Thursday, March 10, 2011

Holiday picture overload......


























































Yep, I realize we are 1/3 of the way done with March, but I have yet to post from Thanksgiving and Christmas and before we get the Carpenter's together for Easter, I thought now was a good time to post our holidays pics!

I have posted newest to oldest. Christmas photos are all mixed up with Charleston Christmas, where only Braxton and I could go because Chappelle was sick, and Raleigh Carpenter/Barrow Christmas.

We had a blast at both. I love family time and getting everyone together. I am so lucky to have the best sister and brothers ever who I adore, to the best sister and brother in laws too. We are very blessed, regardless of how crazy they can be, with the family we have. And as chaotic as it is when we all get together, the time is precious with all the kids!

This year was Thanksgiving in Charleston - I love Thanksgiving! I love the family time and then the traditions we have in Wilmington. Every year we get our Christmas tree the Saturday following Thanksgiving and that Saturday night we do flotilla and Sunday we decorate. I am going to say it again.....I LOVE IT!!!

Last but not least we have our annual beach shots taken by Katie Mathews. These are the balance of family shots. I love the one where Braxton looks absolutely miserable! Individual ones of the kids are on posts below.

Chappelley Belly!!!!







I HEART this little girl! She is now 19 months old. These pictures are from our family shoot back in September of last year, she was 13 months then. She has been so much fun! She absolutely adores her big brother. It's very entertaining, for the most part, to watch them play. Braxton is usually gentle with her and shows her how to do things. He loves chasing her around the house and she loves to be chased. It's not all fun and games, he also likes to take things away from her. Funny how he hasn't had an interest in some of these toys for months or even years, but let Chappelle play with it and all of a sudden, it's his new fav!

Here is a list of things coming out of her mouth:
MMMIIINNNEEE...it's very aggressive how she says it and almost with a ggrr to it!
Hi, bye bye, ball, Ba - Ba (for Braxton), Mommy, Daddy, uh-oh (with the sweetest little O shape mouth)and sucks in if she sees something bad or wrong. For instance the other morning, Bud Green had thrown up and she stood in the hallway, sucking in and pointing at it. It's really cute! She also has her own special language. It sounds like 3 languages in one. She signs "more" and can understand when you ask her things because she will shake her head yes or no.

Here is a list of things going in her mouth: EVERYTHING! She is still my eater and I love it. She doesn't hesitate trying new foods and will let you know whether she likes them or not!

I take her tomorrow for her 18 month check up - will update you on her stats then!

Where have I been?







I pull up this blog almost daily to get my fix on the other blogs I read and don't even update my own. This is RIDICULOUS! I am using this as a tool to document raising these two beautiful children and need to fill you in:

Braxton:
I am in the process of planning his 5th birthday party. I still can't believe my baby is going to be 5! I watched him last night walk to his bedroom (after he got out when he shouldn't have:) and seriously, the kid has grown like a weed. My children have always been little and will always be little. I am only 5" 2' and Bryan's 5" 8' - we aren't big people. But Braxton has sky rocketed. Last summer even he was wearing some 2T (I swear they were mis-marked) but all of a sudden 4T is getting small.

We are going to celebrate his birthday with a pizza party at the house. We will do cupcakes at school to celebrate and then I am taking 1/2 day off like I do every year to play with him.

He still makes me laugh EVERY day! Apparently last week he asked Olivia Williams to marry him. He had gone to the dentist that morning and got a bracelet as a reward for being good and told rather than asked Olivia to marry him with it. John, Olivia's dad, called me to break the news to me. Ironically Braxton had a horrible day that day at school, to the point where the first go around Bryan had to go to school to talk to him and things continued to go down hill and I actually had to pick him up from school. Never in a million years did I think I would have to pick up my child at 4.5! I regress, so John tells me our kids are getting hitched. Due to the day Braxton had, I had to break it gently, Braxton was grounded and unfortunately will not be allowed to get married today:(

Speaking of rough days - 2 weeks prior to the above day, I received a phone call from Gateway saying that Braxton had been in an "altercation." Dude...my kid is 4.5, what kind of altercation? Apparently, one of his best buddies (hear me now - best friends) pushed him off the table outside at school. Braxton used his words, told the teacher and Andrew was told not to do it again. Well, it happened again. So Braxton tried to take Andrew to the teacher and A wasn't having it, so he started hitting B. This all happened in literally seconds while the teacher was handling another situation. Before she knew it Braxton was then on top of Andrew and punched him in the nose causing it to bleed. The teacher told me it was like a middle school fight. The director and assistant director said that Braxton followed the rules by using his words and telling the teachers (things he had gotten in trouble for not doing in the past), but when the situation wasn't handled, Braxton took it into his own hands, literally! Again, not what I expected at 4.5!

HUGE NEWS!!!! Last week I registered my sweet goose for school. I had to take a deep breath as I passed the enrollment packet over to them. I can not believe he will be in school this fall. We live in a really good district. I thought we might do after school there as well, but it sounds like Gateway will still be the better option for holidays and teacher workdays when after school is not offered.

Attached are a couple of pictures of him from our family shots we did last year - I might sound a little biased, but I have some really, REALLY cute kids!