Afton's First...

Pigtails!

There's Nothing Tastier Than Louisiana Strawberries In Season!

Ayden kept repeating, "Don't pick the green ones!"

Delicious!

Ayden's class and a few others took a trip to a strawberry farm in Springfield earlier this week.
We had a lot of fun picking and eating them right off the plant (no pesticides). It was good to see the kids get a little dirty and learn where strawberries come from. Of course Ayden started asking where apples, oranges, and grapes came from.
We ate as many as we could when we got home, then I attempted sugar free strawberry jam for the first time. I made 5 jars worth and it's not that bad. Thanks to my friend Maren for letting me use her camera since I forgot mine and to Janel for lending me the jamming supplies!

Blindsided In a Good Way

As most of you know, our eldest son is allergic to almost everything on this planet-all nuts, fish, grass, trees, dogs, cats, dust, roaches (yes they test for that) and the list goes on. For the past three years I have been working with his allergist to find the right medicines for him to survive without living in a bubble. Last year we finally found two nose sprays that work together to prevent him from having allergies (sinus wise) to prevent asthma attacks. Before that we went through so many different meds. resulting in a super-hyper-jittery boy-yes more than his normal energy level which is enough to handle as it is! For his test this week, we had to stop giving him his nose sprays for five days before we went in on Wednesday. I was nervous that he'd start wheezing and get sick, but he was breathing fine when they checked him! Then came the time for his annual back pricking and out of thirty+ tests, he only reacted to TWO-pecans and oak trees. My brain went berserk trying to compute this result, after the last two years of reactions. I couldn't just be happy at first. Of course I had a million questions, and the doctor kept telling me that 15-20% of kids with his type of allergies can grow out of them. His sensitivity levels are going down! I can't go shove a spoonful of peanut butter in his mouth just yet, and have to keep the epi pens handy, but we are headed in a GREAT direction. He is still considered allergic to all of those things so please keep being cautious with my boy, but after two consecutive years of no reaction, the Dr. will start experimenting with different foods to see how he handles them. I didn't expect this at all. I'm still trying to reprogram my brain. I'm going to try taking him off of his medicine (SHH! Don't tell on me!) and see how he does as soon as the pollen dies down some. Wish us luck.

Watch Out World, Here Comes Affie Baby!

Two big milestones happened for Afton this week. First, she learned how to get from crawling position to sitting up. The very next day she figured out how to pull to standing. The window pictures are actually her very first time doing it! I had the camera close enough to catch her in action. The GREAT thing is that when she loses her balance, she plops on her bum-bum instead of cracking her head open on our tile or wood floors.

What do you think is going through her head here?
Looking for daddy? A squirrel? The mailman? She's probably spotting a little rock or leaf that she will eat as soon as she gets let loose outside. (Speaking of eating non-food items: I found a tiny pink button in her poop the other day.)

I took out the boys' play piano for her to hold on to, which turned out to be a fun little jam session with her and Ian.

Here she is belting out a high note! Play it again, E.

Easter Report

We spent Saturday afternoon with my Aunt Odie. She went with me and Ayden to see "How To Train Your Dragon" in Real-D. She brought gifts for the boys and a beautiful smocked dress for Afton to wear on her first birthday coming soon. She helped us dye eggs and stayed for dinner. Aunt Videt and Uncle David came later that evening with lots of Easter gifts and candy. We had a great time hanging out with them all. It made me happy for my kids to have some quality time with my aunts. Thank you!

I felt the urge to bake and cook, so here's what I created over the weekend:
1. I made a copycat version of Lambert's Rolls
2. I made two loaves of honey whole wheat bread

3. Chicken and sausage gumbo

4. Spiral cut honey baked ham (this was actually on Sunday)

5. Whole wheat chocolate chip cookies

I took on most of those tasks because of my new gadget:

The good thing is that all of this lasted us until yesterday, and we're still picking at that ham.
I'm feeling very Betty Crocker-ish.

Easter morning that bunny came again and sent the boys on another scavenger hunt

That clue led them to the oak tree.
Clue #2: Where do you like to eat outside? the picnic table in our back yard.
#3: Where do you ride the bus to Chuck E. Cheese? the swing-set.
Final clue: Where do you dry your clothes?

The final destination was our DRYER where these baskets were waiting.
I think they enjoyed themselves.

Before I Forget the Details

Ayden has entered the prankster stage of life, but he makes himself pretty obvious. We just got home from school with his neighbor friend and I had to immediately go change Afton's diaper in her room. I could hear Ayden in the hallway whispering, "I'm going to trick her that it's a real cockroach." He has this roach on wheels that looks realistic, and he was trying to make it roll into the room. That didn't work out right, so he and his friend came tiptoeing into the room and he placed it on the ottoman, then they scurried away giggling. I waited long enough to make my discovery seem real and screamed a super girly scream and yelled for Ayden to get a paper towel for me. He and his buddy came running in proudly laughing and showing me that it was fake. After I left the room and they went about their business I heard him say, "That was amazing!" It was one of those moments a mom will never forget! I'm sure he will get more skilled and use live things in the near future. That won't be so cute.

Spring Break! Nowadays our vacations revolve around the school schedule.

*Please forgive the picture quality.
I forgot my camera and had to use the lame-o camcorder picture setting.*

We reserved a little cabin at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, AL. It was secluded, right by the beach AND Walmart. Who could ask for anything more?

This was our first trip to the beach since Ian was 3 months old.
He LOVED his first true beach experience. We all loved it!

We spent 3 days waking up, going to the beach, taking a long nap, cooking/eating dinner and going to bed EARLY. This was also the first vacation we planned without visiting or going along with any extended family since our honeymoon. It was a much needed restful vacation for our party of five.

Ian got caught in the action!

Afton DEVOURED the sand by the fist fulls. We gave up the battle and let her try it out; and you know what? She survived! We also gave up on trying to keep her paci clean. It's a battle you will always lose when you are in the middle of a gigantic sandbox!

We went out to eat one night at the world famous Lambert's Cafe. They throw rolls the size of Afton's head to everyone and walk around with pots of fried okra, cabbage, skillet potatoes, and/or black eyed peas IN ADDITION TO the dinner you order. While we waited for our table(it only took 20 minutes), the boys played on the big wooden train pictured below.

The train was also a great incentive to get the boys to eat all of their dinner.
They were begging to go back outside to play on it again!

Ayden finally got to go fishing!

Ian had to try too, of course.
We were a little nervous because there were signs up that said "do not feed or irritate the alligators" but again; we survived!

However, we didn't see this one coming!