Terrific Kid!

Tanner was awarded with the Terrific Kid award by our local Kiwanis Club!  I am such a proud mama!  Here is the video of his award presentation!

Tanner Turns 6!

On October 14th, Tanner turned six-years old.  We only have a birthday party for the boys every other year, so Tanner didn't receive a party this time...however, he still had a great birthday and we started off the birthday weekend with cupcakes that we baked on Thursday night for him to take to school on Friday...which was his actual birthday.  He was so excited, as he wanted red cupcakes with a blue "6" on them...this is the best that I could get after adding every smidgen of red food coloring that was in the cupboards!

Tanner was happy, so that was all that matters.  He did tell me a little later in the afternoon that it was a pink-red, but that was okay!  *snicker*

After we picked up Tanner from school and let him open his presents, we drove to the fairgrounds to see his artwork that has been chosed to be displayed at the fairgrounds!  I can decide who was more excited...me or him.  I couldn't wait to get in that building and find his painting!  Here are some pictures of his painting.  This kid amazes me at his ability to draw and paint.  He is such an artist...no doubt.

Afterwards, we finished the night with some pizza and a magic show with some friends!  He had a great 6th birthday...and i am so thankful that God allowed me the opportunity to be the momma to such an awesome kid!  Happy Birthday, Tanner!  Love you!

Showing Tucker some love, too.

Since I shared a little catch-up story about Tanner yesterday, I must equally show the love for my little Tuck-Tuck.  Poor kid thinks his name is Tuck-Tuck instead of Tucker...but it so fits his personality.

Tucker turned 2-years old back in May, which seems like forever ago.  He didn't have a party, just some cake at the ballfield with whatever kids were there.  He doesn't care about that kind of stuff anyway...he just wanted the cake!  I think I have a few pictures somewhere I can share at a later date.

He is such a bundle of energy and is still attached to his "blankie" or "blank-blank"...just depends on what kind of mood he is in as to what he calls it.  These days, he is also fascinated with everything in twos.  Two blankies, two monkeys, two dogs, you name it...if it is in twos, he will notice it and let you know about it!  I feel kinda guilty as I go back and look through my blog, I don't have many posts about little Tuck-Tuck...as if I have done him an injustice.  So with that being said, here are a few more things about Tucker Bryce these days...

Likes - Barney, Thomas the Train and Toy Story.  If I hear the "I Love You Song" one more time, I am going to barf.  He also loves sweet tea and candy...which was evident when he went to the doctor earlier this week and came home with cavities.  It seems we will be going to the dentist in the near future.  Lawdy.

Dislikes - Sharing.  I would have thought this would come naturally with an older brother, but he likes to pick a fight with Tanner and then just sit and scream, which is not good for this mama's eardrums.  I'm just sayin'. 

Favorite thing to wear:  Cowboy "doots" as he likes to call them.  He wore them with shorts this summer and walks around the house as if he is stomping fire ants...cracks me up everytime! 

Yep, my little Tuck-Tuck is quite the character.  I can't wait to share more stories about Tucker in upcoming posts.  Gah lay, how time flies.  It seems like yesterday, we were here.

Here is Tucker in action over the last few months

Riding our bulldog in the front yard...so silly!

cutest baby on the beach, HANDS DOWN!

enjoying the sand and surf

At the beach this past summer

Totally Tuck's personality - loud and happy! 

Tanner loves carrying Tucker around like this...gah lay, they precious!

I am pretty sure that I am back to the blogosphere this time.

I was talking to a friend yesterday about blogs, blogging and the blogosphere.  During that conversation, I realized how much I miss swimming in this bloggy pond with my TADpoles.  ;)

I know that I am already extremely busy, but I feel like I need the extra time in my life to write here and at a couple more blogs I am going to start.  I have allowed other things to take control in my life and now I regret that I have missed some important milestones in our family that could have been captured here.  With that being said...

One of those milestones was Tanner's first day of Kindergarten.  He is such a big boy now...and incredibly smart.  Just not because he is my kid...but because he is smart.  I believe I am going to have a genius on my hands with this kid.  He amazes me, seriously.

He had a few rough days in the beginning weeks of school, but now that he has gotten into the groove, his teacher says he is doing well and is extremely bright.  When I take him to school every morning, I can't help but smile as he jumps out of the car with his tiny backpack, over sized lunch box (which only carries a water bottle and snack) and using every bit of his tiptoes to peek over the top of the passenger window to wave goodbye to me one last time.  Gah lay, I love that kid.

As I was talking with his teacher one day, she told me that he had drawn a picture on the back of one of his worksheets.  When she seen it, she took it to the art teacher, who quickly said, "He traced it."  The teacher quickly told her, "There was nothing for him to trace."  Both were astounded with how great he could draw.  I just grinned, but on the inside I was beaming.  Gah lay, I love that kid.

I can't wait to see what the school year holds for Tanner.  He has come a long way from his first day of school...where the only thing I could get out of him was, "I don't like the pizza, 'cause their sauce is brown."  He now has lots to share...some good, some not so good.  However, we are getting there...one wave goodbye at a time.  Gah lay, I love that kid.

Thirty Years, Gatlinburg, a Parade...oh, you shouldn't have!

Thirty years ago today, I was born.  Gah lay.  When I was younger, thirty sounded so old...but now that I am here, I am still young!  Yeah...I am still young.  Thirty is the new twenty, people!  So, take that!

Okay, I am over it. 

It just so happened that over the weekend I turned thirty, we planned to go to Gatlinburg to see the Gatlinburg Christmas Parade and spend a long weekend.  It was nice to hang out with friends from church and watch the parade (which we had never been to) and get frostbite on our pinkie toes.  Boy, was it cold!

The boys had a blast!  Tucker loved the firetrucks and all the lights.  Tanner did not like the giant crayons.  He has a thing for people in costumes for some reason...I guess all kids do at some point in time.  It was also neat to see some local bands in Tennessee marching in the parade, too! 

We enjoyed a nice dinner out, a little shopping and just resting in the condo.  It was a restful weekend and I am thankful that we had the opportunity to get away, if only for a few days!

Music to my Ears

For the last several years, I have searched the local newspaper and craigslist in search of a free piano that I could try to get for our house.  I took lessons when I was a little girl and would love to learn to play...again. ;)  I know the keys on the piano, I just can't read the music!

Well, our church was in the process of cleaning out our gymnasium, which had a piano amidst a lot of the junk stuff (Did I say that out loud?).  It was brought up to have a drawing for the piano...but unfortunately my name wasn't drawn.  However, my sweet cousin's name was drawn and he decided to give it to us!  They knew that I had wanted it and put their names in the running for it!  Too precious!

It needs tuning and some cosmetic work, but I think it has the potential to be a piece of art that makes beautiful music.  Not too mention, I have enjoyed listening to the boys just sit and peck hammer the keys.

Here is Tucker as he plays a few Christmas tunes. *wink*

Let the Rivalry Began!

Our church sponsored a tailgate party last night for the Clemson vs. Carolina game and then it was inside to commence with eating snacks and watching the game on the BIG screen in our fellowship hall with the "house divided".  We had a pretty good turnout, considering there aren't many football fans at our church and it was a cold night!

Here are a few pictures from the night and the decorations that I put out for those cocky Carolina fans and prowling Tiger fans!  *wink*

The best part of the night...those Gamecocks had a VICTORY!

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

A Little Loopy

Just some random shots of Tucker enjoying his Froot Loops!

Toy Closet

See this door?

So, that was a rhetorical question...but being that you do actually see it 'cause I put a picture of it on this post to admire, let me get to what is behind it.  I have been working really hard to get things pulled together around this madhouse looney bin "establishment of organized chaos" and couldn't decide what to do with a coat closet that is underneath my staircase.  Yes, I could put coats in there, but I don't want to do that.  I recently moved the boys in a room together, as Nanny has moved back in with us and is renting her house.  (I will post pictures of the shared room once it has received a new coat of paint, pictures and all the cute stuff).

Now back to my closet.  Since I moved the boys in a room together, there isn't a lot of room for toys in their room, so I decided to create a "toy closet" that could house most of their toys, games and puzzles that they could reach and access when they wanted to play with them.  The best part...the closet has a light and is big enough to play in!  It is a like a clubhouse for Tanner!  He loves it!  The second best part...if it isn't clean, I just shut the door and no one knows!  I am a stinkin' genius!

I put the coloring books and crayons on a shelf that could only be reached by me, so that Tucker and Tanner don't pull them off and have markers and crayons everywhere.  If Tanner wants to color, he just asks me for a coloring book and crayons and I get them for him!  No problemo!

I already had a high shelf in the closet from before (this was a junk closet before a toy closet) so I used this high shelf to store things like Play-Doh, bubbles, Moon Sand and balloons; items that require a little parental supervision to use.  I also placed Tanner's painting/craft supplies on this shelf.

Nanny had a small shelf with fabric drawers that I was able to place in here also.  I used it for small cars, drumsticks and for odds and ends.  It worked perfectly.  I hope to paint and add some more extras in the closet as time permits, but I think it turned out perfectly and serves a great purpose for our family and the kids!