Artist in the Making

It has been very interesting lately to go through Korben's school bag each day.  He does a really good job on most all of his work...writing his letters, matching pictures, cutting and gluing.  But it used to be that once he was done with his school work I think he would try to entertain himself and in the process he would end up getting in trouble.  Whether he was distracting the other kids, or rolling around on the floor, or {perhaps} even TALKING out of turn, I think he was only looking for ways to occupy his time while the other kids finished up.

Well...THIS WEEK, his papers have looked a little bit different!  I think he has finally found a way to pass the time by and still have a little fun WITHOUT getting into trouble.  Check out what I've been finding on the back of his papers.



Example #1:  18-Wheeler complete with cables from cab to compartment area.

 

Example #2:  Police SWAT Team Truck...you never know how much
back-up you may need.



Example #3:  Garbage Truck...What can I say?
He's always had a thing for recycling for some reason.



Example #4:  Firetruck with markers!  I love the detail on the ladders.
Can't forget that the one on top swivels!



Example #5:  The #20 Home Depot Race Car usually driven by Joey Logano!
I LOVE that he even remembered to draw the NET over the window
instead of just a plain opening.

Needless to say, my eyes are peeled these days and I can't wait to see what Korben has "used his imagination" to draw.  I hope he always keeps his keen eye for detail.  IF he will do that, I think he'll have a very happy wife one of these days.  I mean, seriously...surely if he remembers to draw the window net on a race car that would mean that he would never forget a birthday or anniversary or anything like that.  RIGHT? {At least I can hope.}

I love you, Mr. Korben!!  Keep it up, Buddy.  You make my heart smile!  :o)

Attempt at Better 2012 Blogging...

First of all, let's make one thing clear...I did NOT make a New Year's Resolution to do a better job of blogging.  So I don't really feel this pressure from anyone or any "promises" to do better.  But the fact still reamains, my poor blog has really missed me and I have missed it even more!  I always thought I would be the best at writing down little moments and remembering stuff, but ya'll...I STINK at it!  I have a hard time remembering to stop and buy a gallon of milk on the my way home from work let alone actually finding time to sit down and put words with pictures and "make it look all pretty".

Nonetheless, I am going to give it my best shot in 2012.  I hope to complete the ProjectScrap 2012 hosted through theShabbyShoppeBlog.  IF I stick with it, I should have at LEAST 2 scrapbook pages for each month of 2012.  And yes, I'm allowed to change it up however I feel like it OR to add more pages if need be.  I HOPE that I will have some memories that I can look back on and maybe even print in a BOUND book for 2012.  (A girl can dream, right?)  AND THEN...if I'm feeling super creative, I may even try to work backwards and do a 2011 album too.  So hang in there.  Hopefully there will be fun things to come.

For now, I'll leave you with my two January 2012 pages.  :o)  My family's memories in the making...





I think you should be able to click the images to view them larger.  At least that's how things worked "way back when" I used to blog alot more.  ha ha!  ENJOY!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Mis!!

My big sister, Misti (Aunt Mis as Korben calls her), had a birthday on February 28th. Since she and her husband had plans for Friday and Saturday of that weekend, we took what was left...Sunday afternoon.


Korben and I left as soon as our church was over and headed straight to Popeyes where he (all on his own) asked to see a firetruck. LOL! When did his memory get so good?? Anyway...we picked up the food and went to Misti's house and were waiting there for her when she got home from church. (My church starts an hour earlier than theirs.) Mama and Daddy came too so the whole family was together (minus Kyle and Jason). The kids had the best time playing. They ran all over the house. Korben was chasing Micah and Caroline wasn't far behind them with a big grin on her face as she was trying to catch the big kids. They had not seen each other in a few weeks, so it was a big reunion.


After we were there a while, Jason got home and joined the party too. And by party I mean all of the adults sitting around trying not to fall asleep (does anybody else LOVE a Sunday afternoon nap?) and making sure that Korben and Caroline didn't destroy anything in Micah's room. I love my family!

I love you, big sis, and I'm so glad that we get along better than we did when we were little kids. ha! Poor Mama and Daddy...the things that they had to put up with. HAPPY 33rd BIRTHDAY!!

Awesome Designs for your Desktop...

Okay...I have been stalking the Shabby Princess blog waiting for her to release the latest desktop, and I was so happy when today it was finally there!! This desktop layout was made with the new Happy Go Lucky kit , which is absolutely adorable. It brightens up my day to see this on my computer while I'm working. So, without further ado…my March 2009 desktop.

And just because I loved it so much and almost hate to replace it with the new one...this is what my February 2009 desktop looked like:

Chocowate ina my milk!

Just when you think that maybe you can pull one over on a 2 year old...they catch you! Korben loves milk. He had no problems switching over from formula to whole milk (thank goodness) and would drink plain white milk in the beginning like a champ. Then we started adding a drinkable yogurt to his morning cup of milk (just to help him get a few more vitamins or whatever). His favorite is the Mixed Berry flavored one...I can't remember the brand.

Anyway...THEN somebody (surely it wasn't my own mother) started giving him chocolate milk. Well any kid knows that if milk is good, chocolate milk is EVEN BETTER. :o) So now my son won't hardly drink just plain white milk at all. But I still try to sneak it in on him when I can.

(You may want to pause the music player at the bottom before playing video clip.)

I had him. I gave him his cup in the kitchen and he turned it up and started chugging...all the way from the kitchen to the living room (which...I know...isn't that far). Sat down on his bean bag and kept drinking away while watching his "Dirt Monsters" DVD (see previous post).

And then it happened...as soon as I walked in the living room to sit down and relax, what did I hear from him? "Chocowate ina my milk...PWEASE!?"

PS...I'm sure it seems that I made all this up due to the fact that as the video starts he seems perfectly content until my prodding of "What do you want in your cup?", but I can assure you that the statement had already been made to me about a dozen times!! I just made him wait long enough for me to get my camera so I could try to capture his sweet little voice on video. I love the way he pronounces "chocolate" and "milk"...and also how he says "ina" instead of just "in". My sweet little buddy!

Dirt Monsters (2.25.09)

Pwease, Jesus...

{Conversation between me and Korben (and Jesus) in Brookhaven on Friday, February 20, 2009.}

We're waiting in the drive through lineat Popeye's behind 2 other cars to when a firetruck passes on Brookway Boulevard with sirens screaming and lights flashing. Korben gets very excited!!

K: Wook, wook, Mama! A firetruck! A firetruck!!

Me: Yes, I see it!

K: Mama...where's the firetruck go? I don't see him.

Me: Well, baby, the firetruck must be on the way to a fire. Someone probably needs their help and so they're going to do their job and rescue somebody. They might have to put out a fire.

K: Oh. Okay, Mama. I'm sorry, I don't see the firetruck anymore.

Me: It's okay, Korben. You don't have to be sorry. I'll tell you what we need to do. Let's say a prayer for the firemen and the people that they're going to help. Let's pray that Jesus will keep everybody safe.

K: OKAY!!! We say prayer!

Me: Dear Jesus...

K: [Quickly clasping hands together and squinting eyes closed and WITHOUT PAUSE]
Dear Jesus, I want to see another one firetruck. PWEASE??? AMEN!

WOW!!! I love this boy so much!

Happy Balwentime's Day!!!!!!

Christmas with Our Families 2008

Johnston Family Christmas @ Misti and Jason's house.

Lofton Family Christmas @ Mammy & PawPaw's house. Evidently there was a musical theme there this year. Korben got a drum set, Micah got a hot pink guitar (which Korben wanted to steal from her), and Caroline got lots of little singing toys.

Altman Family Christmas @ Pappy & Gammy's house. Korben got lots of books, clothes, tractors, and a set of pistols. It was very chaotic, but lots of fun!

Here's our attempt at getting a picture of the 3 little munchkins together. They were so funny!!

As you can tell we had a great Christmas and got to spend time with lots of family! What more could you ask for!

2nd Snow Day of 2008

On Thursday, December 11, 2008 we awoke to beautiful white snow in south Mississippi!! It's still hard for me to believe. It had also snowed in January of 2008, but Kyle and I were goofy and were so scared of Korben getting a snotty nose that we barely let him experience it and I only got ONE picture. So I was determined to have a little more fun this time around while I had the chance. Kyle was at work and I hated that he didn't get to enjoy it with us, but we still had a great time. Korben kept saying, "Mama...I wuv snow walking!"

Carrying a snowball around at Gammy & Pappy's house.

Christmas Morning 2008

Christmas was so much fun with Korben this year. From the day I put our tree up he has been so excited about it and got more into it than he had the past 2 Christmases. He loved to lay underneath the Christmas tree and drive his tractors on the branches. He really didn't bother any of the ornaments, but he was very interested in each one and liked to wook at them very closely. He sort of played with a few of them, but I didn't mind. The wonder and amazement in his eyes made me even more excited about the season, too.

Korben and Caroline checking out the Christmas tree ornaments at Mammy & PawPaw's house.

We baked cookies for Santa Clause on Christmas Eve and that was a lot of fun. I caught Korben a time or two trying to eat the flour. ha! I think they turned out pretty cute though. And evidently Santa must have enjoyed them because he only left a few crumbs. ;o)

Korben showing off the finished products.

Kyle and I had a very hard time getting Korben to wake up Christmas morning. Poor thing...I guess he was just exhausted from all the activities that had been going on. We finally just went in his room and woke him up. I hated to, but we had other places to go that day and I wanted him to have time to play at home before we ran off.

I kept telling him to go in the living room and see what Santa had brought for him, but he hung on to my neck like crazy! ha! I think in his little mind, he was probably expecting to see Santa still sitting in there and Korben is NOT a fan of Santa. lol! Once I got him in the living room though and he saw his new toys he was pretty excited and was all smiles!

Santa Clause brought Korben a Caterpillar train set (which was going around and around our Christmas tree when we woke up), a table and chair set, a remote control Caterpillar bulldozer, and a Little Tikes Shop 'n Learn Market. Korben also got a car, new toothbrush, a Crayola art smock, and a Horton Hears a Who DVD in his stocking.

Korben checkin out the goodies from Santa!

Blessings to You...

Okay...my Christmas cards have finally been mailed so I think by now it's safe to post it on here to all of my other friends to see! If the price of postage stamps would stop going up then maybe I could send the real thing out to EVERYONE. But, this will have to do for now.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. And please...make time for JESUS this Christmas. After all...HE IS THE REASON!!

2 Years Old and Such a Big Boy!

Ok...my BABY is now 2 years old. It's still so hard to believe and yet at the same time I absolutely love it. I am enjoying him more and more with each passing day. The funny things that he is saying lately and his facial expressions are just keeping me smiling. His little personality is definitely starting to come out. I can't imagine my life without my precious lil man.

His birthday party went GREAT! The weather was absolutely beautiful so we were able to stay outside and didn't have to cram inside our tiny house. There were about 35 people present and everybody seemed to have a good time. The kiddos enjoyed wearing the cowboy hats, coloring pictures, and just playing in the yard. Oh...and the cake was DELICIOUS and looked exactly like I wanted it to!! Korben still wasn't much into opening the presents himself (meaning I still had to do all of the work while trying to keep him in one spot). He got lots of musical instruments which he's REALLY into right now (drums, maracas, tambarines, harmonica, etc.), a sit 'n spin, Backyardigans saxaphone, tricycle, train table & trains, John Deere boots, rubber boots, clothes, and a lot of other stuff. Everything was very much appreciated and he has had a blast with it all!

Here are a few pictures from our day of fun!

Me with my big birthday boy!

Korben checkin' out all the action.

The awesome cake!! Looked so cute and tasted extra yummy!

Korben about to blow out his candles. He did great! We were so proud.

Korben trying to figure out one of his presents.