Little Lawsons make great Laughter

A couple of days ago, I was coming from the kitchen with my usual glass of DDP, and I passed by our bed headed to the bathroom to finish my morning routine. John Brady had slipped into my bed, as usual, so I put my glass down in the bathroom to get my morning smile, kiss, and hug. He said, "I want a sip!" I said, "What, a sip?" He said, "Uh-huh, a sip, Mommy." This may not be too funny to others, but at our house we don't say sip very much. We don't say reckon or yonder either, although, I am sure Brady and I both said our share when we lived back home in Berry. Anyway, when John Brady said it, I knew immediately where he got it!! Mom, I hope you read this!!


Now, on to Abby Claire. I was taking Abby and John Brady to school yesterday, when Abby started talking about my driving, as well as the driving of the others around us. She said, "This van and that car over there are slow pokes! I don't like slow pokes. I like fast pokes!" I was cracking up! Sometimes I just thank God for Abby, especially during the HECTIC morning rush to get out the door and start our day.

Welcome to the World Baby Birds

Sunday Afternoon on the Lake

Since I couldn't fathom getting the girls ready for church Sunday morning, only John Brady and I went to church. We go to the 8:15 service so washing and drying hair and doing all the girly things to get them ready after a late night is sometimes just too much for me! So it was a mommy and son church day, and John Brady was an absolute angel during church. He was a real sweety; he waved to Gracie, Maggie, and Clara Paige when he saw them sitting a few rows over.

Sunday afternoon, we went to Mrs. Mary's and Mr. Chester's (Mrs. Fanning's mom and dad)to ride on their pontoon on Lake Tuscaloosa. Mrs. Mary is "Molly's aunt", so we got to see Molly!! She is doing well and is happy with her "almost kid free environment"! Mr. Chester took us for a ride on the lake and even let the kids drive (with Brady assisting, of course)! John Brady found the horn!!! The kids had a great time on the water and had a great time playing on the swing set, blowing bubbles, and picking flowers in Mr. Chester's garden! They picked enough for a very nice bouquet for me. How sweet! I have them in a vase on my kitchen counter to remind of the nice time we had with the Johnson's.

To MeMe and Pops Pool We Go

On Saturday, we visited MeMe and Pops, Aunt CiCi and "Lawson Long" (this is what the girls cal him). Emma, Abby, and John Brady LOVED playing in the pool with MeMe, Pops, and Daddy. Emma and Abby especially enjoyed playing with Kilbie. Lawson and I were very content to sit under the shade in front of the fan!!! Pops grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for everyone and we all retired inside for some grub. It was a nice evening for all.

On our way home from Berry and as we entered Northport, Emma said, "Yeah, we're back in Alabama!" Brady and I smiled at each other waiting to here the reason behind this. So we weren't already in Alabama we asked her. Abby chimed in with, "there's only 3 places: Berry, Alabama, and Northport". Brady said, "Well what about Birmingham, where Aunt CiCi, Uncle Dave, and Uncle Josh live? Abby said, "Awww, ok, there's only 4 places!" HA!!! HA!!!

Wanted: A Red Toilet

Well, well, well, this morning little JB3 decided to potty in my bathroom as I was getting dressed. I tried to help him remove his pull-up but it was "no, Mommy, I do it", so I said ok. He did and got on the potty and again his "pointer" was up again, and I told him we need to push it down so we didn't get tee-tee everywhere. He looked at me with that I know what you are saying but I am not sure I want to do that look. I continued to put on my make-up as I watched him through the mirror. He slowly took his left hand off the potty and gently pushed his pointer down!!! Yeah!!!!! He then gave me this HUGE smile (you know that big toothy smile that makes you melt) and he made my morning!!! The story is NOT over: I told him to get another pull-up from his room and left out to get it, but when I noticed he was gone a long time, and I remembered he was naked, I went to check on him. He meets me in the living room and says I poo-pooed. I said where did you poo-poo, in the potty? He said yes, but I did not see any poo-poo in the toilet, so he went to open the door to his bedroom and he said "in here". I said OH, NO!!! He went to the corner and there in his trash can it was. If you remember from one of my other posts, he poo-pooed in his red bucket not too long ago, well, his trash can is also RED.

Help!!!

As you know, we are in the early stages of potty training our little JB3. Well, I had a little note from Ms. Zula when I picked him up from school yesterday. It read: John Brady would have stayed in his pull-up but his pointer was in wrong direction. I wasn't sure what this meant and still wasn't sure after asking Brady. So Mrs. Zula told me this morning that when he was on the potty his "pointer" was up instead of down and she barely had enough time to duck!! my question is how to do I get him to push it down? Hopefully some other boy mommy's can give me some tips!

Abby's Funny

The other day it rained enough for me to actually use my wipers. Abby said, "Mommy, what are those things on the window?" I guess it hasn't rained in soooooo long she forgot what windshield wipers were!!!!!

Happy Father's Day!

We celebrated Father's Day by grilling out, and then we had a water balloon fight!! John Brady was "loaded and ready" with balloons and a grin! Em and Ab really liked hitting daddy with lots of balloons but when it came time to for them to get hit, they didn't like it so much! In a few minutes, when the brownies are ready, we will end with brownie sundaes for everybody.

Brady makes this day so easy to celebrate; he is a terrific dad!!!!!! He does a tremendous job with the kids and helps keep this house running smoothly. He cooks. I do laundry. He gives the kids a bath. I clean up the kitchen. See what I mean? We work together so well! Right now while I blog, he is reading the kids a book. I could not be the mom I am without Brady being the wonderful dad he is!!! We love you, Brady. Happy Father's Day!

Alabama Gold Camp

We traveled to Alabama Gold Camp in Clagford, AL to pan for gold yesterday. As you can see it is quite an interesting little place! I think Papa would have loved this place! First, we had to attend "Panning School" for some panning lessons from "One-Eyed Jack"! (John Brady was asleep in the van so he missed the lesson) Once we were "schooled up", One-Eyed Jack let us loose to find our spot on the creek bank. Brady, the kids, and I had a picnic before we settled into the task at hand. The gold was very tiny and difficult to find and see, so the kids preferred playing in the water. Brady was determined at first to find gold, but he, too, grew weary. As Brady was on one of his "serious-I'm-going-to-find-gold-kicks", John Brady was on one of his "I-want-to-taste-the-water-kicks"! Well, we didn't have much luck finding gold, but we did find a good time. Brady said, "The next time you kids want to play in a creek like this, I'll just take you three down behind Nanny and Papa's house to North River and let you go at it!" Sound just like something he would say and do, huh? After our gold digging excursion, we took the kids to a hotel for the night and enjoyed some swimming in the indoor pool. The kids love staying at hotels, especially when they can get in the pool! We were on the seventh floor and after about twenty minutes, I realized why; three children, ages six and under, they knew what they were doing! Although I felt like we were disturbing EVERYONE, I never heard or saw anyone else on the seventh floor!! This morning we were up at our usual 6:00 a.m. so we got dressed and headed to the nearest IHOP--another favorite of ours! It was nice to get away, even if it was just one night. It was a great little family trip.

Well, it has been another busy week for the Lawsons. Emma's daycamp weeks are filled with loads of activities; she goes swimming on Tuesdays, field trips are on Wednesday, and to the movies on Thursdays. Wish I could go to daycamp, too!!! It's been another "keep up with John Brady marathon" week. Abby has been her usual inquisitive self!!! Sometimes my weeks are just a blur so thank goodness for this blog. I can kind of hit the highlights and reflect on the moments that I always want to remember!! Just gotta love our crazy life!

Wednesday evening (Brady's poker night) Nanny visited and we played outside until bath time. The kids love jumping on the trampoline and playing on their swing set.

I signed Emma and Abby up for the summer reading program at the Tuscaloosa Public Library and I was explaining this to Abby as I picked her up from school. I told her I had visited the library to get some books for them. Abby said, "Were you quiet?" That girl is a HOOT!!

Tomorrow we are panning for gold!! Yes, we are panning for gold! Brady found this great little place in east Alabama, and we are taking a family trip. I will be sure to post some pictures!

WELCOME HOME DADDY!

Brady returned from his fishing trip today. He left on Friday, so it was just me and the kids Friday night and part of Saturday morning. Friday night John Brady took it upon himself to take his shirt off, pull his stinky, poopy diaper to his knees, and sit on the little wooden potty in his room so he could finish his "job". He said, "I poo-poo!" I found him just in time to prevent a HUGE mess and wrangled him into the bathtub!!! John Brady tried to use the little wooden potty, this time to tee-tee and he did make a mess. I decided to retire the potty to the garage. Mom came to the house Saturday to help me take the kids for haircuts and then she took them home to Berry with her. Saturday afternoon Courtney and Dave brought Lawson over to take pictures, and I got to visit with Lawson all afternoon. He's such a cutie pie. Then I got to stay by myself all night for the first time in over 6 years!!!! I enjoyed my mini-shopping spree (Brady probably won't think there was anything "mini" about it), and my BIG bubble bath with a glass of wine, candles, and my favorite Sirius channel ('80's) playing. I picked up the kids from my parents on Sunday, and Mom came that evening to help me with the kids. So Brady returned today (thank goodness) and picked up the kids early because he was so excited to get home to see them. He took them to TCBY for rainbow ice-cream before heading home. When I got home, Brady said John Brady had been MIA for a while so he started looking for him and he finally found him. John Brady was in his room pooping in a little red bucket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guess he couldn't find the little wooden potty. WELCOME HOME DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forgot to post Memorial Day pictures

We took the kids to the Annette Shelby Park on Memorial Day. A fountain had recently been added to the park, and we thought kids would really like it. So here are a few photos from the day.

my time

Ok, it is finally time for some unwinding as I sit at my computer ALONE, well, except for Cooper stepping on the keyboard every now and then. It has been a particularly stressful and tiresome 2 days. What looked like a Friday that might not end so well has ended very positively. Where do I start? The most important thing that we resolved today was finding a new school for John Brady! This has been weighing on our minds for some time now, and we are relieved to put that to rest! Next, I got my first official photo order! Yea! John Brady has been tee-teeing and pooping in the potty quite frequently. Actually a little too frequently. By the way, thanks Kim Tyner Bowling for your potty tip, and I want you to know John Brady LOVES tee-teeing on the Cheerios. And since we started out giving John Brady M & M's each time he went to the potty, he now thinks he gets to tee-tee on the Cheerio AND then get M & M's, too! Whatever works is what I say! I guess the last bit of today worked out really well; I finally hired someone to help me clean, and I am ecstatic. She is really nice and I think it is going to work out perfectly. Did I mention I worked my real job today, too. Whew, I guess that is it. For now, anyway.

random thought

Brady and I have always preferred our children to drink milk, very, diluted juice, or water. It was a rare occasion for any of our three to drink tea, soda, etc. Well by #3, I'd say we have gotten a little lax, but we do try our best to stick to it. Ok, so what I am getting around to saying is this: Until recently and particularly this week, I realized my children don't even know the names of sodas. Emma and Abby have known for about a year about Diet Dr. Pepper, but that just could not have been helped. DDP fans, you know what I am talking about. Well, since Emma has been in school this past year and since daycamp started a couple of weeks ago, she has learned almost EVERY soda there is!! I heard her telling Abby about Pepsi and Mountain Dew, so now Abby knows this too! Anyway, I feel like we should get an award or something for not raising our kids on sodas or at least keeping it from them for so long. Just thought this was interesting and a little amazing in this day and age.

It has already been such a fun week for Emma and Abby. Emma went swimming yesterday at DayCamp, and she told Abby she was having so much fun she could hardly make herself get out of the water! Brady had to hold his laughter when he overheard Emma telling this to Abby! Emma also went on a field trip to a fish farm where she "got to pet a real catfish". Emma said she ate some catfish, too, but I don't think she has connected the two yet! Abby has been attending vacation bible school at Calvary this week, and every evening she has a new tattoo! The only problem with that is she refuses to wash them off so she just keeps adding to the collection. By Friday, she could audition for a part on Miami Ink! (she has one on each cheek, also)

Well, gotta go. It's way past John Brady's bedtime. I will post more pictures of the kids soon!

It's Potty Time!!!!!!!

Potty training has begun!!! John Brady is extremely proud of his "pider man undies!! Anyone have some tips for teaching little boys to potty? Wish us luck!

Monkey Business

Don't know if you can see it, but John Brady's shirt says Monkey See, Monkey Do, Monkey Get in Trouble Too! This is John Brady!!!!!

Catching up

Cooper got his cast off last night! Dr. Shady removed it with help from his assistants, Emma, Abby, and John Brady. Cooper did not think it was too funny, but John Brady sure did! Cooper's leg has healed nicely, and he is putting weight on it. Hopefully he will make a full recovery.

Emma still has been ecstatic about DayCamp and she is definitely looking forward to Tuesday because it is swim day! Abby still wishes she could go.

The girls had a ball this past weekend attending birthday parties, again! I am partied OUT! I also had a photo session on Saturday so it has been another BUSY weekend.

Even though Brady is going on his annual deep sea fishing trip, we are looking forward to seeing Lawson this weekend! I intend on getting some pictures of him so I will post those.