Mothers Day 2013

Happy Mothers Day! I had such a fantastic one this year. Thanks to a relaxing afternoon playing outside with the two little people that made me a Mommy. 

The kids made such sweet things at school this year. And their Daddy was extra good at hiding the gifts from me. So good at it that I was actually mad at the preschool because I thought that they had forgotten to send home Henry's since he was only there on Monday and Wednesday. 

Anyways. Tonight I was getting ready for yucky Monday and packing book bags and i found this book still hidden in her book bag.  And it is the funniest thing I have ever read. My little girl knows me pretty well!

Notice Leroy in the picture!

See, she really knows me!  Notice all the shopping bags.

True statement.

Another truth. Again lots of bags.

Leroy made the shot again. Of course his room is the laundry room.

Oh dear. That appears to be a drink in my hand.

***Update from Monday morning. Rhiannon said that was a BOOK in my hand.  Not a drink.  :)

I do really like my boots.

She makes some pretty darn good scrambled eggs.

And the tear jerker. My favorite.

 I shed a lot of tears today over their gifts. They were all so special. And such a reminder of how big they are getting. 

I am so thankful for them. And this man who helped to provide them.

Our New "Baby"

We may have lost our minds.  Somewhere in between the planning and building and packing and everyday life, we decided that we needed to add another member to our family.  And since Russ is against that being a human we decided that the addition would be a canine.
And then the discussion was what kind.  Russ was leaning towards a small dog and I wanted another chocolate lab.  If I could have cloned my last chocolate lab Kramer, I truly would have.  He was taken from us way before we were ready to say Goodbye and he would have been great with the kids.
We decided a lab would be best.
Then the discussion was do we get a puppy or an adult lab from a rescue group?
A puppy would require training and years of puppy antics.  However, a puppy could grow up with our kids and be accustomed to their noises and crazy behavior.
An adult dog could have already been around and be good with kids.  And would possibly already be house trained with exceptional manners.
(As I'm typing this I'm trying to figure out why we got a puppy. . . )
I had been following a breeder that raises lab puppies in her home on their farm with her family of 4 children. The puppies are loved and handled and treated like family.  One litter was born on January 29 and when I learned that there was a chocolate male available my heart strings were pulled.
I had been the one wanting an adult dog because I just wasn't sure I could handle the puppy years.  Kramer I swear trained himself because I don't remember it being that difficult.
But Jan 29 is an important date for us.  That last week in January anyway.  It was the week Russ asked me on our first date, it was the day we moved in together 2 years later, it was the day he proposed the next year, and it was when we discovered we were pregnant with Rhiannon.  And I'm funny and I guess superstitious about signs.  And I felt like this was our baby.
So we reserved him.  A puppy.  A crazy chocolate lab puppy with two young kids and a brand new house.  See?  We have lost our minds.
On March 23 we picked him in Lincolnton GA.  We decided not to tell the kids and let it be a surprise.  We told them as we were pulling in the driveway.
We had the last pick of males so I thought it would most likely be the smallest.  Kramer was the runt and that was perfectly fine with us because he will be primarily an inside dog.  And that was what originally happened but when the first family arrived to pick up the largest male, the small one tugged on their sons pant leg and he stole his heart and earned a trip home instead of the "big guy".  When we arrived, we met the largest puppy of the litter.  Woah.  But oh so sweet and gentle and calm.  His Daddy is a 95 pound gentle giant and the breeder says our baby reminds her the most of Ruger (his Daddy).
We decided to name him Prince Leroy.  Leroy is a funny name I call the kids when they are acting crazy.  And Rhiannon thinks that everyone should be royalty.  So that is how we came to his name.  His full registered name is Highlands Royal Prince Crain.  Where we live is known as the Highlands in our county.  The subdivision that we live in that used to be our family farm is named Lawson Highlands.
So now we have a 10 week old newborn that requires all our attention but we love him so much.  I call him my Chocolate Baby.  I have called him "My Baby" a few times and Henry has expressed his dissatisfaction with that as he tells me that HE is my baby.  Leroy can be my chocolate baby.

My babies are getting big!

My babies aren't babies anymore.  We no longer have diapers.  When I leave the house, I don't have to bring sippy cups or bibs.
And then a few weeks ago, my little girl tells me that her tooth is loose.  I don't believe her at first because she is way to young to be losing teeth.  It took her 10 months to even get one.  And I wasn't quite ready.  Even though she has been ready for over a year now since her big cousin started losing teeth and she found this cute little tooth fairy pillow.  So for these reasons I thought there is no way.  But I confirmed that not only was one loose.  But two.  And I cried.
A few weeks later while brushing her teeth I realized that it was barely hanging on.  After a whole let of drama, she allowed her daddy to help her pull it.  And she was so excited.  So excited that she had her Daddy pull the second one.  At the dinner table.  Only 3 days later.
I mentioned that I was in denial of this losing teeth business.  And that I wasn't quite ready.  Literally.  The tooth fairy had to leave a ten dollar bill because that was the smallest denomination that 4 adults had in the house.  We told Rhiannon that the tooth fairy brings more money for the first tooth.  We were more prepared for the second.

After tooth #2, Jan 27, 2013

First picture of those sweet little teeth.

That night as Russ and I examined that tiny little tooth, we remember when she first got it.  It seemed like yesterday.  And while we we talking about how time goes by too fast, we realize that her younger brother got out of bed, used the potty, washed his hands, and then ran and jumped in bed with his sister so that SHE could finish reading him a story.

February 2010, Rhiannon meets Henry for the first time

I don't know where my babies have gone.  Because I still think they are this big.