Memorial Day Weekend

We had a great weekend with the kids! We spent almost the entire weekend outside with them playing catch with the baseball and playing kick-ball.
I have to say that Scott and I got so much entertainment from watching Thomas playing with us! He would play on mine and Scott's team for kick ball and it was hilarious to watch him. Everytime he kick the ball he would go into panic mode as to which way to run! There was absolutely NO method to his madness!! One time he would run to first, the next time to third and the next to wherever Scott or I were! We tried to convey the concept of the game and finally had to just give up and let him do his own thing! So he would kick the ball and then it would be a toss up as to which base he ran to! I will say though, that is one base-stealing little sneak! Every opportunity that he had, he would run to a base! He stole more bases then the professionals!

Natalee was adorable! At one point she's over by the horses squealing and calling to them to try and get them to come over and play with her! She LOVES those Neighs!

Once Tommy had enough of kickball he decided to join Natty at the picnic table and they blew bubbles together. Tommy being the "older brother" had to go over the fundamentals of how you blow bubbles and what is acceptable and not acceptable. He went over it over and over and over and over..... The problem was not that Natty wasn't getting it, the problem was, she didn't really care! She just wanted to play with the soapy water.



At one point Natalee was doing a dance on the table!! Too cute!


Natty Grace entertaining herself.

Tommy trying so desperately to teach his sister how to blow bubbles!

Natty trying so desperately to dump the bubbles!

I will say this, after spending a weekend outside and running around all day, Scott and I both learned two very valuable lessons. The first being: We are not as young as we think we are. The second being: We are SOOOOO out of shape!!

He and I were both so sore by Sunday that we couldn't move! We decided that what better way to treat the symptons then a little "more of the hair of the dog that bit you". Not really sure that was such a wise decision now.

Taylor Dale Wagner

I just wanted to let everyone know that our TAYLOR DALE WAGNER after many years of hard work, blood and sweat, is finally graduating highschool!! We got the call this morning, he did pass the TAKS test so he will be walking across the stage with all the other graduates next Friday!!! Scott and I are so very, very proud of him!!! We will admit that there were days that we didn't know if he would make it, both physically AND academically, but he proved us all wrong and I'm so glad he did!!

We love you Tator Tot and are SO EXTREMELY proud of you!! I can't tell you how much this means to both Dad and I!!! We know personally what an accomplishment this is for you and how much this means to you and how difficult it was for you to stick with it. We just want you to know that we love you very, very much and are so very proud of you!!!

GO TAYLOR!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!



Taylor and his girlfriend Destiny at our house Sunday

They make such a cute couple!!

Natalee Grace

I just want everyone to know that I have the cutest, most adorable, most beautiful Baby Girl ever born!! I just wanted to share a couple of pics with you..... Is she not just the most perfect Angel??




Getting her to not only hold still so you can fix her hair, but trying to convince her to leave it in and alone is like trying to get blood from a turnip!! Never gonna happen!! But I keep trying!

She LOVES admiring herself in the mirror!!

Sliding with Mommy at the park

Bath time is her FAVORITE!!! I have never known a child to be so drawn to water like this little girl!! Any time there is water around, you better believe she is headed straight for it!!

Tommy Two Shoes and Manners

Oh the joys of toddler-hood!!

Some of our greatest laughs come from the mouths of babes. I just wanted to share a few of the more recent ones from our very own Tommy Two Shoes!!

I should first let you know that we are working very hard with Thomas on learning manners and showing respect to elders. We try to be as consistant as possible in reminding him to use ma'am and sir in response to an adult and always saying "please, thank you, your welcome, etc." It has become second nature to most of us and we will remind him without evening thinking about it.
I guess after awhile he picks up on that and starts to learn the lesson...... however, sometimes the lesson is not always learned the way you intend to teach it and you get instances like the following:

The other evening we were all sitting around the dinner table eating dinner. Timothy got up to get him some more to drink and while he was up fixing his drink Thomas asked Bubba if he would get him some more apple juice. Here is how the conversation went:

Thomas: "Bubba, would you get me some more apple juice?"
Timothy: "what do you say?"
Thomas: "Please and thank you!"
Timothy: "Ok"
Thomas: "NOOooo Bubba!!!! You say, 'yes sir!!!!'"
Timothy: "I don't have to say yes sir to you"
Thomas: "Yes you do! You have to say yes sir when you answer!"
Timothy: "Bubba's not going to say yes sir"
Thomas: "You can't fix my apple juice then until you say yes sir!!"

At that point we all died laughing!! Poor Thomas though did not understand and continued to be infatic that Bubba respond to him with "yes sir". I tried to explain the difference to Thomas between adults and kids and he just didn't get it. By the end of the conversation that child was thoroughly confused!

Another instance of not quite comprehending the proper use of manners:

When Daddy tickles the children he has always had "mercy phrases". This means that when the child has finally had enough, they will use this phrase and Daddy will stop tickling them. It never ceases to amazes me as to how much the children will take before they will finally use the 'mercy phrase'. If it were me, I would be using it before the tickling even began!!
So one night Scott, Thomas and myself were wrestling/playing on our bed. Scott and I would take turns on one holding Thomas while the other tickled him. Thomas refused to use his mercy phase and just laughed and laughed and laughed. Scott and I were enjoying this tickle fest until Thomas put a whole nother spin on it. Tommy's 'mercy phrase' is "I give up", well Tommy kept saying over and over again between bouts of laughter to Scott, "Stop Daddy, stop!!!" and Scott continued his merciless torture and kept asking Tommy, "What do you say? What do you say?". Finally, with all the strength Tommy could muster, he belted out, "NO THANKS PLEASE SIR, NO THANKS PLEASE SIR!!" He kept saying that phrase over and over again and Scott and I just lost it! I guess Tommy thought that he wasn't asking Daddy properly to stop so he was going to use every key word that Mommy had taught him when it came to manners!

I know that we are living in a high-tech society, but it's not until your children point it out, that you really realize just how high-tech you're living.

The other night I was getting Tommy ready for bed and he was in my room and I had walked out to go get something. When I came back in, I asked him what he was doing because he was crouched in the corner and I could tell that he had one of the cell phones. The conversation went like this:
Mommy: "Tommy, what are you doing?"
Tommy: "I'm texting my best friend."
Mommy: "No, you don't text, give me the phone"
Tommy: "But Mommy, I have to text Gabe this really cool game so that we can play it tomorrow!"
Mommy: "No, you're not suppose to be texting and you know that. Besides, it's time for bed"
Tommy: "O tay.... Let me text him that I have to go to bed and I will see him in the morning."
Mommy: "No, just give me the phone"
Tommy: "But if I don't tell him goodnight then he will keep texting me and you will get mad because the phone will keep beeping!"

I'm telling you, this boy is too smart for his own good!! And he has been listening to WAY too many conversations between his older siblings and Scott and I! I'm not sure if I should be proud that my three year old knows what AND how to text (he can't spell yet so it's just letters, but he knows where to go on the phone to send a text!) or if I should be embarrassed! Either way, I can already tell we'll have our hands full!!