Strawberry Shortcake

We are counting the days in our house until we get to celebrate this "Berry" special girls FOURTH birthday.  By now all the invites have reached our guest, so I wanted to document the big event and share this adorable invitation that our photographer put together.  We are so blessed to have Darla as our photographer, friend, mentor, after hours physician and Grandmother by choice.

When Emma announced 6 months ago that she wanted a Strawberry Shortcake party I got super excited because I was a Strawberry Shortcake kid myself.   I can still remember all my figurines, strawberry houses and that sweet smell like it was yesterday.  My very favorite was my doll that blew a strawberry kiss at me when I squeezed her belly.

Emma's FOUR year old photo shoot was a BLAST.  I loaded up everything pink I could find including her PBK stove, pink milk, serving tray, strawberries, shortcake, cool whip, mixing bowls, measuring cups, wooden spoons and we had a "BERRY" good time watching her make her very own Strawberry Shortcakes while a little vintage SS doll watched from a measuring cup on the stove.   Every little detail was thought out down to the clock on the stove that was set at  2:00, the time her party will begin.  Bless her heart, she was such a trooper but could barely restrain from licking her fingers, nibbling on strawberries, sneaking drinks of pink milk and sucking cool whip right outta the can.

All of the pictures turned out so cute and truly detailed every aspect of her "hugonic" personality.  "Hugonic" seems to be one of her favorite four year old words these days (big, large, huge, gigantic).   So the countdown is on, only 5 more days till we get to sing Happy Birthday to this "Berry Sweet" FOUR year old.

You are my Sunshine!

Today begins the week of this little girls FOURTH Birthday party and she is super excited.  Mommy has lots of work to do this week to get ready for her "BERRY" special day.

She had big fun at the Carnes pool yesterday and has a little sun on her cheeks to prove it.   Even after FOUR applications of sunscreen she managed to get pink faced.  Mommy might need to start searching for a higher SPF for our summer vacation, since we plan to spend 10 days in the sunshine.

So thankful for those that died serving our country

 praying for their families

 and hoping for peace in our great Nation today and always!

Happy Memorial Day

Silly little BOY

This little boy laughs nonstop and he pretty much keeps me laughing all the time too.  How is it possible that a two year old can be so hilarious?

This boy has more energy than everyone in the household combined.  He never stops running, screaming, climbing or finding something to get into.

He loves to run around and scream, "YOU CAN"T CATCH ME" and take off while laughing hysterically.  If you do not get up and chase him, he comes right back around and says it again.  Of course I love to hear him yell it, so I wait before I comply with his request.

His imagination runs wild just like his Big Sister and he is ALL boy!  He thought it was really funny to lay down and pretend to swim tonight. 

Only 2 more days and Mommy says goodbye to her students and HELLO to summer.  I can not wait to explore summer with my 2 and almost 4 year old.  It is going to be fun.

Silly but Cute!

Such a silly picture but Gavin became a BIG Boy today in the haircutting department.  Gavin has been having his haircut since he was almost a year old and some days it is good and others it is CRAZY!!!!  Up to date he has probably had about 10+ cuts and today was a good experience for all of us.  The hairdresser we use gets the honor of keeping the entire Frazier Four trimmed up.

The boy has tons of hair and it is thick.  Thank goodness both my kiddos ended up with great hair and no crazy cowlicks, well except this little swirly thing in the back of his head (we will take it because when his hair is fixed you don't notice it).

Mommy took Gavin to get his haircut today after we dropped Daddy and Big Sister off at Target to do the shopping.  He was super excited to go in and screamed, "Hi Mrs. Julie" when we walked in the door.   She had dumdum suckers waiting on him.  So with one in his mouth and four in his chubby hand she quickly went to work.   She has been using the clippers on Gavin from the beginning and today he did not flinch when she pulled them out.  After she finished she said, "I can not wait till I can square that bottom part off."  Hmmmm....what better time, today!  So, my baby boy has a big boy haircut and it is so cute.  He sat as still as could be (of course he was on dumdum number 3 at this point) and let Mrs. Julie do her thing.

Such a little thing, but it is so stinking cute and I love looking at it as he runs through the house screaming "Buzz Lightyear to the rescue".  Pretty little head for a pretty little boy that had to wear a pretty little helmet at one time, don't ya think?

3 years & 11 months

To say she is excited about turning FOUR is a huge understatement, she is just downright GIDDY about it and counting down the days.  She loves to remind me daily that she is almost four and then she will put her hand over her mouth and say, "Mom we are not suppose to talk about it because I know it makes you  very sad".   I love to give her a hard time, pick her up and tell her that I do not want her to get any bigger and I am going to sprinkle fairy dust on her where she remains this size forever.  She always grabs my face and squeezes it saying, "But I have to turn, 4 then 5 then 6, but no matter how big I get I will always love you and remember your face". 

I spent some time last week looking back through my blog and reminiscing the birth and journey of both my children.  Completely amazing to me how quickly both of them have grown and how their little personalities have developed.  I can not explain how thankful I am that I have journaled and documented so many little details about them.  There are times I could have blogged more or got sidetracked, but the things I have managed to squeeze in take me right back to those days and I love it.

We will be celebrating Emma's 4th Birthday 10 days early due to her first dance recital and she doesn't mind at all.  She has already said that means she gets 2 birthdays, one with everyone and one with our family at Olive Garden on the real day.  Yep, she knows how to work it doesn't she? 

Her birthday will be a BERRY SWEET event with Strawberry Shortcake and her friends.  She requested and old school strawberry shortcake party, not the new teenager looking Strawberry Shortcake.  It has been a blast to plan and hunt for things because there is nothing out there.  I would have given anything if my Mom had saved my dolls, berry happy home and strawberry carrying case.  I can still remember the smell when I squeezed her belly 30 years ago and she blew me a strawberry kiss.

This kid amazes me more and more every single day.  She has the biggest heart I have ever seen, so much compassion for others and animals, interested in saving the world, constantly thinking of others,  dreams of big things, is happy all the time, can pretend to the point she thinks it is real, enjoys the company of friends, affectionate beyond belief, constantly talks about Jesus, the biggest Daddy's girl, a lover of JUNK food, longs for playtime with her cousins, organized and routine to a fault, worships the ground I walk on, loves new adventures, protects her little brother, wise beyond her years, an old soul and loves like there is no tomorrow. 

Emma Caroline, there is not one single thing about you we do not love like crazy.  You are an amazing little girl that has filled our home with so much laughter and joy.  I look forward to your hugs when you wake up every single morning and praying with you every single night, the things that happen in between are always an added bonus.  No doubt in our minds you are going to do HUGE things with your life and one thing is for sure, we will be on the sidelines cheering you on sweet girl.  You  make it so incredibly easy to love you!  Guess what?  You are almost FOUR!

Best Mother's Day Ever!

We have just finished up the most wonderful Mother's Day weekend I have ever experienced with my family. Started yesterday with a great lunch and finished tonight when I prayed with both of my sweet children and tucked their tired little bodies in bed.

I ended up working last night to help supervise our drill team end of year Stage Show.  I knew something was going on when Emma was wanting me to head out the door because she had big plans with her Daddy.  Curtis must have gotten really brave and took both kids to the store and baked with them too.

When I got home at 9:15, Curtis met me at the door and told me to close my eyes and go straight to my room.  They were still working hard on the sweetest little surprise.

Emma picked out what they would bake and she did most of it herself with Daddy reading the directions.  I was so excited that Curtis took pictures of them doing this so I could see the process and how hard my sweet girl worked.

The end result was pink cupcakes, pink icing, tiara cupcake toppers and sprinkles.  I am not really sure my husband has ever baked anything before, so this was super special to me.

Mother's Day to me is spending time with my two kiddos, loving them up, making new memories as a family and that is exactly what I got to do today. We live in a great neighborhood that has miles and miles of trails and beautiful scenery to take in along the way. So this morning we opted for a 4 mile walk and pushed the kiddos in their cars.  Emma was going to ride her bike, but I think we have finally convinced Daddy she is in need of a bigger bike.

We stopped at the park and played for about an hour and then we continued to walk to our neighborhood McDonald's and have lunch.  Not very healthy but it was fun and the kids loved that we walked there.  I enjoyed a burger, fries and a Dr. Pepper (figured I would walk it off by the time we got back home).

The park happened to be beside one of our pools/splash pads and the kids really wanted to swim, however Mommy forgot to pick up the pool tags last week and they were no longer allowing us to use the 2010 ones.  Gavin and I walked around to the front of the pool thinking the lifeguards would be one of my students and we could get special permission to come back and swim.  Good idea except the first kid I saw was one I placed in ISS (In school suspension) last week for skipping class.   I knew what the answer would be as soon as I saw his face and sure enough he said, "Mrs. Frazier, do you have your pool tags?"  Ha ha, guess he got the last laugh.

We really did not have any concrete plans for the day, but I had been talking about going to the beach and even called a hotel yesterday to see if we could rent a Cabana for the day.  After hearing that it was $375 for the day, I decided that probably was not the best idea.  When I realized that we did not have our pool tags, Curtis started thinking about what would be fun for us to do. 

When we got home from our walk he grabbed his IPAD and started searching the web.  He told me he was running to buy a swimming pool and he would be back, so I put the kids down for a short nap.  When Daddy returned we decided to create our own version of PARADISE in the backyard.

Being the party lover that I am, I had lots of stuff on hand to create our own little beach getaway for the day.  Daddy actually started creating our private oasis and I chimed in with the final touches.  I wanted it to be so cute when the kids got up because today was about me celebrating them too, after all they are the reason I am a MOMMY!

Daddy got the table, chairs and water tables set up while I dug for some beach goodies to add the final touches.

We had plenty of water toys, hung our towels out and set up a bucket full of water, diet drinks, Capri sun and Popsicles.

Daddy blew up the pool, filled it with water and made sure that it was on top of a tarp to avoid any holes.

When Emma and Gavin woke up they were so excited to get in and had a splashing good time.  They played on their kick boards, tried out their new goggles, beat on the drums, rode on Daddy's back and splashed Mommy.

Daddy had went to the store earlier and bought pizza and ice, so we had Di Giorno's pizza and cupcakes for dinner and it was yummy.  It was a day jam packed with junk food and it was one that we all enjoyed.  It was a long day, but it was a great one.

Gavin had a major meltdown when it was time to come in and ended up screaming for about 30 minutes straight.   I must say that I enjoyed it because when he calmed down he came and crawled in my lap and I got to hold and rock him for about 30 minutes, which does not happen often.  Our day ended with hugs, kisses and thanking God for a great day.

We will celebrate with my Mom and MIL soon, but today was a day spent as The Frazier Four and I enjoyed every second of having my sweet babies all to myself.

Today was a day of reflection for me and one that was filled with an array of different emotions.  So grateful for the life I have been blessed with and the gift of being a Mommy, heartbroken for the motherless, sad for those struggling with infertility, praying for those with sick Moms, speechless for those that have babies in heaven and excited for those that are expecting. 

Being a Mom is the hardest job in the world, at the same time the most rewarding job I have ever done in my life.  I am so grateful that God has given me the opportunity and trusted me to be the Mommy to Emma & Gavin.  I am not a perfect Mommy in anyway, but I try hard to make things perfect for both of them day after day. I strive to be fair and provide them both with equal amounts of hugs and love.  There are days when one needs more than the other, so I will remain grateful that they both need me. 

Thank you Curtis, Emma and Gavin for an amazing day, for loving me and allowing me to love each one of you.

Handmade with Love

My favorite gifts ever are the ones that are made with the 4 sweetest little hands I know.  My kiddos greeted me at the door with these yesterday and were so excited to honor their Mommy with such handmade goodness.  These little flowerpots along with lots of hugs and kisses are PRICELESS to me.

Some of the sweetest words I have heard were at lunch today where we celebrated early in order to beat the crowds.  Gavin and Emma both told me over and over again, Happy Mother's Day / Happy Mudder's Day! 

I was one proud Momma when several people came by and talked to my kiddos and their charming little personalities emerged.  Several people commented on how funny and animated they both are and I would have to agree.  These two kiddos have amazing personalities that I just adore. I truly feel like everyday is my day because I have been OVERLY blessed with the most amazing little girl and boy in the world to spend my days laughing and loving.  If I could be anything in this world, I would still choose to be a Frazier Four!

Double Bubble Trouble!

These TWO sure make life worthwhile for me as a MOMMY!  No matter how tired I might be, how stressed I can become or what I have going on, these TWO can ALWAYS put a smile on my face and remind me that God is in charge of all things. 

How to Really Love Motherhood

 

Remember to breathe. Deeply & often. Name

those feelings as they fly through your heart.

When your children are beastly & scream I HATE

YOU (& they will) think of the warm sweetness

of their tiny bodies when they were just

new.THIS TOO SHALL PASS & far too quickly.

Let the dishes pile up & have a party instead.

Laugh A LOT. Go puddle jumping & cloud busting.

Build forts & climb trees. Spend rainy days in

bed snuggling & sunny days outside adventuring.

Sing loudly & off-key. Dance like MANIACS!

Butterfly kisses & bear hugs cure broken

hearts.Tell them they can be ANYTHING.

Tell yourself too. Now believe it.

And don’t forget to breathe......

I woke up this morning to this sweet reminder from a dear friend that put a smile on my face and joy in my heart.  I needed this reminder and hung onto the words as I read every last one of them.   Some of these things come easy to me as a Mommy and others are more difficult.  One thing is for sure, the time is flying by and I do not want to miss a single thing.  I want my kids to always look back and recall vivid memories of our home being a fun place to be that was filled with love.  A home where they were allowed to play and have as many friends over as we had seat belts to go around in the car.  A home where they were allowed to paint, chase one another, scream and if they brought mud in from outside it was okay.  A home where they were hugged more than they ever wished, praised more than they needed, encouraged to dream of the impossible and loved like there was no tomorrow! 

We {heart} our TEACHERS!

The school administrator in me should not be waiting till the last day of the week to honor my children's MDO teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week, but tomorrow will be the day the Frazier Four will say "Thank You" to the eight people who make life a little sweeter for us.   

We are overly blessed with ladies that truly love and care about our children.  Everyday they greet them with a warm smile, a big hug, a you can do it, a pat on the back, a storybook to read, a prayer to say, a lesson to  learn, a craft to make, an activity to explore, a christian environment, a song to sing, a rope to jump, a center for creative play and an I love you at the end of everyday.

Our kids are in a very structured environment from 9-12 daily where they are engaged in some kind of activity and educational experience that has proven to pay off after 3 years with Emma and 1 year with Gavin.  They are very well rounded, so eager to learn, extremely creative and very social thanks to the interactions they have daily at MDO.  We are super appreciative of all the ladies who work hard with our kids on a daily basis and  provide us with the peace of mind we need when we are at work all day. 

Our kiddos will be returning to the same school next year where Emma will be a Pre K student and Gavin will be in the 2 year old classroom.  They will only attend in the morning and sweet Kain (our Nanny's 1 year old) will be joining them in the toddler room.   So our life will remain smooth sailing with our Nanny and she will have 3 kiddos, 3 backpacks and 3 hands to hold at noon everyday when she picks them up.

One of the things that is so important to me as a working Momma is that I am able to remain involved in my children's education, parties and ongoing activities.  So far Curtis & I have been able to attend and be a part of every little detail which makes things much easier on me.

We chose to honor our teachers with a mason jar filled with refrigerator magnets, flowers and a Chik Fil A gift card.  Emma helped me assemble all of eight of them and is super excited to deliver them in the morning.  I can not take credit for this idea, I actually borrowed it from a magazine I saw a while back and thought it would be fun and cute for the kids to help create them.

So even though we have waited till the last minute to say "Thank you" to some very special ladies, we hope they know that we appreciate every single one of them in a very special way.

26 Months

Happy 26 month old birthday G-Man!  You are such and active little fella and I am looking forward to spending my summer days with you big boy.

You picked and gave me this little flower in your tiny hand while we were playing at the splash pad.  I look  forward to spending my life with you and all the flowers you will pick for me along the way.  I love you more than you will ever know!