Callie is 3... Like 3 weeks ago.

That's right, my baby is 3. I waited to post because I wanted to make sure to write down her stats, and the soonest appointment I could get her into was today. 

Freaking threes, man. It is just... Not an easy age, at least for this little girl. 

I thought her 3 year old stage would be easier compared to Wilson. I was wrong. 

She is quite the little talker, and it's so different compared to Wilson, who is still a little behind in his speech. 

She loves bananas and strawberries, and asks me to go to the store and buy more. 

She loves the color pink, and kitties. She loves to color and draw and marker. Any she can get her hands on. 

She loves My Little Pony, and Pingu. 

She is wearing size 8 shoes, 3t in shirts and bottoms, but she is a skinny thing! 

She and her brother are always in cahoots and either trying to get into something or did get into something. 

She's a little shyer than Wilson, and takes a little to warm up to people she doesn't know. 

And at 3, she is still a thumb sucker. We might be in trouble. I'm not too worried though. At some point she may stop. Or she may be one of those people who do it all their lives! 

Teaching the kids about giving.

I know it's probably a little cliché to give back during the holiday season. I would love to say that I always remember to donate, or volunteer. I wish I did! 

So I wanted to share with the kids about the gift of giving. I know that right now that can't understand, or be thankful, that they have so much. 

Two parents who love them, a (somewhat, with the military lifestyle) stable home, and all their needs taken care of. 

But I wanted to start a small tradition with them, to give toys to children who don't have as much. 

I am so lucky, to be able to have enough money, even if I don't use all of it as smartly as I could. We are getting better, but as I like to say, you can't take it with you when you go! ;-) 

My kids were getting more than enough this year. And I had toys already, that I was saving for birthdays. Or that were a really good clearance deal, that I couldn't pass up. 

So we took these toys to a local community donation center that was asking for toys for children. 

I tried to explain to them, that there are kids just like them, who don't have as much. And we have toys that we could give to them. 

Wilson asked me why these kids didn't have toys. What could I tell him? My sweet boy, that concept seemed so foreign to him. I'm not sure Callie was paying attention. 

We opened the trunk and Callie immediately grabbed a toy that she would've liked. Wilson grabbed one too, and a nice gentleman helpled with the rest. 

We took it back into the room, and the kids got excited seeing all the toys that had been donated. They handed their toys off easily. Which I hate to admit, I worried they wouldn't.  

We snapped a quick picture, and went back to the car. 

I told them I was so proud of them, and thanked them for wanting to give other kids presents. 

Wilson then said that Santa was going to take the presents to the kids, and that he would be busy. 

I hope I can do this every year with the kids, next year I will probably take them and we will pick out a toy or two, and maybe put it in the toys for tots box at the store, or maybe the donation center again. 

I hope that they will have fond memories of doing this with me, and learn that giving is such a wonderful feeling, when you can give freely. I hope that they will be able to appreciate that we were able to have enough, that we could give to others. 

One post for November.

Looks like my blogging has taken another  fall. I just can't seem to manage to blog, really though this blog is for my own personal use. I'm not even sure if anyone even reads it! That being said. I still want to write in it. 

So since my last blog, we did halloween. And the kids got so much candy. I'm pretty sure it will last us until next halloween.  Hopefully candy is still good to eat by then. 

Tingle our cat, is awesome. And not to brag, but he loves me the most. Actually, that's no surprise. The kids terrorize him most of the time, and Andy is still an animal hater. 

But he is a good cat. He's a cuddler, which is nice. 

I've been having some baby blues, so he's become my new baby. So many new babies have come, and are coming. And I'm loving it! And missing it. *sigh* 

I thought people only got baby fever, before they had kids, I didn't know it was a thing to get it after you are done having kids. 

Callie is coming up on her 3rd birthday!,

Time has really flown by! I am amazed with how much she has grown. What a little person she is becoming. She has been testing limits, and we need to crack down a bit more on her attitude. But she's 3, almost.. So we have to cut her SOME slack. 

Florida has gotten chillier. I'd like it a bit warmer please.

And I don't know how it happened, but my house seems even messier, than it normally is. The 4.5 year old and the almost 3 year old combination is really just a huge whirlwind mess. 

Did I mention they constantly tag team to get into stuff? Like the one day, they pushed chairs to the counter, and grabbed scissors, and Wilson cut open every single bag of fruit snacks? And they both ate them all. 

Or when they did it again, only this time they found a bag of dum dum lollipops. And each of them had like 5 each, before I caught them? 

They also have tag teamed to find Christmas presents already. Wilson got a hold of one of their stocking stuffers and opened them up. 

I can't complain though. They are each other's best friends, and worst enemies. I love that they have each other. Even when they are annoying each other. 

Life is good. I just need to remember to blog more about it. 

My first and last post for the month of October!

Halloween was today. The kids really loved it this year. 

We took Wilson to preschool and they did a field trip to Sterling House, it is an assisted living for seniors. I was very happy to hear that his preschool were able to do something fun  for the kids, and give back to the community as well. 

I dressed Wilson in a costume he once wore 2 years ago. 

Wilson got a lot of treats at preschool, and after school, we went to play at the playground for a little while. 

The playground had lots of little halloween/fall decorations, the kids loved these giant fake spiders most of all. I forgot to take a picture of that, but I did try to get a cute picture of them together. 

Their costume this year was a play on their nicknames, stinks and sweets. So Wilson was a skunk, and Callie was a cupcake. 

We attended a Trunk or Treat festival at a local church, and wow! What a great event they hosted. They had bouncy houses galore, activities and games, and an awesome trunk or treat. The kids got so much candy this year. 

Maybe I'll actually blog some next month! 

Wilson's first week at preschool.

Wilson had his first week at his preschool. It's been a huge adjustment, and we are all still adjusting. 

He is so social, and loves to play, but realizing that preschool isn't all fun and play, has been interesting for him. I think he's still figuring it all out. 

Andy was able to come home before he was done with preschool today, so we went together to pick him up. Wilson immediately ran over to him to give him a big hug. 

Andy was a little sad, that he wasn't able to see him off on his first day, but unfortunately, that's sometimes how it will go. 

They do breakfast and lunch, so that had been nice, but I worry about Wilson eating well. There were a couple times, I noticed that he looked like he hadn't eaten much, and was asking me for food when we got home. 

I've been trying to stress to him that it's important to eat at school. That he gets to eat with his friends at school, but I'm not sure if he's really understanding me. 

I don't want him to starve, so I've been giving him either a small sandwich, or a snack. 

Callie and I have been enjoying our one on one time. We went to a coffee shop together, and have been running errands together. She loves going to pick her brother up, and sometimes I have had a hard time getting her to leave. 

I think I will look into a part time thing for her next year, so maybe the transition into a full preschool isn't overwhelming. 

I wish I would've done it with Wilson, but he has been getting individual speech and back in Louisiana, pyschologist sessions, so he had something. 

I'm hopeful he will continue to love preschool, and learn a lot, and learn to love to learn! He made a craft and took a picture on his first day at school. 

Notice he said he liked "playing school" that really cracked me up. 

Timehop, I can't even...

Ever since I installed Timehop onto my phone, on any given day, I will find myself about to start bawling when I see how fast time is going. 

You see what I mean?!?! Look at those precious, little, chubby faces!!!! 

I love checking it every day to see what shows up. To be reminded of some funny story, or something I shared, or pulling at my heart strings, seeing these little faces that I am tasked with caring for. 

These faces that at moments, won't stop crying, or screaming, or talking. These faces, that somedays I try to close the door on, so I can use the bathroom in peace. These faces, that drive me to the absolute brink of parenthood. Is there any other type of parenthood? 

But thank you timehop, for reminding me, for sharing my memories back to me, for showing me these little faces. 

Playing catch up.

Just when we start to get back to normal, it's time to change it up! 

Andy gets to go to "school" for a couple weeks.  I keep calling it a vacation for him, because he gets to get away from some of his responsibilities for a little while. 

Part of me is jealous, and annoyed, but it's part of the life he signed up for, so mostly it's just acceptance. 

Wilson's preschool is right around the corner, and I'm so excited for him! I'm excited for him to learn, and grow, and experience a new upcoming chapter in all our lives. 

Preschool is like the very beginning of what school life is about to be like for us. 

Poor Callie is already saying she wants to go to school, but because of where her birthday falls on, she's going to have to wait an extra year. 

So wish me luck for these next couple weeks! And if you are feeling extra generous, I'd love some chocolate!