The Babes

Go to kimnielsenphotography.com/blog and scroll down to the second entry titled "Brrr Cold" to see some sweet kiddos.
My girl is such a good sport. She is just beginning the teenage days and the bad attitude gremlins take over her little self from time to time, but she is so awesome when I need her.
She was so helpful during this photo shoot and as the title suggests, it was freezing and so windy. She helped her brothers and made it and amazing experience. I am so blessed to have such a sweet little girl.
Kim, my friend and our photographer played a part too. :)

My Dear Friend

I have a very special friend named Stephanie. (You can see her here: estesboys2.blogspot.com). She is just about the cutest thing you've ever seen. She has filled my days with smiles since I first met her.
She used to oooh and aah and go crazy over my little Trey-man when he was a toddler starting pre-school. I would walk him by her classroom (she taught ... she was not in pre-school) and she would just melt over his funny, little, chubby, somber face. I found this so amazing because she has her own little (big) boy the same age. Even so, she could appreciate my little guy's cuteness.
Then, once Tyler was born and oh my, was he ever large, she adored him as well. She would hold and bounce and love on my big, big disgruntled baby for hours without ever complaining. She gave him so much love and put up with his ever-present moodiness.
Oh, and let's not forget Miss Lindsey. She was her Sunday school teacher for a while (which was actually a technicality because we hardly ever made it to church that year) and she would offer to come pick Lindsey up and take her to church. Stephanie lives right by the church ... we do not ... she was willing to go WAY out of her way to get my girl to church.
Ms. Stephanie is a sweet, Godly person and I am so proud she has touched my children's lives ... mine too, for that matter.

Rules for dating my daughter

Granted Lou is not really old enough to "date" yet, but I love this post from jillshalvis.com/blog about it. Cracked me up.

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you’d better be delivering a package, because you’re sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter’s body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don’t take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes to big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact come off during the course of you date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I’m sure you’ve been told that in today’s world, sex without utilizing a “Barrier method” of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is: “early.”

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process than can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don’t you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing,holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to introduce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveways you should exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camoflauged face at the window is mine.

Your Opinion Please

Howdy Y'all, I mean You:

I am sad to report that it is about time for my baby boy (almost 2 1/2) to mosey on into big-boy-hood and get out of the crib. His baby room is quite baby ... pastel yellow, blue and green with frogs. I want his big boy room to be more masculine, mature and sophisticated, so I need your help.

Should I go with firetrucks, airplanes (or Up-planes, according to my little dude), Cowboy, or any other suggestions. Sports is already taken by big brother. I was slightly leaning toward cowboy because he has a print of a frog dressed in his cowboy get-up in his room now and I thought I could keep it. However, their shared bathroom is frogs and I could easily move it to the bano if necessary.

Opinions? Please.

Girls and Boys

Autumn Leaves are Falling Down,

Yellow, Green, Red and Brown,

Twirling, Twirling to the Ground,

Silently without a sound.

My Lindsey could recite this poem precisely when she was 2 1/2 (except she would say "silent leaves" rather than "silently"). Her baby brother, who is now 2 1/2 can not yet tell you his name.

You may not have heard this before, but boys and girls are very different.

On another note, sometimes I hate being an English major because people assume I know what I am doing gramatically. For instance, I have no idea whether you are supposed to capatalize all of the words of a poem or not. I think not, but it looked better that way.