Amazing Grace by Anna Bee

Anna has become quite the song bird. She loves to sing songs she learns at school or that we sing to her. I picked her up from the YMCA child care and the worker commented that she would just sing to herself so sweetly. Amidst all the chaos and screaming with the kids there, she was in her own little world singing away. So cute and different from John in that he was a man of few words when it came to the songs he learned at school.

We went to The Aquarium restaurant with the kids last weekend and I had to capture Anna as she sang two verses of Amazing Grace to herself. In this video I asked her to sing but she had been singing for quite a while in the back seat before it occurred to me that I needed to record it

Summer and Such

The summer is flying by. I haven't had much time to post here.

We started off the summer with John attending Warrior Prince Academy with several little friends of his. John absolutely loved it. Such a great Christian program, sort of like VBS but different and I like how they split up the girls and boys. I can't wait for Anna to do the girl version. Other activities included VBS at a friend's church, summer gymnastics camp, Grandparent's Camp with 7 cousins in College Station!!, Anna's twice a week Mother's Day Out, and LOTS of pool time at the YMCA! Despite our vigilant suntan lotian usage, we are all very tan--except for Kyle, Anna has discovered she loves "turling" (twirling) in her big petticoat tutu...or pretty much any other skirt that twirls, John has found his calling as a super hero with a pillowcase safety pinned around his neck. I am afraid he actually thinks he can fly with the cape as he has taken some pretty fierce dives into sofas, other objects, and myself. And somehow his legs move a lot faster when he wears his pillowcase....ahem, excuse me, cape.

I am doing a Bible Study on Thursdays which has been a HUGE blessing....my attitude has needed some re-alignment. If you haven't read this book, do it now...


I am going to label this summer "2011: The Summer of Joy". To be honest, I was nervous about summer with 2 kiddos to entertain. If I had to give a mid-summer review, it's had it's ups and downs but I think we're on an upward swing. The kids are a great age to take to the pool now. They are both potty trained, John is actually sleeping through the night in undies. Amazing.

Most every morning since MDO has been out John runs to our bedroom, usually with Anna a few steps behind, and excitedly asks this half-asleep mess of a person:

"So, Mom! What are we going to do on this day?"

Mama, the Entertainer.

There has been some of this


and a little of this (8th grade dance anyone?)



and when we're feeling particularly lovey, some of this (notice John's crazy wall-eye)



WHOOOAAA!!!!!! There was lots of love flowing on this particular day so I had to capture it


Let not the pictures fool you....
There is plenty of antagonizing and sibling squabbles. Most days I feel as though I'm "managing chaos", as one friend puts it so well. To me, there is nothing more aggravating than these two provoking each other almost constantly through the day, and nothing more sweet than when they express affection for one another.