Happy Birthday to Mimi!

Mimi's birthday was a perfect time to celebrate her and we took full advantage of it! I made one of her favorite meals, ghoulash. We also had plenty of veggies, salad and crescent rolls to compliment the meal. Mimi's birthday cake was chocolate buttermilk cake, another favorite of hers. While we were eating the ghoulash and the cake all I could think about was Grandmother Patsy. She quite often made ghoulash and the chocolate buttermilk cake for special occasions. What great memories I have of those times. Mimi really enjoyed the dinner, dessert and she loved the presents we picked out for her! Happy birthday to Mimi!

 

Tuesday Play!

I took Merit to Walmart early Tuesday so he could pick out another monster truck for his successful week of potty training. He was super excited about this reward! After our trip to Walmart we went on a pretend camping trip; complete with roasting marshmallows, eating a picnic lunch, and craft making. The doggies even joined in on the fun!

 

Play Ball!

Daddy helped out some friends by filling in as a pitcher on Sunday night. Merit had a blast. He brought his monster trucks and we played while we waited for Daddy to pitch. When JP finally was up to pitch Merit intently watched him. It was a memorable experience.

 

Maverick's Birthday Party!

We had a wonderful time celebrating Maverick's birthday on Saturday. Merit was very excited about this day and as soon as he woke up Saturday morning he reminded us that it was Maverick's party day. Amy had all sorts of fun activities planned for the kiddos. The science experiments were Merit's favorite part, aside from the cake.

Happy 4th Birthday Maverick!

 

Hot Cocoa Cookies for Daddy!

Merit really loves when I tell him we are going to make cookies for Daddy. He says, "Cookies for me too, right Mommy?" Of course the cookies are always for both of my boys! These hot cocoa cookies were a hit! Merit is a great taste tester! I found the recipe here: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/mini-hot-cocoa-cookies/

My modifications include:

1/4 cup butter + 1/4 cup light cream cheese instead of 1/2 cup butter

2 eggs and 2 egg whites instead of 3 whole eggs

 

Haircut Day for Merit

A much needed haircut for this handsome boy today. When I told him I was taking him for a haircut he said, "Yea, I get to pick out a sucker!" I guess that's really the only good thing about getting a haircut when you're three!

 

Houston - Day 3

On our 3rd day in Houston we played at the house that morning and then took an indoor playground at a nearby church. They had a blast climbing, jumping and sliding!

 

Luke looked adorable in Merit's Elmo slippers!

Waving hi to me!

Merit had fun playing with Luke's sit-n-spin.

Cute Cousins!

Love these pictures of the boys in their matching Batman shirts! Luke loved watching Merit pretend he was in a marching band. He followed Merit all around the yard. He also had fun playing with cars and doing exactly what Merit was doing with his car. Special times!

 

Houston - Day 2

We exchanged Valentines our first morning in Houston. We picked out a cute new push toy for Luke and a Hot Wheels car too. Alicia gave Merit an adorable Elmo book. We literally read it before every nap and before bedtime each night while in Houston.

 

We took the boys to the playground and went for a little power walk too. They had a great time! The weather was beautiful!

 

Love this picture of Alicia and Luke!

The boys were surprised to see beautiful fish when they woke up from their naps. Alicia bought Beta fish for her church event a bit early so we could enjoy them while we were in town.

Love this sweet face.

 

Merit had fun playing with Luke's toys even though he was just a tad too big for them. :)

Aren't they cute in their matching Batman shirts?

And, we ended our fun-filled day with bath time!

Road Trip to Houston - Day 1

I asked JP at least one month ago if he could schedule some business in Houston for the week of my winter break. So, on Monday morning the three of us headed to Houston. Merit and I were both excited about spending time with Alicia, Marc, and sweet Luke.

 

We stopped at Dairy Queen, Daddy's idea not mine, so Merit could have his first Blizzad. It was devoured rather quickly so I think it's safe to say he thoroughly enjoyed it!

Luke was getting ready for bed when we arrived but Uncle Marc let him stay up and play with Merit for a bit. These two were so cute together!

Luke thought the car seat was a new toy and was quite amused by it. :)

Ranger was pretty pooped by the end of day 1. I think the boys wore him out!

Dinner at Breadwinners with my Sweethearts!

Daddy took us to Breadwinners for our Valentine dinner. Breadwinners is one of my favorite places! When Merit walked in he went straight to the dessert case and picked out the cake he wanted after his meal. During his meal he kept telling us that he was going to eat a good dinner so he could get a piece of cake. He did eat all of his dinner and while he was eating said, "Daddy, thank you for taking us to this restaurant. This is delicious!" He is sounding so grown up to me lately! So, we all enjoyed our dinner and then ordered two different desserts to share. It was a memorable evening with my two sweethearts.

 

Valentine Party at the Sykes!

Debbie and Ashleigh invited us to a Valentine party at their home on Friday morning. Merit looked forward to this party all week. We had a great time making heart shaped bird feeders, decorating Valentine cookies, and exchanging Valentines. What a fun way to start the weekend! We always enjoy spending time with the Sykes!

 

My Valenintes

We did not go out on Valentine's day this year. I had parent/teacher conferences so I knew I would get home later then I normally do on Thursday. So, I picked up a few indulgences on my lunch break and Daddy and Merit picked up dinner on their way home from Ms. Brenda's house. Merit walked in the back door with a beautiful surprise for me and he was super excited when he saw the Valentine spread in our dining room. He couldn't wait to open his Valentine gifts and try the yummy desserts. His favorite treat by far was the chocolate covered strawberries. He really liked the new car we picked out, the "I love you" Beanie Babies, and candy treats. It was a wonderful evening!

 

Heart Shaped Toast for my Sweetheart!

Merit really loved this special treat for breakfast! He is really so sweet!

 

Valentine Dinner with Mimi!

We had a small Valentine celebration with Mimi on Tuesday night because she was heading to Houston on Thursday. She was pretty excited about going to visit Alicia, Marc, and sweet Luke! I made one of Mimi's favorites, Poppy Seed Chicken casserole. We also had sweet potatoes and a delicious chocolate bread pudding for dessert. Mimi loved the scarf we picked out for her and the card we made. Merit really liked the flashcards from Mimi, fruit snacks, and the Marley sticker book. Mimi gave me some really nice new cereal bowls. She did a really great job shopping for us! What a special evening!

 

Valentine Treats for Friends

My little helper really enjoyed this! We made Jello jiggler hearts for his friends and topped each heart with red and pink sprinkles. He couldn't wait to take them to Ms. Brenda's house. Then, for each friend we made a balloon ping pong game. I found the idea on Pinterest a few months back. I made a set for Merit and we have had so much fun playing this game. So, I thought his friends might enjoy this too! He picked out CARS valentine cards to give to his friends. We bought pretty Valentine paper plates, Valentine pencils, and red balloons. I picked out John 3:1, one of my favorite verses, to tie on to each gift. The finished Valentines looked great! I hope his friends enjoy this treat!

 

Sunday treat

Sunday evenings are one of my favorite nights. We usually watch a movie together and I make some sort of special dessert for my boys. Tonight: homemade apple turnovers and frozen vanilla yogurt. I used reduced-fat Pillsbury crescent rolls and Golden Delicious apples. They were absolutely delicious and thoroughly enjoyed by all three of us!

 

Trip to the Playground with the Doggies!

Merit is such a big boy now. He likes taking the dogs on walks and especially enjoys taking them to the playground. Sunday night was a perfect evening to enjoy some outdoor time and we took full advantage of it!

 

Saturday with my Boys

Continuing our Saturday morning tradition of going to get donuts, Daddy & Merit prepared well for the cold. They dressed warm and Merit insisted that he wear his Texas Rangers hat just like Daddy. What a cutie!

 

Friday at Nana's!

We are always excited to get together with Nana when she's in town. We played at Nana's house all morning, she made us delicious home made chicken and vegetable soup, and Merit fell asleep on the way home. After his nap, we made pretty Valentine cookies and then went to the store to pick out a special treat. Merit is doing a great job with potty training so Mommy & Daddy wanted to reward him!

 

More Potty Training

We were getting a bit tired of cleaning up accidents, or should I call them, "on purposes". So, the new plan was a chart just like the one we used when training Merit to use the potty for #1. So far, this is working! The motivation...going to pick out a new car at the end of the week. He really loves cars and he's able to understand what it means to work towards a goal. Mommy & Daddy are so proud of Merit!