Happy Birthday, Nate!! (Part 1)

My sweet angel boy is 5 today!!

I usually recap my labor story, but this year, just click here if you want to read it. I was one of the lucky moms, and didn’t have an awful labor & delivery. And at 9:41 pm on August 20, 2007, I became REALLY lucky. Because I became the mom to the world’s sweetest boy, Nathan Eric Givens!

Physically, Nate has grown and changed so much – as evident in the below 5 pictures. (Each was taken at a past birthday party of his.) Some things have remained the same though – like his sweet personality – and there are so so so many things I love about my little man. So, in honor of his 5^th birthday, I thought I’d list my top five:

1. His kind heart....you will not find a sweeter boy than my Nate. To say he's thoughtful is an understatement. He is always trying to make sure I'm happy, Abby's happy, his friends are happy, etc. He just wants to make people smile. He is the best big brother Abby could hope for, and I hope one day she appreciates him! :)

1 year old

2. His drive & determination....I love how when he sets his mind to something, he will not stop until it's done. Whether that be a "project" around the house, a craft he's working on, building a lego tower, or his newest endeavor...reading! He surprised us last week and successfully strung together a few sounds to "read" with Greg at bedtime. 

2 years old

3. How he’s always eager to please....he is always looking to me for affirmation and praise, and I love how he asks permission to do anything & everything! Both sets of his grandparents, as well as past teachers, have always commented on how much of a rule-follower he is. If you know me well, you know how happy this makes me!!

3 years old

4. His smile....never have I ever taken a bad photo of this kid. His smile will light up any room, and brighten anyone’s day. 

4 years old

5. His sense of humor....thanks to his Daddy, he has quite a goofy sense of humor and awesome comedic timing. He loves physical humor (think: The 3 Stooges) and he loves to make his sister laugh the most. I don't think there is a sweeter sound than the two of them laughing together!

5 years old

I feel so honored to call Nate my son, and I know his Daddy feels the same. He is such a blessing in our lives, and continues to melt my heart a little bit more each day. Happy birthday, Nate the Great!!

(Readers: Stay tuned for another birthday post later today!)

Greg's Night

For Father's Day, I gave Greg 2 tickets to see Merle Haggard in concert. Merle is one of Greg's all-time favorite singers, so I knew we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see him play here in town (before he dies, ha! He is OLD!!)

So, last night was the concert, and I'll be honest...I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. Now don't get me wrong, I love country music. But Merle is a whole different level of COUNTRY!!! I didn't know the guy opening up for Merle either (Jamey Johnson). I knew we would have fun though, just because it was a chance for a date night. And it took place at the Ampitheater, where we saw fireworks on July 4th.

(I can't help but die laughing at the guy in the background with the hat backwards and braided rat-tail!? Yes, folks, there were all types of people at this concert.)

First up, there was a local guy named Wayne Mill that performed. The guy sitting next to Greg (read: huge, drunk redneck) said he used to be a UA football player. While that's great and all, I thought he was just "okay." But after a few songs, Jamey Johnson came on and was soooo good! He is very old-school country like Merle; please notice the long beard & hair. He really was excellent though. Greg said he wanted to get his cd and I replied "why don't we just download a few songs on iTunes instead!?" I swear we are sooooo ghetto. I mean seriously, who buys cds anymore??

Then, the man of the hour: Merle Haggard!!!! He came out in his snazzy suit, as did all of his band members. It was neat to see the whole crowd (except me) sing every lyric to his songs. Talk about fans! I think his longstanding success (40+ years!?) is such a testament to his songwriting talent. (And yes, I did enjoy and recognize a few songs!!)

Jamey came out to sing a duet towards the end, and that might have been my favorite song. The only thing that could have made it better was if Willie Nelson had made a surprise appearance!!

It ended up being a great date night, for many reasons.... Greg and I got to chill together, have a few beers, and listen to good music. The weather was absolutely perfect - 70 and breezy. And best of all, I got to witness my husband have a look of pure joy on his face. 

I hope you enjoyed your Father's Day gift, Greg. You deserve it!! Thank you for being such an amazing father to our kiddos.

Back to School

Nate went back to pre-school today and could not have been more thrilled to reunite with Miss Thompson! Not to mention that 4 of the boys from his spring soccer team are in his class.

There was a new aide/helper this year, so we tried to butter up BOTH teachers with a sweet treat this morning.

So proud of my big boy! He is so used to taking a "1st day of school picture" that it literally took 5 seconds to get some good shots in. (Abby, on the other hand, drug out the process for at least 15 minutes yesterday. Ha!)

Abby was confused as to why she wasn't going to school today, and "Bruba" was. But when I told her we'd be going to gymnastics, she quickly forgot about school!!

Nate has a BIG class this year - 23 kids - and it is filled with boys. 18 to be exact. Poor Miss Thompson has her hands full! She changed a lot of things over the summer - including most centers & bulletin boards in her classroom - so Nate could not stop talking about all the "new" stuff in Miss T's room.

Nate said he had a good day and that his favorite part was "learning hard things" and doing crafts. He also mentioned that "almost all the boys" like Power Rangers and they played a Power Rangers game on the playground. He mentioned a few new names, which made me happy that he is open to branching out to new friends.

I'm sure we're in for another great year at Holy Spirit!!

Miss Priss Goes to School

Today was Abby's first day of "school," and I'm not sure who was more excited - her or me!! She is going to the Mother's Morning Out program at a local church, on MWF from 8:30-12:30 pm. She eats lunch there, and then I pick her up before naptime.

We went to the Open House last night, and she loved her classroom right away. She and Nate jumped into playing with all the toys immediately, while the Dora kitchen and books caught her eye the most. It ends up that we actually know one little girl in there (it's my neighbor's best friend's daughter)! There are around 12 kids in her class and I liked both of her teachers a lot, Ms. Tonya & Ms. Melissa. They both have a lot of experience and I loved all the outlines & information they gave for the school year :) Plus, they are going to be taking a few field trips this year, and I'm excited to help chaperone one or two.

This morning, Abby asked immediately if it was "school time" yet. She kept telling me over & over how she "would not peepee in her unnerwear!" She was completely fascinated as I packed her lunch in her new Dora lunchbox, and tried to open it and start eating a few times before we headed to school.

However, Miss Sassy-pants was NOT in the mood for a photo shoot this morning - she just wanted to get to school already! But Nate ended up helping make her smile, as well as Daddy. Love my sweet girl's little cheesy grin!!

Nate insisted getting in a picture with Abby and of course, how could I resist that angelic smile!? He is so proud of his sister and I think a little bit in disbelief that she's old enough to go to school!!

 She insisted on wearing her backpack into the school, even though it's almost as big as her. She remembered right where her classroom was and when she didn't see any kids on the (indoor) playground, she asked "Is the playground closed!?"

And how about that backpack - cutest thing ever right??? She loves birds, so I got a bird monogrammed on her backpack (Thanks Pottery Barn Kids!) and then made sure her "1st day of school" outfit had birds on it as well.

She did not want to take off her backpack once we got into the class. In fact, I had to pry it off of her to get it in her cubby. Once it was off though, I gave her a quick kiss and she ran to the Dora kitchen. I spied on her through the glass for a minute and she was in her own little world!

When Nate and I picked her up at 12:30, she was finishing up her lunch. Ms. Melissa said she had a great day, went potty without any problems, and got an extra sticker for cleaning up toys. As soon as I picked her up and started to leave though, she threw a FIT!! She started screaming "I stay and sweep (sleep) with my friends!!!!" It was pitiful. I tried to explain that going home in napping in her soft bed would be much more comfortable than napping on a mat on the floor. She didn't buy it. The only thing that calmed her down after 5 minutes of sobbing and walking thru the building so everyone could hear, was to tell her she could call Daddy and talk about her day.

On the way home, I asked her what she did at school, and all I could get out of her was "inside playground, puzzles, and sing songs." I asked her what song she sang and she busted out with some of  "Jesus Loves Me," which I've never heard her sing before!!! Melt me. She also said she played with "boys first, then girls," and "went potty a lot of times."

I'm so happy she enjoyed her first day and I hope this continues. I am proud of my baby girl and know this year at school is going to be so good for her.

These Days....

I realized that I haven't done a blogpost in awhile about the "little things" going on around here....and since I seem to have two goofballs on my hands, most of thes pictures show their silly sides that I love so much.

The past month, the kids have started "inventing" games together, and love to disappear upstairs to play them. Game #1: "Hide from the bad guys," where they pretend to shoot the bad guys and then hide in one of 3 spots in Nate's room - the closet, under the table, or in the dress-up chest. Guess which spot is Abby's favorite!?

And Game #2: "Silly Costumes" - the name pretty much explains this one.

They also love to have picnics with all their "friends," and of course say CHEERS before each meal begins. (That part cracks me up!) Nate even said the blessing one time before the picnic started. Love his good manners!!

 As if these two weren't already best friends, this summer has solidified their relationship even more. I caught them in the bonus room, snuggling and kissing and telling secrets the other day. Melt me!!

 And as evident in my last post, my kiddos love to dance. And more times than not, they get so sweaty dancing that a few articles of clothing come off. Here, they are actually dancing to a theme song on a dvd...."Battleforce Five"....where they head-bang and jump for 5 minutes. Kinda strange, kinda hilarious all at the same time.

We also just finished the Summer Reading Program at the library, and the kids exceeded their reading goals! Nate (with my help) pledged to read 50 books, and Abby pledged 100. Well, we ended up totaling 263 books and I was so proud of them! For participating, they each got a bag, free book, certificate, and wristband from the library. Nate was overjoyed with his superhero book and kept saying "I can't believe we never have to return this!!"

MISS PRISS

Abby is as sassy as ever....her moods can switch on a dime, from laughing to screaming in 2 seconds. Though she is a firecracker, she has a tender heart and is always asking Daddy if "his neck okay?" or rushes to give him kisses if he gets a boo-boo. She also loves her brother something fierce, and is happy as long as he's by her side. She love love loves books and always falls asleep with at least 3-4 books in her bed at nap & bedtime. (Along with her 5 stuffed animals. Yes, we are working on getting her a bigger bed!)

She is still doing well with the potty training, but has definitely had a few hiccups since I last blogged about it. She has had a few accidents and just this week, she decided to sit sideways on the potty and see how much she could "spray" the bathroom. That was not a good day. She still fights us at nighttime, and wants to wear underwear to bed instead of a pull-up. I gave in and let her do it, and after the 3rd night she completely wet the bed, herself, and all of her blankets, sheets etc. So we are back on nighttime pull-ups.

Now for some of my long-time readers, you'll remember that Nate used to have two imaginary friends, Gaudy & Horsedoe. Whom he claims were birds. Well, Abby doesn't exactly have an imaginary friend, but she has come up with an interesing name for one of her favorite dolls shown below: Lucien (pronounced Loo-shen)?! And she has a little blow-up lion named Hootie too.

Is it just me, or does she look like a teenager when she's talking on the phone!? (She really is talking....to Mum Mum I think.)

Strumming a little tune before church....

 Gangsta Abby

 Again, with the tongue out. This is just her "rocker" face I think.

Abby is going through this phase where she acts like a puppy dog, always crawling around and barking and she likes for Nate to pet her and "take her on a walk."( Don't worry, no leashes are involved). She found these puppy ears from her 2nd birthday party though, and those have come in handy for this little act as well....

 I am trying to get better at recording some of the adorable/hilarious words she says, and here are a few of our favorites these days (and yes, I'm aware that these are funnier/cuter in person):

Strawberries = char-babies

Yes = yep I did

Thank you = tee too

Milk = moatch

(No, she does not have a speech impedien; she just speaks her own language, ha!)

NATE THE GREAT

Nate continues to do well at his chores and enjoys getting his allowance even more. We had a week or so where I had to keep nagging him to do his chores, which is the last thing I want to do, but I realized once I moved the chore chart into the bonus room - where he sees it 50x/day - that he will do them on his own. And he made his first purchase with his own money last week. It was an Angry Birds slap braclet (yes, they still make those!). It was $3 and he just had.to.have.it. I really made him think about it and we walked around the store for a few minutes while he thought it over. In the end, he decided to take the plunge! But what's funny, now that his wallet is "getting low," he's getting stingy with his money. I think he's getting it.....

He is building up quite a repertoire of games that he & Daddy play every night. Don't ask me to explain these all - b/c I barely understand any of them - but I just wanted to record some of his favorites: Find Me, Helicopter, Nunchuckas, Perimeter Defense, The Powers, Catch, Bumbly Bumbly, and the Impenetrable game. They are two peas in a pod and love rough-housing every night after dinner.

Doesn't my boy look super smart (and cute) in his Daddy's glasses!?

He rarely naps these days (maybe 2x/wk), but knows he has to stay in his room "till the 3" anyways. But I do think he enjoys his quiet time. He does mega-blocks, puzzles, car races, looks at books, or plays with his costumes. I'm so excited about a birthday present he has coming his way in 2 weeks - legos! I know he will love them and it will be a great quiet-time activity for him. Perhaps my favorite part of naptime is that when he comes out of his room at 3 (o.n. t.h.e. d.o.t. everytime!), he has remade his bed and put all his toys away. Oh how I love this boy.

I've really been impressed lately with Nate's little imagination. He loves doing crafts and his most favorite thing ever is to draw an object/picture and then cut it out. He's drawn fireworks, ninja daggers, chocolate milk (for Abby), bike pumps, and below, he made a paper airplane. He drew windows & wheels, cut the wheels out, and then taped them on the plane. I love his attention to detail!!

He's quite the inventor as well....here is his new "bottle holder" (in the back of his underwear, yes). We are working on getting a patent.

When Noah was sleeping over last week, he taught Nate this *awesome* trick (please note the sarcasm): how to climb up doorways like Spiderman. In the few days since I've taken this picture, he has learned to climb up all the way to the top and then slide/jump 5 ft down. I get heart palpitations every time I see this. Thanks Noah!

Nate continues to be my sweet boy, caring big brother, and gentle spirit. I feel so blessed to be his mom, and to witness that beautiful smile every day. He is looking forward to starting school in a few days, and though I will enjoy answering a few hundred less questions a day, I will miss my little helper & shadow :)

Friday Funnies (in videos)

In our household, we listen to a variety of music, as is evident in these two videos. The kids love to have "dance parties" most nights after dinner, and the couch is usually their stage. I'm usually the DJ, and sit at the computer, taking requests for iTunes.

First up, Nate's favorite, a song from Vacation Bible School. Click here to view the video.

Then, our wild little Indian of a daughter love.love.loves to dance & shake her money-maker! Click here to view her dancing to "I'm Sexy and I Know It." (She shows off BOTH versions of her booty dance, as well as the new addition of the "catwalk" dance. Poor Nate didn't want to be left out and finally gets the spotlight at the end where he shows off his "dead move" - not sure why he's holding a gun to his head. We might need to look into this further.)

Happy Friday!!

Family Fun Night

All summer long, the UREC pool has hosted "Family Fun Nights" on Wednesdays. We finally got to attend one, and appropriately picked the superhero-themed night. Right when we walked in, the kids got to choose their own mask. Check out Miss Captain America, showing off her muscles

 We jumped right into the "big pool" and took a few laps around the lazy river, did silly jumps off the side, practiced our swimming, and Greg & I both took turns going down the huge waterslide! (Both the kids are still too short to be able to ride it.) Then, Nate got out, in order to take part in the "Human Spiderweb" game.....

 For participating in the game, he got to pick a superhero prize, and ended up with a light-up Batman yo-yo. Can you tell he's pleased with his pick!?

 Then it was time to enjoy the baby pool....the fountains were turned on, and the kids (and Daddy!) had a ball for the remainder of the night.

 Daddy pretending the noodle is an elephant's trunk!

 Do you think the kids adore their Daddy or what!?

Our night was topped off with ice cream from the snack bar. I split a Twix ice cream bar with Abby, while Mr. Fatty (Nate) ate a WHOLE Snickers Big One! What a great night!

Sidenote: as of yesterday, August 1st, we have been in AL for a whole year. Crazy how time flies!!