Today is our other little buddy's birthday. I have watched you grow and mature so much over the past year. You are still tiny but oh so fierce. You're our Willy Nilly, DO it my way, Sassy, Just don't care, goofy, Scrappy, Little Sweet Caroline. I still remember all the days and nights with you also laying on my chest sleeping and singing Pop Goes the Weasel and Jesus Loves Me especially during the colic stage. Now, you love to do school and anything I'm doing and most of all you love fighting with Poppie. You are going to be the one who stands up for what is right and no one is going to bully you that is for sure. We hope you have the best day today and we love you. ❤️ The Big 4.
Yesterday was a date day because I've had to have a new windshield put in my truck. Thanks Interstate. 😒 While we waited, we went to Lowe's and picked up some lumber we needed and other things. We ate brunch at Cracker Barrell. He took me to Hobby Lobby. If you don't have a man that will walk around Hobby Lobby with you picking out sewing notions and helping you solve the biggest dilemma (picking out a storage case for ribbon making supplies), then you need to get one. He's the man. 🎀🎀🎀🧵🪡
I'm finally getting to get my kitchen somewhat back to normal. Dear hubby is bringing in boxes and I'm putting away and organizing. 😁
You can never have too many food colorings when you bake as many goodies as we do. 🌈🎂🍪🧁🍩
Progress: microwave mounted and building custom hood.
Me and David got a little hot 🔥 and spicey 🥵 in our kitchen tonight. We even alphabetized them. Got our new spice cabinet fixed. What? Where was y'alls mind?
Bacon wrapped tenderloin from one of our harvested deer paired with Nannys canned green beans. 😋
My momma and Daddy came by to visit one day and I made lunch for all of us. My momma helped me organize and put away some stuff. My daddy helped put a trampoline together for youngest granddaughters bday. My phone was charging and I didn't even think about getting any pictures. 😒
Well, I need to get in high gear again because tomorrow we will have Caroline's bday party here at our house. These girls love having their parties here and I'm so glad but it always calls for me to clean it real good. Lol.
So, on that note I'm off to speed clean and get it looking today somewhat.
We suprised our little buddies and picked them up after Atleigh got out of school. Still not use to that. When she saw that it was us in the parking lot, she got a little emotional and had little tears in her eyes. Look at that smile. 😍
We got home and our fun weekend started. We rode the Ranger, scoping out deer, playing and watching movies and eating popcorn.
That Saturday, I just wanted outside. We washed and took care of our vehicles. They love doing whatever I'm doing so, here we go.
That Sunday we got up and ready for church. They got to wear one of their little outfits I made them.
It was time for Daddy to come get them and they went home with him.
The next day I had a dentist appointment. I was not looking forward to it since it was prepping for a crown. Atleigh told me to be a good girl and I would get a sucker.
I got my sucker for being a good girl. Boy am I'm thankful for nitrous. 🤪 I told Dr Wilson if I say anything don't hold it against me and don't tell anybody. 🤫😆😆😆😆😅😅😅 When I saw her, she wanted my sucker. I think that was her intention after all. I had to come home and sleep it off because that evening we had a parent meeting at Atleighs school and I needed to go to represent her Daddy. Daddy had to work.
The following week I helped get her to school every morning which is almost an hour commute for all of us here on this end which is her daddy and bonus mom and both sets of grandparents. It's a long story and I don't want to go into it. We made it work. Daddy has to be at work at 7am, which he will not be able to drop her off at school. When Jordan, Bonus Mom, transfers dentist offices next month, she will be taking her on her way to work which is still another 20 minutes for her. 😒. So right now while we are home and until she transfers, I get her to school and bring sissy back home with me to spend time with one on one. So how do I do this? Well, they get up at Daddys house and he and Bonus Mom Jordan gets them up and ready. She doesn't have time to eat breakfast there so Gmaw has it covered. I get ready and come and pick them up.
I have a picnic breakfast waiting on them.
I pack it the night before and grab it the next morning. I wanted to make sure she gets started off to a full belly and nutrition so she can focus and have energy. Works out great and little sissy gets to eat too.
After 2 hrs (😬) we are back home and we get ready and she wants to do school. I love this time.
She wore one of her little outfits I made her but the bow didn't stay in long. Lol
Ya'll, I did this routine for 4 days straight. It would have been 5 but I had my dentist appt and she didn't have school that day. Lucky for the other grandmother (mommy's mommy). ❤️ Things may get a little harder when we have to leave again but time will tell because these sisters are also fixing to be big sisters to a baby brother. 👶 Neddless to say, my prayer journal is full of prayers right now.
I always make sure to leave a little early to allow for emergencies or anything that might slow us down and make us late. Which I'm glad because one morning half way there on a two lane road with nothing in sight, both had to potty. They managed to hold it for two miles longer and I was able to pull over in a parking lot and found some privacy and used this:
They had privacy, it was easy to clean and no one soiled their clothes. Phew! That was close. My family makes fun of me for carrying around so much in my vehicle. Well, I'm a genius after all. Na Na Na Na Boo Boo. My motto is: "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it".
Me and Sissy used our time wisely everyday. We made some make ahead freezer breakfasts for the next time they are here and we do it all over again.
Me and Caroline made chaffles with squash and Zucchini hidden in them. She ate 4 🤫
Then we turned banana nut bread into banana nut French toast sticks. Easy freezer breakfasts. 😊😁
One day she got tired of school and just wanted to do other things like fight with Poppie. 😅😅
She can do whatever she sets her mind to. She folded a king size sheet all by herself. She's 3. She's 3. Is it perfect. No, but she will get there. She did better than some grown ups.
Now that Unkie Dallas has moved out on his own, we are turning his bedroom into their room. Needless to say, that's baby steps. They have always slept in our room.
This was our conversation one day.
So,I ask Atleigh and Caroline now that Unkie Dallas has flew the coop, would they like to have their own room. You should have seen the looks on their faces. Atleigh said, "we already have our own room, yours and Poppies!" Caroline, looked all sad and said, "But I wanna sleep with you!" 🥺😏 Here's to 15 more years of sleeping in our room Poppie. 😅😅
However, I slowly started getting them use to it by starting with nap times. So here we are with 50 stuffed animals and 25 stories later.
Needless to say, we have success now and Poppie is impressed that after 5 yrs he can finally sleep in his bed when they come spend the night. 😁
After waking up a little confused and coming to our bedroom to find us, we get up and now she is in her happy place
While me and Caroline are busy, Poppie is too with working on some things in our kitchen so we can start getting it back together. I am so excited. We got our upper cabinets up and now to build the fan for our microwave to go up because that sucker is heavy and then our custom vent a hood. We still have two more long pantries to get and install. Dear hubby is also installing little things like shelves and custom pull out racks. I will do a tour in a later post when mire things get done.
Atleigh is a week into school and already is a little jealous of me and Sissy spending time together and she does not get to and has to go to school. It's going to be a long year. 😪
Honestly, we are all having to adjust to her starting school and only have little time to spend with her. That's why I'm soaking it all in and spending as much time as possible.
The weekend rolled around again and you guessed it, they wanted to stay here. We had more fun.
We made pizzas, swam, had picnics, rode the tractor and all kinds of things.
Sunday rolled around again and they wore another outfit I made. I love them.
Well, since I didn't have anything with strawberries on it, Atleigh helped me pick out my dress. She did good considering we at least color coordinate. 🎀🎀🤩🤩👑👑 and they love their outfits. They've been twirling all morning and making me dizzy.
I don't get out my phone in church, but I could not resist getting a pic of this moment because I literally had past memories come up with the boys in this scenario. Atleigh is holding the Bible and trying to listen to Bro. Jacob Brimm and Caroline is holding a song book trying to sing along with Cameron Miller on the piano. Now, when Dakota was this age, he always had his little testament walking around trying to "preach". When Dallas was this age, you could hear him bellering all through the house singing The BIBLE, and Jesus Loves Me. Man, if this one pic didn't remind me of them, it was a total flashback. These girls are absolutely their Daddy and Unkie Dallas made over.
After church someone had to potty.
And then I did too. She does this to me all the time. "CAROLINE! DON'T!"
We came home and ate lunch and rested and took a much needed nap.
Needless to say when it was time to go meet mommy, they did not want to leave us. Look at that pitiful face on the little one.
They will be back next week. 🎀👑😍
In other news:
God has answered prayers I have been praying and this is one.
YES AND AMEN. This is another answered prayer I have been praying. Yes she belongs to us. She's on Team Dixon now. We give God all the glory for this answered prayer. This girl worked hard and studied hard for her National Exam. She was a nervous wreck and didn't think she passed. We knew she did, we just had to convince her of that. Congratulations Jordan Ryan . We are so proud of you.
Dallas is doing great. He loves going to the local base and is in good spirits. He and Brylee are planning a small wedding, we just don't know when. He came by to visit a couple of times and one day I was sleeping off nitrous from the dentist and missed them and then the other I was at Atleighs school for parent night. I finally got to see my other boy one day. Brylee however was with her sister which is about to give birth to twins. We are awaiting the arrivals.
The past 9 days with our girls have been wonderful. It would have been 10 but I had a dentist appt and was loopy. But this week is all about work and getting our kitchen put back together after renovation. It has been a long time coming. This man has worked hard and some long 7 12s to make this happen. We still have just a little ways to go to completion.
I have some new videos up and going on our channel. I am doing a 3 part series on Sewing for Beginners. Check it out.
It is Back To School Season and I know alot of kids will be taking their lunches. Well, lunches do not have to be boring or lacking in nutrition.
PHOTO CREDIT Facebook:
This is an example of a homemade lunchable. For around $10, you can buy a small box of Ritz or generic brand crackers, some sandwich meat, a package of slice cheese, some fruit and a little package of snacks. Viola', you have a lunchable with more left over for a week or two. You're welcome.
There is a Facebook group called Bentgo Lunches and I live Jennifer Fudge on her YouTube channel Bunches of Lunches. She has awesome ideas for kids of all ages lunch box ideas. Even hot lunches and she shows how to use a thermos properly to keep your kids lunches hot until they are ready to eat.
I love these lunch boxes too from Amazon. I am not an affiliate (yet).
You can also go to Dollar Tree or Dollar General and find all kinds pf plastic containers with sections in them like meal prep containers. You can use cupcake liners to keep food separated.
Just make sure that whatever you purchase, that it is easy for little ones to open and close and open up little packages of food. The teacher only has so much time to help all her students with their lunches.
