Shy, Bossy & Promiscuous

I have to tell you a story about our evening tonight. We ended up going to McDonald's for dinner b/c Michael and I really weren't hungry enough to go anywhere big and this would give the kids a chance to play on their playground and run around a little bit.

Rachel has had an on-going fear of the tall-twisty slides at those places. It took a few years before she would ever go down it on her own but when she finally did she liked it... But recently she's gotten scared of them again and hasn't wanted to in a while. During dinner, Michael told Rachel that he wanted her to do it at least once before we left - and it would be best to do it at the beginning to get it over with - and she might just like it and want to do it more...

So, it's finally play time. There were several other kids running around playing - a few girls that seemed a little older. There was another family sitting on the other side of the room eating but we didn't really notice them much. Rachel tries to play the computer games, does the baby slide, everything she can to avoid going up the big one... She stays out of the way of the other girls, not wanting to talk to them. Michael finally convinces her to go up it and sure enough - she loves it. So, up she goes over and over. Jackson even got in on it and didn't have any fear going up to the top - with daddy of course.

While she's playing, I'm with Jackson on the floor watching him run around. Rachel pops out of the slide with a little boy right behind her and says "Mommy, I have a best friend! This is Charlie." I greeted Charlie and he gave me a high five. He was probably 4 I would say - looked a little younger than Rachel. Very polite though. They kept going up the stairs and down the slide together over and over. I let Rachel know she had 2 more times and it would be time to go so that she was prepared. After the last time she gets out and goes to get her shoes back on. I asked her if she told Charlie bye and she said no. The next thing I hear is Rachel yelling from the front of the play area "Charlie! Come down here real quick so I can tell you bye!!!" I thought she would have just yelled bye to him from where she was... The next thing I see is Charlie standing in front of Rachel, her arms are outstretched to give him a hug and he gives her a hug. And then out of nowhere, just as his mom is walking by watching them, Rachel lands a kiss right on his cheek!

My mouth dropped open just as his mom's did! I couldn't believe she just kissed this little boy! We all died laughing and they were really nice. But we did have that conversation in the car about only kissing family members and not strangers...

Michael wants to know if anyone knows of any good deals on shot guns...he may need one soon.

Shorter but Still Curly!

Well, today was the day I was dreading...Jackson's first haircut! I was so scared that this cute curls would be cut away...but it was just getting so long and hanging in his face...not so cute anymore. For example...


And this...

So, we get there this morning and sit him in the little car - which he liked. He was fine until she put the smock on him to keep the hair off. He did not like that!!!


But it took a second to get used to it and the fact that they put one on me too may have helped. Then he sat patiently and let her do her thing. He played with a few toys and moved his head around a little, but no more crying.







She only cut off about 1/2 inch to an inch all around therefore leaving 2 more curls on his hair!


This is Jackson with Ms. Shaundra. He did great! I asked if she thought once we cut off those other two curls all around if it would stay curly or that would be the end of it. She's not totally sure what will happen, but said he definitely has a strong curl pattern, so if it's not curly-curly, it will at least probably be wavy! So we'll see.


A few after shots - it's still curly - just a little shorter.


And the side...


And the back!
So, I am pleased. He did such a good job and he's still my curly-headed baby boy!

Posing Cousins

We tried our hardest to get some good pictures of the five kids...and boy is that difficult! Jackson never wants to sit still and have his picture taken, so that didn't help. Here are some of the good ones...

Christmas with the Family

We got to spend the most time with my brother and his family because we went everywhere together. This was really the first time that Rachel has been old enough and had time to play with her three cousins - Samuel, Anna Grace and Julia. And boy did she have fun! They played hide-and-seek so many times I couldn't count. She had the best time playing with all of them.

This was Rachel and AG hiding - Rachel thinks if she can't see you, that you can't see her... Ha!

Rachel and Uncle Jeremy...

Nana and the five grandkids...

The boys...

The girls...

Great Grandmother Perkins and the five great-grandkids...

Jackson on his new four-wheeler...

Taking some pictures in front of the pretty waterfall...

Christmas Time

We had a great Christmas this year. It was more like a Christmas week instead of Christmas day for us. But the good thing was that we got to see almost all of our family. We had Michael's side of the family over to our house on Christmas day and then we traveled around NC seeing my family for the next few days.

Here are Rachel and Jackson in their new Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve.


Christmas morning opening presents and seeing what Santa left.


Jackson loved Rachel's microphone about as much as she did!


Ready to shake her jingle bells!


He loves his new rocking horse!

Pretty princess!