Gabe goes to school!

Our little boy started his speech preschool program today! He will be going to a preschool two days a week for two hours each time. All of the children in his class have articulation issues. And from what I heard, this program is awesome! I met his teacher last week, Ms. Destiny. And she was such a sweetheart. I knew Gabe would love her once he got to know her. But Gabe was not excited about it. He LOVED his last teacher! He loved to tell everyone he was going to marry Ms. Becky :) Emma would just giggle and giggle when he said that! And he came up with that one all on his own! So, every time Jeff and I tried to talk to him about starting his new school, he would say, "I am not going to like my new teacher. I want Ms. Becky!" We would try to explain to him that his new teacher is so nice and he is going to have a wonderful time! But he didn't want to hear it!

Jeff got him a football balloon and a little frog stuffed animal to wake up to this morning. He loved them both. We thought that might make him a little excited about going to school. But, he was very apprehensive.

I loaded him in the car this morning to take him to school. I could tell he was pretty nervous. We walked into his classroom and saw Ms. Destiny and four other little boys busy doing puzzles. Ms. Destiny was very excited to see him. But Gabe was clinging to my leg. He kept saying, "One more hug, mommy. One more hug!" He is very smart. He knows I can't resist that. But when I bend down to give him a hug, he doesn't let go of my neck :) His teacher asked if he wanted to put his backpack in his very own locker! And that did it for Gabe! He let go of my neck and made his way over to the lockers. I called out that I loved him and would be back soon and headed out of the door pretty quickly.

When I went to pick him up, his teacher walks him to the door. He comes running out to me saying, "I love my new teacher! She's so nice! I am going to marry her!" Where does he come up with this stuff! I am telling you... He is going to be a little heartbreaker! He had a great time!

"How was your class, Gabe?"

"Mommy, I played with all of the boys. And two of them had Spiderman shirts on. They were so cool! And there are no girls in my class, mommy. Just boys!"

"You have a rough and tumble boy class, huh?"

"No, mommy. There is no wrestling in school!"

I was cracking up laughing! He is such a character. But he is counting down the days until he goes back to school and Ms. Destiny again :)

Emma's First Day of School!

I had it all planned out. My house would be spotless. We would play games together with the kids and then get them to bed early. Emma would wake up rested and excited for her first day of school... But this is what really happened. Gabe got a stomach bug (his first ever) on Sunday night. It started around 5 pm. He threw up all over our table at Braum's. Emma had requested ice cream, so we headed to Braum's for hamburgers and her orange sherbert. At first I thought Gabe must have eaten something that just made his stomach upset. But we soon realized he was sick. He couldn't keep anything down. Not even a glass of water. And Emma was almost sick worrying about her poor brother. We got home, cleaned up Gabe and Jeff headed back to get Emma her ice cream. After dinner, we were running back and forth between the toilet and trash cans, trying to get Gabe there in time. He was just throwing up over and over. I felt so bad for the little guy. We had to wash several loads of blankets and sheets. We did get Emma down at 8. But every time she heard us running to Gabe's room, she came out to see if he was ok. I was so worried that she was going to be exhausted the next day. At 11:30, she came out as I was cleaning up Gabe. I took her back to her room and told her to rest for her big day tomorrow and I would take care of Gabe. What she said next is "typical Emma". "But, but, mom! This is way bigger than school tomorrow!" My heart was so full. She is so compassionate and tender hearted. I just wanted to cry right there. I gave her a big hug and helped her back in bed. At midnight, Jeff and I finally got to bed. I slept on the couch upstairs so I could hear when Gabe started gagging again. I was exhausted and anxious for my little girl's big day. I prayed and prayed on the couch. That God would heal Gabe. That he would rest well. And that God would please give my baby girl the rest she needed for her first day in school. We were up again at 3:30 for one more throw up episode. I think Gabe had about 6 different times where he was sick. Emma was up at 3:30 too. I was up at 5:30 the next morning. I was getting ready when in walks my cute, little man. "Good Morning, Mommy! I all better! I can eat ice cream now!" I gave him a big hug! I was so relieved he was feeling better! He was such a brave, little guy the night before! About 6:15 Emma came downstairs talking about how pretty her flowers were. Daddy had snuck in the night before and put a vase of pink and purple flowers for our princess to wake up to. Along with a little poodle... She loves puppies :) She was happy and excited to go to school! We had a nice breakfast together. And had plenty of time to enjoy the morning without rushing out of the door. We headed out about 7:30 am and took some pictures in front of the house. Emma was just chatting up a storm with Jeff and I on the way to school. We get there and park and walk to her class. Emma was excited to see her teacher, Ms. Huh again. We find her table and get her settled there. We waited until other parents were leaving before bending down and telling her we couldn’t wait to hear about her big day! And we would see her in a little bit! I was very proud of myself for holding it together! I teared up when I bent down to give her a hug. But she was happy and fine with us leaving! What a relief! Jeff, Gabe and I headed out of the door. And as soon as I was outside, I couldn’t help but cry… I am so proud of my girl! She is so confident and happy! She is a good friend. She is compassionate and tender hearted. She is giving and kind. And you want to be there to make sure everyone else knows how special she is. You want to be there to take away any hurt and fears that she has. And to let her know that mommy and daddy love her so much and we are so proud of her! I prayed for my sweet girl all day. That she would have a wonderful day. I was so anxious to get her at the end of the day. We got to the school about 15 minutes early. And the line to pick up the students wasn’t moving at all! It took us 30 minutes to get to her! I was thinking, “She’s in there crying wondering where we are! She is probably exhausted from last night and such a long day at school!” We finally get up to the front of the line and out comes a beautiful, little girl with a huge smile on her face!

“Hi guys!”

“Hi, Emma! How was your day, Sweetheart?”

“Oh, it was a lot of fun! We did art and PE. We got to run back and forth! And my teacher is really nice! I was talking to a nice, little boy when I was waiting for you to pick me up. He is in my class. It was a long time until lunch, but I found my note you wrote me! And how come there wasn’t a show at lunch?”

“A show, honey?”

“Yeah, there is a stage in there?”

“Oh, they don’t put on a show while you eat sweetheart :)”

On and on it went… She had a GREAT day!!! Praise God! She and Gabe played and played when she got home. I think they really missed each other. We had a nice dinner together. During dinner, Emma said, “They didn’t even pray at lunch time?!?!?” Jeff and I explained that school would be different than at home and church and her last preschool. We tried our best to explain why they don’t pray in schools; and how sad that is for our country. Emma gave us a look like she just couldn’t believe it. We played a game of Sorry after dinner, had baths and stories. And it was off to bed to do it all over again tomorrow! God is so faithful and good. And I thank him for watching over our princess today.

Emma with her flowers and poodle...

Emma and mommy on her first day

My two sweeties

Our family

Emma

On her way to school!

Emma's table

Emma and mommy

Emma and her teacher, Ms. Huh

Saying goodbye...




Picking her up!


She had a great day!

Meet the Teacher!

How is it possible!?!?!? How can my baby be starting Kindergarten in a few days???? I know she is going to do wonderful and love going to school but I am going to miss her like crazy! We went this past week to "Meet the Teacher" night at her school. And I am so pleased with her teacher! She seems so sweet and caring. And Emma really liked her right from the start. So, that is an answer to prayer! We are excited for our sweet girl and all of the fun adventures she will have in Kindergarten this year!

Emma in front of her locker

Emma and her teacher, Ms. Huh

Fall is in the air!

Football season is already upon us! And if any of you know my husband, I don't have to tell you he is a Dallas Cowboys fanatic!!! So, I knew my son didn't have a chance! The brainwashing has already begun :) Gabe says he is going to play for the Cowboys when he grows up! I walked upstairs recently and found this cute scene. Emma was cheering for her brother, the Cowboys football player! Emma is so excited about trying Upwards cheerleading this fall. We don't have her uniform yet. So, she made due with a ballerina tutu :)

We got a puppy!

My poor daughter would love to have a little puppy of her own! So, she came up with the next best thing! Here she is teaching her new puppy, Gabe, some new tricks!

This broke my heart...

Jeff and I greatly respect a pastor named Voddie Baucham. I read on his blog the other day about how dangerous Barack Obama's view on abortion is. And today I saw this video on another blog I read. And my heart just breaks.

A Unicorn for Emma!

My sweet friend Annie sent this story to me awhile back to show Emma. She knows how much Emma loves unicorns :) I showed Emma the picture and she she told me, "Mom, that isn't a unicorn!" I asked her why she thought that. And she replied, "Unicorns are always white with sparkles all over!"

ROME — A deer with a single horn in the center of its head _ much like the fabled, mythical unicorn _ has been spotted in a nature preserve in Italy, park officials said Wednesday. "This is fantasy becoming reality," Gilberto Tozzi, director of the Center of Natural Sciences in Prato, told The Associated Press. "The unicorn has always been a mythological animal." The 1-year-old Roe Deer _ nicknamed "Unicorn" _ was born in captivity in the research center's park in the Tuscan town of Prato, near Florence, Tozzi said. He is believed to have been born with a genetic flaw; his twin has two horns. Calling it the first time he has seen such a case, Tozzi said such anomalies among deer may have inspired the myth of the unicorn. The unicorn, a horse-like creature with magical healing powers, has appeared in legends and stories throughout history, from ancient and medieval texts to the adventures of Harry Potter. "This shows that even in past times, there could have been animals with this anomaly," he said by telephone. "It's not like they dreamed it up." Single-horned deer are rare but not unheard of _ but even more unusual is the central positioning of the horn, experts said. "Generally, the horn is on one side (of the head) rather than being at the center. This looks like a complex case," said Fulvio Fraticelli, scientific director of Rome's zoo. He said the position of the horn could also be the result of a trauma early in the animal's life. Other mammals are believed to contribute to the myth of the unicorn, including the narwhal, a whale with a long, spiraling tusk.

This undated photo provided by the Center of Natural Sciences in Prato, Italy, Wednesday, June 11, 2008, shows a deer with a single horn in the center of its head. The one-year-old Roe Deer - nicknamed "Unicorn'' - was born in captivity in the research center's park in the Tuscan town of Prato, near Florence, Gilberto Tozzi, director of the Center of Natural Sciences, said. He is believed to have been born with a genetic flaw; his twin has two horns. (AP Photo/Center of Natural Sciences)

The elephants are coming to town!

We have gone for the past few years to the elephant parade in downtown Fort Worth! The kids are always so excited to see the elephants! And we usually have a great time! This year was a little different :) I guess the parade is getting really popular. We were there super early. But the kids were not able to get right up in the front to see. So, Emma was pretty upset. She ended up getting to see the elephants at the very end and everything turned out ok :)

My little clown!


There is a smile :)

My guys

The stars of the show!

Fort Worth Children's Museum

The kids and I recently visited the FW Children's museum. It is temporarily located in the National Cowgirl Museum. We saw the construction for the new museum while we were there. And we can't wait to visit it this winter!

Gabe LOVED the dinosaurs!




Gabe and Emma doing a little grocery shopping ;)


We went outside and they have this fun little water feature that most kids watch! Not mine! They ran around the edge of it for a few minutes like everyone else was doing. And then my son looked at me and I knew I couldn't stop him in time! He went charging through the water. Everyone around the fountain said, "Oh no!!! He's soaked!" Normally, I would be so embarrassed. But I decided, I can either be embarrassed or let it go and let them have fun. I tend to be pretty uptight. So, Gabe seemed a little suprised I didn't come running over :) It is summer and it gets so hot in Texas. And they had the best time playing in the water! Emma was a lot more cautious than my crazy boy!







Gabe was pretty happy on the way home! Crazy boy :)

Our Little Rudolph!

We were swimming recently and Emma was trying to figure out how to do a somersault underwater. She came up rubbing her nose and said she hit it on the bottom of the pool. By the time we left the pool, her nose was bright red. She had really scraped it! We started calling her Rudolph, which she loved :) She said she didn't want her red nose to go away! She is definately a "cup is half full" kind of girl!"

Sneaky, But So Sweet

I wrote in a previous post about Emma loving to leave us little notes to find. Well, tonight we found the sweetest thing! Jeff and I had the kids down by 8 and we started a movie. Emma is notorious for getting out of bed and sitting outside her door. But usually once we ask her once, she stays put. But tonight, we had to tell her several times to stay in bed. After the movie was over, we went to tuck both of the kids in and we found her notes she had left us. They were all lined up right outside her door ;) One for mommy, one for daddy and one for Gabe! They all said, "I love you" to each of us. And she had drawn a picture of her with each one of us on the notes! It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen! She's sneaky, but sweet ;)