Brothers

I love learning about brothers.  I knew almost nothing about boys growing up.  I have 4 boy cousins, but they are all substantially younger so they were so much fun, but they did what Linde and I convinced them to do.  So, I really didn't learn about boys until I was an adult.
I learned to truly love little boys from our buddy David.  I got to play with he and his sister every Wednesday for a whole school year and I loved it.  Being with Katie and David meant they will both always hold a very special place in my heart.   I had always said when I had kids I wanted to have boys and girls but David made me mean it.
I was so nervous when then doctor announced that Avery was a boy, ask any NICU nurse about 36 week wimpy white boys.  But, my little wimpy white boy was a spitfire and did great!  I loved learning to be a mom with my sweet baby boy.  And, I was thrilled when Dr. Hagood announced Avery had a baby brother and Hank forever changed our world.
Brothers are so fun to watch together.  They are fun to watch explore the world.  They love to discover and go on treasure hunts together.  Every rock and stick are worth exploration, inspection and to be shown (but not necessarily shared) with your brother.

With a brother life is a team sport.  I can get the boys to do almost anything by asking Team Womble to do it.  Cleaning, playing, taking a bath, making a craft, brushing teeth.  Anything is better with your brother on your team!  The boys love to play sports together and accomplish a goal together.  I love the shared look of pride when they know they have done a great job.

Eating, or not eating as is often the case at our house, is so much better with your brother at a table just your size!  As soon as Hank was in a high chair we had to make the rule that brothers stay at the table with each other.  The buddies love to be together and I quickly learned that removing one from the equation meant the other would not be finishing his meal.  While it sometimes makes them crazy to wait for each other, I love that they always wait and leave the table together.  I also really love the breakfast and snack conversations, and the persuading that takes place when one brother is ready to go before the other.    

Roomies!  I love, love, love that our boys share a room.  I am sure one day they will come to feel that it is cruel and unusual punishment, but right now it is pure joy.  I love that they have total confidence going to bed with a brother by their side.  I love that they listen to each others prayers every night.  I love that they chat for just the right amount of time before they go to sleep at night.  I love that they come get mamma or daddy for each other when something isn't going the way they feel it should for each other.  I love that this room brings out a tenderness for each other that can go missing all day long!

I love my sister so much and have been blessed beyond measure by our relationship.  I was so worried about how to create something similar for my boys.  Lately I am learning that brothers are their own animal.  I can't imagine just walking by my sister and punching her for no good reason, but somehow among brothers that is no big deal.  I can't imagine sitting with my sister and saying poop and then dying laughing, but for brothers it is a love language I will never understand, or condone.  I can't imagine yelling Avery with the special tone Hank uses to convey extreme fury, or the precious way he can say thank you avery that makes me melt every, single time.  I wouldn't have thought to teach Hank to buckle his own carseat today, I thought he was too little, but Avery knew he was ready and took the time to do it.  I love that even though Avery can be the most cut throat, race to the finish line kid he also knows when Hank can't take it one more time and gives up his turn to help Hank out of a melt down.  I pray that somehow this extra special love hate relationship will stand the test of time and that my boys will always know they have each other!

Happy Memorial Day!!

Memorial Day weekend means it is time to head to the lake!

Saturday morning we loaded up and headed out. 

Sidebar-when I was pregnant with Sadie Jo I made Michael promise he would always make sure Hanky feels loved.  As two first borns we don't know what it feels like to be the middle.  I think he does a pretty good job!  

As soon as we got to the lake Aunt Linde got to work.  Please not the perfectly still baby girl.  Ridiculous!

Meme made sure that Mack and Sadie Jo pretty much never hit the ground.  She makes the littlest lake visitors the center of her world and they LOVE it!!

Sadie Jo found the water a little cool for her liking, but was more than happy to look the part!

 Captains of the ship!!

Avery Blake is SO not my kid.  Look at how high he is.  I was DYING, he came up with a huge grin and begging for more.  DARE DEVIL!!!

We also had so much fun seeing Honey's new redone digs and visiting Grandma and Grandad, but all those pictures are on Michael's phone.  Oops!

Vacation

We Wombles have a very busy summer planned!  Michael and I started it off right with a vacation!!! 

I clarify because a very wise friend explained to me the difference between a trip and a vacation, and this was truly a vacation!  We will save the trips for later this summer!  

Vacation-Travel for parents that isn't work!
A few weeks ago we loaded our bags, put out a few small treats for the grandmothers and great-grandmothers that made it all possible!!  (they were on a trip!)

Vacation-Celebrating something special!  (10 years of true love!)

Vacation-Eating all kinds of things that are totally against the rules.  (Like quesadillas and tacos for breakfast, not breakfast ones, the real deal!)

 And nachos and pizza for a snack.  And fruity drinks just for fun!

Vacation-Being entertained by someone other than your punkin kids, even though they are very entertaining.  Michael Jackson, y'all!!  He was so great and I think he sweated on me!!!

Vacation-Going to dinner night after night and only cutting up your own food!

Vacation=Perfection

You should go on one STAT.  You will miss your kids!  You will have so much fun!  Your kids will have a blast without you!  And, you can read a parenting book on the beach and come back feeling like a super mom!

 Trip=going on adventure walks

 Trip=making your own pizza

Trip=tea parties served by the biggest brother

So, if you want to go on a trip give us a jingle our hotel is always open.  And, if you want to go on a vacation we highly recommend Excellence all inclusive resorts!

My Kids Are Cute

I mean I know it's not nice to brag, but look at the greatness of Lisa Woods and my babies!!!

1 year old girl  

 Raspberries are a great trick

 Super hero skills

 Make a wish

 Flying high

 3 is terrific

 5 is funny

 Silly Hanky

Sadie Jo

8,760 hours
365days
12 months
1 year

I can't believe it.  I just can't.  One year ago today I couldn't believe it when Dr. Hagood said "it's a girl" and the whole OR started cheering.  I couldn't believe I got to have 3 healthy children.  I couldn't believe we had a baby girl.  And in many ways I still can't believe it.  Sadie Jo is a precious BABY girl, not a 1 year old girl.

Easter

We had a great day celebrating that "Jesus came back alive" as Hanky says!

And, we looked pretty good doing it :)

How cute are these punkin cousins?  Remember I told you who tiny miss priss is?  Mack is 6 months younger.  She might outweigh him, and his shoes are definitely bigger.  (Aren't both of their shoes so cute?  I love baby shoes!)  Don't tell her though, she totally thinks he is her baby and talks his ear off all the time!  

Our little family.  I am truly blessed beyond measure!  Even if I can't get all 5 of us smiling and looking.  

My little bow tie boys!   

Daddy's crew.  I love, love, love that he is their favorite person in the whole world!  I hope it never changes!

11 months

Say it ain't so!

I am SO not ready for this, but she's growing up! 

Sadie Jo is one precious 11 month old girl. 

She is a GREAT eater, despite the fact she tops the charts for weight at a whopping 4%.

She loves all orange veggies and even the green ones. 

She loves to sleep.  Sadly, third kids get woken up a lot to take someone somewhere or pick them up. 

She LOVES her brothers.  No one makes her laugh harder and no one protects her better. 

She loves her daddy. 

She loves herself, she smiles and says hi to her mirror every time I put her in her carseat.

She does not love standing.  Her hips are very flexible and it makes it hard to have the strength to stand. 

She does not love to be left alone, she is used to company.  

She does not love avocados and bananas, their texture is weird. 

She does not love water babies lately, not sure why it just started.  But, she's cute in her tankini.  

Pump IT UP!!!

Let me just say that if you are 3 and 5 life doesn't get much better than a Pump It Up Party!

I had to work on myself a little that I wasn't going all out with a theme and decorations, but it was the right choice for them and for me.  They had the time of their lives and I had a great time with very little effort!  I am officially a fan!'
Last Saturday we had the brothers Spider-Man birthday bouncing blast!

We need to say a special thank you to all our cousins, including poor Preston who's picture I missed.  I was very selfish and scheduled the party for right in the middle of nap time.  The littles were troopers!!

I have very few pictures of the boys because they were WAY too busy having fun to be interrupted for a picture!

I finally caved this year and let Avery invite some friends from his class at school and class at church.  I think he was pretty happy about it!  He held court at the cake table!

Birthday brothers!  I love that the buddies share some much including their birthday month! I hope they always enjoy celebrating both together and separately.

Cheese!

 I wonder what Avery was telling him?

Sadie Jo even donned a manly Spider-Man shirt for the big day!

Hopefully you enjoyed the VERY random snapshots of the party!  I wish I was a better photographer so I could capture how much fun the buddies had!  I loved watching them interact with each other, their friends and family.  They are 2 very blessed little boys.  I am interested to see how the brother birthday celebrations progress over the years.  I pray the boys always find a way to connect and enjoy each other during this special month in their lives.

As always we are so thankful for our family.  Not many kids get to have 4 grandparents, 4 aunts & uncles, and 4 great-grandparents at their birthday parties.  It means so much to Michael and me and I know some day the boys will know what a big deal it is for everyone to go to such effort for them.

And I have to say we have some pretty great friends.  This year it has been really fun to broaden the boys' circle at church to include friends their age, not just our friends kids.  I am also enjoying having an excuse to get to know families I have wanted to know better, but been to wimpy to do anything about really meeting.  It has also been so much fun to get to know some of the families in Avery's class at school.  I am never brave enough to reach out and meet people at school, but his class is so friendly and has other mothers that have done it for me.  He has made some really sweet friends and we enjoyed spending time with them, too!

What can I say it was a great day!

And the boys were so tired they were super still at church Sunday morning.  :)

5 Year Old Boy Celebrations

Avery had a pretty awesome birthday, especially since it was spread out over the weekend!
Saturday wasn't the prettiest day, but he still managed to have a lot of fun on his very last day of 4.

He climbed up in trees, with some help from daddy!

He took a shower, not a bath!  And, he wrapped his towel like a grown up instead of like a kid!

He had quality time with Aunt Linde, Uncle Jeff and Mack.  

He had a birthday dinner of sliders, black eyed peas, strawberries, chips and dip with an ice cold rootbeer to drink!  

He had a strawberry cupcake with with strawberry icing and 5 candle!

And he was an excellent sport when we all pretended not to know the happy birthday song for a good 5 minutes before we broke down and sang to him!  

Sunday was more fun for an officially 5 year old boy!
We had orange rolls for breakfast in the car on the way to church!  

He even got to open presents before church!  Isn't it sad he didn't like his present?

 Nap time was awesome courtesy of a new movie and new sleeping bags.

Avery picked Mi Cocina for lunch, thank goodness!  I was so afraid he would pick McDonald's since Chick Fil-A is closed on Sundays.  Our buddies the Reeses went with us, but I forgot to document the lunch.  And dinner and bingo at City Square was a great way to end the night, even if it was a little hard to not win at bingo.  But hey, they had oreos chips and hot dogs so it wasn't a bad deal!

And here are the thoughts of my 5 year old boy....

My favorite thing to say is Jesus is alive again now!
My favorite song is Jesus Loves Me
My favorite color is green
My favorite drink is sprite
My favorite food is chicken like at Old McDonald's and Chick Fil-A
I like to go eat at Mi Cocina
My favorite store is Super Target

The coolest person I know is Dad
The funniest person I know is Papa
The sweetest person I know is Mamma
When I am outside I love to shoot my bow and arrow
When I am inside I love to play board games
If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to Annalee and Evan's
I like to watch Hercules 
My friends are Katie and David and Brooks, Riley and Cade

My favorite thing to do with Daddy is Shoot at the target 
My favorite thing to do with Mamma is read Amelia Bedelia 
My favorite thing to do with Hanky is watch good TV shows
My favorite thing to do with Sadie Jo is make funny faces
My teachers are Ms Amy and Ms Lauren
I like when we play games
When I am 5 I hope to keep celebrating my birthday
I know that Jesus loves us
When I grow up I hope to be a dad that works at an office 

we sure do love our 5 year old boy!