Razorback Tailgating

While the Razorback season has been less than enjoyable this year, we have still had fun tailgating with friends! Last week at the Alabama tailgate, we hung out with a lot of old friends that we hadn't seen in a while.

Tailgating with Tami and Steve Nowlin

We've known the Nowlins since we originally moved to Arkansas 10 years ago. Steve and Jason used to work together at Kraft.

Connecting with the Beckers

Kathryn and I used to work at General Mills together.  They just moved back to Arkansas last month from Chicago and now even have a 1 year old!

The Becker Family, Sutton Family and us at the AL/AR tailgate

all smiles before the Alabama game

This week, Kraft Foods was having a family tailgate so we took the girls to support the Razorbacks!!!

Family picture at the AR/Rutgers tailgate

Taylor and Addie playing with Kayden & Olivia

Showing their support for the Razorbacks but we all know where their true loyalty lies!!!

Next week is the big A&M/Arkansas game and it should be exciting!  Each year, the winner of the game gets to have their respective team's gear on the car during the car ride home as well as dress the kids up in the winning college!!!  Better make sure I buy some A&M outfits while in College Station!!! :)

Bye Bye Paci!

We've been wanting to get rid of Addie's pacifier for quite some time, but haven't been able to find any stinkin' geese to give it to.  This is how we got rid of Taylor's paci when she was 2 years old, so we wanted to stick with the same story for Addie.  We've also talked with Addie about giving her paci to the baby ducks (a.k.a geese) for probably the last 6 months.    

Baby ducks (a.k.a. geese) waiting in the pond for Addie's paci

This past Thursday, Addison and I were heading to Walmart before picking Taylor up from Preschool and we passed some geese in the pond behind our house.  I quickly turned the car around and headed back to our house to pick up 3 pacifiers for Addie to throw to the "baby ducks."

Addie showing her pacifiers before throwing them to the baby ducks

Addie seemed excited that the day was finally here to give her paci to the baby ducks.  She knew exactly what she needed to do, but she did tell me that she "didn't want the ducks to bite her."  We walked over to the baby ducks and she chunked those pacifiers towards them.  Luckily (for littering sake), we only got 1 pacifier in the pond and I quickly hid the other 2 in my pocket.

"Baby ducks no bite me Mommy"

Lofting the pacifiers in the water

The geese actually went away when she threw the pacis

As we were walking back to the car, Addie said things like "I throw paci to the baby ducks.  I big girl now and I no cry!"  She was so proud of herself and told Taylor all about it when we picked her up at Preschool.  However, Taylor did seem a little sad that she wasn't there to help us.

I picked that Thursday to get rid of the pacifier because 1) the geese finally returned to the pond, and 2) I was going to be home with the girls for the next 4 days so I could deal with the lack of sleep versus putting it on a babysitter or our nanny.  Well, I think that I made a very wise decision (for the sake of any babysitter) because the Thursday nap time was a disaster.

I put Addie down for her nap and she immediately got upset when she realized that she didn't have a paci.  She just kept saying over and over "Paci, paci, paci!" and cried.  I would try to explain to her that she gave her paci to the baby ducks, but that never calmed her down.  This lasted for about 10 minutes before I just told her that I would try to go talk to the baby ducks and see if I could get her paci back (I was getting desperate).

As soon as I left her room, she started crying again.  I let her cry it out for 15 minutes and she never calmed down.  Then, at the same time, Taylor started yelling from her room "I can't sleep..........Addie stop crying.......Too loud!!!"  I went in Addie's room and held and rocked her for about 15 minutes, then stepped out of the room so that I could get Taylor to stop yelling, then came back in and rubbed her back in bed for another 10 minutes.  After all that, she finally fell asleep for about an hour, but Taylor was still up and yelling, so I just let her get up.  Ugh......I was exhausted....have I mentioned that I'm 6 months pregnant???!!!

That afternoon was also pretty rough because both girls had little to no sleep, but Addison went to bed that night PERFECTLY for daddy (I couldn't believe it).  She did wake up for me at 5:30am, but Friday's nap time was so much better.  I do want to be honest (for blog history sake) and admit that I did bribe her with a cookie if she went to bed without crying, but it totally worked and she did awesome!!!  We are now in day 3 of the transition, she's mentioned her paci while going to sleep a few more times but we are always able to calm her down and get her to go to sleep, and the amount of time sleeping hasn't been reduced too bad.

One thing is clear, Addison is very proud of herself and knows that she accomplished something big!  We hung out with friends last night at a house warming party and she was happy to tell people.  She'd say "baby ducks, I gave paci to baby ducks."  It was very cute!!!!  Bye bye paci!!!

Waving goodbye to the pacis

the floating paci

Baby Boy Mast #2 Arrives!!!

Major Loden Mast arrived 3 weeks early on September 9th.  Major was a cutie and looked just like his older brother Walker did at his arrival just 17 months ago!  I was fortunate to be able to go visit the Mast family in the hospital and got some great photos of them:

Mark and Lindsay with baby Major

Lindsay looked incredible after just having a baby

Got to also see her sweet sister Laura

After the family came home from the hospital, we took food over to their house that next week.  The girls were SO excited to see the baby and also play with Walker.

Our family with baby Major

The girls with Walker and baby Major

Congratulations Mast family!!!!

Taylor starts dance!

Taylor started dance class last week.  This year, Taylor is taking a ballet/tap class that is for 3/4 year olds and lasts for one hour each week.  I was interested to see how she'd do with doubling her amount of time in class versus last year, but to my surprise again, she has done incredible!  Her teacher is Ms. Barbara Jean and she is a sweet older lady that works very closely with the girls technique and skills!  I think that this class will be great for Taylor, regardless if she performs in the dance recital or not!  ;)  

Following the teacher very closely

Practicing her leaps

Tap is always fun!

Taylor Starts Preschool!

Letter from Miss Misty in the summer

Taylor started Preschool today and couldn't have been more thrilled!  Ever since we had the Preschool orientation, she's been asking us everyday when she was going to be able to go again.  She'd ask something like "Okay Mommy, I go night night, then I go to Preschool???"  She was so excited last night that she stayed up in bed talking until after 10pm, and then even woke up super early today at 6:40am.  She was READY!!!

Taking a picture with Addie before heading off to Preschool

Smiles with Mommy

One last picture before walking into her class

We headed into Ms. Misty's class and Taylor held my hand tight for about 5 seconds.  Then, the teacher walked over and she quickly relaxed.  She then ran to go check out the pet hamster and I was left there going "uhhh, okay bye Taylor."  It was really different to watch her be so bold and not scared about doing something new.  It was very exciting!  I didn't want to mess up this moment so I just quickly ran over, snapped a quick photo of her with the hamster, and was on my way out!

Smiles with the pet hamster

Taylor will go to the Tiny Tots Preschool every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:15am-11am.  She then will take a soccer class on Tuesdays from 11-11:45am, and a music class the same time on Thursdays.  These two classes are outside of the Preschool setting but we thought that it would be good to take advantage of the additional classes that were being held on the campus.

Taylor walking in the soccer line on her way to meet me!

After I picked Taylor up, she was still so giddy!  She told me that she had a lot of fun at Preschool.  The details I got specifically from her were -  she had played with Playdough, Ms. Misty had taken her potty, she loved the cookie at snack time, she played outside at the park, and that she sweat a lot at soccer.  She then told me "I'm really tired" which is a very rare thing for her to say.  She then followed it up with "Okay Mommy, I go home....I see Nessa and take a nap....then I go back to Preschool?"  She can't wait to go back again!!!

Addie's First Dance Class!

Addie had her first ballet/tap class today.  This is the same class that Taylor took last year, although Addie is much younger than Taylor was when she started the class (she just turned 2 where Taylor was almost 3).  This is a 30 minute class every Tuesday that teaches both ballet and tap.

Before class, Addie checking out her outfit in the mirror

She was so excited!

Even though Addie was probably the youngest in her class, she did so well!  She never cried or seemed scared, she was just so excited to be there.  She listened pretty well to Ms. Lane, but did get caught staring at people a few times and not dancing.  She loved putting on her tap shoes and jumping around, and she also did great on her leaps (a.k.a running across the room and jumping over fake snakes).

stretching

waiting on the wall to be called on to do her leaps

Smiling with Mommy before class

Addie was also so proud of herself, she said things like "I go to dance class" and "I no cry at dance class, I happy."  It was super cute!!!

St. Louis Vacation

We went back to the house near St. Louis for the Labor Day vacation.  It is a great place to meet in the middle for both us and Josh's family in Chicago, and we even had Papa Epps & Jammy come out for the vacation as well.  We vacationed from Saturday until Thursday and did all sorts of things without even leaving the house - fishing, swimming, building forts, dress up parties, etc.  Between Tara and myself we had over 350 pictures from the week, so here are my favorites:

We brought some forts to set up in the living room to keep the kids entertained

Playing in the fort with Uncle Josh

Kayaking & riding the paddle boat in the big pond behind the house

Papa Epps loved the place so much that he even slept outside one night

Coloring with Jammy

This was Paityn's very first princess dress to wear

The girls loved dressing Paityn up as Snow White

Snow White with her mommy

Addie catching a fish with Papa

Taylor catching a fish with Daddy (not sure how all the shirts came off the girls)

Tara and Josh swimming with Paityn in the pool

Addie riding in her new princess floatie

Taylor playing in Paityn's floatie

Holding her first lizard!!

A little cousin snuggle time before bed

We always try to take a family picture when we are all together, so here are some that we captured:

group picture

Papa and Jammy with their grand grandbabies

Taylor and Addison

The cousins - Taylor 3.5, Addie 2 & Paityn 14 months

Tara, Josh & Paityn

Our family

Mommy even got a picture with the girls!!!

Auntie Tara surprised the girls with a coloring castle!  Everyone was so excited and it came in very handy at the end of the trip!

Setting up the castle

Taylor acted like she was a dragon and Paityn was so entertained!

Taking a break from coloring

Posing with her masterpiece

Hanging with Jammy in the castle

Taylor and Addie fishing with Daddy

The guys swimming with the 3 girls

Riding on Papa's back

Even though it rained almost everyday, we found a lot of things to do!  It was a very fun family vacation!