"Kooky Cookies"

Every year since I have known your DeeDee, we bake batches and batches of delectible cookies at Christmas time. And this year was no different. Landon, you were so eager to help. You measured and poured, mixed and scooped. Mamaw chopped the figs and dates and offered much comic relief. We made the "kitchen sink cookie" (there's chocolate, coconut, dates, figs, nuts, peanut butter chips, you name it, it's in there), a chocolate chip variety and an all chocolate one. Shelby, you weren't too sure about the mixer, but you were sure about the taste-testing!

"Tracking Santa"

Today we headed down south to DeeDee and Papa's for Christmas. But not before we went by Poppie, JuJu and Me-Me's to give them kisses. It just so happened that this Saturday morning was the morning that Santa rides through their neighborhood on a fire truck. When we got there, we all could hear the sirens, but couldn't really tell how far away they were, and I really was ready to get the journey started and didn't want to wait around for the old guy. So, we loaded up in two cars and went on a Santa hunt! We caught up to him all the way in another neighborhood and jumped out of the cars, just in the nick of time (pun definitely intended)! Poppie had made a little sign letting him know we were traveling to New Orleans, so he would be sure to know where we were. We caught loads of tootsie rolls and candy canes; great for our car ride!?

"The Elf on the Shelf"

So...last night, we had a visitor come all the way from the north pole. It is an elf, and he brought a book all about him. We learned that he was Santa's helper, and he would watch us everyday, and then report back to Santa each night. We gave him a name, Mistletoe Mark, and put him up on the shelf for him to keep an eye on us.

Don't you dare touch him, Landon!

The first night that Mistletoe Mark was with us, we woke up to this! He had all of our Christmas books dumped out, and he was reading one to the snowman and the reindeer! Mommy promptly returned him to his shelf.

The next morning, he was found in the bathroom sink filled with miniature marshmallows. He even had a rubber ducky and tiny little towels.

He had a bird's eye view this morning. And he must have been cold. He was wearing the mitten and stocking ornaments on his hands and feet!

Last night you spent the night at Poppie and JuJu's, and what do you know, Mark showed up over there. He was found in the pantry eating potty corn!

It took us a while to find him this morning; he was totally camoflagued at the top of the tree. The next morning (I forgot the picture) he was kneeling at our nativity with a note reminding Landon to remember the reason for the season.

Mischievous Mistletoe Mark thought it would be fun to play with some of Landon's cars! I tell you, this is one bad elf. He is into everything!

Would you believe that he followed us down to New Orleans to Papa and DeeDee's?!? We found him this morning all snugged up in a Santa hat in the cats' bed.

This was too much! He was found on the couch eating popcorn watching the movie "Elf!"

And here he is on our baking table after many batched baked, making snow angels out of flour! This elf gets into more mischief!

What a surprise this morning! He had gotten DeeDee's computer and somehow received emails from Santa for Landon and Shelby! He really is watching!

And on his last morning, Christmas Eve morning, he left us a tangled mess of ribbon and tape AND "Monsters, Inc." and "Beauty and the Beast" as a little good bye present. We sure did enjoy searching for Mark each day and seeing that elves get into a little trouble themselves. Here's hoping he gives a good report to the Old Man!

"Pancakes With Santa 2011"

Today was Pancakes with Santa at church. We invited our neighbors to come too. Landon, you came prepared too. You had been shopping for toys in catalogs for weeks prior to this. And with your final selections made, you brought your magazines with you, so Santa would know exactly what you wanted this year for Christmas. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived shortly after we got there, and Landon, you were eager to get in line. Shelby was not so sure. Once you got up to Santa's lap, you flipped page after page telling him your wishes. We tried to get Shelby to sit on his lap, but that was NOT happening. Once we told Santa of all of our wishes, we enjoyed some delicious pancakes with some great friends.

"Preschool Pow Wow"

Today was your Native American Celebration at school. Your class has been talking about pilgrims and Indians in preparation for Thanksgiving. I was lucky enough to watch you all string your beads for the necklaces you wore. Then, the whole class got a chance to help with making cornbread to add to your feast of homemade applesauce, corn on the cob (you shucked it), and cream that you helped shake into butter. After we gave thanks and ate the feast, Miss Sheila shared some of her Native American culture with us. We learned how resourceful Indians were, and how they didn't waste anything. We learned about Indian Braves and princesses, and she even showed us a couple of dances. Each of you had Indian names too. You were "Fast Bear." Finally we were able to see all of the crafts you had been working on: a felt teepee, corn made from a water bottle, and even a piece of pottery! It was a great program, and we are all so proud of all the work you did!

"Dear God..."

Landon, today you had a hard time making good choices and listening to Mommy. Tonight, while I was tucking you in, you decided you wanted to say a special prayer on your own. You started, "Dear God..." And I waited to hear the rest. But you were waiting on me to repeat after you, just like y'all do at school. So I followed, "Dear God," And you continued, pausing after each line for me to repeat. "Help me to listen. I was grumpy today. In your name we pray, Amen." It was all I could do not to giggle or tear up. You are getting it!

"Spooktacular Fun"

Today was Halloween, and it was a beautiful Sunday that we shared with our neighbors here on Cressmont. We started out this morning just hanging outside and enjoying the cool air and warm sunshine. We've been waiting so long for fall weather. Miss Jodie and I decided she would make her chili and I would make mummy dogs for dinner. So we laid that plan. Later that afternoon we started carving pumpkins. Bella and Grace and their mom and dad, Dolly and Matt joined us for this tradition. They usually do fake pumpkins, so Bella was excited to get her hands dirty and carve a real one. Landon, you chose your pattern and I showed you how to score it. You did a good job, until your attention span ran out. Shelby, you wanted nothing to do with the pumpkins at first; then you got into playing with the pulp in a bucket. Hey, whatever! When it was all said and done, it was me, Miss Dolly and Mr. Matt that carved the pumpkins. Well, they carved their plastic pumpkins, since Miss Dolly wasn't into the gooey pumpkins! It took us a little longer than expected, so we worked down to the wire, and then went down to Miss Jodie's for dinner. While we were there, trick-or-treaters started coming, so we raced home to get in our costumes. Then the excitement really kicked in! Landon, you looked awesome in your Batman suit with those big muscles. You'll have muscles like those when you grow up! (You're very concerned with being strong and growing big!) Shelby, you made a great Foofa from your favorite show, Yo Gabba Gabba. We had to alter the headpiece a little. You won't wear hats, including Foofa hats, so I made you a little flower clip to go in your hair, and you were fine with that. Then we loaded up in the wagon to start collecting our loot. Bella, Chloe, Grace, and Landon were all seasoned trick or treaters, but it didn't take you long to get in the swing of things, Shel! You looked so cute waddling up, dressed like a pink marshmallow, with your bucket. You knew exactly what to do. We made the loop through our neighborhood, and then headed back to Miss Jodie's. Shelby, when you went in with your bucket, you plopped in down on the table, as if to say, 'whew, that was fun, but a lot of work too.' You big kids took turns scaring each other. Mommy got in on the fun too, and let out her evil laugh when y'all were unsuspecting, sitting in the dark in Chloe's room. After several episodes of screaming and laughing, we decided to call it a night. We have school tomorrow, after all.

"Pirates A Plenty!"

Landon, today was your preschool Pirate Party. This is the big celebration that the PTL puts on for you kiddos instead of a Halloween party. It's a great party filled with all things pirate. You all dress up in full pirate garb, and first have a pirate snack. This year it was peanut butter and jelly 'sail' sandwiches, a cache of 'rubies' (red grapes), breadstick 'bones,' goldfish crackers, and the cutest cupcakes that I made to look like pirates. Then we all proceeded down to the fellowship hall for all the games. There was Pin the Treasure on the Map, Walk the Plank, Exploring the Dark Cave, and Go Fish, just to name a few (I made the boat backdrop!). And Shelby, you dressed up too and thought you were one of the big kids. You all had a great time, even though it seemed like mass chaos!

"Trunk or Treat Time!"

This afternoon we went to Trunk or Treat at our church. Landon, you wore your batman costume, but Shelby's Foofa was a little temperature inappropriate. It was 80 something degrees! First we did the cake walk, and then that got pretty boring, since we never won anything. So, we moved on to the trunk or treating. Landon, you've done this a couple of times, so you knew what to do, and it didn't take long for Shelby to catch on. She would go straight for tootsie rolls, which seem to be her favorite, anytime she was given the choice. We played a few games, played on the wooden "ark," and went on the hayride. It was a great prelude to the rest of our upcoming Halloween activities.

"Welcome Miss Nola La Vie"

We have decided to get a puppy for you two to grow up with. Daddy wanted a dog that would hunt, and Mommy wanted a dog that wasn't a beast, since it would live inside. One of Daddy's friends has a Boykin Spaniel, and after doing some research, we decided this would be a great smallish family dog and hunting dog. Daddy found a breeder in Greenbriar, Arkansas that had some pups to be ready this month. Today, Daddy and I drove over four hours to pick up our new "baby." She is really precious! We decided on "Nola La Vie" as her name for a couple of reasons. Nola for our love of New Orleans, and La Vie means the life in French. I threw it out there only because we were getting her close to Me-Me's birthday, and we sometimes call her 'LaVie' due to the crazy misspellings of her name on junk mail! So, Nola La Vie it is! Landon, you couldn't wait for us to get back, and you and Shel, Poppie and JuJu were waiting in the driveway for us when we returned. You two were so excited. It was love at first sight! We know she will grow up to be a great addition to our family!

"No More Monkeys Jumping Off the Couch"

Ok Landon. We made your fourth trip to the Emergency Room in your short four years of life: 1st with pneumonia, 2nd with Rotavirus, 3rd with the bunk bed concussion, and now 4th with an extremely busted lip and displaced teeth.

Let me back up. This Thursday evening, we were winding down for the night watching a little tv, waiting for Daddy to get home from work. Shelby was getting fussy, so I decided to get her bottle ready and put her to bed. I was in the kitchen doing just that, when I hear a scream. I didn't really think much of it; you've been "screamy" lately, when Shelby touches your toy, or is in your way, or has something of yours. I did not realize what kind of situation we were dealing with until you rounded the corner, and there was blood EVERYWHERE! I didn't know what had happened, but immediately saw that it was coming from your mouth. I checked your teeth which were still there, just shifted a little. It was your lip that was so bad. It was completely torn and jagged. I felt weak. I knew this was going to require stitches. Once we got the bleeding under control, JuJu came to get Shelby, who was very concerned with the drops of blood on the floor and Daddy and I took you to the emergency room.

We had the greatest doctor, a mother four times over herself, who was so kind and "kid-friendly." She really made the whole thing much less scary. The worst part were the injections to numb before the stitches. You screamed bloody murder, all wrapped up in the papoose board, with Mommy under the drape holding your hand and trying to talk you down. It was a horrible experience and nine stitches later, it was over; until the next day when we saw the dentist. They did x-rays and your top, front three teeth were displaced into a crossbite, so they were going to have to be removed. Dr. Crawford thought it would be best to wait through the weekend to let the lip heal some before we did the procedure. This meant I had an entire weekend to worry about the heavy sedation with verset, the pain of the extractions and healing, and how your beautiful smile would be prematurely affected by "snaggletoothedness." It was a LONG weekend for me, needless to say. You were a champ though.

So, on Monday morning we went back to Dr. Crawford's office for the "procedure." They are so great there; you were not at all concerned. You drank your medicine (Verset), and it wasn't long before you started acting a little loopy. Dr. Shannon did the dirty work. She popped those little pearls right out. I tried to be strong and not look because teeth pulling is not my thing. There was lots of blood and crying, but it was over. You didn't wail for long and were eager to get back home to recouperate with lots of jello, ice cream, and pudding. We picked out your prizes and loaded up in the car. And the greatest part? You didn't remember a thing!

You in your silly glasses waaay under the influence still

Healing up well a few days later

"The Great Pumpkin..Unloading"

Every year, our church sells pumpkins to raise money for missions. They are driven in on an eighteen-wheeler all the way from New Mexico. This year, because they arrived late and on a weekday afternoon, the church needed all the volunteers possible to help unload the many pumpkins. We decided that they could certainly use our brawn and brute strength to get this job done. All the volunteers formed a line in 'bucket brigade' fashion to pass the pumpkins from the truck down to the pallets, where they would wait for someone to pick them to buy. Landon, you were a great help. You were right there in the line, receiving and passing pumpkins. Unloading the small ones from the pickup truck was a better job for you; those others were so big! Shelby, you helped a little, but mostly just ran around amongst the pumpkins. It took all of us working together about two hours to unload just under a ton of pumpkins. Just goes to show you that with a little teamwork and God as our leader, we can do anything!

"Revel Days Are Here Again"

Growing up here in the Shreveport Bossier area, Mush and I always enjoyed going to the Red River Revel in October. It's an art festival with live music and plenty of activities for kids. This was y'all's second Revel experience. One of the great things about the Revel is the delicious food. Smoked turkey legs, muffaletta pizza, shrimp skewers, and meat pies are just a few selections of the fare offered. Having you two kiddos, we dined on roasted corn, chicken tenders, corn dogs, funnel cakes, and sweet potato fries (over the course of several hours, mind you). Another is all the beautiful art done with all kinds of media by artists from all over the country. We didn't have too much time for that kind of thing, however! After we noshed a little, we made a beeline to the children's area. First up was bottle sand art. Landon, you were eager to make a "friend" for your bottle that you made at last year's Revel. Next up: face painting. Now, face painting has come a long way since my days at the Revel; where once there was the measly selection of a butterfly, sunshine, or some other pretty basic picture, there is now whole face painting complete with glitter by an artist. You chose the dalmation, and the transformation began! You were still as a stone as she worked her magic. It was amazing once she had finished; and the "tongue" that she painted hanging out of your mouth was too much! We didn't do your's, Shelby, because we knew you would never sit still. From there, we headed next door to the Brookshire's grocery store exhibit. You both loved this: pushing the little shopping carts around, gathering groceries and then checking out. Then it was on to the archaeologist's mock dig. I didn't think you, Shelby were going to have anything to do with it, seeing how she despises sand so much. But once you saw that you could, in fact, stand up and it wasn't going to kill you, you had a great time! You both sifted and poured searching for the "hidden" crystals, shark teeth, and gemstones. Landon, you did a couple of art activities: you painted a clay pot and made a fish out of model magic. On our way out, you spotted the ferris wheel and wanted to ride. It was 50 feet tall, and you were certain that you wanted to ride. We hopped on, and right off the bat, we were zoomed to the top where we stopped. I had fully prepared myself for a complete meltdown, but you were exhilerated with excitement. You smiled the entire time! Shelby, you were not real thrilled with us being way up there though; you cried and waited with JuJu. By that time, we were all getting tired and reveled out. So we picked up a couple of funnel cakes "to-go" and headed back home. Another great Revel experience!

"Card Carrying"

Today after school we went to the Bossier Parish Public Library to get your official library card. We just had to fill out a little paper work, and then you tried to sign your name. It ended up just being an 'L,' so I wrote the rest. Then we all made some great book selections. You thought it was so cool that we didn't have to pay for anything! You are a card carrying, library using, pre-reader!

"Under the Big Top"

When I was a little girl, one of the highlights of the year was going to the El Karrubah Shrine Circus. Tonight, you two got to live the magic that is the circus! Landon, you've been one other time when you were about Shelby's age, but you don't remember it, so essentially this is your first trip too. Poppie and JuJu scouted out some great seats right at the center ring only a few rows up. When we all arrived, I was a little worried about you, Shelby. At the top of the stairs down, you started to fret a little, so we took it very slow. We watched from afar before we started the descent to our row. With so much noise, such bright lights, and so many people, you weren't too sure at first. But as with anything and you, it just took a little warming up to. Once the show started, the pretty ladies in sparkly sequins and lush feathers caught everyone's attention. And then out came the tigers! You both were very interested in the show now. Landon, you stared with such curiosity, while Shelby made her growling sounds and pointed. Shortly after the tigers was Bo the elephant. As soon as he came out, Shelby continued with her animal sounds, curling her arm around, just like you did when you were her age, for the trunk. It was really amazing to watch him lift his entire body and stand on his front legs. Landon, at Intermission, you even got to ride an elephant around the circus ring! The clowns were entertaining too. There was one that had a little dog dressed up in an elephant costume that he had to "wind up" to get him to run around. It was the cutest thing ever. We had cotton candy, cracker jacks, chicken and french fries, nachos, and cokes. It was the best dinner in a while! And of course no trip to the circus is complete without souvenirs. Shelby, you chose the stuffed elephant (the EXACT one that you had, Landon!) and Landon, you chose a light saber thingy. As soon as we got back to our seats, Shelby wanted that. So of course, Daddy bought her one too. They finished the show with some really neat trapeze artists and a crazy motorcycle man. Based on the looks on your faces throughout the whole show and in the car on the way home, the circus was an exciting, magical experience for us all.

"Freeze Time"

This is a silly picture, I know. But tonight, after y'all had your bath, and I was cleaning out the tub of all the toys, I looked down to see both pairs of tiny shoes sitting right there together on the floor. It made me stop and think about how y'all will never be this age again, and how quickly you two are growing up. I wish I could freeze time, and keep these shoe sizes forever..

"A True Romance"

So...it has been brought to my attention, that you, Landon, have a girlfriend. Her name is Jenna. She is the cutest little thing, with curly hair, who has her own sense of style, and rarely smiles for a camera. Jenna's mom, Kara, came to me to see if I knew you two had been kissing at school. You had told me that she kissed you when you left the table, but that was it. So we talked about how kissing was just for your family and it spreads germs, and overall hugs are just better. When I asked you if she was your girlfriend, you acted all silly, and said she wants to marry you. Kara wanted to give Mrs. Sorenson a 'heads-up,' about the 'issue,' and she went to the school to talk to her. Mrs. Sorenson acted like this was no surprise. She said, "oh yes, everyone knows they are boyfriend and girlfriend.." She even went as far as to tell Kara that every few years, she gets what she referred to as a 'true romance,' and she classified you and Jenna as one of those couples. You are quite the ladies' man, but I never dreamed we would be talking true love and marriage at age four!

Here she is, your bride-to-be!

"I Wanna Hold Your Hand.."

Shelby, you're settling right in to the "drop Brother off in the morning and pick him up later" routine. You load up every morning, clearly knowing where we're going (most of the time, you're still in your pj's). When we go back to pick Brother up, it's getting close to lunch and you've usually just gotten up from your nap-not the best of moods. But as soon as Landon gets in the car, your mood instantly changes. You are so happy to see him! And more often than not, you extend your chubby little arm and reach your hand out to his. You love him so much.

"Take Me To The River"

We've been housing Geno's boat at our house since the vacation, and we thought we would put it to use; so we loaded it up on the trailer and made a day of it. We went down to the Red River with a couple of 'river-wise' guys to cruise around. It was a gorgeous, although very warm, day for boating. Shelby, you were not real thrilled with the life-jacket wearing, but it wasn't anything that your bankie and paci couldn't help. We docked the boat on a sandbar, and Landon, you had a blast. Sliding down the sandy bank, getting all covered in mud, then racing down to the water to rinse off and do it again, was so much fun. Shel, if you weren't being held by Mom or Dad, you weren't happy. Wet sand, dry sand, it didn't matter. You HATED all sand. I tried to get you to touch it and play with it, but you weren't having it. You decided that hanging on the boat and eating some snacks was more your speed. We had a lot of fun together as a family. Hopefully one day we'll have our own boat, so we can go out cruising and playing anytime.

"School Days Are Here Again"

Landon, I cannot believe you are starting four year old preschool today. This is your second year at Immanuel Lutheran, and we all just love it. It is a small program with just one four year old class, so it's intimate and welcomming. Mrs. Sorenson, your teacher this year, has been teaching this program for over thirty years. She's a sweet grandmotherly type, with an English accent, who just adores all you children so much. But she does get her students ready for kindergarten; she has lots of great plans for you all this year. You were very excited, but a little shy, to see all your friends from last year. On this first day, we read a nursery rhyme about a boy and a fish (I had never heard of this one before), but it was cute. You colored your fish very well and hung it on the bulletin board. There was a fishy snack too, goldfish crackers with a little fishing pole with cherry licorice. Then we all did handprint puzzle pieces to go on another bulletin board about how we all fit. It was a really good first day of school, and I know this year will be filled with all kinds of new discoveries!

First day of PreK 4

Busy working on your coloring.

Making our handprint puzzle pieces

"Beavers Make Dams"

Landon, when we were on our "bacation," you and Daddy spent a lot of time cruising on the boat. On one of these cruises, y'all found where one of the dams were. You were fascinated by it: its size, how it worked, how it could be dangerous, etc. That was really the highlight, it seemed, of the trip. When we got home, you told Poppie and JuJu all about it. One afternoon at their house, you and Poppie got crafty, because you wanted to build a dam. Using a plastic rubbermaid box, a small toy boat, foam earplugs, and plenty of sand from your sandbox, you and he constructed a replica dam. You were so proud and excited and played out there with it for quite some time.

As a sidenote... the title of this post actually comes from an instance that occurred not too long ago. You slipped with the expletive 'damn,' and when I asked you (in that corrective mother tone) what you said, you looked at me and grinned and said, "Beavers make dams, right momma?" uggghhh!

The dam complete with buoys

The lake, the dam, and our condo (purple house on left)

Shelby, you were not that interested in the dam, but you sure had fun with the waterhose.

"Cool in the Pool"

While in Hot Springs on 'bacation," we spent a lot of time in our condo's pool. Because we were there fairly late in the season, there was never anyone at the pool, and that was just fine with us. It was a nice pool; perfect for our needs: a shallow end with large steps for Shelby, plenty of space to jump and splash, plenty of lounge chairs (not that there was much lying around!) and a grilling area. We brought floaties and noodles to float with. Landon, you and Kylie had a great time running and jumping in to see who could make the biggest splash. Y'all also enjoyed diving under the water trying to find various items that sunk to the bottom. You got pretty good and holding your breath for a long time! You really enjoyed horsing around with Daddy. He would lift you in the air, and then slam you down in the water. We bought a little baby pool for Shelby, thinking she may rather just splash around outside the big pool. Yeah, that went over like a lead balloon! You hung out in it for a little while, but all the action was in the real pool, and that is where you wanted to be. But, if you're in the water, someone is holding you, because you will not have anything to do with blow-up boats, inner tubes, or any kind of floating device. Only arms; Mommy's preferably. But even then, you are trying to get out of our arms because you want to SWIM! It's so funny how you put your little face in the water and actually seem to like getting a little choked up!

And with all this swimming we were doing, comes a hefty appetite. One of our last pool evenings, we grilled some big juicy burgers, poolside. Mine was a Boca veggie thing that was pretty good, but I think your burgers may have been a little tastier. It really was the perfect way to end a perfect 'bacation' day.

"Into the Mystic"

This year for our summer vacation, we had to alter our plans a little, out of fear from the oil spill that endangered the beach where we had planned to go. Instead, we rented a fabulous three bedroom condo on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was an awesome location right on the water with our own boat slip, so we took Geno's boat with us so we could toodle around and the boys could fish. The first morning we were there, we all loaded up, life-jacketed of course, for our maiden voyage in the 'Fish Master.' Landon, you couldn't get enough of riding with Daddy at the helm; Shelby...it took you a little warming up to. And once you did warm up, you had a little enjoyment before you got too sleepy and nothing would make you happy. That's when we cruised on back home. We loved having the boat right there, ready for us whenever we wanted to go out again; Shelby free, however.