Thursday, May 31, 2012

BEHIND the scenes

Here's a funny little picture of the kids BEE-HIND the scences.  Backyard fun at Sheridan Pond.

Memorial Day at Western Hills Guest Ranch

Several weeks ago when Adeline and I were out of town, William and Dada enjoyed a boy's weekend.  They headed to Western Hills Guest Ranch near Ft. Gibson Lake in Oklahoma.  William had such a great time and has talked about that trip every day since they returned .

Summary of WHGR -We are located in eastern Oklahoma on the shores of Fort Gibson Lake. We have an 18-hole golf course with pro shop, rentals are available. The marina offers boat rentals and sales, loading dock, gas dock, slip rental, paddle boats, personal watercraft, storage, and bait/tackle. Enjoy our equestrian trails, nature trails, fitness trails, mountain bike and hiking trails.  We are a Guest Ranch located in beautiful Sequoyah State Park, this rustic resort is a great western getaway for families with a newly remodeled swimming pool and splash pad.



 So last weekend, we booked a reservation and the whole family headed back to Western Hills Guest Ranch.  William was SO eager to show me around the grounds and I told him how this would be Adeline's first time this year to swim.  My boy grinned from ear to ear!  He just loves anything Adeline gets to do for the "first time."  Dada told us it was "rustic" yet fun for a night.

WHGR remodeled their swimming pool and added a splash pad - both were incentives to go.  It really is a great space for kids to enjoy and works GREAT for Adeline's age. 


We got there late Sunday afternoon and the kids suited up for the pool.  Adeline could tell something was about to happen because she was in a new place, saw us changing clothes, saw the pool gear, and watched Dada go in and out of the hotel room to get our luggage.  She bawled every time he walked away and I think she was nervous......perhaps we had a trick up our sleeves!

Once we were set, the 4 of us hit the pool.  Adeline LOVED the splash pad and explored the water fountains in pure delight.  She stomped in the water and clapped her hands in excitement.  I cracked up at these pictures because I think her swimsuit is hilarious.  I didn't bring her "cute" suits only because I knew it was going to be really hot and the pool gets direct sun.  So, I figured she otta be covered for her first dip of the season.  She looks like a chunky monkey!





When Adeline realized William was at the pool, she quickly ditched the splash pad.  Oh how she LOVED the swimming pool.  Her favorite thing to do was for us to hold her in our arms and she'd motor around on her tummy.  She had a great time being in the water with all the other kids.


Then we busted out her floating boat and she was even more content.  I think she sat in her boat for a hour just motoring around the pool watching all the people.  Personally, I am THRILLED she loves the boat because it frees me up to watch both kids in the water.  I can also toss rings and dive sticks to William.

And of course William - my champion swimmer.  Wow.  This kid is a whole new swimmer this summer.  He's under the water, diving to the bottom for rings, swimming through the deep end and jumping off the side every chance he gets.  I am so happy to see him know how to really swim!  This trip was also Dada's first time to watch William swim this year.  Dada was so impressed!  Way to go William!  I think you dove for rings for about 45 minutes nonstop.  Well done buddy!


Once we cleaned up, we had a good dinner in the dining room.  The food was "ok" but nothing to moan over.  The weather had cooled down a bit, so we played outside before the sun went down.  William found some rocks to add to his collection while Adeline found some dirt to eat.  Yum.


The kids fell asleep around 9:30 pm which is SOOOO late for Adeline.  But, she was having a great time on her vacation and sailed right through until she crashed for the night.  I told Dan we need stay at WHGR more often because our kids didn't wake up until 8:30 the next morning!  That's a record!

Sunday we stayed at WHGR long enough for the kids to get their fill of swimming.  I am sure we'll return a few more times over the summer too.  WHGR was a good place to get away for a night and the kids had such a great time.  That's what it's all about!

End of the Year Holland Hall Preschool - Hawaiian Style

William's class celebrated the end of the school year with a Hawaiian theme party.  Bebe was kind enough to come to Tulsa and keep Adeline so I could enjoy William's end of the year festivities with him. 








It was HOT the day of the party.  The kids were told wear Hawaiian surfer outfits (William happened to have a swimsuit combo perfect for the theme) and luckily, lunch was served in a shaded area. William's class divided up into color groups (William is red) which put 4 kids in our group.  There were different game stations spread across the lawn and a prize for each child.  William's favorite stations were jump rope, limbo, visor decorating and the bean bag toss.


After the kids completed the game stations, it was time to fly kites!  William was SUPER EXCITED about kite flying.  He raced over to Mrs. Overcash to find his kite and in a matter of seconds his kite was catching some serious wind!  William loved showing me how he decorated the kite and added streamers.  The kite flying area was in full on sunshine, so this pregnant mom was SO HOT after about 5 minutes of flying.  Thankfully, William was satisfied that his kite soared so quickly and we opted to seek the shade for a temporary tattoo decoration.

Once the party was over, all the moms headed home while the kids returned to their classroom for ice cream and desk clean up. 

William was really thrilled that I was able to come to the party and I am so glad I did!  He is always so proud to show me around school. 

Here's to preschool William!  You had such a great year with Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Overcash.  They stopped me before I left to tell me what a joy you are in their classroom and what a great, all around kid you are!  Now that makes this Mama's heart sing!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Good-bye Preschool, Hello Kindergarten!

Well, it's really hard to believe.  William's preschool career is officially over and next fall I will have a Kindergartener! 

WBB first day of Preschool, Holland Hall 2012 (4 years old)


WBB last day of Preschool, Holland Hall 2012 (5 years)

WOW. 

Look at how much you have changed.  In the above picture, you look so little on that first day at Holland Hall, but in the moment, you seemed SO BIG.  How did I even survive your first day at a new school?  You loved it and never looked back.

And check out the picture of you on the last day of preschool.  It's like you turned into Joe Cool! 

WOW.

I remember the day I dropped him off at Mother's Day Out.  William was 19 months old, and he went to school with his first backpack and lunch box.  I left the church a nervous wrek, and I thought to myself, "I can't believe he'll be in Kindergarten in 5 years." 

And to watch those 5 precious years fly by faster than I could ever have imagined.  All those moments of paling around with him, holding his hand while he learned to walk, celebrating colors, shapes and goofy songs.  Learning EVERY detail about school buses, tromping around in the sandbox, breathing the glory of airplanes every waking hour, reading endless piles of books, memorizing all the Thomas trains, jumping in the rain, and just being WITH MY WILLIAM........how thankful I am for my wonderful boy. 

William, you are truly a fantastic kid and being a part of your world is such a gift to me.  You keep me challenged and you are my best company.  Dada and I are so proud of you.  You love school, your friends and your teachers.  Your manners amaze me.  Your listening skills make me nuts.  I admire how seamlessly you handled your big move from VA to Tulsa.  You embraced your new school and the kids in your class welcomed you with open arms.  Your 5 year old spirit finds the good in every second of every single day.  You put a pep in my step and your friends find you contagious too.  You love with all your heart.
 But alas, I guess it's time for Kindergarten.  I know you are ready and that is what makes me excited for your future.  As I always tell you every night before bed, "William, You are smart, you are kind, you are a good person."

Here's to Kindergarten buddy!  The school years will FLY by fast, but You are sure to SOAR!


Three cheers to growing up!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Happy 35th Birthday to Me!

May 17th marked my 35th birthday.  William greeted me first thing in the morning with a festive rendition of "Happy Birthday."  He was SUPER excited for my birthday to arrive because he knew what I was getting from Dada.

My gift was a new computer and how I needed it!  The computer I have used the last 5 years is a beast compared to what is out there now.  I feel very "1990" every time I type on it!  My new computer is small, light weight and sleek......just the thing I need to stay hip and tech savvy.  William is simply thrilled with my new laptop because this means he gets my old one.  He hasn't stopped asking us to clean it up and load airplanes games!  We're working on it pal!

To celebrate my birthday, I went to the mall with Adeline and bought a few new pairs of sandals for the summer.  We ate lunch at the mall and bought a chocolate chip cookie to share for dessert.  We picked William up from school and the first thing he asked me was if his computer was ready.....so much for MY birthday!  hahaha!  Seriously, his excitement was pretty cute.  When we got home, he insisted on taking my "birthday picture" just as I do for each child on their birthday.  Here's William's picture of me.  I am 20 weeks pregnant with Baby Girl Barron.


William planned my birthday dinner all by himself.  He suggested pizza and ice cream, so the kids and I met Dan at Hideaway Pizza for dinner and walked over to Orange Leaf for yogurt.  William picked chocolate yogurt with gummy bears and I got a twist with snickers.  Dada had a few bites of each and Adeline ran around the yogurt shop like a tornado.  Luckily, we were the only people there so she was ok racing around.




Thank you William for planning such a fun night for me!  And THANK YOU DADA for my new computer!  I am one lucky gal!  35 never felt so good!

20 Weeks Pregnancy Highlights - Baby #3

20 weeks Pregnancy Highlights


How Far Along: 20 weeks   
Size of baby: Baby B is the size of a large heirloom tomato.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 150 lbs.  Gained 13 total.
Maternity Clothes: In many maternity clothes.  I can wear my regular sundresses and I have bought a few size L sundresses that are not maternity.  Wearing maternity shorts and t-shirts.
Gender: THINK PINK!  IT'S A GIRL!  WE ARE THRILLED!
Movement:  Several thumps down low.
Sleep: I sleep on my left side and I am starting to wake up more often in the night.  I get uncomfortable on my side and have to sit up and stretch before going back to bed.   
What I miss: Cardio exercise
Cravings: Not many.  I am mostly hungry in the morning before lunch and ok during the afternoon.  Still can't handle spicy food and milk sometimes makes my stomach hurt.
Best Moment this week: Watching William bite into a cupcake to reveal our new baby is a GIRL!  We had SO much fun with the surprise!



*Baby #3 is head down and during the big ultrasound, she yawned and moved her hands.  Picture taken on my 35th birthday by William.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

For the boys

Post Gender Reveal conversation

Dada:  "William, looks like we are out numbered buddy."
William: "Huh?  what do you mean, out numbered?"
Dada:  "Well, now we are the only 2 men in this house.  Now there are 3 women."
William: "That's ok Dada.  We still have Pops and Bubba."

Dada:  "William, now that you know you will have a sister, what names are you thinking of?"
William:  "Adelean." (Ada-LEAN)
Dada:  "great idea buddy.  great idea."

It's a........(Baby #3)


Today was my big ultrasound for Baby Barron #3.  This day is always so exciting to me because it's one more chance to see my sweet baby in person.  However, this day also makes me so nervous.  I just want to see a healthy baby on the screen and hear the doctor tell me that everything looks great.  Since Adeline was a high risk baby, the anticipation for today was even more heavy on my heart.  Thankfully, our appointment was excellent and Baby Barron #3 checked out with 10 fingers, 10 toes and a great big yawn!  Praise the Lord!  God is good! 

And you know what the "big ultrasound" means.......GENDER reveal!  Since we have one of each, I really thought hard about if I really wanted to know the baby's gender this time around......I thought for about 3 seconds.  I thought really hard. ha!  I just can't stand not knowing! 

I am truly so thankful to be pregnant.  I am so in awe of these babies God has given me.  There is simply nothing in my life as miraculous as growing a precious life.  I want to savor every second of every single tiny movement and milestone.  So I HAVE to know who is in there knocking on my belly and getting the hiccups. 

PINK OR BLUE?

So after my appointment, the technician handed me a sealed envelope.  Inside was my long awaited answer.  Oh how I wanted to open that envelope with every fiber of my being......but I didn't.  I stayed strong! 

I delivered the envelope to the lady behind the counter at the grocery store bakery.  She was the first person to know if I was having a son or daughter.  Funny how that happens....I laughed to myself thinking how this stranger knows the biggest secret in my life and yet we aren't even friends or family!  ha!  She gladly took the envelope and I instructed her to fill a cupcake with pink or blue icing.  I returned in a few minutes to find 6 cupcakes ready to go home with me for the big reveal!
William was in charge of our festivities.  He was SO excited and took his job of biting into the cupcake VERY SERIOUSLY.  After giving a detailed commentary into the video camera, William picked up the cupcake with the yellow diaper pin.  This was the one cupcake the baker filled with icing. 
Drum Roll...........and William took a bite out of the cupcake.  I asked him if he could tell what color was inside and he said, "I think blue."  When he turned the cupcake around, he had actually taken a bite of the icing, not the cake part with the filling.  So, he was judging off a few blue sprinkles that fell into his hand. ha!
I had him bite into the cake part and after swallowing a HUGE mouthful of cake, William proudly turned the cupcake around and said.....

"IT'S PINK!"

We all cheered with delight and celebrated the joy in PINK! A new baby girl!  How exciting and what a thrill for Adeline to have a sister just 18 months apart from her.  I was so busy processing the excitement that I didn't even notice Adeline waltz over to the cupcake table and grab one for herself! 
My little lady found joy in the PINK too!  She feasted on her own sugar and loved every single bite!
I could tell in Dada's face how excited he was to know that he'd have another little girl in his life.  The way he loves Adeline and the bond they share leaves me speechless.  I cannot imagine the magnitude of love that this new little girl will bring to his life. 
Baby $3, you are the delight of our hearts and loved from the tips of your toes to the top of your head!  We cannot wait to meet you in October.  I am forever thankful for you.   

PINK OF PERFECTION!  

And here's one last shot of my two men.  They might be out numbered, but two things are certain. 

1.  The little man on the left is the best big brother any girl could ask for and my daughters will one day see how lucky they are to have William lead the way.

2.  The man on the right is smiling in terror.  He could be broke in about 20 years.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Adeline's playgroup and fun with Jack

Adeline's little playgroup has been enjoying the beautiful weather.  Although we don't meet consistently, I always look forward to getting together with other moms who have kiddos Adeline's age. 
Jack is one of Adeline's buddies and his mom is Michelle.  I have posted about Michelle and Jack before, and I am so thankful for their friendship.  Michelle is such a gracious hostess - always inviting us over to play (a nice change from the apartment!) and always willing to settle in for an impromptu adventure with our kids.  She has a great backyard and playroom that are PERFECT for playgroup.  So, our little people tend to gather at her house a few times a month.
On Wednesday, Adeline and I stopped by Jack's house to play with his water table.  When Adeline woke up from her morning nap, I said, "Let's go see Jack!" and she said, "Jaaaaacccccchhhhh!"  Then I said, "Let's go splashhhhhhhh with Jack in the water!" and she said, "spppplllllllllassshhhhhhhh!"  Squeals of delight and lots of kicking feet showed me just how pumped my girl was to go on her water date!







Michelle and I sat in the front yard while the babies played in the water.  They were hilarious in their swim suits and we just gushed over their big ol' legs and chunky bellies. 

On Wednesday, Michelle filled up the baby pool and invited a small playgroup of babies over to frolic in the water at The Backyard Country Club.  It was fun visiting with the moms and meeting a few new ladies in our group.  The kids loved being in the water and ran around the yard throwing balls and stealing each other's snacks. 


And last but not least, Jack turned one in May.  HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!  Michelle and Ryan hosted a darling first birthday party in their backyard on a glorious Saturday morning.  Our family had a great time celebrating Jack's special day and I am looking forward to sharing more of these special holidays with our good friends, The Souders! 


Thank you again Michelle!  You've welcomed us with open arms and it means the world to me!

The Purple Swim Ribbon

Monday was William's last swim lesson for the school year.  We are taking off during the summer and will probably regroup in the fall.  At the end of his session today, William earned the purple ribbon.  He's one ribbon away from moving to the next level at Miller Swim School. 

William has really enjoyed swimming lessons.  I don't think he realizes how far he's come in such a short amount of time, but he sure has fun every single week in the water!  I have been so pleased with Miller Swim School and who knows, maybe William will continue swimming as a sport as he grows up. 

The one ribbon he is needs requires full arm control when swimming the length of the pool.  William has no trouble swimming from one end to the other, but when he gets tired, his arms start to relax.  So, that is what we'll work on this summer!

Way to go William!


 
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