A Silver Dollar City Day

Both kids had the day off of school on Friday. I was so excited to go to our favorite theme park Silver Dollar City down in Branson. I knew I was feeling big but I stopped counting all my big pregnant comments after 4 people asked me if I was going to deliver yesterday in the park. Most of them were shocked to know I had 5 more weeks. Can't wait to see their faces if they see me back again in a few weeks bigger than I was yesterday! One of the workers even said if I did deliver in the park he would be sure to hook Baby Smith up with a lifetime SDC pass. I think I'll pass! I hope to go back at least one more time before Baby Smith comes but we'll see. I was pretty wiped when we left. I have been there hundreds of times (literally) but had never quite noticed they had that many hills. Jackson was so sweet. All day, without me ever asking, he helped me push the stroller. Sweet Mollie Jane never complained either when I asked her to walk the majority of the park. We saw a couple of the shows for the "International World Festival" and the kids were mesmerized and I was thrilled to sit in AC for 45 minutes. We ate our way through the park and rode tons of rides. Jackson who used to ride most of the roller coasters there has recently become scared of them and no amount of bribing from Mom could get him back on any of them. Of course I guess even if Jackson had agreed to ride a roller coaster he would have been by himself because Mollie Jane and I definitely couldn't have rode with him. So we stuck to the kiddie rides and I even found myself wedging my chubby biscuits on several of the rides. Glad no one could get a photo of that. We shut the park down at 6 that night. We then spent the night at the lake condo. Jason stayed in Springfield and worked late and was trying to finish up Baby Smith's nursery. Jackson and I had a sleepover with all 13 of his webkins. I woke up to Jackson covering me with one of his "woobies" saying "Mommy I am covering up you and Baby Smith." Mollie Jane slept in the extra bedroom in the queen bed all by herself and did awesome. This was the first time she slept in another bed besides her new big girl bunk bed with a rail. I was a little concerned but when Jackson and I woke up at 9am I went to check on her and she was just relaxing with all her stuffed animals and books. We'll see if we make it back again before Baby Smith comes but if not we sure had a blast.

Date Night

Jason and Mollie Jane have done a few date nights and Mollie Jane talks about them constantly. One day when Mollie Jane was talking about it Jackson said "I want to take a date with Daddy too." I took this opportunity to give my son a teachable moment and explain that officially a date is between a boy and a girl. We then decided that we should each go out for a date and then all meet up as a family for ice cream. So we did just that. Jackson had been talking about it for weeks and was so excited. He and I planned what we were doing but kept it a secret from Jason and Mollie Jane. While Mollie Jane and Jason also kept theirs a secret and then we told each other what we did when we met up at TCBY for ice cream. Jackson and I grabbed a quick dinner and then went to see a 3D movie "Monsters vs Aliens." He asked all day long from the time we got up that Wednesday when we were going. He got all dressed up in a sweater vest (probably cauz I Mollie Jane dressed up and he saw that). He wanted to bring three of his webkins (stuffed animals) to the movie. He even buckled them in the back seat with him and buckled one up front with me. We munched on popcorn and had a blast wearing our 3D glasses. Jason took Mollie Jane to get her nails painted and then they went to a dinner and a games place called "Incredible Pizza." Mollie Jane had a blast and Jason said she loved being pampered and held so still for her manicure. I guess she was all smiles about the ultraviolet drying light. We had our favorite TCBY ice cream and Mollie Jane kept looking at her nails and Jackson (just like his Dad does) was quoting all the funny movie lines from the movie we had just seen. They are both growing up so fast. I hope I have several more sweet dates with my son where he wants to bring his webkins along. Jason hopes for many more dates with Mollie Jane where she just smiles ear to ear no matter where he takes her. It was an awesome night!

A great day at the Zoo

We went on Mollie Jane's first official field trip with her class to the zoo. I took Jackson out of his half day kindergarten so he could enjoy the fun. It was a great day after a very chilly week in Missouri. We saw a lion who looked like he had a mohawk, the giraffes with nasty tongues that Jackson thought looked more like fish than tongues, Henry the hippo, some proud peacocks, Elephants (but no babies as Mollie Jane pointed out) and many other stinky creatures. The highlight was riding the train with Mollie Jane's very best friend Caden. He is the sweetest little boy and he is the only one in Mollie Jane's whole class whom she speaks about besides her two teachers. Mollie Jane and Caden are the two who love snack time and all the sweets at the class parties. She has ten girls in her class and two boys but she prefers the boys and her favorite is sweet Caden. We hope that doesn't mean she will grow up to be boy crazy but instead that she is just loves boys cauz she loves her brother. It was a really great day and made me sad for next year when Jackson will be in all day first grade. We are trying to really take advantage of this limited precious time we have left with him. I ask him constantly what in the world are Mollie Jane and I going to do when he is in first grade next year for 6 or 7 hours. His usual response is something funny like "Oh Mommy, I think that's too long, I'll just try being gone about 5 hours."

Mollie Jane is now offically a big girl!

I am such a big girl now! I look at this picture of Mollie Jane in her crib and I feel like I really don't remember her ever being this small! Where has the past two and a half years gone? It has been a little "project crazy" around the Brawner house. The latest big project was moving Mollie Jane into her big girl bed. After weeks of sewing the bedding we finally got some bunk beds and because "the price was right" it consisted of Big Fat Al sanding them and spray painting them white. Really a ton of work but turned out great and Mollie Jane is so excited. Jackson was actually just as excited. He has slept on the top bunk the last several nights. I have always had the rule for my kids that they share everything so they don't necessarily think something is specifically theirs's. Jackson seems to think that he and Mollie Jane are now sharing a room. I think the excitement will wear off after a while but for now they are loving the new bunk beds. Mollie Jane is so thrilled to be sleeping with her "Bubba." Jackson has moved all of his webkins and stuffed animals to the top bunk and he started moving a bunch of toys from his room into her room until I put a halt to that. Jackson wanted to know why the room was so pink and thinks it is a little "girly." When I laid Mollie Jane down for her nap the last two days she says "where is my bubba?" She has done great and knows she doesn't get out of her bed and is constantly telling me "Mommy, you can't get out of your bed." So for now we are having sleepful nights and just one more room (Baby Smith's) to get ready and organize!

Easter

We had a great Easter and weekend. We went to an Easter Egg Hunt and party at our club on Saturday. Mollie Jane loved the Easter bunny and it took me several pictures to finally get a shot of her looking at the camera and not staring at the Easter Bunny and patting him. Mollie Jane is our sweet eater and was in heaven when she saw all the eggs on the golf course and was running around screaming "candy." Sunday morning we woke up to our Easter Baskets, a great breakfast of cinnabons, our Easter Egg Hunt in our family room, a wonderful church service, and then a great brunch at the club. It was a great weekend.

Harper is so sad and so is her Aunt Alison

Look how sad Harper was about her Aunt Alison leaving!

I had such a great time visiting my niece in Washington DC. She is such a good little sleeper which is why I felt like I was on vacation because I was able to get such great sleep. I told her she takes after her Aunt Alison. Jason has always joked me that my spiritual gift is sleeping. I laid her on my big fat tummy and she slept like a champ. It was so funny because a couple of times when I did that I could feel Baby Smith moving around like a madman. My sister and I decided the cousins were bonding. My sister and I did some fun shopping (thanks to Mom) and Harper came along like a champ in her Bijourn and pumpkin seat. My sister and I love to shop and we thought we might as well instill in Harper the love of shopping at an early age.
I drew Harper a picture of some shapes and she loves looking at them and several times we caught her "cooing" to her shapes. Once again, I am crazy prejudice being her only Aunt but she is so alert and loves looking and listening. At four weeks old she loved books! My sister is doing an amazing job and seems so aware that the newborn stage while really intense just flies by. I wish Harper could stay little forever. I told Harper I will have to "beat her biscuits" if she comes down to Springfield for the Fourth of July and she's grown too much. It was so fun and relaxing and while I was so pumped to get home I soon realized my restful and relaxing vacation was over.

Our Sweet Boy

A recent picture Jackson drew in school that his teacher loved. Priceless!

Jackson has been such a helper to me during this pregnancy. He has been very concerned about me getting such a big tummy. I think we should all be concerned! He has said numerous times "Mommy, I am worried about you because you have Baby Smith in your tummy." I assure him Mommy is doing fine but just has to take care of herself. He is our little "worry wart" at times. Helping is his love language for sure. His teacher gave me the sweetest picture he drew of our family with Baby Smith in my stomach. It is priceless. He insists on doing everything for me. He opens and shuts all doors, wants to start my car, push my cart at the stores, carry things for me, etc... Jackson has started making me drinks. Being pregnant I have really been into Sprite with pomegranate juice mixed in. It is divine. He makes that drink for me daily about 3:00 or so (body rest time). Jason calls it our cocktail hour. Many days I wish it really was a cocktail. The funny thing is he makes his in one of his plastic cups and he always mixes mine in a wine glass (with a straw of course). It really has been helpful and I am hoping it keeps up after Baby Smith comes (we'll see). Sometimes though it is a little too helpful and takes him three times as long to help me instead of me just doing it for myself. I have to keep reminding myself that he takes such joy and pride in helping though.
He has been very huggable lately and loves to hug my stomach. Whenever he says goodbye or goodnight to me when he always says it to Baby Smith also. It has really been fun being pregnant with a five and a half/six year old because he is so into it all. Sweet Mollie Jane loves anyone and everyone and of course is obsessed with any baby (real or doll baby) but just seems clueless really as to what is going on. Lately, in the mornings I find Jackson in Baby Smith's room just lying down on the day bed in there. This morning he said "I think about Baby Smith a lot of times during the day Mommy." The therapist in me says he definitely has a lot of feelings going on about this pregnancy.
The funniest thing about all of this is ever since I got pregnant he is always draws belly buttons on his people. We call belly buttons "beepers" in our house. I do a lot of work with children and their drawings in therapy and I know that one must be very careful not to question or comment too much on certain aspects of their drawings. It is just so funny and I know one of these days one of his classmates or friends will comment on it and he will realize it is a little odd. In the meantime, I think it is so sweet and hilarious. Every time he draws a picture I wait in anticipation to see if his figures have a "beeper." I know all good things eventually must come to an end. While I have thoroughly enjoyed this pregnancy I have just about hit the time when I think I am looking forward to the end probably cauz I am feeling a little too "large and in charge" these days. I am hopeful that even though the pregnancy is coming to an end my helpful son and his ability to draw beepers on everyone will continue.

A sweet picture Jackson made for my Mom. My parents got Jackson an outside basketball goal for his birthday and he absolutely adores it. This is Jackson and my Mom shooting a basketball with their beepers.

Jackson has become an expert at this picture of our soon to be family of five climbing a mountain with our beepers!

Jackson's Big Bowling Birthday

Jackson and Mollie Jane's webkinz partying down at the bowling alley.

Jackson and his ten webkinz.

We had a "rockin" Webkinz bowling party. Jackson was so excited and kept calling it his real birthday. I think in the Brawner house a birthday is not official until you blow out candles on your cake with all your best buds. Jackson insisted on doing a "webkinz" themed party. I am the queen of themes (being a former kindergarten teacher) and I was a little unsure how we were going to pull this one off. Jackson the day before his party made little party hats for all of his webkinz. The webkinz all came to the party and had their own spot on a table with their own cupcakes. Jackson thought they needed a drink with their cupcakes so I busted into a Communion kit (that Jason had recently gotten after receiving his commission into the Army National Guard as a chaplain candidate) so all the webkinz had little glasses of water. My friend Natalie said we could not reuse the cups (even if we washed them) because they are now "de-sanctified" after they have been in the smoker friendly bowling alley that serves alcohol.
The kids bowled and chowed on pizza and cake. Jackson was so excited to open up his gifts. It was a great turnout and was so much fun. It sort of makes me sad that he is growing up so fast and I know there is a day right around the corner where he will not be as "into" his stuffed animals as he is now. He was so excited to share his birthday with his favorite toys in the world right now his "webkinz." All ten of them.