Move over Michael Jordan

Brett is "all boy" and loves to play with balls.  He has recently really gotten into basketball.  I bought him this basketball hoop at a garage sale for $1 (which is why it looks so bad).  It is a little too tall for him- but he loves it anyway.  He is really going to love the new basketball hoop that Santa is going to bring him!!

Now I know my ABC's

** I am working on the video- I can't get it to post.***

Thanks to the Letter Factory video- Brett has started learning his letter sounds.  I know that they aren't all perfect- but I was still pretty impressed.  I thought that he just knew the sounds- but he now points to letters everywhere - on his sippy cup, in his books, at the store- and makes the correct letter sounds.  The teacher in me is quite impressed that he knows his letters and letter sounds already.  Sorry for the video quality.  I don't know how to download videos from our video camera so this was taken with our normal camera.

Blogcation

Sorry for the unannounced "blogcation".  I know it has been forever since I have updated.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our families- and an even more wonderful Saturday as we watched the Jackets beat the Bulldogs!!!!  We are a house "divided"- Brian went to Georgia, and my dad went to Georgia Tech- so that is always a big game for us.  Georgia had a seven year winning streak - so for as long as I have known Brian the Bulldogs have won.  It was nice to be on the winning side for once!  Here are just a few pictures from the last few weeks.  I will try to do better at updating- sorry to the two or three of you who actually check our website.

Brett loves playing the Wii.  We think it is hysterical.

Brett really loves his Uncle "Wob".

My handsome boys

Momma's boy

Rock Ranch

(See description at the bottom- I can't get it to move to the top of the post- sorry)

Brett carrying the flag through the corn maze.

Brett getting his face painted.  Georgia on one side and Georgia Tech on the other!  He sat so still- I was shocked!

Riding on the "choo-choo".  This boy LOVES choo-choo trains.

Pumpkin bowling with Daddy

Looking at the animals at the petting zoo.

Riding the carousel with Mommy...

and with Daddy!

Brett couldn't quite figure out the pedal on the tractor, so he rode with this cute little girl (who was four- and my boy was every bit as tall as she was!)  

Pumpkin smashing crane

Pumpkin cannon

Riding the cow

Riding with Mommy- the first time I rode with him- the second time I let him ride by himself with me in the cow behind him saying "sit down" every two seconds!

Last Saturday we went to Rock Ranch.  It was this AMAZING place with a corn maze, pony rides, carousel, petting zoo, tractor rides, a train, a "cow" ride, fishing, paddle boats, and much more.  And, it is absolutely beautiful.  It is owned by Truett Cathy- so you know it is well-run.  Anyway, we had so much fun.  I kept telling Brian, "This is the perfect day."  It will definitely be a family tradition to go every year.  We went the day after Halloween- so it was "Pumpkin Smashing Day". They had a pumpkin cannon, pumpkin bowling, a crane to ride up and drop your pumpkin, etc.  I can't believe I just found out about this place.  

The Stomach Virus- revisited

Well, this stomach bug is horrible- pray now that your family does not get it.  When I called the doctor the first time Brett had this (yes, I did say the first time)- they said he could re-catch it.  Well, Brett has now had it twice,  my sweet mom has had it 3 times, and just when we thought we had escaped- my dad and I both got it on Friday.  We are more than ready to say good-bye to this nasty bug.  I will update with some pictures soon.

Happy Halloween!!

We had a very busy, fun day today.  It started off with music class- all the kids got to wear their costumes.  I really didn't think Brett was going to wear his but once he saw all the other kids in their costumes he was fine.  We then went with several friends to the square downtown.  All the shops hand out candy for the kids- very crowded but also very fun!  After nap it was back out for a hayride around our neighborhood and trick or treating.  We had a very, very, very fun day- and I know a little boy who is going to sleep well tonight (at least I hope so).

Music class

Trick-or-treating downtown (the best picture I could get)

Yum!  Which one should I get momma?

Can we do this every night?

Hey- there's Nana and Boo Boo!

Look what I got momma!

Kaleigh chasing Brett around our yard

The fam

Momma's little lion

Kaleigh and Brett

To say that Brett loved Halloween would be a huge understatement.  He shocked us both at how much he loved it.  Our little lion would run from house to house carrying his pumpkin and saying "treat" all the way up to the door.  After the first few houses he caught on quick and would walk right up and knock on the door.  When he saw that someone was coming he would start laughing and "jumping" up and down.  All this excitement- and the kid doesn't even know what candy is.  Well, we changed that tonight and Brett got his first candy bar- a Kit Kat which he devoured.   We had a blast- I was not expecting it to be this much fun.  I am already looking forward to next year!

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

When I taught school one of my favorite books was "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day".  Well- we are having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad WEEK.  Brian left last Friday for a 10-day out-of-the-country trip (more on that in a later post)- so we were already sad to have him gone for so long.  Then on Tuesday I locked Brett in the car while we were running errands.  I couldn't get in touch with anyone (althought I finally got in touch with my mom- thank the good Lord) so I had to call 911 and they sent some firemen to get him out.  Let me tell you- for those of you who have never done this- it is horrible.  Go get a spare key made today and keep it in your pocket, hide it under your car, give it to your neighbor- something!  My poor little guy had no idea what was going on and was terrified.  I have a whole new respect for firemen now.  They were amazing- and so nice.  They even let Brett get up in the truck after it was all over.  So, we were both traumatized after that.  Then, Wednesday morning I am getting ready for Bible study and hear a horrible noise- yep- Brett is throwing up.  He has never had the stomach virus so this is new for both of us- and it is no fun!  Around one on Wednesday I decide that maybe Brett needs some fresh air.  So we start out the back door- with Brett in front of me- and he runs to the stairs and starts to take off without me.  The next thing I know I am watching my baby rolling down the stairs- a sight you never, ever, ever want to see.  So I grab him up, rush him upstairs- where- again thank the good Lord- my dad has just come in- and try to see if there is any damage.  About a minute later we start round two of the stomach virus- this time much worse.  He is then very lethargic and we can't get him to stay awake.  So, fearing that he has a concussion, we rush him to the doctor's office.  They check him out- say he looks OK- and tell us to watch him closely and wake him after 1 1/2 hours of sleep.  At this point I am crying and crying feeling like the worst mom on the planet- and so sad that I can't even talk to Brian since he doesn't have his cell phone with him.   It has been a challenging week to say the least.  And my poor sweet little guy is still throwing up.  It is the hardest thing to watch.  You feel so helpless.  Please pray for him- that he will be well soon- and that no one else in our family will get it because they said it is a virus that you can re-catch even if you just had it.  He has had enough trauma for one week!

We're going to the Zoo

Brett's favorite song right now is called "We're going to the zoo".  If I start singing any other song he starts making animal noises so I will stop singing whatever song I was singing and start singing "We're going to the zoo".  So, as you can imagine, he loves actually going to the zoo.  This time we got to meet Brett's friends Anna Grace and Andrew- so the day was extra special.  

The new lion cubs.

The otters were so funny.  They all swam together and posed for a picture together.  It was like something you would watch on America's Funniest Home Videos.

Doesn't he look like he is staring right at you?

Sweet Anna Grace got a brush for Brett so he could comb the goats.

Love this one- it looks like they are making the same face!

The only picture I got of these busy guys together.

Love this one too!

An attempt to get a picture of all three- at least Anna Grace looks cute!

Mommy- I am not wearing this- and I'm not "lion"!

Well, it looks like this might be the only picture I get of Brett in his Halloween costume.  I took this over a month ago- when I got his costume.  I tried it on him again last week and he cried and cried.  He loves when I put it on me- but he doesn't want anything to do with it.  I thought I had at least one more year to pick out the "cute" costume for Halloween- looks like I was wrong.  We will keep trying- but don't be surprised if you see pictures of my cute boy in a tacky "Thomas the Train" costume on Oct. 31st!

Never say never

Our nephew, Pierce, started playing football this year so we went to see him play on Saturday. (Brian's brother David is Pierce's coach- he is in the orange hat in the picture below)  Brett had a fit not being able to be on the field.  He kept pointing to the boys playing and saying, "Ball, ball".  The morning started out chilly- so I dressed my boy in lined pants- but by the time we got to the game it was in the mid-80's.  So, I did what I said I would never do- I took his pants off and let him run around in public in his diaper.  I still can't believe that I did that- but the poor little guy was burning up.  Never say never.

We had a great time watching the game- but Brett had the best time playing with Pierce after the game was over.  I have a feeling that we will be on the football field quite a bit in the next 18 years or so.