Hanging around

The weather has been great so this is how we have been spending our days lately.

(Maddie wanted a picture with the bird nest she found.)

Tea Time

Maddie's class is studying China this week and they had a special Chinese Tea party at school. Kinley, Cade, and I decided to have our own tea party at home. We made blueberry muffins and had Apricot Honeybush tea.
We had a delightful time until Cade said the tea smelled like "poo poo". Appartently that is poor tea party etiquette and Kinley the "Tea Party Princess" let him know. I am sure his wife will thank her one day.

Perfect Birthday Present

This year I turned 34 on my birthday. God gave me the best present...rain. We have needed it desperately! On top of the rain, I had the chance to sit and watch my kids play in the rain.


It really doesn't get any better than that. It rained for two days, we got a total of nine inches over the weekend. As you can see, we had our own little pond in our front yard. Pappy, Gigi, April, Jared and Adelyn came over to celebrate. We watch the kids enjoy the puddles.

Caden was cautious at first.

But it did not take him long to play!

Kinley was dancing.

Maddie was filthy.

Then Daddy decided to join the fun. He is such a good daddy. It was fun for the whole family!

What a great way to celebrate!

Welcome Gomez-A new member of our family

The girls have been begging for a new pet as if Capone, three cows and our chickens are not enough! However, I could not resist this guy! We got him on Saturday at a garage sale for free. His owners were moving to Oregon and wanted him to go to a good home. The kids LOVE him. He is pretty cute.

Maddie named him Gomez. I think it sounds good with Capone. You know it is important for sibling names to sound good together.

He is really easygoing and friendly. The girls play dress-up and he has several wardrobe changes each day. He doesn't seem to mind much! Kinley and Cade take turns giving him rides. He is definitely pampered at this household.

Can you come back tomorrow?

Maddie has been wiggling her top right tooth for a few weeks. Last night at bedtime she was wiggling it and it snapped. She came down stairs with it barely hanging on. I went ahead and pulled it because I was afraid she would swallow it.

She was very excited but then she realized her daddy was gone for the evening and he would not see the actual tooth. So she wrote the Tooth Fairy this note. "Dear Tooth Fairy, Could you come back tomorrow? Your friend., Maddie "

True to her word, she left the tooth and the only evidence of her visit was a bit of Fairy Dust on Maddie's pillow.

The next night the letter read " Dear Tooth Fairy, Sorry about last night. I know you are anxious to have this tooth. I am working on another one for you. I love you. Maddie"

Her reward- Two dollars. Maddie said she was glad the Tooth Fairy was so patient. If she only knew!

Country living

Okay so it has been a crazy busy summer. I have been so wrapped up in packing/unpacking, traveling, schooling, working, potty-training and everything else that seems to eat up my time, that I forget about the important things of life.

Like why we decided to move out to the country.

Fortunately, I have three wonderful little people in my life to help me remember.

This is how they started their day this morning.

It started with Maddie's peach at breakfast. We had a major discussion about the seed inside which reminded them of one of their favorite books James and the Giant Peach.

They decided to plant the seed out in the yard. They spent all morning digging in our Central Texas clay and dreaming about their future peach orchard. As you can see they enjoyed every minute of it.

They were so filthy that I had them strip down in the yard and spray them down with the water hose, followed up with a little skinny dipping in our pool. (them, not me)

What a way to spend your day.

I consider it the best part of an education to have been born and brought up in the country. ~Amos Brunson Alcott~

A Whole Lot Of Pottying Goin’ On

Cade has been begging me to potty train him for about a month. With Maddie we started at about 19 months, I was eager and ready for her to be out of diapers. But I soon realized that it was a lot of work and very messy. I hate going to public restrooms with small children!

So with Kinley , we waited a little later. Both girls did great and were trained within a month or so with a few minor mishaps.

The "experts" say boys are harder so I kept putting Caden off. Finally, I gave in and let him wear "panties". (We are working on calling them undies, it is hard with the influence of two older girls he adores!)

So we pulled out the potty and a pad full of stickers. And ....

He did fabulous! On his first day, he had no accidents and pooed in the potty three times! He even tells me he needs to go potty! He even woke up dry and went potty the next day before breakfast. Wow, that is it?

What will I do with the extra money I have been spending on diapers for the past almost seven years? One thing is for sure, I will not be buying a book on parenting.

I've learned to never listen to the experts!

First day of First grade

I can't believe Maddie is in first grade already! It freaks be out a bit because I remember a lot about my first grade year. It just seems so old!

Maddie was most excited about:

* Being in the big building at Sterling

* Seeing all of her friends

* Having Mrs.McDaniel as her teacher. (She is wonderful!)

* Taking Reader's Theater- she is my drama queen!

Here is Maddie with Melody, her best friend.

Mrs.Pam, one of our favorite people at Sterling, smiling with Maddie.

When I picked Maddie up, she told me that Mrs.McDaniel is the best teacher ever and she just makes history"come alive". She also shared that the kindergartners on the playground were "just precious Mom, you should see how little they are." What a difference a year makes.

So, you might wonder what happened with the other two while Maddie was at school? Well.....

Let's just say we've decided Maddie deserves a raise.

Visit at Pappy and Gigi's house

We had a great time at Gigi and Pap's house during Easter. Maddie had fun making up "scary stories" at the campfire. Caden and Kinley had fun playing in the tent.
I think Cade had the most fun of all. He absolutely loves playing outside. He ran everywhere that he went. Rob and Gigi both chased him up and down the hill several times.

He was excited to eat chocolate ice cream!
He rode the four wheeler, tractor, the paddle boat, and Pappy's back all over the place.

What more could a little boy ask for?

Adelyn Grace Goudeau

Miss Adelyn Grace Goudeau was born yesterday- May 2nd at 4:03 PM. She weighed 7lbs and was 20 inches long. She has a head full of red hair. She is a cutie! We are all so excited! April is the cutest little mom and did a great job today! I know that she and Jared will be great parents! I can't believe my baby sister is a mommy.

We brought the kiddos to the hospital the next day to meet Adelyn. The girls each picked her out a book. Kinley also brought her one of her pacifiers. Caden was not sure what to think. They are all so happy to have a new cousin.

Can't wait to have Miss Adelyn come to my house so we can spoil her good!

Eggciting Easter

This year we went to my parents' house for Easter. We usually have everyone over to our house but we just got over having the stomach bug. I was "pooped out" - no pun intended!
We got up very early to hunt Easter eggs. It was a good thing that we did because as soon as we finished, it started pouring down rain. Cade really loved hunting the eggs, he figured it out quick. His basket was overflowing with colored plastic eggs.
Kinley was thrilled because she found the prize egg which did not make her sister to happy.

I had technical difficulties with my camera so I do not have many more shots.

I did catch Kinley in her dress holding her shoes.

And Caden posing on the porch with Lovie.

I finally got my camera working to snap a picture of Maddie reading Frog and Toad the whole way to church. She was so proud that she read 88 pages of two different books on our two day trip. I can't believe how well she is reading now.

Date with Granna to Georgetown

Kinley could not wait for her date with Granna this year. The girls look forward to this all year! She brainstormed for a month what she would like to do together.Granna came and picked her up at our house early that morning.

They had a special lunch together.

Along with Kinley's favorite dessert- Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

They went to a day spa that had marked parking for the princess.


Kinley got a pedicure and manicure. They painted her nails light pink.
They spent the night in a hotel that had an indoor pool.Kinley is a little fish and loves the water!

They went to the park to play.

Kinley made friends with a little squirrel.

They also visited a rose garden.

When I asked Kinley her favorite part, she said " Having Granna all to myself!"

What a special day of memories.