Think Pink! A Valentines tradition

One tradition that we have continued on in our family is the special Valentines breakfast. This started when Jeff was young and his mom would make the family a pink breakfast...eggs, grits, pancakes, you name it! After celebrating this tradition every year with Jeff's family before we had kids, I have continued it in our own home since the kids were born.

After a few not-so-appetizing eggs and grits attempts on my part (I have discovered that yellow food mixed with red coloring will NOT make pink...no matter how many drops of food coloring I put in, but it DOES make things taste really gross-I think Jeff's mom always opted for a slight pink tinge while I was trying to go for the real deal), I have resolved to only make pink pancakes. The are much easier to make and a little easier to swallow (ha!) than the other stuff.

This year, Jeff's mom brought her waffle iron so we had a mix of pink waffles and pink heart-shaped pancakes (thanks to Daddy's creativity!) with strawberries and bacon on the side (well, Valentine colors ARE pink and red) and it was YUMMY! The kids really love this tradition, I hope it keeps on going!

Renee enjoyed her first (well, last year, she wasn't eating solid foods) V-day breakfast!

Daddy helps Ava cut up her pink heart pancakes!

Zach filled his belly and cleaned his plate!

A milestone birthday

On February 15th, Papaw (Jeff's dad) turned the big 6-0! The kids were excited that he and Gaga were coming to spend Valentines Day with them but they didn't know that Gaga had prepared an extra treat. After a delicious birthday dinner at Longhorns, we headed back to our house for some "surprise" cupcakes (although they tried, the kids couldn't keep it a secret from Papaw!). They had so much fun surprising him! Happy 60th Papaw!

Muchas Smoochas

Thanks to Gaga for these lollipops, the kids send you a big, wet, sticky kiss!

Happy Friday!

Zachy Wacky

I remember back when Zach was first born I used to try to imagine what he would be like as he grew up. Little did I know how fast time would fly and I would find myself the mother of a 4 1/2 year old boy so soon! He is so much fun and is just the sweetest thing, Jeff and I love him so much.

Zach really is such a thoughtful child and is always watching out for his sisters (although we are trying to teach him not to tattle so much on Ava). He is a sensitive little boy with a big heart for others. He also has a huge imagination and could play for hours!

To say he is obsessed with all things Star Wars would be an understatement. Zach plays with his light sabers, Star Wars legos, and costumes every single day. I don't think a day goes by where I don't here the tune from Star Wars being sung in the house.

Speaking of Legos, he can build the most creative things with the 50 million Lego pieces he owns and plays for hours with all his army guys, pirate guys, trains and cars in his room (ahh, the compliant, easy-going first child...it really spoils you sometimes) :) Zach also loves to build forts with the couch cushions, color, do activity workbooks and watch Little Bear and Blues Clues. He and Ava love to play outside in the backyard, digging in the dirt, making campfires (pretend of course!), swinging on the swings and pretending they are pirates in the clubhouse of our swingset. They are good buddies and play so well together (even with the inevitable sibling spats).

We truly are blessed with our son and thank God everyday for him. Daddy has his two Daddy's girls and Mommy has her Momma's Boy (I say that in a good way of course!), he loves to snuggle and gives me kisses all the time and I never will tire of hearing him say how much he loves me. We love our Zachy!

Daddy made a homemade pirate costume for Halloween

Dressed up as a "cooker"

One of his other favorite things to do is jump on beds or anything that makes him catch some air!

Zach enjoys (limited) video games with Daddy, especially Lego Star Wars (surprise!) and Guitar Hero

And did I mention he likes to catch some air?

Miss Ava Mae

Our big girl is growing up so fast, it is unreal. Ava is almost 3 1/2 but it is so easy to remember her as a baby, I just can't believe how much she has changed. She is full of energy, gets very excited about things and loves life. She has quite the imagination so her and Zach spend hours in make-believe play which is so good for their developing minds. Zach is her best buddy but she can also be a thorn in his side. Ava is very physical and loves to squeeze too tight, pinch too hard, wrestle too much and basically has a hard time keeping her hands to herself. She does get punished the most out of the three but I am hoping with age that those moments will become less and less. You would never think by looking at her in those sweet little glasses that she could be this way, but she has most people fooled :) We call her our little tiger because she can be so rough (she was feisty as a baby and that has not changed one bit!)

Ava loves to do arts and crafts and anything hands on. She loves to color, glue, cut and make things. She is also doing well with writing letters and can spell and write her name (of course, it's easy when there are only three letters and two letters repeat themselves...but still).

Decorating her Easy Bake Oven creation

The finished treat!

Ava is a girly girl (she LOVES her dance class) and she loves dressing up in princess costumes and posing for the camera. She insists on picking out her own clothes to wear each day (which gets frustrating sometimes...I thought this wasn't supposed to happen til they were older?!?!) However, Ava also has her tomboy side too as she and Zach love to dig in the dirt, play Star Wars/pirates/army, and wrestle. (However, she does manage to get Zach to dress up in her girly costumes and play with My Little Ponies...but don't let him know I told you that!)

Her glasses have been a non-issue much to our surprise and relief. She loves to wear them and immediately puts them on when she wakes up. I guess the girl really couldn't see! What a blessing to discover that she needed them this early instead of finding out when she was older!

We love Ava so much, she is so affectionate and loves to give kisses and hugs. We love this age and it's neat to see how she is learning and growing. She is still a Daddy's girl but she loves her Mommy too. What a blessing and a gift our big girl is!

Her imitation of Sleeping Beauty...being a princess is exhausting!

A new T-Ball season

Zach had his first practice of spring T-Ball yesterday (Sunday). He is on the Padres this season. We have the same coaches as last season (me, Uncle Jason, Coach Tim, and Coach Chris), and six of the same kids. It is cool that the kids are already familiar with each other, and we were able to get straight to baseball skills... stay tuned for pictures of Zach in his new uniform).