Gracie GIRL!!

I love the mobile w/ all the different sports and then lace around it. We used it for all 3 nurseries...minus the lace for Cade!

Emma Grace Wilson…aka….’Gracie’….the classic middle child some would say! I don’t know what it’s like to be a middle child so I can’t really relate at all. But I do remember thinking that bringing #2 into this world would be a ‘cinch.’ I mean after all, I know what you do with babies…put them to bed, feed them, change them, and show them off. Well, Gracie had other things in mind. I remember vividly coming home with this special bundle of joy like it was yesterday. She didn’t sleep and she wasn’t crazy about eating. I was like ‘what’s wrong with you, do as other babies do….sleep for mommy’s sake.’

Many a nights were spent walking the floor w/ Gracie May as she is called…not sure why! And when my arms got tired I would put her in the infamous bouncy seat and put on teletubbies. She wasn’t a friend of Little Einsteins like most….but Teletubbies would give mom about a 55 minute break, and then it was back to the pacing. The poor thing was plagued with ear infections and excema for all of her infancy and toddler years. Her excema still creates havoc on her poor skin, but she is a trooper with it. Just the few times I have had poison ivy make me realize just how miserable she must feel.

Gracie comes in a small package but she is filled with spunk and attitude! Don’t let her big blue eyes fool you. She loves the boys and says she might get married, but NO KIDS…they hurt! True-true! She has many suitors asking for her hand and I am sure she will one day choose the right one! She follows her big sister around and does whatever she is asked to do…most of the time. She loves to please Halle in every way. Sure, they fight, a lot! But I love to watch them play together….they get dressed up, go to work, use the computer for business necessities, and then go home! Or they sing and dance to the top of their lungs. Oh and if you have never seen Gracie dance….WOW—she can move her hips like no 5 year old I’ve ever seen. I fear for the school dances that come in the future and pray I don’t get a phone call. What can I say—she is one with the music.

My Sweet Halle Girl

This now 7 year old just amazes me! She is growing up so fast and it seems like just yesterday she was totting around watching Barney. Which by the way we thought she would be watching til she was 12. Fortunately that is not the case! She is the classic first born and she is so special. She loves school and works so hard to always do her best. Everywhere she goes she lights up a room with her smile and happy-go-lucky spirit. At home she is definitely the ring leader. Always coming up w/ 'the plan' for what to do next. Gracie and Cade usually follow her lead and are eager to please her. I find myself telling her that she is not the boss, or the momma, as she tends to also be 'in charge' in the group. She wants to teach Gracie and Cade everything there is to know about school and I'm thinking I might appoint her to work w/ Cade on his letters this school year. She wanted to know when I got my first cell phone, b/c she wants one. I think I was like 25 when I got my first my first cell phone....seriously! She says she wants to grow up be a mom and have 2 kids..one boy and one girl! Of course.

Halle loving on her baby sister, Gracie. They are 2 years apart.

A rare group photo...especially at this age, and surprisingly no one is crying! Halle- 3, Gracie-1, and Cade -9 months. Family planning gone WILD! Not a dull moment or a quiet one to say the least.

Halle loves horses. She wants to be a rider in the Dixie Stampede when she grows up....sounds fun to me! I say GO FOR IT!

A definite favorite....the beach!!

It's hard to believe she'll be 8 in December. She is sure special to me and I am so glad God chose me to be her mommy! I can't wait to see all that she achieves.

Labor Day Weekend

No Independence Day needed for this K5 student. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is Ebinport's Independence Day for the K5 students who have been walking in with their parents since school started. I walked Gracie in the first day, and that was it. She is too cute getting out of the car w/ her big ole' bookbag....it's about as big as she is! And Halle looked shocked at even the thought of me walking her in on the first day of school!

Cade-slurping down a diet coke after riding his bike up and down the road a gazillion times. This child has SO much energy! Look at his little rosy cheeks. Oh and the new watch. He has been wanting a new watch, who knows why. This is how the conversation went to my neighbor this evening.

Cade "Well, I wanted a new watch but my momma said we had no money, so we went to Wal-mart and she got some money."

I wished it were that simple love...ha!

Halle and Gracie climing trees in the yard. They spent a good bit of the day Saturday making up gymnastics/dance routines to music. Oh, how I remember those days.

Sunday, my dad and Lin came through town for dinner. They love Papa Jon and Mama Lin. We drove 8 hours to visit this summer and the kids did great in the car. I was so impressed. They came to Clemson Saturday for the MTSU vs. Clemson game and then stopped by to see us Sunday. The kids love them to death and we wished they lived closer.

Monday we spent the day by the pool! Need I say more....fun times!

Fuzzy I know, but too funny! He was diving for diving sticks in the hot tub. The pool was a little chilly.

And to top it off a not so great night at Chick-fil-A. Now I am a fan of this fast food restaurant, and so is Halle! It was 4:00 and I was starving so I decided we'd load up and grab a FREE chicken sandwich. I should've listened to my head, as it kept saying---DON'T do it! But, we did. I changed everyone into a college t-shirt, which is how you get the sandwich. Now all 3 shirts were actually Cade's, but they were a little big. So, Cade has on the Panthers and I originally had the red shirt on Halle, b/c it was bigger. But, Gracie being difficult, said the grey shirt 'didn't feel good!' Whatever. Halle, the peacemaker, and the smart one-knowing that IF the attitude persisted I would quickly change my mind and it would ham sandwiches, AGAIN, so Halle switched with Gracie! Now poor Halle's shirt is about a size 3T.

So we get to Chick-fil-A and it's pandomonium. I had planned to take it home, but I figured, why not...live a little! Halle w/ her tight shirt and short shorts, Cade just didn't match at all, and honestly Gracie looked cute as a button! People lined up everywhere for this free chicken sandwich. So not worth it! I probably saw at least 5 families I knew, but it was too crowded to speak, so I'd just give a little wave and nod! And honestly what topped it off was the couple in front of me that were displaying too much public affection. I just couldn't take it. The playground was packed and of course mine were begging to go play, but I lovingly said NO, and we were out of there. We went around the block instead.

Here's poor Halle in her 3T t-shirt....such a trooper! Hey-at least her belly is not hanging out. We've all seen that before and it's not pretty! Oh and by the way--I would've never done that to her. She's still cute though!

Gracie, got her way, and loving it!

And Cade...I'm really not sure what this is about! Kind of a rough and tough pose, yet his face is just not that tough!

Well, I had lots to say earlier today, and now I'm pretty speechless. It doesn't happen very often. Everyone is thankfully loving school. Halle is in the 2nd grade and Gracie just started K5. Cade has one more year at School Days. Time flies. As happy as I'll be to have no more daycare to pay for, it will also be a little sad.

Halle works so hard in school. She loves to read and is the classic teacher's pet. Her goal is to please the teacher and she has lots of good friends. I am pretty sure she could take my spot as 'mom' at any given moment. As the oldest child she is constantly directing Gracie and Cade on what to do and how to do it. Most of the time they take her word for it.....but not always! She loves gymnastics and is on her hands and upside down more than she is on her feet. Brings back lots of memories of the days I was doing that same thing. She loves to be outside riding her bike or just playing in the yard. She and Gracie do fight as all sisters do, but I love to watch them playing happily, pretending they are singers, or dancers, or mom and dad, or whatever! I hope they will grow up to be best friends.

Gracie, Gracie, Gracie! I say her name all the time for various reasons. She is a petite child, but full of spunk, life, and attitude! She just started kindergarten and is loving it. She is not really a morning person and her morning hair is quite a sight. She said she was bored the first few days of school, but now she seems to be able to do more. I'm sure Halle prepared her well for all the rules and routines which is why all that 'carpet time' was too much....she had already heard it. And lets just say that Gracie has several boyfriends. Ever since her time at School Days she gravitates toward them. I honestly don't know what it is, but she loves to play w/ the boys. She takes gymnastics too and loves it of course. Soccer starts in 2 weeks and I will be coaching her and Cade on the same team. We have started conditioning already...ha! Gracie and Cade are 14 months apart but could probably pass for twins. He is about as big as she is. The poor things will probably be in booster seats in middle school!

And Cade is quite the ladies man at school. He has lots of girlfriends. He is a hoot. I could listen to him talk all day.....He always has something to say and I honestly think he could talk all day and never get tired of it. Oh well. He reminds me of Gracie a lot actually, but not quite as much attitude if you know what I mean. He tries his best to keep up w/ them and he does a pretty good job. He loves to show people how fast he can run and if you ever ask him, be prepared to show him just how fast you can run. He seems to be very competitive and does not like to lose or not be the best. I cannot believe my youngest will be 5 years old in January. It just does not seem possible. With three kids in 3 years, there is never a quiet or dull moment. And on the rare occassion that it is quiet, I cannot even imagine life any other way.