Finishing up 2010

These were just a few random pix that I found that I wanted to share before I finish up blogging about 2010.

VeVe took Benjamin to vote for his first election back in the Fall. You can tell that politics excites him as much as it does me! Ha!

LaLa introduced Benjamin to frozen blueberries. The boy loves him some blueberries (frozen or non)! Momma's choice...we'll be sticking to the fresh ones after seeing this mess and the stain on the toilet seat from his hands.

 We had a wonderful family photo shoot with Mitzi Penick back in November. The kids had a great time running around and showing off their presh smiles. I just had to share a few...

This pic is on my desktop at school and shows up everytime I turn on my Smart Board. What a breath of fresh air during the day!

As you can see from the pix below, ME is definitely my child when it comes to a love for chocolate.

ME and Oreo's. It taste so much better when dipped in milk!

ME and chocolate pudding...it taste so much better when it's all over your face!

A true artist @ work! ME loves to color no matter what the surface.

Welcom Baby Aubrey

During the Christmas Break, we went to visit Anna Carol and Mason at their new house and hang out with Baby Aubrey. 

I just love how proudly ME held Mason's new baby sister. She still is talking about it!

Benjamin was way more interested in all of the toys than hanging out with a baby. :)

No cavities in this small mouth

I took ME to my dentist during Christmas Break for her checkup. She did such a great job! The hygenist (who is way younger than me and went to my church growing up and I can't believe she's old enough to have a real job!) was so sweet to ME, which made it a lot easier for her.

Results of checkup:

• 20 teeth
• No cavities!
• Small overage (aka...braces in the future...ugh!)

  

  As her expression tells you, ME was skeptical for the first few seconds, but got over that quick when she realized Julie's gloves were flavored like bubble gum.

ME was really listening to the hygenist about what she was about to put into her mouth each time.

ME liked the fact that her dentist is my dentist, too.

Mary Elizabeth is growing like a rose

I took ME to her "brown doctor" for her 3-year-old checkup on the 28th. For the most part, we got a good report. I talked to the doctor about how she barely eats anything and some other things, so the doctor wanted to check her glucose level to test for diabetes. Talk about stress on a momma who waited about 30 minutes for the nurse to come do the test then hear the results. Ugh! Luckily, the result wasn't bad, but the doc told us to make sure we're getting in some fruits and veggies. Ha! Easier said than done when you have a child that basically doesn't eat anything but breakfast bars and a few bites of other things.

Stats:

• Weight: 35 lbs. (85%)
• Blood pressure: 94/50
• Length: 38" (74%)

Looking back at all of her pictures, I can't believe how much she's grown and how beautiful she's gotten! I also can't believe how many milestones she's accomplished in just a mere three years! I mean think about it...a little person that totally depends on you for everything to someone that has started exploring with their own independence (insert ME yelling "Leave me alone, mom!" or "Shut the door!").

1-day-old



1-year-old



2-years-old



3-years-old

Things that ME has been into over the past 6 months:

• Seeing how she loves art so much, she's very into describing things by the color (we live in a "brown house", we go to her "brown doctor" because the doctor's office is in a brown building).
• She talks non-stop! I definitely see the resemblance to her dad in this area..."word quota"!
• She's got an imagination like you wouldn't believe! We've thrown snowballs in the middle of the summer, we go to the"library" to get tons of books (the library is our bedroom and we don't have any books in our room), we take pretend kitties and doggies with us everywhere that usually ride on her back. I've even had to chase after an imaginary frog named "Louey, the Bluey Frog" while I was buckiling her into her carseat.
• She's so compassionate and already has goals set for her future! At least everyone in the family has been sick at one time or another this school year. When ME knows that one of us doesn't feel better, she says "Do you feel all better now, {insert name}?" She tries to make all of us better by giving us our medicine (for some reason she always wants to give Drew orange medicine) and gives us lots of kisses when we don't feel better. I think she's on the right track to being a great doctor! Plus, her initials are a great help, too!
• She's gotten into the Disney princesses and Peter Pan. At least twice a week, the four of  us have to play Peter Pan (ME is Peter Pan, Drew is "Cafferine Hoot", I am Tinkerbell, Benjamin is Smee, and Dixie is Nanna). Man, I sure wish I could figure out how to keep that darn crocodile out of our house. Ha! Do you sense a possible preview to the Dees family Halloween costume idea for 2011?
• She loves to dance. She's been going to danin' class this year. She talks about it all the time and knows what day she goes to dancin' class, but once we get there, you never know what kind of performance you're going to get from her. Sometimes she's really great a looking at herself in the mirror, other times she might be a great frog hopper, or really great at standing on her dance spot. Rectial should be interesting...cute, but insteresting! 
• She loves school and loves to play school. She's really learned a lot this year and gets along with all of her classmates. We receive a daily report sheet about her progress and very rarely do they fill out the bottom portion, but I was so proud of this comment that she got a few months ago. The girl loves her shapes almost as much as she loves color! If you'll notice she was the flag helper (her favorite helper job at school) that day, too, because she loves to say the Pledge of Allegiance! It's the cutest thing ever to hear her say it!

• She loves to sing, too. She's all about singing to her own beat. Whenever Benjamin is upset, she starts singing her favorite song, "Jesus Loves Me". She's really good at "re-mixing" classics, too. She likes to do a "rap" style to "Jesus Loves Me", "ABC's", and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider".
• When she asks for things politely, she says "May I want {insert object's name}, may I please?" How can you say no to those manners?

Christmas at Dandy and Lala's House

We celebrated Christmas with my family on the 26th. I remember last year when we all said "Imagine next year (2010) when we will have 3 little ones running around." Well, that next year came and it was fun! Busy, but fun!

We're liking some "Melmo" these days, so he got an Elmo microphone.

McKenzie was very helpful with Benjamin's gifts.



Benjamin got a lawn mower and McKenzie was so excited to help him open it!



We're so excited about hearing him push it every night now. It has the popping dome (like that classic ball popper everyone had as a kid).

Aunt Kari and Uncle Bebo got ME her very own personalized puzzle and coloring book. So "tool!"

Pure cuteness in a purely practical gift!

Does anyone know who this child belong to? Where did she get this love for chocolate? Ha! Actually, she has Benjamin's and McKenzie's, too.

ME and Kari had a jumping contest. ME was convinced, and still is, that she can jump higher than her aunt.

Yes, your eyes are working! Brant is actually reading a BOOK! The things you do for your kids! ;)

If you don't know what to do at your next Christmas party, find someone to climb on and bounce on their face.





McKenzie was such a great helper in the kitchen!

A rare photo op...a picture of the Owens clan...and EVERYONE'S eyes are OPENED! Even LaLa's!

I found a few more Christmas pix I had to post.

This is one from Christmas morning.

This was my MaMa's nativity scene at my parents house. I just had to show how ME set it up! I guess she'll never get that OCD out of her. Look at the 3 Wise Men. Remember my "Here Comes Santa Claus..." post from last year?

Santa came to our brown house

Christmas morning was so much fun this year!  Drew and I actually woke up before the kids did! So we had time to get breakfast ready and examine what Santa brought. The grandparents even came to our house before the kids woke up! I just might have been more excited than the kids. ME really grasped the concept of who Santa was and understood that there were going to be presents in the Living Room when she woke up. Oh, to imagine what it's going to be like in a few years when Benjamin will totally get into it as well.

The kids must have been extra good this year...a tunnel, a kitchen, a basketball goal!

The kids first seeing the loot that Santa brought. There's just no way to describe the feeling of getting to enjoy Christmas through a child's eyes.

Dandy helped them decide which goody to go after first.

"We will form a family band and perform on top of a mountain."~Ron Burgundy, Anchorman
 Not sure why this is turned, but Santa was so "gracious" to bring the Dees household a box set of instruments. Since then, there's hardly been any quiet nights around here. Ha!

Santa came to Memaw's house, too!

After we had Christmas at our "brown house", we headed to Marianna to celebrate Christmas with Drew's grandma, Memaw. Even though ME never took a nap that day, we had lots of fun with all of the kids there.

ME and Benjamin loved their cousin, Bailey. I wish I could have brought her home with me to have a live-in babysitter!

"Seriously? You want us to take a picture? Yeah right!"

Did you know Santa makes personal house calls? Santa was nice enough to stop by Marianna Christmas evening after he made his rounds.

Benjamin wasn't so sure about the big man interrupting his evening that night...

...until he realized what Santa brought him!

ME is now into making this face while saying cheese, so it makes her look silly in her pictures now. But I had to show off her Barbie suitcase. I still remember playing with my mom's (identical to the one that ME got) everytime we went to Mama and Papa's house! I wonder where it is now...

I love that he was so into his trucks that night considering how four of the older kids received guitars. ;)

This was the year of the Barbie for ME! Insert, excited mommy! But have you seen all of the new ones? Daddy Mike got her this one..."Poop 'n Scoop Barbie"...complete with a dog-walking Barbie, a dog, a leash, pooper scooper, and even its own poop! Hmmm...I wonder what happened to those little pieces. ;)

Brilee got a makeup kit. She's only one year older than ME and had a great time giving her makeup advice. Blue makeup=beautiful!

Not a bad pic at about 8:30! Seeing how ME never had a nap, she wanted no part of it, though...not even the bowls of ice cream!

We even got to see Mama Sam while we were in town!

Gettin' ready for Santa

Who knew that getting ready for Santa the day before Christmas would be so busy? Well, I guess when you add Mary Elizabeth's birthday in the mix of it all as well, you will be busy. But it's oh so worth it! The Dees household was full of busy bees on Christmas Eve by getting into the presents from VeVe's house, putting together the big gifts that Santa sent us in advance since they wouldn't fit in his sleigh, and making Santa's cookies.

Benjamin loves his new wagon, especially riding in it!

Santa was so thoughtful in sending his presents ahead of time.

Benjamin loved reading to his Daddy Mike.

We had such fun making cookies for Santa, although they turned out hard as a rock and were shaped like blobs (instead of reindeer and razorbacks) thanks to our terrible oven.

They still were yummy.

ME loved the idea of writing a letter to Santa.

Of course, she had to have a part in the action, too.

I loved getting ready for Santa and I especially loved that ME was so into this year! I can't wait for Benjamin to start really getting into, too! Another memorable moment for this evening was that ME and I went to the Christmas Eve service with my parents at their church, while Benjamin hung out with Drew. I just wish I had my camera with me, though, because ME got to get on stage with the other kids from the congregation and sing "Jingle Bells". It was priceless!