Make a Smilebox scrapbook

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"It's the most cookie-baking time of the year..."

My Katie Kate

Tonight while Kate and I snuggled in bed she said, "Mom, I feel the family-est when I am in bed with you." She is so sweet... my baby is growing up too fast.

Legendary Santa

The Magic of Christmas

We have transitioned from Thanksgiving to Christmas. (A couple of sleepless nights in between put me a little behind). I needed to take a deep breath (and get some sleep) and focus on what the season is really about... joy, wonder, giving, peace, and creating memories for my children. And with one long weekend, the turkeys got boxed up and all the red and green poured out.

For starters, our neighborhood Shadow Ridge, in Brandermill, has won the Christmas decoration contest for the past 18 years plus. So, the first thing we needed to do was get the outdoor decorations up. I was dreading it because last year it took forever! I was pleasantly surprised how fast it went this year because we already had everything and we knew where it went. I love how beautiful the house looks at night all lit up with the wreaths in the windows. Contest or not, I love that we have an excuse to make the house look so good!

This year our big addition to the Christmas decorations was adding a train around the base of the tree. It is so magical... it plays music, has a bell, lights up, and the engine sounds so real! Kate and Stephen can both easily use the remote control and various tiny toys are placed in the baggage car for a ride around the track. The train is also a perfect distraction for Stephen when he realizes that the ornaments on the tree come off. I loved watching Kate recognize her ornaments from the past years while decorating the tree. As soon as she got a few up, Stephen would take the down... So they participated in the process, but if they helped the entire time the tree never would have been finished.

I love the tree, I try not to comment on the placement of the ornaments. However, in my true anal fashion I have to rearrange them until it looks just right. It is all about balance and being able to see my favorite ornaments at all times. (They get the best placement on the tree.) So what is my favorite ornament? I guess I have to break it down into a group of them.

From my tree when I was little:

1.) a multi-colored soft clown from Jane McGonigle

2.) 2 glass angles from Grandma Ruby

3.) a frosty the snowman from Miller & Rhodes

4.) a wooden angel I won at the Watkin's Christmas carnival when my Dad was principal there.

My additional favorites....

1.) a hand carved wooden Santa holding a bird I bought at the Bizzare Bazzar with Grandma and Mom

2.) My Kate and Stephen large glass ball ornaments

3.) Grandma Bev's very very old ornaments, some are circa 1900 and they are amazing!

They all have a story and some along the way have been nibbled (aka destroyed) by my furry children, Dixie and Belle. They have done more damage to the tree than the kids!

I love looking at the tree at night and watching the ornaments sparkle with the lights.

Happy Thanksgiving

Arms of Angels

Tonight I write with a heavy heart, Baby T died last night... my heart aches for her and her family. Josie wrote so eloquently not long ago about our friend, "K" and her baby girl "T" http://kurzfamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/empty-swing.html Unfortunately, baby T never left the hospital to go home, she was too sick.

From her outward appearance, you would not have known Baby T was ill. I told K on Thursday that all babies are beautiful in their own way, but her little girl really was beautiful. She had a perfect round face, warm rosy cheeks, long dark eyelashes, and a full head of dark brown hair. She started mimicking her sister's trait of playing with her hair and her mothers' hair when she was holding her. She smiled and the sound of her mother's voice, and snuggled into her for comfort... All the small cherished moments between a mother and her child. These moments are all that K has left. I can't begin to fathom the loss of a child, I don't know how you find the strength to go on.

I ask you tonight to please say a prayer or words of kindness for this family to find hope and strength. Please hold your children a little tighter and know how blessed you are to have them in your arms.

Happy Halloween

Some big information... Stephen took 4 steps to David the other night. (Then he took 4 steps to me.) He also keeps standing up own and taking 2 steps, but then he crawls again. He is so proud of himself!

And some funny info.... Kate came home and told me that her teacher Mrs. Elliot was not at school today. So I asked her if she had a different teacher, she said, "Yes, her name is Mrs. Corndog." LOL! (Her name is really Mrs. Moore.) How she got Corndog from Moore, not sure... but I have gotten some good laughs!

Kate also was very paranoid about wearing her Wonder Pets, Ming Ming costume to her school on Friday for the parade. She kept telling me that her teacher would think she was a real duck and throw her in the lake. Why she thought this, I do not know.... her imagination is very real. She did wear her costume, without the hat, and was very quiet during the parade. As outgoing as she is, I think she can also be very shy in new situations.

We had all the kids and cousins at our house for a very Happy Halloween. The three little ones were elephants (Claire and Samuel), dogs (Stephen), and bears (Dylan).. Oh my. A Lighting McQueen pitcrew guy (Ryan), a skater (Grayson), and The Wonder Pets ("Ming Ming" Kate and "Tuck" Madeline). We had so much fun!

3rd Annual Pumpkin Patch

Four

My little girl turned four on the 6th of October. This past year, she has grown from a toddler to a little girl. Literally, she has gained 6 pounds and probably grown over 6 inches. She has long legs, blond curls, and I still consider her my sunshine. No matter the weatherm, she can always make me smile. I am wondering how soon it will be before she is taller than her mother? Kate is very creative, she is always using a toy in a way that it was never intended to be played with. (FYI, that is truly payback for me, I always did that. According to my mom, I did not play with my toys, instead a would set up a store and pretend to sell them.) At preschool they have free coloring and her pictures amaze me. She draws ladybugs, houses, family members and her pets. She is very conscious of those around her, family or friends, even her animals. She wants to make sure that the cats and dogs get treats and water in their bowls. She even helps with feeding them at meal time and she loves to play. Kate also has quite a sense of humor. One of the funniest things is to watch her play with the dogs. Kate chases Dixie, Belle follows and then Stephen the crawling caboose behind them all, making laps around the house. She adores her little brother and he watches out for him, like a big sister should, but for her age she is very conscientious. I was opening the oven to take out dinner and from across the room she is holding the back of his overalls so he couldn't come near the oven. She shuts doors, tells me when Stephen is heading towards the steps, climbing chairs..... a little momma and a really good one. He wants to do everything she does and she helps include him in her activites. She is genuinely a sweet girl and she makes me so proud to be her momma.

Congratulations Daddy

We have been busy at the Ledlie house and I know I am behind on posts, but we have had a lot of celebrate! David in currently serving his second year as Chief of Forest View Volunteer Rescue Squad. Last night David was recognized as Squad Office of the Year for Chesterfield County Fire and EMS. We are extremely proud of David / Daddy!

Kate came with us and she understood that it was a "special" night for her Daddy. At the beginning of the cermony the pastor said, "Today I looked up the word hero in the dictionary." Kate grabbed her Daddy's knee and said, "That is you Daddy." My heart melted. When it was David's turn, she stood on her chair so she could see her Daddy. Her genuine excitment contagious, she wanted to see his "auward" and David also got a ring, which Kate got quite excited about his "treasure." Daddy we are so very proud of you!

Many EMS and Firefighters were honored for their service and what they consider "just doing my job." The EMS and Firefighters presented with Lifesaver Awards were also honored by the individual's whose lives they saved. It was a memorable evening and a chance for Kate to better understand what "Daddy going to squad" means.

Stephen's Birthday Pictures

One

My baby turned one today. How did a year go by so fast? I know it sounds clique... but really where does the time go?

I was very nostalgic all week about where we were a year ago. I went into labor last year on the first day of school. I remember showing Kate the big yellow school buses for the first time and her excitement in knowing that one day she would get to ride on one too, standing with Kate on the cerel isle at Ukrops feeling a strong contraction wondering - was this the real thing?, pulling into my drive way and having a huge contraction knowing it was the real thing, calling my Dad to take care of Kate until David got home, being told by my doctor that nothing had changed and that he thought I was in false labor, taking a 2 hour walk all over Brandermill trying to progress my labor, going to bed at 10:42pm mad because I thought I was wrong, not being able to fall asleep because the contractions got stronger and stronger, the drive to the hospital at midnight, riding in a wheelchair to the labor & delivery floor, 1am offically being admitted to the hospital, David and I both excited that he was really on his way, knowing I was right, the relief of the epidural - finally in after 4 tries (yes, 4), being told at 4:45 we were ready to push and that he would probably make his grand entrance around 7am, but he decided to show up a little earlier... 15 minutes later he was here, arriving into this world on September 5th at 5am weighing in at 6lbs. 3oz. By the way, I really thought I was carring a larger baby, and where did all that platnium blonde hair come from? He also looked just like his sister did as a newborn... and like every baby, perfect.

Last night I was concerned that I was going to wake up this morning and feel like I missed everything. I woke up at 4:42 am and smiled remembering it was the start of his grand entrance into this world and woke up again at 5am. I never want to forget either of my children's births. I know some people want to forget, not me. It was the most amazing experience of my life.

With Stephen I have a had a sling, a Hotsling to be exact. It is by far the best baby gift I have ever been given, thanks to Dr.Jack, Katie, Carolyn, Aisha, Colleen, Nicole, and of course all the cats at Church Hill Animal Hospital. At first, I thought it was great to have my hands free and it worked wonders soothing him when nothing else would. But the best has been able to have him snuggled close to me where ever I go. I always seem to catch a smile or a glance of a mom and in her expression you can tell that she is reflecting on that precious baby time. Sometimes I even get caught in conversation about how fleeting this time is and how to drink it in because there is nothing like it and you can never get it back. You can hold other babies and enjoy their sweetness, but their is nothing like the bond of your own.

Right after Stephen was born, Josie and Gene were the first two to meet the little guy. Gene was holding him and he started to cry, Gene immediately handed him to his momma and he quieted down instantly. Josie commented, "He knows his momma." For Mother's Day Josie gave me a quote that said, "Mother, to the world you may be one person. But, to one person you are the world."

Here is one of my favorite pictures of Stephen that I took when he was in the sling... Mommy cam. As I look, I can't belive how much he has changed.