Birthday Recap

Yesterday we celebrated Garrison's 4th birthday as a family. Things didn't go exactly as planned due to Austin not feeling good, BUT, Garrison still seemed to love everything about his special day and that was our goal from the beginning. All in all it turned out pretty great.

 

 

The birthday boy woke up around 7:30 and was greeted by mama and daddy wishing him a happy birthday and a trail of balloons leading to the kitchen. Breakfast is the first thing on both of my boys' minds the second they wake up. 

 

 

Gathering up most of his balloons. The balloons were a big hit! This may have to become a tradition...

 

His next surprise of the morning was breakfast... Daddy got doughnuts the night before and yesterday morning Garrison got to pick out the one he wanted for breakfast. Chocolate with sprinkles please!Then we put candles in it and sang happy birthday to him. His expression while we sang was precious. LOVE!

 

Then he blew out the candles and enjoyed his first ever whole doughnut. It took a while to consume but he made sure to finish every bite and crumb. 

 

And declared it good. =)

Before daddy left for work and Austin woke up the 3 of us played with balloons together and tried not to let them touch the floor. Garrison loved it. =)

Once Austin woke up and finished breakfast I decided he wasn't feeling his best and that we'd need to stay close to home and try to let him take a good morning nap. But before Austin's nap I asked Garrison what he wanted to do. His only request, I want to play with you and Austin today. So sweet. And play is what we did. A lot. Huge messes were made... as displayed below. We had to have a major clean-up time before afternoon naps.

After Austin decided not to take much of a morning nap (he was congested and just couldn't get comfortable and settled) and after an unfortunate incident with a poo poo diaper that left me cleaning it up off the floor, I was starting to feel super guilty. And like Garrison wasn't having a special day at all. Thank goodness I came to my senses and snapped out of it pretty quick. The Lord reminded me that the day was about Garrison, not me and my expectations. He was having fun. He was getting to do the one thing he requested and he was happy. He didn't care about poop on the floor or anything. Ha!

After a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up what we'd need for his birthday supper request (spaghetti), I let him choose any "drive-thru" he wanted for lunch. Taco Bell it is! We had a good lunch and early naps before heading out to run one more errand. And apparently all the birthday celebrating had worn out the little man. I was shocked he fell asleep in the car... especially since he'd just finished "rest time".

After we got home he just wanted to go outside and play. And thankfully the weather was nice so we were able to enjoy lots of time of outside. He was super photogenic and cooperative with having his picture made because I told him I needed lots of pictures of my big 4 year old. =)

Normally when we play outside in the afternoons the mail is delivered so we always walk down and get it together. Yesterday when we checked the mail there was a special delivery for Garrison... a "sticker card" from Granna and Papa. Garrison was thrilled. He immediately ran up the driveway, sat down in his car, and got to work on those stickers. It was so funny. 

Garrison also got several phone calls yesterday... from his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and even from AnAn's class at big school! Her whole class sang him happy birthday. I think he felt pretty special with all the extra attention. He didn't know what to think talking on the phone all day!
He enjoyed all his special meals, lots of play time, the balloons, the phone calls, the card. He had a really fun day.

It's hard to believe my baby is 4. (Do all moms view their big kids or even grown kids as their baby still? Ha) I was having flashbacks all day yesterday of what I was doing 4 years ago. Waiting for him to arrive, his tough delivery, holding him, introducing him to family. It was definitely (and always will be) a very special day.

Now we're getting ready to celebrate again this weekend with his first ever "friend" party. It should be lots of fun! (Which means I need to go get busy crossing things off my to-do list!)

4 Years Old Tomorrow!

Garrison Cade,

Tomorrow you will be 4 years old! Four years ago today we were packing our bags and checking into the hospital ready and waiting to become parents and meet our first baby boy. February 5, 2009 at 12:33 PM you made your debut and we've never been the same. You changed our lives forever and have brought us so much joy and happiness! God truly blessed us beyond measure with you and we are so, so grateful to be your parents.

This year you've grown taller and more mature and are smarter than ever before. You crack us up on a regular basis with the things you say and do! You are always challenging us... with your questions, your amazing memory, and sometimes your attitude. While meltdowns have decreased in number big time this year (which is a huge blessing!), you still test your boundaries and are a little short-tempered, both of which get you into some trouble occasionally.

You love to play with Austin and even though you two have your share of "fights" and rifts, you are the best big brother. You are loving and affectionate and kind. You are willing to share with Austin (most of the time) and are extremely patient with him. You give him a kiss and hug every night before bedtime and insist that you both wear matching pajamas. You sing to him when he's upset and offer him toys to help him feel better. You ask for him first thing in the morning and are anxious for him to wake up from naps so ya'll can play together. I am so happy and thankful that you'll have a forever best friend in your brother and that he'll have one in you.

This year you played your first organized team sport. Soccer! You learned a lot and enjoyed it more and more as the season went on. You're now signed up for wee-ball (4 year old tee-ball) and we're so excited about it because baseball seems to be your favorite sport. You have mentioned playing football when you're bigger but have also let us know that football is scary because you're afraid of getting squished. =) No matter what you decide to play or try out we're excited to watch you and cheer you on! You are definitely athletic and a true sports lover.

 





A FEW FUN FACTS:

*Your taste buds have changed this year! You're more of a meat eater now (yay!) and you don't love the foods you used to absolutely love 6 months ago. Raisins, applesauce, blueberry muffins. We joke that you ate so much of them it made you tired of them.

*You love to wrestle with Austin and daddy.

*You love to work with your hands and make things and take them apart and come up with new ways to use your little tools and toys. We call you an engineer in the making. =)

*One of your favorite things lately is playing Uno. It's a choo choo train version with zoo animals and every night after Austin goes to bed we play a few games with you before it's your turn to go to bed.

*You are very cautious and careful about new situations/environments but once you warm up you're usually good to go.
*Your favorite foods are spaghetti and tacos.
*You love all things BOY... trucks, tools, balls, cars (to play with and drive), and blocks or anything you can build with.
*You don't watch a lot of TV or movies. On most days you pick out one show to watch in the afternoon while Austin is still napping. You love your Letter Factory DVD, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and occasionally Mickey Mouse and Super Why.
*You are extremely competitive. (We're working on using that competitiveness appropriately.)
*You have a huge sweet tooth! You think you're supposed to have dessert after every meal plus snacks between meals. We've recently started allowing "dessert" after one meal only and every other time you request something it has to be a healthy snack.... fruit, yogurt melts or freeze-dried fruit, dry cereal, crackers, etc.
*You LOVE being read to and love looking at and "reading" books on your own before bedtime and naptime. Right now your favorite thing to read is the Bible. You even request me to read a Bible story during breakfast and supper some days. I'm so excited for you to learn to read!

You've grown and changed a TON in 4 years little man! And we are so thankful we've witnessed it all. It is such a joy to watch you grow and learn and change. We love you (every minute of everyday!) and are so proud of you. Just like your "Baby Bible" says, YOU are one of the best things God made. Happy Birthday tomorrow!! We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Naptime Shenanigans

Over the past few months, Garrison's naptime routine and ritual has changed a little. It has now become more of a "big boy rest time" than an actual "naptime". He's about to turn 4 and he's finally reached a point where he doesn't fall asleep during naptime very often. Which is probably normal and to be expected. His average used to be 1-2 times a week that he'd actually fall asleep during naptime, but over the past month it's become 1-2 times every 2 weeks or so. Still occasionally but not too often.

However, naptime at our house is required. Every afternoon after lunch (or after school) we get settled down and rest. All of us. Even though my rest time always involves me doing something, it's done in the quiet, on my own terms. Sometimes I do what I want to do, other times I'm more productive. Either way it's a much needed "break" for me.

I've been blessed because both of my boys have always been great sleepers and nappers. And we've always stuck to the naptime routine pretty strictly (except on weekends) and I think that's part of what's made it so "successful" and easy. And even as Garrison's naptime has morphed into more of a "rest time" it's still been fairly predictable and simple. After putting Austin to bed we go into his room, read some books, turn on music, and then he "rests". He can't get out of his bed without permission so once he's rested for at least 30 minutes or so, if he's still awake, he can play quietly in his room for another 30 minutes or so coloring, playing puzzles, playing his Mobi Go, etc. Then if he's ready to come out he can watch a 30 minute show/movie in the living room and after that rest time is over. No major hiccups. Very little to no drama. Pretty easy breezy and smooth sailing.

I will admit that it took me a while to figure out a new system on days he didn't fall asleep. But once I found something that worked for both of us we stuck to it with almost zero issues. Until yesterday...

Yesterday was interesting and scary. Let me elaborate...

After leaving his room he was fairly quiet but I could hear that he was still awake. He sleeps with books and flashlights in his bed so I could hear pages turning and flashlights clicking and a little boy rummaging around. Then, several minutes later he was quiet. It was very similar to the day before when he'd fallen asleep during naptime. He started off playing/reading in bed and eventually fell asleep. So I assumed on yesterday that he was probably asleep and went about doing some stuff I needed to get done.

When 3:00 arrived and it was time to go wake him up I discovered him awake already. I was kind of shocked but then again he's played super quietly in his room before so I knew it was possible he'd been awake the whole time. I told him he could come out of his room to play, watch a show, or have a snack, etc. And that's when I noticed. Oh. My. Goodness.

*Disclaimer: We do not use the top bunk just yet, therefore we don't use a ladder. We also don't currently have the top bunk "made up" because we washed the comforter and sheets recently after they'd collected a layer of dust. So please excuse the top bunk mess.

Back to my discovery. If you look closely at the picture below you will see Garrison's naptime "decorations" from a naptime past. He lined up several of his markers, crayons, and blocks along the edge of the top bunk. They've remained there ever since... unless a specific marker is needed of course. No harm done. No need to make a fuss. Yesterday, however, something was there that wasn't there before.... something was added... WAY UP HIGH.... in a place he shouldn't be able to reach...ever.

Do you see what I see?? It's silver and high and the farthest object in the picture.

 

Somehow, some way, there is a flashlight standing on top of the tip, top corner post of the top bunk. And my almost 4 year old put it there. By himself. Unsupervised. By climbing like a monkey.

After blinking to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me and letting the shock wear off, I investigated. I couldn't get the flashlight down without climbing and possibly putting myself (or the bed!) in danger. Oh my gracious. So I had a talk with him about never, ever, ever doing that again. I asked him how he got it up there and he couldn't/wouldn't (not sure which) remember/tell me so I let it go momentarily. Then I sent Terrell a picture. I think he was proud and terrified at the same time.

When daddy got home he stood close by and asked Garrison to show him exactly how he got it up there. It was not a pretty sight for this mama to see. There was climbing, balancing, and reaching as high as he could involved. And that was with daddy standing right beside him ready to catch him! Praise Jesus he didn't fall and break his neck doing it during naptime!

We both had talks with him about the dangers of putting a flashlight on the tip top of the top bunk. And also discussed what to do the next time we have an idea while we're bored during naptime... call mama first!

After yesterday's naptime shenanigans... 2 words.... VIDEO MONITOR. At the very least once Austin moves in!

It's a Date!

For the past few years Terrell and I have a scheduled a much needed date sometime during the month of January. January usually comes with cabin fever and lots of built up energy and new toys everywhere and a worn out mama and daddy... in other words, perfect timing for a date and a little time away from the house. Our annual January date starts around lunch time and wraps up with dinner that night. Perfect indeed. =) 

This year there weren't any movies out we wanted to see so we decided to skip a movie and spend all our time shopping. My hubby is the best! I've been attempting a semi living room makeover lately so we focused our energy on accomplishing some things for the house.

(My makeover does not include new furniture so it's subtle, inexpensive changes that won't break the bank yet provide some change. Looking at almost the exact same decor I've had since we got married was starting to wear on my nerves.)

My parents came over to keep the boys and we went out to lunch and then spent lots of time in Hobby Lobby, Target, TJ Maxx, Kirklands... it was wonderful. We didn't make purchases at every store but I browsed and took my time and got ideas so it was definitely a success.

*All pictures were taken with my phone...

Here's one of our purchases... my "dramatic" S. It's big and bold and dramatic but I like it. =)  The other S's I found were waaay smaller and we have really high ceilings so this is the one that fit the spot the best.

 



The other purchase we made was this little chalkboard frame. It was half-off (LOVE Hobby Lobby!) and something I'd been thinking about for a while. I put it on the wall just before going into my kitchen. And I stole a line from a sign I saw in Hobby Lobby... plus added a family picture. I'm going to love writing little messages on it.

 

Our other purchases were a few more things for Garrison's birthday party we needed. I think we're finally ready to celebrate in a couple weeks! The rest of our time was spent looking. I'm trying my best to figure out what to do with my mantle. Such a tough one. But it was nice to have so much time to just look and talk and enjoy each other's company.  

 

Another decorative change included in our makeover is new pillows... they arrived Friday night and I am really liking them. It changes the look of our couches and even the room. 

 

After wrapping up all our shopping we went out to eat using a gift card we got for Christmas. Double yay! We had the best time together. And my boys had lots of fun too. So much fun that Garrison actually fell asleep during nap time for the first time in about 2 weeks. He was worn out pretty soon after they got there I guess! They also got to go out to eat and order dessert with Granna and Papa. What a treat!

When we got home Austin was in the bed asleep and my mom was putting Garrison to bed. The timing worked out great because then we watched a movie we rented on our way home. It is rare for us to have a chance to watch a movie together so it was a great way to wrap up our date. Thanks so much Granna and Papa!!!

Yesterday morning when Garrison called for me because he was awake and ready to get up I went in and got a big hug from him. Then mid-embrace he said I'm so glad you're back. Melt. my. heart. It was the sweetest thing ever. AndI'llneverleaveyouagainbaby. =) And people wonder why it's hard for me to be away... seeing them after time apart is the best!

Yesterday afternoon I spent lots of time working on stuff for school. We do crafts every week, but the coming weeks are even busier because of Valentine's Day. Being a teacher makes the holidays even more fun.

 

I also spent lots of time with my boys... and they spent lots of time playing in the box the pillows came in. =)

 

Our date was one of the best and so was our weekend! Happy Monday everybody!

Never Before Seen Photos

The title sounds like a tabloid headline... but I assure you, these pictures are not scandalous. =) I just happened to come across these pretty random photos when I was looking back through the pics on my camera and decided I wanted to share. They didn't really fit into a blog post but they are funny and/or precious so therefore blog worthy.

This was the 2nd picture my mom took of us on Sunday after church... right before bribing Garrison with a quarter. Isn't this just how it goes? For every semi-perfect (cause I'm not sure perfect even exists) family photo you have at least 5 of these. Gracious.

 

One of Austin's favorite things to do in his room is empty his entire basket of books and "read". So precious. These pictures were taken before Christmas one night before bath time. He just had to get in a little reading first.

 

Then it was time to survey the damage... baby boy knows that messes must be put away...

 

Possibly the same night before Christmas but after bath time, my big boy requested daddy take his picture in his lion towel. Love that handsome boy and his adorable smile.

At Covington's Christmas parade Terrell and I were taking turns making pictures of each other and the boys before the parade started when a nice, older man offered to make a picture of all of us. Austin almost didn't make it in. Oh well. It was really bright and sunny that morning. Ha!

This is one of the outtakes of the "cousin" pictures on Christmas Eve, Eve. It's the tale of 4 cousins...all expressing slightly different emotions. Too funny.

A couple of weeks ago I let the boys, both boys, play with ice. Garrison loved doing this from the time he was almost 2 until Austin became a mobile baby and we neglected it for a while. But for some reason I gave in and tried it out recently. It didn't go terrible but it also didn't last long. The floor was getting pretty wet and so was Austin. And I definitely didn't want to relive this episode so we cleaned up quick-like. We'll try it again in a couple months.

A few nights ago Austin experienced his first ever bubble bath! Since the boys started taking a bath together 2-3 months ago we put away the bubbles until the other night. Austin wasn't impressed. Once the bubbles started growing he decided to stand up for his entire bath. At least he was still happy! Although his bath was pretty short that night. He never could relax and play and enjoy himself with those strange bubbles in his water.  

 

And that's a wrap on Never Before Seen Photos. =)

Fun Filled Long Weekend!

This weekend was full of fun for the Selph household! And we loved almost every single minute. The only part that wasn't fun was the Falcons heartbreaking loss. Boohoo! We took it hard. It was so sad to be that close once again and come up short. Can you say reliving Georgia's loss to Alabama in the final seconds? When will one of our teams win the big game?? Ahhhhh. I can't dwell on it. I've done enough of that already...So moving on to our fun filled long weekend...

Saturday we headed to the hometown to get the boys' hair cuts, spend time with family, and celebrate my Nanny's birthday with my dad's side of the family. Saturday was fun. (Except for when we got everybody and everything loaded up ready to go Saturday morning and our car wouldn't crank. Thank you Lord that jumping it off worked!)

Both of my boys loved spending the weekend in Barnesville. We hadn't been "home" since Christmas so they were ready to have time with the grandparents and just a new place to play. They especially loved Nanny's party. And cake is always the highlight.

Garrison's new thing is playing with his hair... he did this when he was a baby and the habit is back... which explains why he's holding onto his hair as he helps Nanny blow out her candles. Silly boy.

Sunday morning we went to church and I decided when we got home to have my mom take a few pictures of us all dressed up. I always think all my boys look so handsome on Sunday mornings but we never get any pictures all spiffed up. So this time I made a point to make it happen. Out of the 10 my mom took, these 2 were the best. Family pictures are hard work!

Then yesterday we had a super fun time at Snow Mountain! Yay!! I love family outings and this one ranked pretty high on the fun and special scale. We got there a little after 12 and went straight to the snow play area. Austin was pretty apprehensive at first but it didn't take him long before he was ready to play and digging in the snow just like brother and daddy. We had perfect weather and that made our experience even more enjoyable.

We spent the first several minutes there just digging and playing. The snow is fake, so it's pretty hard... which means we couldn't ever make a snowman. I was amazed when I saw other people had accomplished the feat. Thankfully Garrison could've cared less about a snowman. He just liked scooping and digging.

After playing in the snow I talked Garrison into going over and checking out the tubing slide. He wanted no part of it. My firstborn takes a while to warm up to things. So I went down with Austin a couple of times first. Austin didn't know what to think our first time down, then decided he wasn't a big fan.

Once Garrison saw I held onto Austin and kept him safe and secure, he was ready. And he loved it! Now, I was the only grown-up who did the kiddie slide, BUT, there were some kids there as big as me so I thought it was safe. We went down over and over again and he never agreed to do it by himself. But we had a ball doing it together!

After leaving the kiddie slide it was time to take on the big "family tube". Since Austin couldn't ride, I stayed with him and watched Terrell and Garrison go. We were both afraid it would scare Garrison but he loved it and was ready to go again as soon as he got off. My baby was in the middle tube right beside Terrell in the gray and black jacket.

While Terrell and Garrison rode the big tube a few more times I took Austin back to play in the snow and tried to keep him entertained. Baby boy was getting tired and giving mama a workout... but he was a trooper and hung in there with all of us the whole time! 

Terrell and I switched places eventually so I could ride down on the big tube with Garrison and have a little break from Austin who was wearing me out. But then Garrison gave me a workout because he was tiring out and wanting to be held a lot too. Gracious. The ride was SO fun! Garrison was smiling and screaming all the way down... just like his mama. =) We're on the middle tube and if you click on the second picture you can see my little man sitting beside me. After that ride our 2 hour limit for the tubing was up so we went back to the play area for even more fun.

Once we were back at the play area we tubed down the little hill a few more times before discovering a "ride" Garrison could do all by himself... sledding in a little "boat" as he called it. He loved doing this. Terrell was at the top and pushed him down over and over and over again. We finally had to wrap it up because Austin was exhuasted and Garrison was too... he just didn't know it. They both had to be carried back to the car.

We had such a good time and are looking forward to going back when Austin's older. Family outings are one of my favorite things ever.

We wrapped up the day with leftovers my mom sent home with us and poop in the bath tub. Ha! Our first time ever to experience poop in the bath tub. We'd experienced everything else but that I think. Garrison could not understand why Austin would do such a thing. Haha. We loved our long weekend and are grateful for an extra day to recuperate before going back to school tomorrow!