Another Hot Date

Well, Peyton had another hot date with her boyfriend, Carter, this morning - and we did Play-doh. Talk about a dream date! :)















Thanks for coming over to play Carter!! Peyton's already asking when we can play again!

Bargain of the Day

Wow. So yesterday I got a call from my friend Abby who said one of her friends had called and said that a few of the stores at the Outlets at Albertville were having big sales. I figured I'd venture up there because I needed to get Peyton some sandals for our trip to Florida. Whoa nelly, did I score BIG TIME at the Crocs store.

I got these for Peyton for $9.99 (normally $29.99):












And then my blowout bargain of the day were these for Carson - for $2.99!!! (They're listed as $24.99 on the Crocs website):













Can you even believe it? So two pairs of Crocs for $12.99. Not too shabby.

Hmmm...

So bedtime this evening was quite the 3-ring circus. Things have been going really well lately at bedtime, but for some reason tonight Carson was super needy - probably because he didn't get enough "mommy time" today since he was at daycare all day and then I didn't get home until dinner time because Peyton had therapy. Anyway, one of the things Carson has always loved to do is rock in the rocking chair for a bit before bedtime. As irritating as it can get some nights, I still try to rock with him for at least a couple of minutes and I always sing to him. From the time he was an itty bitty little guy I've sang "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus" when I rock with him because I remember my Grandma Grace always singing that to me as a kid. Carson always requests it if I sing something else, so it's obviously become our "rocking song".

Well tonight as we sat rocking I sang to him and after a few minutes I tucked him into bed. He kept calling me after I'd leave the room and I was really starting to loose my patience with him. The last time I went in his room I told him he needed to go to bed and that I wasn't coming in anymore no matter how many times he called. (By this time he'd already had to "go potty" (dribble 3 drops in the toilet) 3 times and was just stalling big time) He proceeded to tell me, "But Mom, I need you to sing I Follow Jesus to me". I told him I had already sang it to him and that I didn't care what he did in his room as long as he was quiet and stayed in his bed. Then I went and sat outside his door. After a few minutes this is what I heard: (keep in mind he sleeps with a bazillion stuffed animals)

"What puppy? You want me to sing to you? Okay, that's a good idea.

I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.

The bird behind me, the crust before me,
The bird behind me, the crust before me,
The bird behind me, the crust before me, no turning back, no turning back."

The moral of this story is either I totally mumble when I sing that second verse to him or else he decided to pursue a career in re-writing lyrics at age 3. What a character.

Wordless Wednesday - The 'Lil Hiding Spot

I stumbled across this picture from 2006 and it made me laugh. I'd forgotten about how Peyton loved to climb in the big storage cupboard under in our entertainment center. I'd come downstairs and couldn't figure out where she was. Then I'd hear her saying one of the few words she had at that time, "Boo!". What a little cutie!!

The Birthday Bash

Well Thursday we took Carson to his favorite place on the planet for his birthday - Chuck E. Cheese. Both of the kids LOVE that place and it's actually getting a lot easier to take them there now that they're able to do a lot of the games themselves. So we played some games, ate pizza and drank POP - Carson's latest obsession!!! I'm wondering how old Carson will be when he finally realizes that the mechanical dancing Chuck E. isn't real...he kept screaming at it "Chuck E., Chuck E. I wanna give you FIVE!!!" and was getting mad because Chuck E. just kept dancing. Hilarious.









After we got home we let Carson open his presents. It was fun to watch him as he was so much more excited & animated this year! The Cars scooter was a big hit - thank you Target clearance!!!







Then last Saturday we had Carson's birthday party with 9 of his little friends. I was a bit concerned how it'd go since it was a "drop off your kid" party, but I was pleasantly surprised. My friend, Kelly, stayed and helped, which was GREAT (thanks, Kel!!). All the kids were very well behaved and everything went great with the exception of the present opening at the very end. Carson had a whole mob of kids surrounding him yelling, "Open my gift!!!! I GOT YOU A TRUCK!!!!" as they shoved their presents in his face. I guess the excitement was just too much to handle. It was actually a bit amusing to watch. We ended the party attemping a group shot of the kids (minus Colin who had to leave early)...that didn't work out so well until I told them all to make a funny face - then most of them paid attention! Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated with us!! Carson had a great time with you all!

SWEET!

Check out this awesome "baby bag" I won!!! I know, I know...our kids are getting old enough now so that we shouldn't really need to carry around a diaper bag. But with Peyton still having troubles with potty training I always have a pull-up and some wipes jammed in my purse because I refuse to carry around a standard dorky diaper bag with obnoxious characters all over it. Then there's always a change of clothes in the car for both the kids - just in case. I'm sick of carrying around random things in my purse (which I sometimes forget at home anyway), so when I came across a blog that was giving one of these kickin' bags away I figured what the heck - why not enter. And I won!! I'm not sure what person in their right mind would pay $200 for a diaper bag, but that's what this one costs apparently. Oh, and it's "green", made out of recycled pop bottles. Can't wait to get it and start using it!

He's 3!!!

I can't believe it, but my baby boy is already THREE!!! Boy, does that make me feel old...and as if time is flying by WAY too fast!

Three years ago almost to the minute I was sitting in the car as Chad drove us over to the hospital for my induction. We had just left our house and said goodbye to Peyton who wasn't quite sure what was going on other than the fact that Grandpa & Grandma Peterson were staying with her. I remember feeling very anxious wondering how everything would go, trying not to dwell on how things had gone with Peyton's delivery. We both sat quietly the whole ride, probably both thinking about the same things, and as we turned off of Hwy. 10 and were almost to the hospital the song "How Great Is Our God" came on the radio. I just started balling. Then Chad started. We both had ourselves a good cry and talked a bit and then prayed together before we got out of the car and headed in to the hospital. We both felt so much better and at peace about everything, and things went wonderfully. By 3:22pm we had our beautiful, healthy baby boy in our arms!! To this day I ball like a baby everytime I hear "How Great Is Our God" because I think back to the day Carson was born and just how GREAT our God is.

Carson, I hope you have a super birthday!! Daddy and I are so proud of you and so thankful for the wonderful young man you're becoming. We love you!! Happy birthday, buddy!!

Wordless Wednesday - Online Dating at 4

Well it's official - Peyton is online dating at age 4. Her "boyfriend", Carter, from preschool got a web cam and so they've been Skyping. Now I catch Peyton in the office all the time sitting at the computer saying, "Carter, I call you!" as she's scrolling through everything on the computer in search of the Skype icon. Slightly annoying because she's renamed several of my files, but ya can't help but love the precious little bond between these two sweeties!