MADDOX KANE, YOU ARE OFFICIALLY 8 YEARS OLD!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT..TODAY, MADDOX KANE TURNED 8 YEARS OLD...I KNOW EVERYONE SAYS THIS...PROBABLY 99% OF ALL MAMA'S DO..BUT, SERIOUSLY!!!...I CANNOT BELIEVE MY FIRST BABY IS 8 YEARS OLD!! THE TIME HAS FLOWN BY SOOOOO FAST AND IT'S NOT SLOWING DOWN AT ALL..I LITERALLY REMEMBER EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM BEING BORN....I REMEMBER WAKING UP DURING THE NIGHT AND GOING PEE-PEE (T.M.I. I KNOW) LIKE 30 TIMES..IT FELT LIKE EVERY TWO MINUTES..AND COME TO FIND OUT THAT WAS MY WATER LEAKING AND NOT BREAKING..BUT IT WAS MY FIRST PREGNANCY...I HAD NO CLUE WHAT TO TRULY EXPECT OTHER THAN THE HORROR STORIES PEOPLE FOR SOME REASON LOVE TO TELL YOU WHEN YOU HAVE A  BABY :) AND BEFORE YOU KNEW IT, I WAS HAVING BACK LABOR..FUN TIMES!!! I HAD THE BEST NURSE EVER..HER NAME WAS KERRI...AND SHE ALLOWED ME TO PRANCE AROUND ON MY TIP-TOES BECAUSE EVERY TIME I HAD A CONTRACTION THAT SEEMED TO HELP..SHE LAUGHED AT ME..BUT THAT WAS OKAY BECAUSE SHE LET ME TIP-TOE...I HAD AN EPIDURAL AROUND 9 OR SO..AND BY 10 A.M., I WAS AT 10 CENTIMETERS BUT THE DOCTOR WANTED MADDOX TO COME DOWN ON HIS OWN... AS FAR AS HE WOULD NATURALLY BEFORE I PUSHED HIM OUT...BY 1:16 PM..MADDOX KANE JOHNSON ENTERED THIS WORLD..AND WE HAD THIS NEW LIFE WE WERE SUDDENLY RESPONSIBLE FOR...MY HEART WAS IMMEDIATELY FILLED WITH SOMETHING I CAN NEVER ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN...

MADDOX, YOU ARE EIGHT YEARS OLD TODAY....YOU WEIGH 65 POUNDS AND ARE FOUR FEET FIVE INCHES TALL...YOU HAVE 12 TEETH ON THE TOP...AND 12 TEETH ON THE BOTTOM...FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS YOU HAVE HAD AN OBSESSION WITH LEGOS..BEFORE THAT IT WAS THOMAS THE TRAIN...WHEN YOU LOVE SOMETHING, YOU LOVE IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART....YOU ALSO LOVE HALO MEGA BLOCKS...BUT LEGOS ARE YOUR ABSOLUTE FAVORITE..WHEN EVER ANY HOLIDAY ARRIVES YOU ASK FOR LEGOS..WHEN WE GO TO TARGET, YOU WANT TO BE ON THE LEGO ISLE...YOU LOVE TO COME HOME FROM SCHOOL AND IMMEDIATELY GET ON YOUR NANA'S COMPUTER..YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT THE COMPUTER THAN NANA DOES..YOU GET ON AMAZON AND BROWSE FOR ALL THE LEGOS YOU WANT TO BUY..YOU MAKE LONG LISTS WITH THE LEGOS ON THEM..SOMETIMES THESE LISTS ARE FOUR PAGES LONG...YOU GET ON YOUTUBE AND LOVE TO WATCH THE VIDEOS THAT PEOPLE MAKE USING LEGOS..YOU COULD WATCH IT FOR HOURS AND HOURS IF WE WOULD LET YOU..WHEN MOMMY AND DADDY COME HOME FROM WORK AND PICK YOU UP...YOU IMMEDIATELY TALK ABOUT LEGOS...YOU ARE STILL THE SAME TENDER-HEARTED CHILD THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SINCE DAY ONE...I TOLD YOU LAST NIGHT ON THE WAY  HOME FROM DINNER, THAT KATIE SHOULD ALWAYS BE YOUR BEST FRIEND...AND YOU INFORMED ME THAT SHE WASN'T YOUR BEST FRIEND, SHE WAS YOUR GIRLFRIEND...AND YOU HAD THE BIGGEST GRIN ON YOUR FACE...YOU NEVER GO TO BED UNLESS I COME UPSTAIRS AND SAY YOUR PRAYERS WITH YOU AND KISS YOU GOODNIGHT...EVEN WHEN YOUR DAD TUCKS YOU IN, YOU STILL WANT ME TO COME TELL YOU GOODNIGHT...AND THAT MELTS MY HEART...YOU AND SAYLOR ARGUE A LOT BUT YOU LOVE HER...YOU DID GIVE HER ALL YOUR GIRL LEGO PEOPLE RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS AND NOW YOU ACTUALLY LIKE HER PLAYING LEGOS WITH YOU...YOU TELL ME THAT YOU WATCH AFTER HER AT SCHOOL AND YOU TOLD THIS ONE LIL' BOY.."I'M WATCHING YOU!!"...THAT MADE ME LAUGH HYSTERICALLY!...YOU EVEN SHOWED ME THAT YOU DID THE MOTIONS WHERE YOU POINT TO YOUR EYES THEN YOU POINTED TO HIM...YOU LOVE BEING A BIG BROTHER AND YOU ARE A GREAT ONE AT THAT!!! YOU LOVE HISTORY AND LEARNING FACTS ABOUT ANYTHING...AND YOU CAN RETAIN THE MOST INFORMATION...IT BLOWS MY MIND...YOU STILL REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU WERE THREE WE WERE AT THE BEACH ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF A MOTEL AND I DROPPED MY DIAMOND DOWN THRU THE BALCONY FLOOR..AND YOU REMEMBER YOUR DADDY GOING DOWN THERE AND SEARCHING FOR IT..AND YOU AND GRAND-DADDY FED A RACCOON SOME PRETZELS OFF THE BACK OF THAT SAME MOTEL DECK...FIVE YEARS LATER YOU STILL RECALL THAT LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY...SOMETIMES YOU WILL SAY..."HEY MOM, DO YOU REMEMBER THAT TIME YOU DROPPED YOUR RING OFF THE BALCONY AT THE BEACH?"...AND MOST OF THE TIMES I HAVE FORGOTTEN UNTIL YOU REMIND ME....YOU ARE LEARNING TO WRITE A LOT OF CURSIVE THIS YEAR IN SECOND GRADE..I'M AMAZED BY HOW AWESOME YOU WRITE..YOU WRITE BETTER CURSIVE THAN YOUR MOMMY (IT WAS NEVER MY STRONG SUIT)...YOU STILL ARE A VERY PICKY EATER..I DON'T THINK THAT WILL EVER CHANGE..AND YOU SURPRISE ME THAT YOU LOVE JAPANESE LIKE YOU DO...BUT YOU COULD LIVE OFF MCDONALD'S CHICKEN NUGGETS  AND TACOS WITH JUST MEAT AND CHEESE!!!..AND YOU LOVE SOME CHICK-FIL-A!!! BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT MOST DAYS...YOU DO NOT LIKE TOMATOES AT ALL...AND YOU WILL NOT EVEN TRY ANYTHING THAT REMOTELY LOOKS WEIRD TO YOU..YOU DESPISE LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS AND LONG PANTS...IT COULD BE SNOWING OUTSIDE AND YOU WILL STILL BEG ME TO WEAR A SHORT-SLEEVED SHIRT...YOU LOVE GOING TO CHURCH ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS WITH YOUR NANA AND GOING TO YOUR ROYAL RANGERS GROUP...LAST QUARTER YOU WON ROYAL RANGER OF THE QUARTER FOR HAVING SUCH GREAT BEHAVIOR...THAT SAYS A LOT...YOU WILL UNDERSTAND ALL THIS WHEN YOU GET OLDER..BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW PROUD WE ARE TO BE YOUR MOMMY AND DADDY..I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GLAD THAT GOD DECIDED TO LET YOU BE OURS...YOU WERE OUR FIRST BABY AND YOU WERE THE FIRST ONE TO CAPTURE ALL OF OUR HEARTS...HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY MADDOX KANE!! WE LOVE YOU!!

                                           LOVE,

                                                       MOM

WE DON'T POUT....OH NO WE DON'T

MY KIDS NEVER POUT..NOPE...NOT MINE!!!

OKAY...WELL MAYBE ON SOME OCCASIONS THEY DO....ESPECIALLY, IF GRAND-DADDY TELLS A CERTAIN CHILD NAMED URBAN THAT HE CANNOT HAVE HIS DUNKIN DOUGHNUT IF HE DOESN'T EAT THE CARROTS OUT OF HIS POT ROAST THAT HE ASKED FOR....AND GRAND-DADDY DOES NOT BUDGE!!! NOPE, NOT EVEN THE POUTY STAND-OFF WILL GET YOU A DOUGHNUT AT MIMI AND GRAND-DADDY'S HOUSE :) BUT IT SURE WAS DAG ON CUTE...BECAUSE IT WASN'T A BRATTY-WHINEY TAIL POUT...NOT THAT MY CHILDREN AREN'T CAPABLE OF THAT... BECAUSE THEY SURELY CAN WIN THE AWARD FOR THAT AT TIMES..BUT ON THURSDAY NIGHT (1*19*12) URBAN'S PERFORMANCE WAS SO CUTE I HAD TO PULL OUT MY CAMERA PHONE..HE JUST LAID ON HIS CHAIR..NEVER CRIED OR WHINED OR SAID ONE WORD..BUT JUST LAID FACE FIRST THEN EVENTUALLY LOOKED THRU THE CHAIR TO SEE IF HE WAS BEING WATCHED..AND HE TRIED HIS HARDEST NOT TO SMILE..IT WAS AN ACADEMY AWARD PERFORMANCE FOR SURE FOR THE MOST QUIET STAND-OFF!!!

AS CUTE AS HE WAS....HE DID NOT WIN THE POUT STAND-OFF..AND FINALLY DEVOURED ABOUT EIGHT CARROTS AS QUICKLY AS HE COULD SO HE COULD GET HIS DOUGHNUT..YES..THESE ARE THE SAME CARROTS THAT HE FIRST WANTED MORE OF...THEN SAID HE DIDN'T LIKE CARROTS..THEN DEVOURED QUICKLY LIKE THEY WERE THE GREATEST THINGS ON EARTH..ALL FOR THE LOVE OF A DOUGHNUT!!

CHILDREN ARE DEFINITELY SMARTER THAN WE GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR BEING :)

REPSOL-MAN

HI...MY NAME IS URBAN...AND I LOVE A "WEP-SOL" (REPSOL)..I WANTED ONE JUST LIKE MY DADDY'S!!!

                                  MY DADDY'S REPSOL LOOKS LIKE THIS

LAST YEAR I GOT A MOTORCYCLE FOR MY BIRTHDAY AND IT LOOKED LIKE THIS....

AND I LOVED IT....MY DADDY PUT TRAINING WHEELS ON IT SO I COULD RIDE IT LIKE A BIG BOY...FOR CHRISTMAS SANTA CLAUS GAVE ME MY VERY OWN MOTOR CYCLE HELMET... AND MY DADDY'S FRIEND PAINTED MY MOTOR CYCLE SO I COULD HAVE ONE THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE MY DAD'S!!! AND I LOVE IT!!!

THIS IS ME LEANING IN A CURVE :)

 THIS IS ME FIXING TO GO ON MY FIRST CRUISE ON MY NEWLY PAINTED BIKE

LAST FRIDAY (1*13*12) MY DADDY DROVE ME TO MY MAMA'S WORK AND SURPRISED HER...SHE WAS A LIL' STRESSED OUT THAT I HAD RIDDEN ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT DADDY CALLED THE POLICE STATION TO MAKE SURE IT WAS OKAY...MAMA WAS STILL FREAKING OUT..BUT I MADE IT THERE AND BACK SAFE AND SOUND..AND EVEN FELL ASLEEP ON THE WAY HOME...MY DADDY WAS JUST TRYING TO BREAK MAMA IN BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE A MOTOR CYCLE RIDER LIKE CASEY STONER ONE DAY!!

LOOK

LOOK WHO WAS A BIG BOY AND BIG GIRL TODAY....THE TWINS...TODAY WAS THEIR FIRST VISIT TO THE DENTIST TO GET THEIR TEETH CLEANED...

 DR. ROB IS AWESOME...I FOUND HIM ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO AND I LOVE HIS ASSISTANT ROBIN TOO...WE DIDN'T WANT THE TWINS TO BE SCARED SO WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT "GOING TO THE DENTIST" FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW...AND URBAN DECIDED HE WANTED TO GO FIRST..BECAUSE HE WANTED TO SHOW DR. ROB HIS REPSOL...HE WAS EXCITED...UNTIL IT WAS TIME TO CRAWL IN THE CHAIR...AND HE 100% DIDN'T WANT TO LAY DOWN IN THE CHAIR...SO MRS. ROBIN WORKED AROUND THAT AND LET HIM SIT ON HIS KNEES...THEN HE AGREED TO LET ME HOLD HIM...AND THEN HE WAS A SUPER BIG BOY AND FINISHED THE REST OF THE CLEANING WHILE SITTING IN THE CHAIR ALL BY HIMSELF....BUT HE LET EVERYONE KNOW..."I DIDN'T CRY!!"

 THE PRINCESS WENT SECOND AND HELD MAMA'S HAND...THEY BOTH DID SO GOOD... AND IT WAS ALMOST LIKE CHRISTMAS AFTER THEY ALL GOT TO VISIT THE TOY CHEST!

                          DARK PINK TOOTHPASTE JUST FOR THE DIVA!!

                                                      OPEN WIDE

                                         GIVING THE TEETH A SHOWER

 

                                NO CAVITIES = A VERY HAPPY MAMA!!!!

 THE KIDS GOT TO HAVE A TOOTH WITH THEIR NAME ON IT PUT ON THE "NO CAVITIES" BOARD.....FIVE CLEANINGS AND ONE FILLING FOR MAMA LATER AND A BIG CHARGE OF $751, AND WE WERE OUT OF THERE!!! PRAISE THE LORD FOR SOME CARE CREDIT CARD WITH NO INTEREST FOR 6 MONTHS...I THINK I'LL BE SCOPING SOME DENTAL INSURANCE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!!! I CAN'T IMAGINE PAYING FOR FILLINGS FOR ALL FOUR OF THESE LIL' BOOGERS!!!

FROM THE MOUTH OF LONDON

NEVER DO I WANT TO FORGET THE CUTE THINGS THAT COME OUT OF THIS CHILD'S MOUTH!!!...I KNOW...DON'T LET THOSE BROWN EYES SUCK YOU IN...SHE'S A MESS!!!

ON MONDAY NIGHTS WE EAT WITH SCOTT'S PARENTS..THIS PAST MONDAY WE HAD SPAGHETTI...AND MEMAW  (SCOTT'S GRANDMA) ASKED MADDOX WHO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WAS...AND, OF COURSE, HE SAID.......GEORGE WASHINGTON :) THEN BUSTED OUT LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY!!!

SO, THEN SCOTT SAID "LONDON, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?"

LONDON REPLIES...IN HER DEAD SERIOUS FACE......"ME!!"

THEN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) NANA AND MIMI HELPED ME BY GOING WITH ME TO TAKE THE WHOLE HERD TO THE DENTIST FOR CLEANINGS..IT WAS THE TWINS FIRST TIME (MORE ON THAT SOON).....AFTERWARDS...NANA TOOK MADDOX AND SAYLOR TO CHURCH AND ME AND THE TWINS RODE HOME WITH MIMI..BUT, FIRST WE STOPPED AT ZAXBY'S AND GOT THE TWINS SOME KIDS MEALS...MOM SAT WITH LONDON IN THE BACK SEAT AND THEY WERE TALKING WHILE SHE ATE..SHE WAS EATING AWAY..CHICKEN AND FRIES, WITH RANCH DRESSING, OF COURSE... AND THEN MOM SAID "LONDON ARE YOU GONNA EAT ANY  MORE FRENCH FRIES?"..IN WHICH LONDON REPLIED WITH..."I CAN'T EAT ANY MORE FRENCH FRIES BECAUSE THEY GIVE ME A HEAD ACHE!!"...REALLY??? WHERE DOES SHE GET THESE THINGS FROM?? THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW!!!

CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING

WE STARTED A NEW TRADITION THIS YEAR WITH CHRISTMAS...IN THE PAST OUR KIDS HAVEN'T GOTTEN PRESENTS FROM US...BASICALLY BECAUSE THEY GET PRESENTS FROM SANTA..AND NANA AND PAPA..AND MIMI AND GRAND-DADDY AND AUNTS AND UNCLES...AND SO FORTH..AND WE HAVE ALWAYS JUST TOLD THEM THAT WE BUY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR OTHERS...AND IT'S NEVER BEEN QUESTIONED...UNTIL......................THIS YEAR :) URBAN CAME TO US ABOUT MID DECEMBER WANTING TO KNOW WHERE HIS PRESENT WAS UNDER THE TREE...HE DIDN'T HAVE ONE...SO I TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT TO HIM..BEING THREE, HE DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE DEAL....SO, SCOTT AND I DECIDED TO START THIS YEAR AND LET THEM GET ONE PRESENT FROM US AND LET THEM ALWAYS OPEN IT ON CHRISTMAS MORNING....AND I WAS SOOOOOOO EXCITED FOR THEM...THIS IS THEM OPENING THEIR ONE GIFT ON CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING...URBAN WENT FIRST...

WE GOT HIM A LIL' MATCHBOX AIRPLANE/HANGER SET...NOT ONLY IS HE OBSESSED WITH MOTOR CYCLES, BUT ALSO AIRPLANES!!

LONDON WAS NEXT...AND SHE GOT A "PIN-CESS" CASTLE...THIS YEAR SHE HAD THE GREATEST FACES WHEN SHE OPENED PRESENTS..YOU COULD TRULY SEE HOW EXCITED SHE WAS..MADE MY HEART :)

MADDOX WANTED TO GO LAST...(SMART BOY)...SO, SAYLOR HAD TO GO THIRD...SHE IS REALLY INTO CRAFTS AND HELPING MY MOM IN THE KITCHEN WHEN THEY SPEND THE NIGHT AT MY PARENTS SO WE BOUGHT HER THE EASY BAKE OVEN...

THE EASY BAKE OVEN HAS COME A LONG WAY....I REMEMBER HAVING ONE AS A CHILD AND I'M ALMOST POSITIVE IT WAS SILVER...NOW IT'S PURPLE AND FUNKY CURVED SHAPED..BUT IT STILL WORKS THE SAME..MIMI IS PROOF OF THAT..SHE REMEMBERED EXACTLY HOW IT WORKED AND HER AND SAYLOR BAKED HER FIRST EVER RED VELVET FLAT CAKE...

MADDOX IS JUST LIKE ME AND WAS HAPPY TO OFFER TO OPEN HIS PRESENT LAST...THAT BOY HAS LOVED LEGOS FOR TWO YEARS..THAT IS ALL HE EVER ASKS FOR BESIDES A NERF GUN EVERY NOW AND THEN..BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S LEGOS LEGOS LEGOS LEGOS AND MORE LEGOS...

GRAND-DADDY TRIED TO HELP MADDOX PUT TOGETHER HIS LEGO BUT GRAND-DADDY BARELY GOT THRU BAG #1 AND THEN SCOTTJ HAD TO TAKE OVER...BUT GRAND-DADDY GETS A GOLD STAR FOR TRYING!!

THIS WAS THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING DAY TO DATE OF ALL TIME...EXCITED TO KEEP ADDING LIL' TRADITIONS TO OUR FAMILY THRU OUT THE YEARS TO COME..MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING!!

2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! DANG 2012'...WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?? THIS YEAR HAS FLOWN BY LIKE NONE OTHER...I THINK THE YEARS FLY BY QUICKER THE OLDER I GET...IT WOULD BE NICE IF THEY WOULD SLOW DOWN A LIL'..HARD TO BELIEVE THIS LIL' BOY WILL BE TURNING 8 AT THE END OF THE MONTH...HE LOOKS SO BIG TO ME!!

SO MUCH BLOGGING TO DO TO BE ABLE TO CATCH UP...CHRISTMAS EVE..CHRISTMAS DAY...MY BIRTHDAY...TRIP TO VIRGINIA...IT MAY TAKE ME A WHILE BUT I'LL GET THERE...FOR NOW..IT'S RESOLUTION TIME!! WHAT'S YOUR RESOLUTIONS?? HERE'S MINE......

2012 RESOLUTIONS

1.  GET BACK IN SHAPE

2.  GET RID OF ALL THE CLUTTER

3.  GET ORGANIZED (THIS COMES WITH RESOLUTION NUMBER 2)

4.  SAVE $40 A PAY CHECK AND PUT IT AWAY FOR CHRISTMAS 2012 (READ THIS TIP IN A MAGAZINE AND IT SOUNDED LIKE A GREAT IDEA).   

5.  READ MY CAMERA MANUAL

6.  DON'T HOLD ANY GRUDGES...FORGIVE OTHERS AND MOVE ON...LIFE IS WAY TOO SHORT!!!

I'M SURE I'LL THINK OF MORE..BUT FOR NOW...THAT'S A GOOD START..HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!!