My Monkeys...

When I was little, I used to give my mother fits by climbing to the highest point that I could possibly climb in our trees, so I guess Addie Grace gets it honestly. We were at my parents this weekend for my nephew's graduation (more about that to come in another post), and Addie Grace found her inner beast monkey. She loved it and that's all she wanted to do. She kept begging us to let her go "just a little bit higher!!" Sawyer was definitely a fan too. Since he couldn't really climb the tree, he would just grab onto one of the lower branches and hold his feet up and swing back and forth. He thought it was great!





Besides the tree climbing adventures, Addie Grace and Sawyer caught some rest in the wagon while making poor Pappy run faster and faster pulling them! Don't feel sorry for him...he's a sucker (and besides, look at the smile on his face...he doesn't seem to be minding it too awfully much!)!!!

So incredibly blessed...

I'm a sucker for sentimental...all of those little projects that kids do in preschool about their handprints on the windows and what-not...those are geared specifically for me. I love them. I can hardly make it through reading them without Brian having to bring out the straight jacket. So, when Brian casually asked if for Mother's Day, I would rather have something sentimental, or something I've been asking for, I of course, jumped on the sentimental! Besides getting breakfast in bed, flowers, and a picnic at White River Park (complete with a surrey ride), Brian made me this cd that, no kidding, I have watched probably 20 times and cried every single time. I love it so much and I will treasure it forever!! It honestly is my favorite gift I have ever been given. I truly don't have the words to voice how incredibly blessed I feel to get to share my life with these three...here are a few reasons why...

just stuff...

Just thought I'd post some random pictures of this past week.

Sawyer has a new obsession with brushing his teeth. I think he might be a dental hygienist when he grows up! He will let us brush his teeth too as long as you don't try and remove his hand from the toothbrush. Apparently, he's concerned that our skills aren't up to his standards!
Addie Grace had Shelby over to spend the night. They are so funny...they called me in the room and asked me to take a picture of them with their sleep masks on (thanks, Aunt Tami!!). I told them to pretend to be asleep...hmm...not sure that they pulled it off!

And Addie Grace finally got to use her EasyBake oven! I don't think anything that I ever cooked in mine ever turned out, however, her cake was pretty good! She wants to cook our whole dinner in it one night for us!

Soccer is well underway. Addie Grace is loving it, and Sawyer is dying to play. Sydney (Shelby's little sister and Sawyer's buddy) is always content to sit and watch the game...not Sawyer. I usually have to wrestle him off the field during the practices and the games. Luckily, his cousin Jack was there at the last game to keep him somewhat preoccupied!
Miss Linda (Addie Grace's preschool teacher) came out to support her 3 students on the team! We LOVE Miss Linda!

Jack and Sawyer thought something was funny!

Enjoy your weekend!!!

The Result of Negligent Parenting...

Sawyer got caught playing in my mascara this afternoon!!! I wish you could have heard the startled squeal (his, not mine!) when I walked into the bathroom!!! Little rat!!

a McCool family Easter...

For almost every Easter Sunday in my lifetime, we have gathered with my Dad's side of the family at my grandparents' house to celebrate Easter. Since Poppy's death (and now Mawsie's too), we haven't been carrying on the tradition. Even though Addie Grace and Sawyer have celebrated Easter and had egg hunts and everything that goes along with it, somehow, each year, I felt that they were missing out. With talks of Mawsie and Poppy's property being sold, this year we gathered together and celebrated the way we have for most every other year for the last 36+ years. It was such a special day. Mawsie and Poppy's house and most of the property looks exactly the same way that it has my whole life. There was something so special about watching my kids and my cousin's kids trample through the yard and the field looking for Easter eggs in the same exact spots that I used to. I loved standing at the "creek" (a very ambitious description of the drainage ditch that runs along the front yard and under the driveway) with my cousin Wendy and telling our girls stories about us growing up at Mawsie's and Poppy's on Easters...just like this. I loved telling them the few sure fire spots to find the golden egg (which didn't pan out). I loved the laughter, the reminiscing and just being together. We ended the day at the family cemetery that is behind the house and we sang songs and we prayed. We stood together, being thankful for our heritage. Thankful for an earthly heritage that has always pointed to our spiritual heritage. I feel so blessed that Mawsie and Poppy were Godly examples who raised faithful children, and I'm beyond thankful to get to gather with my family to celebrate for the most important reason of all...an empty tomb!

I know I'm posting ALOT of pictures, but believe me, I've cut out ALOT!!

Before I post the ones of Mawsie and Poppy's house, here are the ones leading up to Easter.
Here are Addie Grace and Sawyer coloring Easter eggs...

And here they are at Mom and Dad's after church. I tried and tried to get a good picture of both of them, but it just wasn't in the cards. (I made their Easter outfits this year! I was afraid that they were going to fall apart as we were walking into church or something, but they didn't!! As I said, these pictures were taken after church, and they are still intact!!! Hooray!)

now at Mawsie and Poppy's...
the older, wiser ancestors...(my camera got put on a weird setting and it shot in black and white for some reason)...
waiting to go and hunt...and they're off...

Addie Grace hunting...

and Sawyer hunting...

pleased with his loot...

cousin Beth and Albert needing some attention...

some of the McCool offspring...

great-grandkids youngest to oldest (can you believe this isn't all of them?!?)

swinging...

enjoying a cupcake...
Cassie showing Sawyer a caterpillar that she caught
wondering if the swing will hold them up...

running off some of the Easter sugar high...

checking out the caterpillars that they caught...

Addie Grace loving on sweet baby Kyle (my cousin Christy's foster child)...

at the family cemetery...

I hope you are feeling as blessed as I do this Easter!!!

A five year old lives under my roof...

How is it possible that Addie Grace is five years old?? It really is mind blowing! I was finally getting used to her being four, AND NOW SHE'S FIVE!!!
I'm not going to get sappy and drone on and on about how I wish I could push a slow motion button on her life. And I'll try not to blabber on about how I have treasured every single second of the last five years, watching my sweet baby girl grow into this amazing little creature, who is beautiful both on the inside and out...I'll just take a few valium deep breaths to ease my pain and get on with the show...
The night before the party, Addie Grace went to bed on time, but at midnight, she got up to get a drink. When she came downstairs, she saw everything decorated and apparently, she got really excited. When I went upstairs at one, I went into her room and she was laying in the dark playing with her leapster, so I told her she HAD to go to sleep. At TWO, I went in to check on her, and she was still just laying there (no leapster) and I said, "Addie Grace, WHAT are you doing?!?" and she said, "just waiting for my party to start!". I was really worried that she was going to be a grump through her whole party, but she was surprisingly okay.
Here are some pictures of the party...
(FYI, Mom and Dad...you can click the collages to enlarge them...not that I'm calling you computer illiterates or anything!)

We also went to the American Girl Place in Chicago. It was so much fun! Addie Grace loved it! My sister Tanya and two of her girls tagged along too, and it was a really fun day! As you can imagine, I took a few pictures. At the table, Addie Grace said, "Oh! My birthday has turned into a picture day!!" Oh well...here's proof that she is honest...

Okay, I'm off to put a book on Addie Grace's head.

Beware of Dinosaur!

If you ever see us out running errands...grocery store, post office, preschool...basically, anywhere that it's not necessary for him to be down walking around...be prepared to see Sawyer's feet covered in these! He loves his house shoes and wants them on all of the time! In the beginning, I would only let him wear them to preschool to drop Addie Grace off, simply because it was easier for me to get out of the door that way, but now...it's a much more common scene than I should probably allow!! Don't judge...I won't let him go to his first day of Kindergarten in them or anything!!
Also, in the picture is Ray. His dinosaur that he sleeps with. Why he named him Ray, I'm not sure. He was probably trying to say something else a couple of months ago when began calling him that, but it distinctly sounded like Ray...so Ray it is!
Yesterday morning there was a lady bug in the house and I made the mistake of opening the door to put it outside! Once Sawyer slipped out the door, he DID NOT want to come back in! We were outside all day, which I love, it just makes for a long day!
Addie Grace has been loving the weather because she finally gets to ride her bicycle that Santa brought her! We've been surprised at how long she wants to ride! We usually give out before she does! (These two bike pictures were actually taken a couple of weeks ago before it warmed up, hence the jackets, just in case you're curious).
And Sawyer is determined to keep up with her on his bike! Which is NO fun for me!!!

And here's Addie Grace heading out the door for preschool yesterday morning. She had finally recovered from her green milk at breakfast. She hasn't quit talking yet about the leprechaun who came overnight and did that!

Follicle Catastrophe...

I always complained about having to pay to have my eyebrows waxed, so my mom bought me an eyebrow waxing kit about a year ago. It has been great...until today. LOOK AT MY EYEBROW!!!! I was waxing, and everything was fine. I ripped off another strip and looked...gasped and said, "Oh no! Oh no! What'd I do??? Oh nooooo!!!" Addie Grace was in there and said, "Mom...do you want me to call 911???" (Which last week, she did, in fact call 911...but that's another story for another day). After sitting and staring for awhile, she paused for a long time and said, "Mom, it's okay...you won't be that way in heaven!!" Ha! I cracked up...we've talked about the things that people have to suffer with here, but won't have to in heaven...if I were having any illusions about it not being that bad, she sure cleared that up quickly!!!
Oh well, at least I can hide it behind my last follicle catastrophe...my bangs that I decided to get the day before Thanksgiving!!!

Show and Tell...the letter 'D'

As you can imagine, her Daddy has been walking around all day polishing his halo!

Ta Daaaaa!!! He Poops!!

Guess who asked to use the potty today?!? He's actually asked a few times in the last few weeks, but everytime he was put up there, he decided he wasn't a fan! I'm not sure what was different about today, but he was so excited to be up there and he actually used it!! Hooray, Sawyer!! He's such a BIG boy! It kind of makes me sad!! He hasn't wanted to get on anymore today, so we'll see how tomorrow goes...

And this video is per Addie Grace's request. She actually wanted me to have it put on TV, but when I told her I couldn't, she asked if I would at least put in on my blog...

And lastly, here's Sawyer with some messages for his grandparents. My parents were here last weekend and he's still walking around looking for Nana (he actually calls her Nina) and Pappy...when he can't find them, he'll say "Nana's house, Pappy's house!!" Also, for the first time today, he didn't want Addie Grace to go to preschool. When we got back in the car after dropping her off this morning, he said, "nooo, Addie Grace, home!!!" He walked around saying it all day today! I wrote it on the video in case you couldn't tell what he was saying...I love how he says "home". I guess he wanted her to come home so that he would have someone to fight with!!
Without further adieu, Sawyer...

A little late...

We went to visit my sister Tanya last week and we had a great time!
The highlight of my trip (besides just getting to spend time with family) was being able to go to one of Hadley and Hannah's basketball games! They did a great job and won by 1 point in the last few seconds.
The highlight of Sawyer's trip was definitely the dogs. It has become ABUNDANTLY clear that Sawyer is a dog lover. Tanya has a golden retriever (Abby) and a cockapoo (Ezzi), and Sawyer would NOT leave them alone. Luckily, Ezzi is a puppy, so he didn't mind being wagged around by Sawyer for a few days. Abby, on the other hand, simply tolerated him.
Sawyer wanted to give Abby a kiss, but her tongue got him first!

Although I was grossed out, Sawyer didn't mind so much.

And here are some pictures of Sawyer in his favorite seat...I think I might get him one of these for home to see if that will help keep him still for a little while...


Because I'm a mean mom and have refused to do the Polly Pocket thing (I detest dressing them 4,374 times a day), Addie Grace was THRILLED to be up to her eyeballs in Polly Pockets on this trip! (Squelch your concerns over my daughter being deprived. Since she was able to prove to me that she can and will dress the Polly Pockets on her own, I am considering lifting the ban). Anyway, besides being in Polly Pockets bliss, Addie Grace's highlight was going to Hadley and Hannah's school Valentine party on Friday afternoon. She thought that was great!
Here are several random pictures from the trip...

We've had alot of things going on lately and haven't really been able to travel, so we were happy to get away for a few days. It was a great trip and we miss y'all already! My parents called yesterday, aching for their babies, so they are headed up tomorrow, so we get TWO weekends in a row of family! (And more importantly, Brian and I will get to sleep in on Saturday!!!) :)