Poor Addie Tay

Poor little Miss Addie Tay is coming down with her first winter cold:( Look at her watery eyes and her little runny nose:( She has a fever now... She's been babied all day- She stayed in her jammies and found one of brother's old shirts from the donation pile to wear over top of them... She loves Chris and anything that is Chris's... He really can make her smile like no one else. She was so funny today...

Mommy- Oh, Addie, are you not feeling well.... Is your nose running?

Addie- Uh Huh... Boogers.

Oh, Addie:)

Watch your mouth part 2...

Chris has been full of energy these past few days... and full of emotions- Don't worry, he's not really upset in that picture- he has learned the art of fake crying... Not only is he a little artist, but I think he could win an Oscar with his acting skills...

Speaking of art- he and Addison could seriously spend days coloring and painting- Any free minute Addie has, she is coloring... And today Chris showed some painting skills... it's funny to see how excited he gets at little things- You would think he just invented the light bulb when he mixes yellow and blue to make green paint- he is so thrilled...

Last night, in the snow storm- we ventured out to Nona and Papa's for some warm vegetable soup... and Todd,Sarah, and the boys were there... For some strange reason, I was kicking my leg in the air (don't ask)... and we, being the mature people that we are decided we'd have a leg kicking contest... Nothing better than middle-aged adults going at it to see who can kick the best...Brendan, Todd, Sarah, and I kept kicking higher and higher... and all of us are so competitive... Chris of course joined in...

Chris- I'm gonna kick so high I'm gonna kick the damn roof.

Mommy- Christopher... what did you just say.

Nona- I think he said he's gonna kick the damn roof.

Chris- (Knowing he's about to be in trouble)- Uncle Dave just said that.

You would think that we're a bunch of potty-mouthed adults... but he picks up on every slip up we make... So, if you are around Chris- watch your mouth- or you will be tattled on:)

Oh,- and for the record, Sarah kicked our butts in the kicking contest.

Let it snow...

We had our first real snow this week, and of course we had to make the most of it:) All four of us played outside, had a snowball fight, went sleigh riding, and finished up with hot cocoa. Chris LOVED it, but Addison wasn't so sure- I think she has a little "mommy" in her and hates the cold:) It's funny- I really think I'm turning into my mother- Every day I do more and more things that remind me of her- kind of scary! I caught myself sticking the kids hands under my armpits to warm them up- that is soooo what Judy Booty used to do. And now that I'm a mom, things have definately changed- I used to live for snow days, and now I hate them... No school for Chris, and my gym's day care is closed:( Let me have a quick pity party for myself:)

Barhopping has turned to househopping:)

Boy, are we looking forward to Daddy being home:) Tonight we househopped the night away- we picked up Boat Boat, played the WII at Papa Jack's, hung out with the fam at Todd and Ra-Ra's, and had a great night... Addison started using the word "Why?"... to EVERYTHING! She is such a smart little girl. I think Chris always knew what was going on, but with the way Addie talks and communicates it makes it seem like she is so much older. For instance- what 20 month old totally "pounds it" and "blows it up"- with sound effects and all... Thanks, Boat Boat:)

Today, for a fleeting second, I totally had the baby bug~ I think it's because Addie seems like she's growing up so fast and isn't a little baby anymore. But then reality sunk in, and Baby Tres can wait a while... make that quite a while if it's up to B-Baby:) Of course, we ended the night with a classic "Chrisism".

Chris~ Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray the lord my soul to keep

God is good,

God is great,

And we thank him for the food.

AMEN.

And AMEN, Daddy's home, and it's the weekend... GOD IS GOOD:)

Killing time with Nona Stewart

I'm always looking for ways to wear my kids out- I'm not one to sit in front of the t.v. and with the winter weather it's harder and harder to stay active. If I don't feel like hitting the pool, or coming up with an activity, I usually head over to my parent's house... I know they just love it when we show up on their doorstep:) Tonight, we dropped by their house, and the kids had so much fun. They had a cooking session with Nona... She likes to refer to herself as Martha Stewart- and I think in her own little world, that's her alter-ego. She is pretty good at decorating and finding creative ways to make a home beautiful, but when it comes to cooking... well, let's just say it's not her forte... She decided to make homemade cookies with the kids- It was quite the experience... Let's see~ Chris added just a little too much salt, we couldn't find the rubber spatula because Chris was hiding it in his pants (and Nona proceeded to use it once it was found), Nona's recipe called for amaretto liquor and Nona told Chris that it adds a "kick" to the cookies (just what he needed to hear), we burnt the first batch, and I went off my diet big time with the temptation of raw cookie dough:( But, the kids had a blast- they thought their cookies were delish, and I even got a little sentimental when they were sitting there licking the beaters just like my nanny used to let us do.

This is a public service announcement...

PLEASE WEAR SUNSCREEN. I know I'm probably the worst person in the world to stress this- I fake-n-baked the first 28 years of my life- Heck, I even worked at a tanning salon! But please, wear your sunscreen. Earlier this year, my mom had a little spot checked on her nose... and it ended up being skin cancer... The little spot required MAJOR surgery- She literally had a black hole all the way through her nose the size of your thumb tip- It was freakishly scarey. She could stick her finger through the side of her nose. I thought she was never going to be o.k... but thankfully they got all of the cancer, and after having stiches upon stiches, a skin graft, and laser treatments, she's got a beautful nose:) Well, my dad is always having spots frozen and things done to pre-cancerous cells on his head, shoulders, face... you name it. This week, they found skin cancer on his arm, and now he too needs surgery. Skin cancer is not something to take lightly, and it is something all of us can help prevent. Next time you are out in the sun, please make sure you are protected... and if you do need some color- spray tans have come a long way- trust me:)

E.E.

While I have my parents camera to download some pictures from tonight, I couldn't help but download some other pictures they still have on their camera... just a few of the 436... I think someone needs to learn how to get pictures off of their camera. Everyone knows how proud I am of my two younger brothers. Eric is the baby of the family and tonight he staying in a hotel and getting ready to take his first part of the CPA tomorrow morning in Richmond... Wow, that makes me feel old! He's always been the baby, and he's taking the CPA!!! Now, since he's the baby, I couldn't waste this time to fully embarass him:) I love you E:)

Oh, and so Toddie doesn't feel left out, I'm proud of him, too. He already has his CPA... and he's Director of Internal Auditing of a huge company, and President and C.E.O of B.F.A.M Clothing Company. He assures us you will see it in stores soon... just about the same time Eric's movie is coming out:)

My dream...

Every afternoon, Chris lays down for a nap, and I lay down with him:) It's our special time... Today we were talking about dreams... and I said- what is your dream... he didn't know what I meant, and I said, like what is your wish. This is how our conversation went...

Mommy~ I had a dream that I would have a precious little boy named Christopher, and it came true.
Chris~ And I had a dream that I would have a baby sister named Addison, and I did.

How sweet is that?:)

The McCullers do Disney

We had sooo much fun at Disney~ Magic Kingdom is just that- magical~ On Friday, we spent all day at Magic Kingdom with Todd, Sarah, and the boys... We all enjoyed the character dinner with Nona and Papa, too. The kids rode everything, and the adults even got to ride space mountain while Nona and Papa watched all four kids- I've never laughed so hard in my life- I was so scared, and Sarah kept laughing at me, causing me to laugh harder. It was so fun... On Sunday, we did Epcot- we were there early and shut the park down- We had a great seat for the fireworks... The disney marathon was going on, and it was so inspirational to see... maybe, just maybe, I'll have something to train for next year;)

Chris was so cute, he got shy around the mermaid. He's recently developed crushes on the princesses and characters... but Sleeping Beauty is his favorite:)

Addie would not stop kissing Piggy.

There's nothing better...

than swimming and enjoying the warm sunshine during the winter time... But there's nothing worse than returning to the freezing cold:(

HUBBA HUBBA:)

Kissing cousins...

Wow... I better watch how I say that, I did live in West Virginia... J/K! The kids were sooo cute together on the trip~ there is never a dull moment with four little kids running around...

Jack is Papa's boy... they LOVE each other sooo much...

Right when we landed- the kids couldn't wait to see Mickey

Mageroo- sooo cute:)

Jack and Addie in the tub... it was great fun until Addie pooped!

Chris and Mage in the teacups- I love this picture because it reminds me of a picture my mom has of J.D. and Eric. It's really cute- Chris now calls Mage his best buddy- they think the world of each other.

What a bunch:)

What a group:) My parents were so generous to give us our second Pearson Family trip to Disney World for Christmas... (we think it should be an annual thing... hint, hint). We had sooo much fun- The weather was wonderful- We stayed at the Orange Lake resort and also visited Disney... The one thing I love about my family is that we genuinely love each other and enjoy spending time together! We're extremely close and I wouldn't change it for the world:)

This is a picture of the sky- a plane was skywriting!

Don't Eric and Jenna look like a happy family:) They were happy to hold the kids for a minute, but enjoyed their dates at the bar and being kid-free!

Mom of the Year Award

Well, it looks like I'm officially out of the running for the mom of the year award:( My kids are my life, so I thought I might have a chance, but the past few days ruined it! Let's see... where should I start...

First, I was getting ready for my adventure by myself... flying with two carseats, a double stroller, two bags, a carry-on... not to mention two children. We were loading onto the big shuttle bus... I gave my things to the driver and started getting situated, getting Addie and Chris strapped in- when the driver called me back because he couldn't figure out how to collapse the stroller- Not thinking I just ran around back to do it myself, knowing it would take just a couple seconds... Then, to my surprise I hear the loudest horn EVER... and people looking out of the hotel in horror... I run around front... and there she is... Addison right in the driver's seat of the huge bus trying to drive the steering wheel and laying on the horn!

Then... we went the the character dining experience at the Magic Kingdom- It was sooo worth the money because the kids got to meet all the Pooh characters~ and Addison sleeps with Pooh every night so they were super excited. Well, Chris participated in the celebration- where all the kids get behind the characters and parade around the large restuaraunt... He had so much fun- until the end when he couldn't find us- We saw him and Brendan went running over to get him- but the look on his face was pure terror- I felt so bad for him! Later that night- I was talking to Chris about it...

Mommy- Chris- you looked so scared when you didn't see us after the marching song- what were you thinking honey?
Chris- I not gonna tell you, because I'm gonna be in trouble.
Mommy- It's o.k. sweetie- mommy and daddy want to know...
Chris- I was thinking... "Oh shit."

I couldn't help but laugh... but I really do need to watch my mouth around him!!!

Oh, the incidents don't end there... After the plane ride, my parents took the kids so I could go to the grocery store by myself (yes, wonderful). When I got back to their house to pick the kids up, we were all upstairs... and I saw Addison had something in her mouth... It was a pill... and not one for children... my dad's blood pressure pill! I got it right away, so she didn't get much... and everything ended up being fine... But needless to say, I had my first call to poison control!

Why oh why???

Why do my babies have to grow up so fast??? Today, I was combing Addison's hair, and it had tangles. Not just a little snag with the baby comb, but a real tangle. Who knew that this would upset me so much? I flashed forward to me having to spray "No more tangles" on my baby's hair. She's growing up way too fast:(

Ha Ha Ha...

Just when you think your children aren't listening to you, they totally surprise you... Over a month ago, I was afraid Chris was starting to tell "fibs." We had the whole pinnochio talk about how your nose grows if you tell a lie... and luckily we dodged a bullet because he really didn't comprehend the whole idea of lying and never told another one... for now... But tonight, Brendan was brushing Chris's teeth... and...

Chris- Daddy- do you tell lies?
Brendan- No- kind of laughing.
Chris- Because you have a really big nose.

Kid's say the funniest things...

Sometimes, the kids crack me up... and sometimes, I crack myself up even more...

Mommy~ Addie Tay, what are you going to say to Mickey Mouse at Disney World?
Addison~ Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Dog- as she breaks out into a dance... (For those of you that don't have kids, that is the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song that we jam to way too many mornings.)

Mommy~ Hey Taylor
Addison~ Hey Shelley (right back at me without even hesitating... boy, I'm going to have my hands full)

I'm laying in bed with Chris in the morning half asleep... he rips the biggest fart... make that multiple farts (sorry if that's TMI)... and when I look at him... he says, "I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything." Hilarious... I really have a Bart Simpson in the making on my hands!

Getting a manicure and pedicure in Richmond with Stacie~
Shelley- Oh my gosh- they have Cajun Shrimp... that's Britney Spears favorite color, I have to get it!!!! (as I'm clearly soooo excited.)
Stacie- You know that?

Sad, yes, I'm still a fan:) One day I'll grow up... but not today:)

Christmas 2008

Where should I begin... Let's just say we had a wonderful Christmas at the McCuller's household... but we're looking forward to getting back to a normal routine. It seem s like we've been on the go for the last few weeks~ and I regret to inform you that I don't even have Christmas pictures to post:(~ I left my camera at my parent's house and still haven't picked it up (eventhough we were there hanging out last night~ remind me to add it to my "to do" list.) Let's see if I can fill you in on some of our highlights:)

• We started Christmas off by celebrating at Nona and Papa's house... with carryout Chinese and presents:) We managed to wreck my parent's house in less than an hour~ But all of the grandkids had a blast, and so did we:)
• Then we headed over to Nanny and Pappy's where the real chaos began- Picture about 30 people opening presents all at once:) It's my favorite time of the year... we have traditions that will never be broken- Like having all the grandkids and great grandkids line up by age and parading into the family room- and yes, it includes me... and my cousins that are older than me.
• We came home to put the kids in bed- and Chris remembered to put out the cookies and reindeer food for Ho-Ho--- which were burnt- Yes, Mommy managed to burn the break apart cookies- oops:) Brendan and I had fun putting way too many toys together and playing Santa. We realized, that yet again, we went overboard... next year I'm cutting back.. but I say that every year. Mommy a.k.a. Santa wrote the yearly note to each kid, and cried like a baby as usual. I get way too emotional.
• The kids woke up, Nona and Papa came over, and we watched them open Santa presents... so sweet:)
• We headed to Smith Mountain Lake for a few days to celebrate with the McCullers... We had the best food in the world, got lots of neat things, and enjoyed their company~ It's hard not to when you feel like you're at a vacation home:)
• We came home to turn back around and venture back to Richmond to spend New Year's Eve with Jon, Stacie, and baby Jonathan- who is the cutest little boy ever:) The kid's were really good and we watched the Hokies win the Orange Bowl- wooooo hoooo:)
• We are finally back home and taking down the Christmas decorations... and Chris has already started his countdown to next year:)
  

Blast from the past Christmas version part 2...

Blast from the past Christmas version...

Wow- they grow up fast... Last year, Chris seemed like a toddler... and Addison wasn't even walking!