Shelby can write her name...

I really have too much to do right now, but I couldn't go on without first posting this picture of the first time that Pratt and I have seen Shelby write her own name. She wrote it with a marker (long story to that) on our driveway...here is the picture:

JP Climbing

This video is of JP climbing a wall at the playground in the mountains. We already knew how much he loves climbing up on anything he can, but after we saw him do this I think we really realized how much trouble we are in for with this one.

Pictures from the Mountains

These two pictures were taken at the playground that we went to. Shelby's favorite thing about that trip was the playground. She thought is was really funny when her, Meme and JP all slid down the slide together.
Here is a picture of the sun setting over the mountains. Shelby and JP were so well behaved. There were several times that we just let the play on the back porch and watched them through the windows. Isn't this just beautiful??? And people say there is no God, I just don't get it.
Here we are on the train. At this point we were just waiting because they were working on something on the train. We sat like this for about 15-20 min before we got started and then once we got started she rode the rest of the way like this.This is a picture from the top of the mountain looking back over the swinging bridge. Shelby had no problem climbing up there with her daddy or walking across that bridge.

Mountain Weekend

So two weeks ago (I know that I am a little, well, a lot behind on this, but better late than never) we went to the mountains with Meme, Aunt Suzy and Uncle Patricio for a little family weekend getaway. What a wonderful and relaxing time!!! We went to Boone, NC and it was just beautiful up there. It was my first time and I really look forward to visiting there again.

While we were there we ate, watched tv, looked at the mountains, ate, went to Tweetsie Railroad, slept, ate, climbed Grandfather Mountain, played at a fabulous playground, ate, oh and did I mention that we ate??

Unfortunately since it has been so long since the trip I can't remember too much of anything funny that the kids did even though I know that they did plenty of funny things. There is one little story about Shelby that I am still trying to figure out. Maybe you can help me with this one...The first full day we were there we took the children to Tweetsie Railroad. It is like a little theme park for children. They have a real steam engine train to ride, a carousel, a farris wheel, and other little rides like that. Thankfully JP is kind of still to little to protest much and I made him ride the carousel with me; Shelby, on the other hand, would have nothing to do with any of it. Finally just as we were about to leave we picked her up and before she had time to protest got her on the train for a quick ride before we left. She rode the whole time with her hands covering her ears cuddled up in her daddy's lap. She really is a very cautious child and doesn't explore too much and prefers to watch alot of times over participating. Here comes the baffling part. The next day we went to Grandfather Mountain. It was so beautiful. They had a little animal exhibit with bears, cougars, eagles, deer, etc. We walked around that a bit and then went up to the top of the mountain. At the top they have a swinging bridge that you can cross and then this rocky ledge that you can climb up to get a little higher and have a wonderful view for miles and miles (on a very clear day you can see the Charlotte Skyline). Anyway, we get up there and Shelby doesn't even think twice about walking across that bridge and climbing out on those rocks!!! Seriously, I couldn't believe it. I thought that I was going to have a panic attack walking across the bridge and she did like she was walking down the sidewalk in our neighborhood. Go figure....

Okay, for some reason I can't upload pictures right now so I am going to try that in a separate post.

The Silent Treatment

I can think of a million things (well, maybe that is exaggerating a little) that I need to be doing right now, but of course here I am on the computer.....it is all for your benefit:)

So, what have we been up to? Maybe a more fitting question would be what haven't we been up to. There is so much going on right now that it is just crazy. The weeks fly by...here it is days from October and I still am not sure what to do about Halloween for the children. Most of the time during the week is spent doing "mommy" things: ie-taking Shelby to school, picking up Shelby from school, grocery shopping, cleaning dishes, making lunches and sometimes dinner (props to me and Pratt for going on week three of eating in!!!), doing laundry, trying to keep the house clean, paying bills, CBS, changing diapers, chasing JP down from where ever he has climbed up, etc. It is so much fun!!! I really do love being at home with them. Oh, we also have to throw in buying presents and going to birthday parties. In one weekend we went to three parties and that just about wore me out to the point of no return, but is was great.

JP is trying so hard to talk. People often ask me how many words he is saying or what words he is saying and that is just such a hard question to answer. He is saying words, but many words anyone outside of Pratt or me wouldn't understand...does that count as saying a word? I don't know. Every time the air comes on in the house he goes, "Uh, uh! Plane, plane" and points up. It is so funny. He loves to see and hear the planes flying around and any noise that comes from the general up direction must be a plane. Of course he still loves to climb. About two weeks ago we were at a birthday party at a petting zoo...yes, I couldn't believe it either, but we have a petting zoo here!!! JP just took off looking at all the animals and feeding them. At one point I looked up and he was about to rocket himself over the top of a fence that was probably about 5 feet tall. And instead of rushing over there like a normal thinking mom would do I found Pratt so that he could see and then we started taking pictures...good news is that he didn't fall. Another new thing that has just started is he loves, loves, loves to sing!! Every time we are in the car he "sings" all the songs. It is so cute and my heart just melts every time.

Shelby is doing great. She loves school, at least I think she does. Here is how our conversations go when I pick her up.....

Mommy: "Hi sweetie!! How was your day?"

Shelby:

Mommy: "Did you have fun today?"

Shelby:

Mommy: "What did you do today?"

Shelby:

Mommy: "What friends were at school today?"

Shelby:

At about this point I usually give up and we ride home in complete silence. One day I was asking her questions about her day and I did finally get an answer, but she said, "Mommy, I don't want to talk about it." WHAT!!!! I didn't think that kind of response came until the teenage years!!!!

Memory Verse

Here is a cute little video of Shelby singing her memory verse from CBS. I just love it!!

Pratt Rocks!!!

He really does!! Last night I got called out shortly after dinner to go spend some time with a friend. I literally hung up the phone and kissed the family good-bye and walked out the door without much explanation as to where I was going or why. During the time that I was out, Pratt bathed both kids, washed all the dishes, lowered Shelby's mattress (we are trying to get her to sleep in panties at night), cut both kids hair, and cut his own hair (I didn't even ask him to do any of it). Some of you may be wondering how long I was gone, and it really wasn't too long...probably a little over 2 hours and he got all that done!!! Amazing, I know!!

Here are some pictures of JP's new hair do. Shelby was 3 before she got her first hair cut so it has been a little sad for me that JP is already getting his hair cut. To me it is like a right of passage from baby to childhood....sigh:( It is amazing what a hair cut can do. Shelby looks a little bit more sophisticated to me (that is probably because her hair doesn't look like she is some kind of wild child) and JP really does look older.