Merry Christmas

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas!!!

Thank you for following our blog.... even though I am always behind in my posts!!!!!

The littles LOVE to stand in these windows right behind their Christmas tree.

They think it is so funny to stand in these windows and move their ornaments around.

Count down

Every morning Ty gives me an update on how many days we have left until Christmas....

He is beyond excited......

Every morning I am thinking to myself..... OH NO I ONLY HAVE HOW MANY DAYS LEFT TO DO WAY TOO MUCH....

Lily's expression after warning Ty MANY TIMES that he is being a handful....

This was my attempt at a Christmas photo shoot....

NovemBLUR

OH MY... it has been a LONG time since my last post. Not sure if I have any readers left. If you are still following along THANK YOU for your patience!

One day (early in November) I thought to myself... We are doing so well... 3 months into the school year and haven't been sick.

WELL.... nice job Tiffany for thinking that! Shortly after that brilliant thinking I ended up with the stomach flu and then a nasty cold.

Jeff and Lily also had the nasty cold. Ty somehow escaped it all. Let's hope it stays that way.

SO..... November was a blur...

AND...

I am behind on everything....

NOW....

December hits and all the busy of Christmas.

BUT.....

I decided I will not get stressed.

Being caught up is a thing of the past......Because I don't remember the last time I was actually caught up. I also don't imagine a day when I will ever be caught up.

SO.....

I am going to enjoy this wonderful holiday season and all of the blessings it brings.

AND....

Since I intended to post Ty's birthday pictures LONG ago I am going to post them now.....

SUPER T

Ty LOVES LOVES LOVES this shirt... he would wear it every day if I let him.

Another wonderful creation from Robin at Red Thread Stitches

He was so excited about his tractor party (his idea) and we had it at his favorite play place.

We did a little balloon launch.

Lily got Ty one of his favorite games (Connect 4) and he was very happy!

That is a hug in the last picture (bottom right).

He was so happy he insisted they play immediately.

Ty reminded her he was 5 (as shown in the top left photo) and thus began the competitive match of the 5 year olds.

Little Spiders

Several months ago the costume catalogs started to arrive....

The littles looked them over thoroughly.

Ty wanted to be Buzz Light Year and he thought Lily could be Jessie.

Ty and I thought this was a great idea!

Well, somehow Lily talked him into another plan...

**FYI... they came up with these poses on their own**

Ty thought he was so cool with his muscles....

They thought these lights (from Grandma & Grandpa N) were even cooler...

They are a light/whistle combo....

After a visit with friends they are off to trick or treat....

Happy Halloween

Ty is 5

How did this day get here so fast?

TY is 5.

It seems like yesterday he was our little 2.5 year old TY BABY.

He had a fun tractor party (pictures coming soon.... that is the goal anyway), a little celebration at home, and a celebration at school. He LOVED celebrating his birthday and so did we!

Wearing a hat from school.....

The Shoe Club

It's Official!!!!

Lily is in the Shoe Club!!!!

To be a member you must know how to tie your shoes.

Lily found out that if she learned this skill she could be in the club.

She is very determined and very good with her cute little hands.

She learned in no time flat and couldn't wait to show her teacher.

She is beyond proud of her new membership!!!

Back to School

FINALLY.... a month later I am getting to a post about the big back to school event....

I thought with the littles both being in school 1/2 days that I would have all this extra time...

NO SUCH LUCK...

This is a long post........

I was using my camera and Jeff's for the back to school photos. In addition, I just put the thing on auto and snapped away.... which explains the odd lighting in some of them.

We had a little back to school dinner with their favorite stuffed shells....

While doing some much needed playroom cleaning I found these little buses that they use to play with. They both thought it was so cool that I found them just in time for back to school.

Lily's kindergarten had a phase- in the day before school actually started.

I quickly realized this phase-in was more for the parents.

Miss Independent walking a mile ahead of mom.

Lily and Mrs. H.... Lily LOVES her teacher...

Lily's words after her first day of school were....

MOM, My teacher is so bossy and sassy... and I LOVE that about her

Ty had an open house at his school the night before school started.

He was quite proud to show us his classroom/ big boy school.

His preschool is through the school system and he also receives speech therapy in his classroom.

Lily all ready to ride the bus.....

Ty not so happy that his school didn't start for another week and

his Lily was going to school without him.

Our little girl (or shall I say big girl) getting on the bus for the first time.... she said she was a little scared (just a tiny bit mom) but super excited...

I held it together up until I saw these little eyes in the bus window...

Then Ty ran (in the grass) after Lily's bus.....

He was so sad that she went without him....

Nothing a little X Box Connect 4 with Dad couldn't cure...

***When Lily came home she said, "I LOVE SCHOOL".

Here are some of her comments...

*I didn't even miss you guys.

*I have a new friend Ella. She has blond hair and blue eyes.... she looks different than I do... and that is why we like each other.

*Everyone on the bus knew me but I didn't know them... how do they know me?

*I love kindergarten.

Conversation between Lily and her afternoon bus driver....

FYI...When Lily started school it was 90+ degrees that week

Lily~ Do you have the air condition on?

Bus driver~ No air conditioner.

Lily~ Well, I am about to die on here in this heat.

Will you please open the window?

Bus driver~Sure.

Lily~ Thanks that helps a little.

The few weeks before school began Ty started to get a little anxious about it all.

I think the whole institution setting was worrying him.

He thought he was going to jail.... he thought when he was in China that was jail.

Because Ty adjusted SO WELL we tend to forget that he might still get worried.

We talked over and over about it all... assuring him and explaining things.

Seeing Lily come and go on the bus helped a lot. As did his open house.

We made sure that he knew he was only going to school and coming home to his family.

By the time school started his mind seemed at ease.

He loves his backpack but during his bus ride he has removed the little white tag and is working on removing his embroidered name.

Lily told him she was really proud of him.....

I can only imagine what these two were talking about...

Ty baby getting on such a big bus...... the tears started for me right at this moment....

Ty's comments about his first day

I LOVE my snack and recess.

I asked him if he liked his school...

I LOVE it mama!

Well, somehow we survived our littles moving on to buses and school and all the new experiences they are having.

Lily is full of funny stories about her days. She sings all of her new songs constantly. She tells us when all of the boys in her class get into trouble. She is loving kindergarten.

Ty LOVES glitter (his backpack is full of it) and any paint projects. He gets really excited if he has homework (I am sure that will change a few years from now). He continues to enjoy snack and recess. He is also known to fall asleep on the bus ride home. Hee hee

Family Photo.......

SOOOO... it was time for a fresh new family photo.....

I set up the good ole tripod....

Messed around for probably far too long to make sure it was all good to go....

Then Lily must have dommed Ty (her word for bonking Ty).

He was ultra sensitive at the moment and had a BIG cry over the whole thing.

Just in case you feel really bad for him he was picking on her seconds earlier.

And then when I was getting all my settings right I snapped a few that I really like...

Just a practice shot... Jeff's sandals (behind his head) were later removed....

Lily and Ty could hardly stand not being in this picture.... in fact they kept jumping in....

The final result ....

I like this one the most... it is exactly where we are in life...

Ty making silly faces

and

Lily being Miss Lily.....