Fun in Our Own Backyard

Nicholas and I can always have so much fun right in our own backyard. We spent a lot of time playing in the fort. We brought some books upstairs and read while we had our afternoon snack.



Then Nicholas played astronaut. He said good-bye to me before taking off in his rocket. Before he took off, he handed me a rock and said, "Here, you can keep this so you can think of me when you start to miss me."



Next we ran all around the yard pretending to fight bad guys. Nicholas then tried to climb the post that the bird feeders hang on. Noticing it leaning to one side? It was still leaning after he got off of it so I think Daddy is going to have to fix it now. Oh well, it was fun!

Tracks of the Red Jaguar

Today we went to Kids Kastle in Highland Village for some good ole fun. We played on the playground and then fed some bread to the ducks.



Just outside the playground area, we found some tracks in the dirt. Now Nicholas loves to look for and identify animal tracks but these tracks threw him off.



He studied them closely then announced that they were the tracks of a red jaguar. Then he pointed and said, "He went that way!" and we followed the tracks for a little way. We talked some more about the tracks as we followed them. We talked about paw prints and realized that we didn't really see paw prints in these tracks. We talked about cars, trucks, and go-carts and what kind of print a tire might leave on the ground. He put it all together and figured out that these really weren't the tracks of the wiley red jaguar. That's a shame though because that would be a very interesting sighting for these North Texas suburbs!

Party at Wazoo's!

Today we had Nicholas' birthday party at Wazoo's Inflatable Center. It's a giant warehouse type of room that holds 9 inflatable bounce houses. These aren't the typical square bounce houses either. These have slides, obstacle courses, basketball goals. One is even shaped like a giant submarine with an big octopus on top. Another is shaped like a pirate ship.

Nicholas mostly invited his friends from school but he also invited some friends from church as well as some other friends that he has known from various places. I wasn't sure if everyone would make it because it is a bit of a drive but there was a good turn out and all the kids seem to have an awesome time. I brought sandwiches, pretzels, juice boxes to give the kids a light lunch (not too much food since they are going to be bouncing!). Then we all sang Happy Birthday to Nicholas and had cupcakes. Then it was back to bouncing! Even several mommies and daddies got in on some bouncing fun!

Nicholas' friends brought him lots of presents but no one was sitting still long enough to open them at the party. So we let him open them at home after the party. he got more Transformer toys (some with a Star Wars theme!), games, a Bibleman DVD and costume. I think his favorite present from his friends was a little camping backpack that contains a sleeping bag, water bottle, and flashlight. He has been taking his naps in the sleeping bag and loves to pack everything back into his backpack and carry it around with him. He doesn't realize how far it sticks out on his back though and he's constantly bumping into things with the backpack on!

A Flower For Mommy

As we were getting in the car this morning to go to school, Nicholas picked a dandelion and put it in the door handle of the car to be sure I would see it. He said, "I gave you that flower because I love you." Aww, he sure knows how to melt a mommy's heart! I hope he stays this sweet forever!



After school, we were playing in the backyard. We talked about how we haven't seen the rabbits in our yard as much as we had a few months ago. Nicholas took me over to one of the holes they had dug under our deck. I'm not sure when he did this but he showed me a stick that he had poked into the hole. It's a pretty small stick compared to the size of the hole but he told me that the rabbits have not been back because he put that stick in their hole. If only it were really that easy to get rid of rabbits!

Blastball - Gators vs. Cubs

Nicholas is doing great at Blastball. We can see improvements in his form and his speed every week. Of course, he could probably catch the ball more often if he wasn't running after it while holding hands with Emma Rae! They are such good friends and so sweet to each other. I'm so glad they got to play on the team together.







Here the ball flies right past him and he doesn't even notice because he's hugging and tickling Emma Rae! How cute!

Fun in Fort Worth

This morning I took Nicholas to Casa Manana Theater in Fort Worth to see Little Red Riding Hood. Nicholas just loves going to live theater performances. Seeing how he loves to act out stories at home I think he would have fun acting in a play. Of course, he is also quite a director as he is always correcting how Daddy and I act out his stories with him. He corrects our placement, our lines, even how we pretend to fall down and play dead. He's definitely got potential in the theatrical field!

Here's a picture a friend took of us as we were waiting for the play to start.



After the play, we needed to find a park so we could enjoy the picnic lunch that we had brought. What better place to have a picnic than the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens! We met up with some friends there. Nicholas had fun climbing rocks, looking for bugs, and just running around. What a beautiful place to run and play!







Nicholas took a long nap this afternoon as he caught up on some rest. Tonight we went to our Home Team meeting which is our small group Bible study. Everyone likes to celebrate birthdays at our get-togethers so we brought another birthday cake to share with everyone. Nicholas likes vanilla cake more than chocolate so that's what he got for his birthday last night. Tonight, it was Mama's choice and I picked a chocolate cake. Oh, it was rich and wonderful. Thank you, Kroger! I know it's crazy - two cakes in two days! And we're going to have more cake next week for his party with his friends! Time to get back on the treadmill!

Time for Presents!

Nicholas couldn't wait for Daddy to get home from work tonight so he could open all of his birthday presents! He had presents from Mommy and Daddy as well as both sets of grandparents. What fun!











Nicholas got his first Transformer toy, a Planet Hero Turbo Shuttle and several of the Planet Hero action figures, a remote control helicopter, lots of books, and a Star Wars game. He is one happy little guy!

After presents, we had dinner and of course, birthday cake for dessert.

Celebration of Life

I went to class with Nicholas this morning so that I could be a part of his Celebration of Life ceremony in honor of his birthday today. Nicholas got to wear a big ribbon on his shirt that says, "Today I Am 4 Years Old!". He is very proud of his ribbon.

For the Celebration of Life, everyone sat in a circle on the floor. Mrs. Carrico placed candles in the center of the circle and surrounded them with the name of each month of the year. Mrs. Carrico asked me to go back 4 years and talk about Nicholas' birth. I said a little bit about it such as the day, time, and hospital that he was born. Nicholas added to my story by explaining to the class that he didn't want to come out so the doctor had to pull him out. He loves that story. We talked some about his first year of life and how active he was even as an infant. I told everyone that he travelled to Canada before he was one year old and that he spent his birthday in Louisiana with our families. At this point, I would have passed around a picture of Nicholas at one year old but I forgot to bring my pictures with me! Then Nicholas walked around the candles while everyone recited the months of the year to represent the passing of one year. Then Nicholas got to extinguish one candle with the snuffer (he loves doing this!).



We continued to talk about each year of Nicholas' life and look back at all the special memories and neat things that he has done. At the end of each year, Nicholas walked around the candles while we said the months. As the children said the months, Mrs. Carrico would have them clap or pat their knees or touch their fingers together to the rhythm. It was a really touching ceremony and it helps the children to understand the passing of a year and how much they've grown during that time.



Since we did his Celebration of Life in the morning, I didn't bring cupcakes for the class. Instead I brought donut holes for everyone. Nicholas helped me set the tables with plates and napkins and I passed out the donut holes and milk to everyone. Oh my! Who would have thought that donut holes would be such a hit! I brought extra ones for the teachers and more extras, just in case. Thank goodness! They devoured them and kept asking for more. Donut holes are yummy!





I'm always amazed at how well behaved the students in Mrs. Carrico's class are. They are loving, sweet, and always willing to help out. I would expect a class full of 3-5 year olds to be loud and disruptive but they are always quiet and respectful. Of course, today they were more quiet than usual since their mouths were stuffed full of donut holes. I apologized to Mrs. Carrico before I left for starting her students' morning off with a sugar buzz!

Happy Birthday, Nicholas!

I can't believe that Nicholas turns four years old today. It seems like just last week that we were at the hospital anxiously awaiting his arrival. After 17 hours of labor, we were blessed our beautiful bundle of joy on April 17th at 4:37 pm.

I'm so excited about this little guy and how much he has grown, physically but also intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually over his short little life. Yet, there are also sad notes to his growing up because with each new milestone, he leaves another sweet part of his childhood behind him.

At times like this, I can't help but think of a classic childhood song about a child growing up. Stuart laughs at me because he knows he can make me cry by just starting to sing it.

Puff the Magic Dragon.

Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea,
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.

Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff,
And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.
Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail.
Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail.
Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came.
Pirate ships would lower their flag when Puff roared out his name.

Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea,
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.

A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys.
Painted wings and giants' rings make way for other toys.
One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more.
And Puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.
His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain.
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.
Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave,
So Puff, that mighty dragon, sadly slipped into his cave.

Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea,
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.

Kleenex anyone?

Happy Birthday, Nicholas! We are so blessed to have you in our lives. We love you and are so very proud of you!

Open House at School

Tonight, we went to Nicholas' school for their Open House. It's a nice time to visit with the teachers, other parents and see some of the wonderful art work that the children have been working on.

Here's a bottle of sand that Nicholas made. He said the red sand poured out REALLY fast but it was ok.



Here's a paper mache cardinal that he made. I think this is my favorite piece of art work yet! How cute!



Nicholas particularly liked that the art teacher displayed his bird on a branch just above someone else's cat!



Here is Nicholas showing me one of their Montessori works that helps to build the pincer grip for writing skills.



This is just one wall of the class room. I just love all of the neat activities on the shelves that children can choose from.



Here is some neat watercolor art work that was displayed in the hall way. Nicholas enjoyed telling me about the technique they used to make the designs.



Nicholas was proud to show me how quickly he could complete some puzzles. He has lots of puzzles at home, especially the kinds with knobs on them which help to develop the muscles used in the pincer grip.



And here is a picture of Nicholas with his teacher, Mrs. Carrico. She is such a sweet and caring lady. Just talking with her you can tell she is very passionate about children.

A New Addition is Coming...

Tonight we told Nicholas that he will soon be a big brother! Yes, I'm pregnant and the baby is due in late October. We recorded Nicholas' reaction as we told him but I can't get the video online yet. Sorry! Nicholas was very excited because he has been praying every night for God to bring him a baby. We asked him if he wanted a brother or sister. He said that he wants two brothers and one sister. Wow, he's dreaming big! We asked if he wanted to tell his baby brother or sister a message while we recorded him. He said, "I hope you will dance with me". What a sweet little guy. He's going to be such a great big brother. Later he added another comment for the baby, "I hope you like Star Wars as much as I do!" I guess we should hope for a boy then!

Muffins Mania

This morning, Nicholas and I attended Muffins Mania at his school where parents can enjoy a nice breakfast at school with their child. One of the students in his class lives with her grandmother who works and was unable to come to school with her. So Nicholas and I invited her to sit with us and enjoy some muffins. Nicholas was very friendly with everyone around him, even children that he had not met before. Eventually many of his friends from class showed up and sat at our table. Nicholas had so much fun. He seemed so proud to have me sitting with him. It was like he was showing me off to his friends. I had fun playing with them all.

After our breakfast was over and I walked Nicholas to class, I headed over to the book fair to do some shopping. I bought 2 books for his teachers and 6 books for Nicholas. Yes, I know I always complain about not having enough room on his bookshelf as it is but that doesn't mean I won't buy him more books. It just means that we need to get him a bigger book shelf!

Brenda Bird on Love and Logic

Yesterday morning, I brought refreshments to MES for their Scholastic Book Fair that they are holding this week. You know I love books so I'm really looking forward to doing some shopping! And by volunteering to bring refreshments, I get to purchase 4 books for the price of 3! Woo hoo!

After our trip to MES, Nicholas and I attended our Early Childhood PTA meeting. I brought refreshments for that meeting as well. Nicholas enjoyed a piece of my angel food cake before he went into his room with his friends while I went to listen to our speaker. Brenda Bird who spoke on Love and Logic, a parenting method that keeps the parent in control while showing love and respect to the child and teaching them independence and confidence.

Brenda encouraged us to empower our children with choices. "We want to teach our children to think rather than rescuing them from every brink." She went on to discuss parenting styles and what works and what doesn't. I love a quote she gave - "Parenting a toddler is like trying to nail Jello to a tree!"

Nicholas knows that when the meeting is done and I pick him up from his room that he gets to sample the left over refreshments from our meeting. It's his favorite part of going to the meetings with me. Here he is with his friend Diana as they were enjoying some treats.



After the meeting, we all met at Chick-Fil-A for lunch and to let the children burn off some of their never-ending energy.

Celebrating Spring at Nash Farm

After the Blastball game, we went to a birthday party for some of Nicholas' friends. Nicholas enjoyed a sandwich, a piece of cake, and lots of fun playing outside with his friends. He even got to see some friends that were in his class at school last year. He remembered them right away and played with them as if they hadn't been apart for almost a year.

After the party, we went dropped in on the last part of a Spring celebration at Nash Farm. The farm was purchased in the early 1800's by the Nash family and is now a wonderful education spot to learn about animals and farm life.

We got to speak with a real beekeeper and Nicholas loved looking at the protective clothing that he was wearing. We looked at a little hive of bees and got to touch a real honeycomb. We learned about pollination and even got to taste some fresh honey. Yum!









Next Nicholas planted cantaloupe seeds. He was given a little peet pot and he got to decorate it with markers and stickers. Then he scooped some dirt into it and planted his seeds. Finally we gave it some water. He got to take the little pot home to grow. We will try to remember to water it everyday (fingers crossed).





Nicholas enjoyed playing on this old tractor until Mommy realized that the little pink sign on the front of it instructs us not to play on the equipment. Whoops!



We stopped for some lunch before moving on to the petting zoo. Nicholas enjoyed a hot dog and juice box.





The petting zoo was fun. We got to see baby goats being fed. They were only 4 days old! How sweet!





Before we left the farm, we had to hop on the hay ride.



Nicholas was happy just playing with the hay on the floor of the wagon. Look at his smile (and the ketchup on his face and the juice on his shirt). This little boy has had a fun day!

Blastball - Gators vs. Dodgers

Today Nicholas had his second Blastball game. I just can't stop taking pictures of him playing Blastball because he's just so cute in his little uniform!

Playing in the outfield - The kids get bored easily when they are in the outfield.

They rarely look at the ball that is about to be hit towards them. Here one child is playing with a cone, Nicholas is the one in the middle looking at Mommy and Daddy, and the other child is dancing. Well, at least they are having fun!



Here you can see that the ball is headed straight for Nicholas but he is busy playing with his friend Emma Rae so he never saw the ball!



Nicholas playing with a cone. Why are these cones so fascinating???



Nicholas does well in the outfield when he pays attention though.





(Nicholas is the one in the middle)




As you can see, if you catch the ball you must be able to really hold on to the ball. They don't quite understand the full concept of team play so sometimes team mates fight over the ball and even tackle each other until there is a little pile ups of players in a heap. Who knew that Blastball was a full contact sport?!

No doubt that hitting the ball and running to base is Nicholas' favorite part of the game. He loves the action! I love to see the big smile on his face!