Thankfully, we were at home. . .

What a day. . .
Put it this way, we were down for a nap by 9 o'clock this morning! I can not tell you how long it has been since she took a morning nap ~ at least a year. Things got much better after a little rest and snack, but this afternoon we went back in to strong willed child mode. She was protesting a diaper change by stalling and dragging herself up the stairs. I was following closely and stepped in front of her when she loudly announced "STOP BEATING ME!" Brey and I both started laughing and then she was laughing. Of course she said it several more times. So, if the next time you see us she starts talking about being beat. . . you'll know not to worry:)

YEAH!

HUGE MILESTONE ~ Gracie just told me she had to "go"! We ran to the bathroom and sure enough. . .PEE PEE!!!! Before she could even get off of the potty, she said "Now do I get chocolate?" 5 or 6 months ago we saw a Potty Training reward system that is just like an advent calender (which was one of her favorite parts of Christmas). Of course we bought 2:) She knew she could not use them (except for a practice round) until she did the "big deed" in the potty. I actually put them away and we have not talked about them in months. So, we are still waiting on the "big deed", but hey, Carpe Momento! Of course you can a piece of chocolate ~ way to go baby girl!

Gracism: One of my friends name is Suzanne. We have been able to see her several times over the past few weeks. She is wonderful. . .Smart, funny and easy-going; all the reasons we love to spend time with her and the "boys". Today, as we were arriving at the bounce place Gracie saw her pull in to a parking place. With a huge smile on her face she said "Look Momma, ZOO-Ann"! It was so sweet, but made me laugh out loud. That was probably the nicest thing she said all day. . .not our best outing. For some reason it really drives Gracie crazy when unfamiliar kids get right in her face. Bouncing ended in time-out. Thankfully she had time to redeem herself at lunch with Evan (3) and Ava (2). They laughed and played, and we all left on a good note. Other than seeing my friends, the best part of the "bounce house" was the 2 hour nap we both took when we got home! I guess I was a little tired from the smoke detector fiasco last night. All I can say is 45 minutes ending up with Gracie, Guest Dog and Momma in the pitch dark Master closet trying to sleep. The electrician is coming in the morning to re-wire the house and install new units. . .I swear, by the time we are done this will be a brand new house!

Happy Birthday to My First Baby!

In my last post I confessed the need to "celebrate" every occasion. Well, today we celebrate my first baby. Our sweet precious Chocolate Lab, Denver (a very clever name when we lived in Tennessee), turned 11 years old today! Talk about time flying. . .She has been with us through thick and thin. We got her just a few months after we were married and has been such a blessing. We took "the girls" fishing today while Beaux and Jewel (the guest doggy) stayed home. Denver used to go everywhere with us until her brother came along and had MAJOR car issues. It was definitely a day to make her happy. I think Brey only fished for 5 minutes. She would go nuts every time he would cast and chase the fly, but if she was on shore she would cry and bark trying to get daddy. We had a "convenience store" picnic, since KFC did not open until 10a.m., which even included a piece of red velvet cake. As I was sitting on the blanket with Gracie, shooing away the bees and ants, holding down the blankets with my legs and arms, stretched out like I was playing a game of Twister, Gracie looked over at me and with her sweet voice and said "This is a GREAT picnic Momma!" So, now that I am back home, and almost settled in, I would have to agree ~ what a fun family day! Happy Birthday Precious Ne Ne. We all love you very much!

Happy Half Birthday!

Happy 2nd 1/2 Birthday, Gracie! What a fun day we had with Mrs. Camille and Brianna. We took our first trip to Elich Gardens (Denver's Six Flags) and had a great time. Gracie was a bit more hesitant than at the Parker Carnival, but what do you expect. . .no Daddy! She tried the water park but only wanted to splash around on the outskirts. She did endure the lazy river but nearly lost it when we were forced under the waterfall. I guess Disney will have to wait a little while longer:( Tonight after dinner we had a small "half birthday" party. We love cake ~ I guess I should say I love cake and Gracie loves to blow out candles. Fortunatley, Daddy loves us both enough to tolerate excuses to celebrate. Brey was saying to give each of our dogs a very small bite of cake but did not specify if our guest dog, Jewell, should have a taste. I asked and he replied "just a tad". Gracie immediately looked down at the dog and said "Here Jewell, you get tads". It was very cute and to say the least, Jewell was thrilled. Sorry Lisa if you are reading this from Switzerland. . .When in Rome, right? Anyway, I hope you and the kids are having a great time. We sure do miss you! Here are some pictures from today. . .

O.k., I'll admit it. . .I'M A SUCKER. I have been known to buy things from infomericals, offers that come in the mail or things that look "neat" online. For obvious reasons, this has been an area of contention with Daddy:) When Gracie was 6 weeks old I purchased a series of books that would teach her to read. I was sorely disappointed (again) when I opened the box. The books were so boring and monotonous. They stayed in the box in her closet until a few months ago when she demanded I pull out the 30+ books. She really enjoyed playing with them and thought it was great that she could make such a long bridge (she loves to line things up). Recently, she started selecting the letter books during our reading times. Well, I can proudly report that what ever crazy amount I paid was well worth the investment. . .Today Gracie pulled out a book to read before nap time. I asked what she selected and she said "P". To my amazement it WAS the "P" book! After I finished hugging and kissing her, we determined she knows at least 4 letters! Way to go little one!

On a totally different note. . .
Gracie just brought La La to me and said "I am going to the store to buy La La a Christmas present. You watch her and I'm just gonna go quick. You call me if 'everything' happens. C'mon Orange Pony, we are going to walk to the mailbox. I am going to be riiiiight back. . .(after a few seconds she comes over and hands me air) I got coupons and now we are going to get Diego plates for Steen and Aidan. I will get one for you, too. And one for Lal!" Her facial expressions are hysterical; she is pointing her fingers and waving her arms. She is definitely a Koutny! My grandfather was the sweetest man ever. He was so kind, happy and loving. Not to mention, he could not speak a sentence with out using his hands or slapping his knee. What a precious man. I dearly miss him and wish I could have seen them together. It's funny to see the past in the future.

2nd Addition:
Brey just got home and was refilling the dog food container. Gracie went out in the garage to see him just as the bag fell over and spilled. She said "Daddy, it's o.k. I'll help you clean up the mess you made ~ big messes or little messes, I can help!" I think Brey nearly fell over. He could not be more proud of her than right now. . .He is also extremely relieved that she got his cleaning genes:)

IT"S DONE!

I am so excited to report our remodel is complete! I am thrilled with the outcome and will post pictures after I get everything arranged:)

Since I have been a bad blogger lately, here are a few Gracism's that have made me smile this week. . .
1. Whatcha dude? translation: What are you doing?
2. When asked the name of our country, she replied "A miracle" ~ you could not be more accurate sweet baby girl!
3. "I love you" now comes out of blue, usually in a whisper. . .it makes me melt!
4. Every night, since Gracie was a newborn, I have sung the same song to her before bedtime. She just revealed she knows all of the words and will sing along with me. She giggles and I giggle as we snuggle and give kisses. It is the very best part of the day!
5. I had gotten a set of Lego's for Gracie and wanted to save them for Christmas, so I hid them under the guest bed. Yesterday she comes downstairs with the Lego's in hand saying "Oh my gosh, look momma, look!" I tried for 10 minutes to down play it but finally caved in and opened the set after she carried them around showing them to everyone in the house. The look on her face was priceless. . .like she had discovered gold! The best part is she loves to play with Lego's as much as momma and daddy ~ maybe this will be a new family pass time:)
6. Our wonderful neighbor, Miss Claire, has a fabulous garden. Gracie loves to go and pick the fresh vegetables. Today she was having a conversation with La La that went something like this. . . "Let's put Angelina (Ballerina) in my purse, that way no one (meaning the dogs) will get her and we can pick lettuce and go to work." I think she managed to pack four thoughts into one sentence ~ what a little multi-tasker!
7. Mealtime now ends with a silly ritual ~ I always try to get her to take one more bite by saying "Momma will feed you like a baby". She opens her mouth as wide as she can and just before the spoon goes in she puts her cup in her mouth and then says "Tricker!" Tonight we were eating and daddy took a bite of her mac and cheese and she looked strait in his eyes and said "you sneeker". Where does she come up with this stuff?

8. Finally, for those of you that "watch" Noggin (a kids channel), here is a funny. . .There is a commercial that has several different parents talking. One says "my daughter asked for an accordion for her birthday". Another says "my son greeted me with Buenas Dias this morning". The last parent discusses how her son is suggesting teamwork to his older siblings. The announcer comes on and states Noggin kids are learning so much because "blah, blah, blah". Well, I too have a Noggin learning story. Gracie does not speak Spanish (unless at a Mexican restaurant ~ seriously), nor is she requesting any unusual instruments. However, she has learned from Dora "MOMMA NO SWIPING, MOMMA NO SWIPING" to prevent me from taking something she wants but knows she should not have. Gee thanks, Noggin!

I can't believe how much you have changed in just the few short months I have been blogging. Thanks for the joy you bring to our lives little Amazing Grace!

Welcom Home, Daddy!

YEAH!!! Daddy's home! Gracie has been so excited all weekend but today was a new level of anticipation. She was running around the house singing "Shaaaaaaaaall weeeeeeeeee dance? DUN, DUN, DUN, Shall we dance?" Of course she was dancing, clapping and giggling the entire time. He arrived home just before nap time:) After lots of hugs and kisses, they are both resting comfortably. Funny how everything just feels "right" again. Brey had a very successful training and is excited about where the unit is going. It is great to see him back in his element. As he and Gracie were cuddling, watching t.v. and eating chips ~ per Gracie's suggestion ~ Brey said "Wow, this was the longest I have ever been away from her." It was just a simple comment, but it spoke volumes on the depth of his love. What a lucky little girl you are, Gracie! Welcome home, Daddy. . .We missed you!

Gracie's first time. . .

After a nice lunch with Nana and Amma, we made a simple decision to go across the parking lot to the Dollar Store. You would think this would be harmless, however, we could not have anticipated what would happen next. . . By the end of the first lane we had at least 5 things in the cart! Gracie's sense of urgency and excitement was almost manic ~ "I need. . .", "I have to have. . .", "just one more thing. . .", it was really scary! What is it about that environment that makes you feel like you can have anything and everything? How on earth would Gracie have known to behave that way? She certainly does not "go manic" in any other store. By the last isle she was saying "I just want fourteen things!" I have no idea why 14, but the weird thing is, that is exactly how many items we bought!!! So here is a photo of my bargain shopper with all of her new loot.

I swiped out. . .

Well, yesterday actually kept us quite busy and had no time to add to the blog. I suppose that is a good thing. For those of you that interact with Gracie regularly, you know that she is a bit prissy. She does not like to get dirty or wet and demands a new outfit immediately should either one occur. Obviously, she gets this from me. On the other hand, she loves to play outside, go "hiking" with daddy, practice fishing / golfing, and whenever possible, RUN. I swear we should start calling her Forrest. . .Anyway, last night we were taking the trash down the driveway and she was having a ball just running around until. . .SPLAT! No crying. . .SCREAMING! Upon the initial inspection I only saw a minor scrape on the knee, which of course required bubbles (anti-bacterial foam) and a princess band-aid. I was quite alarmed this morning to see her precious face. Her nose has serious road rash, plus a good scrape on her arm and leg. Not thinking, I said "What happened to your nose?" and she replied "I swiped out!" That sweet little voice and those big eyes completely melted my heart! I love listening to her talk and I love the way she mixes up some of her words. I thought I would post this for all of my friends that say I am over-protective. Yes, I know that I am, but every once in a while the guard comes down ~ and look what happens. . .

I feel justified! Speaking of mixing up words, she has been singing the same song for weeks now and I could not understand what she was saying. We were both a bit frustrated because this doesn't happen very often. She kept telling me Mr. Grant (our youth pastor) sang it. I would ask her to repeat it and she would say "Wallaby, thanks for. . .Wallaby, thanks for. . ." Thanks to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Gracie's favorite animal is the Wallaby. This helps explain why the song has stuck with her for almost a month, but it was driving me crazy. Well this morning I finally figured it out! Click on the link to hear a You Tube version (with the real words) of the song she thinks she is singing ~ make sure you wait for the chorus. . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sleXR5q1MDQ&feature=related

This just makes me laugh out loud. I love that girl!

One last thing. . .THE AIR CONDITIONER IS FIXED!!! Boy is that a perfect song for this moment!

UPDATE: She just woke up and I played the song. Her face lit up and she jumped out of the chair and started singing, dancing and doing the hand movements (sort of:))! Oh, she makes my heart melt. . .
Now the music is off and she is repeating "Momma, where's Wallaby, Momma you find Wallaby!" Guess I know what we will be doing this afternoon. . .

I'm not just a crock pot!

O.k., this could be a long day of blogging since I am starting before 7a.m.! Gracie actaully slept all night:) but decided she was "done sleeping" at 6a.m. I put her in my bed hoping she (really I) would be able to steal a few more minutes. Unfortunately, her cough was really bad and had us both awake. I told her to lay down and I would scratch her back. She cuddled into her blanket and I starting "tickling" her back. I am finally certain that she is my child and not just from the "crock-pot". . .she reached around her back, pulled up her nightgown and said "no momma, like this"! That is so something I would have done ~ and would still do today if I could find someone willing to participate:)

Just oooone more. . .

Aah, air conditioning! Not only are we enjoying the cool air of my parents home but also the built-in entertainment that comes with Grammy and Papa. We had a picnic and played on every piece of equipment at the new town park, then came home and had a two and a half hour nap! I actually got to watch a movie, from start to finish, with real people and no interruptions. Gracie loves to cook with Grammy. Today it was cookies with sprinkles. She has discovered what cookie dough tastes like and had a very difficult time actually letting them go to the oven. She kept saying "Just oooone more. . ." I think she ate three cookies! (Make that four ~ now she is eating one fresh out of the oven.) Thanks Papa and Grammy for the mini-vacation. . . I think I will be able to make it through another hot night with multiple trips to answer "the call"!

What a difference 24 hours makes. . .

Here I sit, 24 hours from from yesterday's post, in a totally different place (mentally). I am outside relaxing in the chaise lounge with a glass of wine, Gracie is playing in the pool, and all is right with the world. The cool front came through just before bedtime and the weather is a perfect 75 degrees. Unfortunately cool air and the sound of a fan did not produce the blissful sleep I had desired. 3 new molars coming in and the "viral" cough wreaked havoc on our night. This meant a very long day, especially because Momma now has the virus. However, a 2 1/2 hour nap and some time in the great outdoors has changed everything. I am so happy to have my sweet, joyful child back. Gracie has bath tub crayons that are now pool toys. I have wondered for some time if she really knows her colors; sometimes she will answer me when I quiz her but more often than not she just keeps on doing her thing. Well, today she proved that not only does she know at least 10 colors but she also knows her shapes! She picked up a rock and said "Look Momma, a triangle!" I'll be darned if she had not found a three equal sided rock. I found a round rock and asked her what it was and she said "a circle". I am always so surprised when she demonstrates her intelligence. But that moment has passed and she is now coloring herself from head to toe and doing the "chicken dance". You have to love the attention span of a two year old!

SIDE THOUGHT: We just finished dinner and I made a tomato salad with parsley picked from MY garden! Why is it that things you grow yourself taste so much better? This is our first attempt and I am afraid we are creating a monster. This year ~ tomatoes, green beans, parsley, cilantro, squash, bell peppers. Next year maybe corn, strawberries, zucchini , lettuce and cucumbers! Gracie thinks it is pretty great, too. Here are photos from the day we planted. . .

The Army Wife. . .

Well, after ten long years I will say words that I never thought I would say again. . . Brey left this morning for the field. I was expecting a little "drama" when Gracie woke up but instead of asking where daddy is, she just said "daddy's in the field". Obviously she does not comprehend what that means or how long he will be gone but at the moment we have status quo ~ sort of. Every military wife knows that if something is going to go wrong, it will be when the guys are gone. I guess I should have been watching over my shoulder all day, especially since I already had scheduled a service appointment for our air conditioner, but I was blissfully naive (I am sure you can already see where this is going). So, on this beautiful summer day with temperatures near 100 degrees, the repairman just said "The good news is your home warranty will cover this. The bad news is the motor is shot and the local Trane dealer is out of stock." WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? He then tried to make me feel better by saying we are going to get the last one available in the main warehouse. All I can think is STOP TALKING AND START ORDERING! So Praise God for the the cool front that is supposed to come in tonight and for the knowledge that this, too, shall pass; not to mention, the full tank of gas that will carry us at a moments notice over to my parents house that has just been equipped with a new super-duper air conditioning system!

Update: status quo ~ out the window! Since I started typing this entry Gracie has gone in to full melt down mode, the dvd player is acting up and the temperature in the house has risen 4 degrees! Be careful what you wish for. . .I have said a hundred times that I miss the heat in Houston. Unfortunately, I did not make my wish clear. I should have said "I miss the heat in Houston when I have a pool to jump in and a home that is kept as cold as an ice box." Oh well, lesson learned. Maybe I will follow Gracie's lead. . .she has stripped down to her diaper and is laying flat on the couch under the ceiling fan:)

UPDATE II: It is 8:40 and I think Gracie has finally run out of excuses:) The "drama" came at bedtime vs. the anticipated waking. She is definately missing daddy. I actually had to leave her crying while I went to RE-print the Elmo daddy made for her last week. Did it have to be the one thing that I actually threw away? Anyway, just wanted to thank God for the glorious breeze of cool air flowing through the house. Here's to a good night sleep!

Can anyone say hypocrite?

Why is it the little things that I nag Gracie about are usually things I did as a child? She has a new Princess cereal that is a mix of the Captain Crunch Berries (heart shaped, of course) and Lucky Charm marshmallows. For some reason it really bothers me that she picks out the marshmallows and leaves a full bowl of "nutrition" (at least it is made from whole grains). She absolutely refuses to eat the other pieces. I don't know why this surprises me. . .when no one is looking, I still dig out the marshmallows, too!

Back in the land of Blog!

Yes, I realize it has been two weeks since my last post and I am sorry to those that check in daily. However, I have a very good excuse. . .3 toddlers! We just wrapped up a great visit with Aunt Heidi, Uncle John, Cousin Steen and Cousin Aidan; all I can say is God Bless mother's of multiples! Seriously, the kids were great and it was a wonderful 10 days (minus the powdered doughnuts that nearly drove me over the edge:)). I will post more about the funny things that happen when you get 3 (and sometimes 4) toddlers together, but for now just wanted to let the photos speak for themselves. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!