Play Ball!

Today was a big day in the Alexander household. Not only did Josh turn 4 years old, but John Henry had his first day of t-ball practice. Poor John Henry has tried to get involved with t-ball last fall (missed the cut off), soccer in the spring (could get the last spot, but not on the team with his buddy Hayne) and football this fall (had to be 6 by November 30th - his b-day is December 6th) and so when the chance to play t-ball happened, we made sure that we didn't miss out. He is on the team with two of his friends, Carson and Ethan, and is VERY excited! The only drawback is that his team will be called the "Auburn Tigers" and since we are Alabama fans, we are having to make an extreme sacrifice :) . His practice went very well this morning and we are looking forward to his first game. This season should be a lot of FUN!!!

Happy Birthday Josh!!

Well, today my precious Joshi turns 4 years old. I can't believe that four years have gone by as quickly as they have. He arrived at 2:47 am weighing in at 8 lbs 9 oz - almost two pounds more than John Henry (he seemed like a giant!) From the moment he entered our lives, he stole our hearts and continues to do so everyday. Josh was our most wonderful "surprise" - Jon and I didn't "plan" on giving John Henry a sibling until he was at least 3 or 4 years old. But God, in HIS infinite wisdom and in HIS great plan for our lives, chose to make John Henry a big brother when he was 21 months old and we have thanked God ever since that HIS will is greater than ours and that HIS plan is ALWAYS better. So, on this very special day, I thank our Heavenly Father for the gift that he gave to us four years ago in the form of a precious little boy that we named Joshua Wayne Alexander. We cannot imagine our life without him.

Happy birthday my sweet "angel face" - we love you very much...

Go Alabama!

Well today Alabama takes on Clemson and Jon just left with our friends Gary, Chase & Heath to head to the Georgia Dome for the big game. All of us are decked out in our Alabama apparel and are rooting for our favorite team! Go Bama - ROLL TIDE!!!!

What a Day!!

John Henry had a GREAT day! We are allowed to pick up our kindergarteners at 2:30 if we are willing to get to the school and wait at the front door - so at 2:05 I was walking to the front door and noticed John Henry's class on the playground. I tried not to let him see me as I hid behind a tree trying to take some more pictures. One of the mothers standing there said I looked like paparazzi! Luckily, I was not the only mom with camera in hand. Several more walked up with theirs, so I didn't feel so silly. A few minutes later the door flew open and I heard, "MOMMY!" and there stood my baby - the first one out the door, but he quickly turned around and held the door open for his teacher and other classmates (I was so proud!) He had such a great day and told me ALL about it ALL the way home. He made a few new friends and told me about the fun things he did today. I was so glad to get him back - I watched the clock A LOT today, but knowing that he was having so much fun was worth it. I am so proud of my big boy!

First Day of Kindergarten

Well, WE did it! John Henry had a successful entrance into kindergarten and I didn't have to be hauled out by security kicking and screaming. John Henry went right in to the classroom, found his name and hung his backpack and lunch box and gave Mrs. Tyner the picture he made for her last night. He was so excited and I was doing fine until I noticed another mom hug Mrs. Tyner and begin to cry - WELL, to quote Dolly Parton from "Steel Magnolias" - "I make it a rule that no one cry alone in my presence!" I thought I had made it out the door without John Henry seeing me tear up but Jon said he wanted to tell me something so I went back in and we talked about me having a treat from Sonic ready for him when we pick him up this afternoon. I think that he could tell I was fighting tears so I tried real hard to be brave :) and let him know everything was going to be GREAT! I left him at the table creating something wonderful with play-doh and passed several other moms on the way out wiping their own tears. It is now almost 12:00 and I cannot wait to go pick up my baby. I can't wait to hear about his day and give him a big hug!

Twas the Day Before Kindergarten...

Today was John Henry's "special day" as we took him to do some fun things and take care of some last minute things before the "big day" tomorrow. We began the day with a trip to the barber shop. I had hoped that both boys would get haircuts, but Josh announced that he would not be getting his hair cut today. So, John Henry is nice and trimmed for tomorrow. After the barber shop we stopped at Bojangles for biscuits and then headed to Toys R' Us for a special "I'm starting kindergarten" toy/prize (I guess Josh got the "My brother is starting kindergarten" toy/prize). We spent a fair amount of time there because there are too many choices and that can be overwhelming for a 5 and 3 year old. John Henry finally chose a Ben 10 Omnitrix watch and Josh found two new Spider-Man bitties to add to his collection. We then headed to the mall for some new tennis shoes. We finally decided on a pair that we could ALL agree on and finally made our way to the much anticipated Chuck E. Cheese for lunch. John Henry ran into his buddy from Mother's Morning Out, Hayne (who will also be starting kindergarten tomorrow) and was so excited to see him. All 3 of my boys :) had lots of fun playing games, winning tickets and competing against each other. The pizza was mostly eaten by me because they were very busy with a cup full of tokens to use. We eventually left after trading in our tickets for funny glasses, candy and a sheriff's badge. We are now home and I am watching the clock tick away as I get my baby ready to head off to "big school" - the 1st day outfit has been ironed, the backpack is hanging on the door, forms that mommy had to fill out are filled out and ready to go. All that is left is time for hugs and cuddles and time to enjoy my baby before he goes to sleep. Tomorrow starts a new chapter in John Henry's life and I am so proud of him. It seems like only yesterday that we brought home a precious 6lb 14 oz little boy from the hospital and now I am about to walk with him into his first day of kindergarten. What a journey it has been...I am beyond blessed that the Lord sent us an angel that we call John Henry and that He chose me to be his mommy. I am very proud of my little guy and look forward to many more of his "firsts" - FIRST Day of Kindergarten - here comes John Henry...

Fun with Cousins

We went to my sister-in-law's house this afternoon to let the boys swim (our round, hard plastic kiddie pool doesn't QUITE do the trick) and see their cousins, Sallie-Marie and Lance. They LOVE to go to Aunt Tammie's. When we pulled up they said, "We LOVE this place!" and "We wish we could live here!" John Henry, Sallie-Marie and Lance wasted no time getting in the water, but Josh, who is not fond of pool water, the ocean or any other cool water (we call it his kryptonite) chose to play in the sand box and wander in and out of the house getting Aunt Tammie to do all sorts of things for him (a DVD to watch, a game to play, a band-aid for a boo-boo, a snack -which turned into a full blown meal, and anything else he could think of). Sadly, we had to leave and come home to get ready for bed, but I took some cute shots of the kids - Enjoy!