She's the Coolest Cat in Town

I can't believe I forgot to tell you about Abby's Nursery Rhyme show at school! She made her official acting debut :) Her class had been preparing for awhile and learned several nursery rhymes...which have been repeated by her at home...like a broken record (ha! I told Abby she sounded like one after she had been singing Hey Diddle Diddle about 500 times and she asked me what a broken record was...yes, I felt old). All of her practice has resulted in Lucy learning the rhymes as well. Now when Abby is at school I can still hear them. All Nursery Rhymes...All the time :P

Anyway, the reason she was singing Hey Diddle Diddle so much is because she got to play the role of "The Cat". You know, the one with the fiddle? Please don't make me type out the rhyme because it'll get stuck in...

...too late. Now I'll be singing myself to sleep with it. Sigh.

The class did a great job and Abby actually sang and performed her part beautifully :) The kids had brought in flashlights and sunglasses earlier in the week. The parents were handed the flashlights before the show and were instructed on when to use them. On their third verse of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star the turned off the lights and we got to turn on the flashlights and shine them on the ceiling to make stars...so cute!
My favorite part though was their last song. The whole class came to the front of the "stage" (we were in their classroom) and put on their sunglasses. Then they had someone flashing the classroom lights while they rapped Baa Baa Black Sheep. Oh my goodness we were cracking up it was SO STINKING CUTE! I wish I had a real video camera instead of just my digital (I didn't have enough memory left to record it). Their teacher was sitting with the audience facing the class and directing them and she was getting into the dancing as much as the kids were :) It was great to see that.

Our Cool Cat Abby!

Finally...It's Lucy's Turn!

For the past 3+ years of her life (ummmm, since she was a month old), Lucy has always attended Max and Abby's class parties at their school. If I went, Lucy was there too. Of course, it wasn't HER party and the snacks weren't for HER. Don't get me wrong, there was always enough for younger siblings to share as well but it just isn't the same when you aren't a part of the class.

Wednesday was different. It was FINALLY, Lucy's turn to have a "party"! I can't tell you how excited she was when I told her that she was going to get to wear her Halloween costume to school to walk in a parade THEN she was going back to her classroom for a party! Her excitement involved throwing her arms up in the air, dancing around and shouting "Yahoo!"

So I go her dressed in her costume (she has to be THE cutest Snow White I have ever seen) and we headed to school. She almost didn't want me to leave her in the room but I told her I had to go outside and wait on the sidewalk for the parade.

Those 2 year olds (Lucy is the oldest in her class at 3), were SO CUTE! The marched down the sidewalk and the parents were lined up with cameras and video recorders like the paparazzi! The kids got a kick out of it :)

Lucy on the other hand didn't crack a smile. Nope. Not my kid. She had her finger in her mouth most of the time and wouldn't look up at me either. She didn't wave like she said she would on the way to school. Lucy will talk a good game but the moment she's in the spotlight she's like a turtle crawling into her shell.

This is Lucy during the parade. No "Yahoo's" going on here!

Yes, Snow White is sporting green crocs :)

This was the photo op after the parade.

"Now where did those silly dwarfs go off too?"

Immediately after the parade we all headed back to the classroom for their Fall Party. It consisted of Cheez-its, fig newtons, and grapes with juice boxes. By 10am all the parents were heading out so the class could get on with their day. Lucy wasn't too sure she wanted me to leave again. She didn't talk at all except to say "candy corn" when I pointed to her napkin and asked her what was on it.

She has spoken exactly 3 words to her teachers since her first day of school almost 2 months ago. She won't talk to me either when we are in the classroom together. Abby was a lot like this when she was in the 2 year old class so we are hoping she'll snap out of it soon. I keep trying to reassure Lucy that it is okay to talk to her teachers and her classmates. They want to play with her and see how smart she is. I guess it'll come sooner or later. I have told her teachers to watch out once she does start talking because she won't stop! They are looking forward to that day (be careful what you wish for...)

She refused to look at me even after I said her name about 50 times!

I moved to the other side of the table to get her to look at me.

Yes, she is picking Cheez-its out of her teeth...

aaahhh such a classy southern girl we are raising, I know :)

So now Lucy has had her first official "school" party. My baby is growing up so fast. I look at Ruby (another baby that is growing up WAY too fast...don't wanna talk about it :P ) and I think how Lucy was "just" that little.

I'm not ready for all this, but I am excited about it at the same time. I can't wait to see what amazing things these kids of mine are destined for but I don't want it to come too fast. What does God have planned for them? I just pray that John and I are able to do our parts in getting them where God wants them to be.

*** Sorry if this doesn't look very neat. Blogger wouldn't leave the spacing between my paragraphs the way I saved them. Tried ten times to edit and it kept posting the way it looks now..grrrrrrr....

The "Tooth" About Abby...

Alright, alright...call me cheesy, corny, lame for the title :) It's tough being creative when you're running on 5 hours of sleep in two days!

While we were in Charlotte this weekend (went up to visit John's parents and brother and my family), Abby developed a toothache. Abby is a very dramatic child (total understatement!) so whenever she gets a mild ache she acts as if 911 should be called. I'm sure there are many starngers out there that have witnessed Abby in "pain" and think I am a horrible parent for not rushing her to the ER at that moment. Because of Abby's flair for the dramatic we have developed the "less (attention) is best" philosophy...once we have determined it isn't serious of course.

Yeah, I know, get back on track...

Abby's toothache progressed to the point where she was in pretty bad shape. We got home Sunday night and by the time she got changed and in the bed it was 9:00. I gave her an ice pack for her cheek and she went to sleep. She was up at midnight in lots of pain and I brought her downstairs and laid her on the couch. I was already up because I was coughing and couldn't breathe. I gave her another ice pack and let her watch some tv to help take her mind off of it and hopefully lull her to sleep. NOPE. She was up the rest of the night and didn't fall asleep until about 5am and that was only for an hour.

Needless to say I kept her home from school and planned to put in a call to her dentist as soon as they opened.

Just so happened her dentist is out of the office for the week and the dentist that was on call for him is a 45 minute drive away. I could have called a different dentist but since Abby has had some extensive dental work done and this problem was either due to the spacer in her mouth (bottom left molar was removed) or one of the teeth next to the spacer. She also had a small "bump" on her gum right above her top front tooth (that she has a filling in). So we got an appointment with the dentist that we knew would be in contact with hers.

She was miserable most of the day and any time she tried to eat something it would start hurting. I was trying to keep Motrin in her to help with the pain. Getting her Halloween costume helped distract her from it for a little while. Her app't was at 3 and although I was able to arrange for Max to go to his friend's house right off the bus I still had Lucy and Ruby with me...;p

God definitely answered our prayers yesterday because as it turned out the spacer was loose and it was rubbing into and therefore irritating her gums. The dentist was able to remove the spacer easily (although Abby cried and wanted her daddy! I know it had to hurt since she was already in pain) and gave it to us to take back to her dentist to have adjusted and put back in. She has to have it until her 6 year molar comes in. We were so happy that it was an easy problem to fix and that it wasn't actually a tooth that needed a root canal. That would be 3 in one year and NOT GOOD!

My relief was almost short-lived however when the dentist told me that the "bump" on Abby's top gum was in fact an abcess on her tooth! The good news is that it is draining on it's own which is why it isn't bothering her :) Because it is taking care of itself we didn't need to get an antibiotic :)

Abby is still in some pain, her gums around the spacer are probably still tender, so I am keepiing her on Motrin for another day but she was able to go back to school today. She really didn't want to miss her class field trip to the Fire Station!

So I'll call her dentist again this morning and make an appointment for next week. It's time for her cleaning anyway. I am just praying that we can have an uneventful cleaning this time (read...NO CAVITIES!). She brushes her teeth like a champ and still has to deal with all this because of her teeth being so crowded in her mouth. I'm not in a hurry for her to start losing teeth though because we have pretty much been told by her dentist that she WILL be needing braces...like mother like daughter...sorry Abby ;(

Ball Games and Camping and Play Dates...oh my!

This past weekend was jam packed with stuff to do. John took Max and Abby on their annual camping trip with our neighbor and his son. They don't go far...the KOA on the other side of the highway from our neighborhood :)

They do sleep in tents though and have big campfires and coook out on the grill. The electrical outlet that supplies the power for the portable Sirius satellite radio to hear the college football games? Doesn't exactly qualify as "roughing it" but we'll give them that much :)

Anyway, I took the kids to the campsite to meet John there since he had to come straight from work and get the tent set up before it started getting dark. Once it was up and they started talking about getting dinner going, Lucy and Ruby and I hightailed it out of there and went to get some dinner of our own. Fast food, yes, but it was to help Lucy not feel so bad that she wouldn't be getting to sleep in the tent and the "campsite". Are you kidding? John would get a ticket for her breaking the noise ordinance if she started her scraming in the middle of the night!

Anyway, Saturday morning Abby had a soccer game at 9 and Max had a football game at 10. The "little girls" and I met them at the field. Afterwards we got some Chick-fil-a for lunch and John wanted to eat lunch at home so he could get a shower (once again, a reason they stay just across the street).

When John was ready he took Max and Lucy back to the campsite (Lucy was just hanging out for the afternoon). Abby had been invited to a "Getting to Know the Girls in the Class" playdate from one of the girls in her class from 2-4. I took her to that where she had an AWESOME time on the jump castle, decorating her own little pumpkin, having cupcakes, and just screeching like a girl...and then back to the campground where Ruby and I hung out for about 45 minutes then loaded up with Lucy, picked up dinner, and headed home.

Lucy was really upset that she wasn't staying the night at the campground again so I asked her if she wanted to sleep in my bed with me. She was so excited. We snuggled together and were watching tv when about 20 minutes later she looked at me and said, "Mommy, I'm tired. Will you put me back in my bed?"...so much for the slumber party :) As I laid her down in her bed she snuggled in and got "cozy" (as she calls it). I gave her a kiss and she looked up and said, "Get a good night's sleep mommy".

The campers made it back home at about 10ish. Tired, happy, and smelling like campfire smoke (not my favorite part of their trips...the stinky laundry). Showers were had, lunch eaten, and a quiet lazy day. John and I had originally planned to hit the pumpkin patch that afternoon but due to the state of exhaustion...there would have been meltdowns for sure!

Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of any of the events :( I wasn't at the campsite long enough to take any and even if John had the camera...he's just to busy to think about taking any ;p

Lucy swears she's sleeping at the campsite next year...I think John's going to need a much bigger tent :) He promised her he'd do a practice "campout" with her in the backyard soon...

The Great Gum Wars...

I'm sure you've heard of it. Many of you have probably fought in this war yourself or with your child. It's a sticky situation for sure (get it? sticky? gum? Haha! I crack myself up).

Anyway, it wasn't until last year that I even LET my kids chew gum (only sugarless mind you) because their DENTIST (of all people) told me...in front of the kids...that it would actually be a good idea to let them chew sugarless gum. Well then, being the rule follower that I am, and the fact that my kids HEARD him say that (of all times for them to actually listen to someone) I let them chew gum.

I set the ground rules first:
1. Keep it in your mouth.
2. DO NOT SWALLOW.
3. Wrap it in a tissue or piece of paper when you are done.
4. Throw trash in the trash can
5. Refer back to #1 and DO NOT GET IT IN YOUR HAIR!
6. Oh yeah, don't chew it with your mouth open or smack it because that really drives Mommy NUTS!

Fast forward to last Monday. Lucy's treat when I pick her up from school is a piece of gum. She asked for a piece when we got in the van on Monday and was happily chewing away...like a cow mind you...she hasn't quite mastered rule #6 yet ;p #'s 1 & 2 are hit and miss, but she's always been really good about #'s 3 & 4.

Anyway, we had to make a stop and during this time she asked for a snack. I had forgotten about the gum she already had (non-stop repetition of the same 5 Veggie Tales songs on 1 cd kinda makes me lose my marbles a little) so I gave her one...a snack that is.

We got home and I reached back to unbuckle her straps on her car seat. As she is trying to get down she starts fussing that her hair is stuck. It has gotten tangled in the chest buckle before so I reached back and was able to get her loose. When I brought the hair forward however I saw it...the arch nemesis of long hair (second only to lice...PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE don't ever make us fight THAT war!)...a big ole wad of bright pink (watermelon flavored if you were wondering) gum all tangled up in her pretty blond tresses! I was horrified and did the only thing I thought I could do at that moment...I whipped out my phone and called my hairdresser! She wasn't working that day and the other hairdresser was booked solid...YIKES! I was told to try rubbing ice on it to get it out...it only made it worse.

I tried combing it out and her hair is so fine and flyaway that it only made matters worse. I broke my heart but the only other thing left was to get out the scissors. The gum had a death grip on a pretty long stretch of hair so I held it in my hand...closed my eyes (no, not really)...and did something I never planned to do (myself anyway) until AT LEAST next year...I cut of a hunk of my baby girl's hair...several inches long. I couldn't let her go for the rest of the day that way (her appointment was set for 10am Tuesday) so I had to go all the way around. She was upset and wouldn't keep her head still so it was just a tiny bit lopsided.

On Tuesday we headed to see Ms. "J" and she "cleaned it up a bit" for us. Lucy wasn't too thrilled t be standing there (she refused to sit down). Ms. "J" even gave her a mini candy bar to eat while she stood there. It completely melted in her hand because she wouldn't eat it.

Does this look like the face of a girl excited to be getting a haircut?

A smile just wasn't gonna happen!

We left and I wanted to get another picture of her hair. She stopped at the van door and finally smiled for me. I think she decided she liked her hair...she just wasn't telling anyone :)

Here's a little smile...

COMPARISON...

BEFORE (taken on her birthday)

AFTER

Wanna know something funny? Lucy actually asked me on the way to get her haircut if she could have a piece of gum! I laughed and told her no. She asked why and I said...just look at your hair Lucy. She said, "Oh yeah, I forgot!"

A Happy Birthday Thank You Note...

Dear Jack and Charlotte,
Thirty-nine years ago today you brought into this world an incredible gift...your fourth child, your third son (sometimes the "GOOD" son :) ). I want to thank you for raising and loving that child and creating such an incredible man.
You raised him to love, to laugh, be kind and honest. You raised him to understand the value of hard work and to put no less than his best into it. You raised him to love God and honor Him. You raised him with a good example of how to be a husband and father and how to take care of his family. You raised him to love the outdoors and to LOVE TO EAT (no more rice and jello for him)!!!!!
Long ago, God chose John to be your son. To raise and to love and to cherish and to protect and to teach. Long ago, God also knew that John would grow into a strong, loving man because of the parents He chose for him. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for that. God chose for John to be my husband. I thank God for that everyday.
John is a wonderful husband and a terrific father who strives to teach his children good moral values and character and how to love God...just like he was taught as a boy.
Jack and Charlotte, I wanted to thank you today, on John's birthday for being his parents and helping to shape him into the man he is today.

Love, Staci

Happy Birthday John...You are so loved

The fourth child with his fourth child :)

Up, Up, and Away!

ALTERNATELY TITLED... John's Birthday present...

John's birthday is Tuesday. I was trying to come up with a present that I knew he would LOVE, would remember for a very long time, and would be something that would suit his personality.

John's dream job would be to take flying lessons to become a pilot and then own his own air charter service. He LOVES the ocean/beaches, golf, lighthouses, and flying. What better gift than to take him up in a small 4 seater plane for an aerial tour of Charleston?

I found an aerial tour service online called Flying High Over Charleston. For an awesome price I got John and I the 70 minute-70 mile tour which covered about 40 miles of coastline, the historical downtown area, lighthouses, down to Kiawah over the famous Ocean Course, and various other sights.

I was able to keep the secret from him for a whole week :) I had arranged for my parents (you are so awesome mom and dad) to watch the kids for a big chunk of the day and just told John we would do something together to celebrate his birthday.

So my mom and sister Mallory came to Max's football game Saturday morning and then took all 4 kiddos back with them to my parent's house. John and I came home for a few minutes then headed to lunch.

We went to a new pub in the area called, O'Brions Pub. It fit the bill perfectly because they had big flat screen t.v.s covering every wall! One of the employees came over and asked John which game he wanted top watch and changed the channel on the tv above our booth to...what else...the Wolfpack game :) Oh well, it was his birthday lunch...I wasn't going to complain that he had his eyes on the tv the whole time! We had an AWESOME lunch then I told him I had something in mind for us to do but I wasn't going to tell him what it was. We paid the check and headed out. John kept asking where we were going but I wouldn't tell him. At one point he asked if we were going flying and I stuttered to recover, I couldn't believe he asked that!

As I got off the exit to head to the airport he kept asking where we were going and what we were going to do. I told him we were going to watch planes take off...he was actually okay with that. When I turned into the building for the charter service though he started asking questions again. Finally, I pulled into the parking space, turned off the car and looked at him. He had this questioning look and a funny grin on his face and I told him he was going flying. At first I don't think he believed me then he was like, "REALLY?????". We got out of the car and went in the building to check in and as we sat in the lobby area and looked out the huge glass windows at the (incredibly too small) planes I think it started dawning on him that it was real :)

Finally, our pilot, Jim, came over and introduced himself and once we walked outside it finally hit John that this was really happening. Jim was talking to us about the plane and his experience. I got into the back seat (it was a 4 seater) and as I was sitting back there I was looking out the window at John standing next to the plane listening to the pilot. He could not wipe the silly little boy excited grin off his face :)

I told John to sit next to the pilot up front because he was going to get a chance to take the controls during the flight. Part of him wanted to sit in the back with me but the biggest part REALLY wanted to fly the plane...I didn't mind...him taking the controls was one of the selling points of the tour for me.

Jim went over all the dials and gadgets with John and we got our headsets on and were on our way!

John and I in front of the plane...it's REALLY that small!

My handsome co-pilot. Can you tell how excited he was :)

I got this shot for Max. The C-17's at the Charleston AFB

John couldn't wipe the silly grin off his face. He was so cute!

Flying over/around/near the Ashley River

Flying over The Citadel...check out the cool red and white checkerboard courtyards!

Johnson Hagood Stadium (The Citadel).

There was a football game going on and we circled the stadium

One of the diamonds of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge

connecting downtown Charleston with Mount Pleasant

Double Diamonds

Slightly blurry view of the USS Yorktown (aircraft carrier) at Patriot's Point

USS Yorktown

Right over the top of the Yorktown...can you count the jets?

A view of Downtown Charleston and Rainbow Row

Morris Island Lighthouse

Morris Island Lighthouse again...

John took the controls and was flying the plane at this point.

Flying over Kiawah Island and part of the Ocean Course golf course.

Okay folks, remember when I mentioned the AWESOME lunch John and I had at O'Brion's pub? Yeah, well, this is where I lost it ;p It wasn't my best moment and I really didn't think I'd get motion/air sick but it happened. Thankfully Jim had showed me where the air sickness bag was before we took off!

John was so worried about me and I know he would have told the pilot to head back to the airport if I wanted him to but I was determined to let him have the whole time in the air...do I love my husband or what?... I ended up losing it...literally...throughout the rest of the flight.

Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter again

The Lighthouse at Sullivan's Island.

John proposed to me on the beach at Sullivan's Island

The Mount Pleasant airport in the middle. Our neighborhood is right there to the left.

Once we left Sullivan's Island I spotted the Mount Pleasant Regional airport, which is next to our neighborhood. Jim asked us if we wanted to fly over our house. We said yes so Jim contacted the airport and requested permission. I handed John the camera because I was a little too queasy to be taking pictures.

Our street. Jim circled our house while John shot some pics of it.

Our street/neighborhood/house.

It was funny because I could see our van parked in the driveway :) Then it made me nauseous to look down so I stopped ;p

Another shot

A final shot before heading back.

Once we got back to the airport we hung out for a few minutes for me to get my bearings. Then we headed back to our house to rest for a little bit (well, for ME to rest). We headed back up to my parent's house at about 4:30 to get the kids and my mom ordered pizza to celebrate John's birthday. They had also made him a chocolate chip cookie cake. Needless to say I DID NOT eat any pizza :) but we had a great day!
From the moment we got off the plane, besides worrying about me, John kept telling me thank you and that he was sorry I got sick and that he felt guilty because he didn't :) I told him that I was sorry I did because that wasn't what I wanted him to remember about the trip. I can't remember how many times he grinned at me and thanked me.

He works so hard to take care of his family and he doesn't have a lot of free time to do things for himself. I am so glad that I was able to do this for him and that I kept the surprise for as long as I did! :) I know he will always remember this birthday and it really made me excited to see that silly grin on his face all day :)

Hilton Head...with LOTS of pictures :)

John's parents have a time share thing at Hilton Head and this year they were going to be there over Labor Day weekend and that week following. They were wonderful enough to let John and I take the kids there for the weekend so we could have a little mini-vacation.

We had a great time! The kids L.O.V.E.D. the swimming pool right downstairs. I have to say it was nice being able to just put on the bathing suits, grab a towel and the sunscreen and walk down to the pool. Not having to load a bunch of toys/snacks/drinks/etc was a nice treat :)

We got down there late Saturday afternoon and once we got the car unloaded John and Max, Abby, and Lucy changed and headed down to the pool so I could put Ruby down for a nap (she refused to sleep in the car) and make tacos for dinner.

After dinner we got everyone settled in for the night.

The next day we got up and, of course, the kids kept bugging John to take them down to the pool! So that's what we did. I had Ruby all set for her first trip to the pool in her very first and brand new bathing suit, but just as we were walking out the door it started raining so she and I stayed in until it cleared. After a few minutes we headed down and she wasn't quite sure what to think of it. She didn't like the cold water AT ALL! Once she got used to it she was okay but she's not quite a water baby yet :)

Our 3 bathing beauties!

Abby and Lucy were being goofy but it was a good one of Ruby

Finally got Abby and Lucy now Ruby is plugged up :)

What a cutie :) Yeah, the baby too!

Abby really got into swimming with her face in the water...

swimming lessons are in her near future

I know I have posted this pic before but she is just SO cute :)

We headed upstairs for lunch then got dressed and drove to Sea Pines to check out the lighthouse. We walked up to the top of the lighhouse and for once...got someone to take a picture of all 6 of us together!

Yep, there we are...all 6 of us!

The kids also had a blast playing on the playground at Sea Pines. We ended up there a couple of times that day :)

This was up in a big tree.

The Bailey Monkeys :)

They only went down this slide about 500 times!

Mommy isn't usually on this side of the camera!

Standing on a tree branch...Tarzan and his son :)

We headed over to the beach as well and the kids did a quick change into their bathing suits and played in the ocean for about 30 minutes before we headed back to the condo to get cleaned up.

Ruby's not too fond of the ocean...her first time!

"Ahhhhhh....much better Daddy!"

"Aaaaaaaack! It's cold!"

Max enjoying the ocean!

After a bike ride for John (the kids were worn out and didn't want to go) we headed back to Sea Pines for a mediocre yet ridiculously overpriced seafood meal. It wasn't the highlight of the trip by any means!

After dinner we had to play at the playground again before heading back and heading to bed.

Daddy and Abby...Daddy's acting goofy!

This playground gets a "Two Thumbs-Up" from Max!

"The Boys"

Lucy didn't want to pose...she just wanted to SLIDE!

This is Abby on the swing...sorry, flash didn't work.

A moment of sweetness...it was a brief moment but there nonetheless!

Bring on the cheese Lucy!

Monday was more of the pool and in the afternoon Grandma and Grandpa came down to spend the rest of the week. We had some enormous (but yummy) sandwiches (again...overpriced) from a sandwich shop for lunch then loaded up and headed home.

Other than spending waaaaaaaaaay too much money for food we had a great time and are so grateful to John's parents for letting us have a couple of days at the condo :) I know the kids wish we could have a pool now that they can just walk out the door and jump into...keep wishing kiddos :)