the strattons

August - October Update

2010-10-22T13:39:00.007-05:00

Kai's first day of pre-school.

On Kai's first day of pre-school she walked right in the classroom, sat down & asked if she was going to get a snack & water... Just make yourself at home! There were a couple of things that happened that made me decide to pull Kai from this pre-school. Luckily it only cost $40 for 2 months... And it was too good to be true!

Kade & I had lots of time to spend together while Kai was in school. It was so nice to run errands with one kid for a change, but I did miss my Kai Kai!!

Brock & I had painted Kade's room & our room, but we used a super cheap flat paint & Kade took no time to destroy it. We... I mean I repainted both rooms & did some minor updates. I sanded & painted Kade's bed black, made some curtains from fabric I found at IKEA, bought an area rug at Target for only $15 & did some fun "pop art" posters on his walls. I'm looking for a graffiti artist to do some work if anyone knows one, please let me know.

Oct. 3rd was Kader Boy's birthday. We didn't do much of anything. He opened his Lightning McQueen toys & ate cupcakes... sorry, frosting. Since I've decided not to take the kids to the dr anymore unless they're sick, I can't give any growth updates other than he's growing & got a big head. :)
We went to the State Fair a couple of weeks ago & we used the Dart/TRE park & ride. The kids were really excited about riding the train, but Kade cried like a girl as soon as we got on it. Let's see... what else happened??? Oh yes, Kai peed her pants on the train & since I didn't pack a change of clothes, she wore her pee pee pants the whole 2 hours we were at the fair (don't judge). Brock was more bothered by it than Kai was.

Brock was pumped about his fried PB & J sandwich!

BOTH the kids (even Kade) loved the petting zoo. There were some animals there that you usually don't see at a petting zoo... zebras, a giraffe, Chinese cows & llamas.

We headed home, took the Dart to the TRE station for the last leg of the trip home. After 20 mins of waiting for the train to take off, we finally asked when we would be leaving & found out that it wasn't scheduled to leave for another hour & 15 mins. I guess everyone needs a lunch break, but why did it have to be when my kids are ready for a nap? I'll plan better next time... we all have things we need to work on!

Our playgroup went to the Pumpkin Patch last week. It was probably the most stressful time I've ever had with my kids. They were both all over the place & I could not keep up. They had a really good time & that's all that matters.

Brock's sister Brittany, our nephew Brayden & Brock's dad came to stay with us for a Tae Kwon Do tournament Brayden had in Fort Worth. Brayden won a first place medal in the sparring/fighting portion of the tournament. We were so proud of him & super nervous the entire time he fought. The kids had so much fun with Brayden & would not leave him alone when he played his video games. Kai followed Brittany around like she was her new mommy & she was so upset that they had to leave. It was so nice to have family visit.... hint, hint

Other important things worth mentioning:

* A coffee shop owner in Alabama is selling my wall plates in her gift shop.

* Brock passed Part I of his Boards & started Tri 5

* Kai is officially potty trained! It only took 3 days... lucky me!!

We will be posting some videos soon

2010-07-26T10:41:00.009-05:00

Brock & I are regular concert-goers now! Last week we were finally able to use the Michael Buble tickets I bought in February. I love Michael, but I LOVED the opener! The group is called NATURALLY 7. They are amazing!! They make all the instruments vocally; I've never seen anything like it. Check them out on YouTube some time. And then this weekend we scored some tix to Rascal Flatts...
I LOVE RASCAL FLATTS & have been dying to see them in concert for about 5 years. It was the best concert I've been to yet. It was AMAZING!!

Here are some of the videos we've captured recently:

Kai's First Soccer Game

Post Game Interview

Kade drinking his milkshake like a puppy

Watch Kai at the end of this video... I wish I had had the camera on her the whole time.

From the movie Shark Tale, Oscar says "Old School"

Kade is our Pony Boy

Like father, like son

So Much To Post... So Little Time

2010-07-19T23:21:00.009-05:00

I'm a horribly, terrible person... & a liar! I still haven't taken any pictures our "updates" to the rental house. I've been so busy working on my Etsy stuff, playing the roll of single mother (Brock is working so hard at school) & I decided last minute to take 2 online classes this 2nd summer semester (which started last Tuesday). Here's what we've been up to since our last post:

Kader-boy had his 18 month check up (at 19 months). It actually turned out to be a horrible experience for me! Brock & I have gone back & forth about vaccinations lately & I was unexpected confronted by our pedi about getting him ALL his shots that he was due for. Needless to say, I cried... All I want is what's best for my kids. I don't know for sure that vaccinations are good for them, but I KNOW of the possible side effects & its a scary deal.

Anyway, Kade is growing so fast & he's the funniest little thing (I use that term lightly). He's just now making out words you can understand; like: belly button, nose, mouth, pee pee, momma, dadda, water, please, thank you (through his nose), yes, rock, powder, baby, milk & moon. He loves to find airplanes in the sky, playing with cars, wrestling with Kai, jumping on the beds, dancing, destroying anything he can get his hands on & playing outside. Kade's the pickiest eater EVER! He will only eat corn dogs, hot dogs (no bun), mac & cheese, PB&J sandwiches (no crust), spoonfuls of PB, Ritz crackers (must have 2 in his hands at all times), bananas, pizza, cheese & everything breakfast. Here are his stats:

Weight 30lbs 5 oz (85%)
Height 34 1/2 in (95%)
Head 49 cm (85%)
But the craziest stat to me is that he wears a size 10 shoe (Kai's in a 9 - just for a reference).

Kai is STILL sneaky & like her momma, loves parmesan cheese. On this night, I was cleaning up after dinner & didn't realize that Kai sneaked off with my Sam's size parm cheese. This is what I found.
And she didn't care that I was in there or that I was mad at her. While she & I were standing face-to-face discussing the issue, she stepped back & took another "drink".
The white layer is what was vacuumed up.
I was making Paula's mac & cheese & gave the kids some noodles to play with. Kai ran into the kitchen & said, "look momma, I'm a goat." ????????? You're guess is as good as mine!

Recently we had a few rainy days; luckily, months ago I bought the kids rain boots. Kade LOVES playing in the rain.... I mean MUD!
Our "BIG" girl just turned 3... I can't believe how old it makes me feel to say that. Brock had an extended weekend because of the 4th of July holiday, so we made a road trip to SA. We celebrated at Chuck E Cheese & Kai had a blast!
Although, I'm not allowed to call her my baby girl anymore (her rule), that's what she will always be to us! She always keeps us laughing with her funny comments/questions, she loves her little brother & will not let him go to sleep without several "hugs & kisses", she's very helpful & listens really well (almost all the time), she loves ALL animals, watching movies, wrestling with Kade & playing with her daddy. Kai is also a picky eater! She'll eat everything Kade eats & french fries, oatmeal, bagels, apples, & chicken nuggets. Kai hasn't been to the pedi, because I no longer see any reason if we aren't going to vaccinate, so I'll need to update her stats another time.
Here is a card table & set of chairs that I bought for our new BUNCO group. I painted them & recovered them with a vinyl table cloth (see below).
This was our first get-together. We had so much fun!! Oh... that's our kitchen & dining area... Maybe I'm not such a horrible person after all.
On our way to Kai's first soccer game, we drove past this guy walking his 7 dogs (there's a little chihuahua on the far right). It was so amazing drove drove past again to get a picture. You can't really tell, but there's a rope connecting all the dogs & the walk in this perfectly straight line. The guy doesn't have a leash on them; he controls them with hand signals.... Irving's own dog whisperer.
Kai's first soccer game... how cute!?
We saw the most action from Kai during the warm-ups/practice.
Here she is hanging out on the sidelines.... during the game. All she kept saying the entire game was, "I wanna sit down" so she did.
Kade is fascinated with babies (real & fake). So nurturing!
And loving!

That's it for now. We have some hilarious videos that I'll post soon.

OMG! (Oh my GOSH!)

2010-06-10T15:11:00.005-05:00

My friend Mindy told me a long time how much money she used to save by couponing. I finally asked her to teach me & have had my own adventures now... it's so much fun!! Yesterday I went to try it out not really knowing what to expect. I found some really good deals, had great coupons & fantastic advice. I couldn't resist, I came home, found more deals, clipped more coupons & went back out today. Here's what I got in my two days of couponing:

6 sticks of Dove deodorant
4 bottles of Windex
2 cases of Staples paper
2 reams of Hammermill paper
2 bottles of Old Spice body wash
2 bottles of Gillette body wash
2 bottles of J&J baby lotion
2 pkgs of GE Reveal light bulbs
2 travel size Colgate toothpastes
1 bottle of Olay body wash
1 pkg of Ivory soap bars
1 bottle Dawn dish soap
1 Gillette razor kit
1 bottle of Shout
1 pkg of Venus razor blades
1 pkg of Cascade Action Packs
1 box of Tampax tampons

All for.... drum roll.... $26.17!
I saved a whopping $102.25
Is that unbelievable or what!?
Here's where Mindy gets all her info:

(click on the pic)
She posts deals everyday & on Saturdays posts the deals by store &
tells you what coupons to use. AMAZING!!
Happy Couponing

Visitors from San Antonio

2010-05-24T10:25:00.006-05:00

We didn't want to be alone last weekend while Brock was in Colorado Springs so my mom, sister & nieces came to keep us company. I've been invited a few times by the girls in our new ward to a sprinkler park in Euless. It's only10 mins from our house & it's totally FREE! The kids had a great ime!!

Kade has really turned into a rough & rowdy boy. He's more into cars & trucks than ever, he throws things (well... everything) & he LOVES to make a MESS!When we decided it was time to go, Aunt Tori took him for a rinse.The kids hadn't had enough of the water, so after Kai & Kade woke up from their naps they all took another dip.... And again my kids are in diapers, but at least they're swim diapers."Alli-Booboo" (as Kai would say) is the funniest little thing. She's finally walking & its hilarious; she's a mini-person.

While my family was in town we also (spontaneously) went to the Taste of Addison. It was a festival of sorts. There were about 50 restaurant booths, carnival rides & an arts & crafts show. It was fun, but very hot so we were very happy when on the way to the exit we found a sprinkler/fountain area that a bunch of kids were playing in. Needless to say, all the kids rode home in nothing more than a diaper (Aubree in big girl panties) because their clothes were soaking wet. I wish I had had my camera... what was I thinking?

I'm a liar! I said I would post pics of our "home improvements", but I can't post what I don't have. I will take pics REALLY soon & post them as soon as I can.

Our San Antonio Trip

2010-05-23T22:47:00.011-05:00

Our first stop... the zoo. Kai, Kade & I went to the San Antonio Zoo with my sister & her girls, Aubree & Alli. We had a lot of fun, but when we (Tori & I) were ready to go, we couldn't get out of there fast enough! We kept asking if we were headed to the exit.

This bird came walking right up to Kade... he got closer & closer & closer... & finally pecked at Kade's toes. A woman near us looked at me like I was crazy & tried to startle the bird.... Is it wrong that I was more worried about catching it on camera than Kade's toes? On the Stratton side there are nieces & nephews to spare, but the Kai & Kade just love their cousins to pieces. Kade especially loves the babies! He's such a sweet & super loving boy. Bre & Tyler's youngest, Trevi (only 5 months younger than Kade) is just as sweet & loving... Let the hug-fest begin!Kade's already stealing kisses... how could anyone resist those cheeks. Ben & Lisa's youngest, Carly is a CHUNK of SUGAR!!Kade was loving the baby bouncy seat! He would bring us the pink blanket to wrap around him & grunt at us until we put him in the seat. He'd just sit there until he needed to be re-wrapped. Our next stop, the Seiffert Ranch (or Farm). Again, my sister & I packed up all the kids & headed for our Grandparent's house near Canyon Lake. They have TONS of goats, 4 llamas, chickens, dogs & cats. Kade loves animals (not nearly as much as Kai), but if they are bigger than him & they get to close, he turns into a "pansy boy".City SlickersKade & his Great-Grandpa... How cute!?

Cute, but annoying!! ha

Brock & I went for a walk to the duck pond with his Grandmother & the kids. You'll notice the specks of bread floating in the pond & no ducks in sight... we chose the duckless duck pond.Back at the Strattons', Uncle Trey stopped by right before Kade's naptime... He should have known that sitting in the rocker brought on great responsibility. When Kade got tired enough, he MADE Trey rock him.The next night, we had BBQ at Tori & Kyle's. The kids splashed around in the kiddie pool before dinner was ready. We put Uncle Trey in charge.Brock's dad took a couple of days off from work while we were in town, so we made another stop at the zoo. I had promised Kai she could go to the petting zoo (really just goats, but whatever) when Granddaddy took her & that's all she talked about. She & her Granddaddy fed & brushed the goats.Kade was banished from the petting zoo, because he kept crossing the "GOATS ONLY" line. He wasn't too happy.Our last night in San Antonio, Bre & Tyler's girls stayed the night. They ate popcorn while they watched a movie. This was at 9:25pm....This was at 11:41pm. HA!

Brock & I had a very relaxing trip in San Antonio & enjoyed spending time with our families. Since we've been home we've been doing a lot of work to our place (I will have pics for my next post), Brock has started his 4th Trimester (just 5 more after this) at Parker University (no longer Parker College of Chiropractic) & he just got home today from a seminar in Colorado Springs... LUCKY! A few things have changed....
Kade is sleeping in his "Big Boy Bed" now. He gives everyone kisses, says "nigh, nigh" & then blows kisses at us on the way to his room. Both of my kids transitioned so easily from the crib to toddler bed... lucky me! Kai had been having night terrors for a while & Brock & I went against what we always said we wouldn't do... let our kids sleep in our bed. For several months Kai shared our bed with us... I say that because she takes up the whole bed & leaves Brock & I hanging off the edge. But I'd like to announce that thanks to a "butterfly reward" system I put in place, Kai is now in her very own "Big Girl Room" in her very own "Big Girl Bed". She has done so well! There are still occasional nights that she wakes up & comes to bed with us, but its nice to fall asleep childless.

Cleaning Out the Camera

2010-04-24T23:46:00.004-05:00

TRI 3 IS OVER!!!!
We're headed to San Antonio so it's time to make room for more pictures....

Chloe's Birthday Party

Kai went to her first birthday party (that wasn't for a family member)! Cloe's brave parents had the party at Color Me Mine (pottery painting place). Brock & I decided it would be best for Kai & I to go alone... meaning without Kade. Could you imagine Kade around breakables? We had so much fun for our "girls night". Kai was so excited to give Chloe the "present" we bought her. She kept reminding Chloe that she had a "gift" for her & tried several times to get her to open it.

I told Kai & Chloe to put their hands behind their backs
& not to touch ANYTHING....they listened.

The girls were thrilled to see each other; it was the first time since we moved in January. Chloe's brother Brayden, wanted in on the action too.

Here the kids are all seated & ready to play Duck, Duck, Goose. Kai & Brayden were the youngest two there & didn't understand the rules of the game. Every time they heard the word GOOSE, they got up & ran around the circle WITH the GOOSE.

My Dad's 53rd Birthday

Kade always has the women feeding him like a king... LITERALLY!

My dad's friend, Parker, had had a couple of drinks & wanted to arm wrestle Brock. Brock won & Parker was begging for a rematch.

The kids couldn't wait to get their paws in the cake.... YUMMY!

My Boys

Kade was helping Brock clean the car. Isn't he the sweetest?

Kade being silly Kade. He's not in trouble here, but this is usually the grin I get when he's trying to make me laugh instead of yell at him.

Just a short video of our Dancin' Machine!

Sneaky Sneaky

2010-04-15T13:14:00.002-05:00

Kai is a little sneak now! She's been doing a lot of disappearing lately. First it was the chocolate Easter bunny, then a piece of chocolate candy I found in the yard & then hid on the kitchen counter & yesterday the icing bowl from the cinnamon rolls I made that morning.

BTW... My kids do wear clothes! Kai can't sleep in PJs because she has a sweating issue & it usually seems like I shoot videos right before or after a nap or bedtime. SORRY!

Just E-LAX

2010-04-15T13:05:00.002-05:00

I don't really think about the things I say to Kai & Kade when I'm upset or frustrated, but I've learned recently that I need to watch my mouth. Too often I tell my kids to relax when they're whining, rough-housing or demanding something on the spot. While Kai was meticulously lining up her animals, Brock kept interrupting her. She was quite frustrated with him so she kept telling him to
"E-LAX"

Easter BBQ

2010-04-06T12:18:00.005-05:00

Brock cleaned the BBQ pit and sprayed off our back patio last Saturday. It made quite the muddy mess. Kade, being the boy that he is, had to investigate... using ALL his senses.

My coo-coo mom sent an Easter box for the kids. The box included a chocolate Easter bunny. I told Kai she could hold it, but that we couldn't open it until the Easter bunny came to visit her. She did really well for a little while, but while I was cooking in the kitchen, the temptation got the best of her. I caught the confrontation on video.
We had our First Annual Easter BBQ last weekend. I had so much fun planning, preparing & of course, socializing! The menu consisted of: fried pickles, spinach/artichoke dip, fruit salsa, jalapeno poppers, burgers, hot dogs, mac & cheese, fried mac & cheese, ranch french fries, carrot cake & chocolate bundt cake. There were tons of leftovers, but Brock made everyone a doggie bag to take with them. All the adults helped hide eggs for the easter egg hunt while the kids hid in the bedroom. I think they had as much fun as the kids!

After coming down from from a sugar high & having a much-needed nap, we went to my dad's for dinner & another Easter-egg hunt.

For dessert (like they didn't have dessert ALL DAY), Kai & Kade enjoyed cupcakes. Kade finished his... should I be surprised?

Grandma's Visit

2010-03-24T15:44:00.006-05:00

My mom came to visit last weekend for my birthday. Like me, she's a planner, so I had to have something planned everyday she was here. Friday, we took the kids back to Cowtown.

Kade is a city boy through & through.

Kade went as far as to climb the fence of the petting zoo to get away from the animals & cried like a "pansy boy" on the longhorn.
Kai on the other hand is a good ol' cowgirl. She loves her some animals!

That night we went to a Hibachi Grill for my birthday dinner. We were excited to see the kids' reaction to the "show". Kade, AGAIN, lived up to Kai's nickname for him... "Pansy Boy"!

Dinner was followed by some ice cream at my all time favorite ice cream place... BASKIN ROBBINS! We got Kai Cake Ice Cream, but of course she wanted my delicious Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream when she saw it. Kade was eating from two spoons most of the time & when Brock or my mom took one of the spoons to refill it with ice cream he would get so upset.

Saturday, my wonderful husband watched the kids while my mom & I went to the Peddler's Show (craft show), Sam Moon (Thanks Brittany! I can't stay away.) & lunch.
Saturday night, we went to the Tornado's end-of-the-season game. Kai loves the mascot, Ike the Polar Bear, & asks for him daily. Do you love the kids shirts? I made 'em...
When we were leaving, we discovered it was snowing outside. We were in shock considering the previous day it was in the 70's. My mom called my sister & my grandma in San Antonio & went on & on about the "blizzard" like conditions. We really only got about an inch, but it definitely wasn't something any of us expected.

It was a fun visit. Mom, thanks for coming all that way to celebrate my birthday with me! Love ya!!

A Post A Month... Not Bad

2010-03-16T14:29:00.008-05:00

Kai & Kade enjoying Brock's "birthday cake".
(Kai's Valentine's Day gift to her Dadda).

Kai at it again... Don't know where she got this one!

Brock told me not to post this pic of Kade in the princess skirt, but how could I resist? Besides, he brought it to me & asked me to put it on him.

POOR KADE! I went against my best judgment & let Kai take a nap in her "pink bed". I told her that she wasn't allowed to play & that she needed to go nigh-night. Of course she didn't listen. She literally took every toy & book in their room & put them in Kade's crib.

I moved Kai to my bed & couldn't bear to listen to Kade try to fall asleep, so I brought him to bed with us. How sweet are they?!

I'm a terrible mother! Now that we have a backyard, I just let the kids go while I enjoy some free/quiet time. I couldn't help but laugh when I found them taking the charcoal from the bag & putting it in their playhouse sink. It was quite the mess, but they had fun.

Kade enjoying his popcorn at a Tornado's Hockey Game.

There's this really cool place in Fort Worth called Cowtown at Stockyard Station. Kade pouted the entire time of his pony ride & Kai got bit by a goose.... doesn't sound like a good time? Well, it was!!

This is Brock's new technique for cleaning Kade off after dinner.

I was washing dishes & heard Kai calling for me. I was a little annoyed that Brock wasn't checking on her when he knew I was busy. This is what I found when I couldn't take it anymore. I guess it explains why he wasn't checking on her. Ha!

Short Video Clips
(Dec. '09 - Mar. '10)

Brock's sister Bre has a great singing voice!!

We put Kade's Great Grandmother's wig on & he loved it!!

Kade use to be afraid of the vacuum, but has since grown out of it. When he was younger he would cry hysterically at the sight of it. Now its a game of cat & mouse.

Our friend Tyler is huge!! He & Brock go to school together & will sometimes get together to practice adjusting. The legs on Brock's table were too long so he had to use a stool to adjust Tyler. HA!

Kai shocked me in the bathtub when she started singing the ABC's...
You gotta love Dora!

Kade is still not much of a talker; more of a grunter. Here are some of his understandable words.

Where Do I Begin?

2010-02-15T17:25:00.007-06:00

Brock began Tri 3 at Parker in January. This Tri is already proving to be more time consuming than the previous Tris.

I am taking a couple blow-off online classes & transferring to a local college in the fall to finish working on my real estate classes. My Etsy shop is keeping me plenty busy & I'm loving fixing up our new place.

Speaking of... in mid-January we moved to a 3/2/ofc (house) in Irving. I still have not gotten around to taking pictures, but I will post some in the next couple of days. We love living in a house; no down stairs neighbors to worry about bothering & we now have a BACKYARD!!

The kids new backyard toy we found on Craig's List. They love it!!

Kade really loves using the broom. He got so frustrated when he couldn't get it in the playhouse.

Kai was giving Kade tons of kisses in the bathtub. I grabbed the camera & started shooting. Kade eventually got fed up & fought back... It ended with Kai in tears.

I love, love, love the snow!! Last week we ended up getting around 8 inches snow. Brock got sent home early from school on Thursday & told not to come in on Friday. That's the nice thing about being a Texan... We can't drive in bad weather & everyone knows it, so everything shuts down. I don't have any snow gear for the kids, but made due. They each wore their long PJs, a sweat suit, their heavy jackets & hats. Kai has boots & gloves that she wore, but poor Kade looked like a hobo. I couldn't find his gloves so he wore 2 pairs of Brock's socks on his hands & I put plastic bags over his socks to keep his feet dry. Poor kid!

Kai watches her movies on the portable DVD player, & Kade usually gets pushed out of the way if he tries to watch over her shoulder. He woke up early from his nap one day so I let him watch, uninterrupted. LIVIN' IT UP!

The kids made Brock Valentine's Day cards again this year. When I asked Kai what she wanted to get Brock for Valentine's Day she said, "a birthday cake".... So that's what he got. Brock & I will be celebrating Valentine's Day (my birthday & our anniversary) by going to see Michael Buble in July. Brock openly admits to having a "man-crush" (as he calls it) on Michael. We are so pumped!!Brock took Kai to her first movie while we were in San Antonio over the Christmas break. She's been asking to go to a movie ever since. Brock took her to the Chipmunks movie tonight for a Daddy-Daughter Date. Brock thinks its so funny how much she loves to sit there mowing down her popcorn. He said that when they walked in Kai said, "Dadda this is so cute, you see this?". Then she said, "This is neat". How cute is she?... I know!

There will be more to follow... I have to edit all the home video I've been collecting. Wait until you hear from Kai what her favorite movie is....

i'm a total loser!

2010-02-14T01:43:00.002-06:00

I've been saying for several days now that I need to post to our blog. SO MUCH has happened since my last post! I figure the only way I can MAKE myself do it is to post my promise to do it by MONDAY at MIDNIGHT.
tick-tock, tick-tock

2010-01-02T08:39:00.009-06:00

Once again Kai got crazy with the stickers. This time she had her cousin, Nixan to help. They covered Brock's mom in alphabet stickers... She let them do it.

Brock's sister Brittany & her husband, Martin, got away for a night while we watched their kids. We had fun doing Christmas crafts; the kids made a mini gingerbread village, cards for their parents & candy necklaces/bracelets.

Bailey is so good with the babies... too good in fact. Any time any one needs any help, it's... "BAILEY" (screaming)!

Our Christmas routine went off without a hitch this year. As always, we started on Christmas Eve at my Nanny & Papa's. There are several little ones now, so it's fun to sit back & watch them interact with one another.

Next, we were on to Brock's parents' house for dinner & presents for the kids. We're at 10 girls, 5 boys & 1 baby girl on the way...
It's CRAZY!!

Bright & early (7:30am), Christmas started at my mom's. My brother, Trey, wore a very snazzy Christmas outfit.... white turtleneck, white slacks & his "vintage" thrift store Christmas blazer.

Our last stop... Christmas on the farm. My grandparents have a farm near canyon lake with chickens, roosters, lamas & Boer goats. It's like our own personal petting zoo. Kai was in hog heaven if you can imagine.

Once again, we had a great time & the kids loved being reunited with their cousins.
Thank you to all of our family for the good times & great memories.
We love you!!

Ward Christmas Social

2009-12-13T13:41:00.005-06:00

I convinced Brock to go to the Christmas Social again this year. Top left are our friends Leah & Neil Bartlett. Leah (who is expecting their 3rd in just a couple weeks) begged me not to post this picture, but deep down she knew I would. Below the Bartletts are the Ericksons. Tiffany is our YW President & Loren is a Parker graduate. Below Kai & I are our dear friends Tyler & Lani Taumoli. They've been married for 8 years... can you believe it? Tyler also goes to Parker with Brock. We just love 'em!!

This year Kai is very aware of Christmas. She talks about it all the time; she calls everything (Christmas trees, snowmen, Santa) "my Christmas". We were quite surprised when we tried to get a picture with Santa... She kicked & screamed the entire time. I think she was the ONLY one that did that. It gave everyone a good laugh!

Old & New

2009-12-11T11:39:00.004-06:00

I came across these two pictures of Kade & realized I hadn't posted them yet. I think they are hilarious! Kai loves stickers, & she LOVES to stick them on Kade. The second picture is of aftermath of our trip to Hobby Lobby. Occasionally, I will let Kai get stickers (if they're on sale) & while I was shopping she began sticking the stickers to Kade's head. The funny thing is he not only lets her do it, but he leaves them there. He's such a good sport!!

We finally got our Christmas stuff out of storage & put up our Christmas tree. The kids had so much fun helping us set up the tree & adding ornaments. The real fun is keeping Kade from pulling all the ornaments off the tree & watching Kai give the ornaments kisses.

Kai loves her little brother & like I've said before, Kade thinks she's amazing. My friend, Mindy, nicknamed Kade, "Kader Potater" & I call him my big boy. Kai has put the two together & now calls Kade, "Kader Boy". She's a silly girl!Kai climbs into Kade's crib now & plays when no one's paying attention. I went into their room the other day to check on the destruction that had taken place & found Kai's Barbies pleading for their lives.
Don't ask me!.....

We've started playing movies on the portable DVD player for Kai & she loves it. She thinks she's such a big girl. If Kade tries to watch over her shoulder, she gives him a little push & says, "no, Kade, my movie".

I feel like I take too many bath tub pictures, but it's such a great opportunity for photos... they can't run away!

Kade took a wrong step yesterday. A drawer from an organizer was sitting on the floor (where it shouldn't have been), Kade took a step back & found himself stuck in the drawer. He was so mad that he couldn't get out, but it was too funny not to take pictures.

Long Time No Blog

2009-12-01T10:56:00.006-06:00

Time has just been flying by. It never seems like I have any spare time anymore. I really hope it's just because we've officially started the "holiday season"....

Just a little weird!?

She's at it again. Kai is obsessed with her animals.

We had some friends over one night for dinner. The kids were playing in their room quietly... but they were being too quiet! I went in to check on them & found that Kai had painted the walls & Kade with Eucerin. Kade doesn't mind; he loves his sister & thinks anything she does is cool.

Brock: "Tara, Get the camera!"

Then he tried to act like 1) he doesn't know I'm taking a picture & 2) he is falling asleep too. HA!!

Kade's got love-handles!

After eating a delicious Thanksgiving dinner & cleaning up our mess, Bre, Lisa & I handed the kids off to the husbands & began our crafting. Every time the guys called us for help with the kids we told them to leave us alone... "We're crafting". It was so much fun to have other people to craft with!

This is the "Stratton Daze". All the cousins have this undiscovered disorder. If the TV is on, they're glued to it & not even screaming their names will distract them.

The older Kade gets, the more I realize he's all boy. He's rough & rowdy! While we were in San Antonio for Thanksgiving, Kade wrestled with his grandaddy & still found a way to cheese for the camera.

Halloween

2009-11-02T14:42:00.006-06:00

This year the kids got lots of treats in the mail. Brock's mom sent us... I mean the kids some delicious Halloween goodies & my mom sent a Halloween care package with glow sticks, markers, stickers, headbands & more for the kids. (My mom's known for going a little overboard!) Dora taught Kai to say Trick OR Treat, but she didn't get to use it in the "real world" thanks to Kade. During our trip to South Carolina, Kade got an ear infection so we decided to skip Trick OR Treating this year.

We did get a chance to go to a Halloween party that Brock's friend Jason & his wife Jenny threw. We were quite impressed with some of the costumes that were there. Brock & I were Trailer Trash (I know it's played out), Kai was Little Red Riding Hood & Kade was a St. Bernard (fitting). Brock's not real big on dressing up, but I gave him no choice & we had so much fun!!

These pictures of Kade don't do him any justice. (They are snapshots from our video camera.) He was absolutely adorable & I didn't take any pictures & I left the tags on... What was I thinking?????
Kade wasn't too thrilled when we put our wigs on him... HA!

'Til We Meet Again

2009-11-01T16:22:00.004-06:00

Brock's Grandaddy, Lt. Col. LeRoy "Pete" Caulder, passed away October 22nd & we were fortunate enough to be in South Carolina for his funeral. We will miss Grandaddy tons, but I am so thankful for the time that we had with him!

Kade Michael Walking/Kailynn Nancy Sick

2009-10-20T19:14:00.002-05:00

Kai & Kade are both sick. We went to the dr today; they both have colds & Kai has the start of an ear infection. Poor, sweet, sick babies!

We Love You Great-Grandmother & Grandaddy

2009-10-20T19:04:00.002-05:00

Kade's 1 Year Update

2009-10-19T17:50:00.005-05:00

It's taken me a while to get to it, but here is Kade's 1 yr update:

Weight 26 lbs 1 oz (85%)
Height 31 1/2 in (92%)
Head 48 1/2 cm (95%)

Kade is a VERY healthy boy. I allowed him to continue his bottle for a couple weeks after his birthday, but the dr said to just cut him cold turkey. I was really scared because he's a bottle baby, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. He eats just about anything I put in front of him & will spend hours in his highchair. Kade is now officially a walker; he's all over the place! (I'll post video soon.) I've been surprised at how quickly Kade's learned to throw a ball; he gets his athleticism from me (HA!). And he knows how to push his sister's buttons. I enjoy sitting back & watching them hash it out.
He is such a big boy, but he will ALWAYS be momma's boy!

ETSY

2009-10-16T23:59:00.006-05:00

I have so much to blog about.... But since it's what has taken over my life, I'll talk about it first. You might have guessed what "it" is by now... No? Read the title of this post. That's right, Etsy! For forever now, I've been trying to figure out a way to contribute to our family (other than being a supportive, loving wife & fantastic mother) while Brock's in school. About a year ago, my visiting teacher (now friend), Tiffany, suggested selling my wall hangings on Etsy. More recently, my friend Mindy suggested the same & invited me to a "craft party" her family & friends were throwing. It really lit a fire under my bum! It seems like I've been working overtime to get things going. After a good learning experience in Norman, all my hard work is starting to pay off. I finally posted some items in my shop on Monday & have already sold 3. Check it out if you have some time. I am so blessed to have a supportive, patient husband, 2 well-behaved babies (when it's important) & wonderful, encouraging friends! Thanks to you ALL!!

Another Whirlwind Trip

2009-10-07T22:26:00.012-05:00

The kids and I took a trip to SA last weekend. We drove in Thursday evening, woke up Friday & ran non-stop until we left Sunday morning.
* Side note: Kade took 5 steps while we stopped to check out my brother's apartment in Austin. Is 5 steps considered walking?

FRIDAY
visited Grandaddy @ work
met Carly Marie Stratton (new niece/cousin)
had lunch w/Grandma
hung out w/the Jacksons
ran some birthday party errands
hung out @ the Strattons
spent 45mins @ the Canyon HS football game
had a chaotic bath time
CRASHED & BURNED
SATURDAY
ran more birthday party errands
went to the Jacksons for a hair cut
made birthday party costumes for Kai, Kade & baby Alli
arrived @ the party @ 3 (it started @ 2)
partied until 7
had another chaotic bath time
CRASHED & BURNED

Kade & Aubree share the same birthday. My sister, Tori, tried to talk Aubree into a girlie birthday party, but she had to have a pirate party (fortunate for Kade). It turned out really cute. Aubree had an amazing birthday cake & tons of presents. So many presents, in fact, that she got up to finish playing before opening the rest of her presents. After Kade's siesta, we sang Happy Birthday to him & opened presents FOR him. I was really shocked by Kade's reaction to his cake. I thought he would get a taste & just attack it, but he didn't. Instead, he squinted his eyes, spit & turned away when I tried to give him a taste. The cake did not go to waste... Kai practically licked ALL the frosting off the top of Kade's cake, Aubree's cake & the BLACK frosted cupcakes. The next day Kai's BM was blue. We have a picture, but I thought I would spare those with weak stomachs.

I love, love, love this picture of Kai. I was real happy with the way her costume turned out. I ironed the skull & crossbones onto her shirt & made her a red tutu that she wore over her black & white leggings. It doesn't help that Bre gave Kai the cutest hair cut EVER. It only took a year for Bre to convince us to cut Kai's hair. What were we thinking?

To My Wife

2009-10-04T00:16:00.042-05:00

I should start by saying this is the first time I've ever "blogged". In fact, to be completely honest, I kind of make fun of guys who do. I know, I know, that's what I get for opening my big fat mouth. Tara has been in San Antonio this weekend for Kade and Aubrey's (her niece) birthday. It has only been a day and a half, but I miss them tons! Seeing as how this blog has become our family journal, I wanted to take advantage of it by expressing my love to my amazing wife!
I can still remember like it was yesterday, the first time I saw Tara. I'm not trying to sound completely cheesy, but I can honestly say it was love at first sight. I had never been in love before and probably didn't even know what love was, but I seriously thought in my mind that she was the one I was going to marry. We dated a little in high school, broke up, saw each other before my mission, wrote letters for a few months, lost touch, and then re-connected after my mission. I never stopped thinking about Tara during that span of about 3 years. She was always on my mind as Willie Nelson would say, and in fact, songs often reminded me of her! (including that one) When I would come down to S.A. for the weekend, from school, I always hoped we would just happen to run into each other. My brother Ben was the one who convinced me to call her up shortly after I had started school, and I'm grateful to him for that. We dated and I fell in love for the first time in my life.
I always said I wouldn't baptize my wife. I'm not sure why; maybe because I had always envisioned marrying a woman who had grown up in the church. Once again, I opened my mouth too soon. Tara received the discussions in S.A. while I was attending school in Lubbock. She soon developed a testimony of the gospel, and I was fortunate enough to baptize the woman I would eventually marry in the temple. I proposed to her in front of the Lubbock Texas Temple and the rest is history. The day we were sealed is a day I will never forget. There is no better feeling than to know the woman you adore will be with you for eternity! Tara looked so beautiful in her white dress and even better in her bikini in the Bahamas! Oops! I mean her one piece.
Tara is the love of my life! She is the most selfless, caring, loving, creative, strong, supportive, obedient, intelligent and beautiful woman I know. She is the most amazing wife a man could ask for! More importantly, she has given me 2 beautiful babies who I adore more than life itself! My dad always told me I would feel a completely different kind of love when I had children of my own. He was so right. Tara is an incredible mother to our children!! Everything she does is with them in mind. It really amazes me how she accomplishes as much as she does in a day and yet never fails to make me feel like the most important man in the world. I know I probably sound like a girl, but those of you who know me, know I don't really express my feelings in person as often as I should. It's easier for me to do so in writing. (maybe that's why I text so much!?)
I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for having saved Tara for me. Although I don't tell her how much I love her nearly enough, I hope she never questions my love and devotion to her! She is my eternal companion who has supported me every step of the way during our four years of marriage.
Tara Lynn, I love you muchos!

More to Follow...

2009-09-24T17:58:00.003-05:00

Brock & I have noticed that Kade's looking a little chunky these days. He's always been hefty, but I think the combination of eating more "people food" & still not walking is catching up with him. Hello, double-butt! I'm so excited about my recent project that I can't wait to show it off. My niece, Aubree & Kade share the same birthday & since she love, love, LOVES Superman I decided to make her a cape. I found a tutorial online & ran with it. Tori if you see this, don't show Aubree.... It's a surprise! Brock said in no time I'll be making Kai Little House on the Prairie dresses. HA!

A Tribute to Kade

2009-09-13T22:25:00.004-05:00

Quick Update: Kade took his first step on Friday. I was so excited! I can't wait until this boy can walk on his own!!

After my last couple of posts I felt really bad about not having more pictures of Kade. I've never wanted to be that mom that takes tons of pics of the first born & few of the kids that follow. I love both my kids equally, but Kade & I have developed a special bond that only a mother & son could have. He is my sweet cuddle bug!!

First busted lip... Ouch!
Brock was not happy with me about these pics, but I had to remind him that he played with dolls & let his sisters dress him up when he was little.

We love breakfast for dinner!

CRAZY TOES!! Since birth, Kade has had huge feet with really long toes. I bought him a new pair of shoes the other day & he's now in a size 6.... What? Now that he's standing more, I've noticed that his pinkie toe curls under itself. I don't think that's normal!?.....

Kade was reaching for a toy out of the ottoman & got stuck. I ran to our bedroom to get Brock, but was in such a rush I ran into the closed door & bumped my head. We had a good laugh about both.

Kai's Gone Ghetto

2009-09-13T22:19:00.005-05:00

Many of you probably don't know that Brock has ghetto tendencies. A few nights ago Brock was backin' that thang up & he taught Kai the "Bum Bum Dance". As my friend Mindy would say... Don't judge me for my messy apartment!

Texas Tornadoes

2009-09-06T23:14:00.011-05:00

Dedicated to the GPs in SC...

Bare with me... Brock has a friend named Mitch... Mitch has a wife named Amanda... Amanda works in the PR Dept for the Texas Tornado's Hockey Team. Amanda gets free tickets to the games & Mitch invited us to go with him to an exhibition game against Oklahoma. We had a GREAT time!! I'm not sure if it would've been as fun if Kai & Kade weren't so well behaved. Kai had the best time of us all. She was dancing, yelling, eating popcorn & flirting (A LOT). Amanda was super nice & brought the kids t-shirts, stickers & sent the team mascot (Ike the polar bear) over to visit us. Kai was a little hesitant about Ike at first, but decided she would test the waters & give him a hug.... but then Ike extended his arm to hug her back & ended all her fun. After that, if he was near her she would tremble & say "no, no, no".

Every time the music came on, Kai was on her feet.

The Oklahoma team had a lot of players find themselves in "time-out". Kai would go over each time, wave & stare. I didn't have the camera ready in time, but you'll notice the water dripping down the glass of the penalty box. #9 (King) from the Oklahoma team was messing with Kai & squirted water at her from his water bottle. All the players were really sweet with her. We had such a great time!!! Thanks Mitch & Amanda!

Fort Worth Zoo

2009-09-06T23:13:00.004-05:00

Wednesday we went to the Fort Worth Zoo with Eric, Mindy, Jaxon & Josh. It was the first time we've been there & I'm so sad its so far from our apartment; it's a great zoo! The animal exhibits are amazing; the animals are so close. They have a really cool bird house where you can buy "seed sticks" & hand feed the birds... That was one of my favorite parts.

Jaxon & Kai... Cutie patooties!

We spent 4 1/2 hours at the zoo & the kids were beat! Kai crashed before we even got out of the parking lot, but held on to her gorilla.
* Although Kade went with us to the zoo, he slept most of the time there so no pics.

Papa & Nana's

2009-08-26T09:05:00.003-05:00

My dad & step-mom live only a few miles from us, so we sometimes go over for dinner. We thought the kids were so cute this day in particular. They ran through the sprinkler & then needed a snack. How cute is Kade in Connor's hat?... I know!

H-Town

2009-08-26T08:37:00.012-05:00

Brock is on a two week break from school before the next Tri starts. We decided to make a quick trip to Houston to visit Brock's sister, Brittany, & her family. We took all the kids to the Houston Children's Museum; it was surprisingly busy for a Friday afternoon. The kids had a blast!

Kai is crazy about dancing. We thought this was a dance floor, but figured out it was a dodge ball game that the older kids were playing. The little kids kept getting hit by the ball & ruined the game. OOPS!
While Martin was in town, we went to Lake Conroe for a few hours. It was overcast, but it ended up being perfect. Brock has always wanted to wake board, but hasn't because of his knee. Martin talked him into wake skating instead. The board is similar to a wake board, but it doesn't have the boots. It took him about 3 times, but he finally got up.... & then busted it.

On our way to the lake, we were really worried about the way Kai would react to the boat. She did great! She really loves the water. Kade only took a dip, but loved watching the wake from the boat. We'll have to get our own boat in, I don't know, ten or fifteen years. Ha!

On our way home from Houston, the kids & I were clapping & singing songs in the back seat. All of a sudden Kade started clapping his hands. I was so freaking excited! His hands are so big it makes him look really uncoordinated.

Balloon Fest

2009-08-15T19:09:00.006-05:00

I can't begin to tell you how many pictures I have where Kade's mouth is wide open. As soon as the flash starts going, he gives his wide-mouth smiles.

We are so lucky to live where we do for many reasons. One of those is because we live where three small cities meet, so there's always something fun to do. This weekend, Highland Village had their annual Hot Air Balloon Fest. We got a late start, but when we finally got there we found out the balloons didn't even take off because it was too windy. I couldn't let Kai down so we played some carnival games. Kai tried to do the bungee jump, but only got the harness on & freaked out. She loved the duck game; she got to pick a duck & then pick the size toy on the bottom of the duck. We ended up leaving with three: Sponge Bob, a monkey & a titty tat (kitty cat). Before we left Kai & Kade went on the airplane ride. I'm not a big fan of carnival rides, but I felt comfortable enough to let them ride it. I'm so glad I did because they had the best time. I just hope next time we actually get to see some balloons & that Brock feels well enough to go with us.

Do we love food or what?

2009-08-06T15:13:00.010-05:00

During one of our trips to eat lunch with Brock, Kai was a little outta control. We did the one thing every quick-thinking, not so logical, parent would do... We rewarded her bad behavior with Peanut Butter M&Ms. It worked! She instantly went into a sugar coma & only spoke when she needed a few more. By the time we got home from lunch, she had eaten the entire bag. Does that make me a bad mother?

Like Grandmother, like grandbaby!

(Brock's mom LOVES frozen Peanut Butter M&Ms)

2 Goin' On 16
*Just in case you're wondering, I did wash my make-up brushes before they were used again.
I thought this was just adorable! Brock & I were walking down memory lane when Kai found some of my old baby pictures. She studied every single picture & kept saying "Momma... baby". Then as she does with everything she lined them all up to admire them. Silly girl!
Who loves Paula Deen?? Uhhhh, I do, of course! And so do the kids. We had Paula's steak fingers, cream gravy, (to-die-for) mac & cheese, fried okra & mashed potatoes. It was YUMMY!! We love you Paula!

Kai can't get enough of her select few DVDs, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar (1 & 2), Shrek the Third & Ice Age (the first, ancient, one). Here she is acting out one of her (& Brock's) favorite parts of Ice Age. If you haven't seen it, the saber tooth tiger is trying to calm the crying baby by playing peek-a-boo. Too funny!

Surprisingly, our big boy, Kade, is a picky, picky, picky eater! He loves his bottle & not much else. I keep trying new things, but he likes to stick to the basic baby favorites, Cheetos, graham crackers, mac & cheese (sometimes) & mashed potatoes. This morning I tried giving him some brown sugar oatmeal, but that was a no-go. Then we tried applesauce... Add that one to the list of favorites.
*You may find this boring, but I love Kade's faces!

Lewisville Water Park

2009-07-28T17:34:00.003-05:00

I forgot to post this video! There is this great city water park about 2 mins from our apartment. It's perfect for little ones, but there's also a small lazy river the adults can enjoy. The best part about it is it's only $2 (per adult) to get in. Kai & Kade had a really good time. Kade did not hide his excitement. Ha!

Two Week Wrap Up

2009-07-26T22:13:00.011-05:00

Two Thursdays ago, Kai had an allergic reaction & broke out in hives. This picture was day 6 of the hives & when they looked their worst. I know they look horrible, but the only time they really bothered her was in the evening after her bath. I had finally had enough after 3 trips to the dr & several doses of Benadryl! They put her on an oral steroid & over night this was the progress that she made...
Once the Benadryl was out of her system, I took her for an allergy test for the most common allergies. I waited 4 days & called the dr to get the results. She has NO ALLERGIES!! Surprise, surprise... We have our own theory about what caused the hives, but we won't get all chiropractic on you. Kai is really into coloring now. She uses Kade as her canvas a lot of the time.

Don't upset the princess!

Kai is such a girlie girl!!

Kade really knows how to work the camera.

This is Kade's reaction every time Brock comes home from school. If the kids aren't already in the tub, Kade will crawl across the room to Brock's feet & pull on his legs until Brock picks him up. Kade really loves his Dadda!!
I can't get over how old Kade looks in this picture. He's growing way too fast!!

Kade's mean face... Please excuse my annoying laughter.

Brock kept telling me to journal some of Kai's sayings, but tonight I was able to catch some of them on video. When she use to ask for a drink I would ask her "juice or milk"? Now that is how she asks for a drink, "juice milk". We respond by asking her if she wants juice OR milk & she ALWAYS tells us "o-tay". Tonight she also gave us a little "alright" & "ru nak" (fruit snacks). We can't get enough of it! She is so funny!!

They Keep Growing & Growing...

2009-07-09T09:43:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we took our monsters to the Dr for Kai's 2 year & Kade's 9 month check-ups. It's always an adventure! Kai hates going to the Dr. She loves the waiting room toys, but as soon as they open the door & call us back... she goes into super-freak-out mode!

Kai weighed 28 lbs 9.5 oz (75%), measured 36 in long (94%) & her head was 49 1/2 cm (80%). According to the "two times" height predictor, Kai will be around 5'7". Maybe she won't be a midget after all... Auntie Bre! Kai is speaking in toddler sentences, "come on", "get out", "no, no, no, no"... You know all the things you wish they never learned to say. She really loves to color & still thinks Dora, Boots, Diego & Jaguar are her best friends.

Kade weighed 23lbs 14.5 oz (95%), measured 30 in long (94%) & his head was 47 1/2 cm (95%). The Dr was shocked at his weight since he's been refusing baby food & cereal since his stomach bug in late May. The boy LOVES his bottle!! He still does the army crawl, but can move. His 6th tooth (top left) came in last weekend while we were in San Antonio & he's constantly squawking & squealing. Kade is such a happy, content baby!... But Kai was too until she was 16 months old.

I am so lucky to have 2 wonderful, loving, super healthy, absolutely adorable kids. I love you Kai Kai & Kade Michael Michael!!

Kai's already 2!?

2009-07-07T10:19:00.006-05:00

The road trip to San Antonio is always SO hard on the kids!
Kai helped me bake her birthday cakes. She was in charge of quality control.
Friday night, Kai's Grandmother & Granddaddy took us to the Greatest Show on Earth (circus) for Kai's birthday. Kai & Kade were in awe! We all stuffed our faces with all the junk food we could find. Kade ended up falling asleep before intermission & somehow slept through the rest of the show. And Kai managed to stay awake until we walked to the car... Good timing! Thanks Grandmother & Granddaddy, we had a great time!!
I went a little overboard (as usual) with the food for Kai's birthday! We had fruit salsa & chips, pulled pork sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, mac & cheese, creamed corn & strawberry-spinach salad. I didn't want anyone to go hungry!
Kade hung out inside most of the party...

But made a cameo & then was ready for a bottle.

Kai got some great stuff for her birthday. Her cousins quickly stepped in to help her open her presents. She took FOREVER!

I went a little overboard on the cakes as well! I wanted to make Kai a volcano cake, but wanted to make something for the adults to enjoy too. We threw a couple of ideas around & couldn't settle, so I made 3 cakes. Kai had a chocolate on chocolate volcano cake & the adults had to choose between a banana-sour cream cake & mandarin orange cake. I don't think I got a bite of any of them, now that I think about it! All-in-all, Kai had a GREAT 2nd birthday. It's had to believe our baby girl is already 2. We love you Kai Kai!!

CRAZY KIDS

2009-06-30T10:26:00.012-05:00

Kai has been doing so much better sleeping in her room lately. But she's found a new way to occupy herself until she falls asleep... She "shares" her toys with Kade while he's trying to fall asleep.

Brock thinks that because Kade's a boy, he needs to be rough with him. TAKE IT EASY! Our little, naked diva.

Find the baby.... I was wondering why Kade hadn't fallen asleep.

Just the night before this video, I was telling Brock that we need to get Kade some "boy" toys. I guess Kade was trying to help me make my point.
Last Saturday, we went to Connor's 2nd Birthday Party. He is exactly 1 week older than Kai & the two of them get along so well. Kai really enjoyed herself... that's because she was in the water while the rest of us were melting in the blistering 101 degree temperature. The funny thing about this day was that Brock was so excited to get some sun. As he does every Saturday, he went to study at the library for 3 hrs in the morning, but this Saturday was a little different... Brock had me put self-tanner on him so he wouldn't look SO white with his shirt off & then put his swim trunks on. I told him he was crazy to go to the library in swim trunks, but he didn't want to have to change. So we go to the party & only the kids are riding the water slides. Brock was so disappointed! That may not be funny to you, but we couldn't stop laughing about Brock's desperation for a little sun.

Kai fell asleep behind her door... again!

We had the coil in our A/C replaced yesterday. It took them 6 hours to fix. The kids & I were burning up. Luckily, it was overcast in the morning & early afternoon, so it could have been so much worse than it was. We hung out on the couch by the open window enjoying every little breeze.

Look at that gap! We are really worried Kade's BABY teeth are going to be jacked. Looking at him, his front, right tooth is growing out of the front of the gum instead of the middle... He's going to have ONE buck TOOF. But he's still a heart breaker!

Kai has gone from lining her animals up to herding them onto a book. What else will this girl come up with... It's always fun to see!

A Tornado, A Stick of Butter & 3 Teeth

2009-06-24T07:19:00.008-05:00

Many of you probably don't know this, but we had a tornado (I've also heard it called a funnel cloud, but I think tornado sounds more dramatic) touch down about a mile from our apartment. I was on my way to church for mutual when I called Brock to tell him about how bad the sky looked & that the emergency weather sirens were going off. I drove about a 1/2 mile further & I found myself in the "outer bands of the tornado" (I learned that from the movie Twister). Now... I'm not a rocket scientist... but I knew I had to turn around & get home. The wind had picked up to around 60-70 MPH & a trash can flew beside & in front of my car. I know you're probably thinking no big deal, but I was IN FEAR FOR MY LIFE! Brock met me outside & we attempted to walk through the wind... it was unbelievable. It really was like something you see in the movies. We got inside, looked up the weather channel on the internet (remember, we no longer have cable, HA!) & saw that we were suppose to seek shelter. We grabbed pillows, Kai's dinner, Kade's bottle, bottled water & our cell phones... you know the essentials & locked ourselves in the bathroom. We lasted about 10 mins, but couldn't stand that we didn't know what was going on.

To make a long story longER... Trees were broken & split in half, people went without power & many houses will be getting new roofs, but we survived... Thanks for the phone call to make sure we were ok! Anyway, I took the picture (above) from our balcony after things had settled down... MEMORIES....
While all my friends with kids Kai's age were undressing themselves & pulling off their diapers, I looked at my sweet angel (fully clothed) & thought I'm so lucky. Look at what those bad kids taught her. Just kidding... but seriously, get use to seeing Kai half naked!
I made a birthday cake for my twin MiaMaids last week. While Brock was helping me with the frosting, sneaky Kai grabbed a stick of butter off the counter & began polishing our TV stand. Wasn't that sweet of her!?
"Dadda, I'm not done!"

Kade has 3 of his top teeth coming in now. I know it doesn't seem like it, but he loves when I do this to him! HA!!

Kai is just a ball of loud, uncontrollable craziness. I put some of her craziest moments together. You might want to turn your volume down a little.

Then there's my sweet, baby boy. He's just learning & growing faster than he should. I love this little cuddle bug!

Not interesting, but....

2009-06-10T21:19:00.004-05:00

.... I felt the need to blog.

Like I've posted before, Kai is constantly falling asleep in the strangest positions/places. These are from the last week or two. Silly little girl.
Kai has already taught Kade how to glue himself to the TV. He's a fast learner!

I cleaned out our sweaters & jackets from the closet last weekend & Kai found her new toys...

Kai really loves having Dakota around. She likes to hold Dakota's leash & take her for walks (don't worry... I'm there... just purposely out of the picture). And never mind Dakota.... she had to pee.
On our way to the park, Dakota made herself comfortable on Kade's lap. Kade LOVES Dakota!! He especially loves when she barks & howls.

These are my favorite pictures from my last upload. Both, Kai & Kade, love to go to the park & swing. I try to take them at least once a week, but it's starting to get a little too hot for momma. Is that selfish?

I Take TOO Many Pictures

2009-05-28T14:44:00.008-05:00

For those who don't know, we have Dakota back & Kai loves her to pieces. One evening, Brock was Q-ing on the patio & Kai & Dakota wanted out really bad. The funny thing about this picture is we have one almost exactly the same of Bre's ( Brock's sister) oldest, Nixan, when she was a little girl with Dakota looking out of our front screen door in Lubbock. When I find it, I'll post both of them...
Kai likes to pretend now. Sometimes she'll crawl to me, start panting & say, "puppy". I kindly treat her like I would any dog... scratch her behind the ears & tell her to get... Ha! As you see in this pic, I'm not too sure that Dakota is a good example for Kai.
This boy LOVES to eat. I put the spoon on his nose & he couldn't figure out how to get it off. "I see the spoon, but where's the food?"

Now that Kade is sitting up by himself, we put him in the bath with Kai. It doesn't look like it here, but he really enjoys it.

Kai thought it was so funny to splash Kade in the face & watch him jerk from the shock of the water hitting him.

Since our last road trip, Kai has been so difficult about going to sleep at night. We'll ask her several times if she's ready for bed & she always says no. She hates to go to sleep in her room (she slept in bed with us on our trip). Brock can't handle her screaming at her door for him, so he lets her fall asleep in the family room & carries her to bed.

Did I mention Kade LOVES to eat?

When Kade wakes up from his naps, Kai screams, "Dade, Dade"... like I can't hear him myself. Then she asks me to put her in his crib & they play for a while... it's so sweet!

It's hard to see, but Kai fell asleep eating her new favorite snack, Sun Chips. What a rough life!
I'm always looking for ways to store things (especially toys). Target had a sale on these storage ottomans, so I bought one & Brock decided we needed another (now we have two). They are so convenient for quick pick-ups, but sometimes Kai likes them better as TV pods (don't know what that is... I made it up).
I'm all about inexpensive ways to decorate! Here's my new thing... I find a cute fabric & gallery wrap a canvas. This is what I did for "Kai's wall"; I plan on adding more to it down the road (i.e a flower in the open frame). I've also ordered fabric for "Kade's wall" & I'm excited that my mom has asked me to do some things for her front room. I'll post those pics when I get them (probably a month from now). I really enjoy "my projects".

Parker White Coat Cermony

2009-05-28T14:31:00.004-05:00

Last Friday was Parker's "White Coat Ceremony". All the Tri 1 students received their white lab coats for the clinic. It was really just a waste of time. These are some of Brock's closest classmates from left to right: Jason (from Arkansas & one of Brock's workout partners), Scott (from Dallas, has an MBA & owned his own business before making a career change), Ben (got his Engineering degree from SMU & is the group brainiac) & Austin (from Cali, his dad has his own Chiro practice back home & another workout partner). So now if you hear stories about any of these guys, you can put a face with the name.

Happy 88th Great-Grandaddy

2009-05-21T14:57:00.004-05:00

Great-Grandaddy, The kids can't sing yet... much less speak clearly... So we hope you enjoy your "special" birthday song. We love you & hope your birthday is fantastic!

Tri 1... No Cable... Looking Back

2009-05-15T14:08:00.015-05:00

Monday was Brock's first day of Tri 1 (Trimester-There are a total of 9 Tri's). He's taking a total of 27 1/2 hours (including labs). I don't understand how it all works, but better him than me! We are both SO excited to finally be in the Chiropractic program it's not even funny!! Only 3 more years to go....

After I sat down & budgeted our graduate loan money, I realized that not only did the amount of the student loan increase, but so did the cost of tuition. We've decided to cut a couple "unnecessary" expenses. One being my gym membership & the other.... CABLE. Scary I know! I first suggested it to Brock on Monday, but didn't really go through with it until Wednesday. Last night was our first night without "our shows" & surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. Brock says it's "Liberating", but "truth & time tell all" (Justin Bobby-The Hills).

Thursday also happened to be Brock & my 4 year anniversary... awww! I spent alot of the day reminiscing; thinking back to our good ol' Lubbock days & our two precious babies in particular. We celebrated the way any couple going to school would... Romantic dinner at home with the kids. I am so grateful to have married such a WONDERFUL man & look forward to.... Eternity! I don't have many (& not the best quality), but I found some old pics of Brock & me over the years.

May 2003 with Ben (Brock's brother) & Lisa at Bre (Brock's sister) & Tyler's San Antonio reception. This was one of our first dates after Brock got home from his mission. The funny thing is, one of our first dates EVER was at Ben & Lisa's San Antonio reception... Ha!

My husband, the worthy priesthood holder that he is, baptized me on September 12, 2003. He always swore he would never baptize his wife until he met me :) Side Note: Not a good pic.

Our trip to Utah to visit Bre & Tyler in January 2004. Shortly after returning home, we went on one of Brock's "breaks".

Our engagement photo (February 2005). We looked so young!!
Honeymoon in the Bahamas (May 2005)
Post-game pic when Tech beat A&M in the last seconds of the game (2006)... Good Times!!

Product Plug

2009-05-15T13:52:00.004-05:00

I've never blogged about a product, but that all changes now! I went to Wal-Mart the other day for some light grocery shopping & thought Kai & I needed a new color of nail polish... I decided on Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry. And that's just what it is... Fast Dry! This is the first time I can remember painting Kai's nails, or even my nails, & not having any smudges. The brush is wider & has a rounded tip so it only takes one stroke to cover the entire nail. It's fantastic!! Give it a shot.

"Break"

2009-05-08T08:19:00.010-05:00

Our first road trip in the MDX... Brock had a small "break" from school so we made a trip down to SA & Houston to visit our family. We were all excited to get out of town for a little while. Brock didn't get much of a break... His dad was moving his clinic, so Brock was a "professional relocation technician" (that's for you Sione) for the whole week.

My sister had a baby about 3 weeks ago, so while we were in town, I borrowed Aubree to give Tori a break & distract Kai. It took me a little while to figure out what was going on, but I finally got it. These two are so funny together! ... Round & round the "Bag Ladies" go.

Before heading back to Lewisville, we stopped in Houston to visit the Dinhs (Brock's sister & fam). Brittany's kids are fish; they are always in the pool. I didn't even think of packing bathing suits for our trip so I ran to Wal-Mart & got Kai a suit. She was pumped...

Ready to go....
And then freaked out before she even touched the water. Brock said it was freezing!
Brock & Kai played outside the pool while everyone else swam.
Kade just hung out soaking up the sun.

Kai & I love cheese-balls. We pretty much polished them off... Sorry Brittany!

Anytime Brock wasn't doing something, Brayden would ask, "Want to play Street Fighter?". Brock is NOT a "gamer" & I found out why. He is so competitive! Brock got so excited when he beat Brayden & so upset everytime Brayden beat him. Brock... He's only 4.

We stayed in Houston an extra day to go to Katzs, a deli Martin raves about. I had a "Time Square" & it was to die for. Apparently, Brayden's grilled cheese was pretty amazing too... While Brayden was in the bathroom, Brock took the "leftover" sandwich off Brayden's plate & ate it. When Brayden got back he said, "Hey, where's my sandwich?". OOPS! We all had dessert even though we were all STUFFED. Kai loved her ice cream (or should i say cream).

The MDX

2009-05-07T21:31:00.005-05:00

Brock & I decided that before we put any more miles on the G, we needed to sell it. It was time for something bigger. After exploring our options (as far as mid-size SUV's go), we decided we wanted an Acura MDX. It was meant to be!! We found a 2002 MDX on Craigslist. Brock offered the owner well below the asking price & she was still willing to let us see it. We packed the kids in the Sizzaturn & drove 45 mins to Mansfield. As we pulled into the subdivision, we saw a silver MDX in the driveway. It wasn't quite what we expected (it never is). Brock knocked on the door as I got Kai out of the car. The gentleman came out with his dog & Brock introduced himself. As I was walking up the driveway, Brock started inspecting the car. I then introduced myself & began my inspection. The owner said, "What's up?" Brock & I looked at each other confused & explained that we were there to look at the MDX. The man then informed us it was not for sale....

We were at the WRONG HOUSE! HA!!

The MDX we were looking for was across the street, about 5 houses down.

Lesson: Always check the house number.

Once we found the REAL MDX, we knew it was the one for us. The exterior was in pristine condition, but we were shocked when we looked inside & saw that there was no 3rd row. The owner told us that the family that looked at it the night before was looking for a 3rd row also. Brock & I began removing the cargo mats in the back of the car & low & behold... THE 3RD ROW! This woman bought the car from her mother, who bought the car from the dealership, drove the car for 7 yrs & had no idea that there was a 3rd row. The leather was untouched & the plastic tape was still on the floor board.... WHAT!? 7yrs & only 52K miles... We practically stole this car! We've already begun the repentance process.

Catching Up....

2009-05-07T20:45:00.006-05:00

Sweet Baby Boy

Kai LOVES animals!! She spends so much of her time lining all her animals up... then she takes a step back & admires her work.

Every time my sister sees Kade she calls him a monster. Now my niece, Aubree, calls him monster like it's his first name.

Kade has found a new way to play with his keys.

Kai's new thing..... Shortly after putting her down for naps, we can hear her playing with her toys. We've been checking in on her & finding her passed out. Funny little girl!!

Tickle Torture

2009-04-13T20:24:00.006-05:00

I love this picture of Kai!!

A friend of mine from church invited a few families with young kids over for Easter breakfast & an egg hunt. The kids had a blast... It was a good time.As the egg hunt ended, the neighbors let their dog out. The kids were peaking at the dog through a hole in the fence & Kade was cracking up every time he barked.

My mom sent an Easter package for the kids. Kai loved the bunny ears & bubble necklace. Brock & I decided not to tell Kai that the bubble necklace was bubbles. She loves bubbles & never lets us rest. She'll never know....
Not only do we not have a backyard, but we also had horrible weather Easter morning. The easter bunny still made an appearance. He left lots of fun easter toys & (empty) eggs for our indoor, apartment egg hunt. The easter bunny knew that we had plenty of candy.
We spent Easter evening at my dad's. Kai went crazy when she saw all the eggs. You'll notice she managed to carry two eggs in one hand; she took care of business! Kade did ALOT of hanging out.

2009-04-06T21:21:00.011-05:00

These are some long lost pictures of Kai thoroughly enjoying several yogurt covered pretzels... Kai & Brock's favorite snack recently.
When the kids get up in the morning, I put them both in bed with me. I really enjoy rolling around with them & it gives them an opportunity to play with one another before our day really gets started. Kai & Kade aren't sleeping in this last picture; they were both blinded by the flash, but I thought it was cute.

The kids & I went to the Dallas Zoo last week for trip 1 of 2. I love having a membership because I don't ever feel rushed to see everything. When the kids get tired & ready to leave, we go & start off where we left off the next visit. Although, we do have to see the monkeys every time we go... These are some of my favorite pics from our visit.

The last time we were in San Antonio, I borrowed the exersaucer my mother-in-law had at her house. Kade just loves it. He's ALWAYS gnawing on it.
Kade makes some of the funniest faces lately & fortunately I caught one on camera. Brock insisted that I post it...

Brock has been dying to go with us to the zoo. So, Saturday, we all went for trip 2 of 2. By the way... Kai LOVES monkeys (or anything that resembles a monkey) now!

Kade went for his 6 month check-up yesterday. He is now 28 1/2 inches long & 21 3/4 lbs (both above 95%) & his head measured 44 1/2 (70%). I've always been told that it's ok if he's big as long as his measurements are proportioned, so I was concerned that his head wasn't growing with the rest of him. The Dr assured me that 70% is a BIG head & apparently I have a big head too (thanks Doc). She said it's not the amount of brains we have, but how much we use.... uhhhh. Kade will be starting baby veggies this week, he's sitting up now (with a little help of course), he puts everything in his mouth & his top teeth are getting close to breaking the skin. My baby boy is growing way too fast!!

2009-03-30T22:01:00.004-05:00

Plumber's Crack

Kai, Kade & I went to San Antonio 2 weekends ago for my sister's baby shower. It was so nice to see our family again... it had been way too long. We stayed at Brock's parent's house while we were there. Kai's grandmother had Kai's uncles set a bed for her on the floor... More pics to come...
We (the three of us.... Kai, Kade & I) got to meet our new niece/cousin, Trevi. She is so darn cute!!

Kai really loves baby GIRLS! Time for another baby?? Not yet!!

My grandma is always able to get Kade to sleep so easily. LOTS of experience!!

Our trip was really hard on the kids!! There was so much to do to prepare for my sister's shower that Kai would have to skip a nap or two. I'm such a bad mom. This night, we did our usual bathtime, I fed Kade a bottle & Kai had a cup of milk before they went down for the night. I managed to squeeze in a quick phone call with Brock at the same time.... Multi-tasker. After I got off the phone I realized Kai had fallen asleep. The poor thing was so tired that she didn't even notice that I had gotten up out of the rocker. Then later the same night...

I got up in the middle of the night & found Kai off her bed, laying in front of the closet. I don't have any clue how she ended up there... she probably doesn't either.

Our niece, Aubree, came to the house to visit Kai. They are nothing but trouble when they get together.

Kade is such a big boy!! I thought his belly hanging out of his pjs was funny... sorry if you don't feel the same.

So now we're back home... We went to Dave & Buster's last weekend to celebrate Brock's classmate's (Austin) birthday. Kai was really good at chucking the skee balls. Like mother, like daughter.

Kai & Brock flying an airplane.

Austin (previously mentioned) has been taking discussions with the missionaries at our place over the last several weeks. Yesterday (Sunday) he was baptized. No one really knows how much time was spent on the computer researching the church, but every time he & his sweet wife, Lisia, met with the missionaries, he would have a print out from the internet or just a random question about our church doctrine. I really get a kick out of how much random info he knows. Anyway, I am really grateful that Brock & I were able to be a part of his conversion. They are great people & it's been so fun getting to know them better.

2009-03-17T14:38:00.004-05:00

Kai loves playing with my funnels!! She thought it was hilarious when she could get them to balance on Kade's head.
It's not often that Kai wants to hold Kade... And it doesn't last long either!

Kai hates when Kade touches her. She always throws his hand away & says "NO". I hope she remembers that years from now!!

We think Kade is just the cutest thing in the world (next to Kai). He ALWAYS stares at Kai. It's like he's waiting for her to do something amazing.

Brock gets jealous of the attention Kade gives Kai, so Brock reads to them really dramatically so Kade will stare at him.

Brock & I have been talking more about eating healthier (really I'm the one who needs to eat healthier). For my birthday, Brock stopped by Whole Foods to buy me a small cake. Kai got the first bite; then Brock & I took a bite... one bite was all we had. It was HEALTHY tasting.

St. Patty's Day is my brother, Trey's, birthday & Kai loves playing with stickers.... so I put the two together to make Trey a birthday card. Happy Birthday, Trey!

After we sampled my "healthy tasting" birthday cake, I suggested that Brock make the strawberry cake mix I had in the cupboard... To save some time on clean-up, I decided to make the cupcakes myself. I know many of you forgot this VERY IMPORTANT day in history, but don't worry.... I didn't even notice :)

2009-03-11T11:59:00.004-05:00

Sorry, no pictures to post yet. I wanted to post a family update...

In my last post (post, post, post), I mentioned my poor, sick "Baby Kade". I failed to mention that on his 5 month "birthday", his first tooth broke the skin & two days later his second. Should you feel more sorry for me or him? I don't know!? I, in no way think Kade is a cry baby, but Kai never (to the best of my knowledge) showed any symptoms when she was teething. Kade, on the other hand, has just about all of them... fever, fussy, drooling non-stop (Kai did drool)... did I mention fussy? Brock & I are not use to all the crying; it's about to drive us insane. At the same time, being the loving mother that I am, I can't help but feel bad for this poor little boy! As if RSV & teething aren't bad enough, he now has an ear infection. What's next?

When Brock started school, he heard about pediatric chiropractic. We both felt unsure about some stranger messing with our kids spine before Brock learned more about it. Desperate times called for desperate measures.... After a little convincing, we decided to take Kade to see a chiropractor that Brock's friend knows here. It wasn't nearly what we had imagined; it was so gentle. And not to say that chiropractic is a cure-all (I'm not totally convinced), but it really seems to have helped Kade. He's still fussy (I think from teething), but his breathing is TONS better & I'm not positive (Kade hasn't told me), but I don't think his ear is really bothering him. Hmmm....

Enough about Kade... Kai, Brock & I are all feeling under the weather now. Nothing serious, we just need some sympathy. Sorry if this post has totally bored you or caused your eyes to roll in the back of your head, but I wanted this for us .

2009-03-06T21:59:00.007-06:00

Kade scares real easy!! I hope this isn't considered child abuse!?

Lately, when I load the dish washer, Kai sings into the top rack (I think that's what she's doing). It usually lasts much longer than this video, but I think you can get an idea. Side notes: The trash bag hanging from the doorknob in the background is our recycling not trash & Brock did Kai's hair.

2009-03-06T21:16:00.002-06:00

This apple didn't fall far from the tree....

Kai is our big helper now-a-days. She loves to throw things in the trash, she helps me move clothes from the washer to the dryer then to the couch to be folded & her newest talent is sweeping. Before long I'll have her washing dishes & cooking dinner... kidding. I don't mean to brag (but I will)... Kai is so well-behaved. Sure she has her moments (we ALL do), but she is my little doll. I love every moment I spend with her. I am so lucky she's MY little girl!!

Kai, Kade & I went to the zoo this week with our friends from church. I was so excited to get a discount on a zoo family membership. There will be many more zoo pictures to come... consider yourself warned. Kai LOVES... I mean LOVES animals!!

Kai loves her buddy Bria. Hug it out girls!

I have ANOTHER happy wheezer... Kade's had a cough for the last 2 days with some congestion. I figured I needed to take him to the Dr before the weekend. Between the time Kade woke up this morning & sitting in the waiting room of the Dr's office, his wheezing began. I couldn't believe how quickly it changed. Sure enough he has RSV... We gave him a breathing treatment in the office to see how he would react. The Dr felt comfortable sending him home for the weekend with treatments every 4 hours. We will be following up Monday afternoon. OH BOY!

2009-02-24T19:12:00.006-06:00

The LAST night we let Kai & Kade sleep in the same room at night. It only took us two nights to figure out they're not ready to sleep together yet. I thought it would be so nice of me to treat the fam to a special Valentine's Day breakfast. We had red, heart-shaped pancakes, grits, bacon & heart-shaped eggs (over medium). Cute... I know. Kai enjoyed her Valentine's goodies. Especially, her heart-shaped sunglasses & Dora book. Our friends from church (The Parmas) went to the temple for Valentine's Day so we babysat their girls. This is usually what Bria & Kai do when Bria comes over.... Vegg out to Tinkerbell. Silly girls! We finally broke down & bought Kade a Bumbo seat. It's easier to put Kade in the seat than it is to take him out.

Like Dadda, like daughter... Like Grandaddy, like grandaughter. What is it with eating peanut butter straight out of the jar.... with a banana?

2009-02-11T21:46:00.005-06:00

Brock & I have been trying to figure out when we should buy Kai a toddler bed. We decided we would get one now & give her time to get use to the idea of a "big girl bed" before we tried to put her in it. I found a bed similar to the one I wanted at a kid's resale shop for half the price; I was so excited to save some money! We got it cleaned up & set up & she loves it. Before I knew it, she was eating her snacks in bed.

Kai has always been an easy baby.... She slept through the first night in her "big girl bed" with no problems. Brock said he's waiting for her to go #2 in the toilet any day now. Ha! He's dreaming.

Yes, another picture of Kai sleeping, but I found this one to be real funny. I put her down for a nap on day two of her "big girl bed". I gave her a little time to get settled & went in to check on her. I found her in bed under two blankets, two satin pillow cases ("blankies") & her satin pillow....Whatever works!?

Kade loves Kai so much. It's so fun to see his reaction to her; he seems so amazed at everything she does. When she's acting silly, Kade gets the biggest grin on his face. I love that they are so close in age. Kai's Aunt Brittany gave us this grass skirt when Kai was just a baby. I think it was a free gift for buying dog clothes online. Confused? The grass skirt is suppose to be a dog costume. I found it when I was going through some boxes in storage & Kai loves to wear it. She especially likes to look at herself in the mirror with it on. What a funny girl!

This has been my life lately... Kai is such a doll & I love her to pieces, but she seems to be going through a sensitive/tantrum phase. There are times I want to pull my hair out... & then there's Kade. He has been such an easy-going baby. There are only a few things that upset him... being hungry, tired or needing a little attention. Good or bad I love these two so much. I am so thankful that they were sent to me.

Who says big boys are slower? I blogged after Kade's 4 month check-up that the doctor said it would take him longer to roll over because of his size. "What do you think about this, doc?"
Another picture of Kade on his mat!? Not what you think....

If you look closer, he somehow managed to get his leg stuck in one of the hanging toys. This boy's going to be trouble... I can just feel it!

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching so Kai decorated a couple of Valentine's Day cards. I tried to keep her interest by telling her what a good job she was doing...

After a while, she began to compliment herself. In her own way, she would say something that resembled "good job" & "yay". The compliments continued after each heart she placed until they were all used. She put alot of love into those valentines!

2009-02-08T21:13:00.006-06:00

I was so excited last week when I heard the Fort Worth Rodeo was going on. I love the rodeo & was upset that we were going to miss the San Antonio Rodeo. We loaded up the kids Saturday morning & headed for Fort Worth. It was a little overcast & windy, so the crowds hadn't arrived yet. It was perfect!! We started our trip by walking through the Children's Barnyard. These little piggies were so cute; they were squilling like crazy. Theeeennnn..... We walked past the concession stands.... They had the MOST AMAZING cinnamon rolls. We made the mistake of buying one to share. Did I say it was AMAZING?Our next stop was petting zoo. Kade didn't care much for the animals. Actually, Kade didn't seem to care about much of the rodeo at all.
It took Kai a little while to warm up to the animals at the petting zoo, but once she did she didn't want to leave.

Giddy up Cowgirl! Kai rode that pony like she knew what she was doing.

Kai kept giving Hoss high-fives & finally went in for a hug.

Look at that smile. It could melt your heart.

Enjoy our rodeo movie montage

2009-02-03T20:16:00.005-06:00

I was feeding Kai a taco for lunch (yes, Taco Bell... I know), but I had to leave for just a minute to get a drink. Apparently, I wasn't quick enough... She took matters into her own hands.

Brock's parents came for a short visit last weekend. It was nice to have some company for a change. The kids enjoyed playing with their grandmother & granddaddy.
I can't believe my "little" baby is 4 months old already! Kade had his check-up yesterday & he continues to GROW. He is now 27 in. long (above 95%) & weighs 18 lbs. 13 1/2 oz. (above 95%). His doctor asked if he's rolling over yet. I told her that he doesn't even show interest & asked if that's bad. She said that "babies his size can take longer to develop motor skills". HA! Brock is amazed at the size of Kade's man-boobs. You gotta love a healthy, chunky baby!

At Kade's check-up, his doctor told me to start giving him a little baby cereal. He was supposed to just "move it around in his mouth". He moved it around in his mouth alright.... & then right down his throat.

2009-01-29T20:51:00.000-06:00

I always have to put Kai's hair in a rubber band so she doesn't take it down, but for some reason she sat patiently while I put rollers in her hair. Isn't she funny!?

I love little feet in sandals; I've bought Kai a couple pairs for warmer weather. She doesn't seem to like the way they feel between her toes, but she always wants me to put them on her.This was the first time Kai has been willing to "hold" Kade. It only lasted a second... As Nix would say, "He's a big one".

I'm so sick of the weather!! It's warm one day then FREEZING the next. We had two ice days this week. Brock got out of school at noon one day & off the whole next day. We were all sick of being in the apt, so we bundled the kids up & went to the mall playground. Kade isn't normally so happy about being in his car seat.

I've been working with Kade, trying to get him to sit. He does ok until he starts throwing his weight around, then....

There he goes.
For the last week & a half, Kade has been putting himself to sleep. We lay him down & tuck him in tightly, but he always pulls the blanket over his head. Whatever works for him...

A baby's laugh is so contagious! I love this little boy so much!!

2009-01-26T12:12:00.000-06:00

Since Kai has turned 18 months, she's only been 2 for 4 in nursery completions. The first week she was allowed to go to nursery, Brock & I took her in together. She walked in without a care in the world; no big deal for her. Really big deal for me. I wouldn't say I was crying, but I had more than a tear in my eye. Of course my strong, insensitive (just kidding) husband laughed at me, but I couldn't blame him... It was funny. In my defense though, this was the first time I've ever left either of our kids with someone that wasn't family (& I'm an emotional basket case). Kai really enjoyed herself & her teacher said she was fine (& she loved the bubbles). The next two weeks weren't so easy. When I was able to get her into the nursery, she would cling to me like one of those little monkeys you see in the National Geographic magazine & scream bloody murder. Yesterday, luckily, we were able to recreate the first Sunday... Kai woke up earlier than usual (6:30), she had breakfast, took her pre-church bath & sneaked in an hour long catnap. And it worked!! Again, both Brock & I took her to nursery. She was a little hesitant at first, but she warmed up when she saw some familiar faces (& bubbles). Brock got out of Priesthood before I was out of Relief Society so he picked Kai up. It was another successful day in nursery... Thank goodness! Brock handed me a little piece of paper; I turned it over & couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. This is the first time my little girl brought home a picture she had colored. I was so proud of her! I love you Kailynn Nancy Fancy Pants!!

2009-01-22T13:27:00.000-06:00

Once again Kai can't seem to stay away from Kade's toys. Brock gave in & put her in Kade's bouncer. What a weirdo! Today I babysat two precious girls for a friend at Church. Kai loves having a playmate & Bria always seems willing to play. I'm not sure if you can tell how excited they were about picking out a movie to watch. Kai is so funny. She tries so hard to talk to us, but we can't understand a thing she says. Kai's current list of words: Momma, Dadda, Diego, Dora, Boots, dog, milk, juice, cheese, play, baby & NO. What a smart girl! Cali & Kade... Can you believe these two are only a month & a half apart. I really felt like Kate from Jon & Kate Plus 8. I had these two propped up on a pillow because they both wanted to eat at the same time. I really thought watching four kids would be harder than it was. Why am I ready for another baby already!? Brock would kill me!!

I just asked Brock the other night if he thought Kai would treat a baby girl differently than Kade. Don't get me wrong, she loves Kade to pieces, but she really took to Cali. She kept pointing at Cali saying, "baby, baby". It seemed like she hadn't seen a baby before. Kade's personality is really coming out. He's always smiling & cooing & he's very, very ticklish. I'm sorry, but he's so darn cute!!

One night last week, Brock was playing with Kai while I was cooking dinner. I heard Frosty the Snowman so I had to see what was going on. Here's what I found; Brock had no idea I was recording them... He's so metro!

2009-01-12T21:36:00.000-06:00

Kai was such a silly girl the other night... Kade, on the other hand, is still getting use to the flash.

My sweet little family lounging before bedtime. Isn't that cute!? Baby Kade

Kade was playing on his baby gym & then I realized I didn't hear him anymore. This is what I found when I checked on him. He NEVER falls asleep on his own.... NEVER say NEVER!

2009-01-12T21:22:00.000-06:00

My mom got Brock & I a Flip video camera for Christmas. I've recorded a ton of useless footage, but I couldn't let this go without sharing it. Brock was dancing & singing karaoke with the girls.

2009-01-03T12:25:00.000-06:00

Where do I begin?.... On our way home for the Christmas holiday, we stopped to visit the Dinhs (Brock's sister Brittany & her fam) in Houston. We always have a great time with them! After dinner at a 50's diner, we took the kids to see the Chirstmas lights. I'm sorry I don't have any worthy pictures. After a couple days in Houston, we continued on to San Antonio...The second night in San Antonio was our niece, Nixan's 4th birthday. Luckily we were in town to celebrate with her. This was Kai's first REAL trip to Chuck E. Cheese.

Kai got her hands on her grandmother's glasses (again). Nerd Alert!Kade is all smiles these days.
Christmas Eve started our always crazy festivities. Brock & the boys fried turkeys this year... Yes, they were thawed. Before we could enjoy those delicious birds, we had to rush off to my grandparents' house for their Christmas dinner & presents. From there we returned to the Strattons' for presents & some karaoke. Brock is always singing, microphone or no microphone. And the girls are ALWAYS dancin', dancin', dancin'.

The Christmas fun continued Christmas morning at my mom's house. She had breakfast casserole waiting... yummy! Back to the Strattons' for a delicious South Carolina breakfast. Then it was out to my other granparents' house at Canyon Lake. Brock (not Kai!) loves their llamas. They like to smell your breath so they will get right up in your face. It's funny, but pretty scary when they're charging at you.
This is my tribute to bedhead all over the world... Our niece, Aubree, has some of the best bedhead I have ever seen. Her finest was Christmas morning!

Taite got her hands on the box of Kleenex one night while hanging out at the Strattons'.

Here are some random pics of Kai & Kade with their cousins while we were on our Christmas trip. On our way home from San Antonio, we stopped again in Houston to celebrate the New Year. How'd we celebrate??? Movie night... The Dinhs do it right!! Thank you to ALL of our family for the good times! We love you !

2008-12-13T22:44:00.000-06:00

And here is the Target Christmas picture meltdown.

2008-12-13T22:00:00.000-06:00

I was so excited for the north Texas winter weather when we moved to Dallas. It has seriously let me down so far. hot... cold... hot... cold... I mean what's the deal!? We've had one really, really cold day so far so we got all bundled up.

The way Kade looks at Kai always gives me warm fuzzies. He's such a sweetheart!!

Do you think she's excited about bathtime?

More bathtime.... Kai has learned to climb out of the bathtub & she thinks it's hilarious when we catch her. I apologize if this picture bothers anyone, but I couldn't resist.

Bathtime Meltdown.....
Kade's bathtime with Kai.

The kids & I go to the mall play area a few times a week now. Kai has a tendency to be a little bossy. The finger pointing is usually accompanied with a "no, no, no".

2008-12-09T09:49:00.000-06:00

You wouldn't be able to tell by this picture, but Kai had a major meltdown only 30 mins earlier. We attempted to have Christmas pictures of the kids taken at Target. I think Kai was freaked out by the small, dark studio because she was fine in the mall.... with Santa.... smart girl!!
Thanks to the Snow's blog, I have discovered Picnik. This is only the beginning of my collages... get use to it. Brock wanted us to make a gingerbread house & Kai was more than happy to assist in candy sampling. As soon as we put the candy on, she picked it off & ate it. She was like a kid in a candy shop. HA!

2008-12-08T17:51:00.000-06:00

Brock & I were tired of Kade's baby mullet so he got his first haircut on the kitchen floor. You know how we do.... He looks like a different baby to me now.
Kai doesn't seem to care if Kade is in her way. When she wants something, she takes it.

Kai is fascinated with the toilet. Here she is helping Brock clean it. GROSS!

2008-12-03T08:37:00.000-06:00

We could have the next Paula Deen on our hands!?

Thanksgiving at Brock's parents' house was great (as always). The kids had a dance party, and were lined up against the fireplace waiting their turns on the dance floor. Dancin'... dancin'... dancin'.

After we had Thanksgiving dinner at the Strattons', we headed out to Uncle Mick & Aunt Loralan's. Brock seemed to like the ride more than the kids.

Hmmm... Where did Brock go? There he is on the kids' scooter AGAIN. Go figure! Our friends, Chris & Sara Hudler came to visit us the other night with their son, Hayden. What a chunk! The boy is built like a brick house. He & Kade wouldn't stop staring at each other. They made instant friends.
When I'm not sleeping, I let Kade nap on his tummy. On his way out of the room tonight, Brock said, "Oh my GOSH!" I got up to find our sweet, innocent baby boy clearly confused... "Get your GUNS UP, Kade!!" Uncle Martin & Aunt Brittany are already recruiting.

2008-11-22T08:43:00.000-06:00

Once again, I've been slacking... Here are our pictures from the last month. The funny thing about Ben & Lisa's kids is they can fall asleep anywhere... I peeked in on the kids while they were playing in Kai's room & found Caulder out cold on the floor. Ha!
I made Rice Krispie treats one day... Kai was in charge of quality control.
We didn't do much for Halloween this year, but since we had a costume for Kai I thought I should at least dress her for a picture. What a cute little spider!?
Leading up to Kade's birth, Kai was always trying to stick pacifiers in her baby doll's mouth. All her practice is now paying off. She's such a big girl!!

We had Kade blessed on Nov. 9th. Brock did a fantastic job (as usual)! I am so thankful for my sweet, adorable children & my amazing, devoted husband!! I am one lucky woman!

Sweet Tooth? She gets it from me for sure!

Kai still doesn't understand that her old baby stuff is now Kade's. She loves sitting in his seat to watch cartoons.

2008-10-25T22:08:00.000-05:00

G-Daddy, Uncle Ben, Aunt Lisa & the cousins came to Dallas (Lewisville) for a visit. I had been dying to go to the pumpkin patch, so we took the whole crew. The kids seemed to have a blast. Brock told me I don't need to comment on every picture I post on the blog... Enjoy our pictures of all the kids (except Kade) remaining still for a CUTE shot on the bales of hay, Kai relocating pumpkins, posing with Kade (screaming his head off) in the pumpkins, talking to & hugging Lilo (from Lilo & Stitch), going for a safari train ride with Caulder, being tickle tortured by Dadda & Uncle Ben, riding the pumpkin "horsey" & being thrown back & forth between Dadda & G-Daddy. How's that for not commenting on every picture!? Thanks for the visit you guys. We had tons of fun!!

2008-10-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

Kai thinks everything is a horsey... laundry basket, couch armrest, shopping cart. "I wanna be a a cowgirl, baby"
Kai has Brock wrapped around her little finger. We found this oversized horse at Sam's, showed it to Kai & when we put it back she started crying. Brock asked if she wanted it & the rest is history. She really loves her horse.

Kade's nose....

Kade sleeping....

It's not what you think... It's a chocolate cookie. Did I mention Kai loves her horse?

Kade's CRAZY toes.

Kade's already holding his head up at 3 weeks... He's the strongest baby in the whole wide world!

Brock was spending some time with Kade on the floor the other night, but Kai wasn't having it.