A Boy and His Chair

I hear every man needs that special chair for relaxing and watching tv. I've found mine. I love this chair. And I've found it quite convenient for watching my favorite toons. But that's not all I can use it for.

I also have discovered that if I stand up on it I can reach the answering machine. And, on that answering machine is a button. A button that calls out my name. And, if I push that button, it responds by saying, "Answering Machine OFF." I like that.

I also have found that, if tipped over, it makes a great push toy as well as a hiding cage for me and Hannah. In fact, this chair could be anything if we just use our imagination.

What can your chair do?

Air Time

If you know me at all, you know I love to jump. Remember the "Kangaroo?" Lately, I've found much delight in jumping off the landing on the stairs. I've even been so bold as to try jumping off a few stairs up on the big stairs, however, Mommy caught me before I tried. It would have been awesome. I'm growing bored with the two stair jump and am in search for something more challenging. In fact, today, I chose to jump off my kitchen that Papa made me. Yet again, Mommy put an end to that endeavor as well. Mommy says perhaps gymnastics is in my future. I've got the size, the flexibility, and I'm working on one incredible dismount.

Siblings and Buddies

Gwant and I, we're siblings. So, like all siblings out there, we fight. However, we also have a "gwate" time "togedder" as well. We like to tickle each "udder" and lately we have become quite the wrestlers. I have a great head lock move that almost always throws Gwant to the ground. And I can keep him pinned there too by lying on top of him. Don't worry, he likes it. At least most of the time. There are occasions where Mommy has to step in because of my chosen technique. "It's not safe," she says. Aww Mommy, he can take it. I'm sure we'll be posting pictures of my mad wrestling moves soon. Until then, enjoy these special shots of us enjoying some tv and tickle time (oh, and by the way, Gwant LOVES tv. . .and I thought I had a bad habit to bwake).

My Buddy Judson

Judson is another one of my good buddies. I'm always excited when he comes over to play. On this evening we enjoyed: sitting under the table, sliding down the stairs on our tummies, and throwing the ball up and down the stairs with Mommy.

Love My Crocs

I think I should be the next advertisement for Crocs (however Mommy is not sure that the business is as booming as it was...why in the world not?). I LOVE my Crocs. This picture says it all. Clothes, I'm not so into. But my Crocs, I must have my Crocs. In fact, if I see them laying on the floor I get them, put them to my feet, and say, "ish, ish." That means, "Mommy put these babies on my feet." If they fall off in the car, which is known to happen from time to time, I SCREAM. Yes, as loud as I possibly can so Mommy can but only choose to return those babies to their rightful place.

And for those of you who may wonder why I am not clothed...our air upstairs has been out for oh, about a month now. However, we're all coping fine. We've all shedded a few pounds from the amount of sweat exuding each day...it's an easy weight loss plan. Just kidding. Thankfully the heat outside hasn't been too bad. We've found the 80 degree temps upstairs to bearable both to us and to the wallet.

$5 More!

Next on the list...

Soon to be on its way...

Remember last week, we got such a deal on a tricycle for Hannah? Well, Mommy just earned $5 toward this cute little flower basket to put on it! So she has $15 now and as soon as her earnings post, this little basket will be on its way! And Ellie is going to get Hannah her streamers and bell. Yeah! So what's next on Mommy's Swagbucks list? Well, she's going to get us the Advent Storybook and Calendar to do this upcoming Christmas season. She wanted one last year and now with Swagbucks, it will be easy to snag! Then of course, after that purchase, it will be time to save up for a Christmas present or two! Thanks Swagbucks!

Do you want to join? Click on the button below and start using Swagbucks as your search engine. Every few searches you'll earn some Swagbucks. Then, get so many, and trade them in for great stuff...like the $5 Amazon gift card! You'll be amazed at how quickly they add up! Mommy bought my Wheely Bug, regularly $60 for $6, and Hannah's tricycle ($27) for $2 and her basket for FREE! It's about $10 with shipping. So why not do it?

Michael Phelps, Eat Your Heart Out

A year ago, Michael Phelps and I had only one thing in common, our name. You see, my middle name is Michael. Today, we have two things in common: our names and goggles. In the future, we'll have three things in common: our names, goggles, and Olympic gold medals. . .it's just that I'll have one more than he does. Some say I don't have the swimmer's body. I know, I'm a little chubby around the mid section and my lthighs rub together as I walk. That could cause some unwanted friction in the water. But Michael let no obstacle hinder his raw talent, so neither will I. Now, if only I could actually open my eyes while wearing these goggles, I'd be good to go.

AHHHH!!

Yes, that's my friend, Nolan. I think I intimidate him a bit. What do you think? If I were to put words in his mouth, he'd be saying, "What have I gotten into?"

My Letters

It's time I get a little recognition around here for what I've been learning. You see, while you see all those cute videos of Hannah, I'm right there, it's just Mommy doesn't include me. So, while I have to endure the countless letter/sound reviews, memory verses, and songs I figured I might as well make the most of it. I'm really good at the letter B sound. My favorite, however, is the letter C. In fact, I love it so much that I point to where Mommy hangs the letters and say "cah, cah, cah." And while you see me mess up a couple of times, please note my recognition of that error as I shake my head...that's me saying "no, that isn't right. I realize that...but really I have no interest in playing this silly game."

My Bible Verses

Here I am saying my Bible verses. I have also taken on a teaching role as I have reminded Grant "children, obey your parents," when he throws his fits in his booster seat. However, he hasn't taken it to heart as well as I have yet. He's young. He'll catch on.

A Shout Out to Mr. Scott while Singing Zippity Doo Dah

Some of you may know that Gwant and I attend the library twice a week for our "classes." I'm sure many of you recognize us from our debut in the Henry Herald. My favorite part of going to the library is singing the songs. My class begins each week with the wonderful, "Zippity Doo Dah." What could be a better start to the day? We pretend to have a bird on our shoulder and we do lots of other fantastic hand motions. So, I decided to sing you a bar from this song. However, it seems I can't get all the words in the right order, but you'll get the idea. And, Mr. Scott, if you're reading this, I even have a special shout out for you in the middle of my presentation. You were on my mind and I wanted to make sure you knew. Enjoy!

Pals

You know how Hannah has Ellie and Ellie has Hannah? Well, I have Nolan and Nolan has me for a buddy. Each day he's growing and each day we get to interact a little bit more. Now when I see him I walk over to him as fast as I can and I lean in (how I hug) and smack my lips together for a kiss. I notice Hannah and Ellie give hugs and kisses. So I figure that's what friends do. Mommy and Daddy says there comes a point when we don't do that with friends anymore...at least the kissing part...on the lips part especially. But until then, we'll continue. Nolan smiles at me. He likes it. And I like him.

Squint Those Eyes

Yes, we know these pictures are blurry. However, I've found that if you squint your eyes while looking at something blurry, it can actually help. Mommy was trying to capture my "unplanned" smiles and faces the other day and while she did catch them, she also captured a lot of unwanted movement...the cause of my bluriness.

A couple of weeks ago, Mommy and I sat outside before bedtime to watch a little thunderstorm. I love watching the rain. I love hearing the "funder." I told Mommy, "I'm not skeerd. Jesus will help me." And He did. Did you know God even made the rain? Mommy also told me how the dark clouds are filled with rain. So now, when we're outside, I remind Mommy that the clouds have rain in them. You know, just in case she forgets. And each day I ask Mommy if it's going to rain. Because, if it is, I want to make sure I have a front row seat.

Mommy's Moment: A Steal of a Deal!

I can just picture Hannah dinging her little bell as she rides along the sidewalk.
And what little girl wouldn't enjoy some streamers flowing in the wind as she rides along the way.

I already know what Hannah will put here: either rocks or one of her MANY stuffed animals. What a fun time she'll have!!

Okay, you all know how I love a good deal! And, also, how I've been trading in my Swagbucks points for Amazon gift cards. Well, I went hunting at Amazon to look at the trikes just to see if there were any good deals. And did I find one! This baby pictured above is on clearance! It's on sale for $27 ($37 with shipping). That's 61% off the original price. Well, it wasn't what I had picked out originally and it isn't a Radio Flyer. But, I read the reviews and it consistently got 4/5 to 5/5 stars. Not bad! Then Amazon, being the good sellers they are, mentioned how that cute little basket would go so nicely with this trike. I fell in love with it and knew little Hannah would too! So then I thought, well, if they sell baskets, do they sell streamers and bells (that was really why I liked the one I have always pictured. And sure enough they do! So, after doing the math I discoverd that purchasing the basket, streamers, and bell plus shipping in addition to this bike would still be cheaper than the trike I had originally picked out! Yahoo! So, today, I went ahead an purchased this tricycle (just in case it sold out) with my Swagbucks...right now $35 of my Swagbucks have been credited to my account...$10 is still in the works. So, I got this trike for $2.61! Then, with my remaining Swagbucks I'll knock off the basket, then the streamers, then the bell. Yay! I just love a good deal!!

Glasses

When I take a liking to something I often pick it up, place it in the vacinity of where it would go on my body and say, "ish, ish" until Mommy decides to comply to my wishes. On this day, my fascination was focused on these Mrs. Potatoe Head glasses. I thought they looked just my size. And yes, I know they are purple...but purple is similar to blue don't forget. After Hannah saw my enthusiasm for these amazing spectacles, she too decided to try them on for size. And please, excuse her hair, we went swimming that day.

I Make This Look Good!

Now, I don't meant to boast, but I think I'm lookin' pretty sharp here. Thanks to Aunt Ashley, I'm one cool dude in this new GSU hat. I can't stop looking at myself in the mirror. I mean, come on, you've got to agree here, I make this look good.

Let's Hear it for Another $5!

Welp, Mommy just earned $5 more for Hannah's trike. So, now we've earned $45 for that $67 trike. That leaves us with just $22 more to earn so we can get that baby for free! Thanks everyone for helping us! We couldn't do it without you! If you haven't joined Swagbucks yet, you need to. We've made well over $100 just for using it as our search engine. As always, if you want to join, just click on the button below! It's free! See what you can get for nothing!

Buddies

"My cousin Allie" is a great cousin. We enjoy one another's company. . .whether it be watching some "toons" or playing in Grandma's playroom. "My cousin Allie", you're awesome!

Cool Like That

I'm a dance, dance, dance, dance, dancin' machine, watch me get down, watch me get down, as I moo- moo- moo- moo- move onto the sce-ene.

That's right, check out these moves with my one pant leg up. I'm cool like that. Enough said.

Mommy's Moment: A Day in the Life

Well, we think it's time for a little revamping of the blog...mix it up a bit. So, Gwant and I decided to invite Mommy as an occassional guest speaker on our blog. We'll title her posts, "Mommy's Moment." It gives her a place to share a bit about motherhood and such. So, without further ado, here's Mommy:

When John and I found out we were pregnant with Hannah, we both knew I would stay at home. It's what we both wanted. It's funny how people responded to that at the school I worked at. Some people said, "Wow, what does your husband do?" or "That must be so nice. I wish I could do that." It's only been through the Lord's gracious provision over the past three years, we've made it work. But the response that really threw me for a loop was, "Now, all you have to do is make sure dinner is in the oven on time." Really? Is that what people think stay at home moms do? Make sure the meal is in the oven for the hubby? The rest is just a bowl full of cherries? Somehow, I don't think that is the case...at least it wasn't in my house growing up. My mom worked hard from sun up to sun down.

As I filter my days through that comment. I laugh. I laugh at what my days look like as a stay at home mom. And while dinner is usually "in the oven" for when John comes home, that's about the only guarantee to my day. My days aren't organized. I thought they would be as I stayed at home. I also thought my house would be super clean...the cleanest it's ever been. It's actually the opposite, the dirtiest and messiest it's ever been. How in the world did it get like this? Then I think back to two days ago, a very typical day in my home, and I think, "oh yeah, that's how." It went something like this:

Hannah, Grant, and I start our day as usual, eating breakfast. Afterwards, I clean them up and let them play. I clean up the kitchen. Of course, the dishwasher needs emptied because I will have no place to put the dirty dishes (that's one pet peeve I'm thankful for, I HATE dirty dishes in the sink...my only helpful pet peeve). So, I empty the dishwasher. Then, go to put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Of course, where Grant ate there's an army of slop covering the floor...so, I pull out my Swivel Sweeper to clean up the mess (note I'm not technically cleaning...it's just a quick once over on this particular gummy spot). Then, I smell something. And it's not pancakes. It's Grant. His normal morning poop has arrived. I wait a couple of more minutes to change it while I finish tidying up the kitchen. This is not my best idea. Grant is only in a diaper...in an exposed diaper, sitting on the CARPET. So as I go to change him, my fear becomes reality. I spot POOP on my carpet. I change his diaper. Then, I pull out my Little Green carpet cleaner to clean up his poop. After I clean that spot I notice about 100 (okay more like 10) other spots that need to be treated. So, I start carpet cleaning. And then, oh yeah, there's that major spit up cascading down the back of our couch. It's been there for awhile. Because you see, Grant stopped spitting up several months ago. So, I clean the couch. In the meantime, Hannah and Grant have to do something so they're playing with a gazillion toys at my feet. And after the carpet and couch are spot cleaned, something else, most likely unexpected, comes along that requires my attention. In the meantime as my attention is directed there I've got a little squirt working against me in another area. And so the day goes. As one problem is tackled, another one is guaranteed to always be created. I'm like a falling leaf being directed by the ever changing wind. I go in with a "plan", but inevitably something comes up that takes me in a new direction.

Being a stay at home mom, at least for me, I don't quite know where my day is going to take me. Had I planned to spot treat my floor and couch that day? No. Did I plan to use my MacGuyver-like skills to help my daughter who locked herself in the bathroom? Nope. (Okay, really, I WISH I had MacGuyver-like skills, props really go to my husband whom I called who explained where the special key was to unlock it...a girl can imagine though). But that's okay. It's life. And while my house may not be emmaculate or my plans fully followed through, I get to spend my day doing what I love, investing in my kids. . . oh yeah, and there's always that guarantee of a dinner waiting in the oven.

Thanks Grandmama for $5 More!

Thanks to Grandmama sharing her Swagbucks (isn't family great?), we just earned another $5 toward Hannah's birthday trike! So, now this $67 trike will cost us $27. But we still have about a month to go before we put our order in so we're really hoping to get it for free or almost free!

As usual, let me explain how Swagbucks works. You just use Swagbucks to search the web instead of Google or another search engine. Then, every few searches you when Swagbucks. After so many Swagbucks you get, you can trade them in for great prizes...all of you know by now our favorite is the $5 Amazon gift card. Those cost 45 Swagbucks. The best part is when people sign up under you...you get their points too right along with them! And we would like to take this time to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to all our friends who've signed up under us and are searching! You've been a HUGE help in getting us these great deals! Thank you, thank you, thank you! And if you haven't signed up yet, you should! Just click on the button below to get started!!

Anybody else gotten some neat toys with their Swagbucks??

And More Snacks

So, as I mentioned in the previous post, popsicles were just the beginning. You see, after the popsicles came marshmallows (not pictured). Aunt Ashley loaded us up with a bowl full. Then, after the marshmallows, came pickles (pictured). Yes, you heard me right, I said pickles. Now, if you know me at all, you know I'm not one to eat any vegetable. So, I kindly passed on this snack. However, everyone else, my sister included, jumped right in on the pickle pack. And, to wash the popsicles, marshmallows, and pickles down, we each had a juice box. Now, juice boxes I'll do. What a snack we had! It was more like a feast. Thanks Grandma!

POPSICLES!!!

For those of you who love to look at popsicle pictures, do I have a treat for you. Here are FIVE, yes FIVE pictures of me eating a popsicle with Grandma. You know how Mommy can get camera happy. I think I probably gained at least 5 pounds while staying at Grandma's. She knows how to do the snacks up right. And I'm not talking a three in the afternoon snack, I'm talking a 9:30 in the morning snack! When the Sandersons arrived to play with us at Grandma's house, all snacks broke loose. This, my friends, was just the beginning of the MORNING snack time.