The Tooth Fairy is Commin Tonight!!

One last smile with all of her teeth!                              

You can see the blue spacer making room for braces next week!                    

I had been dreading this day since I found out Emma needed to get three teeth pulled.  She has a tooth that is growing sideways under her gum and not allowing two of her baby teeth to loosen.  In order for it to grow properly she had to get three baby teeth removed and then next week she gets braces.  I have ALWAYS had anxiety about going to the dentist.  I had a HORRIBLE experience as a child.  Every time I have to go or the kids go that anxiety creeps up.  I honestly felt nauseous driving to the dentist today.  The whole time I'm telling Emma that this is going to be a piece of cake and in my mind I'm thinking OMG she is going to FREAK out.  We get there and sign in and Emma is trying really hard to be brave.  She has a worried look on her face.  I again reassure her that Dr. Hardin is going to numb her mouth(hoping she doesn't ask how he will do that)and she won't feel a thing.  We get called back and she bravely walks back to the room and hops up in the chair.  I'm telling myself to take deep breaths and be calm.  Dr. Hardin comes in and is AWESOME. He carefully explains everything he is going to do and even has Emma laughing.  So he tells her to close her eyes really tight so the light won't shine in her eyes and gets the needle ready to go in her mouth and I feel like I'm going to pass out.  I quickly yell at myself and say "Maria, you are a nurse for goodness sake!  You give shots everyday to kids"!  It is way different when it's your own child!  Emma closed her eyes and I was waiting for her to start crying but she never made a peep!  Dr Hardin left the room for a few minutes to let her "teeth go to sleep" and Emma was hilarious!  She was pinching her cheek and acting all silly.  He came back in and again explained what he was going to do.  He let her be the dentist and pull a cup off his hand.  She had to wiggle it very gently to get it off.  He told her he would do the same to her.  She lay back in the chair  and I again waited for her to cry.  I literally didn't have time to count to twenty and he was done!!  She did fabulous and was way braver than her mom.  Dr. Hardin praised her and she got a big smile on her face!  She asked if she could have her teeth.  They put them in a green treasure box.  She looked at me and said "The tooth fairy is commin tonight". 

She had to leave gauze in her mouth for awhile!

Her new smile!!

"Look I can stick my tongue where my teeth used to be!

I'm glad it is over with and that Emma did so well!  Maybe her mommy won't be such a wimp the next time she has to go to the dentist!

Noah and Jed

When James and I began looking for our house we prayed that God would help us find the perfect place to live.  We have been blessed with a wonderful neighborhood, great neighbors, lots of kids, a fenced in yard and a cul-de-sac for the kids to gather and play.  It didn't take long for the kids to meet new friends and discovered some friends that they already knew that lived close by.  Noah met Jed  shortly after we moved in and they have been great buddies since.  Jed is an answered prayer.  I prayed that Noah would find a friend that would be patient and kind.  Jed is so much more than that! I have never heard them argue or get angry with each other.  They both like airplanes,video games and playing on the computer.  Jed gives Noah his space when he needs it.  Noah truly loves Jed and plays with him every second he can.  Jed is accepting of Noah and has never treated him any different than anyone else.  Noah fits in perfectly when he is with Jed.  All I have ever wanted was for Noah is to fit in.  I know that kids can be mean and we have witnessed that.  It is absolutely heartbreaking when you know that someone is behaving unkindly to your child.  I thank God everyday for Jed.!

  

Emma and Jeffrey

Emma has a friend that lives across the street named Jeffrey.  They have known each other literally since the day we moved in to our house.  They are so cute  together. They enjoy spending the night at each others houses(it won't be much longer and they won't be able to do that).  I think Jeffrey enjoys talking as much as Emma does.  Listening to them talk is like (do I dare say) listening to a married couple.  Emma has plenty of girlfriends that she plays with as well, but she can always count on Jeffrey to play with.  He has a sweet family that we are so blessed to have as neighbors!

Happy Father's Day

Emma and Noah were so excited about Father's Day this year.  Emma had made an online card for James and printed it out and decorated it.  She also wanted to make Daddy breakfast in bed.  She was so EXCITED to do this with Noah.  She planned to sleep in his room so she could wake up early like he does.  Like 6:00 early!  I heard them open the door and go downstairs.  It was so cute listening to them get breakfast ready for James.  I so wished I would have gotten up with them to take pictures but listening in was so fun.  Emma put the toaster waffles in the toaster while Noah poured the orange juice.  "The waffles are ready" she said.  " We can't forget to put peanut butter on them.  Daddy likes peanut butter on everything!"  Yes he does!!  They entered our room with big smiles on their faces.  "Happy Father's Day"  the both yelled!  James ate his waffles and told them it was the best waffles he had ever had.  They were so proud of themselves for doing it all themselves.  Daddy went back to bed for a little more sleep.  When he got up and Abbie was awake they were excited to give them their handmade cards and gifts.

James is such an AWESOME dad!!  He is so much fun.  He loves to play and kid around like only daddy can.   He makes each of the kids feel special and takes interest in all of their special talents.  He loves to watch and cheer on Abbie during basketball season.  He loves it when Noah shows us his dance moves.  He also listens patiently to Noah as he explains the difference between one airplane over the other.  He often takes Emma to dance class and she loves it when he watches her.  Emma has showed a huge interest in tennis and James has been giving her lessons.  My kids are so BLESSED to have a daddy like James!  James is a blessing to me!  I wouldn't want my kids to have any other Daddy!

 Thank you James for being the best Daddy in the world!!!

It's A Dog's World

I have always been a dog kinda  person.  I only had one dog growing up due to the fact that my dad was NOT an animal person.  When James and I got married we got our first dog, Rosie.  She was a sweet, white toy Poodle.  She was my first baby.  I carried her around under my arm and she slept with us at night.  When Abbie came along Rosie was not very happy with me.  She learned to love Abbie (and Noah and Emma too).  She died when she was twelve and it was a huge loss for our family.  We waited awhile to morn the loss of our beloved family member, before we got another dog.

We got Murphy (aka Murph-dog)  about 7 months after Rosie died.  He was a SWEET puppy.  Noah was extremely frightened of animals (he tolerated Rosie but never really had anything to do with her) and Murphy was exactly what he needed.  It was so sweet to watch Noah hold him carefully in his lap all the way home from picking him up.  He did have to share with his sisters but Murphy would curl up on Noah's lap and sleep so peacefully.  I could tell that he and Murphy were going to be great friends.  Murphy was a great addition to our family!

He weighed just over a pound but he was a very mischievous puppy.  Our first "ingestion emergency" was when he got into a pack of sugar free gum Emma left on the table.  He ate the WHOLE thing.  The wrappers, the box the WHOLE thing!  So. like a good mommy I called the vet.  I was really worried about the aluminum foil wrapped around the gum.  Well, the vet said we should be more concerned about the sorbitol .  It is toxic for dogs.  So, Murph got his stomach pumped!  Oh so fun!!  They also gave him charcoal to absorb any left over sorbitol they couldn't get.  Cream colored carpet and charcoal are NOT a good combination.  Murphy was fine and recovered from his gum episode.  That was one expensive pack of gum.  Murphy has ingested about four more packs of gum since then and has been fine.  He also likes cough drops, silly putty, and tissues. He has been caught ON top of the kitchen table with pizza hanging out of his mouth!  It truly is like having another child.  Like my children, I look into his sweet face and can't help but to love him!  He is a cheap burglar alarm!  He gets very anxious when the kids are upset. He loves to sit in your lap and snuggle.   He entertains us by chasing lasers and tennis balls.  He has brought so much love and fun to our family.

He is two years old now and has calmed down "a little".  He is not the most attractive mix(Poodle/Chihuahua) but he is part of our family.

"When you are in Love you can't fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams" Dr. Suess

I got that quote from my sister in-laws wedding bulletin.  Weddings are a great reminder of all the things you hope for in a marriage.  It's a time to hear what is the purpose of marriage, what do you promise to do in your marriage and what are your goals in your marriage.  I think back to my own wedding a very long time ago and remember the excitement, joy and yes fear in what I was about to do.  If I could go back and do it again there is no question of doubt.  God brought us together!  It wasn't an accident that we met.  James and I met at a time when I wasn't at my best.  Life was hard and God gave me Him as a ray of hope.  He has been my best friend ever since.  I truly can't imagine life with out him nor do I want to.  I think if I asked most of my married friends, "Would you do it again?" the answer would be absolutely!  

It was  beautiful to witness two lives becoming one.  With all the happiness, excitement and yes fear ahead of them.  May God always bless them and remind them that they are each others best friend.

Enough of the "gushy" stuff.  We had a great time at the wedding.  James was asked to be co-officiator and the kids read an arrangement taken from several kids books.  James did an awesome job!  This was the first time the kids had been asked to be in a wedding and boy were they excited!  Averie their cousin was also took part in the reading.  They had so much fun getting all dressed up!  The older girls got their hair and makeup done and looked very pretty.  Emma endured forty-five minutes of me giving her curls.  I must say she was adorable!  Noah was so handsome in his suit and pink tie.  

The reception was so fun!  It was fun watching the kids dance and PARTY!!!  We had breakfast food for the reception dinner!  Noah really got into dancing! 

The Daddy-Daughter dance was very sweet!

"What a Wonderful World"

It is so sweet to me to see James' Grandparents (90Years old)  still in love with each other so much!

Emma and James enjoyed their own Daddy-Daughter dance!

Emma and Noah each enjoyed dancing with Aunt Ginny.  Abbie and Averie pose with Aunt Ginny for a picture.

My two favorite boys!  They are the cutest!!!

 

Abbie caught the bouquet!  She thinks she is the next to get married!  Daddy says not for another twenty years!!

The night was so fun.  It was a time to remember my own promises and goals.  It was a time to celebrate with this wonderful couple the beginning of their new lives!  I wish them all the best!!

School, Squirt Guns, Surprises, Swimming, and Supper

It is hard to believe the school year is over! It seems like just a few weeks ago we were shopping for backpacks and school supplies. This has been a great year for the kids. So much has changed in every way about all three of them. We have been counting down the days to the last day of school! Everybody got up and got around without any reminders to brush teeth ,put on shoes and socks, and get backpacks ready. Emma and Noah were out the door faster than I've seen them move in the morning in a long time. Once they were on the bus, James began working on the surprise we had gotten the kids. A trampoline!!





James worked all morning putting it together. We were so excited to see their faces when they saw it. While we were waiting we decided to let Abbie go to school for a little while to see her friends and say good-bye for the summer. She was so excited! I was back on the "Best Mom Ever" list again! Abbie got a sneak peek of the trampoline and was very excited. All the parents on our street decided to meet the kids at the bus stop with an arsenal of squirt guns. It's kind of a tradition. Even though the kids expect it , it's still fun to hear all the squeals and welcome the summer!



When we got to our driveway I told them we had a surprise in the back yard! They quickly ran in to the kitchen and closed there eyes so I could go out to get their expressions on camera!


I love that look!! Priceless!!

After they jumped for awhile we went to the pool to cool off.




We usually go out for supper on the last day of school to celebrate their accomplishments for the year. We enjoyed supper at our favorite Mexican restaurant, La Parilla! It was an awesome last day filled with fun and memories!!