Happy First Birthday, Baby Girl!!!

Happy first birthday to the sweetest (and toughest) little girl I know!!!  Kayla, we are so grateful to have you as a part of our lives!!

I made a video of Kayla's first year and posted it on YouTube (apparently, it was too lengthy for blogger).  Check it out:

http://youtu.be/eG5xdDynmpk

Avery By Day...SpiderMan By Play

You might assume that working with people with brain injuries for several years made me a little over-cautious when it comes to raising my children, hence all of these pictures of Avery playing with his bicycle helmet on.  However, that is not the case.  Avery has developed a new obsession (look out Buzz, Woody, and Thomas!!)...SpiderMan!!  Avery heard the SpiderMan theme song on the sattelite car radio one day, sung by Micheal Buble, and remembered that he has a SpiderMan helmet (I bought it a year ago...there were no toddler sized helmets that fit him, so I had to buy a helmet sized for 8 years old and up...thanks, Phil).  Check out the pics and video below of Avery pretending to be SpiderMan.  We had the SpiderMan song playing in the background and got 3 minutes of Avery running around, posing, and shooting webs like SpiderMan (I edited it to less than a minute).  The funny thing is, neither Phil nor I have shown Avery any video or footage of SpiderMan.  So unless he learned this at school, he is pretty darn creative (and right on the money too!).

Random Photos of the Week

I *heart* these kids.

 Kayla walking around carrying Daddy's size 15 shoes.  Avery also did this at a young age.  Must enjoy the challenge!

 This is Kayla in her Little House on the Prarie outfit.  And yes, I took her to Target in it (minus the hat; I didn't want CPS contacted!).

 The Cozy Coupe was not built for two....

 ...until Phil Jean came along.  Look at Kayla's face; she is loving her ride!

 My kid is cooler than me...he knows how to play Angry Birds.

 Avery wants to try out for fast-pitch softball, apparently.

Piano Tuning

One of my Christmas presents from Phil's parents was getting my piano tuned.  Avery was pretty smitten with Mr. Miller and enjoyed watching him open up the piano and inspect the strings and pedals.  Avery then decided that his own piano needed a little fine tuning...

Meet The Wall

When we were younger, Jonathan and I had a game called "Meet the Wall".  Basically, one of us would pound on the other one and push his or her head into the wall and hold it there while the other laughed hysterically...until it started hurting and the one getting their butt kicked would get angry and turn on the beater, who then became the beatee.  I blame David for instigating this game.  Anyways, apparently, Avery and Kayla have their own version of this game, although it is much less violent and much more fun to watch.  They play so well together....at least, until Kayla takes one of Avery's trains.  "Meet the Wall" may get a little more serious in the future....

I'm not sure what the kids call this game, but it kept them entertained for quite some time!

Holdin' Her Own

This chick is tough as nails...

My Blessings

Magnolia Plantation January 2012

Soccer Star

"Goooaaaallll!!!!!"

My Favorite Time of Year

My Little Monkey

Jeans in January

Here are some random pics from the month of January.  The new year started off rough, with three out of four people sick in the house, but we have all survived and have been enjoying the awesome weather down here (don't worry, we will pay for it in July and August).  I am not sure where January has gone...this year is flying by already!

Copying off of his daddy...

 Mr. Independent. 

 Avery loves his legos that he got for Christmas.

 This pic doesn't show what happens at the end....they end up almost kissing, and then repeat it over and over again.  Not sure where this game started from, but at least it kept them quiet for a bit. :)

 Kayla and her top hat...will she follow in her show choir Mama's footsteps??  She definitely has a bit of the drama queen in her...

 I love Sam's club shopping carts...too bad I had to bribe Avery with a snack just to get him to keep his sister company.

 Kayla-sized pancakes.

 Stroller/Sibling love.

 Tea for...three.

 It's my kids in a box!! (SNL reference)

 Beach time is coming up!! Kayla is practicing the sarong look!

 Now she is modeling more of a sun-conscious look.

 Chilling in the tub.

 Kayla's number one!!

 Mmmmmm....pink duck.

 More sibling love...sometimes it gets a bit rough.

 Avery in his "big boy" bed.  We figured it was time to transition our 36 pound, 2 and three quarter year old out of his crib when he randomly started climbing out of it.  Whatever.  We learned long ago that Mr. Avery does things when he is ready to do them.  You can't rush this guy.  :)