Christmas Program: Part 2

My newest most favorite picture of my 2 boys.
Kaitlyn (Ryan's sister) and Walker...neighbors and soon to be BFF's.

Jake and Ryan...BFF's and "brothers" according to their classmate, Mya.
Love this...Ryan was trying to hug Walker and Jake got a little protective of his "baby brother." It turned into a big wrestling match, but it was super cute. Love these boys!

Besties.

Besties again.

Jake was making Walker wave. :)

Preciousness.

These are the rest of the pictures that I took yesterday after Jake's Christmas program. Sorry I went a little overboard, but I couldn't resist the cuteness.

Speaking of cuteness, I need to brag on Jake a little bit since a particular family member said I didn't do it enough.

Jake is the most amazing 2-going-on-3 year old ever. For real. He is so smart; he knows all but 3 letters of the alphabet, what sounds they make, and things that begin with that letter. He loves to read and to learn new things.

Jake is the best big brother, and I'm not just saying that because I have to. Jake wants to be the first one there when Walker wakes up and the last one there when he goes to sleep. He is very attentive to Walker's wants and need. For instance, we'll be riding down the road and Walker will start fussing, and Jake will start saying, "It's okay, buddy, we're almost home. Here's our neighborhood." Jake also lets me know whenever Walker needs his pacifier, more food, a toy, etc, and he also keeps a close eye on Walker at all times. I dropped something the other day, and Jake immediately said, "Uh-oh, Mama, this is too small...Walker could choke on this." He is absolutely awesome about keeping his toys with small parts away from Walker and knowing the difference in his toys and baby toys. Jake is so loving with his little brother...it melts my heart.

Jake loves his friends and family. Ryan and Brantley are his best friends and he talks about them all the time if we're not with them. He also talks about PaPa, Granddad, G Mama, Aunt Amy, cousin Jace, MaMa, Granddaddy, and all of cousins all the time and asks to see pictures of them constantly.

Jake's teachers love him to pieces and say that he is always very kind and considerate. He is also known to be the teacher's pet.

Jake is a Mama's a boy for sure! He loves his Daddy, but Tyson doesn't argue with me on this one...he is all about his Mama. (By the way, Walker is totally a Daddy's boys right now!) Back to Jake, he is my big helper and minds me pretty well...well, as well as a 2-going-on-3 year old can. :) He and I just have an amazing relationship that I wouldn't trade for the world. I know he is my child, a 2 year old at that, but he is my best friend (next to his Daddy of course); I never knew I could love someone this much.

So there you have it, I'm one proud Mama. I'm sure there is a ton I'm leaving out about Jake, but these are just some of the highlights. I probably don't do a good enough job of praising Jake on the blog, but believe me, I know how awesome he is and I make sure he knows that all the time.

**There is another post below from today if you haven't seen it already.

Jake's Christmas Program

Jake's class were all black sheep. Umm, I totally had to ask the teacher what they were. Ha!

Thank goodness for me that Ryan decided to lay down on stage...it was the only way I could get a shot of Jake's face.

That is Jake's head in between the two boys' heads.

I think it is so cute to see Jake's little class holding hands walking in line! (Jake is in the cords in the middle).

Jake's class had their Christmas program at school today, and what a doozy it was! First off, we were running late, so I was stressed and the boys were rushed, which never makes for a good situation. We get to Jake's class and they are literally about to walk out the door to go on stage, so the teacher hands me this mask (that is pictured above) to put on Jake. Let me tell you how well that went....it didn't!! Jake REFUSED to put the mask on and no matter what I did, said, bribed, NOTHING was working. I finally just decided to walk out and let his teacher put it on him because he seems to mind her better than me, and sure enough, she got it on him.

Let me back up and tell you something about Jake- Jake is very cautious, reserved, shy, and just very slow to warm up to things; he needs to think about it for a little while and process it before doing something new or different. Well, between the whole mask situation and then putting Jake on a stage in front of an audience of people, things didn't turn out that well. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, but it just wasn't the way I had hoped it would turn out.

After I left Jake with his class, Walker and I ran up to the auditorium and got our seats. Jake's class then entered the auditorium and one-by-one I see his classmates come in...but no Jake. Finally, the teacher, Miss Brittany, brings up the back and she is literally having to drag Jake into the auditorium; she eventually just reaches down and picks him up and holds him before putting him on stage. By the time she got him on stage, though, there was no room left for Jake, so she had to put him on the row behind his classmates. :( Poor Jake, not only could he not be seen, but he decided to turn around the whole time and stare at the big kids singing behind him. Oh, and did I mention he had a pouty face the whole time?

Like I said, it was a doozy of a Christmas program for my sweet Jake. Next year, I'll know what to expect, and I'm going to start preparing him early for the performance. I just feel so bad that I rushed him and didn't prepare him. :( Oh well, we'll get 'em next time.

I have some a TON of pictures from today, so I'll post the rest in another post. Enjoy the pictures of my little black sheep!

8 Months Old!

Yesterday, my sweet Walker turned 8 months old. Yet another month has flown by...time has seriously got to slow down! He is growing up way to quickly!

I won't bore you with too many details about what Walker is doing at 8 months, but I'm starting to wish I would have recorded more about what Jake was doing at certain stages so I would know what I'm supposed to be doing this time around. :) Anyways, here are some little tidbits:

• started pulling up a few weeks ago
• takes about 4-5 bottles a day (every 3.5 hours) of 6 oz
• sleeps about 13 hours at night
• naps at 9:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 5 pm for about 3 hours total
• has 4 teeth (his top 2 and bottom 2...the other 2 on bottom haven't broken through yet)
• says "da da" all the time
• eats 1 jar of baby food 3 times a day and has started eating some table foods
• has beautiful bluish-green eyes and blond hair (in case you can't tell from the pictures)
• weighs a little over 20 lbs (I think)

It is so exciting to see Walker's personality really developing. He is such a mess...he is already proving to be very stubborn, mischievous, and in to everything! But he is also so laid back, sweet, loving, and very easy going. And according to his teachers at school, he is the best baby in the class; what's funny about this is that 3 of his 4 teachers all have their own babies in the class! :) He is such an awesome baby...I don't know what Tyson and I did to deserve this cutie.

Santa's Lap: Round 2

This is my favorite of all the pictures. First, this is the closest thing to a smile that I could get from Jake, and second, I love Walker's expression here. Jake gave that same look his first two years with Santa.


Santa Claus came to visit the boys' school today!! Thursdays aren't a regular school day for us, but we went anyway in hopes of 1) overcoming Jake's fear of Santa Claus' lap and 2) getting a "decent" picture with Santa Claus. The pictures definitely weren't perfect, but I think we achieved "decent enough." ;) And guess who was not afraid of Santa Claus?

I was so proud of Jake! We had talked about it, prepared for it, and bribed hard...and it worked! He walked right up to Santa, got in his lap, told him what he wanted, and posed for pictures. Jake was also so proud of himself! If only he would have really smiled and not made such silly faces, it would have been perfect. Oh well, what can you expect from a 2 year old little boy?

Walker, of course, wasn't phased by the whole "Santa's lap" thing...for now; I know his time is coming, too, though. Just as I get one child unafraid, then there's the next child, right? Ha! I will say this, Walker usually gives out smiles pretty freely, but he's yet to crack a smile in the big guy's lap. Hmm...I think Walker may be on to him! ;)

Yes, Walker, There is a Santa Claus...

His new favorite toy- the door stopper.

Here is a sneak peak of his top teeth.

Yes, Walker, there is a Santa Claus, and he brought you an early Christmas present...YOUR BOTTOM TEETH!! In fact, he brought you 4 bottom teeth AT THE SAME TIME 8 days after I made fun of you looking like a bunny rabbit. Wasn't that generous of him? Ha!

So, I guess the old adage of "be careful what you wish for" is true. I was so worried that Walker would look silly with only 2 top teeth, that I secretly hoped and prayed his bottom teeth would come in soon, and VOILA! Here they are...all four bottom front teeth at once! I asked for it, but woas me. If you've never had a teething baby, 1 tooth coming in is bad...2 teeth coming in is miserable...but 4 teeth coming in at once is almost unbearable! My normally smiling, happy, laid-back, easy-going baby is grumpy, fussy, and just pitiful. Ugh! Poor baby! I feel awful for him. At least he won't look like a bunny rabbit, though. ;)

Christmas Tree and A Ballerina Party

"This one looks good, Daddy!"

Sweet Jake, I love you...

...but the fake smiles are killing me!

"Is this enough?"

My big helper!

Here's our tree!

I don't have pictures of the final product, but we got our tree this weekend! I had these grand plans of going to a Christmas tree farm this weekend and cutting down a tree, but the weather had other plans. So, we settled for a Boy Scout tree lot down the road, and it actually couldn't have worked out more perfectly. We got a great tree and had the best experience...minus the whole "cutting down the tree" thing.

I'm sure over the course of the next month our tree will show up in some pictures, but for now you'll just have to take my word for it, it is beautiful. Jake did a great job picking it out! Unfortunately, though, our tree is looking a little bare because we decided to cut back on some of the ornaments/decorations due to our wild children, but it still looks pretty regardless. Now, if only I could figure out a way to keep 2 little pairs of hands off of it!

How cute are these little ballerinas?

The little girl on the right is Mariah, the birthday girl. She and Jake have been in the same class since they were 8 months old.

This is Macy. She is one of Jake's besties.

This is Sara. I LOVE her...she is super sweet and has the sweetest mom. I wouldn't mind at all if Sara ended up being Jake's girlfriend.

Look who's home...for now!

Jake went to his first "Ballerina Party" this weekend. One of his friends from school, Mariah, had her 3rd birthday party and was sweet to include Jake even though he has NO interest in tutu's and dancing. ;) Mariah's mom gave Jake a top hat in case he wanted to participate in the dance class, but Jake decided to wear the top hat to play basketball instead. Ha! I'll admit, Tyson was a little relieved Jake didn't want to wear the tutu!

We all had a blast at Mariah's party! After the girls finished up with the dance instructor, all the kids played on the bounce houses and enjoyed some cake. The party consisted mainly of all the kids from Jake's class, so it was so much fun to see all the kids together and visit with their parents, too. I just love Jake's school and especially his class...we are so blessed to be in such a wonderful place with wonderful people! Happy Birthday, Mariah!

Tree Lighting Ceremony

I don't know who looks more uncomfortable in this picture- me, my children, or Santa Claus! Ha! Is this not the worst picture you've ever seen?

Here comes Santa Claus!

Oh Jake...you definitely aren't my photogenic child!

Our neighborhood had its annual lighting of the Christmas tree on the green tonight, and for the first time since we've lived here, the boys and I got to go. For some reason, we've always been busy when they had this; I think I usually work every year on this weekend since it is the first weekend after football season. Eitherway, I was so glad we got to go, and we are definitely going to make it a family tradition. Maybe Tyson can actually go with us next year, though! (He's been gone all week recruiting and still isn't home yet.) :(

My mom came to town to keep the boys while I worked last night, so she got to join us for the event, and it worked out perfectly to have her there. You see, she stood in line with Walker for Santa Claus while Jake and I watched the performance and played in the bounce house. The line to see Santa Claus (as were the lines for the food, carousel, wagon-rides, etc) was RIDICULOUS! Thankfully, though, we got through there quickly thanks to my mom. :) Unfortunately, though, the Santa experience wasn't quite as how I imagined it. Jake froze up when we approached Santa...as you can tell by the pictures. He had no problems yelling to Santa from across the room what he wanted for Christmas, but as soon as we got close to Santa, Jake was done. Ugh! Oh well, we have a few more photo opportunities with Santa coming up, so maybe I'll get a decent photo one of these days!

All I Want for Christmas is My 2 Bottom Teeth?

"Hey, y'all! I got a tooth!"

Finally, Walker got his first tooth...and second! Oh, but it's not the normal 2 bottom teeth like most babies get first, it's his 2 TOP TEETH!! I was in shock when I made this discovery; I've been looking out for his bottom teeth this whole time, but those little suckers decided to throw me for a loop and stay put inside his gums. In fact, there is no sign of his bottom teeth making an apperance any time soon! I guess I'm gonna have a little bunny rabbit on my hands for a little while! ;) Has this ever happened to anyone you know? I'm baffled!!

Thomas the Elf

This is Thomas hanging out above the microwave!


When the boys awoke from their naps on Monday, we found that a little elf had made it's way all the way from the North Pole to our house! Santa Claus sent this little elf with a cute little book called "Elf on the Shelf" and strict instructions: no touching the elf, the elf can't talk back to you, but more importantly, the elf watches you all day long and flies back to the North Pole at night and tells Santa Claus whether you have been naughty or nice. Oh, and you get to name the elf, and that is the elf's name FOREVER! Needless to say, I was a little worried what my almost 3 year old would name this elf that would be it's name FOREVER!

At first, Jake wanted to name the elf "Santa Claus," but I told him Santa is the elf's boss, and Santa might not like that we named the elf "Santa Claus." So, it didn't take Jake long to think of the name "Thomas"...after his favorite blue engine. :) I thought it was perfect, so "Thomas" it is!

The first day Thomas was here, Jake was perfect! Don't get me wrong, I think he was creeped out for a second that this thing was constantly watching him, but he quickly caught on to the whole "naughty or nice" thing and totally played the part. By day 2, though, he was over trying to be nice just to impress the elf. In fact, Jake had a hard time minding me yesterday (Tuesday), and he had no problems running up to Thomas and saying, "I'm not minding my Mama. Can you tell Santa Claus that when you see him tonight?" Geez! So this whole elf idea has pretty much turned into Jake's way of tattling on himself or praising himself. We'll just have to see what Santa Claus thinks about that! ;)

Free Christmas Cards from Shutterfly!

It's that time of the year again to order the Summers family Christmas card! I'm so excited because this year, Shutterfly is offering 50 free cards to bloggers! Go to this website: http://blog.shutterfly.com/5570/2010-holiday-card-collection6/ to learn more about how you can get your 50 free cards!

Did I mention how excited I was the Shutterfly was offering 50 free Christmas cards? I used Shutterfly for our Christmas cards last year, and I really like their selection. For instance, here is a really cute card:

I just love how this card not only tells a story in photographs, but it actually has a place on the side to tell your family's story for 2010! How cute is that?

I'm already working hard making not only our Christmas card for our family, but I'm also using Shutterfly for a Christmas card for my parents and for a cute calendar of the boys for my mom! I can't wait until my mom sees her calendar! Shuttefly has lots of cute things, so check out their website: http://www.shutterfly.com/ and buy me something! ;)