Easter 2011

Emi does not care for the Easter Bunny or Santa to come into her room while she is sleeping so we have to put a chair at the end of the hallway to block anyone from going back to her room and just in case that wasn't enough she wrote a note to the Easter Bunny asking him not to come into her room :)

Easter morning!! Found the first clue to where her basket is hidden.

Found it!



Jack with his first clue

found his basket

Easter egg hunting with the cousins

Dying Easter Eggs

Easter was 3 days away and Emi was super excited about dying eggs. After dinner we decided we would go ahead a dye our eggs. I had the good sense of mind to tell Emi to go ahead and change into her PJ's for fear of her getting the dye on her clothes and I covered the table with pee pads and beach towels so my table would be spared. As we started to dye the first egg I realized that I hadn't put enough vinegar in the cups so I got up from the table to get the vinegar and Brian followed me - that's when disaster struck. Jack managed to grab the beach towel and pulled all 5 containers of dye onto his sister and the floor. I, always being the calm rational one, FREAKED OUT!! The dye was all over the table, the chairs, the floor, had splashed up all over the cabinets and was all over my children. As Brian and I were frantically trying to clean up the dye we instructed Emi to strip down in the kitchen and then go get some clean PJ's on. We failed to realized that she had dye all over her legs and bottom - poor thing had a multi-colored bum for days. Thankfully we managed to clean up the mess without any damage done to my kitchen or furniture. Next year we will be doing that OUTSIDE!!

before the incident

Jack's Birthday Party

ready to party on his 3rd birthday

party favors

cupcakes - the heat was making the icing melt, had to bring them inside to stop the melting

Elmo water

Elmo paper lanterns

Elmo makes his arrival

family portrait with Elmo

singing Happy Birthday with Elmo

Jack taking a whack at the Elmo pinata

hanging out in the bounce house

ready to open presents

Last Day at Lebonheur

We knew this day was quickly approaching and I have been dreading this day since we started therapy at lebonheur 3 years ago. In the state of Tennessee you age out of the early intervention system at 3 and you get placed in the school system - this means we must say good-bye to Lebonheur. We started when Jack was 5 months old going 3 times a week. That place became a safe-haven for me, no one judged you or your child and if you were having a problem with anything that was the best place to be. During a time of such heartache and grief I would find such comfort in talking with the other moms or just hashing things out with our therapists. I should also add that 99% of my friends are moms that I met sitting in that waiting room. Jack's therapists quickly became part of our family and I just could not imagine our life without them. The therapists threw a "graduation" party for Jack, here are some pics from the party.

When you graduate you get to put your handprints on the wall. Paulette volunteered to do Jack's handprint - she is a brave soul!

the finished product

His therapy friends singing Happy Birthday

Paulette and Jack (his Physical therapist, she has been with him since day 1)

Jack with Lakesha (his Occupational Therapist)

Jack Birthday Party No.1

Every month Brian's mom hosts a monthly birthday party where we can celebrate everyone who's having a birthday that month all at once. Jack got to have his first birthday celebration at Mimi and Poppy's house.

Mimi made Jack an Elmo cake

Not sure what to think

opening presents

Hope Art Show

Each year Jack's school hosts an Art Show as a fundraiser. Each class paints a canvas and on the night of the Show you can view the original canvas and then buy prints for yourself. I think it is a great idea! And of course, Jack's class was the best! :)

Harwood's Art

(Jack did the orange flowers)

Jack showing off his classroom art

Elmo Live

As we all know Jack is completely obsessed with Elmo so when I saw that Elmo Live was coming to Memphis I immediately purchased tickets and not just any tickets but 4th row, center tickets that cost a gazillion dollars but like I have said before there are not too many things that Jack actually cares about so that is how I justified the cost. I was so excited to see his reaction when he got to see all of his favorite Sesame Street characters literally in front of his face!!!

The big day arrived, we got to the Forum, we got into our seats and the show started. To my horror he could have cared less. I think he was overwhelmed with all of the music and people and we were so close to the stage that it was just too much for his senses. After intermission they had the stage set up like Elmo's World and I thought for sure he would get into that - nope. He was checking out the people behind his and looking at the ceiling, I'm pretty sure he never even noticed that Elmo was 10 feet in front of him. At least Emi enjoyed it :)

before the show

anxiously awaiting the start of the show

checking out the stage

a little peak at the show

Spider Jump

The Wolfchase mall has this thing called the spider jump. They put you in a harness and then you jump on a trampoline and you go ridiculously high in the air. Well Emi has been doing it for over a year and Brian is always wanting to let Jack do it - UMM, NO WAY!! Well, one day Brian wasn't taking no for an answer and he insisted that Jack do it with Emi. Well, Jack loved it. We have never heard that boy make so many happy squeals - if someone had tried to sell us one of those contraptions right then and there we would have bought one!

So anyway, there I am watching Jack jump in the spider jump in the middle of a crowded mall and sobbing uncontrollably - there are very few things that give him that much joy and guess what? we will be doing that every time we go to the mall now!!

Getting strapped in

getting the hang of it

going high