It's Halloween Time!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Little Trivia

Hmmmmmm. Can you guess where Julia and Gavin were for this lovely photo op? What City and State?

Still going...

Still having too much fun and not enough time to post. Julia Bean is so much excitement rolled up into a supa hot package! We're touring, eating great Mexican, and too many Halloween costume parties to count! Be back soon!

Travelin' Bean has arrived!!

Aunt Julia "Bean" is here for a visit! We're having waaaaaay too much fun to post anything! Or even get dressed or clean up for that matter!

"Change Begins at Home"

My adorable friend BRYNN has passed along and bestowed this lovely award "Change begins at Home" with me. It started with this gal who states:

This is given to bloggers who live what they preach, who try to make the changes in their own lives that they would like to see in the world.

Thanks, Brynn...this has just inspired me to step it up a bit! I appreciate the motivation for improvement. Thanks, again! I also just happened to come across this in my email and I love it...it goes well with this award I believe. Most of you may have already read it before, but here goes:

By Author Unknown

It started to happen gradually. One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, 'Who is that with you, young fella? ''Nobody,' he shrugged.

Nobody?

The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only five, but as we crossed the street I thought, 'Oh my goodness, nobody?' I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family -- like 'Turn the TV down, please' -- and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, 'Would someone turn the TV down?'

Nothing.

Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours, and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, 'I'm ready to go when you are.' He just kept right on talking.

I'm invisible.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees. 'In the days ahead I would read -- no, devour -- the book. And I would discover what would become, for me, four life-changing truths after which I could pattern my work:

1. No one can say who built the great cathedrals -- we have no record of their names.

2. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

3. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

4. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

The End.

Powerful, no? I dedicate this post to all the mighty "cathedral builders" in the world. I also would like to pass this award on to these fine ladies that I look to for inspiration in the greatest build of our lives:

My dear friend Marni...who always has some reason why she has no blog yet ;-)

Michelle "Cheez"
Cherie Baby
my Sistaaaaaa Julia "Bean"

If you made this through this whole post, you deserve a treat...now go get yourself one!

Where is Thumbkin, Dance Away / Wheels Go Round

Reese is learning all sorts of fun preschool songs in her dance class and loves to come home and sing them for us. Her two favorites are "Where is Thumbkin?" and "The Wheels on the Bus"....her version, naturally. These are for you, Pa Haslam. Excuse their immodesty and disheveled hair...they had just come back in the house from playing with the water hose!

True to big brother (sibling) form, Gavin had to show Reese the correct way to sign the songs! I'll include it b.c he's just too cute not to! You think they're ready for one of my Disco Parties yet?

Mischief Bites Back!

I took A-L-L the kids in today to get their yearly check ups and shots for the two younger ones! Ouch! Not a fun day! Reese was real brave and volunteered to get her blood drawn and shots first. I was impressed. She did real well and didn't cry much. Caden did marvelous as well. I think he cried less than Reese. Gavin, who didn't need any shots this year (he's up to date) did have to have his finger pricked for the blood test. He cried like a baby!! We didn't hear the end of it until we left and he had a sucker in his mouth! What a wuss! I couldn't believe it!

In other check up news, Gavin is still our little man. He's in the 20th percentile for weight and height. Our pediatrician predicts he will be a whoppin' 5ft 8in as an adult! Didn't get that from my side, that's for sure! Reese surprised me the most. She was also 25th percentile for height and 60th percentile for weight and is predicted to grow to the grand stature of 5ft 2in!!! That's unbelievable to me. Crazy. We'll see what really happens. Caden was no surprise. He was 99th percentile for height and 70th percentile for weight. No kidding! The kid is HUGE!! He is only 3 inches away from being the same height as Reese! The pediatrician couldn't make a prediction based on growth trends for him yet...maybe next year. But he did say that he's on track for being a lot taller than his siblings! I have no doubt Caden will be able to keep up with Gavin in wrestling in no time! The hernia that he was born with is closing up satisfactory as well.

Here's a little video (hence title of our post) of Caden today getting into trouble:

He was ornery today! Understandable considering his day! This wasn't the first time he had gotten into the Halloween glitter. He had a little help from his sister just this past weekend. Oh, yes, glitter EVERYWHERE!!

-Sariah (who had to post under Christopher due to blogger problems!)

Reese's 3rd Birthday

I can't believe my little girl turned "3" today! Here is a glimpse of her Birthday celebration through pictures and video. This is the "Grandparent's Edition"...meaning REALLY LONG post and LOTS of pictures.

I had just finished getting Reese's hair done and I left the bathroom to finish up setting up for her 10am party. Upon returning, I found this:

She likes her privacy in the bathroom (don't we all?). Afterwards she had a pity party for a few minutes. Excitement overload had already begun! With all that make-up she put on, she had herself a "mom shoulder" on her left side. If anyone has had a hug by "mom" (Christopher's grandmother) they would know what I'm talking about! HA!

10 am arrived and that meant party time!

Reese wanted a Hello Kitty AND Dora the Explorer themed party. Therefore we had Dora and Hello Kitty party decorations with a Hello Kitty cake. I had to include this picture of Christopher and the cake b.c it looks as if he were picking his nose! Ha!


Look how great the cake turned out! (Sorry the picture was taken with poor lighting!) The picture does not do it justice! It was fabulous!

Christopher also did a fabulous job with the homemade decorations! Reese loved waking up to them!

Friends quickly arrived and the games began! Here the girls played "musical kitty" (like hot potato to music). They couldn't get enough of this game! Little girl parties are sooo much fun! All giggles and cute laughs...vs. little boy parties of running and yelling!

Next they played "Guess what's in Dora's Bag". That consisted of a backpack, the map, boots and Dora's bracelet put in a pillow case and the girls had to feel around and guess which item belonged to Dora.

Then we moved on to "Pin the Bow on Hello Kitty".

The girls did some Dora Activity coloring along with some Hello Kitty pages just before it was time to light the candles!

Here's a cute video of Reese (or was it?) blowing out her candles:

"Happy Birthday to me, I'm Three!"

Tastes so good with my Dora Ice Cream!

Time for the presents to be opened! Gavin was sure to offer his assistance whether needed or not! This was her doll house from us and accessories from Granna and Pa Lloyd!

Here is Reese and her Hello Kitty movie she got from Madison. The reason her face and movie are so blurred is that she went into hysterics when she saw the movie and got so excited she fell out of her chair!! It was soooo funny! She's such a nut!

Time for playing with all the toys! Putting the doll house accessories together!

Reese with all accessories in place. This picture looks similar to the model picture for Fisher Price, no? So much fun and this was without 4 more rooms that hadn't come yet from Grandma and Pa in Washington!

Even Caden got in on the dollhouse action. He was particularly fond of the car. He liked scootin' it around making monster car noises and ramming the stuffed Hello Kitty doll.

Reese and her "BFF" Madison made a "tent fort" and watched a movie! They did a great job! It was cute hearing them construct the fort and then giggle during the movie! What cute girls! They have been friends since they were both 7 to 8 months old!

Reese made sure that her babies were right with her and well looked after during movie time.

Our Birthday Girl needed to refuel before her Toys R Us birthday trip!

Refueled and at Toys R Us, this little girl was in pink toy heaven! So many to choose from, so little time to decide on the one.

I can buy one toy of whatever I want, right Daddy? So, how about a Pink Barbie Corvette?

Ok, I'll settle for this Dora chair and a movie, however, when my 16th Birthday comes around, I want the REAL pink corvette!!

Caden loved shopping with the Dora chair! Check him out:

After coming home from Toys R Us and Reese putting on MORE make-up (lovely shade of pink across her chin and cheeks!) Grandma and Pa Haslam's package arrived with Aunt Bean's presents too! She was happy to see the goods...it was like Christmas! She was spoiled!

Reese was loving more doll house room accessories! She quickly had them out of their boxes and in her doll house!

And lastly, but certainly not least, her Tinker Bell tin lunch box from Bean! She adores it and can't wait to use it on Tuesday for her Dance Class lunch!

Yes, Reese is 3 years old and her Birthday was a day she will not forget! So much so, she just might be disappointed come Christmas time! :-) Thanks for everyone that made her day so special!

Texas State Fair 2007

It's that time of year again! Every year we look forward to the Texas State Fair! True to the infamous Texas saying, "every thing's bigger in Texas", the State Fair does not disappoint and we are so lucky to live 20 minutes away! The fair has made a name recently for itself with the fried foods! Here's what you can find at the fair, just to name a few: deep-fried Oreo cookies; deep-fried Twinkies; deep-fried pork ribs; fried cheesecake; deep-fried peanut better, jelly, and banana sandwiches; and most recently a batter-based fried Coke! We stick with traditional foods, however. Fletcher's Corny dogs, cotton candy, nachos (chips shaped like Texas...of course), funnel cakes, taffy, ice cream, etc. Boring yes, but we don't have to go into cardiac arrest after we eat at the fair this way!

A few highlights this year were: Gavin rode on his first "big boy" roller coaster alone!! He looked like he wasn't sure he was having fun or not the first time around the loops but by the end of the second round he was screaming with delight!


"Bumble Bee" from the movie Transformers was on display at the Auto Show. Both Gavin and Christopher were freaking out, but for different reasons! Reese liked all the sports cars which also made Christopher very excited!

Reese won her first stuffed animal from the "shoot water from your water gun into the hole first" game! She squealed with delight as her lights were flashing signaling victory and Gavin simultaneously threw a fit!

The dog shows were a big hit for Caden this year. He freaked out when up close to any live animal. It was quite hilarious. It was also hilarious how he didn't take one nap all day...NOT!!

And the best part of the whole day was the overcast skies that were lingering from the storms the day before! It kept us cool (70's) and we were able to bust out some winter clothes...if even just for a day! (Today it was 91 again!)

Get Well Soon, Granna!

This past Monday we had planned on going to the Texas State Fair, however, Christopher's mother had to have an unexpected surgery. So, we hoped in the car and went down to East Texas to be with her and help her out a bit. The night before it had started storming and it hadn't let up by morning, so the kids had a fun time putting on their rain gear and playing in the puddles. Doesn't happen too much around here so it's a real treat when they can.




We were able to help around the house and get it ready for when "Granna" returns home and then we made the trip to her hospital. Reese was asking if Granna had just had a baby. Asking why she would think that, she responds, because she is in the hospital getting better. We had a good laugh! Gavin enjoyed parking right next to the hospital helicopter and watching Spongebob with Granna in her room! She should be home today. We hope you start feeling better real soon, Granna!

While down in Tyler, we went to see "mom", Christopher's Grandmother in her new place. After Gary's unexpected death she needed to be somewhere where people could look over her and she found just the place. It's a luxury assisted living place that just opened up. We went in, saw her new home (she was still unpacking), ate dinner with her in her little restaurant with all the other older ladies! It was great! We love you Mom and had a fabulous time visiting with you! Can't wait to see y'all again!