…for a few important announcements:
Marty’s Home Day Care Blog has been busted for quite some time. It has been semi-fixed for a couple of weeks, but she has been way too busy, tired, or just plain lazy to “get her posts up”. She has lots of post drafts – but has missed posting such big milestones and either wonderful or bittersweet events that she feels guilty for using any of her mere drafts yet. Here’s a Run Down of going-ons since my last post in June:
In the Milestones Category:
JUNE: Smiley turned TWO. I missed posting his birthday post because I had a dream of rolling the next two milestones into one big cupcake-squashing post about all my cute little 2-year-olds. You would have loved it, really. Softest hair you will ever be blessed enough to put your fingers through.
JULY: The Prince turned TWO. Such a royal-pain-in-the-heart. Best leg hugs I’ve ever gotten. Man, seems just the other day he was turning ONE.
AUGUST: Sweetie Pie turned TWO. Blows me away when I think how far she has come so quickly. Little parrot.
SEPTEMBER: Baby Cakes turned ONE. Baby Cakes took her first steps as well! AND WHAT IS UP WITH TALKING ALREADY? This one will wear you out she is so dang busy. And, just because the First Birthday is such a BIG ONE she gets three pictures in the blog. Everyone needs a couple semi-naked party pics posted on the internet at some point in their life - don't they?
OCTOBER: Little Dumpling perfected the raspberry blow and the sneaky-snatch-and-hide-move. On 10/01, as I was distracted by a parent dropping off a couple of kids, she swiped her bowl of baby breakfast off the highchair tray and hid it beneath the tray. At least she didn’t dump it! Oh yeah, later that day she figured out how to yell at me to get my attention. If I hadn't already been pretty sure I was in trouble, I am now. Little roll of Charmin - so squeezably soft.
OCTOBER: Along with trying to wrap up my Accreditation Stuff for submission within the next month or so, I think I should begin the process of Application to the Guinness Book of World Records for The Princess: The Girl with the Deepest Dimples. In an older post, I promised better dimple pictures and I like to deliver my first installment on such promise. You are most welcome.
In the Wonderful Events Category:
BBQ: Missed getting pictures of the meat, but Pork took 8th Place. Aunt Sam’s Cheesecake (with Uncle Rob’s assistance in Presentation) pulled in the team’s biggest win – 3rd Place Desserts. And our combined efforts in creating Two Ladies Potatoes got us a 7th Place in Sides. Our Friday Night party was fun, huge, and out of control as usual.
Girl3 coined her first original word: Birth-Day-Que. Letting me know that was her word, and wanting to be sure she got complete credit for such an awesome accomplishment. “It’s a birth-day-que Momma. Because they [the cities] have BBQs every year for Girl2 and Girl3.” I didn’t have the heart to explain that Tonganoxie Days and Mission’s Battle of the Brisket are set weekends in June and September that just so happen to coincide with her Sister’s birthday weekends. She is only 6, why bust her bubble? I just went along with her on this one and agreed that it is, indeed, very cool they do that for us.
Vacation: Took some time to hang with Family in Branson. Great time, great fun, great food too. Too bad our Grandparents live so far away – but thank goodness, we always have our Surrogate Neighborhood Grandparents (bottom picture).
In the Bittersweet Events Category:
Little gets bigger and "grows away" from my home, heading off to Preschool for her next great adventure. Hugs, tears, sobs, and lots more tears - still.
Little in October 2007
Little in September 2009
The things the "Big Kids" are beginning to accelerate in seem to be filling in some gaps that Little has left, and some of the things "The Babies" do remind me of Little and just how fast she grew up - then in creeps the feeling of how much I (we) miss her around here.
- Sweetie Pie has found her singing voice – I mean she has a serious talent for singing. Making up songs, especially to her favorite tune Frere Jacques, I’ve never witnessed such a young child develop so quickly in one area.
- The Prince has discovered he actually ENJOYS picking up toys and putting them away in an organized fashion. Playing too, is so much more organized.
- Smiley's bangability [that's a Marty Word] & verbal prowess reach new heights every week.
- Baby Cakes is CLIMBING, WALKING, RUNNING. She gets some "grass time" now when we go outside.
- The soft sweet looks that Little Dumpling and The Princess give me throughout the day.
Girl2 headed off to college. I am so proud of her, both my Big Girls off at College! And finally, after years of ringing off the hook at all hours of the day and night, our "house phone" can take a break. It has found itself in retirement, sitting lifeless in the charging cradle. A far cry from being buried deep within some pile in Girl2's room or the cushions of a couch. ; )
This concludes our Emergency Broadcast of Events Not Blogged. If this had been a real emergency, you would have been informed where to tune into for more information, where to run for cover, or where to pick your kids up from.
Little and Family return for a visit. 
My little God Baby and her Big Brother! 
I just love to see Santa Love in a Baby's eyes. 
Me & Mr. Mike with half of our Girls. (Girl1 & Girl2 are off at college.).jpg)
Now, this is one FULL family! 
Me & Mr. Mike with half of our Girls. (Girl1 & Girl2 are off at college.).jpg)
Now, this is one FULL family! .jpg)
HamSam & Fam - 2009
And this was AS CLOSE TO SANTA as Sweetie Pie was going to get!.jpg)
No tree, no Santa, but I love this picture. 
Oh me! Oh my! 
1st Full-time Family returns for the party! .jpg)
HamSam & Fam - 2009
And this was AS CLOSE TO SANTA as Sweetie Pie was going to get!.jpg)
No tree, no Santa, but I love this picture. 
Oh me! Oh my! 
1st Full-time Family returns for the party! 
Santa helps Smiley with the packaging on the Thomas the Train toy -
Santa helps Smiley with the packaging on the Thomas the Train toy -
.JPG)
