Dear Emileigh

Emileigh-

   Today was special, daddy and I got to spend time with all of our attention focused on YOU today.  Blayne has been begging to go stay with papa and doodah, so we shipped him off.  I love spending time alone with you, just the three of us: Daddy, Mommy, and You.     
    At dinner tonight and you stole the show for sure. We went to Runts and you ate your very first fried pickle today. Of course, you made the funniest face but kept eating away.You wore your OU shirt and brand new OU flower that Aunt Amanda bought you... with your smile you took the breath away from a lot of people today.  I love that you are such a friendly little girl :)
     You are such a little stinker though.  You are 13 months old right now and refuse to walk.  We have to trick you to get you to stand on your own.  I should be happy that I have a baby who prefers to be held, but I am ready for you to walk!  I know I should cherish this time, before long, you will be running everywhere. 
   You have begun to show your personality a bit lately.  Uncle Butch taught Blayne to "put em up" when I was still pregnant with you.  It is super cute and Blayne tends to "put em up" from time to time.  We really never taught you the trick, but you learned all on your own.  The last week, you have been wanting to fight everyone you see :)  I wish Butch was here to see it.
    You went to the doctor for the first time this week.  You have your first ear infection, but are such a trooper.  I wouldnt have know you were even sick if it hadn't disrupted your sleeping habits.  You were SUCH a good girl at the doctor's office.  Not a peep out of you. 
    I cherish the time we get to spend one on one.  While you will never know what it feels like to be the only child, you will know what it feels like to be the baby.  The daughter.  I hope it is a good experience that you will tell your daughter about one day.  I love the way you ask for mama now, not just when you are scared or hurt.  I love that you always have to know where everyone in the house is at all times.  You have began to love to watch "Dora the explorer" and "Mickey Mouse."  You shout Duuura  Duuura and do the "we did it" dance so perfectly. 
    You and Blayne started attending Children's Day Out this week at the United Methodist Church in Muskogee, Ok.  While your brother cries when I drop him off, you are such a big girl and crawl in the room and play with the closest toy/friend you come to. I hope that you will continue to be friendly, I want to to be nice to everyone.  We will work on that more later.
    I love you so very much, Emileigh.  When you are a mommy one day, you will understand.  Right now, you will just have to trust me.

M-O-V-I-N-G

It is not a surprise to anyone that I hate living in the sticks of muskogee county.  Actually, I guess it could be worse, I could have zero internet access or satellite.  That would be so bad.


When we moved to this house, we were desperate.  In about a weekend, we came to the conclusion that I would quit work, we would move, and this needed to happen in days, if not minutes.  Our rent and expenses from Kevin driving back and forth from Tulsa to Muskogee for work were astronomical to say the least.  The only way we could afford to let me stay at home (in theory) was to move back to the 'Gee. 

Kevin and I spent a day combing through the newspaper and calling local relators.  We were not (and still are not) ready to purchase due to going from two incomes to one.  We were lucky enough to find a realator who also managed some properties in Muskogee.  That is how we landed here. 

At first glance, I was excited.  I have the granite countertops, I have the stainless steel appliances, I have crown molding, blah blah blah.   I also live 35 minutes from Wal-Mart, 25 Minutes from a grocery store, 15 minutes from a convenience store.  I fight ants and spiders on an hourly basis. I am not even going to begin to speak about the dogs next door, the ones who killed our dog and would do the same to my children.  The ceramic floor tiles in my kitchen are cracking and breaking under our feet.  What do you expect from a house that is 100 years old?  Our roof is a metal one, which might be amazing if, again you arent living in an 800 square foot, 100 year old house.  Being as it is, when it rains, no one sleeps.  I compare it to sleeping under a tarp. Clearly,I read this book by the cover.

Lucky for me, WE ARE MOVING!!! 

We are moving into town, into a neighborhood where other normal people live.  People who have children, not mean pit bull dogs.  I am super excited about this move.  We will gain about 800 square feet plus a two car garage.  We will also gain a fenced in back yard (privacy fence) and a back door for the kids to leave open and come in and out all day.  The only drawback I have at the moment is the fact that there are two bedrooms upstairs with the master down.  This means that my kids will be upstairs.  That will take a little bit of logistical thought, but I am up for it.  I need to purchase baby moniters, and was thinking about whether ot not I would prefer a video monitor.  Do any of my readers have any suggestions?

uncle mike

My uncle Mike came home to visit this week.  I posted on my facebook account that I felt like I did when I was 8 and he would come home to visit.  I was very serious. 

I was born in 1979, Mike's senior year.  I attended my first Bristow High School football game when I was only days old to cheer on my uncle Mike.  I can remember riding in the car for what seemed like hours with my grandparents to watch him play baseball games while he was in college at SWOSU in Weatherford, OK.

I would take my matchbox cars with me because the guys in the dougout would play with me during the games.  I am not sure why they would let me play with them... but I can vividly remember it like yesterday.  I LOVED going to baseball games. 

When I was 6 my uncle Jeff got married, and I can remember the atmosphere being so thick.  Mike was supposed to be in the wedding and was late!  25 years later, I finally asked my grandmother about that.  Her voice always lowers a bit and I hear sadness.  Apparently, on the day that Jeff got married, Mike had a try out with the Phillies in Kansas.  He was offered a contract and all anyone really cared about was that he was late (almost) to Jeff's wedding!   Looking back, how hard would that have been to have to drive 8 hours with the news that you were officially a professional baseball player... then to arrive and not be able to tell anyone. 

I remember Mike working out in the mornings.  He would run and I would always ask to go with him.  Some days, he would allow me to run to the post office with him if I would run back.  He would always run backwards while I would run as fast as I could.  I just wanted to keep up with him.

In the first grade, he came to school with grandma to pick me up.  I was so surprised, he picked me up and put me on his shoulders and walked through the hallways at Washington Elementary.  I will NEVER forget that.

As Mike progressed through the ranks of his baseball career, I saw him less and less.  I was always glad to see him when he game home.  He ALWAYS had the best stuff.  I played a nintendo for the first time at my grandma's house.  Mike brought one back :) 

When I was 10, we went to Oklahoma City and watched him play.  I am pretty sure I smiled for a month afterward.  I still have the baseball with the players signatures on it in my hope chest.  That was MY uncle Mike on the pitching mound.

I always wanted him to be proud of me. I worked really hard when I was young to do good while playing softball.  We even named our team the Phillies :)

I love my Uncle Mike.  I wish he lived closer. 


Here are some pictures of the good ole days-








A is for Apple

My children love to eat apples.  I believe their first real fight was over an apple.  Last week, I was sitting on the couch with Emileigh watching cartoons and eating apples.  I grabbed my iPhone and took a few shots, please excuse the picture quality, it really is about the moment.



 ooooohhhh looook an apple


 
 mine! mineminemine MINE.

that blayne better watch out...

 i'll karate chop him!  haaa-yeeah


nom nom nom nom
yummy!

School?!

Today, Blayne and Emileigh started school. 

Technically, they started Kids Day Out at St. Paul United Methodist Church, here in Muskogee.  Last Friday, we visited the church to meet the classroom teachers and get an understanding about how they conduct the day.  Blayne fell in love immediately.  Emileigh just loved all of the toys! We had to drag him out, kicking and screaming to stay and play.

Today was the official day #1.  We woke up early, took showers, packed his backpack, and grabbed lunches.  Off to school we went.

Sadly, neither one of them cried when we left. (Kevin met and rode into town with me, yay)

It was nice to have five hours to get some things accomplished without having little feet running under mine.  I felt like I could focus my complete attention on them when they came home today.  I think it will be a fantastic journey.

We picked them up at 2:00. (They attend MWF from 9:00 - 2:00)

Blayne asked if he could go back morrow?

 I'll have to take pictures this Wednesday.  

the defination of fun

Having a 2.5 year old, is... fun.   

For example:    My 2.5 year old ...
  • has ZERO interest in the potty.  He is content to attend high school with a diaper in place.
  • would play outside in said diaper from the second he wakes up until he crashes, telling the neighbor's dog to 'hush it up' every few minutes.
  • Thinks that every single time I pick up my iPhone, he should say, "cheese!!!"  He doesn't even eat cheese!
  • Uses that iPhone better than I do.  
  • somehow survives on a menu consisting of 'half-fries' (french fries), chicken nuggets, bananas, oranges, and apples.  it is very frustrating.
  • is the best kid when it comes to time to sleep.  He knows that he is to take a nap as soon as lunch is over, and as soon as as that little head hits the pillow, he is sleeping.  8PM is bedtime at our house, the same thing happens.  He says good-night and is asleep by 8:10.  LOVE THAT.

Today- I learned what he thought is fun...


 what?  I like a powder momma


THIS is what I walked into this morning...
the fog... that is baby powder.


"it on my shirt, momma.  yucky"
 

 "cheese"

 
 my floor, after the fact. 









...fun is baby powder.