Treat or Treasure?

Jack's preschool had a Trunk or Treat event on the morning of Halloween.  Mimi decided that she wanted to participate by decorating a trunk and handing out candy.  I signed her up and dressed up as part of the pirate crew. 

Our trunk was a hit with the kids and Jack made a quick change from Musketeer to Captain Hook to help hand out candy after he had made his rounds.

Emma was a pirate princess and Daddy made a guest appearance as well.  We surprised Jack by being dressed up as his pirate crew and we are pretty sure he loved it.

Jack and his pirate parents

Daddy Pirate

Mommy and her pirate princess

Pirate Mimi

It was bright and sunny that morning and very windy.  Our "Trunk or Treasure" sign ended up scattered over the parking lot.  In the end I am so happy Mimi was inspired to participate since it was so much fun!

Happy Halloween!

When the time came for the kids to decide what they were going to be for Halloween, there was very little hesitation.  Allison: cowgirl, Jack: musketeer.  Emma: ladybug because we have the costume and she fits in it. 
This is how the conversation went from there:
me: "Jack, a musketeer, are you sure?"
Jack:  "Yes, I need a sword and boots, a bib with a cross on it, but not a pointy cross, a rounded cross."
me: "How about being a pirate?"
Jack: "I want to be a musketeer."

So the time came for me to begin searching pinterest and google for musketeer costumes.  When I came up short and only found tutorials for making my own, I decided to jump in with both feet.  With the help of Mimi and a two hour trip to Joann Fabrics, we came out with a plan.  Armed with fabric, ribbon, and a no-sew plan with heavy dependence on my iron I began my adventure in costume making.  I made Jack's first since his vision was so detailed and had very little wiggle room.  The end product was this:

Musketeer Jack

The hat was at Party City and was the last hat of its kind.  It wasn't even marked with a price.  I was going to buy it no matter what, since it was the perfect hat!  Mimi found the red feather that Jack insisted upon.  Red feather, not any other color, only red.  I have to credit Mimi with the cape as well.  Jack loves "Puss In Boots" and he wears a black cape.  So to add the cherry on top of his Halloween sundae, Jack got a black cape. 

Allison wanted to be a cowgirl with freckles, three on each side.  I have to give my children credit, they know what they want.  All the cowgirl costumes on the retail market are a little to risque for my taste, so with some felt and tassle I went to work.  She wanted a horse that she could ride, but since that is probably violating our HOA bylaws she made do with carrying her stuffed FSU horse, Renegade.

Strike a pose! 

Emma was a little ladybug and she rode in style in the double stroller.  She held a candy bar in each hand for the duration of Trick or Treating.  It was only in the final moments that she discovered that there was something wonderfully tasty inside the wrapping. 

Little Ladybug

Trick or Treat!

Happy First Birthday Emma!

Emma, one year old!

Oh, my sweet baby Emma.  I suppose she is officially a toddler now and I will proceed to mourn the passing of the baby days.  Emma has received the memo that she is no longer a baby.  She took her first steps the week before her birthday and since that moment she has only gotten steadier and faster on her feet.
Her favorite songs are "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Dem Bones".  My little girl born so close to Halloween has a fascination and love for skeletons.  When she turns 16, goes Goth, and dyes her hair black I will have this time to reference to and realize that I saw it coming all along.  As long as she keeps her grades up, follows house rules and stays sweet I will let it slide.  It is in writing, please remind me when I freak out over it all.
Emma is my mischievous child, she cannot stand to see a full basket, drawer or hamper.  She empties them like it is her job. She scatters the contents quickly and efficiently.  I keep modeling the putting of objects back in, but she scampers away to complete her next emptying task.  In order to come into my home you must be adept at sidestepping plastic cookie cutters, bottle lids and measuring cups because she scatters them all over the kitchen floor. 

Birthday cupcake!

With this milestone birthday, Emma has decided that she will be sweet and affectionate.  She now leans in for kisses instead of strong arming you in the cheek when you pucker up in her direction.  She will lay her head down on my shoulder while I am rocking her.  I am soaking it up.  She has even let Daddy rock her to sleep twice since her birthday.  She may be manipulating us, but we are eating it with a spoon and I will take those sweet kisses and that heavy sweet head on my shoulder any time, any day.
She has this one bad habit that freezes me and makes me unable to function.  It is her scream/squeal that would shatter glass if we didn't have double paned storm windows.  It is deafening and I am concerned about her hearing with the frequency, tone and volume that she produces.  It does not matter if she is happy, sad, frustrated or mad, she screams no matter what.  When she has your attention you usually get a wide smile or clearer communication as to why she needs you.  We have been trained to respond, don't judge until you hear it.  You would do anything to avoid the sound too.  I am hopeful that her octave indicates a future as a soprano to rival Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston.  I can dream right, my ear drums have paid their dues. 

6 months old here, looking so innocent!

Emma is in the transition from baby to big girl.  She is independent minded, but still has the fluffy pudginess of babyhood.  She is signing up a storm and will even put two together in a "sentence".  She knows more, milk, please, diaper and eat.  Genius, I know.  She babbles constantly until she is quiet and disappears and we play the game of "Where's Emma?".  It is fun, you usually find her hightailing it into the closest bathroom to empty the toilet paper roll and if you are a few seconds behind her she has eaten a square and shredded another.  Paper is Emma's favorite food group, I have been fishing paper towels, wipes and toilet paper out of her cheeks for several months.  She gets one bite of paper to consume, see above mentioned "scream/squeal".  It is fiber. 

Sand...another favorite.

A timeline of Emma.  My heart hurts looking at how much she has grown.  Infancy is so fleeting.  Her sweet cheeks are my favorite and those marshmallow rolls are just delicious.  

Newborn

3 months

6 months

9 months

One year old!

Is it really December?

I turned around the other day and realized that we are now in the final month of 2012.  The weather is turning cold and Christmas is only a few short weeks away.  I need to complete my Christmas shopping and get the cards in the mail.  The kids are practicing for their holiday performances and our elf, "Peter Piperson" has been keeping a close eye on their behavior.
We have had a fun and eventful fall full of travel and adventures.  Jason and I went on an adult only vacation with our friends the Powells and returned relaxed and rejuvenated.

Next up were visits to the apple orchards and pumpkin patches as we took the opportunity to drive through the changing leaves of the North Georgia Mountains.

The tractor ride and apple picking at Mercier Orchards would have met my expectations of relaxed fall fun with the exception of the swarms of yellow jackets that were seeking the sweet apple juice of the fruit.  Not much could deter Emma from her first tastes of fresh apples though.

 Next up were our adventures to the pumpkin patch.  With our Halloween shirts donned we set off to achieve two goals.  1. To buy the biggest most beautiful pumpkin  2. To get pictures of my adorable pumpkins in the sea of orange.

Family picture at the patch

A year ago I sat on a pumpkin with my belly large and round and full of baby Emma.  It is amazing and humbling to think of all the difference a year can make!

Mimi and her pumpkins

On to another tractor ride!  We bumped through the sunflower fields and over a stream through the woods of Burt's Farm.  The kids loved it!

My sweet little man

Mimi and Allison

It's Not Baseball, It is Tee Ball!

The time has finally come in Jack's life to get on the field and play tee ball.  He has been carrying around bats and balls and sleeping cuddled up with his glove for years.  Finally, he gets to play! And he loves it.  He loves the clay, the throwing, the hitting, the skill drills, practice, running bases...he loves it all! 

His first practice, suited up to look like a major league player.

He has all the legitimate gear.  His own bat, batting helmet and now the official uniform of the Sandy Plains Knights.  He is very particular about which ball he uses.  It has to be the one I wrote his initials on.  Well, looks like I am going to be initialing all the balls we own because I certainly cannot find that one anymore.  When I tell him we are going to baseball practice he is consistent in correcting me.  "Mommy, it's not baseball, its tee ball!"  One day I may say it right.

Hitting from the Tee

Forgive me for a minute and close your eyes if you don't want to read bragging.  My son is a talented tee ball player.  He understands the game and he owns it.  That boy swings for the stands and he can hit the stew out of a tee ball.  We practiced hitting from the tee a couple months prior to the beginning of the season since he was used to hitting balls we pitched to him.  And when he hit one over the fence, which was about 75% of the time, he would call out "Moneyball!" as he ran the makeshift bases in the backyard.   I had to negotiate with him, ten from the tee then ten live pitch.  When it comes to baseball, that kid knows what he wants.
He can also catch, field ground balls and throw with good accuracy. My kid has got mad baseball skills.  He is a good coordinated all around athlete that has shown elite skill in his first four years. We are making plans for him and dreaming of the majors.  

Running the bases

Jack is developing as a runner.  He loves to run and he says "I'm as fast as a bullet".  We encourage him to run, he craves it.  But speed is not yet Jack's virtue.  It is a good thing he can slam the ball to give him some time to round the bases.  His speed is coming, he can taste it.  That train is going to become a speeding bullet.  Run on sweet boy, run on!
 

She is Marked as Christ's Own Forever

 "All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:The Lord God made them all."

Emma Catherine Chaloupek has been christened.  On September 2, 2012 we buttoned her into the family gown and much to our surprise, it actually fit.  Her godparents, Cory and Vanessa Hodgerson had flown in to attend the ceremony and our family lined up in front of the church to present our sweet girl for baptism. 

The front church pews were filled with family and we sang hymns of praise.  The presence of my grandparents overwhelmed me as the church filled with the opening chords of Grandmommy's favorite hymn.  I sang in celebration as well as I could since my voice was cracking with emotion. I was already choked up at the beginning of the service.  The commitment of my child to Christ is not just a rite of passage but a sacrament not to be taken lightly.  The joy of these moments and the connection they provide between heaven and earth is incredibly profound to me. 

We baptized Emma at Canterbury Chapel where Jason and I were married and where we also baptized Allison.  The children gathered around the front of the baptismal font and had a front row seat to the welcome of Emma into the church.  Emma cried a little, more because she wanted to play in the holy water instead of having it poured over her head.  She reached for me and I was able to hold her as she was anointed with oil.  We prayed, we processed, and we celebrated our sweet baby girl! 

The Godparents

Mimi's side of the family

Grandparents and their grandbabies

Aunt Laura

Auntie Anne

Daddy and Emma as captured by Allison

"He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well."

Getting ready for a cousin!

My kids are getting cousins!  I am so thrilled that I am going to become an aunt!  My brother and his wife are expecting a baby in October and Jason's sister and her husband are expecting a baby girl in January.  We are over the moon excited for the blessings of these lives and the expansion of our family!  My children have been the grandchildren on both sides who have been the recipients of undivided attention.  I am excited for them to have strong relationships with their new cousins and to know the friendships that family can provide. 
Emma and I flew to Baton Rouge for Brandi's baby shower.  We stayed with her and Joe in their super cute home and were able to christen the nursery with baby juices.  Emma decided that she would get that "new nursery" smell taken care of for her new cousin!  Emma was an amazing travel companion and far exceeded my expectations on the flight.  She enjoyed the airport and all the attention she received from the TSA agents as well as fellow travelers.  Almost everyone we passed greeted her warmly with smiles and waves, everyone but the people at our gate that were going to be on our flight!
Mom and Aunt Laura were also there to celebrate the upcoming arrival of baby Tucker.  The shower took place on a rainy day outside of Baton Rouge, but the shower was fun and baby Tucker got lots of great gifts!

 Granny and Brandi with Emma at the shower.

 Aunt Laura, Brandi and me.  I had to jump in on at least one photo to prove I was there!

 Brandi with her mother and aunts.

Brandi and the hostesses. 

First Days of School

The past month has past us by in a whirlwind and I have a feeling the rest of the fall may just be at the same pace.  Allison and Jack have started school and also their fall activities.  It is a steady busy pace but it seems to me that we are finding a pretty good rhythm to our days. 
The first day of school was exciting for everyone!  After a few anxious moments making sure that Allison was actually registered and assigned a teacher, she was able to fully participate in Meet and Greet.  Mrs. Grohovsky and her class have welcomed Allison with open arms.  The class was together last year in kindergarten and Mrs. G looped up with them and added six more students in the first grade.  Allison had her outfit picked out at least three weeks before the first day of school and was incredibly excited to ride the bus.

 Allison love school and all that it entails.  She loves the independence, buying her own lunch, computer labs and library books.  She gets especially excited when her Daddy is able to walk her to the bus stop!  Of course Daddy was there for her first day!

 Off she went onto the bus with hardly a look back over her shoulder.  Last year she waved the entire time the bus was pulling away.  This year I had to search for that purple headband through the bus window to know where she was sitting.  She was too busy making friends with her seatmates.  I suppose I should be happy that it the way it is now, but I still need her to miss us a little bit!

 Jack is such a little man and was ready to go for his first day of 4 year old pre-k.  He wore one of his favorite colors for his first day.  His teacher is Mrs. Nekrasas and her assistant is Mrs. Devine.  Thank goodness they go by Mrs. N and Mrs. Maddie!  

 Jack has a pretty strong obsession with Puss in Boots and anything with sword fighting, so he made sure I got an action shot of him with his sword!

 Daddy was able to be there for Jack's first day of school as well.  Jack was able to find his name and hang his bag up, check himself in, find his book and get started on pre-k!  Jack merely looked up and waved as we said goodbye.  He is maturing so quickly and really gaining confidence.  I am proud that he can be so independent but still want him to kiss his mommy goodbye!

Jack now has me drop him off in the carpool line and is able to get to class on his own.  He talks non stop about letters, songs and the friends he is making in his classroom.  I am so excited to see what the year brings!