Cryable

While taking Evan upstairs to go down for his nap, he says, "Is it naptime?" 

I said, "It depends on how cranky you are. You've been really cranky for the past few minutes."

He said, "I'm not cranky, I'm just cryable."

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Gotta love the way he tries to put all of his words together!

New Blog

I have started a new blog in order to be able to continue to upload photos to our blog. I'm still keeping this blog so that I can turn it into a book (one day), but I'll start to post to our new blog from now on.

Here is a link to our new blog:

http://thegonzofam.blogspot.com/

Thanks, and love you all!

Job Stability

I hate that I have to write this post, but I want to remember what we're going through and all that God has done for us. Chris found out this past Tuesday (3/29/11) that his job is in jeopardy for next school year. He still has a job, but we're not sure what that is going to be yet.

As Chris was getting ready to take his band to the UIL competition, he found out from his principal that he was not on the master teacher list for next year. Because of a proposed budget shortfall, every district in the state of Texas is on a hiring freeze, as well as cutting back many positions. Chris was told that they could try to get him 2 half time positions (doing band) so that he could still be working in music. I'm not sure how that is going to work, though, because someone else would have to lose their job or be transferred to a different subject for that to work... I guess we can only wait and see what they say.

It's nice knowing that he will have a job next year because that takes away from the monetary stress that could've been created by this mess. It's just not knowing what he'll be doing, as well as being worried about the program that he's worked so hard to build up, that has him stressed. It's also sad that education has come to this point.

I feel very blessed to be where we are in this situation. I think that God has some amazing plans through all of this, even though I don't have a clue what those could be! I told Chris a few months ago that I felt that something big was going to change for next year. I honestly, as selfish as we humans can be, thought that it was about Chris becoming a head director somewhere and us moving into the home of our dreams. Little did I know that it would be Chris "losing" his job. I have often found that God moves in ways that we think are just plain crazy, but good always comes from it. In fact, it always seems to be the perfect ending, which we never would have thought of. So, I'm trusting that God is going about this in an unconventional way, and that something better than we could have ever imagined is coming our way.

Fun Conversations with Evan this Month

(While watching a show called "The American Rabbit" that we used to watch as kiddos):

Evan: "Those bad guys are not nice. Well, they're a little bit nice, and a lot mean."

Mama: "God says we're supposed to show love to one another, right? Are those guys showing love?"

Evan: "No, they are not in love."

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(To Chris when he went in to wake him up one morning...)

Chris: "Want to go to a birthday party today?"
Evan: "Yeah!"
Chris: "Then we need to get dressed, first."
Evan: "I want to wear this shirt." - it's a way too big camo pj shirt
Chris: "You'll need pants, too."
Evan: "I don't want to wear pants. Daddy, I want to watch you pick up the toys."
Chris: "These toys on the floor? You want to watch me pick up the toys that you got out?"
Evan: (said like duh!): "Ye-a-ah!"
Chris: "Well, let's get dressed for the party, then you can help me pick up the toys that you got out."
Evan: "That I DUMPED out! I'm canna help you!"

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(While driving back from a Life Group game night. Aubrie has been awake since 2:30pm, and is starting to cry.)

Aubrie: crying
Evan: "Aubrie, you want me to sing to you so you feel better? Do you like this one?" (he's playing with his sing-a-long Elmo toy complete with microphone).
Evan: "The wheels on the bus," etc. "Aubrie, you like that, Mamacita?"
Aubrie: giggles
Evan sings a few more songs to her, and she giggles after each one. Then Aubrie starts to cry again, and I ask Evan if he needs to sing to her again.
Evan: "No, I already sing to her. She feels better. Aubrie you don't feel better? Do you like this song?"
Aubrie: giggles

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Aubrie's 13th Month

* she definitely has a little temper when she can't have something she wants! She really loves to have whatever her big brother is playing with, and knows how to throw a major tantrum when she can't have it. But she's really good about being distracted, so that helps.

* she is just belly laughing at everything nowadays.

* she actually signed "please" the other day, but still cries most days when I "just won't give her what she wants" (when I'm really just getting her to say please first).

* she just started pushing around a little ride-on/push toy (thanks Aunt Weezie!), and is loving it! Up until now she just climbs on and off, over and over again. I think now she'll actually start to stand up on her own more often. (She hasn't really done that at all yet, aside from a few times).

* she loves to say, "Hi!" (sounds more like ("i")), to everyone.

* she now has 12 teeth, and is getting 2 more. She skipped the "eye teeth", whatever they're called, and is getting the first molars on the bottom. She seems to be a much better teether than Evan so far. Evan was really cranky when he was getting his molars! So far Aubrie is doing great with it, though.

* she still says "nana" if she wants food, drink, or milk.

* she also says "Dada" all the time, and just loves it when Chris comes home from work.

Evan's 34th Month (2 years, 10 months)

This month has been so much fun with my Little Man! In two months, he's going to be 3! Most of the time I can't believe how fast time has flown by, but it doesn't seem that weird that he's going to be 3. He's already telling us that he's 3, and then we have to correct him and tell him he's still 2. He now thinks it's funny that he and I have birthdays 4 days apart. I told him that I'm going to be 30 and that he'll be 3 (& he knows that his birthday is in May). He thinks it's funny to tell me that I'll be 2 and he'll be 3. If only.

What else does he do now? Hmm... Aside from the occasional meltdown before school because he wants to watch Blue's Clues, he's still the same happy kid. He still lines his cars up when he plays. He still doesn't like to eat dinner most of the time. He still LOVES to read books in bed. In fact, I've found him sleeping with more than one book spread out in his bed or under his body, and I've wondered how he could even fall asleep with all those books in there!

He LOVES to watch Blue's Clues. Man, oh man does he love Blue's Clues. If I let him, he would watch it all. day. long. if I let him. And his little photographic brain will remember specific episodes and then he'll want me to find it for him to watch... I guess I need to pay more attention!

He loves to make this cute face while telling me something that he thinks is true. He turns his head sideways, opens his eyes really wide, and kind of smunches his mouth up. He'll make this face while telling me something like, "____________________." Love that little boy.

His new favorite thing to do with Aubrie is to wrestle with her, whether she likes it or not. Most of the time, she's happy to play at first. But he likes to grab her around the neck and roll around with her. Good thing she's tough and pushes back!

I'm sure that there are many more things that I'm forgetting right now. As I look at my children, I think of all these wonderful things that I want to write down. But as I sit at the computer, I know that I'm not remembering it all. I only hope that I can keep the memories in my head as I grow older. One of my worst fears is growing old and forgetting important things in my life. I guess I'll just have to show my kids how much they mean to me every day; through every hug and kiss, bedtime story, kiss on a bobo, hugs when a bug comes too close, or playing cars and trains all day long. "I love you both so very much, and I am glad to have you as my children." ~Love, Mom.

(PS~Our blog space is still saying I need more storage space to upload pictures. So until I either pay for that or figure out what to do, I'll have to hold off on pictures. Not to worry, though, I'll get some up soon.)

Aubrie is a Ladybug

When I dropped the kids off for Rodeo Day at MDO this morning, I had a chance to talk to one of the other Moms from a girl in Aubrie's class, named Addy. She told me that Addy just loves Aubrie, and says her name all the time.

In fact, they took Addy to Build-A-Bear the other day, where she bought a ladybug. Guess what Addy wanted to name her new ladybug? You got it; Aubrie! Isn't that cute?! Aubrie has her first best friend!

Unk's 80th Birthday Party

On Saturday, February 19, 2011, the kids, my Mom, and I took a drive to Talco, Tx (East Texas) for my Great Uncle's (Unk) 80th birthday party. It's probably been about 6 years since I have been up to visit, and it was so nice to see everyone again. 

It's about a 6 hour drive from our house, so it was nice to have my Mom along for the ride. She really helped make it a smooth ride with the kiddos on that long trip! We actually missed the party, though. We drove up about 10 minutes before the party was officially over. But it was really cool to see the small church where my cousins were married again. So as soon as we got there, we packed back in the car and headed over to Unk's house.

His house is amazing, and brought back so many fond memories. I got to see my cousins again, and I was reminded of all the fun times we had there during the summers and Thanksgiving each year. He used to have about 1,000 acres surrounding his home, and we were able to run around to our hearts' content as children. We would ride the 4-wheelers through the "forest," find cool trails, make trips to Walmart for more fishing gear (because we lost all of our lures in the trees...), fishing, and playing canasta are just some of my memories. I also remember my Great Aunt Laverne making us take baths every night before bedtime, which I never understood until now. There's no way I'd let my own children go to sleep as dirty as we must have been!

I got to see my cousins and their families, too. Ashley turned 13 last week, and I hadn't seen her since she was like 6. Zachary, Markus, and Kristopher were all so much bigger, and were all three "all boy." And we got to meet Diane's 8 month old baby, Evelyn. She was so cute and chubby! I loved it!

Clay, Amanda, Ashley, and Kinley took Aubrie and Evan to the closest pond to the house, also. I stayed back to chit chat with family. We used to spend so many hours fishing at this pond, and it was neat that my kids were able to see that and experience some of that.

Evan loved the cows, and tried to talk to them. He was kind of disappointed that they didn't moo to him, until he saw some farm equipment that he wanted to touch. But as we were looking at the equipment, one of the cows mooed really loudly, and he thought it was really cool.

Aubrie was like a little monkey attached to me the whole time. If anyone wanted to hold her, I had to peel her off of me, pass her off, and then run away. She and Ashley bonded, though, and Ashley hung onto Aubrie almost the entire time we were at the house. I even saw Aubrie put her head on Ashley's shoulder once. So cute.

It was so nice to see everyone, and I hope we can make it up there more often so that my kids can experience at least a little bit of the wonderfulness that I did as a kid.

(more pics to come... It keeps saying I'm at my picture storage limit, but I've never had that problem in the 3 years that I've had the blog... So I'll figure it out and then add more pictures).

Yumm!

I love these pictures of Aubrie! I also wish that I could find some pictures of Evan where his face was covered in yogurt and put them beside these pictures. 

This is what happens when you give a baby an almost empty container of yogurt and turn away from the table for 10 seconds...

Another First

Aubrie has had her first hair "trim!" Not her whole head, I only trimmed her bangs. I couldn't handle them hanging down past her nose any longer! I had to put her hair in a ponytail just to keep it out of her face. I hope I didn't make her look like a boy by doing this...!

It's A First

At least I think so... Aubrie was diagnosed with her first ear infection at her 12 month checkup this morning. I would've never known because she was so happy! The teachers from her MDO class told me that she'd had a small fever yesterday (99.6), but she's also teething so that's what I thought it was. They said she was also pulling at her ear a bit. The only other sign that we saw was that she'd had trouble sleeping for the past 2 days. Now she can hopefully start feeling better now that we can get her some antibiotics, and then maybe she'll sleep better (& us, too!).

Her 12 month stats:

17 lbs, 14 oz.

28.25 inches long

she got 4 shots, and a toe prick to check for anemia, and she was such a trooper

Valentine's Day

Yesterday, Chris had his normal Monday morning Bible study to attend, but said that he was going to have time to come home before going back to school (they meet at 5:30am!). But by 8am, he still wasn't home, so I just assumed that he couldn't make it home before he had to be at school. Boy, was I wrong!

Around 8:20, the kids and I hear a knock on the door, and it's Chris! He's carrying red roses, chocolate, and heart cookie cutters for me, a balloon and candy for Evan, and a stuffed animal for Aubrie. He did good!

We are so blessed to have Chris in our lives. I say blessed because I know it's not just luck that we are together. With everything that Chris and I have been through, God had to be behind it. And God continues to bless us, amazingly. Chris works hard to make money and support us, especially so that I can stay home with the kids, and we are all eternally grateful for his sacrifice for us. Thank you, Chris, and we love you so much!

Aubrie's 12th Month (Already!)

*She has started to "walk" along the side of the couch and bookshelves in our living room. Just one step closer to walking - eek!

*We are still having issues with her skin. Since she was little, she's had different rashes off and on, and we haven't been able to figure out what they all are. She's had ringworm (I know, yucky), and another rash that just keeps coming back. The doc says it's some kind of allergy (she thinks). I have psoriasis, so I'm not sure if she has that as well, or what. Right now I'm trying a different clothes detergent because I can only see the rash where her clothes hit her, and not where her diaper is. So, we'll see how this goes. She has her 12 month checkup on Friday and I will ask her doctor about it again.

*She is such a goofy girl! She loves to watch whatever her big brother is doing, and laughs at everything.

*She loves to point to noses, and can actually point to her own when we ask, but gets a little confused when we ask her to point to "Mommy's nose," etc.

*She still takes any bow I've put in her hair out withing just a few seconds of me getting it there. The exception is when I'm able to distract her with food or a toy, but it's usually gone not too much later. Maybe she'll get better about this, because I can't resist putting bows in her hair. She looks so cute with them in her hair!

*Speaking of hair, hers is just getting longer and longer! I'm trying to curl it with my fingers at the nape of her neck, but it doesn't always work. I think I'm going to have to give her first haircut very soon, because she can hardly see through her bangs when her hair isn't in a ponytail on top!

*She now has 12 teeth. Yup, you read correctly. 8 on top and 4 on bottom. In fact, she just cut her eyeteeth and whatever the tooth next to it is called on top on both the left and right side yesterday! I was afraid to keep nursing her with all those teeth, but she's been really good and isn't biting nearly as much as she used to. (Yeah for me!).

(photo taken at exactly 9:26pm, Feb 13, 2011)

Photos from her 1st Birthday Party (Ballerina Party)