First Day of "School"

For a couple weeks we've been talking up Brant's first day of "school" - preschool that is. Every time we talk about it he asks, "Nanna go with me?" and "I ride bus?" We talked about meeting new friends, eating snacks, and playing with new toys.

Last Thursday was his first day and the excitement was too much for him to handle. We actually got dressed and ready to go early and when I suggested we sit down for a movie to help pass the time. He would have nothing to do with...we had to "go bye bye NOW!"

As we opened the doors to the preschool, he couldn't get there fast enough. As he took his first step into the classroom there was slight hesitation, but his friend Caleb grabbed his hand and off they went.

He had a good report on his first day, only a little teary before and after nap time. He played outside, ate snacks, and made new friends. Breanna and I were able to have a great girls day out full of shopping and eating at McDonald's. It was a great day!

"Mommy...Pottyseat!"

After a week at Grammy's to help get him past his fear of the toilet and several weeks in pull ups, we took a chance and put big boy underwear on Brant yesterday. By early afternoon he had one success and one "learning experience." When you do not sit on the potty, your legs get wet.


At the end of the day the overall success was not terrible. Better than I thought it would go, not as good as I'd hoped. I've heard some talk about how their children just brought them underwear and said they didn't want to wear diapers any more. Ahh...how nice that would be. But my children would never think of doing things the easy way!


We woke up this morning and as I slowly put his underwear on him, I thought, "Do I really want to do this. It's so much easier to just change a diaper." I followed through and to much surprise he stayed dry all morning! We even put pants on today! Dare I say it...Could it be this easy? I'm so proud of him!

Make-up Mess

I realized that I had not seen Brant for awhile so I went on a search for him. Only to find him putting make-up on. The next Mary Kay consultant!

Breanna Runs Away From Home

So last night we got home from church and were rushing to get the kids into bed. Brant is being a good little guy and doing what he should – going potty. I kept yelling at Breanna to come upstairs and get her PJs on, but she wasn’t coming. So finally Lynette gets my attention and tells me what Breanna was doing. She had gotten into the closet and pulled out her pink suitcase and was standing in the doorway of our front door, which was open. Breanna said, “I’m going to leave.” Lynette told her that we really would prefer that she stay with us rather than moving out of the house so late at night. (Not that I’m opposed to her moving out, I just hate for her to move out so late and in the dark.) When Lynette asked her where she was going to stay, she said, “With the bugs.” She insisted that she was going to leave, so I said, “Okay, love you. See you later. Make sure you close the door behind you when you leave.” Breanna paused and said, “I’m going to leave for real.” I assured her that was fine with me. Of course, Lynette scolded me and told me to get downstairs and get her to come inside. I met her in the doorway and as she turned to head out toward the street, she stopped, turned around and said, “Daddy, do you want to come with me?” I said that Brant, Mommy and Daddy would prefer to sleep in their own beds tonight rather than out with the bugs. She lowered her head, grabbed her suitcase and walked out onto the porch. I closed the door behind her and watched from inside, curious as to what she would do. She walked over and just sat down on the ledge to the dining room window...and just sat there. She sat for about 30 seconds then came and rung the doorbell. I threw open the door and asked if she wanted to move back home. She said, “I will if you really want me to.” So her mother and I welcomed her back with open arms and celebrated her glorious homecoming. Our little prodigal had come home.

Bre's Culinary Delight

So the other day, Breanna was enjoying her "Highlight" magazine that she gets once a month. She loves reading the stories and doing all the great little activities. That's when it happened. She came across something that sparked her interest, a Fall recipe for Pumpkin Soup. "Pumpkin Soup?" you ask. Yes, Pumpkin Soup. She said she wanted to make it for us to eat for dinner. Now you have to understand that Breanna never likes to try anything new, so for her to say she wanted to make Pumpkin Soup was huge!

So we went to the store and let her pick out the ingredients she needed. Apple juice, nutmeg, salt, apples, pumpkin, half and half, and vegetable broth. You're thinking, "Surely not. I can't think of any situation in which I would combine pumpkin pie filling and vegetable broth." That's what I thought, too. But we went home and Breanna and mommy went to work feverishly cooking Breanna's latest culinary experiment.

To make a long story not quite as long, let's just say it was an interesting meal. We all sat down at the table staring at our bowls of Pumpkin Soup. Neither Lynette nor I wanted to be the first to taste-test such a horrible looking creation. So we let Bre try it first. She took one bite and said, "Yummy!" Then Lynette and I tried it. It was truly awful! Let's just say, pumpkin and vegetable broth should never be in the same meal. As a matter of fact, I don't even think they should be stored on the same shelf in the pantry.

Lynette and I both took the obligatory couple of spoonfuls so we wouldn't feel like bad parents. Then we notice Breanna was just sitting there, not eating. I asked her what the deal was. She said, "I don't like it." Now, she usually says that about any food that's put in front of her, but I actually agreed with her this time.

"What about Brant?" you ask. What do you think? He licked the bowl clean and asked for more. At least someone benefited from all of Breanna's hard work.

On a lighter note, Breanna can whistle now. She's been practicing and is quite good. I'd say that right now she's got more of a future in music than in cooking.

My Sweet Boy

Today I was putting Brant down for his nap. He had already gotten up once and I was tucking him in for the second time. As I was on my way down the stairs, I heard him calling, "Mommy, Mommy." I opened the door and said, "You need to go to sleep, what do you need?" only to look up and see him signing "I love you." I had forgotten to say I love you to him the second time. Of course I felt terrible and immediately melted inside.

After signing "I love you" back to him. He quickly said, "Bye" and turned over to go to sleep.

What a sweet, precious boy!

Breanna's Spelling

Breanna has really been trying to read and sound words out. She spelled "tabl" (table) and, as you'll see in the picture, "snowhit" (snow white) and "pris" (prince).

Today on TV she saw "FOX" network flash on the screen and in a split second said, "Hey mom, that says fox." I'm so impressed - she's doing an amazing job.

Our Smart Boy!

Brant has surprised us over the last week. A few days ago I sat down with him to review shapes...he already knew them. Who knew? Tonight he sang most of the alphabet and counted to 10 all by himself. He is recognizing most of his colors and letters. So proud of him! He's growing up into a very intelligent "big" boy.

Bre's First Book

Oct 26 ~ Breanna reads her first book. Not from memory, but word by word. I was so proud of her! It took us a while to make it through the Dora (first reader) book, but she did it! Small and big words alike, she sounded each one out.

Breanna: "I'm ready for kindergarten now!"

A Day Full of Memories

Life in Texas...

Well, I did it. I made a trip to John's office all by myself. Of course Breanna was with me in case I got lost...she has been better with directions since she was about 3 yrs old. I even found my way back home without missing a turn.

As I put Brant down for a nap, Breanna disappeared into her room. I assumed she'd decided to take a nap as well. After about 30 minutes I went upstairs to sneak a blanket into her room only to find her missing. I looked around her bed and then peaked in the closet. She had curled up in a corner and found her special spot. So cute!

We've also developed an afternoon routine while waiting for Daddy to get home. They love pulling the stools out and eating some cheerios as they anxiously await his arrival. It's the highlight of our day!

New Songs

Breanna seems to really like her new church. She talks about what she learned in "Bible Study" for days. I think she's learning new songs too. This morning I heard her singing as she was making her bed. "I will sing of the mercy's of the Lord of Heaven. With my mouth will I make known "God made the mess, God made the mess." She's singing it with her whole heart too!