Silly Quotes by Adilyn

Lately Adilyn has been giving us some attitude, but she still makes me laugh on a daily basis, so it's really hard to stay mad at her for too long!
Here are some funny things that she has said lately.
*"At school we some tomato chips, I really like tomato chips." - It took me a while to figure out that tomato = potato.
*We saw a car wreck, and she asked what happened. I told her that two cars hit each other. Her response, "Why them two cars fighting?"
*"Mama, them cows have horns. That's silly. Cows don't wear horns, that won't work."
*"Mama, why does Mickey have black ears? Our ears aren't black."
*"Kacy, I'm gonna pank your bootie!"
*"I can't swim; I'm not tall enough."
*"I like to eat at Taco Bananas because it's pink." Taco Banana = Taco Cabana
*I asked her where she wanted to go for her birthday dinner; she replied, "Anywhere that will give me a grilled cheese."
*She thinks pig tails are "pink" tails.
*At night we have to "talk about our days" as she says, in which we go through all the exciting events that happened to us.
*We saw this really big, tough looking guy in a purple shirt the other day. She said, "Why that boy wearing a purple shirt? Purple is a girl color."
*I wrapped her up in a Texans towel the other day, of course it was red and blue. She cried, "I don't want the boy one, I want the girl towel." So, we had to trade it in for a towel with flowers on it...
*Every morning when I get her from her room she asks, "Where we goin' today?" She always asks like she is expecting some really fantastic plans.

Kacy, at 11 1/2 months

Kacy is growing up so fast! When I think back to Adilyn's first year, I was so amazed by every new thing she did. Then, I compare that to Kacy's first year, and it's not even close. I know that is typical for the second child, but I really thought that I would still be so amazed and excited by everything. I have just been so busy this year, her beautiful milestones have gone under the radar a bit.

At 11 1/2 months, Kacy is crawling everywhere, quick! She pulls up on anything she can grab. She loves to "kiss", which is just her putting her wide open mouth on my face. She is a great sleeper, but when she is tired, she is tired! She loves food! I have yet to find anything she won't eat. She made faces at peaches, but she still shoveled them in. Avocadoes were a little slippery for her, but she focused and got them. She loves my "fake meat", but she also loves the real deal, too!

Some things I love about Kacy...

*She loves to get right up in your face. She has no "personal bubble."

*She "talks" a lot, and every now and then she will just sing and coo and talk like she is having a conversation with you.

*She is obsessed with phones and remote controls.

*She is so determined. When she sees something that she wants, she will crawl and fight to get it.

*She is smiles at everyone who looks at her, but she saves her biggest smiles for Cory.

*She loves when Cory turns on his hot rod or anything else loud.

*She has started grabbing on to me when we get close to the car. It's like if she holds on tight enough, I won't put her in the car seat.

*When she gets excited she bounces up and down or kicks her feet like crazy!

*She is starting to fight back when Adilyn is mean to her. I hate to stop it because sometimes Adilyn deserves it! :)

*She is always so happy and so adventurous. She will start crawling around, and she doesn't care where we are. We were playing in a sandbox the other day, and before we knew it she had crawled to the other side and was playing with a toy that she had spotted.

*When I try to take something away from her, she puts a death grip on it and screams!

*She tries to stand up on everything. She tries to crawl on and off of everything, and it doesn't seem like anything scares her.

She is going to be my little daredevil; I love her sweet spirit and her determination!

My 3 Year Old

Miss Sassy Pants trying on my bathing suit!

My baby girl turned 3 today. 3 years ago at this time, I was sitting in a hospital bed with this little baby in my arms not knowing what in the world I was going to do with her. That whole day was such a whirlwind, but I will never forget that night. I wanted to hold her all night long, so I got all set up in my bed with my pillows all around her. Cory got his couch bed all set up, and he fell right to sleep. It started to rain, and the moon was shining in the room. I was completely overwhelmed by emotion as I listened to Cory's familiar snoring, Adilyn's sweet breathing, and the rain gently falling on the window. I just couldn't believe that I had been so lucky to experience all of this! Brings tears to my eyes now, as I remember it like it was yesterday!


In the last 3 years, Adilyn has certainly taught me many things. Like how easy it is to love your child with unconditional love even when they kick you square in the jaw, or when they are on the ground throwing a fit over wanting juice when you gave them milk. I have never had anyone that I loved so much make me so ridiculously angry!

She has also taught me how to master the art of distraction. My strong-willed girl has gone through phases of not wanting to wear certain shoes, not wanting her diaper changed, or not wanting to get in her car seat. I quickly learned that if I asked her silly questions, she would lay still while I completed the task at hand. Questions like: What color is Goofy's hat? Where does Mickey live? Who does Mommy love? Where is Daddy? Where is Kacy? Where is Willow? and on, and on, and on....

Another thing that I have learned from Adilyn is that when a kid is potty training, and they say they need to go to the bathroom. Stop what you are doing, no matter how important, and let them go!

One more thing that my firstborn has taught me is that even though kids may seem sweet and innocent, they can be very manipulative! Adilyn has recently started asking Cory for things after I have just told her that she couldn't have it. When I respond, "Adilyn, I just told you that you couldn't have that." She says, "I'm asking Daddy!" Also, she learned at a very young age that it was hard for me to leave her room at bedtime if she kept asking for hugs and kisses. I mean, how can you refuse that?!? Being the intelligent one that I am, I instituted the "blowing kisses and blowing hugs at the door" routine.

I have also learned that it is very hard to "stick to your guns" on certain topics. It's hard to not give her the cookie when she is on the ground kicking and screaming after I told her she couldn't have one, but I know that every interaction we have, no matter how small establishes boundaries that will last a lifetime. I want Adilyn to love and respect me, but I also want her to know that I am the boss! :)

Beyond all those silly things, Adilyn has taught me how to love beyond any love that I have ever known or ever imagined. I have been shown a lot of love in my life, and I feel that I have given a lot of love in return. But nothing can ever compare to the love that you have for a child. No matter how mad they make you, none of that ever changes the unconditional love that you have for them.


Addy at age 3! She is...

*Silly! The girl likes to be silly. She likes to laugh and joke around. Once she starts laughing, you can really get her going!

*Naked! As shown in the pictures below, Adilyn likes being naked. She likes showing me her bootie, and she likes to walk out of the bathroom with her shorts pulled down. When I tell her to pull them up, she fakes like she's trying and says, "I can't do it!"

*Stubborn! She will get something in her mind, and she will not let it go! She once wanted a jelly bean. After I told her she couldn't have one, she proceeded to pull her stool to the pantry. She reached as high as she could (I had put them on a shelf that I thought was completely out of reach), and she knocked over a jar of pasta sauce and it hit her in the head...all in the pursuit of a jelly bean.

*Moody! She will be laughing one minute, then yelling. Before you know it she is crying, then laughing again...I can only imagine what the teenage years will bring!

*Creative! She loves to paint and make things. She went through a serious "cutting shapes" phase a while ago. Now she is just back to markers and painting.

*Nervous! She doesn't like parks with "too many peoples". She walks cautiously when we go to new places, and usually wants me to hold her. You know she's nervous when those fingers go in her mouth! I am glad that she is a little tenative because then she is not in people's space all the time, but I wish she would be a little more comfortable playing with new kids. Believe me, I'd take a nervous kid any day over one that went up and talked to strangers all the time.

*Helpful! She is my diaper getter, my paper towel getter, my toy picker upper, and my Kacy watcher. (I have told her that if it ever looks like Kacy is touching something dangerous while I'm distracted or busy to yell, "Danger! Danger!") Her teacher also told me that she always helps kids at school if they fall down or need something. So sweet!

*A crazy snacker! She loves her Cheetos and pretzels! The girl could live on snacks if I let her!



I love you, Adilyn! You make me a better, more patient person everyday! I am proud to be your mother, and I look forward to spending our life making more memories and having fun together!



Shirtless Adilyn pretending to fly like a butterfly!

Adilyn in a box!

Swim Lessons

Adilyn did a two week swim lesson at Houston Swim Club. She has always loved the water, but she has never loved putting her face or head under the water. I tried to work with her each summer, and she would have so much fun playing and splashing. The minute I dunked her, all fun ended for those minutes. When we started the lessons, I was concerned that she would totally freak out and not even get in the water, but she did very well. Although she cried almost every lesson (off and on), she always did what they told her to. Through her tears, she learned to float on her back and dive for rings. Amazingly, she never fully resisted. It was rough for us to watch, but we have come to realize that our sweet Adilyn is just a cryer. Anytime she gets nervous or uneasy, she cries. Anytime she doesn't get her way, she cries. Anytime she gets scared, she cries. I firmly believe that through the swim lessons, she was not that upset or scared; she was just nervous. There was only one day that my heart was breaking for her because she looked so scared. It was probably the roughest 30 minutes that I have had to endure. The very next day, she only teared up a few times. She always talked positively about the lessons, and she never once said that she didn't want to go back. The techniques that they used were a little different, but they really seemed to work! By the end of the two weeks, Adilyn willingly put her head in the water, floated on her back by herself, fipped over from her back to grab the edge of the pool, and went to the bottom of the pool to get rings. My little "guppy" graduated to a "goldfish"! She was so proud of herself, and each night at bedtime she would say, "Mama, talk to me about my swim lessons." The true test will be howshe acts when she is in the pool with me this summer!

Here she is floating, her Achille's heel. She always wanted to sit up, and when she did that, she would sink!

My Husband

Most of my blogs are about our girls because, let's be honest, our world pretty much does revolve around them. I thought I would give a little update on me and Cory. First of all, Cory has been working with his company for over 3 years now. I remember when he first took the job, we had a lengthy conversation about the fact that there may be some travel involved. Both of us knew that there could be some travel, but I think we both secretly hoped and believed that it wouldn't be that big of a deal. While I was pregnant with Adilyn, he had to travel to Michigan quite a bit, but once she was born he actually was able to work from home a lot that summer. I still remember him working at the kitchen table, computers everywhere, papers scattered around, on a conference call with the dogs barking and little Addy screaming bloody murder. That must have been pretty rough for him. It was great to have him home those first few months as a new mom! Once his Michigan project ended, he went for about 6 months with no project at all. Luckily, at that point, his company still paid him even if he wasn't actively on a project. Those were the days...for him more than me, but still. He was here, and we were a sweet little family of 3.
Last year, he got a project in Minnesota. The company wanted him there most of the time. As luck would have it, the project started right as summer ended. This meant that Adilyn and I would be on our own for the beginning of the school year. At that time, Adilyn was fully into being a typical two year old. She was literally attached to my hip from the time that I picked her up until the time that we went to bed. I cooked dinner, cleaned the kitchen, and did whatever other chores that had to be done with Adilyn pretty much in my back pocket! It was pretty rough. Luckily, I found a great babysitter, Caitlin, who watched Addy on game nights. We did have a few extra stressful moments! One of the most stressful for me was when Adilyn got sick on the night of the biggest game of the season, so I had to stay home with her, and then bring her up to school with me while we waited for Cory to get there. He came straight there from the airport just in time! In the end, we won, so I guess the stress was good luck. After that project was over, he was gone off and on to California and doing some other things. Then, things started to change at his company, and no longer would he be paid if he was not on a project. Now, instead of hoping that he would be off a project so he could be home with us, we were hoping for any job, anywhere! Nothing seemed to be coming on the horizon, so we were getting nervous. Being the guy he is, he couldn't just sit around the house. He decided to do some handyman work with our neighbor, so the poor guy was outside building fences, fixing siding, and various other random work. We made it through those weeks without a paycheck pretty easily.

Just as summer was ending, he got a call about a project in Sacramento. It was to start August 1 and go through the end of October. Awesome, because that is the exact length of volleyball season. Here I am, now with two little ones. We couldn't complain because there was no way that we would have been able to pay for daycare with two, so he started the project. We got into our little routine. Cory would leave at 4:30am Monday morning, and he would return around 1:30am on Thursday night. We would have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday together, and start it all again on Monday morning. My babysitter came over on my game nights, and one other night to keep me sane! We "Skyped" sometimes at night, and Adilyn would talk to him and show him all her toys. We had it all down. October came and went, and the project continued, and continued, and continued. In fact, it's now May, and he is still going there. I think that he was home for about ten weeks or less this entire school year. It's been rough, but we have dealt with it. I have to keep reminding myself that there are people that are a lot worse off than me. I'm just glad that I didn't know in August that he was going to be gone all this time! I think I would have had a panic attack right there!

Anyway, all that being said, he is looking at switching companies sometime soon. Will there be travel? Probably. Will there be steady paychecks? Definitely. Will we be able to deal with whatever comes our way? Absolutely.

Violence has erupted...

Yeah, they look sweet right now. Look as those faces - all smiles and sweet hugs! Unfortunately, all those hugs are quickly turning to hair pulling, scratches, and punches. I was always so thankful that Adilyn was never "violent" to Kacy as a baby. For some reason when we were all so peaceful living together for those first few months, I tricked myself into thinking it would be that way for our life. Now as Kacy is pulling Adilyn's hair, and Adilyn is pushing Kacy down when she tries to crawl, I realize that in between our sweet smiles and hugs there will most likely be just as many huge arguments. Here we go!

Easter 2010

We had a great Easter this year. Adilyn woke up to "something super silly" - the Easter Bunny had left a "string hunt". My mom used to do those for us when I was a kid. There is string all over the house, and in certain spots, there are small presents. She had a great time following the string, and she kept saying, "There is something silly going on!" It was really cute. After we got the Easter baskets, we quickly got ready for lunch at Grandmother Henderson's house. I bought Adilyn and Kacy Easter dresses, but I wasn't sure if she would want to wear it. Boy, was I surprised! The girl loved it. She twirled around and kept talking about how pretty her dress was. It had a slippery lining, and she kept saying how it was so "slipperly" - yes that's how she says it.

After we had a wonderful lunch, we had our egg hunt. Unfortunately, Adilyn didn't really understand the concept of hiding, then finding. She wanted to come out with me and watch me hide them. I told her to at least cover her eyes, so she covered them, but of course, was peeking through her fingers. Even though she saw me put the eggs in all the secretive spots, she still had fun collecting them and putting them in her bucket. She even shared a couple with Kacy.

It was a great day. Each and every holiday just gets more and more fun to celebrate with my two beautiful girls!