Three Year Old Check Up

Gavin had his 3 year old check up Monday and he was quite the character, like always.  He walked in the pediatrician's office with his hand covering his mouth shouting, "I don't want you to swab my throat" and if he said it once, he said it twenty more times.  Poor kid has had his share of strep throat and is far to familiar with the throat swabbing.  After the receptionist, nurse and Dr. all promised there would be no swabbing he finally settled down.

Gavin came in at a whopping 38.5" and 40 pounds, he is one healthy little boy.  Everything looked great and he passed his eye exam successfully.  They were unsure if he would be able to complete the eye exam and identify all of his shapes.  He was required to cover each eye and identify the following shapes (behind them I will list his responses) because I thought they were so brilliant.

Cup - My Daddy's coffee cup

Star- Twinkle little star

Heart - A Valentine

Circle -  A letter and a circle

Sailboat- Pirate ship

Ear- Ear to hear

There were several more shapes he had to identify, but these are the ones that stuck in my head.  I loved that he was able to elaborate and be so creative with his responses and the nurse was pretty impressed too.

Gavin did decide to "punch" his sister in the belly during his exam with the Dr. because she thought it would be a good idea to whisper in his ear, "you are getting shots today buddy".  I immediately corrected his behavior and asked him to tell Emma he was sorry.  He responded, "nope, she told me I am getting shots, that is not nice Momma".  So maybe the "punch" was deserved, but geez this boy didn't have to do it in front of the Dr.

We have really focused on potty training this Spring Break and it is going well.   Gavin's drawers are filled with boxer briefs and he is well on his way to eliminating diapers completely.  I have learned that for this process to be successful, we MUST stay home and if you know me at all you know I am not one for staying put too long and neither are my kiddos.  When we are at home Gavin is awesome about using the potty. 

Our strategy has been pretty simple.  Timer set for 30 minutes, gold chocolate coins and a smiley face on his sheet for the day.  So far, we have only had ONE sad face this Spring Break and that happened on the tile floor (better than the carpet or furniture, right?). Well, and maybe he got in the bathtub tonight and shouted, "I went tee tee in the bathtub Dad, for real".

Emma has been so encouraging and helpful with Gavin this week and is so PROUD of him when he goes to the potty.  She races to the pantry door to draw the happy face before I get to it.  I think it might have something to do with using a hi lighter, opposed to the normal washable marker she usually has in her hand.

You love to play with the toilet paper, rip it off the roll, tear it into little pieces and flush it down the commode.  Matter of fact you screamed for me to come to the bathroom today and you had torn little pieces up and put them all over your private area.  You were laughing hysterically and you said, "look Momma (pointed to your private area) I have feathers on it, just like the chickens at the Rodeo".  Yep, it really did look like feathers silly boy.

We are so PROUD of you Gavin and know that you are so proud of yourself every time you get another gold coin and happy face.  Keep up the good work and keep the feathers where they belong BIG BOY!

Pirate Grub & Loot

One of my very favorite parts of my kiddos birthday celebrations is singing Happy Birthday to them and watching them blow out their candles.  I love to watch their "what do I do now" faces as they look around at all the folks that have gathered to celebrate another year of their precious little life. 

Gavin had been trying to poke his chubby little fingers in this cake all morning.  Look at how intently he is looking at me hunting for the perfect spot to put his candle.

He could not wait to huff, puff and blow out the THREE red candles Mommy picked out for him. I know I am a little partial, but I just think he has one of the cutest and sweetest faces I have ever laid eyes on.

Time to sing Happy Birthday and Gavin was pleased to lead us and sing right along.  He continued to smile the entire time we/he sang until it was time to blow out his candles.  No way was he gonna let down the 40+ of us that were staring at him. 

He was determined that he could get them blown out and I am almost certain he prearranged for his big sister to assist if he started to struggle.

How do I know you ask?  Look at her puffy little cheeks trying to help him out from a foot away.  Sweet girl, she wanted her brother's wish to come true so she was trying to lend him a hand, I mean hook.

We knew he could do it and would be so proud of himself after he had blown all 1-2-3 of them out.  I knew you would NEVER give up and I hope you always deal with every situation with that determination and attitude.

We were so PROUD of you and celebrated you once again, you were officially a THREE year old.

Time to move on to the loot and you got so many cute things from family and friends.  I had high hopes of you sitting atop ths ottoman while opening your gifts, but that lasted through about 1 present being opened.

You were so super excited about your gifts and could not bear the thought of being perched on that ottoman.

You loved all of your gifts and were so appreciative of everything you received.  Jacob & Papa each gave you a birthday card with $2.00 cash in it.  That $2.00 from Papa means a whole lot more now then it did to me a week ago.

You made everyone feel like their gift was the best of all each time you opened a new one.  You were very appreciative and made Mommy so proud when I ask you to thank everyone for coming to your party.  You stood up like a big boy and said, "thank you for coming to my pirate party and thank you for my presents".  You are a real trooper Gavin and I enjoyed every second of watching you get your "grub & loot on".

Swashbucklin' Mateys

No pirate party is complete without a bunch of little buccaneers running wild on the deck.  It was so nice to have less kiddos running around in our house and backyard this year.

These two know how to have a good time and are going to do it no matter who is around.  Emma seemed to enjoy her brother's party as much as he did.  All week long she talked to Gavin about his party.

Four of the cutest little pirates on board that day.   Kain digging for gold, Miss getting ready for the sword fight, Emma Lou showing off her face paint and sweet Callen smiling and enjoying the fun.

Emma was so excited that Mrs. Jenny (our first Nanny), Tori and David got to join us.  The Foxworth children have grown so much, but they are still the sweetest kids ever.  

Our sweet friend Lauren and Paisley smiling and I am sure exhausted from the long drive in from the country.

Me and the best HS Sophomore in the world.  Ashlyn is one of the greatest and most responsible HS students I have ever come across (and she is beautiful too).

Brynlee and Chance were not interested in becoming a pirate, but Mr. Maddox did not mind wearing his pirate gear at all.  We get to celebrate Brynlee and her twin brother Chance's 3rd birthday tomorrow.

Alana is a sweet girl and I am so glad she got to celebrate Gavin's birthday with us this year.  All the little pirates are swinging in their pirate gear.

Walk the plank Addy & Emma Lou, you guys look great and are concentrating so hard.

Our pirate ship was ready to set sail and we enjoyed it as much as the kiddos.  My BFF from 7th grade who will be joining the "40" club with me this year, she is OLDER therefore she will have a couple months to tell me how it feels!!!

My sweet birthday boy finally dug long enough to find some gold, little does he know he is the real TREASURE!

Ninety Years

Tonight our family struggles to say Good-bye to my ninety year old grandfather, the only grandfather I have ever known.   The grandfather that raised my Mom, walked me 1/2 way down the aisle at my wedding, traveled to see me every week when I was in college, taught me so much about family, was never afraid to cry and has loved our family unconditionally.  There are not enough words to describe the life my Papa has lived.

This comes as a suprise to all of us because Papa has always been so healthy, active and loved life.  The last 4 months he has not been feeling good, but we just credited that to age.  Last week he started sleeping alot at the assisted living home and my Mom became concerened.  After bloodwork, we discovered that his calcium was low and on Friday he was admitted to the hospital.

After many test and IV fluids his calcium level has improved, but his blood is not clotting, he is losing tons of blood, they have found an aneurysm in his aorta, a blood clot in his chest and there is not much that can be done.  He is unable to survive surgery, so the time has come for Papa to meet Jesus face to face and reunite with my Nanny, his three boys, his siblings and his parents.   

I am so heartbroken, but what an incredible legacy he will leave behind through his 2 living daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.  The man is the most amazing grandfather and father that anyone could ever ask for and  has always put his family and God first.

Oh the things I have learned from this man in my 39 years of life and oh the things I am going to miss about him when he is gone.  For my own selfish reasons I do not want to let go, however I do not want him to suffer.  He has supported me, he has loved me, he has blessed my marriage, he has adored my husband, he has loved my kids and for that I will always be grateful.

This afternoon I went to the hospital and I rubbed his head, played with his hair, held his hand and talked to him as if it might be my last time.  We had a great conversation and we kissed like we always do.  I told him I loved him and he was the best grandfather we could ever ask for. I ask him if he was tired and he said yes.  When I questioned what was on his mind, he told me his grandkids. I asked if he was afraid and he told me yes. I told him that he had lived an amazing life and he was a good father, grandfather and man. I told him I loved him again, he smiled.  I told him not to be scared, that he was in the right place. I talked to him about going home and he assured me he was ready.  I told him I loved him some more. I asked was he ready to see my Nanny and his three boys and he told me yes.  I promised him I would take care of my mother and we would not let her do without anything. I told him I loved him so much. I asked him to smile, he did so proudly.  I showed him the ballerina picture Emma colored and read her sweet message on the back, "I love you Papa, Please get well, Love Frazier 4".  I told him I would come back to see him again, praying I get the opportunity.  I told him it was okay for him to go, that we would all be okay and we were better people for knowing him. I told him I loved him so much and I left.

I left wondering if I would see him again, but at peace that I said everything I wanted him to know and confident he understood every single word. I love this man and I am so happy that I got to see him this evening and got to hold his hand and stroke his head one more time. So grateful for the man that God hand picked to be my grandfather in 1921.  I love him and no doubt, he loves me!

Yo Ho Yo ~ A Pirate Party

Arr mateys, this Mommy is going to have to break this Pirate Shin-dig up into a couple different post so it isn't quite so long.  Thinking it will go a little something like this...

Yo ho ho ~ A Pirate Party for Me

My Matey Family & Friends

Cake & Gifts

Our Pirate Boy

So let's get this party started me hardy.  These pirate parents swabbed the deck for a while to plan the perfect little pirate party for our littlest buccaneer.

The invitation that invited all Gavin's mateys to the swash buckling fun at sea.   This year we cut our invitation list in half and it ended up being the best thing we did.  Not that we do not love having lots of folks join us to celebrate our kiddos, however it just got very chaotic having so many people and left little time for us to enjoy our kids and the company.

Gavin's big gift from us was this pirate ship that is so detailed and so much fun.  Daddy spent a couple hours assembling it and is convinced he is capable of building a real ship after this one.  Our little man loved this and it served as a great centerpiece for our craft table during the party.

Every year on our kid's birthdays we put this wooden cake in the yard and tie balloons to it.  It has become a special little tradition and I look forward to passing it down to them one day when they have children of their own.

Our foyer was decked out in pirate loot from the top of the deck to the bottom.  The great thing about this party was having so much of the decor.  We have been collecting stuff for over a year to create the perfect big boy pirate room for Gavin, so all of it came in handy when he declared he was having a pirate party.

A party would not be complete at our house without a candy bar with lots of junk.   The jars were filled with gold coins, gummy sharks, animal crackers, pirate booty, eye patches, compasses, skittle, M&M's and more.  I ordered these chocolate gold coins and had one side stamped with Happy 3rd Birthday and the other side stamped with a whimsical pirate ship. 

The cake table is always my favorite part of our parties.  I love cakes, cupcakes, ice cream and all the little details that make it complete.  I was so excited when I found the weight that had "3T" on it, the perfect finishing touch.

We had the cake done to coordinate with the invitation and it turned out so stinkin' cute.  Our cupcakes were from Sam's and we even had the little blue ones (water) in the pirate boats floating around.  I love all the details that bring a party together, can you tell?

I went the simple route on food (and cheap) this go around.  We served our guest pizza, Pirate Island fruit in a pirate ship (waffle bowl),  Pirate Canons (cheese balls), cake, cupcakes, ice cream, juice, IBC Root Beer and milk.

We decorated our crooked house like a pirate shack and the little pirates were able to "Walk the Plank" right outside their front deck.  Emma is secretly hoping we leave the plank outside all summer, she thought it was the greatest thing ever. 

"You, my little pirate Arrr the treasure" and indeed you are Gavin Thomas Frazier.  We had this sign made for his room and it worked out perfect for the mantle on his special day.  

Check out that balloon pirate ship that we were able to get inside of during the party.  Our pirate face painter/clown made it and delivered it to Gavin before the party.  She was scheduled to do a magic show and treasure hunt for pennies, but we ran out of time after all the face painting.

Each little pirate made their way to get dressed in the cutest little pirate garb and grabbed a sword for a huge sword fight.  It was a blast to watch all the kiddos and adults play with these.

Every good pirate needs a treasure map and balloons, right?  We had these little maps all over our fence line and at the end of the party the kids were running around looking for the hidden treasures.

We turned our Rainbow play scape into a pirates ship that allowed the kids to sail the seven seas.

Last, we had a Pirate Dig set up for the kids to dig through the sand in hopes of finding a golden treasure.  Balloons, balloons and more balloons.  Check out that net full of dinner for all the little pirates to chow down on before bed time.

This my friends is what life is all about at the end of a birthday party.  A happy little PIRATE, super excited to be THREE years old and so thankful for the special people who joined him on his magical day.  Gavin's party actually fell on his real birthday this year, yay!

  Gavin, it was a JOY to do all of this for you sweet boy. 

Happy THIRD Birthday!

We celebrated Gavin's 3rd Birthday today with our closest group of family and friends and it was the PERFECT day.  My little man was so happy and truly enjoyed every second of his party.   This is the 7th birthday party I have thrown for my kids and it has been one of my favorite by far.  Instead of our usual 80+ guest, we had about 40 people join us and it was awesome.  It was so nice to be able to visit with everyone and play with the kiddos, especially the birthday boy.

The last 3 years has gone by way to fast and I remember every detail of March 3rd, 2009 like it was yesterday.  I was so eager to meet this little boy and obviously he was eager to meet me, since he broke my water and joined us earlier than we expected.  Little did I know THREE years ago today how much this little boy would change my life forever.  He has taught me to be a better Mommy, wife, educator and christian, for that I am grateful.

Yo, Ho, Yo..A Pirates Life for Me! Yep, it was a fun little pirate party filled with good food, sweets, costumes, sword fights, friends, family, gifts and facepainting.  The little pirates even got to walk the plank and dig for gold.  

Oh Matey, what a blessing it is to be a part of The Frazier Four and be loved the way these folks love me.   My little boy was so sweet today as he played, blew out his candles, thanked everyone for coming and kissed me night night. 

To say I am smitten is an understatement, I am down right crazy about this kid and admire his love for life.  I hope you had the best birthday ever my little pirate, I am so glad God picked me to be your pirate Mommy.  It is a big job, but one that I am so proud to do day after day.

Happy THIRD Birthday Gavin Thomas, I love you more than you will ever understand.  It is safe to say that you are my very favorite pirate that the rough sea has to offer.

Go Texan Day @ MDO

My sweet babies were happy to gallop out the door this morning in their Go Texan gear.  They were not really wanting their Mommy to have the camera in their faces this early, but I had to get a couple shots of all their cuteness.



Oh sweet girl, remind me to tell you the story about this little dress one day (2 trips to the post office, homeless people and 5 o'clock in the morning).  It was worth it because no doubt you will be one of the cutest little cowgirls in the pasture today.  

You my little man continue to put a smile on my face daily.  You exemplify what it means to love life to the fullest and you love being a cowboy.   When I saw you in this outfit my heart hurt because it made me realize that I miss my Daddy so much and he would have been beyond smitten with you and your sister.  Oh Gavin, you look just like him, act just like him and love life the way he did.

I have said it hundreds of times, but I would have given anything for you guys to have known the "GREATEST MAN I HAVE EVER KNOWN" this side of heaven.   My Daddy was a real cowboy and so today would have been special for him to see you guys honoring the life he lived.  No doubt he is smiling in heaven today and probably has the crowd around him laughing hysterically.

After numerous attempts it is safe to say that sibling pictures are almost impossible these days.  Gavin was yelling "giddy up" in this one pretending to ride a horse and Emma was trying to be the Momma hen and make him stand still.

Thanking God for my little cowpokes today, praying for so many and looking forward to celebrating Gavin's THIRD birthday tomorrow with those we love the most!