Tis the Season

I know that Thanksgiving is coming up first...but I can't help seeing this holiday as the spring board into Christmas! Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday!!! The joy of sharing the story of Christ's birth...the joy of spending time with family...the beauty of decorations both indoors and out!!! Its just a wonderful time of year for me! Plus...both my girls were born around Christmas...what a gift!!! We are fixing to get the lights up on the house soon....since Billy has a little over a week off! Then...the Wednesday before Thankgiving we are going to get the decorations out and deck the walls with red and green inside!!! Its going to be great!!! Money may be tight which means gifts may be small, but the greatest gift this season is the grace we receive and the time spent loving on my family!!! I thank God for the many blessings we have been given and for this time of year to celebrate!

Do I even have a life?!

As I have been looking at my posts, I realized that all of them are about Addyson and what she does in her life. That makes me wonder? After having her, did my life cease to exist and I am totally consumed by her?! Which led to the next question...when this next bundle arrives, how can I be consumed by two children and keep focused on all that they do?! Such questions boggle my mind...so I am now on an adventure to reclaim part of my life and post about things other than my children...although they (my kiddos) are a great topic of interest! I don't find fault in myself for taking the role as mother and nurturer seriously and enthusiastically. I know that this is by far my greatest accomplishment...however...it does not lessen the importance of the other great things in my life, such as my husband...my extended family...my family in Christ...my job...my hobbies. There is so much more in my life and I would like to reclaim those forgotten interests. Scrapbooking is on my top priority list of things to get going again. Lets see how quickly I get this going!!!

Who's teaching who?

Billy picked Addy up from school the other day and her teacher said, "I didn't know you were having a boy?!" Billy said, "Neither did we!" Addyson has evidentally been telling everyone at her daycare that we are having a boy and his name is Evan Kindler. We were talking about it during dinner that night and Billy asked her what the baby's name was going to be. She said "Evan Kindler." Billy looked at her confusingly. She said "Watch my mouth Daddy" and then proceeded to sound out the name for him ever so clearly! What a moment!

Everyday conversation

The time change has been received well by Addyson. She's up a little earlier and a lot happier these days. The sun is rising when she gets up, so she says its ok to be out of bed! ha! We let the dog out one morning before we left for the day, and there was a plane with a jet stream overhead. Addy looked up and said "Look Mommy, there's a comet!" I responded, "Oh! WOW!" She then said, "Oh wait! Comet's are only on Micky Mouse Clubhouse!" HAHA I guess I can take comfort in knowing that she is learning something from the cartoons she is able to watch.

Oh the sacrifices we make

I've been reading a lot lately of pregnant women complaining about not getting to eat this, not drinking this, none of this. It is really disheartening to me (being pregnant and enjoying it for the most part) to realize that people care more about themselves than about the life they are bringing into this world. It does stink being pregnant at times when you have to watch every little thing that goes in your body or on your body or even near your body. It makes life difficult and plain obnoxious at times. BUT...and that's a huge but...what an amazing gift we are given as women to be able to carry a little person in our bodies. To have time with your child that is yours and yours alone. No one else can experience the things that you do while being pregnant. Its your little miracle for nine months (technically 10) to enjoy (and dislike) at times. As most of you know...this pregnancy has been less than ideal thus far. Morning sicknes..fatigue...momentary psychosis! My poor husband has had to do more than his share for the last couple of months. That being said...I do it knowing that the time that I may feel miserable and have to sacrifice more than I think is fair is short in comparison to the years of joy this bundle shall bring. So, my point is after such rambling, is that sacrifices must be made while you are carrying a child. Please remember that one decision you make to enjoy yourself for a moment can have lifetime effects on your unborn child. Think about the big picture and remember that you can't stop everything from hurting your children, but do what we can while we can!

Wow...its been a while!

I haven't been the most dedicated blogger. This is the first time I have been on since March! WOW!!! 7 months! A LOT has happened since then! I finished my first year of teaching, had a great summer, found out I was pregnant with baby #2, are just a few that I can think of right now! So, here is my vow! I am going to try and post at least once a week (maybe even more)from here on out! Our world has finally calmed down...and just for a few months...when the craziness of an infant invades our lives! But oh the joy this baby will bring!

We found Nemo!

So I didn't pictures of this because I didn't want to waste precious time saving our aquatic friend! On Friday, Addy decided that she was going to feed her fish! Unfortunately, she did not think she need supervision in the process. She brought me the bottle of fish food (which was basically full) and said "Look Mommy, I fed fishy!" She had poured the entire contents of the bottle into the fishbowl! I frantically tried to "fish" him out and kept getting a net full of fish food! I finally saved him for gluttony and placed him in a small bowl until I cleaned out his home! A little while later after dinner, Addy said that she had touched something in the kitchen. I didn't think much of it until I went in to clean "fishy's" bowl and found him laying on the ground. I guess what Addy touched was her fish! To our surprise...the little thing has survived! Of course Addy will not admit to having tried to get fishy out of the bowl, but we all know what happened! He swam with only one fin for about 30 minutes...but has made a full recovery!

Is that a kitty in your ear?

After we moved back home, Addy got some pretty bad ear infections. She had gotten a few down in Houston, but she had one for almost 2 months straight. Our doctor always tells her he's going to find the kitty cat in her ear!

She loves it! She comes home and asks me to find the kitty and then tries to find one in my ears too! Back in October, we were referred to an ENT and Addy got tubes put in! She was so funny! They gave her the anesthesia and she was loopy! She did amazing when they took her back...Mommy was a nervous wreck though! We tried to make it positive by telling her it was a special trip with the doctor that only kids could go on! She tried taking off her name bracelet and we told her that was her ticket to go on the trip! She had a hard time coming off the meds, but that was the worst of it! Luckily, no ear infections since...unluckily (is that even a word) it has all just moved down to her chest now! Oh the joy!!!

Too much temptation

While we were in Houston, I purchased a devotional book for girls ages 2-5. I don't force these on Addy everyday, but we try to hit one a week. That way, I can try and reinforce the message throughout the week! I try doing this on Sunday morning at the breakfast table...but we did it tonight at dinner! Addy ate all her dinner and had started her dessert (an iced cupcake) when I began the devotional. She did very well listening and eating her cupcake. As we closed in prayer, Addy closed her eyes tight while bringing her cupcake ever so gently to her mouth. As I began praying, she began licking the icing off the cupcake...not once opening her eyes! The sweet temptation of the pink icing was too much for her little body to bear! Gotta love this child of God!

How do I erase this tape recording?

So...my language used to be ummmm...quite colorful! When Mindi was young, we began really trying to be aware of the words we used! So...I use "freaking" a lot in my vocabulary! ha...that word really isn't much better...but I digress! Anyways...for those of you who know me...I have a bit of raod rage and often try to coach the drivers around me from within the confines of my car! This has now extended to pedestrians simply walking in the vicinity of my car! Yesterday while in the parking lot of Sam's...a man walked behind me as I began backing up...and yes I thought I was going to hit him...so my words were "that freaking guy needs to move!" We parked, I thought nothing more of it until we were walking into the store and Addy points and says..."Look Mom, there's that freaking guy!" Where's the erase button on this thing?!

Addy's 3rd Birthday

I cannot believe that my little precious turned 3 this year! How fast time flies when you have children! Addy wanted her party to be pink cowgirl! I made her cake for her 2nd birthday and decided that I had to outdo myself...I was so "Monica on Friends when she competes with herself to do a better Thanksgiving dinner!" So...I decided to do a three tier fondant cake! It wasn't bad for my first attempt...but needless to say I have room to grow! Addy had a lot of friends come to her party! Tons of fun! We did wheelbarrow rides, stick pony races and had burgers and dogs...yum! I am so blessed with my child...she is sweet, polite, joyful, energetic, loving, and thoughtful...all at the age of 3! I love you precious!

Christmas Party at School

Addy goes to The Learning Tree in Abernathy for "school" everyday. They had a really fun Christmas party that I went to with her. The kids danced and sang Christmas songs. They put Frosty together...and did a "Pin the Nose on Rudolph!" They had a lot of fun...and then Santa came and brought presents! She has made a lot of great friends there and she loves going!

My Dad sent "The Girls" (my mom, sisters and I) to New York City for Thanksgiving this year! It was absolutely amazing! We saw Central Park, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Carnegie Hall, The Flat Iron Building...I would post about 4 pages before I named everything we saw. We ate at some fabulous places and enjoyed the night life! We went and saw Wicked on Broadway! MOST IMPORTANTLY...we were at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! We also got to see the holiday windows at Macy's and at Sak's 5th Avenue! The trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity! The memories we made are still so fantastic to relive! I may try to post a few more randomly throughout the blog...not to overwhelm anyone with all of my excitement!

Biking for Ice Cream

So I decided yesterday since it was such a beautiful day that we would ride the bike to the grocery store. We live about 4 miles away at the most and we love to ride bikes. We have a little seat for Addy that sits between me and the handle bars. She gets so excited when we go one a ride.

Mistake 1...buying the seat in front of me because Addy thinks she needs to steer the bike.
Mistake 2...riding a bike in West Texas wind.
Mistake 3...getting a push up pop for Addy at the grocery store.

The ride there almost killed my legs because of the "breeze"...but the ride home was worse. Addy needed her ice cream pushed up...so she handed to me and then tried to take over the handle bars. There I was...holding the handle bars in one hand, the ice cream pop in the other, using my teeth for resistance to push up the sweet treat for my sweetie! Addy then grabs the other handle bar to turn to get her ice cream and repeat that about 4 times. At least we didn't fall!!! But, we both had orange ice cream all over our faces when we got home! What a beautiful memory!

A Few Years Too Late

So I swore that I would eventually start a blog to capture all the fantastic events in my family...and now, 3 years after Addy was born, I am finally completing the task! Bare with me as I get used to the ins and outs of blogging! I hope you shed a few tears...only because you are laughing so hard at the craziness that is our life...just another manic Mitchell!