front row show

of the eight televisions we have in our home, this is the one they choose. the kitchen tv...placed there, so i might actually get to watch a show, while cooking or cleaning. funny thing is, coleman and hampton are typically perched in that very spot, watching their favorite shows...icarly or sponge bob. and no, i don't complain. how do they get there? easy. coleman discovered he could climb the drawer pulls on the four drawers to the right, and hampton learned this great trick from him (at age one). i have repeatedly offered to set them up with their favorite snack on the comfy sofa, upstairs or down, or in their rooms, or in the toy room. they decline, stating that they are "just fine" where they are! after bathtime tonight, it is the new icarly that has them glued, complete with hot cocoa and spoons. i will no doubt be cleaning sticky chocolate and marshmallows off of the counter later. that's ok. this too, shall pass...and i will actually miss it!

our little picasso

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we happily enjoyed hampton's preschool art fair on monday at chapel hill...filled with numerous pieces of her precious artwork! i have included a few pics, but hope to get some more, especially of the "me" pics that she did. they didn't turn out on my camera, so hoping in person...i can capture them! too funny! hampton LOVES arts and crafts (my bff at heart)! although, some days, she claims that i am "not her friend." boo hoo! luckily, she changes her mind within a few seconds, calling me her "best friend ever!" or stating, "i love you like one hundred!" or, "you're the best mom ever!" and then...poof! she takes it all back! wow! i must say, however, that the good, most definitely outweighs the bad...hampton is a kind, sensitive, talented and loving little girl! i am blessed to be able to share these moments with her, and pray that we will share many more fun days ahead!

two wheels

it has taken two weeks to accomplish the quest of riding without training wheels. hampton, age 4, decided late april that she was tired of riding on her "baby bike" and wanted to ride her big girl bike instead. we insisted that it would be easiest to learn to ride her "baby bike" minus training wheels, first. luckily, the wind was blowing the right direction, and she agreed. as i am certain the entire neighborhood could attest, the feat did not go without hair raising screams, sobs, and 4 year old cursing...at her bike, at her dad, at me, and anything else that got in her way! if she wasn't able to do it, it was because, "YOU DIDN'T PUSH ME RIGHT!" she even resorted to tossing her "baby bike" on the ground, while screaming "YOU ARE NOT MY FRIEND ANYMORE!" yikes. we took a few days off, and low and behold...she got it! oh my, what a relief! i still cannot say that she happily rides and crashes with grace. now, it's the tree's fault, or the dog's fault. nevertheless, hampton is able to ride on two wheels...on her "baby bike." i can also attest that i have personally witnessed her killer instinct, drive and determination. perhaps she SHOULD play t-ball with all of her boy friends! she scares me!

take me out to the ballgame

bittersweet to title this blog, as these were the words on the wall in coleman's nursery in st. louis. sniff. ok, so...baseball season has begun, and coleman is not all that excited about it! he is a football player at heart, but obliged his dad (and former football coach) to play again this season! his 3rd grade team, the cyclones, had their second game on friday night and won, against a team of 4th graders! we did not see that coming, but are happy it worked out that way! this weekend, they played in a tournament, and won one, lost 2. it was funny to hear garry (aka dad) and another dad in the stands talking about how they were ready for football! funny thing is, there are at least 20 more scheduled baseball games! coleman has done terrific...he's had some awesome base hits, and great plays on second base! honestly, i am enjoying this (and i think coleman is beginning to as well)! game count: 3 wins, 2 losses! it's only the beginning! what a fun & busy summer it will be with baseball, golf, 2 basketball teams, swimming and dance! so happy that i am able to enjoy these moments with all three of my children, who are growing up WAY too fast! sniff. sigh.