Who's that kid...

with the Oreo cookie!

How sad is it that Soph had never dunked an Oreo until we went to the beach??? Geesh, I totally dropped the ball on that one. Of course, I try not to buy the damn things. Not because I don't want Little Bit to eat them but because my arse is already 2 axe handles wide. 

We had a busy weekend. Cookout at papa Rocky's house with great great grandma Sue a baby shower, a sleep over at GiGi and Papas, visitors this morning, and a trip to the county fair. Why is it that summer weekend seems to fly by? 

Say....AHHHHHH!

Little Bit's first trip to the dentist was a success. Girlfriend was pumped to meet the dentist. I'm guessing that it's not very often that the dentist gets someone in who's dying to meet him. We  read The Berenstain Bears Goes to the Dentist, 9,000 times before the big day so I think that helped out some (oh yeah, mama, papa, brother and sister bear are new favorites around here). Anywho, she let the dentist do everything. No cavities and she was told that she had super clean teeth. This may be due to the fact that I have been known to sit on her just to get her teeth brushed. 

Of course, when you have a flat screen TV on the ceiling to watch while your at the dentist, it's not so bad. 

Laughter Through Tears

Truvy said it best, "laughter through tears is my favorite emotion." So that's what we've been trying to do around here. It's definitely difficult. The tears still come and I'm sure they will for a while to come. But in the meantime, we're trying to laugh. Laugh at all of the things Oscar the Boxer had done. And laugh in general. And these pics make me laugh.

1. Sophie B. being put in timeout at the beach for throwing sand. You may not find it funny and neither does she, but trust me, if you're there it's hilarious. The pouting, oh my the end of the world is coming pouting.

2. Taking pictures of 7 kids is IMPOSSIBLE. We hired a professional this year and it will be a miracle if he managed to get any with all of the kids looking at the camera. 

I like how in this one, Sammi's head looks as though it's gonna pop off her little body. Needless to say, she had had enough by this point.

3. The General Freakin' Lee.  Seriously folks. This is what you see in a  Small Town America Forth of July parade. It came complete with the Dixie horn. 

4.  And finally, is three too young for a tat? I think she pulls it off quite well. 

And in case you can't see if very well, here's an up close shot.

Laughter. The best medicine, right? 

Oscar the Boxer

5 years to the day we brought you home, you were taken away. You were ours before we were even married. Before Sophie B. entered our lives and wrecked havoc on your world it was just us and our dog. Oscar the Boxer. How I loved to hate you. How at 9 months pregnant I came home to find that you had torn through the garbage. How you shredded an entire package of toilet paper and it looked as though a blizzard went through our house.  How you knew just how much you drove me crazy yet you were loyal to a fault. 

 I can remember bringing Sophie home from the hospital and how worried I was over how you would react. Would you be jealous? Mean? Depressed? Then I saw how much you loved her. How you would roll over and let her climb all over you. How you'd lick her from head to toe. How much she loved you. How much I starting loving you because of the way you loved her. 

I would always tell people how much easier my life would be without you. But now that you aren't here I realize just how big of a presence you were in our lives. It's so quite now. It feels as though there is a gaping hole in our family. Your place. Still held open. I walk around and pass your food bowls. Your bed. Your toys. Your collar. Your nose print on the windows. You were in every single part of our home. We can't yet put the bowls away. And I don't know how long your bed will stay at the bottom of our bed. 

I do know that one day this day would come. One day we'd walk into the house and you wouldn't be there. Rather it be because you were so old that you could no longer go up and down the steps or rather it be tragically, I always knew that one day you would no longer be with us. I'm not sure if there is an easier way. 

Time heals everything. I've told my self that countless times and I know that it's true.  But in the meantime, here we sit. Sophie keeps asking if you are coming home. And every time she does tears well up again. Steven looks totally empty. You were without a doubt his Little Buddy. 

You are and will be missed Oscar the Boxer. 

39 Months

Sorry kiddo. I'm a little late on posting your month 39 letter. Summer has just started and we've been on the busy side. This coupled with the fact that I haven't knocked the dust off my camera in weeks, I have very few photos to post. I'm sure that will be remedied this coming week because we are heading to the beach. And you are so excited that you are just about ready to implode. We made the mistake of packing early and since that time all we've heard is, "are we going to the beach now?", "how 'bout now?", "is school closed today because we are going to the beach?" We honestly didn't think that kids ACTUALLY asked those types of questions, non stop! Like the "are we there yet?", "how 'bout now?" Daddy seriously thought that only happened on TV.

You are doing great in your new room at school. Two things about it make it totally cool, yoga and show and tell. And no, once again, you can not take Reggie to show and tell. The yoga cracks me up. Especially when you put your hands in praying position and say "Namaste." You've also gained a love of America since you started in that class. And I HAVE GOT to record you reciting the pledge of allegiance. But here's the line that cracks me up: "And of the nice nations, for which it stands." You can spot an American Flag on the back of a semi that's going 80 MPH like it was your job. And apparently, we need to fly the flag of the State of West Virginia at our house. I'm not sure exactly where you could even buy a State Flag. And I can assure you that even if i could find one, it will not be flying off my house.

After spending just a week in your new class, one of your new teachers said to me, "your little girl really likes to talk doesn't she?" That's gotta be the understatement of the year! Diarrhea of the mouth is more like it. And you like to add colorful terms to your vocabulary all of the time. Such as, "hey GiGi will you go get that "friggin" trike for me." Doesn't that just sound lovely coming out of a 3 year old's mouth. Of course we have no one to blame but ourselves. But I figure it could be worse. You could be me at the age of three and tell your great, great uncle to get his "GOD DAMN CHICKENS OFF THE PORCH BECAUSE THERE'S CHICKEN SHIT EVERYWHERE." So see, really "friggin" isn't all that bad. And look, I turned out just fine.

Swimming lessons are going fairly well. And you are starting to swim underwater by yourself with you are at the pool with us. I'm gonna guess that by the end of the summer you may be doing it solo. That's just insane to me. You are 3!! It just seems like yesterday that we were taking you to mommy and me swim classes when you were less than a year old!

So happy belated 39 months Little Bit. And watch out beach, because Sophie B. is going to be breaking bad on you in just 1 short day!

Love Always, Mama

ps... I'm sorry that you'll never know the Michael Jackson that I loved. Or that moonwalking and a single silver sparkling glove could be the coolest things, evah.

Swims Up

The Soph is taking big kid swimming lessons. I can't even tell you how nervous I was for the first class. I was petrified that she wouldn't listen to the lifeguards and end up diving off the side of the pool on her own. Luckily, Emma and Ethan are in the same class so there was hope that she would follow their lead and LISTEN. And surprise surprise, she sat on the edge of the pool, took her turns and did EVERYTHING the lifeguard said. Parents weren't even allowed on the swim deck. We were relegated to the hallway to watch through the windows. Probably for the best!

But I am beginning to HATE our local Y. Initially we were told that the class was limited to 6 kids, so if you want in, you had better kid your a double s down there and sign up. On the first class, however, 12 kids magically appeared. 

And the number two reason, on Thursday I think we got booted out on purpose. Apparently, "someone" heard thunder so they had to cancel class. In reality, I party was getting ready to start. Looked like a baseball league was going to be having a party...so i'm 99% positive that we got booted. So what do you do when you have 3 disappointed kids on your hand?? You go to DQ!

Taken with mama's new Iphone :) 

Lip gloss and Frogs

So are the extremes of our 3 year old. One minute she's prancing around in high heel shoes playing school. The next she's up to her elbows in mud and frogs. She has such a dynamic personality. As she was searching for baby frogs a bug landed on her shoulder. The little boy across the street pointed it out and she totally flipped her wig, "such a girl," he said.  But ironic coming from a girl who at the same time had frogs in each hand.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, she loves all creatures, big, small, warm blooded, and cold. She walked right up to the glass at the reptile exhibits at the zoo and sang to the monkeys. If she hadn't already been born I would wonder if a little part of Steve Irwin had been reincarnated inside her.

And are you lovin' the new hair do. We are growing her bangs out so I'm sure there will be a year's worth of pics posted on here with a water fountain on her head.