Milestones & Memories

Mary Carlisle is over 3 1/2 years old now weighing in at 34 lbs in the 40th % and in the 80th % for height.

Keenan is 18 months old and weighing in at 24 lbs 13 oz in the 86th% for weight and 92nd % for height.

Where oh where do you girls get that height from!?

You interact so adorably together and honestly if you weren't so girly with your tutus and bows you would think we had 2 boys! You LOVE to tackle, chase and slam each other around like it's nobodys business.

It is hilarious....and a little scary! hehe!

I do love that you are rough and tough and super girly...it is a perfect balance!

And I LOVE that you genuinely LOVE each other!!!

  

Mary Carlisle

You have been completely potty trained since August! Wahoo!!! We accidentally forgot to put a pull up on you one night, (which worked in your favor because you did not like them at all!) and you made it through the night and have been ever since!
You go girl!!!

You still love to draw and paint and you are really good at cutting with kiddie scissors. You love to do gymnastics. you are always wanting to flip and jump! We set up a balance beam in our den (yes, i said den! ha!) and you walked on it backwards! it was amazing!!!

You also have a crazy memory! You hear a song twice and you know most the words! It is a little frightening how much you retain! Your favorite special treats are smoothies, bubble gum, sprite and of course Chocolate milk!!!

you could not be my child without some Quik in your life! :)

You absolutely love hugging and kissing everyone! You cannot say good-bye without multiple hugs and telling them "I will miss you when you are gone" it is so incredibly sweet. You are so loving and out of the blue tell us you Love us all the time.

Your sweetness melts our hearts and makes
your aunt paigey cry with happiness.

 These days you have the most entertaining dialect. You hear words that we use and you throw them in a sentence that has nothing to do with the word. For example, the word frustrated...You told me, " Mawm, I am so frusder-ated to be eating cheerios!" What do you mean? " I mean, I am frusder-ated maawwm, they are so yummy!" :)

Another MC Monologue Moment was your made up word "air tear."

What does that mean I say?...you say "It's like a scrubber for a cleaner or a sprayer or a vaccer. It just scrubs with the books and scrubs all the things it needs to but the things aren't dirty. It just  makes things VERY special for our scarfs."

...Oh my Mary Carlisle, that sounds amazing and so special for our scarfs!!! :)

Goldfish...When you eat one goldfish you put water in your mouth first. I asked you why you are doing that and this was your response, "When I put goldfish in my mouth with water, they like to swim. Do you hear them?" ...smarty pants! hehe! How did you know goldfish like swimming in water...Inside your mouth?!!! I love it! So creative!

My favorite time is your prayers... We never know what to expect whether you list all 30 members of our family and pray for them each specifically or whether you are thanking God for "princesses, mermaids, rainbows, unicorns and the world so sweet." That is my favorite part, you always end your prayers by saying "thank you for the world so sweet!" I love it!!!

You are such a lover!

Hugging on your buds Anne Carter and Carson

You decided Baby Jesus needed to see Santa

inside the snow globe!

You do such a good job cutting with scissors!

I am your mother, but I am impressed!!!

 Keenan

 Keeny Weeny Mouskawitz! You are a busy busy bee! You are dying to talk and have a whole lot to say. I love that you understand so much and are learning to communicate even though your are not quite able to verbalize it. You use your baby sign language to communicate and try to say the word you want to say or you will take our hand and lead us to what you are wanting. It is so cute!!!

You are THE happiest little girl...all smiles and all hugs!

We tell you its time to go to bed or good-bye and you go around to us puckering up your lips giving out kisses. You just started giving full out neck hugs too, which I love receiving! You give the best squeezes! 

You are so care free and just go with the flow...thankfully! Because we don't stop around here! hehe!

You continue to keep me on my toes all. the. time! If you aren't climbing up on the dining room table, you are trying to hang off the back of the couch or do a somersault off the ottoman. Oh yes, I am not being a jokester... wish i was! but you are fearless! This puts your big sis in a bit of a tizzy. Mary Carlisle is very much a rule follower, so watching you be wreckless and breaking the "rules" tends to get her worked up! haha! She thinks about doing it and you actually do it :) ...you are a brave little firecracker!

These days you LOVE fruit, milk and raisins!

That is all you want to eat and drink. I need to get more creative incorporating other foods but you are picky picky and I can't sneak much past you!

You get SO excited when I pour you a cup of milk it is pure happiness!

You are getting your two bottom k-9's...oh your poor gummies!

When music plays you start rocking back and forth and clapping! you love music! I think you are going to be my dancer! And you are really really good at stacking things...I mean crazy good!

It's your papa's engineering brain in you for sure! I love it!!!

Your favorite things are: goggles, baby strollers, waterbottles, your patagonia jacket - you love wearing it all the time, trying to put on your shoes...and your dad's favorite...Boys! You LOVE boys! It is so funny! Your daddy doesn't like it so much but you are smitten with all your uncles and our male friends.

It is pretty sweet and they sure LOVE you!!!

You love this jacket, your goggles and climbing in and out of this chair about 500 times a day!

Fwew! It is EXHAUSTING!!!! :)

 Oh my goodness! You are SO funny!!!!

I love how you make us laugh!

Again, your goggles, baby stroller and your waterbottle...You love being able to walk around the house and have water when you want it like a big kid :) 

Here you are stacking up these triangle crayons... You stacked them up really high! I didn't get a picture of this because as much as you love stacking them, you also love knocking them down! :)

You got your first haircut this month!

Well...Natalie, our hair dresser, trimmed it, not sure it did much of anything to the amazing mop of hair you have! :) I am at a loss of what to do with it besides pigtails. But I am ok with that because it goes with your wild personality! You have a double calic so your hair goes in multiple directions! It is super straight in the front and super curly in the back...

what a pretty pretty princess you are! :)

You love hanging with your Boyz!

Uncle Adrian made a cozy seat during the Bama game at papa's

 You love snuggling with your Uncle TJ...Oh does he LOVE his sweet niece! You make him so happy!

 You girls are such an incredible blessing!

We Love You To Pieces!!!

Thanks for making us smile and laugh each and every day!!!

Ariel & Sebastian

A little behind as usual to post Halloween Happenings but here it goes... :)

Mary Carlisle is obsessed with princesses of every size, color and shape but no one can measure up to "Princess Ariel"

She is has hung the moon! Is the best of the best...and then some!

Picking out who she wanted to be was an easy task picking out Just The Right Mermaid costume was another adventure...

Who knew they made 20 different mermaid options!? I sure didn't!!! and I definitely didn't think I would have to be negotiating the cleavage showing mermaid costume off my 3 year old! who are these people that make kid costumes anyway?!?!

After running around town and hitting up every possible store in town that had options we finally agreed on the perfect mermaid costume... BUT we couldn't leave without the red wig!!! Oh boy! Yes, the wig!!!

I am forseeing my future picking out the "perfect" wedding dress with this child! hehe!

I feel like I have a 13 year old these days. Mary Carlisle knows (or should I say thinks she knows) what she wants and she stands firm that it is the best decision for her..haha! I wish I was joking!

So with MC as Princess Ariel it was an easy decision to make Keenan her partner in crime, Sebastian!

When MC was a baby I got this crab outfit for her as a 6 mos old it was like a sleepsack. Thankfully I held onto it, had mother Munchie cut and sew holes in it and Wall-Aaa! Keeny had holes in her crab costume so she could walk around and trick or treat!

Because we all know she is NOT going to be left behind! :)

The hilarious part of Keenan wearing a 6 mos costume is the hole around her face was slightly snug...Oh my! I am crying laughing...the pictures do not lie!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

The neighbors gathered together for an attempt at a memorable pic...memorable is right! and actually remotely successful with this crew! Although they are a few scragglers who couldnt sit still long enough to be in it! haha!

Princess Ariel & Sebastian

 We recruited Deedee along to join in the candy fun!!!

 

Little Davis the Bear enjoying his First Halloween

with Maggie the Pumpkin!!!

Haha!!! Agh! This makes me laugh so hard!

Keenan had a bit of a hard time walking around in her costume because there was no elastic around the holes for her legs to keep it up, so the costume came down by her shins. She was running down a hill to catch up with the big kids who were already at a door and she fell and rolled down the hill... but didn't stop eating her chocolate bar! haha!!! Probably afraid she'll never get to try one ever again if she takes a breath :)

 When we got home we couldnt find Mary Carlisle anywhere!

We finally found her hiding under the dining room table (with major) eating her candy and hiding to keep Keeny from eating her candy!

Such a Mine-o-saur! haha!

 Happy Halloween!!!

Sweet Memories With Our

Princess Ariel & One Eyed Sebastian! ;)

Pumpkin Patch

Are the trumpets playing?!?!

I am actually posting pictures on time that are not

3 months behind!... Agh!!! Hooray!!!

It's almost Halloween which means we headed to the pumpkin patch!

12 mamas, 15 kiddies and 1 great big 'ol peaceful pumpkin patch!

 Until These Hot Mamas Arrived...

With Their WILD Pumpkin Pickers! hehe!

 Happy Kiddies means Happy Mommies!
note to self, next time I venture to the pumpkin patch I need my husband or an assistant! Carrying two pumpkins, one keenan mouskawitz and keeping up with a mary carlisle who is trying to keep up with the big kids was not an easy task...especially since Mary Carlisle decided Keenan needed the pumpkin that didn't have a stem! haha! and let me tell you, keenan's pumpkin makes for a great seat not a great pumpkin!

 Older influence has officially began...
When MC's main man Quinn is around she is too cool to sit with me!

Our Lil Pumpkins

(well the ones who weren't having a meltdown yet!) haha!!!

 Posing with our buddy Will by the Jumbo Pumpkin!

mary carlisle is telling keenan to say "cheese!"

Where else can you jump on a bubble trampoline and have the mountains in the background!

...I just love this happy picture!

 CORN!!! ...They LOVED THIS!!!

 Well, most of them anyway :(  poor keeny! hehe!

I love spending my days with these sweet girls!

Once we got the pumpkins home, Mary Carlisle wanted to decorate hers with leaves and Keenan wanted to perch up on hers and eat her snacks! haha!

which finally brought a smile back to this precious face!!!

...the pumpkin patch was a bit overwhelming for her! ha!

October doesn't only bring pumpkins, it also brings in Papa and Nana!

The third saturday in October is known for the biggest football weekend to my family...the annual Bama vs UT game!

This year it was held in Knoxville, so we were very excited to spend a wonderful weekend with the family!

It started out Friday night with a surprise birthday party at our house for my sister, Paige! We celebrated our Paigey Poo and ended the night on our patio with the fire pit blazing and music playing! My favorite way to spend a friday night...laughing with my incredible family!

Obviously it was a house divided! :)

 Uncle Matt brought his nieces UT Cheerleading uniforms to rub it in Papa's face that they were cheering for the Vols...Papa ended up having the last laugh with the vols losing once again! booo!!! 

...ROLL TIDE! :)

We all went to tailgate then Mary Carlisle decided she needed to go the game with her daddy! So keenan and I picked them up at halftime. She had a BLAST!!! The Vols losing streak didn't stop Mary Carlisle from showing all the fans how the cheering is done!

She found some bright pink pom poms at a tailgate and did a cheer/ballet/hip hop/jazz dance for a good hour pre-game! hehe! Chad said during the game she didn't take her eyes off her sprite, popcorn and cheerleaders the whole time! ...that's my girl! hehe!

 Work it girl!!! hehe!

I love this pic of daddy and uncle matt holding keenan's hand! She loves these two men in her life!

We ended our weekend taking Nana and Papa out on the boat to the local BBQ joint on water. It was the most beautiful day here, perfect weather and the best company! Can you tell Mary Carlisle just LOVES her Nana! She was a very sad nugget when they had to go back to brentwood this afternoon

...we all were!

 What a FUN week and weekend with friends and family!
Looking forward to more Nana and Papa time at Thanksgiving!!!

A.U.G.U.S.T.

Good-bye to August and Hello to just realizing September is almost over! Haha!

August was obviously very busy considering I think we are still in it!!! Hehe!!!

Both girls are growing and changing so much and so quickly...

Mary Carlisle started her mothers day out class this month twice a week and Keenan is going once a week. Both girls are never ending sponges.

First Day of School for Our Girls!

MC discovered old napkin rings make the most stylish bracelets! ha!

She looks so grown up to me in this picture :(

 Keenan doesn't understand why she has to go to "school" today :)

Mary Carlisle is now 3 1/2! WOW!!! Time is flying! Her vocabulary and letter identification/sounds constantly amazes me! She is drawing circles and smiley faces like she attends a college art class. This age is so hilarious and sweet (and sassy!) but oh so fun! I feel like I have a buddy who understands everything now and gives complete feedback. She reminds me to slow down and take a breath and that everything will be ok...even if we are going to be really late...again! Hehe!

I was really sad the other day because I lost a very special piece of jewelry and I was kind of teary eyed. I didn't think she was paying attention at all to my frantic search through drawers and she grabbed my leg and said "it's going to be ok mommy. We'll find your necklace. And if we don't aunt Paigey will get you a new one." Obviously my 'kind of' tears turned into a waterfall and after thinking to myself "im sorry, did that just come out of your mouth child? how old are you!?"
I realized she's right! it is going to be ok... (and thanks aunt paigey for your unknown purchase! ha!)
What is it about a naive and innocent 3 year olds that have the ability to put life into perspective for us adults?! ...I love it and I absolutely LOVE her tender sweet heart!!!

My little Keeny Mouskawitz beats to her own drum and laughs through every little boom! An injury...it's funny! Picking on MC...it's hilarious! Stealing toys...she laughs so hard she falls down! She babbles our ears off all day long and once she starts talking it is over for the rest of us...she has A LOT Of important things to say! ha! Thank the Good Lord she is Cute as a button and has her precious piggies to go with her wild yet loving personality! :)

 Keenan is the reason baby gates and electric outlet plugs were invented. Today, for example I find her in the bathroom, her favorite place because she absolutely loves water! So, I walk in and find her dipping the cup (I use during baths to rinse out their hair) into the Toilet Bowl! She then proceeded to pour it on her face!!! Yes, I said FACE! Agh!! Haha! (sidenote: it was clean water) :)

I removed her from the scene and while I was wiping up the water, she quietly and quickly as a mouse found the nightlight in the hallway and removed it from the wall and separated it into several pieces...at this point the silence from the hall grew eerie and panic came over me, so i walked/ran out of the bathroom just in time to find her milliseconds from sticking her fingers into the wall socket! The socket people!!! I promise every nick, cranny and hole has been plugged up since MC was born but that doesn't stop my Keenan. She is an engineer thanks to her papa martin and daddy, and will figure out a way to get it out, so she can get in!

It is all very unreal, impressive and obviously scary at the same time! Needless to say, days I skip the gym I assure you keenan still helps me get my sweat on! haha!

This month, Keenan and I also started going to Little Gym together to have some "mommy and me" time. It is a RIOT! Other than the group bubble and ball time, she wants to be on the balance beam the entire time! And because she is bow legged and pigeon toed :) this works out very well for her! She honestly hasn't missed a step! haha!

We also hosted five Little Hoot Shows this season!

We have the BEST hosts and SO many wonderful supporters! It has been fun to look back to a few years ago when it started out so tiny in knoxville and germantown and now we have expanded and our shows keep getting bigger! We have no intentions of being an 'alice kathleen' or 'matilda jane' size business, we like the manageable size we can do on our own;  it is always so much fun helping people design and seeing sweet friends!

During our Knoxville show, Munchie celebrated her birthday! It was so nice having her here during her birthday to let the girls shower her with love and Munchie LOVES chocolate so what else but let the girls make her a chocolate cake! They did a perfect job! :) 

MC's new thing is closing her eyes when she smiles. I believe she thinks me and my camera will disappear if she closes her eyes - haha!

 Happy Birthday Munchie!!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!

And last but definitely not least...Chad and I celebrated 7 fabulous years of marriage this month! He and I went to a resort in Scottsdale, AZ. The girls didn't miss us for a second while they stayed with their cousins in Atl with Chad's sister and of course Papa had to come help! I absolutley love how Chad's dad never wants to miss out on grandkid time! He is ALL about it all the time! It is so sweet, just like him! 

Chad and I had an absolute BLAST just being us again! 

We ate at some great restaurants, I finally saw a real life cactus (exciting!) and we went to a Diamondback baseball game. Since it is 115 degrees there their stadium is in a dome, which was really cool! The other cool thing, and a little strange :) is they have a swimming pool in their stadium! You can rent it out for parties and other events... Like I said a little strange! haha! 

 Having lazy time also allows you to discover new apps on our iphone and the "finger app" became Chad's hilarious hobby while we were away...If you know my dad this will make you crack up! It is SO him!!! andif you don't I attached a picture for review...hehehe!!!

Chad and I had big plans to be productive and play golf, tennis, exercise etc...

but instead we were totally lazy! We laid by the pool from sunrise to sunset, read books and drank these beautiful pina coladas! (isn't it pretty?!)



Our Anniversary Trip was absolutely PERFECT!!!

As any parent knows, it is nice to be you from time to time and go out on a date without the smell of cheerios on your clothes! haha!

But we sure LOVED coming home to these sweet faces!

I Love Being Back With These Sweet Tootsies!