Sunshine School

My very excited class of 5 year olds!
Bailey with Mrs. Kristen

Connor with Mrs. Jennifer
Today was the day!
Bailey, Connor and I went back to school today. Bailey looked so cute in her pretty dress with her hair up in piggy tails. She loves for her daddy to do her hair into piggy tails. I won't try very often, but Greg is really pretty good at it. She tells everyone that Daddy did her hair.
Connor was his happy go lucky self. Charming everyone with that cute smile of his. He was great for Mrs. Jennifer and slept well and ate well and played well. Couldn't ask for anything else from a 4 1/2 month old.
My class was happy to be back. It is nice to have the same kids this year. They know me and each other and you can tell they are really excited about being the oldest kids at school.
One surprise today was that Rebecca Sutton asked if Bailey could come home with them and spend the night. Bailey was thrilled!!! She loves Emma and Sarah and thinks Mrs. Rebecca hung the moon. Of course, she loves Joshua too. That will make tomorrow easier only having to take one kid to school with me.
Well, for a first day it went pretty well!

Mexican food, Swimming, and an Overachiever!

Catch me if you can!



After a really busy week of getting ready for Sunshine School it was so nice to chill out with good friends. After Greg got off work we headed up to the Sutton's for dinner and swimming.
Rebecca made wonderful Mexican food and we ate and ate and ate! Well, the adults ate and the kids played. Then the husbands took the kids to the pool to swim and let us girls stay home and visit. What fun to have a quiet house to just sit and talk and catch up with Rebecca. When the kids and men got back we put the kids upstairs in the game room and ate a little more and talked alot more! Greg and I both really enjoy the Sutton's they are a wonderful family.
Bailey cried when we said it was time to go. She would have stayed and lived at their house if we would let her. She loves Mrs. Becca!
Another big event this week came from my overachieving son! No, not Jack for once. Connor decided it was time for him to crawl. No, I wasn't ready for this and yes, it is really early!
I looked back at the other two baby books and they were both 5 1/2 months old before they were trying to crawl. Connor is only 4 1/2 months old. He is not actually moving forward alot yet. But, he is up on hands and knees both now and can rock and move forward up to two knee lifts. My grandmother looked at him today and said you don't have a baby anymore. He is a big boy. That makes me really sad. I am definitly not ready for this sweet boy to grow up. I know he really is a baby still but this week just hit home that he is growing up and growing up fast.
I guess I assumed that the 3rd baby would not do things as fast as the other two. Boy was I wrong!

What is up with the 1950's?

Friday afternoon we picked Jack up from school and as promised because he had a great week we went to Sonic and got banana splits!!! While we were waiting for them to come out Jack and Bailey started talking about what exactly is in a banana split. This is how the conversation went...
"they will have ice cream, chocolate sauce, cherries maybe two or three, whipped cream and of course a banana."
" I don't really want a banana, Jack"
"well, do you know that in 1950 they didn't make banana splits like this?"
I pipe in now, "how did they make them?"
"well, they didn't cut the banana in half to put it in the ice cream, they left it whole."
Then he continued to tell us how they made a banana split in 1950.
I thought it a little strange but the food came and I forgot about it.
Then on Saturday night we stopped at Kroger for Daddy and Bailey to run in and get Connor some medicine and Jack and I started talking while we entertained Connor.
The conversation went like this...
"Hey mom did you know that people used to hide in bushes and jump out to get on trains?"
"What are you talking about?"
"People used to hide in bushes and jump on trains when they came by."
"OK, how do you know this?"
"Memaw told me that in 1950 people used to jump on trains after they hid in bushes."
"Again with 1950, why are you so fasinated with the 1950's?"
" I don't know but I do know a lot about the 1950's"
Then I remembered the kids have been watching Happy Days alot this summer and I asked him if some of his information was from The Fonz. He did admit that maybe the banana split was from watching Happy Days.
Jack is like this little sponge and constantly amazes me with very odd trivia.
So, if you need to know anything about the 1950's just ask Jack!

Cousin Fun!

Bailey and Emma finally crashed!
Cleaning up after a long afternoon of playing.
Look at the monkeys!
My boys.
They could swing forever!

Monday after working at the church Emma came home with us. The girls got along really well. Jack was really considerate and left them alone. If he plays with them they never get along as well. So I was really proud of the way Jack acted.

We ate yummy homemade pizza and drank Sprites. Then we went out back for some fun. They all loved the horse tire swing and the trampoline. I think they would have stayed out there all night if we hadn't made them come in. We let the girls take a bubble bath together and they begged us to let Connor bath with them, but not this time!

At bed time, the boys were asleep as soon as their door shut. The girls were another story! After repeated tries to get drinks, tell us one more thing, and bathroom breaks they finally settled down around 9:30. When Greg went in to check on them later we found both girls in Bailey's bed with all their animals all around them. It was really cute.

I want to say something about Bailey now that I hope one day she reads and enjoys.

Bailey makes me so proud to be her mommy. I love the way she lets her friends and family(except Jack!) do what they wish to do above her own wishes. She kept saying to Emma, "OK Emma if that's what you want, can we do something else later?" I hope she knows how proud I am when she includes someone that is feeling left out. I love her caring spirit and loving heart. Where some kids tend to think of themselves first then others, which is very typical of this age, Bailey tends to put others first. Not everyday is perfect, but I love my sweet, sensitive, caring Princess Bailey Lauren French!

Sleepy Head!

Sweet Connor!
Sleepy Connor!
Sunday morning I had the bright idea to try Connor in the Cradle Roll Class for the first time.
We only made it through 4 songs! He really liked it until he decided he was too sleepy to enjoy class. He always takes a long morning nap when we are at home, I mean 2 1/2 to 3 hours! So, when he wouldn't even fall asleep on one of us during 1st Service I should have known not to try class. I wish he had stayed longer, but once I got him out of the chair and curled him up on me he went right to sleep.
That afternoon I went to the church building to work on my door for Sunshine School. After a stop at Sonic for the mandatory drink I met Traci Rutledge to work.(ha ha--all we do is talk!)
No, really we got a lot done and Connor took a 3 hour nap for Daddy which he doesn't usually do for Greg. We were so excited about how cute our doors looked, then when we got to school to work on Monday morning they were painting the doors so all our hard work was all over our rooms! Oh well, it was worth just hanging out with a friend!

We Love Baths!

All three of my kids have always loved to take baths. It was really crowded but just once I wanted all three of them in the tub at the same time. The two older ones took turns washing Connor. He just layed back and chilled! We even had LuLu in the room trying to help.
It is moments like these that will forever be in my memories.

Rub A Dub Connor In The Tub!

Last night Mimi and Papa came over and took Jack and Bailey to get yogurt. While they were gone I gave Connor a bath. His first bath in his new bath seat. He loved it! He splashed and talked and let mommy squirt him with the fishy. Then he decided to read his bath book. I think we have a real smarty on our hands!

The Best Looking 1st Grader in the World!

Jack with Miss Cannon on the 1st day of School. Well, today was the day! Jack left mommy again. This time to enter the world of 1st Grade.
He got up easily, of course, ate his cereal, brushed his teeth, got dressed, had Daddy fix his hair, and put on his backpack to go to school.
We all four took him for his first day. It is always a little sad for Bailey because she looses her playmate for most of the day.
He marched right in, gave his teacher her first day gift and found his seat! He looked so grown up this year.
I gave him a kiss which he then said to do it in the hall next time! He did see several kids from his class last year and some from other classes that he already knew. He just seemed ready to go this year.
Miss Cannon is very cute and bubbly. Just what mommy wanted for Jack this year. I loved teaching first grade and really feel like it is an important basis for all school to come. I am sure this will be a great year!
Daddy left with Bailey and Connor and dropped them off at Mimi's house for a while. Mommy then went to the Library to help with the Back to School Breakfast. We had lots of moms and dads there to visit. On my way out I looked down the 1st grade hallway and Jack's class was at the restroom. He is certainly the best looking first grader there!!!

4 Months Have Flown By...

Connor attempting to eat green beans! He likes them and eats really well.
It is hard to believe that Connor is 4 months old already. I thought I would list the things we all love about him.

1. The way his face lights up when he smiles. Especially when he hears his brother or sister talking.
2. How excited he gets taking a bath. He actually laughs this hearty laugh when you pour water on his head.
3. His cute little round face and belly.
4. How easily he lays down to nap for his mommy! He is now sleeping from 7:30 at night if we can keep him up that long to 7:30 or 8 the next morning. Yes, I lucked out for the 3rd time!
5. Watching him trying to crawl already. He is not still anymore.
6. Seeing his tiny toes curl up.
7. Singing to him and having him put his little head on my shoulder. There is no better feeling than Connor snuggling up with me!
8. Watching him trying to eat food now.
9. Staring into his crib while he sleeps. He curls up into a ball with his legs under him and never moves.
10. Hearing him start giggling in the car for no reason at all!

We went to Dr. Porter today for our check-up and he told me he was a healthy, happy keeper!
Connor weighs 17 pounds! All that rice cereal we have to put into his bottles has really beefed him up. He was my smallest baby at birth but now has passed the other two at this age. He was 25 1/2 inches long. That put into the 50% for height and between 50-75% for weight. We adjusted his reflux medicines again. He asked a lot of questions about what he was doing at this point and he was already doing what he expected a 6 month old to do! He was surprised when Connor got up on his knees and tried to crawl but was more surprised that he could stand up so well. Then he got the dreaded shots!
He got 4 today and they made him even sleepier than usual.
These 4 months have really flown by and I can truly say we all feel very blessed to have this sweet boy in our lives!
We love you Connor.

She's Pretty Mom!

We just got back from Jack's "Meet The Teacher" at Arapaho.
Miss Cannon is very cute, young and a first year teacher.
His face lit up when he first saw her.
On the ride home I asked him if he thought he was going to learn anything or just look at his pretty teacher. He just laughed then said, "Mom, I hope I don't ever have a sub!"
He then told me he would still try to learn, but she was really pretty.
This could make for an interesting year in First Grade!

All Good Things Come To An End...

Fun In Rockport, Texas













Since tomorrow is the last day of Summer Break for Jack I thought I'd post some fun summer pictures.
We had a very busy June. Vacation to Rockport, VBS, Jack's 6th Birthday, swimming and ballet class. July slowed down a bit. Swim lessons, Emma's Birthday, playdates, visits to Memaw and G-Dad's, Six Flags, and Jack's surgery. With August came more swimming, gymnastics, Doctor's visits, Brooke's 1st Birthday, Kamdyn's birthday and back to school shopping!

Bailey was not much of a daredevil on vacation! After swim lessons this summer she really enjoyed the water much more and would actually take off her floaties!
Jack loves the water! He can't swim enough. I was nice not to have to worry about the two of them in the pool like I have in the past.

Bailey's Beauty Treatment

Bailey has always loved brushing and putting all kinds of things into her hair. She will come out of her room with ten butterfly clips all around her head! So when she came home from Memaw and G-Dad's this last Sunday I wasn't surprised to see her in sponge rollers. What memories that brought back. She now wants them in her hair everyday to make it "beautiful curly"! She loves her cousin Emma's curly hair so much and now she thinks she can have curly hair too!
Sorry Bay, you got mommy's very straight hair! I still think you are Beautiful curly or not!!!

Big Brother

Connor and I will really miss Jack when he goes back to school next Monday. He loves to help me take care of Connor. When I took these pictures Connor was getting a little fussy because it was just about nap time. Jack put him in his lap and started reading him a book. Connor loves his big brother. It instantly calmed Connor down and he enjoyed just being with Jack!
I really hope this closeness will last forever but I imagine as Connor gets older the patience that Jack has with him now will not last! But, for now, I am going to enjoy every minute of it. They are so cute together.

Things We Love About Daddy

These are the things we love about Daddy...

Bailey loves Daddy being her soccer coach, holding her when she is tired, putting "piggie tails" in her hair, singing "When the Trumpet of the Lord" with her, putting her up on his neck, taking her to get her nails done and making her oatmeal to eat!

Jack loves Daddy playing video games with him, playing soccer with him, wrestling with him, watching fishing, hunting, and shark shows on TV, taking him fishing, giving him his change for his piggie bank, taking him to movies, and making him French Toast and Breakfast Tacos to eat.

Connor loves Daddy just holding him! He loves to hear Daddy voice and lights up when he sees him. He also loves to fall asleep in his arms.

Mommy loves Daddy telling her how nice she looks, that she is doing a good job with the kids, taking her to dinner and a movie, offering to give her a break every once in a while, saying prayers with our family, laying in bed together with our three children ( I have decided we need a King size bed now!), being the wonderful Christian husband and father I knew he would be!

WE LOVE YOU DADDY!!!

My Wonderful Life

Even when we are having a rough day all I have to do is look at my three beautiful children and I know how truly blessed I am! The last few years have been rough for our family. Financial worries, health issues in our families, trying so hard for a third child, job loss, depression...
But really nothing else matters when I think how blessed I am by God.

He has given me a wonderful husband with the patience of Job and the heart of David.
He has given me a firstborn son who is very sensitive and quite a mommy's boy. He is a very bright child with a strong sense of humor. His Kindergarten teacher told us he was the child everyone else wanted to be around and play with. She also called him the class clown! She felt he was truly gifted and thought we should refer him to the Gifted Program again next year. We think he is smart, but it is nice to hear it from someone else.

God also blessed us with a daughter who is very intune with what others are feeling. She is always thinking of her two brothers and her daddy. She has always had a beautiful smile and when mommy and Bailey aren't butting heads she is really happy. She too is really bright with a huge vocabulary! She constantly amazes us with the word choices she makes. Bailey not only taught herself to use the potty but has also recently taught herself to read! If Bailey wants to do something, Bailey figures it out all by herself.

How do I describe the blessing Connor is to our family? He is only 4 months old but has made a huge impact on all of us. Greg and I wished for nearly a year to have a third child, then when we had said it just isn't God's will I became pregnant that very month. It was by far the hardest of my three pregnancies ending with three weeks of bedrest! Then three weeks early Connor arrived with the greatest of ease! He was just as beautiful as the two others and really looked a lot like both of them. After two months we found out he had acid reflux and that had been causing him to cry and scream through all his feedings. Once we got the medicines regulated he became the sweetest, best natured baby. Now, at four months old he smiles all the time and only cries when he really wants to sleep. He is already sleeping from 8 at night to 8 in the morning! He has also begun to try to crawl this last week. He can work his legs really well but not the arms yet. I love to hold him when he is sleepy and just study every part of his tiny body.

When I was younger (a long time ago) I would think about what I wanted my life to be like someday. I wanted a wonderful, patient, God-loving husband, three children with two boys and one girl, family close by, and a lab puppy for my kids to grow up with. So, no matter what is going on in our lives I got everything I wanted and I am truly the most blessed woman in the world!

Holy Moly, Batman!

I thought I saw a "puddy cat"!

Bailey hanging onto Daddy on the Roaring Rapids!





Jack with Robin and the beautiful Wonder Woman!

We took Jack and Bailey to Six Flags Monday. It was really hot, muggy, and just down right sticky. But, we had a great time. Jack couldn't talk about anything but riding all the scary rides. Of course, Bailey, couldn't stop saying I don't want to ride that all day. She is not very daring. We "tricked" her onto several rides. The Mine Train ( it is just a train Bailey), Roaring Rapids (it is just a boat ride). When we would get off she would promptly let me know she didn't like it.
It was a wonderful day spent together!