Snow Day!!

We only see snow in Mississippi once in every few years, so we definitely celebrate when it comes!  After spending some of my life in Montana, it amuses me to see how everything virtually shuts down in the South when it snows... but I'm certainly not complaining - we had fun!

Christmas Program

Caroline played an angel this year in her school's Christmas program, Someone Has a Birthday.  A few weeks before the big day, she excitedly announced after carpool that she was going to play the part of Mary.  She informed me, quite smugly, that "Anna Leigh thought that she was going to be Mary, but Caroline was actually going to be Mary, so couldn't I just tell her that??"  Come to find out, neither girl played the part of Mary.... and it took me several days to convince Caroline that being an angel was a very important job.

Anyway, she was a beautiful little angel, and she sang all her words perfectly.  On our way home, after I bragged on how great of a job she did, her response was, "Next year, I'm going to be Mary."

Sometimes there's just no point in arguing with this child.... at least I have another 365 days to fight this battle...... 

Dear Santa....

Caroline wrote her own letter to Santa this year.  Her list included:

1. Horses and stable

2. Barbie Care and Cure Bear

3. Leapfrog Leapster

4. Shrek Wii game

5. Kung Fu Panda movie

She wrote every bit of the note by herself - transcribing each letter as I spelled the words for her.  But when it came time to write the part for John Michael, she decided to pass the letter-writing duties off to me, claiming she was tired.  Oh well.

For the record, JM is asking for:

1. Football

2. Toddler piano

3. Elmo movie

Caroline addressed and stamped the letter, then we mailed it straight to the North Pole.  I can't wait to see what he brings......

Solitude

Was it so wrong to have really enjoyed myself last weekend?  Shawn did me a HUGE favor and took the kids to his parents' house, giving me some time all to myself for a couple of days.  (Yes, I have a good husband.)  I've never spent a night away from John Michael, so that also means I've never had night of totally uninterrupted sleep in at least thirteen months.  

So how did I spend my time alone?  Well, I slept until 8:30. . . that's when my dogs woke me up to let them outside.  I took an undisturbed bath in the middle of the day.  I went to the movies and devoured nearly an entire bag of popcorn all by myself.  I laid in the bed and watched television without any feelings of guilt.  I didn't have to pick up the first toy, or clean one dish the entire weekend.  Basically, I was a total bum.

But it can't go without saying that I did miss my husband and children.  I called them several times throughout the forty-eight hours I had to myself.  When I woke up Sunday morning, I felt that twinge of emptiness that's only felt when I'm missing my loved ones - like a subtle aching in my chest that throbs less subtly the longer they've been away.  So, I welcomed them home with open arms and a clear head - the latter of which did not last very long upon their return!  :)

My Little Musical Prodigy?

I can't seem to keep John Michael away from my piano.  In fact, as long as any type of music is playing, the little man is gyrating his hips and clapping his hands with a big grin on his face.  This morning, I finally gave into his demands and sat him on the piano bench, giving him full control of the ivories.  He looked right at home, but just way to tiny to be there!  Who knows?  Maybe I have the next Chopin or Beethoven on my hands?

Caroline's Fifth Birthday Party

On November 9th, my baby girl turned five years old!  We celebrated her birthday at Pump It Up, or as Caroline refers to it, "The Big Jump Place."  It was such a blessing to see how loved this little girl is with all of the children and families in attendance. . . her classmates, friends from our Bible study group, neighborhood kids, and of course her beloved cousins were all there to help Caroline celebrate another year!  I was honestly amazed at how many people came, and I'm very grateful to everyone's thoughtfulness.  

Thanks also to our family who celebrated with Caroline at other times during the birthday weekend!  

Trick or Treat

Caroline and John Michael had a great time trick or treating with their cousins, Grace and Molly this year for Halloween.  We began a tradition a few years ago with my sister Tracy's family, where they come to our house, we order pizza, then we stroll around the neighborhood while the kids go door to door, collecting as much candy as their little buckets can hold.  After everyone is worn out or too cold - whichever comes first - we head back to the house and sprawl out on the living room floor, digging into our favorite candy.  This trick-or-treat night was like all the others we've shared. . . quite a blast!!

Mishap on a Trampoline

Caroline ended up with her first set of stitches the other day when playtime went awry at a friend's house.  Apparently, a group of kids were jumping on the trampoline together when Caroline's chin landed squarely on top of a little boy's head.  The result was a rather large, bloody gash on the bottom of her chin.

Since it was late in the day, all "regular" pediatric clinics were closed, of course, so Shawn took her to the MEA, and three hours later, they emerged with four stitches, a weepy little girl, and an exhausted daddy.  (I stayed home with the baby because the last thing he needed us to do was to expose him to a germ-infested waiting room with as sick as he's been lately!)  Shawn said that Caroline was SO brave.  The only time she cried was when they gave her the "stinging" medicine, as she called it.  

After all of the medical mishaps in our family this year, I've learned that children are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for! 

Phelps Impersonator

It's been many years since Shawn and I have been to a "grown-up" Halloween party, and this year we had the opportunity to go to one at the Fairburn's house.  We spent weeks in advance deliberating about what our costumes would be.  We wanted to be fun and creative. . . something fresh and current.  Finally, after a lot of brainstorming and collaboration with friends and family members, we decided Shawn would make a great Michael Phelps (10 years later), and I could go as his #1 fan.  

So Shawn donned a pair of long speedo pants, a swim cap with Phelps' name and American flag, goggles, and eight gold medals.  I just wore a lot of makeup, an I Love Phelps shirt, and a feather boa, and stood by him all night.  Needless to say, he won first place in the costume contest, and we had a blast!

John Michael's First Birthday Party

We celebrated John Michael's first birthday at our house on October 18.  It was a very small gathering of family to this fete - nothing too elaborate, seeing as he won't remember any of it years down the road!  The house was decorated in light blue and brown colors, and the dining room table had a centerpiece chronicling JM's first year, month by month in photos, with all of his "firsts" listed on place cards for the guests to view.  JM dug into his first chocolate birthday cake with no hesitation, and he seemed to savor every bite!  When it was time to open presents, he actually paid more attention to each gift than I really expected him to. . . he just calmly sat there and watched as each gift was opened and smiled at each one!  

Once the first birthday formalities were out of the way, the adults broke out the Rock Band Wii game, and the "real" party started.  (Thanks to Shawn's brothers, Stephen and Jason, everyone took turns at the drums, guitar, and microphone!)  So, fun was had by all at John Michael's first birthday celebration.

New to the Blogging World

Playing in the Waves

JM's First Time in the Sand

My Lookalike Babies

Storytime in the Hospital Bed

Sweet Baby Boy in the Croup Tent

Shawn, Me, and Mabel in Moss Point

The Kids at MSU Extravaganza

 Neshoba County Fair 2008

Caroline's First Day of K-4 Preschool

Go Bulldogs!!

John Michael's First Set of Stitches

 JM and Papa on a Lazy Summer Afternoon

Pepsi Pops on the Reservoir

I've finally broken down and joined the world of blogging.  There are so many friends that I've enjoyed keeping up with on the blogs, so I thought I'd create one of my own! 

The Oliphant family had a fun summer 2008.  Caroline finished her first year of preschool at Pinelake, while dance and soccer also came to an end.  We started out the summer watching the Mississippi symphony play at Pepsi Pops on the reservoir - there's nothing like eating fried chicken on a picnic blanket, listening to a live orchestra, then watching a spectacular fireworks finale with your family!

We spent most of the summer visiting relatives - Papa and Bee in Philadephia, MawMaw and PawPaw in Richton, and Great PawPaw in Moss Point.  The kids got a small taste of the Bulldogs when we attended the MSU Summer Extravaganza.  JM wasn't too thrilled when Bully got a hold of him, but Caroline was thrilled to get her picture made with the cheerleaders!  The Neshoba County Fair was a welcome tradition at the end of July, and the kids and I stayed the entire week.  My Uncle Al, from San Diego, was in town for the week as well, and it's always nice to spend some time with him.  

School started again before we knew it, and Caroline began Pre-K 4 this year.  She got her long hair cut off right before school started - about 8 inches!  In September, Shawn, Caroline, John Michael, and I went to Orange Beach for a long weekend - JM's first trip to the beach!  We had a blast, but it just wasn't long enough.  We promised Caroline a longer beach trip next summer.

We capped the summer off with the start of MSU football season, of course, and a round of bad luck with John Michael.  First, he bumped his forehead on some steps, and got four stitches.  Then, just a few weeks later, he ended up in the hospital with a bad respiratory infection.  Poor little man!  But he's made it through, and we've been enjoying a busy fall, and we've been gearing up for a fun-filled holiday season.