for Mommy. But everybody says you do things differently with your second one, and BOY, ain't that the truth!!

"Funny" for the day...

Signs

I love signs! Especially handwritten ones with words horribly misspelled! I am working on my on personal collection that I'll post soon, but in the meantime I couldn't resist sharing these I found online:

I wanna go to Heaven

Hannah thinks that the way to get to Heaven is through our potty. And why wouldn't she? When our fish died (fish being plural-- we can't seem to keep those little boogers alive), Hannah flushed them down the potty and said, "Bye bye, fish. Go to Heaven." And last night we discovered a spider floating in her potty. As she flushed him away, I asked her where he was going...of course she said he was on his way to Heaven.

So I asked her, "Do you know what Heaven is?" And she just shook her head. So I started to tell her about Heaven as I dried her off from her bath. I told her that Heaven is where Jesus and God are and about the streets paved with gold; the mansions; that it never gets dark; and that nobody is ever sad or sick.

Her response? "I wanna go." Of course she does!

I said, "Baby, I want you to go, too, but not for a long, long time." And I pray I get there before she does.

Sometimes I get so caught up in making sure my children have what they need to excel in life that I neglect to give them the tools to excel in the afterlife. My job is to make sure they get to Heaven, not to Harvard. (But if they get to Heaven by way of Harvard, then that's ok, too.)

Children have a way of reaching into the innermost depths of your soul and tugging at emotions and thoughts you don't even know you have. It's amazing how their view of life is so honest, so pure. And I thank God every day for giving me these little blessings.

Lessons learned

Becoming a parent changes everything. Your perspective on life in general. Your sleeping habits. Your eating habits. Even your bathroom habits (I don't think I've been to the bathroom alone since 2005).

Tonight as I was washing bottles, I started thinking about how much I've learned about life since I was blessed with my children. Here are a few of the top lessons I've learned.

It's possible to love someone so much it hurts.
I have a vivid memory of staring at Hannah when she was first born, thinking that I would give anything for her to never know pain, disappointment, heartache or fear. The thought of actual bumps and bruises wasn't as tormenting for me as the realization that she would one day cry from having her feelings hurt.

If I could, I would take all that away from my children.

I now have a greater appreciation for how God must have felt as Jesus prayed in the garden. They both knew the agony Jesus would soon endure, and Jesus went to his father in prayer, begging for Him to "fix" it. But God looked into the future and saw me and you and my children and your children, and said, "No, son. You have to do this." What love God must have for us!

It really does 'hurt me more than it hurts you.'
So my parents weren't just saying that to try to make me feel worse about what I'd done to get in trouble!

Disciplining my children is by far the most difficult part of being a parent. Because I love them so much, I know I have to make them mind. But it breaks my heart to know that my child is crying because of me. I want them to know they have to do what I say, no matter what, because it literally could be a case of life or death.

I tell Hannah that I love her 'all the way to the moon and back,' and I want her to behave so everybody else will lover her as much as I do. I'm sure there are parenting "experts" who will tell me I'm scarring her for life, but I don't want my children to be the ones everybody dreads. The ones that people whisper about and say things like "I wish they'd do something with that young 'un." I know people say that about unruly children...I've said it myself.

Proverbs 26:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go; Even when he is old he will not depart from it."

I'm not naive enough to think that my children will grow up to be perfect, but I do hope that I can instill in them a sense of right and wrong that will carry them through their lives as kind, loving and *hopefully* law-abiding citizens.

Time passes faster the older you get.
Last month I was in high school. Last week Hannah was born. And Carter was born yesterday. Or so it seems.

I sometimes forget how old I am. Not because I want people to think I'm younger than I really am, but because I honestly can't comprehend that time has flown by like it has.

It seems that since Hannah came along, the clock has been in fast-forward. Her first three years have been a blur, and I shutter to think how quickly the next 20 years will go. Carter's five little months have been so chaotic that I think I've blocked most of it from my memory. I watched him today rolling around on the floor, and then I realized that I didn't know he could roll over in both directions! He was even trying his best to say "mama". (Actually it was more like "mmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh mmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaahhhhh", but it sounded like mama to me.)

I want to remember every second of my children's lives, and I want to enjoy them being babies. But I'd better act fast because Hannah will be getting married in a few weeks, and Carter will be headed off to college in a month or two.

*SOB*

Once a mother...

Becoming a mother has given me a new perspective on life, and I've been touched in ways I never could have imagined. I got this in an e-mail from a friend this morning, and had to pass it on:

At a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely, and, due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger, after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression.

The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve. After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother.

The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only 'orphans' that could be found quickly were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger.

Would they become cubs or pork chops? Take a look...

I witnessed something like this several years ago. We had an "adopted" cocker spaniel named Lady that, to our knowledge, never had a litter of puppies. (At least not as long as we had her.)Our cat had a litter of kittens and -- for whatever reason -- she abandoned them. I don't remember exactly how Lady ended up with the kittens, but we found her in the flower bed surrounded by those little mewling babies nursing away.

Well, since she didn't have puppies, we thought she was just "pretending" to feed them. But after taking a closer look, we found that Lady was actually making milk to feed her litter! She raised those kittens just like they were hers...bless her soul!

I've heard that adoptive mothers (of the human sort) sometimes experience something much like this. I guess it's God's way of helping us help each other...no matter what species we are.

I also recently saw a video that showed the amazing nature of mothers...a leopardess, after finishing off a baboon, discovers a tiny infant - a one-day-old baboon. In that moment, this young leopard forgets she is a hunter, and nurtures the baby baboon as if it were her own cub. See it here: http://www.maniacworld.com/the-night-the-leapard-lay-down-with-a-baboon.html.

A few pics from a braggin' Mama...

Ta-da! Hannah was so happy for Mommy to finally make a dress for her. She kept asking, "it is for me?"

Makin' biscuits with Mimi. Hannah and Mimi have the best time cooking together. When Hannah saw the flour come out of the cabinet, she asked, "Can I get my hands dirty, too?"

CHEEEEEESE! This is Hannah's whole-face, cheezin-it-for-the-camera grin. She's such a great little model!!

Baby blues. Laying on his tummy is NOT his favorite...but he obliges me for a few seconds. Just long enough for me to capture those big blue "Jason" eyes.

Bigfoot. Carter gets comfy while he waits for his supper. These days, those itty bitty jars of baby food just isn't enough for my big ole boy, so we're gonna have to start "supplementing."

6 unspectacular facts about me

I’ve been tagged by Bethany at The Akridges. So now I’m supposed to follow these rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. List 6 unspectacular quirks about yourself.
4. Tag 6 bloggers by linking to them on your post, then commenting on their blogs to let them know "they’re it."

6 unspectacular facts about me:

1. I'm such a nerd that I used to play school with my imaginary friends...of course, I was the teacher. My daddy jokes that I had the smartest imaginary friends in town. Sad, huh?
2. I can't throw a ball. Not a baseball or softball or even kickball. I look like such a sissy.
3. I've read nearly every book Stephen King ever wrote.
4. "Fresh Prince" and "Sanford & Son" are my two favorite TV shows of all time.
5. I hate to UNload the dishwasher, but loading it doesn't bother me. Go figure.
6. My mama always told me that I would have been a good lawyer because (and I quote), 'You could argue the horns off a billy goat.' Now why would she say a thing like that?!

So there are my six unspectacular facts. I know you're all better of having read them.

Since I'm so new to this blogspot thing, I don't know six people to tag...but I'd love to hear from any of you who see this and like doing this sort of thing.

On the move...already!!

I can't believe I've already uttered the words, "Carter...where are you?" I've even heard Jason tell him "you can't go," when Carter was trying to follow Jason outside. Seriously...who would've every thought he would be moving around so good already! But put that boy in a walker and he can go wherever he wants. Well...until he runs into something he can't get around.

Tonight I found myself standing in front of Mama & Daddy's fridge, moving those little letter-shaped magnets up out of his reach. He had maneuvered his way over to the fridge and was having a grand time pulling at the towel hanging from the handle, but I could just see him grabbing one of those magnets and swallowing it...NOT a scene I'd like to see. These days, anything that brushes his little hand goes straight into his mouth.

Carter is such a gentle little giant, but I wonder if this is just a sign of things to come...

My little love bug

Now I know why pet rocks -- however ridiculous they may have been -- turned out to be a tremendous success. My beautiful, too-smart-for-her-own-good, and ever-so-tenderhearted daughter can literally make a pet out of anything.

For weeks, we had three pet Georgia grasshoppers (you know -- those humongous black & yellow creatures) that lived inside the "crooket" (Hannah's way of saying "cricket") cage on the back porch. Hannah was a great little grasshopper-keeper, faithfully dropping a few pieces of lettuce in there for them every day or so. And, believe it or not, they ate it and stayed alive until they died of old age...except for the one sole survivor that "beskated" (escaped).

Oh -- and there was that one really cool one that I caught for her that had wings that looked like leaves. Because it was "special," it got to live INside until I convinced Hannah that it was a mommy grasshopper who was sad because she missed her babies. Her tender little heart couldn't bear that thought, so she let "her" go.

Her latest "pet"?? Love bugs. Three of them. Don't ask me how THAT works, but somehow she managed to capture and domesticate three little love bugs. When I asked her what she was going to feed them, she said, "Ummmm...I think they like lettuce." Of course. What was I thinking?

Anybody know the lifespan of a love bug? I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.

Adventures in Candy Land

Hannah is the Candy Land Queen. Ever since she's discovered the joys of board games...er, board GAME...a daily game of Candy Land is mandatory in our household. Last night she recruited a new player...cousin Josh...to be her opponent (or victim). She made short work of poor Josh, exercising her powers as sole heiress to the Candy Throne and banishing him to the farthest reaches of the licorice forest.

What Josh didn't know is that Hannah's rules vary slightly from those recommended by the genuises who created the game.

For instance, in Hannah's version there's no "going back." This means that once you pass one of the coveted spaces that has a picture (candy cane, gingerbread man, 'dumdrop', etc.), you don't have to go back to those spaces if you draw one of those cards. Unless you're new to her game...then she messes with your head and makes you go back...but she never follows suit. Poor Pop got caught in that vortex the first time he played with her. (She told him that he had to go back but she didn't because then she wouldn't win...brilliant!!)

Also -- only Hannah is allowed to get the ice cream card. I actually caught her taking the card off the top of the deck (when it was my turn) and sticking it back in about halfway down. And there has been more than one occasion when she actually snatched the ice cream card from her opponent and replaced it with another (less appealing) card. Oh, and I should mention that she has the back of the ice cream card marked so that she knows it when it's face down.

Who knew a 3-year-old could be so sneaky??

She's even learned to talk smack (in 3-year-old terms). When you start getting close to one of the licorice spots (where you lose a turn) she'll say, "You're gonna get stuck." And she's usually right.

What's so sad is that to begin with, we "let" her win. But after a while we didn't have to. Jason -- bless his heart -- is so competitive that it was hard for him to purposefully lose a game of any sort. Even Candy Land. To a baby. But that's no problem for Hannah...she's the master.

I'd like to try a different board game with her just for a change of scenery, but I'm afriad of what would happen! I actually bought Trouble...and she can definitely play it...but she'd rather take the little pegs and put them on her fingers as "claws" so she can pretend to be Shere Khan (from Jungle Book). Not exactly what I intended when making that little purchase.

Maybe we'll try Old Maid or Go Fish...can she possibly cheat with those??