Last Day!

Today was our last day of school! Yaaaay!!! This year was filled with adjustments and challenges and change but we survived! There were days I thought I might not make it. Sick days, exhausting days, busy days, and days when I thought taking my kids to work with me might just be the end of me (today almost turned out to be one of those days!), but in the end we made it.We survived me going back to work and all the adjustments that went along with it. And now we get to celebrate with a long break before we have to think about it and start it all over again. =)

But for now I'm going to focus on sweet summertime and fun summer plans. It's beach time as Garrison says!

Here are my babies this morning. They've both grown so much this year.

Here they are on the 1st day at 3.5 and 11 months.  

Garrison with his wonderful teachers Ms. Vicki and Ms. Monica (who is great with child and due with baby boy #3 next month!) I am so thankful for these 2 ladies. Garrison had a great experience at our new school and learned so much. They have been such a blessing to us.

Austin with his sweet teachers Ms. Darlene and Ms. Maria. They have LOVED on my baby boy all year and I am so grateful. Leaving him this year wasn't easy but I had peace of mind everyday because of these sweet ladies. I am so thankful for them.

We are looking forward to summer officially starting for us on Friday (after my teacher work day tomorrow). I am SO looking forward to a break from all my teacher responsibilities and my extra mama responsibilities that come during the school year. I'm praying this time off is refreshing and enjoyable for all of us. I know the summer comes with it's challenges and everyday won't be super easy but I really, really want it to be a fun one for me and the boys... and Terrell too because our evenings should be a little more light, carefree, and fun. Yay. Welcome Summer!! =)

Mother's Day Weekend

This year our Mother's Day tradition was slightly, okay majorly, interrupted when I came down with another version of the stomach bug on Friday night/Saturday morning and my firstborn was diagnosed with strep throat (again) on Friday afternoon. Plus, no one except Terrell could keep a normal diet. We were pitiful. And over it. I had been sick all week long with something or another and Saturday was one of my weakest, Icanhardlymove, Ican'teatanything days. It was sooo disappointing. I finally just had a meltdown over it Saturday morning and then accepted it and tried to move on. Anyway...

We had plans to meet Terrell's side of the family for lunch on Saturday and then spend the afternoon with them having dessert and playing and hanging out. But since half our household was sick we had to cancel our lunch plans and instead just had Terrell's parents come over for a little bit. Thankfully they didn't mind entering the sick zone and my boys loved seeing their grandparents. We gave gifts, talked, and played and were so thankful they were so wonderful about our change in plans. I spent the rest of the day/night Saturday trying to rest and gear myself up to head to Barnesville for a first ever Mother's Day family reunion that I did not want to miss.

Unfortunately we couldn't make it to Barnesville Saturday night like we were originally planning and we didn't make it to church either. I was pretty bummed. We didn't get a ton of time with either of our moms this year, and this may have been the first year (ever?) I missed church on Mother's Day. Thankfully we did make it to the reunion and I was actually well enough to get around by myself without collapsing or causing a scene. I am so glad we were able to go because I was reminded of my blessings and God's goodness lots. It was the perfect way to snap out of my pity party.

The reunion we enjoyed was for my Granny and her sisters' families. My Granny (my mom's mom) was one of 10 children, 5 of them being girls. Four of the "sisters" are still with us so it was really special to get all of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren together in the same place. We had a crew! And we made a point to take lots of pictures.

This is almost everybody... I think just a few were cut out of the picture 

My mom's immediate family

 

Us plus my grandparents

My Granny's family... children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren

We loved seeing everybody and my family especially enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by amazing cooks!

After the reunion we went over to my Nanny's house to spend some time with her and catch up before heading home where I got some sweet cards and gifts. It was a great way to spend my almostbacktonormal Sunday.

Even though I wasn't feeling my absolute best, this year's Mother's Day was still really good because I was well enough to see everyone and was reminded of the most important gifts on Mother's Day.

Yay for a great time celebrating and for feeling better again!!!

Best gifts

My greatest blessings and BEST gifts on Mother's Day and everyday....

Even though Mother's Day weekend was nothing like we expected or planned and I still wasn't totally well and back to normal after the infamous stomach bug that wouldn't go away, it was still a blessed weekend. A very blessed weekend to be exact.

After feeling sorry for myself for days on end because of how bad I felt and how much I wished I could eat or have more energy or not be sick or just feel normal, on Mother's Day, I felt grateful. Extra grateful.

I have been blessed with 2 healthy, energetic little boys, an amazing mom who taught me how to be a mom, a wonderful mother-in-law, and 2 sweet grandmothers who have led, sacrificed, and set examples for their families from the start. So much about me is because of these ladies. God placed them in my life and made me their daughter, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter on purpose and I am so thankful. And I'm especially thankful I was able to spend time with each one of them this weekend.

Being a mama and being blessed with a very special mama, mother-in-law, Granny, and Nanny are the best gifts on Mother's Day.

Hopefully I'll be able to recap our entire weekend soon. It didn't go exactly as planned but it was most certainly a blessing and definitely worth remembering. =)

Mother's Day Kick-Off

This morning I was so honored to attend Muffins with Mom with Garrison at school! And it was the cutest, sweetest thing ever. I am soo glad I was able to go. All the moms filed in the room together and found our names and place to sit while the kids waited patiently to perform. They are all adorable but I'm pretty sure my baby is the cutest in the class. =) I'm guessing every single mom felt that way today.

 

I loved my gifts and was even able to eat some of my delicious muffin and fruit. Yay!! (Getting over this stomach bug has NOT been easy... and I'm still not there. Boo. Please pray for me... and my family who's suffering as well because mama isn't 100%.)

 

Garrison did great. He sang, blew me kisses, told me how much he loved me, and even performed his assigned nursery rhyme with his friend William. His first duet! I think we have a performer on our hands. =)

I was SO proud of him and just felt (once again) SO thankful to be his mama. I think he was pretty proud to have me there too... just like all his other classmates were proud to have their mama or grandmama there. It was a special morning and a fun, sweet way to kick off Mother's Day.

Garrison Cade, I love YOU to the moon too!!

Some of my Favorite Things About Being Their Mom

With Mother's Day coming up this weekend and lots of Mother's Day happenings occurring at school and home, it's time for my annual list of favorite things about being mom to my babies. These lists could never cover it all but it they do hit on the highlights of the best part about their ages and personalities right now. My favorites.

Garrison~

 

*Having you sit in my lap while I read to you. I know you'll outgrow this one day but for now it's one of my favorite things.

 

*Unexpected mid-day hugs when we see each other at school. Melt my heart.

 

*Watching you play baseball. I LOVE watching you do something you love.

 

*Listening to you tell a story or recap an event. Your southern drawl is distinctive and precious.

 

*Watching and listening to you play and laugh with Austin. Music to my ears.

 

*Teaching you something new. I hope you always keep that love of learning!

 

*Watching your excitement when daddy gets home. So sweet.

 

*Listening to you encourage and praise Austin. You are such a good big brother.

 

*Hearing you call for me like you've got something important to say and then hearing "I love you". Precious.

 

*Playing card games with you. (Our fun, annual before-bed routine)

 

*Receiving "pictures" from you. You work so hard on your pictures and drawings and I'm honored to be on the receiving end of some of those masterpieces.

 

*Your compassion. You are always quick to comfort when mama, daddy, or Austin is hurt or sick. It is the sweetest, most loving thing and one of my absolute favorite things about you.

 

I LOVE YOU GARRISON CADE!!!

 

Austin~

 

*Feeling your head on my shoulder. LOVE.

 

*Reading to you. One of both of our favorite things.

 

*Rocking you. I know you'll outgrow it soon but for now I'm soaking it up.

 

*Watching you have fun with Garrison. I am SO thankful for the relationship and friendship y'all have already.

 

*Seeing you run down the hall as fast as your little legs will take you. I could watch you run around over and over and over again. And I do!

 

*Listening to you talk. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

 

*Watching you "read" books. Proud mama moment every single time.

 

*Hearing you laugh. Your laugh is so sweet and contagious.

 

*Seeing your face light up and the biggest smile when you see me or your daddy after we've been apart. Mama and daddy both want to hold onto this forever!

 

*Having you hold my hand and pull me where you want me to go. There is nothing like the feeling of those sweet little fingers holding onto mine.

 

*Seeing you wave to complete strangers like y'all are best friends. You are sooo friendly and I love that about you.

 

*The way you love me. =) You are still a mama's boy and that's something I'm going to treasure while I can!

 

I LOVE YOU AUSTIN SELPH!!!

 

 

What a blessing to be mama to these 2 boys! I'm looking forward to a special "Muffins with Mom" with Garrison at school and celebrating Mother's Day this weekend with family. Yay for Mother's Day week!

Sick Days

So unfortunately our wild days turned to sick days less than 24 hours since I published my previous post. YUCK. The stomach bug made it's way around to every single member of the family. It was the longest. weekend. ever. And not in a good way.

Thursday night Terrell woke me up around 11:45 and told me that Austin had just thrown up everywhere. He was going to need a bath and his sheets changed, the works. So while I put him in the tub and tried getting the grossness washed away and my baby boy smelling good again, Terrell took care of the mess in his room and got ready to start a load of laundry. Thursday night turned out to be reeally long. Austin got sick multiple times and was just pitiful. Finally he fell asleep laying on my chest and whenever he had to throw up I just caught it with an old bib or burp cloth. A few of those became casualties. Bless his heart. I felt soooo sorry for him. There's nothing worse than seeing your baby sick. Thankfully he slept through most of it and finally wanted to lay down in his crib around 4:00 that morning. And then it was over. He suffered through a few hours but slept late the next morning and bounced back quick. We thought we were in the clear with Friday going so good for everybody...

Enter Saturday morning. Garrison woke up sick. Nooooooooo. Poor baby had caught the bug. He's had the stomach bug before but it's never lasted a full day. This time it did. He was sick the whole day. It was awful. First and foremost because he was miserable and pitiful but second because Terrell was coming down with it too. It was the longest day. I was left to keep Austin away from Garrison and daddy while also trying to take care of Garrison and daddy. It was a constant balancing act of getting Austin out of the house but being home enough to make sure Terrell and Garrison were okay and taken care of. Plus it was pouring down raining so that just added to the craziness. By the end of the day I was on the verge of a meltdown and wasn't feeling like the best nurse. Thankfully Garrison turned a corner late afternoon but poor hubby was only feeling worse. Terrell's symptons were different than the rest of ours but we're still convinced it was some type of stomach bug.

Saturday night after getting the boys in bed I was exhausted. And something told me I wasn't going to escape the nasty bug myself. Ugh. After I started feeling bad we decided to go ahead and call my parents to see if they could come pick up the boys first thing Sunday morning. We knew we couldn't take care of them if we were both sick. We were desperate. Saturday night was long and miserable for me but having the day to rest Sunday while my husband waited on me was just what I needed. I'm so thankful Granna and Papa took care of the boys for us. I could hardly get out of bed by myself the whole day. Being that sick just takes it out of you!

Terrell took the boys to school today so I'd have a little extra time to rest. Getting my strength and energy back is taking forever. I'm so ready to feel normal again. At least it's behind us now. We are very thankful to have the never ending weekend over and done with. And we're also thankful that daddy bounced back super fast. He has been taking great care of me and the boys and I don't know what we'd do with out him.

I'll take wild days over sick days any day. I just need to get back to myself first. No rush on the wildness.

Wild Days

I don't know if it's happening everywhere what with Spring being in the air (at least it's supposed to be in the air) and the school year winding down or if it's just in my neck of the woods, but we have had some WILD days this week. Most of the wildness I've encountered has been courtesy of these 2 precious loves... 

But even my class of preschoolers have contributed. Oh my gracious what has gotten everybody so wound up that they're bouncing off the walls??

Tuesday afternoon the boys were totally and completely hyper while I cooked supper. Off. the. chain. wound up. They were running around chasing each other and racing and tackling and laughing and squealing and were just 90 to nothing. Then there was a little screaming and crying involved if someone got hurt or if Garrison wanted a break but Austin was still trying to chase and tackle him. It was wild. I was so tempted to get frustrated with all the interruptions in cooking but I told myself to soak it up because 75% of the wildness and noise was pure fun and laughter for my boys. I am so thankful they have a best bud in each other.

Tuesday also included Austin climbing on top of the coffee table. Oh dear. Nooooooooooo. Thankfully he hasn't attempted it again. (Yet.)

Garrison has been "rough" ever since Austin became mobile. I think sub-consciouly he knew it was time to fight for his right to his own space and toys. He plays hard, he likes to wrestle, he's competitive, he's just a rough and tumble boy. BUT, he's never been a big risk-taker. He never climbed on anything as a toddler. He plays it safe when trying something new. He's definitely my more careful child. Austin is a tad different. I guess it's just the nature of being the second born. Baby boy is capable of being fearless. He likes to climb. He likes doing whatever Garrison is doing even if he's a little too small for it. And he managed to slide down our slide at home head first yesterday afternoon complete with a tumble through the grass at the end. (This was Terrell's recap since mama wasn't home.)

Garrison slid head first down the slide at school yesterday. So I'm not sure what is going on.

All the kids were crazy at school yesterday. One of my little girls ran around in circles during Music and had to be told multiple times (sternly) to join the class on the rug. She just preferred running around in circles. It was crazy and almost funny to watch. While my girls at school ran around and had very little self-control the whole day, my boys were non-stop talkers. They played together well and had their moments of forgetting self control but we just couldn't get them to be quiet. Crazy.

I hope it's not just me. My kids. My students. My life. Ha! At least no one has been hurt throughout this stretch of wildness. I'm thankful for that. And I really am thankful for my boys being able to have such a good time together. I love them laughing, playing, and squealing together. And I really am thankful that school is almost over so my sweet students can have some summer fun with their parents. =) We're all excited for summer! In the meantime I just wouldn't mind if everybody would take it down a notch. That, or I'll have to join in the wildness and run around and act crazy too...