Prissy Luler Belle turns 4

Oh my word, Ellie Kate is turning 4! Let's see what she has to say about that...

(It will become quite evident that I told her we're going to Chick-Fil-A later.)

Me: How do you feel now that you're 4?

EK: I feel that I have a birthday at Chick-Fil-A.

Me: What are you going to do now that you're 4?

EK: I'm gonna go to Chick-Fil-As and have my birthday.

Me: What do you think about the baby in my tummy?

EK: I don't know. I'm excited.

Me: Do you like being a big sister?

EK: Yes. B/c I wanna take care of all my babies.

Me: What's your favorite thing to do?

EK: My favorite thing to do is go to Chick-Fil-A and play on the playground.

Me: Do you still have super powers?

(She shows me her muscles.) What are they?

EK: Lightning and thunder and water to make someone melt who's mean.

(We watched The Wizard of Oz last night.)

Me: Do you like to go on dates with your Daddy?

(She nods, yes.) What do you like to do on your dates?

EK: I like to go to Chick-Fil-A. We like to meet people. We like to celebrate my birthday.

Me: How long will you be 4?

EK: Wight now, I'm 4. In August 31st. Dis is August 31st so I'm 4.

Me: How old is Emmett?

EK: 2

Me: How old is Daddy?

EK: I don't know. 21,22,23,24...I don't know how old he is, but Bunny's 9.

Me: What happens when you get old?

EK: I go into heaven. Daddy's back is hurting him.

Me: Why did the chicken cross the road?

EK: B/c he pooped on the road.

Me: What does Bunny think about you and Emmett?

EK: I don't know. I think she thinks we're pwecious.

Me: What is something that you want to teach Emmett?

EK: I wanna teach him how to tawk.

Me: Alright, that's it. Thank you.

EK: You welcome.

To say that Ellie Kate is a mess, would be a vast understatement. She arrived in the early afternoon of August 31st which was her due date. I cannot recall exactly, but I'm pretty sure that she introduced herself to me in the delivery room. That's to say that I don't recall a time when she didn't talk...alot.

She always wants to 'make up new fwiends' wherever we go. She doesn't meet a stranger. Like her mommy, she loves animals. She is forever 'tending' to her babies and little brother.

Lately she has been teaching class in Emmett's room. I walked in just the other day and she told me that everyone (all of the stuffed animals) got a spanking and time out b/c they lied to her. You can probably guess that she has been caught in some lying herself lately. She has resorted to blaming things on Emmett and when confronted, she's even told me that she was just trying to surprise me.

I asked her if Emmett ever gets to be the teacher and she said,"No, he don't tawk."

She doesn't embrace bedtime quite like Emmett does. Our night routine has changed over her four years. Now I usually inform her about how many minutes she has left to stay in the den with me and Ross. When time's up, we go into the bathroom so she can potty and brush her teeth. Then she 'sneaks up' on her Daddy and scares him in order to smother him with hugs and kisses.

We then go into her bedroom. She and I sit on her bed and she prays. I'm thinking that prayer time has become a stalling tactic. Last night she prayed,"God you know that Santa sees me all the way to town. Can it be Christmas now?" Then she quizzed me on whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas. I say a prayer after her. We both end with Psalm 4:8,"I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

She then sits in my lap so we can rock and sing. We will often sing a scripture song, Isaiah 40:8. She calls it my Eagle Song. Then she will often ask to sing Daddy's Eagle Song which is the Auburn fight song. She likes to sing me a song of hers that,"I never hearwd before." Those are always quite interesting. I then cover her up with her various blankets and stuffed animals. She usually jumps up to give me hugs and kisses. (I suspect that this, too, is a stalling tactic.)

She will often request that Ross come in and tell her an 'Adam the sugar ant story'. When I leave her room she calls out,"Mama, I love you." I say," I love you, too." Then she says,"I love you, too, too." This is followed by,"Mama, don't cwose da door when I cwose my eyes. Mama, guess what?" I say,"What?" She replies,"Chickenbutt...poopy." This is followed by,"Mama, I love you again...tell Daddy that I love him." And with that, she will go to sleep...most of the time.Ellie Kate loves to go on 'Daddy/Daughter date date days'. She is also enjoying a drumset that she got for her birthday (Thanks so much Nana & Pocca Doc). She let Emmett play it on Sunday. I heard her use the word 'rhythm' while speaking to him.

She loves to go to church. She knows everyone there by name. When we were leaving this past Sunday, she told me,"Mama, one of my fwiends lied at me." She went on to further explain what had taken place and ended with,"Mama, dat's a sin, wight?"She is definitely the hostess with the mostess. She is all about having a tea party or any party for that matter. Ellie Kate is my little social butterfly.She is truly a joy to be around and if you don't think so, just ask her. Ellie Kate is a very considerate little girl. She is kind to others and I often want to lock her in the house and never let her leave just so her feelings won't ever get hurt.

Ross is already resigned to starting a prison ministry should any snotty nosed boy ever break her heart.

She has told me a couple of times that she wants to marry Emmett. Her Nana said,"I bet a boy will come along who really likes you." Ellie Kate replied,"Dat's my Daddy."This little girl definitely keeps me on my toes. She has five questions to follow every one question that she asks. Lately, when we review her Bible verses, she says,"Mama, I got a verse. Repeat after me." This is when I try to explain to her that we only learn verses that are already in the Bible." We love our Little Priss Priss! We are so grateful to be entrusted with this precious little one. Time is definitely passing too quickly. Thank you Lord for Ellie Kate.

Ross put up a post on his blog, as well. Check it out here.

We'll be adding...

another little BOY to the mix.

We couldn't be more excited. Ellie Kate wants to name him Bob, but we haven't officially decided on the little guy's name. Everything looked great on the ultrasound today. We know that we are extremely blessed. We are very grateful to the Lord.

Melt my heart. Ross wrote a poem about Emmett.

Little Man turns 2

Today is Emmett's birthday. My actual due date was the day after Ellie Kate's birthday, but the storm, Faye, came thru and the Little Guy made his grand appearance a week early. There's nothing like a pedicure to get the contractions started. He was born at 11:17 p.m. as the tornado sirens sounded in the background. Meme and Poppa brought big sister, Ellie Kate in her jammies with her bink bink to meet her new little brother. She walked in the room, looked at me and said,"Mama, you done?"

Thankfully, she was instantly smitten with the Little Fella and I can guarantee that the feeling is mutual. No one can make Emmett laugh like his big sister. However, he saves most of his affection for his mommy. In the mornings when Emmett wakes up, I sit him in the rocking chair with his cup of milk. I usually lay down on the couch. At some point he will almost always make his way across the room to where I am. He will wait for me to pick him up and then we get to snuggle on the couch. I can think of no better way to start my day.

Emmett isn't very verbal or maybe it's just that English is his second language. He jabbers and jabbers and can be quite serious about what he's trying to say, but as far as words we can understand, well that part of his vocabulary is limited. He still loves cars, trucks, and anything else with wheels. He got a little fire engine vehicle for his birthday last year and I wish I knew just how many miles he's put on it riding in circles around the kitchen.

Emmett enjoys a good game of chase and really likes for his Daddy to run up and down the hall with him. He prefers to be outdoors and will pitch an all out fit when being brought inside. For the most part, he is a calm little guy, but when he gets mad, he gets real mad. We're talking different child, we're-in-need-of-an-exorcism kind of mad.

He hates to get a haircut which explains why currently only half of his hair has been cut. He doesn't like to have his clothes or diaper changed at all. He loves the movie Cars and the show Mickeymouse Clubhouse. When Mickey says,"We've got ears say cheers", Emmett says,"Cheers".

The boy loves his pacifiers. As of late, I've tried to limit his time with his precious pacies, but to no avail. I have walked into his room and found that he has climbed in his crib to have a paci in his mouth and another in his hand. When unable to climb in his crib, he has actually crawled underneath it to find pacifiers that I haven't seen in weeks. I don't know how we're going to curb this habit.

Another thing that he loves is naptime and bedtime. He is often giddy when I go to lay him down. He leans way back all the while giggling with excitement. I kiss those little cheeks over and over and then we say his verses, Show me your ways, O Lord, guide me in Your truth and teach me. Psalm 25:4-5. Ellie Kate likes to stand on a stool and cover him up and then say,"Good night Little Man with a plan, Boogie." At this point he is surrounded with a complete stash of pacifiers and snuggling his blanket under his chin. Ross says,"I love you, Champ", and after making sure his noise maker is simulating a thunderstorm, we exit his room. It really is a sweet time.

He gives me sweet and often loud sugars and nosie nosies. He also still thinks that Bunny's name is 'Awww Weee'. He is especially fond of my Dad, which he calls Doc. Emmett's perfect day would involve riding beside Pocca Doc on the mule. When he thinks he is about to go outside, he repeats over and over,"Bye, see ya. Bye, see ya."

So that's an update on our two-year-old Little Man. I think I'm gonna have to eat that blonde-haired, blue-eyed little guy 'awl up', as his sister would say.

My 3-year-old Adult

On our way home after meeting my parents for lunch, Ellie Kate said,"It was nice to see your mom and dad."

Swagger Wagon

This has to be my all time favorite video. Hilarious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4

Celebrate!

Today's festivities.

I know I have been missing in action. But I had to post today, because it's Bunny's birthday. That's right. Today Bunny turned 9. Where has the time gone?

She woke up this morning not feeling well. She actually threw up. She is blind in one eye and losing her hearing. There's a little boy (sources say, Emmett) who likes to sneak up behind her and hit her on the hiney and laugh. You'd probably feel sick, too. Anyway, her big day did get better. I gave her a medicated bath. Then, after looking thru a few shirts and dresses, I decided that Bunny could just put her jammies on. After all, it is her day.

Ellie Kate got all dressed up (and asked me if the bug man spraying our house would want to join us. I spared him the invite.), while Emmett cruised around on his fire engine. Then on a plate from EK's tea set, we gave Bunny a little cheese danish with a lit candle. We reused her birthday crown from last year and all sang 'Happy Birthday' as Ross accompanied us on the guitar. It is of note that Emmett didn't grab the candle and EK, after making a wish, blew out Bunny's candle for her. I took care of the videoing and then we recreated the festivities for the still camera.

Bunny devoured her treat and spent the rest of the day in her jammies probably avoiding both children.

I decided to post some pictures of Bunny through the years. (They are in no particular order.)

I cannot believe that she is 9 (or 63). She is a well traveled chihuahua both on the road as well as in the air. She's just a wee little girl who has been a staple around here. Ross would confirm (while gagging) that Bunny 'loves her mommy'.
Happy Birthday, Bunny!