My 10 year old

 Happy 10th Birthday to my Gabe!

 We celebrated Gabe entering double digits with a spy-themed birthday party.  He had asked me to make him a secret agent silhouette cake, and I was more than happy to give it a go.  I love making my boys' birthday cakes!

 Every Secret Agent received a "Top Secret" mission folder, a name badge, and secret agent disguises.

 I love it!

 We had agility training with the agents trying to avoid the laser beams.

 Critical thinking training.

 I love that smile!

 He received a 3Ds from my mom.  What a lucky guy!

 I love that he has some great friends in his life.

 Gabe and Graedon with Papaw.  Mamaw was definitely missed.

 Agent Gabe's profile photo.

 Agent Gabe at Sharpshooter training.

Great photo of Gabe with my dad.

Wordless Wednesday

This boy makes my heart so happy!

Gratitude for Today- I am grateful for my morning drive to school with Gabe.  It seems that this is his most talkative, and with Graedon still half asleep in the back, it feels like I have Gabe all to myself.  He says some of the cutest things, and I love to hear how his mind thinks.  Today, he was going to build a house on the island in the middle of a pond we drive by.  Oh, and he is so excited to buy the "Titanic" bundle at the Book Fair. 

I love this boy!  He's growing up so fast, so these small moments are what I want to remember most about him!  He's 8, with his gappy big boy teeth smile, his creative ways, with the most caring and sensitive heart I know!  What an amazing person he is! 

Gabe Turns 7

I am a little late in posting about the boys' birthday celebrations, but I am here to remedy that with photos!

Gabe obviously had a Toy Story themed party here at our home.

We had a great turnout, and I am just humbled at how many friends and family showed up to help celebrate Gabe!

Hope you enjoy some of the photos from the party!

We had one of those blow up water slides for the kiddos to enjoy since his birthday falls during the dog days of summer heat!  That will explain the shirtlessness.  :-)

I made the banner, and I had so much fun doing it.  I think Graedon was more impressed with it than Gabe.

Also, it was my first time making cake pops, and they were a huge hit!

7 Years and 3 Hours Ago...

Gabriel Eric came into my world and made me a mommy for the first time!  He created my role for me; my current employment-to be the best mommy that I can be.  Yes, there are days that I should be fired, but my boys keep me around.  :-)

Ah, I am having such a bittersweet day.  I have loved every minute of celebrating my now 7-year old son, but he starts school again tomorrow, and he will be a 1st grader!!  Where does the time go?  I feel that my job as his full-time mommy has just gotten pushed to part-time status and there is nothing that I can do to stop it.  He will officially be at school for more hours during the day than he will be at home with me, and I don't think it is bothering him one bit.  I am glad that it is not.  If it were bothering him, I would be an even more sniffling, blubbering fool.  I've been good, and have only broken down twice in the last 24 hours, but I can tear up just thinking about how much I am going to miss that boy of mine!  7 years flew by too fast.  I blinked, and he is walking the hallways by himself, not holding my hand anymore, and just being so independent. 

I love you Gabriel Eric, and I have such high hopes and dreams for you, but the most important things that I want for you is to be happy and to know how much you have changed my life for the better.  There are no words to describe the love I feel for you!  You will always be the one who made me a mommy!

It's been too long

Has it really been over a month since I last posted?!?!  Wow!!  I knew it had been awhile, but no idea it had been this long.  I can't say that things haven't been busy around here though, but I am sad that the summer is quickly fading!  I am trying to hold on to as much as I can.

In other news....

My Gabe is turning 7 in 13 days!!  How is that possible?!?!?
I am not ready for this growing up thing anymore. 
Can I stomp my foot and say that I am not going to participate in
growing older (my kids included?)
Can you tell we're throwing a Toy Story party?

And what about this?

Seriously, first you take away my summer and you make my kids grow older, but now you want them to go to school? 

I don't like where this is going. 

Oh, how I have missed my blog.

March Madness...in February!

First, let me apologize for the small scale of photos. 

These were taken with the hubby's cell phone.  I couldn't make the game, and he refused to take the camera.

I do not forgive him for that just yet.

Gabe participated in an Upward Basketball program at a local church this season.

If you have an Upward program in your area, do not walk, but run to sign your son or daughter up asap!

It is a wonderful Christian-based program that teaches the fundamentals as well as Bible verses and Jesus' love!  It is an amazing program to identify Christ in all aspects of your life, sports included.

His last game was on Saturday, and they ended the day with the cutting down of the net. 

He brought his piece home and immediately showed me.

He is so proud, and I am proud of him!

Bedtime Advice Needed

It has been one of those days.

I am so frustrated with the older of my two boys, Gabe.

He is just being so difficult, especially when it comes to bedtime.  He just fights going to sleep.

He has even thrown fits to go to bed and has caused himself upset stomachs to go.

We've asked if he is afraid of anything, and he's not, at least he hasn't shared with us, and we ask him often about what is going on.

Now, we seem to have the fits under control, but he just tries to talk to us all night now.

The boys go upstairs for bed between 9-9:30.  Chad and I stay downstairs and have our time together.

Next thing we know, Gabe is asking us if he can take off his socks, if daddy is asleep, what if he has to go potty, etc, etc.

We just do not know what to do.
I have caught him awake well after 11pm at times, and we usually have to get angry with him before he will listen and try to go asleep.  I hate it that bedtime is such a negative time for us. 

We thought it was that he wasn't getting much attention from his daddy because this all started when Chad went away for a week for business in November. (this was his first business trip).
We thought maybe he was feeling insecure and that daddy wasn't around as much.

Well, Chad took Monday off of work and took just Gabe out to breakfast and took him to school and explained to Gabe that daddy was only home to be with him. 

Well, Monday night, he still misbehaved. 

Ughhh....I just don't know how to get through to him.

I would love advice or just reassurance that this too shall pass. 

It's just so discouraging because he was our good sleeper...his head would hit the pillow and he was out.

**He does have a night light, a flashlight, as well as the hall bathroom light is left on, so I am pretty sure it is not the dark.