"Early Bird" gets the...

worm pre-party planning details for two very exciting birthdays! That's right...it's already time to get all of my ducks parties in a row for my two growing ones! Can you believe it??

In less than 2 months, Austin will be celebrating his 1st birthday! He's practicing daily on his walking and paper shredding [when he finds my papers within his reach] skills, so he will be ready to PARRR-TYY!

And only a few weeks later, our precious Katie will be celebrating her 3rd birthday! She's making her birthday wishes and invitation lists already, so she's bound to have an exciting party time!

So...for all of you "Early Birds"...it's time to MARK. YOUR. CALENDARS.

Our planned party dates are set for:

Saturday, August 29th (time is TBA) - Austin's 1st Birthday

Friday, November 6th @ 6 p.m.- Katie's 3rd Birthday

Obviously, invitations and detailed information will come in the near future, but we wanted to let you know the dates now, so you could all plan to join us as we celebrate!

Not Me! Monday

We did not spend the past two Saturdays swimming and eating watermelon. And because of that, Katie definitely does not think that is going to happen every Saturday now!

Katie is not already asking to go to Aunt Sandra's to swim and eat Uncle Georges' "mean watermelon."

Katie is not already a computer pro...after only 3 short attempts she has mastered the whole game. She's practicing her matching, her ABCs, her counting, etc., all while giving Mommy a few minutes to get other things accomplished.

Austin is not walking like a pro now...well, a pro wobbly toddler. And it is not too cute to watch!

Austin now has this new "pity party" thing he does when he gets spatted on the hand for disobeying and touching no-no items. If I spat his hand, he does not immediately grab his arm and hold it up for all to see as if to say "That hurt! Did you see what she did? Please love on me and then let me do it again without the spat!" It is definitely not hard to keep a straight face through this right now...

Austin is not still trying to cut his bottom teeth...he's 10 months old and no teeth! With Katie being 7 months when she got hers, I figured he'd be early, too. Not so...

I do not have lots of pictures to edit of children's portraits that I took this past week...and even more portrait orders to process.

The kids are not really enjoying their bath/play time together right now. It is one time of the day that neither of them fuss or complain at each other...all is well with the sibling time...

We do not have VBS this whole week, and wayyy too many other things to name that has to be done. So, as much as I hate it, you will probably hear/see very little from us in the blog world this week.

Mine is simple this week...but I did want to post a little. Hop on over to MckMama's place to read all of the other great Not Me! Monday posts or to learn how to join in on the fun!

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday, already??

I have been told that somehow my days have flown by too quickly, and I missed my "Not Me! Monday" that you were all so anxiously awaiting. Too true...it is now Tuesday, and I'm just now getting to sit for a moment to tell you all about our past week.

The past couple of days, we have been enjoying some much anticipated time with my family (my mom, sisters, and sweet niece). So, we'll blame them for my "Not Me! Monday" post being not posted. They are only here for a few days, but we are taking advantage of enjoying every minute of the extra help with my crazy kids our family time.

While my family has been here, Austin has decided to find his badge of courage and take off walking on his own...no fingers to help...no walking wings that Aunt Heather let us borrow. And he is doing amazingly well! He has been walking across the living room without help. He only has to have a "goal" in sight.

Yesterday, I turned to see Austin standing on top of his Mater truck. I quickly told him to get down now before you fall, and he just as quickly blurted out "No, No, No!" Words I have yet to hear out of his mouth and am not looking forward to hearing from here on out...

Katie caught us off surprise yesterday, as well. My mom and I were getting out of the car and talking about how extremely hot (heat index of 112) it was, when Katie quickly jumped in and said "Well, come on in to my house." Already a girl full of southern hospitality!

Okay...those were some of what would have been on my "Not Me! Monday" post if it weren't indeed Tuesday. I'll be back with pictures tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday! Have a great Monday Tuesday.

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday

I did not finally get brave enough to let Mark help me color my own hair this week to help us save money. And, I am not so pleased with the results that it will probably become a regular event.

I did not have a roller-coaster of emotions this week when I came to the sad conclusion that Austin is trying very hard to self-wean at 9 1/2 months. And, it has not taken me time to convince myself that this is an okay thing. Especially since I'm having to supplement a little in the evening. My baby is growing too fast!

Austin did not take his first steps this week. And I did not post a video of it here.

I do not just love this stage that Katie is in! She does not make every effort every day to dress from head to toe, hair to shoes, just like her mommy. I know this won't last long, so I'm taking it in...before I know it, she'll be laughing at my style as she creates her own!

Speaking of Katie...She did not seriously ask me..."Was this milk from yesterday?"...when she wanted her cup before lunch. Talk about making me feel like a bad mom! [Is my house so bad that she has to ask how long a cup has been there before drinking it?] Please know that I do not, really I do not make a habit of leaving milk sitting around to spoil and let her drink later on, even though her question does make it sound like I do.

Now it's your turn! Hop on over to McMama's place to read other Not Me! Monday posts or to join in on the fun. You won't regret it :)

Austin's First Steps

Can you believe it? Austin has officially taken his "first steps," and we caught it on video! No, he isn't running yet. Yes, he is still very clumsy. But he is well on his way to being on "two feet" at all times. I think I'm ready for this. Are you??

Austin -- 9 month portraits

Yesterday, on a whim, I surprised the kids with a trip to the local botanical gardens for pictures disguised as fun, nature-exploring, playtime. Though I definitely took plenty of pictures of both Katie and Austin, I went with the expectation of getting a few good 9 month portraits for Austin. We had lots of fun exploring...we even found a huge frog, a not-so-shy turtle, a few "pretty" (Katie's description) spiders, and *gasp* a black racer. We went early, to avoid as much heat as possible, but arrived to find that they had just watered everything! So, needless to say, my kiddos enjoyed some fun in the sun water. In attempts to keep both kids still for 2 seconds at the same time, while keeping bugs, leaves, and dirt out of Austin's mouth keep safe and happy I get any good portraits? Depends on your definition of good...definitely memorable ones, though! Take a look...

I did actually get a picture of the two of them

looking and smiling (somewhat) at the same time!

And I got lots of pictures of Austin's tongue...

So sweet...

my mischieveous boy...

my sweet little girl...

one of my favorites...

my favorite...their sibling love is so sweet to see

And, since I didn't explain it yesterday, that hilarious picture of Austin (and his tongue) posted on my Wordless Wednesday was from this portrait attempt, as well. Hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as we enjoyed playing, exploring, and taking them!

Wordless Wednesday

Destination: 5th Honeymoon!

Can you believe that Mark and I are close to 2 months away from celebrating our 5th year of "tru wuv in wawage, that bwessed awangment." [Taken from The Princess Bride...I couldn't resist...I love that movie]. August 14th will begin our 5th year together, and I'm falling deeper in love every day with my prince. God has blessed me so much

Well, I am sure you did not come here to read lots of ooshy, gooshy, romantic things I could tell you about the love of my life. We could be here for years if I listed only my favorite things about him. Okay, okay...sorry! Back to the subject...

In light of our upcoming 5 year anniversary, Mark and I have decided to celebrate by going on a "5th Honeymoon". Obviously due to the timing of our anniversary and our son's birthday, we have chosen to postpone our trip until October, when the fall leaves are changing into their beautiful golden yellows, oranges, and reds. And, after several months of idea-making, internet-searching, and recommendation-seeking, we have made our destination official!

We are going to...

enjoy the simple life & celebrate with a kiss!

go somewhere we've never been before.

get out of the south.

get up only when we want to, and enjoy breakfast in bed.

hold each other tight on some thrilling roller coasters.

curl up around a nice warm fire.

end a day with a kiss on top of the kissing tower.

explore 33 acres of beautiful farm land.

let someone else do all of the cooking for us.

enjoy the sweetest place on earth and all the chocolate that it holds.

relax in a nice jacuzzi.

step back in time as we tour the Amish farmland and enjoy dinner at their home.

see a famous battlefield, on horseback.

to be away from our children for 5 days and 4 nights.

enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

see things we've never seen before.

fall even deeper in love.

celebrate!

Doesn't that sound romantic, relaxing, rejuvenating, and exciting all at the same time?! You know where we're going now, don't you? Our secret is out...we're going to make our way to Hershey, PA, and all of the wonderful surrounding areas/attractions that we so choose to venture to. We're staying at this gorgeous bed and breakfast. And, we can't wait!

So...there you have it...

Destination: 5th Honeymoon, Barton-style!

Not Me! Monday

I certainly did not turn around from unloading dishes to find that Austin had wiggled his way out of his high chair and was standing up in it!

And, my youngest monkey [because I have without a doubt given birth to two monkeys] definitely has not mastered climbing half way up the side of the pack-n-play after only a week of using it as a playpen when I need him contained.

Katie did not seriously ask me to eat "a Larry" the other day...only to get a very puzzled look from me, because I was not quick enough to realize she was talking about a cucumber! [You know, Larry the Cucumber...Veggie Tales?]

And she definitely did not beg me endlessly to let her try out her new bicycle gear while attempting to ride her little tricycle. And I definitely did not post pictures here. [See! I'm really not a totally overprotective mom...we bought it to save for a couple of years because it was a great sale...she begged to wear it...]

Our family did not have a great time at Engineer Day with Mark's work this week...even if we did only get to stay two hours. Austin did not enjoy his new height while there. Katie did not get her first face painting, and loved it! Fun fun!!
Mark did not enjoy a Saturday out with the guys on a deep sea fishing trip. And he definitely did not bring in the biggest catch of the group! See??

I did not finalize my "Not Me" post, only to have to open it when the following happened...

I was not letting Katie play quietly in the bathtub while I was dressed Austin in his pj's and began preparing his dinner. [This is quite typical, because Katie loves playing in the bathtub...it gives me a few minutes to get things done while Austin plays quietly in the living room with toys.] Well, I most definitely did not notice [by listening to their conversations] that Austin was in the bathroom watching Katie play in the tub, head that way to get him, and turn the corner into the bathroom to find him scaling the bathtub wall into the bathtub head first! I did not totally panic when he did this, thinking only about the worst-case scenarios that could have happened had I not known he was in there. Not that it justifies it or anything, but who would have thought a 9 month old could get into a bathtub alone??? NOT ME!!!

On a lighter note, though, it was not hilarious to see Katie's reaction to all of the drama. Her biggest concern was definitely not that "his new [hand-me-down] pjs were all wet, so he can't wear them now!" I wish I could have snapped pictures of their faces...but I was too panicked at the time. He did obviously enjoy his new feat, though, because after I redressed him, he did not head straight back to the tub and began stretching his leg over the side. BOYS!!

Now it's your turn...jump on over to MckMama's to see all of the other "Not Me, Monday" posts or to find out how to join in on the fun! You won't regret it!! :D

Joy of a Boy!

My newest climber...

From the back...

[note that we put the "dragon chair" in that place in order to keep Austin away from my breakables. also note that the "dragon chair" is exactly what he's using to get to my breakables...]

From the front...

His new teething table??

[note...this is after he has knocked down many of the items off of the table.]

From the front #2

After he realizes he's been spotted by Mommy!

Oh, the joys of an active, into everything, cruising, toddling baby boy!

Squares!

My newest project [ragged squares quilt] is finally beginning...

the fabric was chosen...the fabric arrived...and now

We Have SQUARES!

Lots and lots of squares, might I add. I needed 90 squares.

30 squares of each size [3", 6", and 9"].

(I also had to cut extra squares to help me in getting
the randomness I desired for my quilt.)

And, much to my surprise...

it only took 1 hour to cut 100+ pretty near perfect squares.

All made possible by my newest best cutting friends...

a Rotary Cutter & Mat!

I had never seen or used one before,
but I picked it up to try...
and I fell in love at first sight cut.

Next step...on to sewing my squares together...

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday

I did not take Austin to his 9 month check-up this week, because he most definitely cannot be 9 months old already!!

Speaking of Austin...he is not still cutting his first tooth...the one he has not been cutting for a month now. OUCH! I hope all of his aren't this stubborn coming in...poor guy is not happy about it!

Austin did not enjoy his first taste of non-pureed table foods this week (mac and cheese, bananas, and sweet peas)...he did great with all of it!

And he did not make his first baby sign language gesture this week! He can now sign "milk"...it's so cute!!! He is also recognizing the sign for "eat".

We did not leave Austin with Nana and Pawpaw this week in order to take Katie to her first attempts at Putt-Putt Golf. And it was definitely not hilarious watching her skills! She actually did well hitting the balls into the hole (from a nearby area), but if she did get tired of trying, she'd just throw it in with her baseball-like throw!

Katie is not going on week 3 accident free! She has been such a big girl with pottying!!

Speaking of potty-training...I did not have Austin sleeping (after his check-up) in the car, when Katie started insisting that she needed to go potty (about 10 minutes from our house)...and since I knew we would never make it by the time I got Austin out of his seat, ran into a store, etc., I did not ask Katie to hold it. And, she did not proceed to have to go so badly that she started crying. I did not feel so bad about it that I told her that I would understand if she had an accident (which she would not consider doing). And, she screamed the last 3-5 minutes of our car ride due to her trying to hold it. And, after all that, she certainly did not actually make it all the way home and to the bathroom without any sign of an accident! WOW!! On a side note...this made me think about getting one of those portable potty chairs to keep in the car! Sure would've been nice on this day...

Katie did not wake up in the middle of the night this week because she was "looking for Aladdin"...she "had to find Aladdin". Obviously, she's seen that movie a little too much lately...

I did not attempt to take portraits for two sweet sisters (a 3 year old and a 4 month old) with the "help" of my two munchins this week. And if I would consider being so brave and doing such a thing, my biggest challenge definitely would not be keeping my beautiful little girl out of the photo shoot because she likes having her picture taken so much! See!? (this was her "cheese" smile for me)

And to end my post for this Not Me! Monday, I am not going to tell you about Katie's sweet, but funny prayer tonight...we've been teaching her to not pray the same "repeated" prayer every night, but to think about the day and thank God for things about that day. Well, tonight, we were thanking God for letting us go to church, etc., and then she reverted back to yesterday when we took her to play Putt-Putt. She said "and thank you for letting me go play [Putt-Putt] and see the giraffe and elephant with a broke nose" [the statue animals at the mini golf place...she loved them! Obviously I should have taken a picture of the elephant with a broken (or missing) trunk, since it meant so much to her. I didn't do a good job documenting, after all!!] I was really trying not to laugh, but this caught me and Mark off guard. She caught us snickering and not doing a good job of hiding it, so she proceeded to say "I'm sorry I said the wrong words"...no, Sweetie, you didn't say anything wrong. You were very sweet and sincere with your prayer to God. That is exactly what God wants!