2013 Highlights

I can't believe how fast 2013 flew by! It was a very sweet year with my herd of four. My only request of 2014 is for it to SLOW down. We'll see how that goes. :)

McLain's 2013 Highlights:

• McLain finished 6th grade and started 7th grade, which was a very smooth transition. I can't believe as of right now, he is exactly half way finished with middle school! I'm not even going to think about what is coming next. 
• My boy finished his sixth season of soccer this spring and still really enjoys it. He and his daddy are looking for a more competitive league this year. However, I am not looking forward to a more competitive schedule. 
• McLain went to summer camp with the youth group at our church. I still can't believe he's old enough to do that! He had a wonderful adventure and made a lot of new friends. When he came home, we could definitely tell how the trip had impacted his relationship with God. 
• My twelve year old has become...tweenish. As of this fall, there are no public displays of affection. He is still a complete Mama's boy who finds me every Tuesday night to snuggle and watch The Goldbergs, but there is no hugging where there are witnesses! I will take what I can get. 
• McLain loves to play on the XBox 360 with his friends. I hear him giggle at their antics the whole time he plays. I'm grateful that he was able to find a good group of guy friends after transfering schools last year. 
• This fall, McLain got braces. He wasn't too excited about it, but he should have them off before he starts high school. I felt like getting our child braces was the first real parent action we had made. When I shared that with Clay, he said I probably felt that way because that was the most money we had ever spent on a child! 
• In November, McLain had his fall orchestra concert. Again, he was first chair, which of course made us all really proud of this musical accomplishment and that he has maintained his position for a year and a half. He has the opportunity to travel with Hillgrove's orchestra and band his freshman year of high school to China. Can't imagine my boy traveling across the world to play his cello but that's his goal! Fund raising will definitely be a part of this boy's near future.   

Keaton's 2013 Highlights:

• My second big boy turned six in February. We celebrated with a glow in the dark afternoon at the bowling alley with lots of family and friends. He was so excited and busy socializing that we ran out of time and had to bring his presents home to open. 
• Keaton finished kindergarten and started 1st grade, which he loves. He has a fantastic teacher who really embraces his Keaton-ness. He's talked her into bringing in his brother's guitar, a life sized teddy bear, and who knows what else when I haven't been looking. 
• K.P. finished his second season of soccer this spring. The difference between his first two seasons was amazing. There was no more dancing across the field like an Egyptian, but there were still half time snuggles with mom to warm up on those cold Saturday mornings. 
• Keaton had really taken off as a reader, and I am so proud of him! He is reading on a level I, which is where second graders should be by October. His big brain often impresses me out of the blue!
• Keaty Peaty has also followed in his big brother's technology footsteps. He loves to play Minecraft on the computer and will spend as many hours as I will let him adding details to a world he has designed from his imagination. He also has discovered the XBox360 this month when he received Skylander for Christmas, much to McLain's dismay. Learning to share at any age is tough!
• Keaton loves Duck Dynasty. He told me that when he grows up he wants to name his son WIllie and that they'll go duck hunting together! 

Collin's 2013 Highlights:

• Collin turned two in April with a big Elmo party. He loves Elmo and currently sleeps with five Elmos in his crib every night. 
• Mr. Collin is a smarty pants and recognizes almost all the letters of the alphabet and identifies almost all his numbers too. He loves to describe things in terms of color, like, "Mom, I throw dis away in da wed kitchen?" or "My take a shower in da gween bafroom!"  
• In August, Collin started going to Mommy's Morning Out two days a week, and he LOVES it. He prays for his teachers, "Miss Paige and Ria," every night. On the first day of his school, his teacher told my brother Alex how impressed they were with Collin, because he walked around the class rug and named almost every letter on it. That's my boy! 
• Collin has always loved his sister, but now he actively tries to include her when he plays. I love to hear him say, "Come on, Sissy. Wet's go in my room!" He also has started taking her hand and trying to convince her to come with him, but A-G is not fond of his doing that. Collin is also learning the tough skill of sharing with his sister. He definitely loves her but doesn't like it when she wants to play with his toy phones!
• He also loves to delay anything he is supposed to do. He cracks me up when I ask him if he is ready to go to bed, and he replies, "Nooooot yeeeetttt, Mom!" 
• Collin loves books! He will listen to the same five books (Baby Snuggles, Baby Giggles, etc.) in a row and over and over if mommy is in the mood to keep going. My boy has also developed a love for Pete the Cat. He likes to read the books first, and then watch the videos on YouTube. 

Amelia-Grace's 2013 Highlights: 

• Amelia-Grace has hit countless milestones this year! It's been a busy time for my girl. In the last 12 months, she has learned to roll over (about 3 months), sit up (6 months), crawl (about 9 months), cruise, walk (11 1/2 months), and talk my ear off!
• In October, my sassy pants required her first trip to the emergency room when she swallowed a dime in the changing room of Cold Water Creek. I wasn't sure what she swallowed until she let me know her worth in her diaper six days later. 
• At 11 1/2 months, my sassy pants started walking. I did my best not to encourage her early, but she was a woman on a mission to be mobile. She out walked all three of her brothers. McLain and Keaton both walked at 12 1/2 months, and Collin finally walked at 15 months after I told him that he had to get moving before his sister made her debut. 
• In November, my sweet girl turned one, and I threw her the pinkest party ever! Having thrown 20 little boy parties, I was ecstatic to drape pink streamers, hang pink paper flowers, display pink cupcakes, and decorate my highchair with pink cupcake fabric and tulle. A-G wore three different birthday outfits throughout the day (one for church, one for her party, and one to relax in post party). She received her first tea set and her first Little People pink mini van. 
• My girl LOVES baby dolls. She picks them up, snuggles them close, and smothers their face with kisses. It's precious! At eleven months, she started covering her babies with her blanket. I adore watching her nurturing, little mama skills develop at such a tiny age. 
• A-G has verbally developed the fastest of my four children. Her talking at 13 months absolutely blows my mind. She can say Mama, Dada, Nine (McLain), Eatuh (Keaton), Ah-ih (Collin), Mammy, Boppy, Mimi, Pop Pop, Bubba, I-Yi (Alex), uh-oh, ba-ba (bottle), ball, baby, toy, nana (banana), bite, joo (juice), hi, hey, bye-bye, no no, and nigh-nigh (night-night). This month she is also putting together two word sentences, which I almost fell off the bed the first time she did. She says, "Uh oh, baby" when she drops her doll, and she'll also point to what she wants and say, "Mama, toyyyyyeeee!"  I have always heard that girls talk faster and better than boys...Her pediatrician even told me at her one year check up that she is an advanced talker for her age. Can't wait to see what her report card will say about controlling talking when she gets to school!

Mommy's Highlights: 

• I finished my eighth year of teaching second grade and started a new adventure teaching kindergarten this fall, which I absolutley love.
• I've learned to be more efficient with my time. There is absolutley more room for growth in that area, especially at home, but I've made my life much easier by working through lunch every day and minimizing my socializing during planning time. It also helps that I now work on an amazing team that has the same mind set. This school year has definitley been the best and most enjoyable one of my career.
• My best friend asked me to be her matron of honor. She completely shockled me at Pasta Bella when she asked. I was very blessed to spend her wedding day with her in September. 
• I transitioned into being a mom of four. I don't sleep very much. My laundry hamper is never empty for more than five minutes. My mini van always has at least four kinds of snack food spilled on the floor and between the seats at any given time, and my house often looks like Toys R Us threw up in it. BUT. I love (most) every minute of my crazy, herd filled life. :)