Logan is Four!

Logan-

Today you turn four.  It's crazy how quickly time has passed.  Just last week, I kept teasing you about wanting you to turn one so you would stay little forever.  You giggled and said, "Silly mommy, people can't go backwards, we can only get older."  So young, yet so wise.

At four, you are the source of most of my headaches and even more of my smiles and laughs.  You know how to take me just to my breaking point and then do something cute to make me forget my frustrations.  When you walk into a room, you light it up with your big smile and infectious giggles.

You love to learn.  At four, you have gotten really good at basic math and are working hard to learn to read.  Your teacher says that although you often tell her you are a stinker at home, you are one of her best listeners at school.

Your favorite toys are Legos, books, puzzles and Ninja Turtles.  You love playing with your sister, cul-de-sac friends and school friends.  Your diet is still lacking, but has gotten better.  Sometimes I make a new food and after throwing a massive fit, you finally try the new food, turn to me and say, "I was just teasing, mommy, I love eating xyz."  Ugh.  Cue the headache. :-)

We haven't had your 4 year WCC, but I don't imagine any surprises.  You are still tiny.  You wear 3T jeans, 2T-3T tops and 2T undies.

As I write this, I just looked at the clock; four years ago, my water broke. After this happened, daddy ran around the house frantically trying to get ready to leave while I sat on the toilet telling your daddy that I wanted to wait a couple days.  Fortunately, I didn't have that option and you were quietly born at 4:47 in the morning.

When I put you to bed tonight, (after discussing every construction vehicle known to man) you said, "Don't worry, mommy, I will still love you when I'm four."  So, Happy Birthday, sweet Jack!  I will love you to the moon and back; I will love you forever.

XOXO

Mommy

Heros In A Half Shell...

 I love that I can still dress my kids in matching Halloween costumes.  I love even more that this was their idea.  In case you can't tell, Logan is Leonardo and Avery is Raphael.  They had a blast trick-or-treating with all their neighbors (on the coldest night of the year) and playing afterward.

Kindergarten!

Avery started Kindergarten in late August (I know, I'm a little late in this post.)  The theme of the pictures that follow is nerves.  Avery was so shy and nervous on her first day of school.  Fortunately, I received an e-mail from her teacher with a picture and an overview of the day.  And, when I picked Avery up at parent pick-up, she was in a great mood and said she had a fun day.

Since Avery's first day, she has struggled a little while trying to adjust to her new school.  She is very shy and sensitive and hasn't made as many new friends as she would like.  We are working with Avery and her teacher to help her adjust.  

Avery's favorite subjects in school are Art and PE; she does not love learning.  She definitely takes after her daddy!

Avery joined the school's running club and did a great job throughout the season.  We had the buddy run 5K finale today and I was able to be her buddy (Luke's in Asia so he was out).  She had a great time and is already talking about the Glow Run she is running next weekend.

My Prince Charming

Anyone who has spent more that five minutes with Logan and me knows that he has his mommy wrapped around his finger.  He's cute.  He's funny.  He's polite.  And he's sweet.  It's a problem.  Recently, Logan has learned about complimenting women (especially his mommy).  One day (in the VERY distant future) Logan will be a serious ladies' man.

Logan's favorite (and most common) compliment is: "Your eyes are so beautiful."

My favorite compliment was: "Mommy, you look like a princess in your blue shirt." (I must note that I had just finished a run on the treadmill and wasn't looking particularly pretty.)

Logan's strangest compliment was: "I like how you cleaned your bathroom."

I hope he never changes...

She's Five

Sweet Avery-

Today you turn five! While you have anxiously awaited this day for months, your mama has secretly dreaded this particular birthday.  To me, five is such a big number.  It signifies a shift in dependence and a whole new level of independence.  A couple weeks ago, you went to your first day of summer school kindergarten.  When you got home, you said, "Mama, do you think I could buy my lunch at school sometime?  That's what big kids do."  You bought your lunch the next day and have bought it almost every day since.

Avery, At five, you are shy and thoughtful, smart and sensitive.  You love snuggles with mama, being silly with Logan and daddy and taking care of your cat, Scout.  Your favorite creature on earth is your "cousin" Dexter (Aunt Jen and Uncle Joel's dog).  You love superheroes and Ninja Turtles even more than Elsa the ice princess from Frozen. You are kind and thoughtful and always want things to be fair.  You prefer getting dirty and running around outside to reading books and playing with your dolls.  You are beautiful.

When I was pregnant with you, a nice woman once said to me, "Enjoy this journey. The days often seem long, but the years fly by."  Today, those simple words resonate loudly.  These past five years have flown by and I truly have enjoyed every day.  Thank you, sweet girl, for making me a mom five years ago. You make me happier than I ever could have imagined.

Happy Birthday, Goosey Girl!  I love you.

Love,

Mommy

Logan: Three

Logan-

Today you, my silly boy, turned three.  I like this picture because it encapsulates everything I love about you. Logan, you are unbelievably confident and stubborn, yet silly and loving. You can bring me to my breaking point by throwing a huge fit, then change my reaction in a second with a simple "mommy kiss?".

You are funny, imaginative and smart. At school, your teachers tell me that you are always the first to know your letters, numbers and days of the week. You love Spanish and sign language class and often come home teaching mommy and daddy (and sometimes even Avery) your new words and signs. You constantly tell jokes and think you are the funniest kid on earth. (Truthfully, I often think you are too. :-))

Your favorite toys are dinosaurs, Lightning McQueen and excavators. When you go to bed at night, you have to take ALL your favorite toys with you. Sometimes I wonder how you fit in the bed with all of your "stuff". Daddy and I don't fight it because you go to bed without a fuss every night and usually wake up happy and singing.

Your appetite is still lacking. For some reason, food just isn't a priority for you unless it's chocolate or cookies. Clearly, there's no denying you are my son!

You know how to manipulate your mommy, sweet boy. Tonight, as I put you in bed, you asked for another book. I said no and told you that you could read it to yourself in bed. Your response, "But mommy, I don't know all the words so I really really need your help." We read the book.

Jack Attack, you are the true love of my life (don't tell daddy).  I can't imagine a day without your kisses, jokes and love in my life.

Love,

Mommy

Gettin' Fit

As I approached turning 30 a couple years ago, everyone kept telling me my body would start changing. I wouldn't be able to continue eating endless amounts of chocolate, shop for butter in bulk or drink my beloved coke without feeling it on my waistline.  I didn't want to believe these nasty warnings until 32 hit and I started seeing these changes for myself.  For a few months, I did what any reasonable person would do and complained to Luke about my changing body on a daily basis.  Then, after mourning and complaining (and maybe a few eye rolls from Luke), I knew I needed to make a change. Since I had no intention of changing my diet, I knew a change in my exercise regime was the only option.

For months, a friend of mine had been telling me about a new workout in Columbia called Pure Barre. As usual, I kept ignoring her recommendation knowing that I was not a fan of exercise classes or paying for something I could do on my own.  (To be transparent, paying for exercise FAR outweighed my dislike of classes.)  Fortunately, after meeting my friend for a lunch of a massive Five Guys burger and fries, she politely invited me to join her at Pure Barre one last time. I accepted and immediately fell in love.

Seriously, friends, this class is amazing!  I hurt in places I never knew I could hurt and used muscles I didn't know I had.  Pure Barre is an hour of strength and toning exercises. The class is strangely relaxing and ridiculously hard at the same time.  At every class, I am able to fully focus on the task at hand while everything else in my life seems to melt away.  When I leave I am equally happy it is over and anxiously awaiting the next class.

Here's the deal: in Pure Barre, you use a Ballet Barre for a lot of the exercises, but you do not have to have any dance history.  For the record, the only dance class I have ever taken was when I was five years old and I quit after the first class. I am painfully uncoordinated and couldn't touch my toes before I started taking Pure Barre.  I also mess up at least once in every class, but the instructors are amazing as they walk around and gently correct form and technique.

At first, I signed up for a month of unlimited classes and after taking 24 classes in 30 days and seeing a 3% decrease in body fat, I signed up for six additional months of unlimited classes.

Friends, if you are looking to change up your work out or start something new, I highly recommend looking for a Pure Barre studio in your area.  If you are one of my three Columbia friends reading this, visit Lauren at the Pure Barre studio in Columbia and try a class.  I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Family Video Portrait

About a month ago, our family had a family video portrait done.  It turned out perfectly to reflect Avery and Logan's personalities.  I love that we have this to look back on to remember this special time in their lives. Thanks to Kent and Carolyn at Kent and Carolyn Photography in Springfield, MO for your amazing work!

Enjoy this little glimpse into the life of a Musselman.