Decisions....

Sometimes they are hard and sometimes it is as easy as tennis shoes or flip flops. Sometimes it is as easy as toilet lid up or down. Considering i found three Reader's Digest in the toilet (thanks Ben), lid down. :) Then you have times where decisions are a little harder. Like do you leave your family for a job? When Eric and i started our journey the deal was we would always go together. That doesn't mean that there won't be delays. Sometimes he needs to go ahead and we are separated for a few weeks or a month but as a whole we stay together. Well, we our in our new home and have officially been here a month. Eric got a call about an opportunity to run some (three) small jobs consecutively in Georgia. That is right a good 6-7 hour drive away from our new home. It was his decision. Stay or go? We talked for a couple of nights and he talked to co-workers and sought advice from an old Superintendent. After all was said, it was his decision alone. I prayed and today he decided. Eric is going to GEORGIA!! I am so excited for him. These are just small jobs but they are HIS jobs. :) The kids and i will remain here in Florida and he will come home as much as he can. These jobs will start in March and he should finish in June. It will be difficult on Eric and I but we will shield the kids from most of it. We will continue our routine and he will be home before we know it. This is such an exciting time. Congratulations Eric on finally getting your own job!!!

Jack man is 4!

Today is Jack's birthday. Hard to imagine that 4 years ago Eric and i walked out of our townhouse and drove to the hospital to have our second baby. I almost heaved my Cheerios in the parking lot. I am sure it was being up that early. :) Still seems so recent. He was fat and short and had a big square head. He has grown out of the fat and into his head so i think he is quite handsome. When he smiles real big you can't see his eyes and loves to help. He tells me i am pretty and loves on his brothers and sister. He is wild and loves to be involved in something even if he isn't the best. He still likes to win. The Wii has brought out his competitive side. He loves to say " I WIN, YOU WOSE!" So many things have changed in the last four years but he is a great kid. He grew out of his whininess and tantrums but still hasn't grown out of the Lighting McQueen birthday cake. This will be four years in a row. Maybe next year he will want something different. He settled for a football ice cream cake for today.

Jack loves to run, fish, swim in the hot tub (this is huge given his fear of water in his face), books, snuggling, Wii, my cell phone, anything electronic really, school work, helping cook, and his hopper ball. He is an early to bed and early to rise kinda kid. Usually laid back and ready to go....anywhere. He tried Karate yesterday. He said he really liked it. I asked him what he learned he said "Nothing, we just fight and we just did everything". He also thinks that now that he is 4, he knows EVERYTHING. Those were his words. HA! He wants to play t-ball too. It was a long day because I made him wait until Eric got home to open his gifts and eat cake.

It almost killed him so I let open one after lunch. He got the movie Up, a new beach towel, glow whistles, and walkie talkies from us,

a scuba set from Grandma and Grandpa,

water guns and a soccer shirt from Miss Wissa,

a cool nightlight from Aunt Kim,

money for pool toys from Nana and Papa and money for savings from Great Grandma and Papa Fraser and Robbie Dear. All he could say when he was opening all the different cards and gifts was "WOW, COOL, It is what i always wanted!" We had dinner and then cake. So big now. He makes me smile.

We're walking....

sort of. Ben took his first steps Thursday, January 21st. (Excuse the date it is for when i make my blog book). I am not quite sure he realized that he wasn't holding anything and after the second step i squealed and then he noticed he was all on his on. He has taken a few more steps here and there. We are still taking two, three and four steps at a time but he gets a little better everyday. Another milestone. So proud! He has also made his maiden voyage up the stairs. He tries to get up them every chance he gets now. Hopefully he will learn to climb down the stairs so i don't have to worry. Another month and he will be ONE!

Sorry, about the video. It is a little hard to get him on camera. I will continue to try and get a better one. Consider this a preview. :)

I forgot to mention in the update that Santa did bring me a potty trained John for Christmas. We had a bit of regression with the move but things are back on track and he is more than happy to pee in the yard, off the porch, and anywhere else he thinks is cool. I am not complaining. :)

The Library

I am not a fan of libraries. I mean, i guess it is because i don't read. I don't really have the time. I will admit most of my childhood memories of the public library revolve around brown carpet, musty smells, and story time. Probably not a good way to start off. But this is what i remember..

Then i grew up and upgraded to this one....

The Ralph Brown Draughon Library at Auburn University. I went there a couple of times. I stayed lost most of the time. :)

Then as i got older and wiser i upgraded to this one...

The Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library. Have you ever seen a more beautiful library? I did use this library. I also got lost in it. Now that i am older, out of school and have kids I have no need for a college library and am now happy to downgrade to this public library.

Maybe it is partially for my sanity. A place to go, something to do, out of my house, mostly because it is free. I also like encouraging the kids to read instead of watching TV. Yesterday i registered for my first library card. We picked Ella up from school and went to pick out some books. I even got one for myself. I finished it last night. :( Maybe i will go get another one today.

The kids loved it and i can't wait to go back too. Any suggestions on your favorite books?

Update.. Part Two

I will get this done... I will get this done. That is my mantra these days. Now where did i leave off..oh yes, the snow. Wes arrived that Saturday and was a great help with the kids. While packing and preparing for the move we found time to go see Santa. Probably not the best idea but it worked. The packers where in Monday morning and out just after lunch. Tuesday they arrived bright and early to load. Melissa took the kids to her house for the morning. BIG HELP! We said our goodbyes to her and she was off to Ohio for Christmas. They finished loading about 5:30 and we finished up and headed to Alabama about 6:30 p.m. It was a good ride. Probably because i only had two kids. I forgot how easy it was to travel with just two. :) We got n late and had a day to rest before Christmas Eve. Eric had to work on the 23rd so he arrived in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. Kim came over to visit and we went out for our traditional family Christmas movie. We did it a day early since we were having family over on Christmas day. Mom, Dad, Wes, Eric, Kim, the kids and I took in Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakual.

We got home just in time for dinner and then get the kids in bed so Santa could come. Tree was lit, stockings were stuffed and gifts were under the tree. Off to bed in anticipation of an early morning.

11:30 Ella is throwing up. Was this really happening? Yes it was. By the time i got up Christmas morning Ella was running a high fever. Ben was up first and then Jack. No one was up early. I had to wake John and persuade Ella to come down to open gifts so Ben could go back down for a nap. We opened gifts and the kids LOVED it! Aunt Kim, Uncle Terry, Lauren, and Audrey arrived and then Grandma and Papa and Mawmaw and Shellie. It was a day full of fun and family. It was a GREAT Christmas. What more could i have asked for? Well, I guess it would have been better if Ella wasn't sick. Still a great day. We had to rest and get packed because we were off to Dothan on the 26th. We made it out early enough to stop by for a visit with Aunt

Dale and Aunt Betty before they left for their beach trip. It was a wonderful visit. The kids love their fish. (Aunt Dale, send me some of those pictures) On to Eric's parents.

We arrived and opened gifts. Ella was feeling much better this go round. We got to visit with his Mawmaw and his cousin Ashley while we were there. It was a short but good visit. The 27th we were headed to Florida. Movers arrived the 28th to unload all our stuff. Mom and Dad also made the trip down to help us unpack. Mom brought food so i didn't have to cook for a few days. Dad and Eric got the hot tub set up. It was on the top of the priority list. :) We had the house unpacked in about a day and a half. I am getting quicker. HA!

Flash forward to now, January 21, 2010. We are all settled. Ella is in school and loves it. Her teacher had her appendix removed so this week is Ella first week with her actually teacher. All has been going well and she is making friends. Last Thursday she got cornered on the playground by some boys from another class. She was separated from her friend Derek and they circled around her and wouldn't let her go. She said she asked them to let her go but they wouldn't and they were much stronger than she was. She began to cry as she told me the story. I could tell it scared her. I asked if they touched her and she said no and i asked if they said anything and she said the leader said she was a "hot chick" and she said " I am not!". Derek told the teacher and the boys got in trouble. I think she took "hot chick" as an insult. We also tried out two different gymnastics classes this week. At both gyms she is good enough to be place in a pre-team class. This would be more like what she was doing in Statesville. Of course, she likes the gym we don't. Prayers and consultations with her coaches so we can make a good decision.

The boys are all great. Ben is jabbering more and standing on his own. Also has another tooth on the bottom. Four on top and four on bottom. We have found t-ball for Jack in the spring and summer and a flag football for the fall and Karate. We will see what he chooses to participate in. No classes for John's age. Stinks.

We have started looking at churches. Haven't found it yet but will keep searching. This is my least favorite part of moving. Jack has been talking about Jesus and God a lot. Every time someone does something he says " that is not nice and that makes Jesus and God sad". You get the idea. Anyway, recently his take on the trinity has changed a bit. Now he says " that is not nice and that makes Jesus and God and Santa sad". :)

We've Moved!

I have these order and will send them out when i get them. Until then...

Glorious Day

I know most of you are just thawing out from the recent freeze and even though we are in Florida we have experienced the cold too. Okay maybe not that cold, but the highs in the 40s and windy makes for a pretty miserable day. It has started to warm and today was glorious! The boys and i worked in the garage a bit today and then picked up Ella from school. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the yard. It is HUGE. Well huge compared to our other yards. It feels larger because we have so much privacy. I tried to get pictures but i was busy playing too. Here is what we did on our first (of many) beautiful days in our new home.

Jack and John played frisbee with the dogs. I don't know who enjoyed it the most.

Ella and I shot a little B-Ball. Check the jump shot. :)

They went on an exploration (under my watchful eye)

Their "discoveries". They also found a few places that the raccoons could be coming from.

We started by fishing the frisbee out of the water. Then tried for a fish.

After a call to Daddy. He arrived to show us how it was done. ( It got away) :(

Ben enjoyed his afternoon too.

This is where most of Eric's free time will be spent.

My Mom brought me lasagna when they came so i threw it in the oven and now i have some pretty cool people waiting on me in the hot tub. :)

Flash to later:

I hopped in the hot tub and as we were chillin' Ella told me that when she grew up and didn't have kids she was going to be a doctor. I told her that was great. The rest went like this..

Me: What kind of doctor do you want to be?

Ella:I am going to be a doctor that will help make you small..

Me: Oh, so like a plastic surgeon

Ella: yeah, and and i saw a commercial that you need

Me: what was it

Ella: it will help make you small like here (pointing to her legs) here (waist) and here (chest)

Me: well what was it?

Ella: it was on t.v. it was, it was like a chair and you do a chair dance like this (she shakes her hiney around). It even comes with a pole.

At this point Eric is laughing.... he asks if it is like a fireman's pole.

Ella:yeah, like a fireman's pole. and you learn to do a chair dance and a pole dance and it makes you small, it is exercise, it really is!

Me: maybe i should just use the elliptical.

Ella: no that won't work. this would only take 6 weeks.

I just turned my head and laughed at the thought of my 5 year old suggesting i take up pole dancing as my exercise program. Eric wasn't so good at hiding his laughter. Ella had no clue what was so funny. Lesson: restrict T.V. watching! Dang commercials.

Finally...

Here is a brief look back at the past month for us. Eric left for Florida at the beginning of December. That left the kids and me in North Carolina until the move on the 23rd. Before he left we took a moment and took a family picture for the Christmas card.

While Eric searched for a home the kids and i made our own houses, gingerbread houses. Thanks to Melissa. When making a gingerbread house with four kids alone, make sure you have had a lot of rest and extra patience. It was a fun time for us.

Melissa kept me company and also came by to help with the boys so i could run Ella around. I paid her in food. Mom and Dad came for a visit over the weekend of the 12th. Ella was going to participate in the Christmas parade with her cheerleading squad. It was nice having them there. They also brought Eric. I was super surprised that they had all worked around me to surprise us. Ella's parade was cancelled due to rain but Ella put on her outfit and did her routine at home.

I also got to return $100 worth of mittens, hats, scarves, earmuffs, leggings, and hand warmers. Eric had to get back to FL. Mom, Dad, the boy's and I went to have lunch with Ella at school on Monday before they had to head out. Ella LOVED it!

One more week of school and then the big move. Thursday we had a party at snack time. Mrs. Cronce announced to the class that Ella was moving. Caleb cried. We had cupcakes and Ella handed out treat bags. I read them Elf on a Shelf (BIG thanks to Eric's Aunt Linda for sending us our elf on a shelf, ziggy), one of Ella's favorite books, and then got back home. Friday, was craft day at school and it was cut short due to the snow. It snowed all Friday afternoon and through the night. Ella's last gymnastics class and cheer class were cancelled. We got about 4 to 6 inches and it was beautiful to look at. It was so wet that it looked like snow felt like ice. The kids could walk on top of it. HA! We made the best of it. Melissa came over to play and we shoveled a few drive ways. John helped. :)

I think the picture speaks for itself. Eric says john is going to be "that guy". Start praying now. Part two of the update coming soon.

First day of school

Take two.






Today was Ella's first day of school. I had hoped this would be a smooth transition but it was a little bumpy. After our arrival I found that if you continue to drive east passed Ella's (zoned) school, you cruise right into the ghetto. This made the elementary school a little sketch for me. We gave it a shot and went to look at it. Um, no. I am convinced it is named Dogertown because when you get to the school you want to turn and dodge that part of town. Anyway, we filed for a zone change and got approved to go to Glendale Elementary. Still different from Troutman but we will all adjust. Very ethnically diverse. Ella says there are some almost black kids, some brown like dark brown, and some just a little brown, and then there are some that are a really really little brown but not really. :) she seems to have a nice teacher. She talked about the school all afternoon. She will continue to adjust and we are checking into the gymnastics places. We do have phone and Internet. I will be sending out our moving cards with all our updated info soon.

Tough life

As we get settled and back into our old routine in our new home we are finding that life is tough. It was in the 50s here today.






We made the best of it but it was hard. :) we got out to the mall and then just drove for a bit (and had a hot tub party). We are going to get Ella registered for school in the morning. Still no phone or internet but I will keep you posted on my handy dandy iPhone.