Sugarplum Fairy Land

On Saturday, the Warner girls (including Big D!) took our annual trip to Atlanta to see the Nutcracker. The day did not disappoint. The girls were up extra early in anticipation, the new Christmas dresses from Nana fit perfectly, the weather was nice and chilly, and the Fox Theatre was unbelievable, as usual. How lucky I am that they enjoy this tradition as much as I do! Thanks, Chad!

Getting ready to leave

Lunch at Steak n' Shake

Outside of The Fox

Intermission...

10 months later...

...Jack rolls!!!

May I take a moment to brag...

Chad would never announce this, but I just have to let the 3 or so readers of this blog (all of whom love Chad too!) know that the national polls came out and the Shorter Hawks are ranked #12 in the country! We are also #1 in our (very competitive!) conference. I feel like I'm jinxing something by saying it, but we are excited and thankful tonight! Go Hawks! (and Go Daddy!)

The Wait is over...

...and I don't mean the wait until Christmas. I mean the wait to see Santa. It is definitely atop our Christmas "to-do" list, but the line involved always causes me a little stress. (as I've written about before!) Chad's mom was sweet enough to go with the kids and me this year, so I could hold the line while she took turns taking kids to see other parts of our not-so-huge mall. Two hours later I had 3 very happy and (2 very eager!) kids. He was a sweet Santa who took several minutes talking to each of the girls before posing for the picture. And this was the first year in recent times that I haven't joined the picture to appease a crying babe!

A picture of our picture with Santa
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When we returned home, the girls immediately got busy on separate activities while I fixed dinner. Aly was hard at work making her Christmas list on the special notecard Santa had given her:

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Meanwhile, Caroline had stripped down, put on her Santa dress, found a red chair, and was playing "Santa" to her dolls:

Although we are only one week into December, it has been so fun to see how "into" Christmas the girls are this year. They really 'get' Santa, loved the local Christmas parade a few nights ago, and have been waking up extra early this week in anticipation of hunting the house in search of our "elf" (named Coca-Cola!). We've been trying to stress the fact that Coca-Cola and Santa's job is just to help us to celebrate Jesus' birthday, but it's fun to see just how much of this whole season they are in complete awe, fascination, and wonder of.

So as I sit here tonight, I feel happy that I have kids in bed, dreaming of Santa. (and more importantly, that visiting Santa is behind us for another year!)

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(No significance to Santa...Just had to include a picture of my little bundled-boy!)

Thankful for Thanksgiving

I have sat down at my computer multiple times to try to sum up the awesome Thanksgiving we had. With family in town from New York, Texas, Alabama, and Rome (ha!), we packed our house with people and our tummies with food. The reason it's been so hard to post is two-fold, both boiling down to my dependence on my sister-in-law! First, I have not a single picture to show for the 3 1/2 day family-fest because she is a camera queen. Second, I can't even begin to verbalize what she was able to sum up in two posts on her blog (here and here.) So I'll piggy-back off of her for her words and her pictures. Thanks to all the family for making such an effort and making Thanksgiving 2010 so memorable.

The Best Time of Year

The anticipation of what is to come is almost too much right now! The arrival of Nana, Papa, Uncle Chris, Aunt Cortney, and Ben is marked on our calendar; there are Christmas trees in the lots already; carolers sang on the street corner this weekend; Aly had her first spend-the-night at Big D's; school is out for a week and the ending was marked by a big feast at school with the girls dressed as a pilgrim and an Indian; the basketball team is 7-0...what are we to do with all this excitement?!? Count our blessings and be thankful!!

Indian Princess "Sunflower" and "Sister Caroline"

Enjoying a little mild weather...

Aly's Backyard 'Project'

Caroline rides her bike!

Good night

Chad and the team left for a tournament in Nashville yesterday, so the kids and I packed up and joined them today. They have been talking about the hotel to anyone who would stand still to listen for the last few days that they've known about it. We got to stop in Sewanee, TN to enjoy lunch with my dear friend, Cortney, and then got to the hotel just in time to say 'good-bye' to Chad (and jump on the hotel beds for a few minutes.) We survived the game with just one chocolate-milk-spill, one 'potty' accident, and a win for the Hawks! I hear deep breaths coming from three different kids as I type, and I know that the hard day was well-worth it when I see these faces:

(well, not literally SEE this face--this is the way that Jack sleeps!)

A Day in the Week...

Gobble, gobble. And gobble.

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This was not posed. This is honestly how we found Caroline entertaining Jack!

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Nana couldn't resist ordering the girls the nightgown the catalog called "Clara's Nightdress." The squeals that I heard from their room when they ran in after bath tonight and saw these on their beds were priceless.

The Boys are Back!

By the end of February, I hate basketball season. That may be a little strong, but I'm definitely sick of it. But it's funny how God seems to give me a short memory because here, on November 6th, I am so excited that the season is finally here! After months of conditioning and practicing, we are all so excited to just see these boys play.

We had a tournament with games both Friday and Saturday night; though I hired a babysitter for both games, I surprised the girls and took them to the game Friday night. With a start time an hour past bedtime, you can imagine how exhausted they both were at the end of the game when I tried to take this picture:

They were so excited, though, to surprise Chad at the first game of the season...and it was definitely worth it. The Hawks pulled off a 106-47 victory. Our personal victory was the fact that these two girls sat, colored, and drew for the entire game! My, how things have changed in just a few short years!

We also won the game tonight; not a bad way to start off the season! My prayer is that we can continue to feel as fresh and excited in February as we feel this weekend. Go Hawks!

Charlie Jack

What is not to love about this sweet face? I could eat this little boy up... I am in LOVE!



Learning to play...

A Week Fit for a Kid

What a great time of year. Oh, to be a kid!! Last week was Farm Week at school and so (like last year), the girls boycotted the cowboy/farmer attire and went for kitty cats. Meow.


And then there's Halloween...the girls really "got it" this year as we hit every inch of the neighborhood. Here in Rome, the Halloween date was officially changed to Saturday night, and it seemed that everyone was ready for it. Jack was a champ and did his usual: sat back and watched all of the action!

Sometimes I think that the girls have gotten so big; but tonight, as my little ladybug and bumblebee made their way up the big steps to each door, as masked ghouls and witches ran past them, I realized how little they still are and thanked God for that. And now Chad and I are kicking back for a little candy feast.

A ladybug, bumblebee, and (very hungry!) JACK-o-lantern

The end of the night...

...and a late-night snack!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
(Tomorrow, that is!!)

Warner Jam Session

Move over Jonas Brothers. We've got a beat that can't be beat.

Fast Track through Fall

There is little that I like about Chad being gone during basketball season. The only thing, actually, is the fact that I can keep up with this and others' blogs. I don't ever have a chance to sit down at the computer during the day, and when Chad is at home at night, well...he is much cozier than a laptop. So until the season is in full-swing, I will have to sneak in time here and there to update our lives in pictures.

We have tried to take advantage of every wonderful thing that this season has to offer: plenty of playing outside, the county fair, football games, pumpkin patches, and hayrides. I guess that if it were autumn for 365 days, I would even get tired of it. But then again, that seems just impossible!

The Ferris Wheel atop Rome

Tummies Full of Delicious Fair Food
(Aly's holding a Bible the Gideon's handed out to the kids...if you're wondering what to get for your child's Christmas gift, track down a Gideon! Who would've guessed that the favorite part of the fair was a FREE Bible?!)

Caroline...what can I say. Aly HATES to be silly, Caroline lives for it. This is the kind of thing she strolls around in every day! Gotta love it.

Aly's field trip to a nearby town's pumpkin patch (Caroline, Jack and I got to tag along!)

Yet another pumpkin patch

Impatience

Our computer is fixed, but it is painfully slow. Painfully. It really makes it impossible to sit down to quickly do anything on it. Downloading pictures is the worst. So now that I've used way too much time to post 4 pictures, I need to go do some real work!

Dancing in the rain, after our long drought

Why not dress up like Mrs. Clause?!

All bundled-up for our first chilly morning of fall!

We're BACK!!

After 2 weeks with no internet, we are re-connected! Unfortunately, when the AT&T guy left our house, he also left a tangled mess of black, yellow, and green cords. I cannot find my white USB cord anywhere, though, so no new pictures! These pictures are from the last time I sat at the computer and realized it didn't work... almost 2 weeks ago.

Gotta run-- hope to get more pictures out soon!

The ever-happy Jack

Chad and the girls before their school's annual "Daddy's Dessert"

Jack has two airplanes above his changing table which he loves talking to. He is actually making airplane noises, in case translation is needed!
Also, though he loves bathing with the girls, Jack's favorite part of bath time is after the girls get out, the water is draining, and he gets to lay down and have a little "splash-time" all to himself!

Basketball in the Fall

It may be football season, but it's starting to feel like basketball around the Warner household. Here is a video of what has been stealing Chad's thoughts these days! November 5th is right around the corner!

A Page Has Turned

Aly's Bun-Bun. She received it as a baby gift from Chad's aunt when she was just weeks old, and it has been her favorite companion ever since. It has made trips to the doctor, to new houses, to grandparents. We almost missed a plane to Texas once because we had to turn around when we realized it had been forgotten. It has seen plenty of sicknesses and been washed hundreds of times. Bedtimes have been held off as we stop everything to search for the missing friend so that Aly could fall asleep. There was a time when Caroline first arrived that Bun-Bun seemed more like an addiction than a 'lovey'. Though it started off soft pink and white, it is more of a grey color now, with ears that look almost brownish. But it is still Aly's Bun-Bun.

For four years, she would hold it with her left hand and play with it's ears with her fingers while she sucked her thumb. And then she gave up sucking her thumb. Little did I know that by giving up thumb-sucking, Bun-Bun would also lose some of it's drawl.

I wasn't even looking for him today...no big search to calm a crying child. Aly hadn't even mentioned that he was missing. I was actually looking for a lost marker top under Aly's bed and this is what I found instead:

So, with a bit of a lump in my throat, I realize that the sweet baby above is getting bigger. She comes home from school talking about how much she wants make-up, and even uses words like "cool" and "gross". All three of them are getting bigger and I am just not quite ok with that!

I can't help but think about the story "The Velveteen Rabbit". As a brand-new toy rabbit was sitting on a shelf with a worn-out skin horse, they had this conversation:

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.

"The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

Who would've guessed that being a parent could hurt so much sometimes, even over the tiniest things?

IV and V

Like father...

Like son

Good-bye, Summer

It's always hard to believe in the sweat and heat of August that summer is coming to a close. But what a difference a week makes! We had a perfect weekend this Labor Day with cloudless skies, weather in the 80's, and plenty of fun things to do.

On Saturday, we went to a nearby lake in Alabama and spent the day with some great family friends whom we haven't seen in a long time. The girls fished, rode jet skies, and even SKIIED! (our friend took the pictures that I hope to get and post soon!)

We then woke up early on Sunday and went with Chad and his team to another lake several hours away for some more water fun. Our kids absolutely love the guys, and the boys are all great with them. Luckily, the kids and I were able to spend the night in a nearby hotel- as there was no room for us at the house! Nothing says "vacation" to Aly and Caroline like sleeping in a hotel bed, swimming in a hotel pool, and eating from a hotel ice-dispenser! We so appreciate getting the chance to tag-along.

"Jump in!!"

An (almost) nap-free weekend for Caroline!

Notice there are no pictures of Jack: he was either napping or being entertained by some guys who must look like giants to him!

Good-bye, Summer. We will miss you!

Cracker Jack

I went to a baby shower and realized that:
1. Jack's no longer a newborn.
2. I would have 20 more just like him, if I could.


Over six months have flown by, and I can honestly say that I've enjoyed every minute. I'm sure it's a combination of knowing that he is the last and the fact that he is just an absolute joy, but he has made these six months enjoyable and easy to savor. He is a sweet, sweet little boy and I feel so blessed that he is a part of our family.

The Good

My parents' house. It has come to be a trip that we talk about months before we leave and talk about memories months after we return. It is cool, relaxing, full of new adventures, and best of all--the home of Nana and Papa. I love watching my parents with the kids (and I love the 2 extra sets of hands!)





I took the kids for a week, and then was joined for almost another week by Chad. And the biggest treat was that my brother Chris, sister-in-law Cortney, and amazingly precious nephew Ben joined us for part of the time.

I cannot do justice to Cortney's account and the way she described our family time on her blog.


Despite a few illnesses (and by "a few" I mean strep throat, hand-foot-mouth, stomach bug, ear infection), we enjoyed and took advantage of each and every day. We even squeezed in a mini-birthday celebration for Caroline!


When I taught 6th grade, we would begin Monday mornings talking about The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly of the weekend. Our list of The Good for this trip is entirely too long to note. The Bad was probably the flight delay and late arrival back to Atlanta. And I just have to include the trip's Ugly: Caroline had been battling an ear infection all week. While on the flight back, she was complaining about her ear hurting, but the lights in the plane were off and little I could do. Once we landed (after midnight) and the cabin lights turned on, this is what I saw:
Actually, this was after a little cleaning. The poor girl! And you can only imagine the looks that I got from every passenger as they de-planed!

But don't get me wrong...I would trade a year of 'Bad's and 'Ugly's for the 2 weeks of Good that we had!