School - Kindergarten

Paxton Michael England

Age: 5 1/2

Grade: Kindergarten at Jenks West Elementary

Favorite Food: Chicken Patties

Favorite Activity: Soccer

Favorite Song: Twinkle Twinkle

Favorite Color: Orange

Best Friend: Bradey

Favorite Toy: Rescue Bot

Favorite TV Show: Fresh Beat Band

Favorite Book: Amazing Spiderman

Favorite thing to do outside: Play

Favorite Drink: Water

What do you want to be when you grow up: Scientist and Trashman

Funniest person you know: Mema

Favorite thing to wear: spiderman with no head shirt

Bed Time: 8:30 pm

Wake Up Time: 7:30 am

Bath or Shower: Shower

Loves his friends and family.  Loves birthday parties, playing piano, swimming and soccer.  Loves to sleep with his brother in his bed with his silky pillow.  Likes hip hop and Dave Matthews Band. Remembers EVERYONE'S birthday.  Caring, sensitive, sweet, loving, talkative, energetic, loud, precious!

2012

I have been the worst blogger in 2012.  I WILL do better in 2013...maybe!  Because so many incredible things happened this year I am going to try and hit the high points, for my memory, in no particular order.

Well the most exciting thing that happened this year was FOSTER!  He is the perfect last piece of our family puzzle.  I still am so amazed by the overwhelming unconditional love that occurs when we add a member to our family.  Not only from Scott and I, but from the kids as well.  I know for a fact Paxton, Porter, and Charlotte could love no one more than they love Baby Fossie Fos.  And in return, his love for them is already so unbelievable.  He is the perfect baby, the missing link.  I look at him on a daily basis and think he is too good to be true.  He is our lover boy.

KINDERGARTEN!  When I asked Paxton what his favorite thing about 2012 was he said, "going back to school."  I love that he loves school.  He loves his teacher, his friends, learning.  I am not the best school mom, I must admit.  Not that I want to home school, but I also will never be the PTAG president.  If he so much as sniffles, I keep him home.  He protests every step of the way.  This is good.  We keep each other balanced out.  I always loved school and so did Scott so I am glad Pax does too, but I really really miss him while he is gone.  Paxton has turned a real corner this year.  From toddler to big boy.  He is my helper, responsible to a fault, sweet as can be, kind, affectionate, loving, lovable...I could go on for days.  I really can tell how the nature of our relationship is going to be now and I LOVE it.  He is my best friend.

ACTIVITIES!  This is the first year the kids have gotten involved in activities.  Porter does gymnastics and absolutely loves it.  Only once a week for now, but he looks forward to that class all week.  He is remarkably strong for such a little dude.  At 3 years old he could cross the monkey bars forwards AND backwards. It's a bit freakish to be honest.  People at the park always comment to the fact.  He loves his coach, who happens to be my sisters best childhood friend.  It is the first activity that Porter has done without his brother.  This is huge.  Paxton started soccer with some friends from school and loved it.  This was the sweetest group of buddys and they had a blast.  And there were quite a few goals scored too!  None by our team, but the other teams scored a TON! :)  They don't keep score at this age, but we all know Paxton was really quick to tell me how many goals the other team made.  Who knew he could count that high?!  I kid, I kid!  Pax is also taking piano once a week and loves that too.  He likes to practice and he concentrates so hard.  He wants us to practice with him but he knows way more than I do.  I am already of no help to him.

SWIMMING!  The boys learned to swim this year thanks to Miller Swim School.  It was a Godsend.  I have always been paranoid around water with my kids.  When they started lessons in January they wouldn't even put their faces under water without protest.  By the summer Pax was jumping off the diving board in the deep end.  Porter can swim really well to, however he doesn't have quite as much confidence so we have to watch him a little closer.  This made going to the pool much more fun this summer than ever before.

BONDING!  Charlotte has always been a mommas girl.  She has been my siamese twin since the moment of her birth.  I never went anywhere or did anything without my girl.  This year she has bonded with Scott and her brothers in such a special way.  She loves to lay with Scott to go to sleep and she loves for him to just hold her.  She plays with the boys now instead of just following me around.  She will sleep with my mom when she comes to town and she doesn't cry when Toni babysits anymore.  She will always be my little shadow and I wouldn't have it any other way.  She is just so amazing I am glad she is letting other people experience her more.  She is hysterical.

WORKING!  Scott has had such a busy year at work.  He loves his job and he loves where he works thankfully.  He traveled quite a bit over the year and we got into a pretty good routine when he was home and away.  I finally felt like I had it all under control.  Until Foster was born.  Then I digressed...big time.  Luckily I have amazing family and friends to help pick up the slack when he is away.  It really does take a village and I have an amazing one.  We are very thankful for his job and my ability to 'work from home.' :)

FAMILY!  We have had the luxury to spend quite a deal of time with everyone in our family.  We spend a lot of time with each other but also my mom and dad, my sister and her family, Scott's family.  My mom or dad will come and stay on at least a monthly basis.  We spent a lot of time at my parents this summer.  My sister and her clan come to Tulsa every chance they get.  Scott's mom would babysit for us often and we go to her house once a week to play and spend time.  We are so glad my mom and dad are retired, my sister and her clan love to get out of town often, and Scott's parents have a wonderful set up for visitors.  We are so close to our family, immediate and extended, and they are all close with each other.  We are so lucky.

2012 was awesome!  Can't wait to see what 2013 has in store!!

Nights like this

Tonight was cool and rainy so we had the windows open and the breeze coming in.  We ate dinner.  The boys wrestled and laughed with each other on the couch.  Charlotte danced with her daddy and squeezed his cheeks between her chubby little palms and told him how much she loves him.  I made chocolate chip cookies.  We ate (tons) of cookies.  The boys played a video game and when Porter got to a part where he needed help he yelled for his brother.  Paxton responded with, "A brother's work is never done." We listened to everyone's best and worst parts of their day.  We heard all about "the kisser girls" on the playground.  We laughed.  We tickled each other.  We picked out a few things to take to the hospital for the baby.  We read books.  We listened to music.  We prayed. We meditated.  We did the same things we do every night, pretty much.  Nothing exciting, nothing different, nothing unusual.

After the kids went to bed and I was cleaning up, I had this overwhelming feeling to stop and be so very thankful for nights like these.  Life is already starting to get hectic with school, and soccer, and gymnastics, and piano, and family and friends.  I want to remember these nights when our family had the chance to just BE.  Be together.  Be bored.  Be friends.  Be silly.  Be lazy.  Be cozy.  Be stuffed full of a yummy dinner we got to all eat together.  Be whatever we wanted to be.  Together.

Charlotte's 2nd Birthday in Photos

We just had a little family swim party at Karla and Dale's house.  The only birthday request was a princess cake.  I did my best.  Vegan princess cake is harder than it sounds! :)

It was a perfect little party for our perfect little 2 year old!!!  We are so lucky to have such an awesome extended family!  Grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and tons of cousins make for perfect birthday guests!  

2

Dear Charlotte,

You are 2!!!  I can't even believe it!  And I don't even know where to begin.

This has been such a fun year with you.  You have changed from a baby to a toddler right before our eyes.  You are offically one of the big kids now.  I have so many things I want to remember about you right at this very moment...

- You are hysterical.  Every day you say and do the funniest things that leave all of us cracking up.  For instance, today at the pool you insisted on taking your life jacket off.  I told you that you must leave it on because it was keeping you safe.  You reply in your most whiny teenager voice, "It's not keeping me safe, it's making me MAD!"  And with that you just took it right off and proceeded to swim around, life jacketless.  Which leads me to...

 - You are a spitfire.  With a complete mind of your own.  You will do what you want to do, when you want to do it.  You are so capeable of gettine things done for yourself.  If you need something and no one is  accomidating you fast enough, you will just do it yourself.

- You are so sweet to me it is unbelievable.  You hug and kiss me hundreds of times a day.  You will say to me, "I love you so much mommy.  You my bessssssst friend," multiple times a day.  And I can never get enough of it.  You love me so much that when I leave your sight, or someone else tries to hold or love on you, you get a little aggitated.  I love the way you love me.  We really are best friends.

- You love for your daddy to "get you."  He will be sitting doing something completely unrelated to "getting you" and you will look at him and say, "Don't get me daddy!!!  Ahhhhhhhhhh!"  And take off running in the other direction.  You love to play and wrestle with your daddy and you sneak in some kisses and hugs too!

- You are 1000% girl.  We always wondered if you would be a tomboy growing up with two older brothers very close in age.  Nope.  Not going to happen.  You INSIST on wearing jewelry, "wipstick," dresses, and princess shoes, at all times.  Even to bed.  You will not sleep in normal pj's.  It must be a dress or look somewhat "princess."  Your favorite color is pink, your favorite book is Pinkalicious, you love "jewelries," and sit still as a statue for me to paint your toes and nails upon your request.

-  You love to play with your brothers, but insist your part in the play time is somewhat "princessy." When the boys play superheroes you will run around with them and say you are "superhero princess."  The boys were playing a pretend game of basketball and Paxton deemed himself Kevin Durant while Porter was Russel Westbrook.  They were making me cheer for them so I was yelling, "THUNDER! GOOOOOO THUNDER!"  And you chime in, "PRINCESS!  GOOOOOOOO PRINCESS!"  Apparently you were playing princess basketball.

- You love to dance.  And you have great rhythm.  You must have gotten that from me! :)

- You have an amazing vocabulary and surprise us with the things you say and pick up on.  Today alone these things have come out of your mouth:
    While backing out of the driveway, "Mommy, put on your seatbelt!"
    While sitting in the bathroom while Paxton poops, "That's concusting."  What Charlotte?  "I said that concusting."  What does that mean, Charlotte? "Bubba poo poo tinks.  It mells concusting."  Well then get out of the bathroom so you don't have to smell his disgusting poop, Charlotte! "Noooooooo!"
    I hurt myeslf and was crying a little when you approach, "What happened?"  Nothing, sis, I'm ok.  "Don't frow a fit then. Deep brefs, Mommy."  Thanks, Charlotte.
    While eating the sunbutter and jelly sandwich that you requested and subsquently changed your mind about, "I not want this.  It's yucky!"  Why is it yucky, Charlotte?  "Because it's not yummy, so it's yucky!"  Touche, sister!
You are never at a loss for words, and we are always left laughing when we hear what you have to say!

- You are everyone's baby girl and we are all completely obsessed with you.  Your brothers hug and kiss you so many times a day and give you what ever you want.  They just want you to be happy!

You are our angel.  Our one and only baby girl who we love so much.  You are sweet, sassy, loving, soft, rough, caring, bossy, opinionated, adorable, spicy, funny, little sidekick in the world.  And we all love you to pieces.  I can't believe it has only been and has already been 2 years since we met you for the first time, although you have lived in our hearts forever!  Happy 2nd birthday Baby Girl!  No matter how many times you tell us you are a "big durl" you will always be our baby!

LOVE YOU!

Three Little Big Kids

I always have hated cliche sayings, but there is a reason they become cliche.  The saying, "Time flies when you are having fun!" is our motto this summer.  And somehow during all of this fun the kids have all grown into new phases of their lives and personalities.

Paxton is a swimming fool!  He started swim lessons in January and had no concept of swimming before he started.  He wouldn't even go under water.  He has really amazed us with his progress over the past few months and especially since the summer started.  At the pool we go to there is a monster slide that you have to pass a swim test to go down.  You have to swim 25 meters unassisted without stopping.  I was truly shocked when today he did just that!  And subsequently went down the slide a hundred times.  He is becoming so brave and confident.  Pax has always been very aware of the consequences of things, thus a little timid when trying new things.  I am really so proud of his new found confidence with his swimming.  Now riding a bike without training wheels is a different story! :) But one thing at a time!

Porter is also swimming so well for his age, however, you still can't take your eyes off of him for a split second.  Unlike Pax, Porter has no fear with trying new things and can get a bit ahead of himself at times.  He has, however, started to form his own opinion more than ever before.  In the past Porter has always fallen in line with what Paxton decides to do.  Don't get me wrong, he still follows his big brother around like a shadow, but if he really wants to do one thing and Pax is doing something different he will decide to do what he wants more than he ever has before.  I think with Paxton starting full day school next year Porter will get a confidence booster being the biggest boy in the house for 7 hours a day.

Charlotte has crossed the threshold from being the baby to being one of the big kids.  She is still stuck to me like glue, but now she will disappear from my side for me to find her playing right along with her brothers.  She is entering the terrible 2's for sure, but is really surprising us with her ability to keep up with her brothers.  Her vocabulary is incredible, and she says the funniest things.  Although not always the nicest things, she always keeps us entertained!    

With the new baby coming in a few months, I have really tried to soak up every single moment with my three little big kids.  I will be out of the loop as far as my ability to participate in every single moment of their fun with a newborn, so I am so thankful for this summer where we are all together having a blast every day.  A few highlights have been:  frontier city, swimming every day, a long stay at Mema and Pops house, the water park, the park, hanging out with friends, the water slide at Noni and Roberts, just to name a few.  I have tons of photos I need to dump from my phone but haven't just yet.  

Although it is getting HOT HOT HOT we are loving every minute of our summer break.  It is going to be so hard for me to send my Biggest Little Big Kid to school in just over a month.  We will all miss him like crazy.  

Toys R Us?? More like Toys R Nuts!

The kids and I went to Toys R Us today to find Charlotte's birthday present.  I NEVER go to Toys R Us, and I am pretty sure the boys have only been there about 2 times in their entire lives.  Charlotte has never been.

I wanted to get Charlotte a kitchen for her birthday.  I browsed while I was at Target doing my grocery shopping and found nothing.  I could have ordered it off of the internet, but I didn't want to pay a ton for shipping (plus, true to Kate fashion, I waited too long to order it) so Toys R Us was my only option.

We walked in and I think my kids went into sensory overload.  The boys were jumping from one toy to the next asking what we were going to buy.  Charlotte was in the basket screaming, "There's my Dora!  There's my Princess!  I want my giraffe!" Pretty much every toy we passed she screamed this.  I was on a mission to find my one item and get out of there.

I grabbed the kitchen, put all of the toys that the kids had knocked off the shelves back in their appropriate spots and went to the register.  When we went to checkout with not ONE extra toy and no one begging or throwing a fit I stood there so proud of my little clan.  No one was upset or angry that they were leaving empty handed.  I had found the kitchen that I wanted was on sale for over half off, which I was really proud of as well.  So what do you think I did??????  Well I did what any sucker would do and I got out of line and let my kids go pick out a toy.  What is wrong with me!?!?!?!  We need more toys like we need a hole in the head.  I was actually spending less money than I had planned for once in my life.  No one asked for anything or even wanted anything to be real honest, and I got out of the check out line and went back into the depths of Toys R Us for my kids to waste more money on toys!

There is something wrong with me.  I will not be going back there again for a really long time.  Not because my kids acted crazy, but because I did!!!  I just get so soft when they are all sitting there looking like adorable little munchkins and get I get WEAK!  Those sweet precious little faces impair my judgement from time to time!