Spring Cleaning in the Fall!

We decided to clean out the garage to make room for some furniture Aunt Stephanie has for Bailey. We need room to sand and paint so our very messy garage got a makeover. While Connor took a 3 hour nap we cleaned and the kids played. We started with just our two then we had the two neighbor kids from across the street then we had some from two houses down and then we had some from the next block all in our front yard playing. They played volleyball, baseball, rode bikes and scooters and chased each other and yelled. It was awesome! They even had water bottle fights. This is what I always envisioned for my children, playing with friends in our front yard. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon, plus my garage is really clean.
Saturday morning Jack, Bailey and Connor all watched cartoons together! And got along!!!
This picture makes a mommy proud. Jack also had a football game that morning early in the rain. They got beat. Poor Panthers, better luck next weekend.

The other big news from this weekend, besides the tooth, was that Jack finally decided to try to ride his bike again. He had trouble last Spring when we took the training wheels off and he just gave up. He doesn't do anything unless he can do it perfectly. Last Spring I was too pregnant to help him and daddy was working too much. It was so nice to see Greg out there helping him try.

He did get better, after many falls. Hopefully he will continue to try, because his little sister is chomping at the bit to try without her training wheels. Her bike has gotten too small so first she needs a bigger bike then we will let her try without them. It probably won't take her very long to figure it out because she tends to work at something until she gets it perfect and without much help from us. A big difference in the two of them, Jack will do things independently but won't if he can't be great at it. Bailey will keep at something until she has it down. Both of them get to the end goal just in very different ways.

Oh, and something else about Jackson Brantley French right now, he loves to be shirtless! He is too skinny to go around without his shirt on but he insists. I can't wait to see if Connor does all these silly things his big brother does!

The Tooth Fairy Finally...

Jack has been talking about his loose teeth for many, many months now! Well, finally, he lost one. Friday night Jack and mommy worked on getting it just a little looser by eating an apple and some carrots. Then we got some dental floss and I started working on pulling it out. He was hilarious! He decided Daddy needed to pull it so I handed him the floss. One tug by daddy, and he was crying how bad it hurt and wanted mommy back. So I dug in my heels and wrapped the floss around the tooth and pulled and POP out it flew. I do mean flew! It took us 10 minutes to find it. Jack didn't even care that it was lost for a while, he was jumping up and down and yelling about loosing his tooth. The tooth fairy did come and left him a whole dollar. Now, he has three more loose teeth, but we thought we'd give it a rest for a while before we tug again.

Football, Soccer and Strep Throat!

This has been one of those weeks! Okay, who am I kidding, all our weeks are one of those weeks.
Here is a brief synopsis:
Monday-School for all of us, and no practices! Jack saying his throat hurt.
Tuesday- School for all of us and football practice. Jack still saying his throat hurt.
Wednesday- School for Jack, gymnastics for Bailey, lunch at Jack's school, finding out my son has been a little toot in the bathroom at school again (a continual problem) , Jack not only saying his throat hurt but that he didn't want to swallow a brownie, Doctor visit for Jack who had strep throat. I guess I should believe him next time he says his throat hurts. This was the third time in less than a year that he has had strep and all three times I tended not to believe him for a few days. First soccer practice for Bailey who is being coached by her daddy.
Thursday- School for all but Jack who stayed with Memaw and G-dad, who happened to be in town. Football practice and yes Jack went because he had been on antibiotics for 24 hours and he felt fine. Connor and I went to my Room Mother's Meeting at Jack's school, Greg went to a meeting after football with a man who had contacted him about this job that sounded to good to be true. If it sounds to good it probably is!
Friday- School for Jack, running errands from 9:00 until 2:55 when we picked up Jack. Bailey was awesome and Connor was a real trooper smiling until the end! Home for Connor to finally nap from 3:45 to 5:30 when I woke him up to go and meet Daddy for dinner. Greg and the older kids went to the Pearce football game. Mommy put Connor to bed and read 10 chapters in a good book. Peace and Quiet!!!
Saturday- Greg works at the bank, Jack had a football game at 10. Bailey had Ashlyn's birthday party at 3. Bailey and mommy went shopping for a while after the party. Cooked out Hamburgers. Greg went to watch the Nebraska game with Chris Milegar. Kids in bed. Mommy has time to herself.

In the middle of all the craziness, my mom is dealing with several serious issues with my Grandparents. The kids have been so great about praying not only for Granny and Papa, but also for Mimi "who takes care of granny and papa." Bailey asked me today on our outing if Mimi was really tired from taking so much care of granny and papa. I told her I was sure Mimi was really tired.
We are so blessed that all we have to deal with is our crazy busy schedule. There are so many people that are dealing with much more serious issues.
Here is our prayer list from tonight:
Aunt Nicole and her mommy
Granny and Papa
Mimi
Ginger (Memaw's friend)
Penny in heaven (this one comes up at least once a week)
Mommy, Daddy, Connor


Jack is really looking more like a football player these days! His team the Panthers tied the Cowboys. Jack is the one bending over growling!

My dilemma

Tonight I had a dilemma. I had to choose between three shows I really like!
Okay, Okay, I know for some not such a big deal. For me it was. Gilmore Girls, which I love, was on one channel. The finale of Big Brother was on another channel. And finally, the season opener of Dancing With The Stars was on another one. Well, Gilmore Girls was a repeat, all be it a great repeat, but a repeat, so I passed on it. Dancing With The Stars was new and I really wanted to watch Emmit dance so I just keep an eye out for him. So Big Brother won! It was a little anticlimactic, Mike "Chill Town" won and that is what I suspected would be the case. At least Janelle won the America's vote for some money. Janelle and Dr. Will should have been the two final players.
I really love it when the new shows start. I am getting so excited about some new things on TV.
I don't always get to watch TV with 3 kids, homework, football practice, soccer practice, school meetings, and a husband that works late many nights. So, when I do I am going to enjoy it!

Go Panthers!

My son the football stud!
Our lives as football parents have officially begun! Today was Jack's first football game.
He was so excited. I was a little nervous I have to admit. Football is that one sport that makes me think injury. Watching Jack's huge smile everytime he went into the game or stole the ball from the other team was an amazing thing. Jack is almost always smiling it is one of the things I love about him. I think of Jack as happy go lucky almost all the time. Well, today he was definitely happy!
Of course, I almost derailed his football career before it began! I put his mouthguard (which he has to have or he can't play) into the boiling water and forgot it. Oops! Needless to say, I melted it. Greg had gotten called into work at the Bank at the last minute this morning so I was alone to get all of us ready for the game so we had to run out and get a new mouthguard with 15 minutes until the game. We made it somehow and when we got there we found out the games were running 45 minutes late. I stressed myself out completely for nothing.
It was so hot at the game and we were out there for almost 2 hours by the time it was over. I forgot sunscreen. So, you see where this is going...
I am a little sunburned. Bailey's face is pink. Jack is of course pink. And, worst of all Connor, my sweet baby, is pink cheeked! I felt horrible about letting him get so pink.
Jack's team the Panthers won the game! Yea, Jack! He ended up playing defense most of the game and he is pretty fast and also caught the other teams ball once. The one thing he did that we were not so proud of was that he ripped the other players flag off and threw it on the ground and proceeded to stomp on it! So, we had a talk about sportsmanship. He replied that everyone laughed. To which I said I bet the other player didn't laugh. Then he understood that it wasn't the right thing to do.
I will have to keep posting updates on the football season. We have practice 2 nights a week. Yes, 2 nights a week. I'm telling you football in Texas is serious business!!!

Thursday, Ugh!

Thursday seemed like the longest day of the year!
First, I got up at the usual early time and started breakfast for Jack and Bailey. Today I decided to make them pancakes. A favorite of both of them. It takes a little longer than some things so I asked them to get dressed while I cooked and packed lunches and started some laundry and cleaned the dishes from last night. I am not complaining but it just seems like we as women cram so much into such a short amount of time! After breakfast I made sure Jack was appropriately dressed in his school uniform and teeth cleaned and hair brushed then I did the same for Bailey. Then it is time to get the little guy ready for Sunshine School. Once he was changed and changed again (time to poop mommy) and fed his cereal I could finish getting myself ready for school. Greg left to take Jack and as soon as Kylie got to our house to ride with us today we hit the door running.
School was pretty uneventful.
We left Sunshine School and headed to Jack's school to switch Logan for Jack. We picked up Jack and his buddy Kyle and Bailey had Logan come home with her. Thank goodness for a big backyard! We love our backyard, it is really large and the kids love to play in it. The picture is of Jack and Kyle throwing a soccer ball at each other on the trampoline. Bailey just sat at the picnic table with a crown on drawing and coloring. She does love art!
In the meantime inside I am trying to get Connor down for his nap but no dice! He wanted to watch the kids play. So, we did until I had to get dinner ready because Jack had his first Football practice at 6. Ok, both friends went home and I had 30 minutes to feed all 4 of us and get Jack ready for practice. Somehow I managed to get out of the house and over to the practice field by 5:59. I was so proud until we pulled up and everyone except us was already there and practicing! What is it with Football and Texans!?!!
I will have to post pics from his first game this Saturday. I am sure they will be good for a giggle or two.
Well, 15 minutes into the hour and 1/2 practice Connor decides he is really sleepy and can not be consoled. Kyle's dad was nice enough to offer to bring Jack home so Connor and Bailey and I headed home.
After baths and bottle Connor was out for the night. Have I mentioned how lucky I am to have another child who likes to go to bed around 7!
So, Jack gets home after 7:30 and takes a shower and soon after is asleep like his brother and sister.
I think that is about when I collapsed! Greg came in and I don't really remember anything.
Hopefully not every Thursday will be so crazy, but I'm not holding my breath!

Road Trip- Three Kids and Me!

For the Labor Day weekend Greg went to Oklahoma for his annual hunting trip for Opening Weekend of Dove (I think?). So, I thought I'd pack up the kids and go out to Sulphur Springs for the weekend. Packing up for a weekend is one thing when you have older kids. Packing for a weekend takes on a whole new meaning when you have a 4 1/2 month old! I felt like I packed forever. And I still forgot a few things. Not diapers or his medicines thank goodness!
Bailey went out after lunch with Gretchen and the boys and I left after Jack got out of school.
After a mandatory stop at Sonic for a drink for mommy and a snack for Jack we stopped at the Library to return our latest Jack and Annie Magic Treehouse book then headed to Memaw's and G-Dad's. Traffic was terrible and it took me more than 2 hours to get there. It usually only takes us 1 1/2 hours! Connor was really good and patient until the last 10 minutes of the trip. He is the sweetest boy.
As soon as we got there of course we had to go swimming! The kids love to swim. We even got Connor in for a while. The water was a little cool because the weather had cooled off.
Connor was great the whole time except when he was suppose to be sleeping. He decided he didn't want to sleep at night a Memaw's. Needless to say mommy had two really long nights.
Saturday we all got up and had pancakes and then the girls went to the Outlet mall to do some quick shopping. The rest of the day the two kids spent in the garden area building a moat! They really enjoyed themselves so much and were so dirty when we finally talked them into the house.
Sunday we went to church and lunch at a yummy Mexican restaurant.
We headed back pretty quick after lunch because daddy was coming home and we all wanted to spend some time with him.
We had a really fun weekend at Memaw and G-Dad's and we are so thankful that they let us come out. The whole way home both kids kept saying when can we go back!


The famous moat! It was really creative and took them all afternoon. They were so dirty and there was mud all over them. It was fun to see them work so well together. That doesn't always happen.

Bailey dropped the rather large shovel that they were using to dig the moat with on her toe! She peeled the skin off part of her toe and it looked horrible. She would not stop playing long enough to come in and have it looked at. So, when they finally came in we had to cut the skin off because their was so much sand and mud packed into the cut that it wouldn't come clean.
The garden definitely got its share of water for the day. It is a good thing they are not on water restrictions there.
Bailey and Connor in the pool.
Jack loves to fill the noodle up with water and blow it into someone's face! He giggles that funny giggle he has.
Well, now we are home and I can slow down. Greg is home, Jack and Bailey and Connor are sleeping. The real question is will Connor sleep all night long again now that we are home? Memaw and G-Dad-
Thank you for a nice, fun weekend that we all completely enjoyed.