The Lord's Prayer

I have always known what an amazing children's ministry we have at our church but yesterday Ansley gave me another "moment."
Dinner preparation can bring about a massive amount of stress when a 15 month old is hanging on my leg screaming, I have a 4 year old complaining about something, and my 6 year old is asking me wh questions! James got a small pocket bible last summer when we were at the mountain fair. Ansley was playing around with it and began reading it to me yesterday. She pops up
to the island and starts reading the Lord's Prayer. When she is finished I explain to her why it is such and important prayer to know. I told her when I learned it and that one day she will be asked to learn it too. She then proceeds to recite it to me. After Ansley picked me up off the floor she told me she learned it at church and from reading her Bible she received from church. If you don't know Ansley she hoards books in her bed. She even sleeps with some under her pillow. She told me that she pulls out her Bible and reads it in bed. It is such a blessing to know that all the love and care that St. Luke's puts toward our children
can be appreciated in such small but significant moments!!



-Christine

Hurry up warm weather!

So ready for this cycle of two days nice weather, rain, then winter returns. Luckily, the warm weather was over the weekend! So we had some family fun playing around the house and outside!
We went to a friends birthday party and I thought James was going to take their dog home.


Henry enjoyed learning all about basketball. The unfortunate thing is he now thinks that I can pick him up every time we walk past the goal to let him dunk!





Ansley has been working on her photography skills.


Happy St. Patrick's Day!!








Angelic voices!! This wasn't even a picture of all the kids. What an amazing group of adults that work with our little ones.

Henry is 15months!!

Henry has made it this far without a broken bone. I would call this a parental success!! Our little man is healthy and full of life!! His stats are:
Weight: 26 1/2 (70%)
Head: 19 (75 %)
Height: 33 1/2 (97%)
He and James at 15 months are the same height. Henry is a pound heavier. They differ when it comes to head size. James was 90th percentile and Henry is 75th. As far as my kids go that is a proportional head!
I don't compare the Ansley with the boys because they aren't even on the same comparisons.
I was very anxious for this doctor appointment because Henry does not really have much language right now. He totally understands every task and demand I give him. He is totally pushing my insecurity button here and he knows it! I do think the massive amount of fluid that sat in his ears from October- February is a factor. However he is playing with me and it is making me crazy. I feel like I am walking around all day talking in one word talk! I guess this is what happens when I am not around my autistic babies all the time I take it out on my own kid. Yes he is the third kid so I need to accept that and tell his second mommy, Ansley, to stop giving him everything without putting some effort in it!
Now that I have talked myself out of insanity here are some fun facts about Henry.
1. No use in cleaning the toys up until he is in bed because he literally walks behind me and "fixes it."
2. He always needs a fork and spoon. And uses them better than my older kids.
3. Definitely not a picky eater! If it has ketchup on it that is a bonus!
4. He loves to dance. I started turning on music after dinner because I needed to load the dishwasher without his help. As soon as One direction "what makes you beautiful" comes on he is all over it. His excitement for this song is too funny. If it goes off he is grunting at the buttons on the wall.
5. He is very mild mannered until you try to take him inside or he can't figure out something. He will show his colors. He is my only child that will get so upset but remain determined to undo whatever he is struggling with. The other day he got a watch stuck on his arm and was so angry he at one point tried to bite himself. But he refused to be a quitter and wouldn't let me help and within a few minutes he got it off.
6. His loves men especially his Dad and Grandad's! They walk into the room and he runs for them! And yes Caroline you are a favorite too!
7. He loves to wash his hands. Tell him to scrub scrub and he will ask for soap and go for it!
8. Don't you dare go outside without him! Enough said.
9. He likes his sleep. You say bedtime give him his blanket and he is ready to go!
10. He loves to sweep and vacuum!
Look at me I can do what the big kids do!!


11. Did I mention he can climb anything! Turn your back and this is most likely where he will be.


Little tornado !


Bubbles. After my day of concern he decided to say bubbles the next day.





I know I have posted this before but it just shows his sweet personality!

Official a southern girl!

Ansley made her tennis debut today!!! We live in a neighborhood that is big in tennis. We play at the park all the time and watch the pros teaching lessons. It was time to introduce Ansley to one of the greatest sports! Tennis is something you can play at any age so I am excited for Ansley to learn it. She got off the bus today and I couldn't wait to tell her I got her a tennis racket. The first thing she said was..."what is that?" ultimate parent fail!!!! My mouth dropped and it was hard to climb back up. Once I picked my lifeless body up off the concrete I raced in to show her the racket.
It was cute to see her and 6 other little girls having so much fun!
Ready to go! Doesn't get any more cute than a 6 year old in a tennis skirt!


She is the tiny blue speck next to the red shirt


Blurry but you can see we jumping in excitement.


I wish I could have gotten better pictures but Henry was into throwing rocks onto the tennis courts. Not the best thing to be doing! All night she has been saying she will be a famous tennis player when she grows up!
James started t ball last week and is loving it. Unfortunately tennis and tball overlap so I haven't gotten to his practice yet for pictures. His teams colors are purple and grey. Starting the Hornfrog fever early!!!

A day of firsts!

Tonight Ansley had her first date! It was father-daughter pirate and princess themed date night, dinner and dance! She was allowed to wear pink eye shadow and lipstick! She loved getting her hair curled! She and Bob had a wonderful time. They danced and made all kinds of fun things.



Of course Henry had to jump in on the picture!





Since it was the boys and I we did date night with my parents at Taco Mac! Then home for a bubble bath! Henry loved exploring the bubbles for the first time!

Books!

What better to do on an early release day than to play at Barnes and Noble! Ansley got her first American Doll book. I had told Ansley that if she read the entire series of one girl then she could get a doll. This was done hoping that by her birthday (August) she would be done and we would introduce her to the store. Right now she only thinks that the dolls have a catalog. She has no idea that there is a dream store. I was a doll freak growing up so she gets it honestly! And secretly I love the fact that she hoards baby dolls!!
This plan of mine is back firing because she is almost done with the first out of 5 books.
James is not pictured below because he was more interested in the chuggington train set.

Circus fun!

While Bob and I were up at Winshape the kids were joining the circus! Ringling Brothers Circus was in town. This is among one of my favorite memories from growing up! I couldn't wait for my kids to smell the elephants, see the motorcycle cage, and be in aww of the tigers.


















This is what Ansley brought away from the circus. James took it a couple more levels up and decided to try this on the rocking horse. Boys!!