Chipper, the silly Elf

I still can't upload any pictures, but I have emailed blogger and they are trying to figure out the problem.  But I don't want to get to far behind on things so I will have to do things the old fashioned way and just write or type about it. 

Chipper, our elf has been into everything.  The girls are loving this.  I am so glad that Mark and I get to start some traditions that hopefully our kids will do with their kids one day... a long time from now.  Hayden and Gracie call his name when they get up, as if he is going to answer.  I just smile and wait on them to find him.  After the fishing in the potty, Chipper decided to take Barbie for a ride in her corvette.  Gracie really liked that one.  She found him first.  Then Chipper decided he needed some waffles but instead of fixing the waffle...he got a straw and drank the syrup.  Then last night was by far the silliest and funniest one for the girls.  Chipper threw two pair of panties on our Christmas Tree.  They couldn't find him this morning.. I finally had to help them out.  The first thing they did was scream EEW, Yuck he has our panties on the tree.   Then all the laughing started! 

Tomorrow, Hayden is going to receive her Christmas Tree from her Seniors.  She is so excited that she gets to wear regular clothes instead of her uniforms.  It is so funny the things that make kids get excited.  We have saw her tree and it is adorable.  Mimi and I, may even have showed it to her already, and the look on her face was priceless.  She couldn't believe it was hers.  I can't wait for her to see all the very special ornaments on it.  I can't wait to see her at the program tomorrow, as I have said before it is a huge deal to be a first grader at GWA.  I think I may be more excited than she is.  This is an awesome program! 

Hayden also scored 105 on her Benchmark reading test.  She reads 54 words a minute, which I would say is pretty good.  As always our shining star is aiming as high as possible and shining bright.  I was a little worried because her teacher thought she was reading on a 2nd grade level but she is right where she is supposed to be.   All we do is read, read, read! 

Thanksgiving, Decorating and Chipper

We had a very good Thanksgiving.  The whole family got together and had some really good food.  Hayden, Gracie and Colton got to play with their cousins Katelyn, Maeleigh and Lucas.  After lots of yummy food and fun, we went with Aunt Kim, Uncle Artie, Mimi and Pop to get our Christmas Tree.  I said that we weren't going to decorate it on Thursday night, but guess what we did!  We started by putting the lights on and we did this with the help of Colton too.  Hayden was a big help this year.  She stood on one side of the tree and me on the other and we got the lights up really fast.  Gracie tried to assist but she would adjust the lights as we passed by.  At least she was helping!  Then I told them that we would finish decorating it on Friday.  Well, anyone that knows me knows that didn't happen.  I couldn't stand it, so when the Colt Man went to bed.  I got the girls and we decorated!  It was so much fun listening to them get excited about their ornaments.  I loved looking at all of them too.  Of course we hung all the important ones in very special places so that we could enjoy looking at them.  I love Christmas time.  I really love to have a fire in the fireplace and the only lights in the house are the Christmas tree lights.  I think the girls like it too!  We have been reading a Christmas book every night, starting on Thanksgiving night.  I read it first, then Hayden reads it again.  We also put out all of the other decorations but I didn't finish all of that until yesterday.  They get so excited every time they come in and something new is out. 

Chipper, our elf on the shelf also came back on Thanksgiving night.  He took Christmas tree lights and put them all over the kitchen counter and even hung them from the ceiling fan.  You should have heard the squeals when they got up Friday morning.  Then the second night, Chipper did a little bit of Construction work.  He loaded up some oranges, cupcakes and marshmallows in his tractor and dumped them into the dump truck.  Who knew this could be so much fun?  Mark is really having fun this year too.  Then the 3rd night, Chipper got a huge stick from the yard put fishing line on it and threw some goldfish crackers in the toilet and went fishing.  I tell you, though when you hear the little squeals and the laughter it is music to your ears.  Last night, little Chipper squirted toothpaste all over my mirror and bathroom counter.  They couldn't believe it this morning.  The first thing they do when they get up is start looking for Chipper to see what he has done.  He has had all good reports for Santa so far.  They are being on their best behavior.  Not that they are ever bad!  I would love to put all the pictures on here, but it will not let me update all of them. 

Here are my loves!  Hayden had to hold Colton still!  Gracie wasn't smiling but I still love this picture!

Santa Makes the Toys

Mark and I took kids to Toys R Us yesterday.  No we are not crazy!  We wanted Hayden to look at all the bicycles since that is what she wanted....notice I said wanted.  My thoughts were I wanted her to pick out the one that she really, really wanted.  Well, she really had no interest and basically said it really didn't matter.  Well, obliviously she didn't really want a bicycle. Right?  So, anyways she picked out one after Mark pretty much talked her into the one he liked!  Then we went through the boys section, which is now Mark's favorite part.  Colton loved all the tractors and wanted a remote control one.  Except, he is not quite ready for that yet.  Then we got to the Electronics section and Hayden informed us that she really, really wants an i touch.  Well, Mark and I are totally against it.  I mean she is 6 years old, she isn't old enough to take care of something that cost so much money.  Is she?  Well, we debated and debated in the store and basically she ended up in tears and very upset because she really, really wants Santa to bring her an i touch.  So we get to the car and by this time Mark and I are telling her that being upset isn't really helping anything.  She says " Well, I don't have to ask y'all for it, I have to ask Santa."  Okay, little smarty!  So then we put our parent skills to work and told her that if she asked Santa for an i touch and he brought it that it would probably be all she got and didn't she want a bunch of presents.  She says " No, I want and i touch, and Santa makes all of the toys, so it shouldn't matter if it is expensive or not".  Oh my, she is too smart for us!  What do you say to that.  Well, we told her okay, to ask Santa and see what happened.  So we stood outside the car and just looked at each other like oh well what do we do now!  It looks like Santa may end up bringing her the i touch, because it would be awful for her to not get what she really, really wants.  She will not be getting the most expensive one though!  She has talked about it constantly and when you ask her what she wants for Christmas that is all she says!  I love my smart, beautiful little girl!

Watch Out Boys!

So as I was cleaning the house yesterday...I know you are all surprised.  Right?  I noticed that there were lots and lots of gun shots being fired off in my yard.  I knew that the big child...aka Mark was outside with guns shooting at targets, but there sure were a lot of shots going off.  I went to the window to notice that my two daughters are outside learning to hold, shoot and take care of a gun.  They were shooting a Chipmunk 22, whatever that means.  I guess you can all tell that I don't know a whole lot about guns.  So I went to take some pictures and see how they were doing.  This is not the first time Hayden has practiced but it was for Gracie.  She has always been a little stinker and wouldn't try anything new...but she is finally coming out of her shell.  Thank Goodness!  Mark held the gun for Gracie because they are heavy and well lets just she isn't quite big enough to do it all by herself.  She also blinks every time she shoots so I don't believe she actually hit the target.  But at least she did try and she loved it.  She kept asking if it were her turn again.  So proud of my little girl!

Hayden on the other hand, is a great shot.  She only missed the bullseye about an inch to the left.  She did it all by herself and she was so very proud.  Then Daddy got out the big gun...his AR 22  and I wasn't sure how I felt about that.  However, once I saw Hayden holding it up ready to shoot...All I could think was Watch Out Little Boys she knows how to use it!!!  She will definitely be able to take care of herself!  Great Job Hayden as always you are good at everything you do! So glad they got to spend some valuable time with their Daddy learning how to do things he enjoys.

In the words of their Daddy...Watch out boys they are being raised right so treat them right!

See what I mean...She knows what she is doing!

Bullseye!

Don't know why it is uploading my picture like this, but look at her learning!

Now Daddy?  Can I shoot now?

Watch Out!

Hayden has officially learned to drive the golf cart.  She has always used the steering wheel but she has not ever done the gas and brakes.  She just kind of taught herself yesterday and she is so excited about it.  She took Aunt Kim for a ride all the way down the driveway.  Aunt Kim says that she is a very careful, cautious driver...Thank goodness.  I bet once she gets the hang of it, she will try to see how fast she can go.  That's what I would do anyway!  I mean that is what makes it fun.  Right?  Gracie wants to learn to drive too, guess we will have to let her start out with sitting in our laps and turning the steering wheel too!  It is amazing how fast they learn things.  Her legs are nowhere near long enough to reach the gas and brakes, so we should all be safe.  However, Colton is the one I am worried about.  I bet if you took your eyes off of him for one second and the keys were in it and ready to go...he would be taking off across the yard!  He still has no fear of anything, hopefully that will change as he gets older.  Hayden took Gracie, Colton and Princess for a very slow, short ride around the yard.  Don't worry Daddy, Pop and Grandmama were all right there with them.  It felt so strange as I looked out my kitchen window and my little girl was driving around.  She isn't supposed to be that big yet!!!  Grandmama was in total amazement that she could drive it.  She said that most 6 year olds can't do things like that because their parents don't teach them or take the time with them to do it.  Then she went on to tell Hayden that her Daddy has lots of patience and that is why he is so good at teaching her to do things.  I thought that was an awesome compliment and so did Mark!  He is very good at teaching them new things and more outside things...like hog hunting, skunk hunting and driving golf carts....because lets be honest Mommy isn't going hog hunting and skunk hunting.  I could teach them to drive but well I don't tend to have as much patience as Mark does.  We are both good at teaching different things.  I love to see the excitement in Hayden's eyes when she learns something new, it melts my heart!

Life is Great! Children are a Blessing!

Well, we have had a lot of things going on at our house, and I guess I just haven't been quite up to writing and updating the blog.  But I got a text last night to inform me that all of my followers are missing my updates.  So I am going to try to catch every one up on the last two weeks. 


Mark is starting a new job, which has been a little emotional for all of us.  He worked at GGPC for 10 years and it kind of took us by surprise.  With that being said, he has great opportunities and looking forward to starting his new job, hopefully next week.  He will actually be working in Athens too, which is also nice since he has worked in Swainsboro for the last 8 years! 

I had my teacher conference with Mrs. Power, Hayden's teacher last week.  She is doing great, no surprise at all. Right?  She is reading on a 2nd grade level based on all of her test, no surprise there either, being that she is a total bookworm!  Mrs. Power said that there is really not anything for her to improve on but to keep reading, adding, subtracting and always encourage her to learn more.  I can handle all of that.  Hayden reads in the car, when I am sitting in my chair and while I am preparing dinner for them.  We practice spelling words while we are in the car, every afternoon and while preparing dinner.  Now when riding down the road she will read signs and if she doesn't know the word she will ask "Mommy what does this spell".  She is so anxious to learn.  She reminds me of myself, I always loved school and learning new things.   Of course, her conduct and following directions and all the other stuff were E and some were even an E+, which even I haven't received an E+ before!  Mrs. Power also even used the word Genius!  Wow! Mrs. Power said that Hayden listens extremely well, always follows instructions and takes every thing in, which are all 3 very important characteristics.  To say Mark and I are proud would be a major, major understatement.  This baby or I guess I should say little girl totally amazes us!  I tell her every time I leave her that I love her to the moon and back! She now says it back to me and sometimes as I watch her walk into school,  I get tears in my eyes because I love her so much and am so very proud of her.  We also got her progress report on Tuesday.  She has a 103 in Spelling, 96 in Math and a 100 in Reading.  Proud, Proud, Proud that is what we are!  As always she aims high and reaches for those stars!  I bet you all know why!  She is my shining star!!!

Gracie is doing so good with school and ballet.  She is also learning so much from Mrs. Christie this year.  She is so anxious to learn, Hayden is a great influence on her.  Gracie wants to do homework, when Hayden does hers.  So I make Gracie practice writing her name while Hayden and I do her real homework.  She recently had take home teddy and she had so much fun taking care of him and drawing her pictures to share with her class.  Who knew homework could be so much fun for a little girl.  She also brought home the letter box.  Guess what letter we had?  G, because of Gracie.  We found all kinds of things at our house that start with a G and put them in the box.  I have never seen someone smile as much as she did while we did this project.   She also had her fall party at school and guess what.  She was the shyest little girl there but she did love the jumpy thing.  I love my sweet girl, she is such a sweetheart, well that is until she gets mad or gets tired of being picked on.  I have no idea where she gets that from.  Okay, Okay maybe I do.  It could be from her Mommy.  This will be the only time that I admit that though!!!!  Mrs. Christie still tells me every day when I pick her up that she is the sweetest little girl in the class.  Last night at Ballet, I heard Mrs. Marie say "Gracie that is enough stop it and listen to me"  As I sat there with the other parents, I knew it wasn't my Gracie!  And it wasn't there are 3 Gracie's in her class!  It was so nice to sit there and be so confident in knowing that it wasn't my little girl.  When she come out I asked her if she got in trouble and she said "No Mommy it was another Gracie and she ended up having to go to timeout."  So glad I have such sweet girls.  She has always been my smiling baby and I love it.  When she smiles it lights up the room.  I also tell her that I love her to the moon and back every time I leave her and she too says it back.  I watch her walk up that little walk way to school and wonder how my smiling baby could be so big already.  As always she aims high and reaches for those stars too! 

Colton, well he is just all boy, that is really the nicest way to put it.  He wears us out!  He is into every thing.  He is the most determined little boy I have ever met.  He insist on touching every thing on our table in the living room and it doesn't matter how many times you tell him No No or tap his little hand, he just keep coming back for more.  He loves to play with Hayden and Gracie, or maybe I should say aggravate Hayden and Gracie.  Although, I love it when he gets tickled, he has such a cute little laugh.  He also has an innocent smile that melts my heart and he knows when to use it.  He has finally stopped throwing stuff in the toilet. However, now he gets stuff out of the trash.  Go figure, I guess boys like all sorts of yucky stuff.  He absolutely loves to go outside.  I think he likes all the freedom of running around and playing.  He loves the sand box and he will go up the steps and slide down the big slide by himself.  He is not supposed to, but he still does it.  He makes me so nervous!  He also likes the trampoline but he really doesn't stand a chance with the girls.  They just bounce him all around and he never gets to stand up.  One other thing he loves is pushing a baby doll stroller.  I know, I know he is a boy but he sure does love it.  In fact, he loves it when Hayden puts him in the baby doll stroller and pushes him.  I figure he will grow out of it.  For example today he is walking around the house with a play gun shooting stuff.  He climbs on every thing, we have had to remove the very special stool that Pop made for the them out of the kitchen.  He was pushing it all around and using it to climb on the counters to get things like cupcakes, suckers and to throw things in the kitchen sink...that don't go there...like his shoes!!!  Oh that brings me to another thing....he loves to turn the water on in the bath tub and then he throws his sisters shoes in it and Mommy's slippers!  And all of this happens while I am in the room with him putting his sister's hair in pig tails!!!  His favorite word is still Mah(More).  For some reason to him it means "I WANT".  It can be very trying sometimes, he is trying so hard to get all out.  And when he does it is probably going to be very interesting.  He loves his tractor ride on toys, he even puts things in his buckets and drives around.  He really likes to steal any I phone and take off with them.  He has started pushing little cars, trucks and tractors all over the house and making vroom, vroom sounds.  He really likes to push them all around the fireplace and climb it!  He is still a very picky eater,  one day he likes something and the next day he will not touch it.  Although, he loved spaghetti the other night, maybe he is like Hayden and I.  We love pasta.   I love it the most when he is tired and gets his cup and cuddles with me.  He is such a Mommy's boy!  Boy do I love my determined, handsome, happy, smart, silly boy!!!  We love you little man or as we say now COLT MAN! You aim high and reach for the stars too little boy.

The girls are now hog hunters, they have some little pink pistols that their Daddy bought them and they live in the playhouse and run out of the doors to go get those hogs out there in the woods.  Talk about some funny stuff.  Oh, and when they aren't hunting for hogs, they are hunting for skunks.  They are some silly, silly girls.  I told them they better watch out for those skunks because they will spray them and then they will have to take a bath in tomato juice.  Gracie said "eew yuck Mommy" and Hayden said " I don't care I would probably drink it because I love tomato soup."  I never know what to expect them to say!  They keep me laughing though.  Gracie tries so hard to keep up with Hayden, but her legs just aren't quite long and fast enough yet.  Hayden is all of the place.  Walking across trees, running through mud and looking in holes.  Yeah, my little princess is pretty much a big ole tomboy!  Gracie is a little prissy but she is starting to show more and more signs of being a tomboy too.  I love that they have such great imaginations!  The playhouse is finished and they love it.  It is so adorable, I wish I had one when I was little.  They play out there until it is dark outside, then they get a little scared.  I guess those hogs and skunks may get them when they least expect it.  They wanted to spend the night out there but when Gracie had to come in to go potty, Hayden came running too.  Hayden is so much more scared than Gracie, but Mark and I think it is because she is older and knows more about all the animals and scary things outside.  Oh, how I love my babies. 

Mark and Pop went on their annual fishing trip last weekend.  So that meant that Mimi spent Thursday-Saturday with us.  Did I mention that the girls were excited!  They were ecstatic.  Hayden got to sleep with Mimi on Thursday night and Gracie slept with me.  Gracie was a little disappointed, which made me feel good...just kidding, but I told her that she would get to sleep with Mimi on Friday night and Hayden had to sleep with me.  That made it all alright.  Hayden, talked to Mimi most of the night I think and she was so excited to get up and get ready with Mimi Friday morning to go to school.  She is such a big girl and loves to do every thing herself.  Then Friday night, we went to the GWA football game, because one of Hayden's Seniors is a cheerleader and it was Senior night.  We stopped and bought some beautiful pink roses for Sue Anna, on the way.  Hayden was so excited that she was going to get to go out on the field in front of every one to give her the flowers.  She was the only 1st grader that showed up for this and she ended up going out on the field by herself.  She was even more excited when Sue Anna kept her out there with her until the end and walked her back to me.  It made that little girls night to get to do something so simple.  I think it made Sue Anna's night too!  Hayden is such a caring, wonderful little girl...every body that meets her immediately loves her!  Then it was back home to check on Grandmama, Linda and Colton.  Thank goodness they came to entertain our Colt Man.  Aunt Linda is so good with him...she had him coloring, making projects and playing all kinds of things. 

We are so very blessed!  We have three amazing kids! I am so glad that one day they will be able to read all of this stuff that I have spent so many hours putting on this blog for them.  I hope they enjoy it as much as I do writing it.  It all comes straight from my heart.  They are my heart and I love them to the moon and back! 

Practicing for what she will look like in 2024 when she is named Miss Bulldog!

Gracie Leigh, this is her school picture!

Colton loving his spaghetti!

My babies!  One is a bookworm!

I forgot to tell every one that Hayden and Gracie did all the measurements for the playhouse.  Look at how they traced their feet to make sure everything was accurate...heehee!

And there she is, my smiling baby!

The girls did all the measurements and cutting and Colton did the painting! 

Trick or Treat 2012

I took the kids to the First Baptist Church yesterday for a Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat.   Hayden and Gracie had so much fun.  For the first time ever, Gracie was ready and willing to participate and try new things.  Usually she hangs onto my shirt and hides behind me!  Gracie is actually very good at basketball and Hayden is a pro at Skee ball!  They both did the arts and crafts.  They were the only two at the table making sure that their project was just right and using the perfect colors.   Colt Man jumped on a little jumpy thing and threw any and every ball that he could get his little hands on!  Then we came back home to pick up Mark and go Trick or Treating at Aunt Kim and Uncle Artie's house.  Kim and I took the girls around her subdivision to do some real trick or treating.  Colt Man stayed with Mark and Mimi while we went around, he is still to little and it was getting pretty cold.  The girls said Trick or Treat at every door this year instead of just standing there.  They had a great time and are so excited about all their candy.