Kuddos to Daddy

Curtis had big plans this morning to get up and take both kids with him to shop for Mother's Day, so he would be prepared for next weekend. They all got dressed and took off to shop for Mommy.  Emma could not wait until next weekend and was chomping at the bit as soon as they returned to give me my gifts.   We tried to talk her out of it but she just could not help herself.

Emma let me take a picture of the one that she picked out for me and she was so excited that it was all pink.  Gavin would not let me take his picture or hold one for me.  He does not like them at Christmas time when I display them, nor did he like them today.

I am sure you are asking why I got Santa Claus for Mother's Day. I have been collecting Mark Roberts Fairies for years and love them bunches. Each of my babies gave me a Mother's Day fairy. Emma's says, "You're the very best" and Gavin's says, "I love you Mom".

Since we are on the Fairy subject, I had to share this guy with you. This is the Bahamas Fairy that has been retired for many years.  I just found out about him 6 months ago and knew I had to have him in honor of our favorite place in the world, the Atlantis.  Curtis and I both started looking for him non stop, but had no luck unless we wanted to pay big $$$ for him.  I ended up getting in touch with Mark Robert's and they had one left that they were willing to part with and I jumped at the opportunity to snatch him up.   When he arrived, he ended up being a signed piece (look at his hand) and he is PERFECT and so detailed.  He is sunburned, wearing Bermuda shorts, his sunglasses and holding a parrot.  He is a perfect way for me to remember all the amazing times we have shared together in the Bahamas.  This guy will be atop my Mark Robert's Fairy Christmas tree this year for sure.  I have a bunch of these little guys that are hidden in garland, trees and wreaths during the most wonderful time of year.

Here is to the beginning of a great Mother's Day week and a Daddy that took his kiddos to help find the perfect gift today.  Looking forward to celebrating my two sweet babies who have taught me how to be a Mommy.

little boy & BIG SHOES!

This little guy can not be let out of our sight for more then a few minutes or he finds a way to get into something or climb somewhere he probably should not be.   Last night it got quiet and I did not see him, so I asked his Daddy if he knew where he was and about that time I heard CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP coming from our bedroom.

He was struggling to make his way up the hallway with his Daddy's shoes on his feet.  After falling, getting back up, taking a few steps, sitting down and putting them back on....he finally made it to us.  He was proud and it was cute.  Get ready Little Man because you've got some big shoes to fill!

I want to MARRY you!

Last night when Curtis got home from work Emma ran and greeted him at the door and shouted, "Hey Daddy" like she does everyday when she hears the garage door rise.   Of course he scooped her up as soon as he could sit his stuff down, twirled her around, hugged her, kissed her, asked her about her day and squeezed her tight again.  


After she wiggled loose from his tight squeeze that only a Daddy knows how to give, she grabbed him by the face with both his cheeks smashed between the palms of her chubby little hands and said, "I am going to marry you when I get big". As soon as she said it she got really embarrassed and buried her head deep in his shoulder.  I don't have to tell you that her Daddy was grinning from ear to ear.  This just might have been one of the sweetest little moments I have seen the two of them share.  It was cute, it was sweet and it is something I never want to forget.  Just like her Momma, she is a big Daddy's girl too and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Easter Day

First cousins ready for the egg hunt.  I did not manage to get one good picture of my kids in their Easter outfits much less a great picture of them all day.  The pictures I did get make me smile because they are so them and they were ready to get down and dirty from the start.

Gavin did not wear a shirt after lunch for the entire day.  Both of my kids would prefer to just run around naked and barefoot everyday if we would let them.

I would say we had close to 100 eggs for the kids to hunt.  There was about $50 stuffed inside random eggs broken up in change, $1 and $5 bills.   Emma was so funny, she refused to pick up any plastic eggs and only searched for the dozen hard boiled eggs we made the night before.   We tried to talk her into getting some plastic ones, but she was not having it at all.

When the kids sat down to go through their eggs it did not seem to bother Emma at all that she did not get any candy or money, she was totally content with her real eggs.  Of course Gavin brought Buzz along with him on his egg hunting adventure.

Hunter and Camryn had a blast hunting eggs, playing with their cousins and flooding the yard with my kiddos.  I must say that Hunter was our entertainment for the day with all his witty little comments that kept us in stitches.

You would have thought these two were at a water park the way they squealed, laughed and played in the water faucet.  They love each other so much and Emma worships the ground Camryn walks on and can never seem to get enough of her big cousin.

The faucet did not keep Emma satisfied forever, so she decided to roll around on the ground like a little pig in a mud puddle.  Good thing they did not wear their good clothes outside, right?   Did not take long for the boys to see what they were missing out on and they joined in the fun.  I love the picture of all 4 of them together, reminds me of "Red rover, red rover....let trouble come over".  These four are a mess, but greatly loved by each other and the rest of us.

Eggs, Baskets & Jesus!

Life has us so busy these days that we did not start coloring eggs until 8:30 last night, but at least we got it done.  Emma was so excited to color eggs and Gavin kept calling it an Easter Party.

Emma was so neat and tidy in her coloring efforts and wanted to make sure that each egg got the same amount of color time and attention.

This little guy did not waste any time TOSSING his eggs in the color, lifting them out with his hands, spilling the color, trying to drink some of the dye and rolling them out when he was finished.  He was super excited and was covered in dye by the end of the project.

We decided that we would not go overboard on Easter and told our kids these baskets were a surprise from Mommy & Daddy.   We opted for practical things in their baskets which included bath foam, shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, vitamins, band aids, a couple pieces of candy, a Nemo water toy and a bag of cookies. 

Both our kiddos were very excited about their baskets and seemed to enjoy all the little things we placed in them.  We spent our entire weekend talking to them about Jesus being the true meaning we celebrate Easter.  Emma has a very good understanding and hangs onto every word we say about him.  We had a great day and pray that you and yours did also.

Breakfast with the Bunny

We headed out bright and early this morning to dine with this big floppy eared fella.  We did not know what Gavin would think of him but it did not take us long to find out once we arrived.

Emma ran right up to him and was happy as could be, now Gavin on the other hand was shaking in his flip flops.  We promised him over and over again that we would not make him sit with the Easter Bunny, however we did have him sneak up behind them to try and get a shot.  Gavin must have smelled him coming and when he noticed him he went to dive off the bench they were sitting on so we decided enough was enough.  So there you have it, The Frazier Four 2011 Easter picture. 

We decided to hang out around the restaurant for a couple more hours, ride the train, carousel, see the animal exhibit, stand in amazement staring at the white tigers and walk around.  The kiddos did great and seemed to really enjoy themselves.

Daddy thought there was height limit on the Ferris wheel, but we were all able to get on and enjoy the ride.  Gavin was a little nervous and he sat in the seat for about 5 seconds before crawling up around my neck and holding on for dear life as we sat high above the city enjoying the scenery.

Such a sweet sight to watch my kiddos go round and round on the carousel.  Emma opted for a dolphin with a pink seat and Gavin got to ride an alligator.  This picture gets me super excited about our upcoming summer vacation and watching these two experience things they have never seen before.

Yep, my son sported a PINK linen shirt today and I loved it.  When I was getting him dressed his SASSY big sister decided to shout out, "ooohhhh Mom, Gavin is wearing a girls shirt." That was IT, he went to ripping and pulling on that shirt, screaming and crying, ran to his room and grabbed the pajama top to his Buzz Lightyear pajamas and demanded to wear it.   I almost let him to keep the peace, but I decided to take the pink shirt off of him and let him ride to breakfast shirtless.  Thank goodness he took a nap, so by the time we arrived to breakfast with the bunny and he woke up he did not mind putting it back on again (I threatened Emma not to mention it).   I was in SHOCK that he was able to comprehend what Emma had said about his shirt and have such a meltdown about not wearing it. At the end of our outing I whispered to him, "real men wear pink buddy" and he gave me a sweet little smile.

A great day was had by all, now it is time to head to the store for tomorrows goodies and then color some Easter eggs and talk about the real meaning of Easter. 

I never want to forget that this year Emma has lots of questions about Easter and why, "those mean horrible people nailed Jesus to the cross and how sad he must have been that day."  She is happy that it gives us a chance to go to Heaven, but she is concerned and tells me, "Mom, I don't want to go to Heaven for a long long time." Oh how I love that Emma and Gavin are so in love with sweet Jesus and often times remind me to pray before meals. 

Feeling super blessed this weekend and every day of the year for that matter.  Looking forward to a simple little Easter Sunday with our families tomorrow.

Practicing for Summer

Gearing up to make summer time fun for my kiddos and activity packed.   Oh how we are looking forward to summer in the Frazier household.   One of the great things about my career is the 6 weeks I get off to spend with these 2 cuties! 

The Frazier Four are not much for sitting around the house without a plan, so I am starting to fill the pages of our summer calendar with play dates, bike rides, splash pad visits, weekly field trips with friends, swim lessons, art class, gymnastics, trips to the library, dance, trips to the pool, vacation, the zoo, children's museum, driveway fun and some good ole backyard play.  I'd rather be on the go with these two everyday then have them parked on the couch in front of the TV.  The truth is, we all get cabin fever if we have to stay in the house for a day.



This little table will be home to lots of summer meals and sharing popsicles with friends.  My  kiddos could not wait, they decided this morning would be a great time to start.   Gavin is especially excited because he got to pour his water in with his cereal and eat it up (yucky).  

Oh Summertime how we have missed you, only 8 more weeks and the real fun begins.  For now, we will practice!

Blessed Beyond Measure

We just got home from Dance and Emma got her FIRST Recital costume and we are both so excited.  I could not help but thank God out loud once again for the blessing of being a Mommy to a sweet little girl.  Emma is practicing so hard for her upcoming recital and is so attentive every time she has class.  She loves to hear her teacher tell her she has done a great job and enjoys her recital partner Mia.   They will be doing a ballet routine to "It's a Small World" and I am preparing myself to cry like a baby when I see my little ballerina on stage.  We are so proud of Emma and her commitment to complete her first year of dance.  There were days she was not happy and days that she was full of excitement to go to dance, but she stuck it out and after 10 months (first 4 were hard) of class she loves it.

So while I love bows, ballet slippers, Matilda Jane, Tiny Toms, purses, dress up clothes, head bands and dolls galore I also have a weak spot for cars, truck, airplanes, Buzz Light year, balls, trains and all things that remind me of the littlest man in my life.  Gavin keeps us on our toes and running behind him at all times, but I would not want it any other way.  God gave me exactly what I ask for a girl and a boy, I just can't imagine that it gets any better than the life I am living today.

Our home is filled with sweet, sassy, toughness, hugs, kisses, climbing, running, jumping, hiding, sad days, happy days, fits, runny noses, coughs, breathing treatments, biting, hitting,  time out and so much more.  The most important of all is LAUGHTER.   Our life is not perfect, there are days I love my kids more than I ever imagined and there are days I need a break.

As for today, I am grateful for so much but I am especially thankful that I am the Mommy to a little girl and a little boy.   Who  knows what God has in store for us, but one thing is for sure...on days like today my heart is happy. 

7th grade + 27 years = BFF

Last night we celebrated my BFF and her husband of 17 years Birthdays and Anniversary!  We hopped on a party bus filled with 20 people and headed out to a Piano Bar for the evening.  This was the first time since Emma's birth that my children have ever been left at night for us to go and do anything.  It was super hard for me to do this, but we had a great time.   Nana came to our house to keep all 4 of her grandchildren and they had a slumber party filled with bubbles, bubble machine, pizza, movies, backyard play and snow cones.   Sweet Nana even scrubbed our house till it shined too, what a nice surprise. 

Here is the BIRTHDAY GIRL (aka  BFF).  You name it we have been through it all together!  She is MOMMY of the YEAR to three beautiful little girls and is the best SAHM I know.   We are so different in so many ways, yet she has always been so supportive of my career, my family, my dreams and helped me accomplish my goals.  Seriously, at this point we are family and all 5 of our kiddos are going to be real disappointed one day when they realize I am not really their Aunt and vice versa.

My husband was hilarious last night, I mean this guy is super duper funny and provided us with lots of entertainment.

We were so excited that my sweet SIL joined us last night while her 2 kiddos slumbered with their favorite cousins.  They all love each other so much and cherish the time they get to spend with one another.

All in all, it was a great night and we had loads of laughs and fun.  I told Curtis this morning that I really enjoyed my time out, but that would carry me through the next 5 years.  Perhaps I have become a homebody, but I really do enjoy just spending time with the rest of The Frazier Four!

46 Months ~ Emma Lou!

Only 2 more months sweet girl and you will officially be 4 years old!   Where in the world has the time gone?   Everything about you is amazing and what a blessing you are to all that have the priviledge of spending time with you.  You are truly an old soul and there is nothing I would change about that or you.   

I love you more than you will ever know Emma  Caroline, yep even more than you love sweet Tilda Girl.  I can not wait to watch you turn 4 years old, thank you for being so "Berry Sweet"!

Brighter days ahead

My baby girl has not felt good lately between allergies, asthma and add a little bronchitis to the list.  Sweet girl had a pretty bad asthma attack Sunday night that lasted for about 4 hours. 

She does not really need us to help her with her breathing treatments anymore, she seems to have it down pat.  Emma loves to pop the top off the medicine, squeeze it into machine, screw the cap back on, put the mask on her face and turn on the machine.   

She seems to be content for about 45 seconds then she starts asking, "how much longer?"  As soon as the smoke stops coming out she decides it is time to turn the machine off and be on her merry little way.  I don't blame you baby girl, I would not want to waste my time on breathing treatments either.

We hope you get to feeling better soon and get back to your spunky, sassy and sweet little self Emma Lou!

Finally {sigh}

We have been going back and forth for months about our family vacation this summer.  I am relieved tonight because plans have been made, itinerary is set and everything is booked!  Woo-Hoo, that is a huge accomplishment for us.

I can not wait to travel with the THREE people I love the most for 8 nights and 9 days, it is going to be big fun.  Nothing I love more on vacation than spending uninterrupted time with these guys.  They are a blast to travel with and are all troopers when it comes to rising early and making the most of our days.  So much fun to be had, now just counting down the days (74 to be exact) and riding my bike to get in shape.

The Frazier Four will be creating new memories this summer that will last a lifetime!

Sibling Farm Party

 

Happy 4th Birthday Brook and happy 1st Birthday Luke. We love you guys and are so thankful for your friendships! You guys had the BEST Birthday party ever.So glad we could celebrate such a special day with both of you.

Today we got to spend the day celebrating Emma's besties 4th birthday and her little brothers 1st!  Crazy to me that both of these kiddos are turning four and one.  Their Mommy chose to do both of their parties together since they were both born in the month of April.  It was a great party and there was so much for all the kids to do.

They had a petting zoo (the best I had ever seen), 2 moonwalks, a play system, playhouse, a pinata and riding toys.  It was big fun and my kids did not want to leave.  They ran and played for 4 hours straight and had a blast being in the country. 

This little girl was in animal heaven from the second she walked in until all these animals left.  She tried to pick up every single animal in the pen and nearly succeeded.  She really loved the baby chicks, goats and rabbits. 



Oh my heart just smiles every time I see how much she loves animals.  After the farm animals left, she spent the rest of her time holding Brook's dog Mia.

Gavin is not as gentle with the animals as his big sister and it takes him a little while to warm up to all of them.  I think the owner of the petting zoo was praying every time he would go after one of her animals.  Look at the way he is holding that poor chicken in the 1st picture (feet in the air, ha ha).  He refused to hold one of the turtles and I begged and begged him.  He spent alot of his time brushing one of the little ponies that was just a wee bit bigger than him.   I was surprised that he asked me to ride the pony, but he was such a big boy and got up on it and rode by himself.  He fell in love with that pony fast and screamed and cried when it was time to get off.  He was the last to ride, so he followed the pony all the way back to the trailer and just cried and cried saying, "my pony, my pony".



Brook and Luke got the most ADORABLE playhouse for their birthdays. At one point I looked over to it and Emma talked Gavin into going inside and then she LOCKED him in for about 20 minutes.  Poor little fella was standing at the window yelling "Emmmmmaaaaaa, Emmmmmmaaaaa, Emmmmmma".  It was funny and she finally let him out.

We had a great time at this party and the Locascio house was perfect for a farm party.  My kids love the freedom of a big huge yard, a super long driveway and land to roam freely on.  Thank you so much for a super fun party and for letting us share your special day with each of you.

The Pirate ~ 25 months

"Look Momma, I a pirate" and "Look Daddy, I a pirate".....sword swinging, lip snarling and arrrrggggg yelling are only a few things this little boy is doing these days to let us know he is a PIRATE indeed.  Gavin has suddenly become real interested in pirates and tells us everyday that he is a pirate.  It is super cute until he starts swinging his sword around and it hits one of us.

Time seems to be going by so quickly these days that sometimes it is hard to believe that April is here and this little boy is not a baby anymore.   When I say he is all boy, I mean he  is all BOY and there is no slowing him down or stopping him from sun up to sun down. 

Happy 25 month Birthday baby boy ~ We love you to the moon & back!