Clifford came to our house!

Clifford the Big Red Dog came to our house! One of Bryce's fun assignments in kindergarten is to host Clifford for a weekend. Clifford goes home with a different student every weekend and each child journals about Cliffords stay at their house. Last weekend was Bryce's turn to take Clifford home and here are some of the fun things Clifford did while staying with the Littles:

On Friday night we took Clifford to Q-Barbeque. Clifford liked the chicken barbeque best.

Clifford was impressed by all of the trophies they had won for their barbeque. He thought Q-Barbeque was delicious!

On Saturday we took Clifford to the Richmond Metro Zoo. Here is Clifford checking out the bears.

Clifford even took a ride on the sky ride at the zoo. He held on tight when we rode over the rhinos!

On Sunday Clifford went to Sunday School. He sat quietly and listened to the Bible story.

After church we ate at Mexico restaurant with family. This was Clifford's first taste of tortilla chips!

Bryce introduced Clifford to Harley, Aunt Tara's dog. Harley was on his way to Florida.

Because there was no school on Monday, we were able to go swimming at the indoor pool. Clifford had fun! We enjoyed having Clifford for a visit. You're welcome to come back anytime, Clifford!

Sweetie

This is "Sweetie," or at least that's her name according to her big brother Davis. For the past month or so he has been referring to her as such. Apparently Brian and I use the term of endearment often enough that Davis has come to call her this by name.

"Sweetie" is most definitely very sweet and is almost always flashing one of her big smiles. She is starting to talk more and more; "Hi Daddy," "All Done," and "Hi Five" have been added to her working vocabulary of "uh-ohs" and "bye-byes." She loves to push around her walker and do makeshift headstands on the carpet but has not yet taken her first step. Oh, and despite the oh-so-cute cheeks, Sweetie weighed in at only tenth percentile at her one year check-up. She loves to eat bananas, green beans, Cheerios and Ritz crackers. She still takes a bottle at least a couple of times a day which allows for ample cuddle time with mommy and daddy. She has started to show us her feminine flare by tilting her head back and to the side in the most dramatic fashion when she is whining or complaining about something. She loves attention from anyone and is happy to be held by anyone willing to hold her. She laughs easily and puts up patiently with the rough love she receives from her big brothers.

We love you Sweetie!

Happy 8th Birthday Grant!

In January we celebrated Grant's eighth birthday at Laser Quest. The party was all out boy fun with two games of laser tag followed by tarantula cake and presents. This was Grant and Bryce's first introduction to laser tag and it was quite a hit with both boys, going down as "one of the best days ever."

Grant with some of his friends anticipating the first game of laser tag. Wild and crazy boys!

Brian and the crew.

Brian was able to participate in the games, playing under the code name of "Big Daddy."

Pappy and Carter racing. The grandparents helped entertain the little ones while the big boys played.

Notice the scorecards in Brian's hands. The boys loved comparing scores after the games and were especially proud of their hits on "Big Daddy."

Daddy and Mommy with the birthday boy.

Yes, it's a cake! Grant requested a tarantula cake and this is what I came up with. The base is just a 9 x 13 chocolate cake covered with icing and then graham cracker crumbs for sand (most tarantulas in the U.S. live in the desert). The spider's body is made out of cupcakes covered in fondant icing. The legs, eyes and such are completely fondant. Not the most appetizing cake I've ever made!

The birthday boy!

We are so thankful to have Grant in our family and are particularly proud of the maturity he has developed over the past year. Grant has shown perseverance and determination with his school work, always desiring to do his best and learn new things. He has a keen interest in animals and science (hence the tarantula cake!) and is very knowledgeable when it comes to insects and ocean animals. Grant is growing in spiritual maturity, understanding the Bible as he does his quiet times and becoming more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. In particular, Grant is and has always been a wonderful brother. His four younger siblings are blessed to have him as their big brother. He is a help to mom and dad, fetching items when requested and providing a good example for the little ones in obedience and cooperation. He is willing to lend a hand to help little ones zip up coats, buckle into their car seats, find lost toys, or give a hug.

Grant and Bryce have shared a room for several years now and have become best buds through the process. They love to laugh together and rarely quarrel. On the back of the door to their room is a dry erase board. One day I saw this sweet note written on it:

I love how Grant's name is written in cursive--something new he's learned this year. I found out later that this was put up after a little squabble between the brothers. Sort of a "let's be friends again" message. It was such a kind, brotherly sort of thing to do and I'm glad to say that our boys truly are best friends.

What a blessing Grant is! We love you Grant and are so happy to celebrate your eighth birthday with you!

Kit-Kat

I unwrapped a little chocolate bar for my two-year-old today and handed him the candy, telling him, "Kit-Kat."

He then took the chocolate covered wafers and carried it around for the next 15 minutes saying, "Meow!"

You know you're a mother of boys when...

You know you're a mother of boys when you go to look in the mirror and find Nerf gun bullets blocking your reflection. And instead of removing them from the mirror you choose to peek around them, however obstructed your image might be. Because, after all, more bullets on the mirror means fewer on the floor.