Opening Day!

The Phillies and Braves are ready to square off on opening day!

Jax is learning what it is all about to bond with his new teammates in the dugout. They learned how to cheer on their teammates, play jokes on each other and that "cheering is boring"... "I want to hit!"

Jackson was serious in his preparation in the on-deck circle.

Not bad form for his first at bat in a live game! Jackson was practicing positive thinking, he said that he told himself..."I am going to hit the ball!"

I did it!

This helmet is too heavy for my little pencil neck!

 

Hi Mom and Dad! Jackson played catcher, right field and shortstop during his first game. He liked playing catcher best because he got to tag home plate and prevented the Braves from getting a "point."

Catie and Abster loved playing on the baptism pool area. It was great fun until Abby sliced open a couple toes and had blood spewing all over the place! 

Why is it that when it is cold out, Abby does not even want to wear a jacket, but when it is sunny and 70 she insists on a winter hat and gloves??? She sure is cute though.

 

The kids love going to The Home Depot the first Saturday of every month with dad for the kid's workshop. This month they had a blast building race cars! Ahh Stiv, what happened to brushing your daughter's hair before leaving the house? I guess Catie's glasses are next to the brush???

After the cars were done, it was time for the big race!

Abby's Birthday Party

Look at me...

Mom, you're my best buddy.

Thanks for the party Dad...and for shaving your beard too (Stiv had 5 days of growth that only he seemed to think looked good)!

Abby could not wait for the group to sing Happy Birthday, so she started singing it to herself.

That's it? I need more candles to blow out, this was too easy. Hey, where are the plastic Dora figures for the cake?  Dad wasn't that your job?

Jackson was sooo excited to make a shot during his game.....

Our New Pony!

Here we are at the horse farm ready to ride "Buttercup" before she leaves for the glue factory. Her name was really Tootsie, but Stiv kept calling her Buttercup so it kind of stuck.  The kids took turns brushing the pony's hair, putting on her harness, and leading her to the ring to ride.

 

I guess this beast isn't so scary after all.

Let's get going, I want to ride!!!

Catie loves her new pony. She just loved being around Buttercup and the other horses.

"Buttercup, I have an older brother, you are no match for me..."

Hey, I am going the wrong way!!!!

I can ride "Buttercup" too... The kids had a blast and can't wait to go back.

Five Snow Days and More B-Ball

The great blizzard of 2011 came and stayed! The kids ended up having 5 snow days!!! As you can see, Arbor Springs was left with several inches of ice that made for a fast but treacherous sledding run. We had several injuries, mostly the adults...

Go Jackie Go...

The roads were so icy that the Dekalb County Police closed our street with crime scene tape!!! Neighbors Bob and Marc may be smiling, but everyone really just wanted to get to work.

Jackson had his second basketball game of the year and showed great improvement. He plays defense with exceptional aggression. He says "I am a stone wall on defense."

"Jacko" even got a few shots off in the game. Baseline jumper...

The "stone wall" in action.

Hmm, maybe I will be a point guard...

 

The shot goes up...

...it's good!!!

Coach Jimmy is preparing the White Tigers before the game. Whatever he said worked, because you could see improvement in most the players over the first game.

Catie Cooper was much improved in her second game. She was much more aggressive and actually took a shot!

Look at our girl ripping the ball away from her opponent. She must be listening when coach Jimmy says "defense wins championships!"

Catie Cooper starting the fast break...

Oops, my man got by...rats.

Happy Birthday Catie Cooper!

If we know it only took $6 to make Catie this happy,  we would have canceled the birthday party and gifts!

We all celebrated Catie's sixth birthday at the "lazy river" aquatic center with her 18 closest friends. Our theme for this party was princess cake, Christmas napkins, and miscellaneous plates from past events. I think the other parents thought we were having financial difficulties, but the kids never noticed!

Catie was really excited about her princess cake and Abby helped her blow out the candles.

Ahh Ann, the party was supposed to be for the kids...

Catie had her first basketball game just before her birthday party. She did a great job staying in position and playing defense. She even tried dribbling the ball up the court one time. The best part was how cute she looked in her uniform.

Catie is off like a flash after the ball!

Jackson had his first basketball game too, but we did not get any pictures because of another car key incident by Stiv...

 

The Blizzard of 2011!  Atlanta got about 6 inches of snow on Sunday night and the whole city is shut down.  It looks like two snow days for the kids and a family cooped up inside the house going stir crazy! Jackson was so excited to use his new snow shovel that Grandpa gave him for Christmas. We offered to pay him $5 dollars to shovel the driveway... he finished only 15% of it and managed to negotiate $3 out of us for his efforts.

  

Notice the swimming jackets! They finally made it out of the closet!

Christmas 2010

Santa filled the stockings to the brim with all kinds of goodies.

Jax is all ready to start opening the gifts on Christmas morning, but apparently no one else was ready.

"Wow, I actually got a gift?"

Catie is showing Aunt Ann one of her Christmas, oh sorry "Holiday", projects from school.

 

One can never have enough soft cuddly stuffed animals!!!

Abby was so excited to get her own jewelry box. Then she figured out that it was empty and that Catie has a large collection of jewels in her room and went upstairs to "borrow" some. Not a pleasant scene once Catie found out what she was up to...

Jackson loved the marshmallow crossbow that Uncle John got him. It shoots marshmallows over 30 feet! He/we loved shooting the squirrels in the backyard. The best moment of Christmas was when dad turned around and was hit from point blank range right between his eyebrows with a big white marshmallow! Where is a video camera when you need one?

Mom and Abster... or as Stiv likes to call them... Velcro!
 

Catie and Stiv worked hard on their snowman and enjoyed the white Christmas night outdoors until just before bedtime.

Don't be fooled, Abby and Jackson are just posers!

These magical jackets really do keep us warm!

Catie Cooper was proud to have her Grandma Moe and Mom visit for her Kindergarten class party.

Oh, Dad was there too...

Midvale Elementary School makes sure to be all-inclusive for the holiday season and incorporates many difference varieties of religious songs into their holiday program.