The Brown Brick Road

Capturing our adventures one photo at a time...

Spencer’s birthday!

We had a day full of fun celebrating our favorite FIVE year old! The day started with balloons and a Shipley’s Donut hole 5!

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It was then off to school with these awesome cookies to celebrate some more!

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He had a fantastic day at school and even got 5 birthday spankings from Mrs. Beard. 🙂 Nothing better than a school birthday crown…

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We actually had Spencer’s birthday party right after school and it was AWESOME! Lots of pictures from that to come. That night, we had pizza (Spencer’s request. Specifically, “Not the pizza you go pick up but the kind that the Domino’s truck brings to your house!” ha!) We then had more cake and opened lots of fun presents! Luckily we had our two favorites in town to celebrate with us!

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I think Spencer had a great day!! Also have to share the awesome things Maxwell made for Spence…this sign…

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and this awesome book!

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We love our sweet FIVE year old!!

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Have a great weekend!

 

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Spencer is FIVE!!

Spencer is FIVE!! One whole hand!! My sweet, lovable, funny guy is five.

Newborn…

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One year old…

1 year

Two years old…

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Three years old…

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Four years old…

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and now FIVE!!

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Whoa, he got so grown up! This kid makes me smile. He’s a happy kid who plays hard, tries hard, and loves hard. He still has the greatest laugh you’ve ever heard…and we get to hear it a lot! He’s smart with just enough of a mischievous side to keep me on my toes. Sometimes you just never know what you’re gonna get with him! That said, overall he’s a really good kid who gets along well with everyone and is generally pretty agreeable on most things. He’s doing great in school. His handwriting is super impressive and his drawing is just as good – if not better! – than Maxwell’s was at this age. He’s happiest at the table with a snack and some paper and markers – or maybe the iPad! ha! This kid does love some tv!!

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One thing Spencer does not like to do? Take pictures! I get lots of silly faces…

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He’s still into Star Wars and dinosaurs and loves Power Rangers right now. Superheroes are still cool and nerf guns are probably his favorite toy. He’s the best big brother to Samantha and the two of them really do have a special bond. I’m glad he has a little sister to show the ropes to! 🙂 Of course, his favorite person to play with is Maxwell! They really are best buds and play so well together most of the time. That playing usually involves some sort of ball throwing outside or wrestling! Spencer can hold his own with older kids just fine and is a great friend to buddies his age. His best friends right now are Sebastian, Stephen, Wade, and Christopher. He’s really into soccer and hustles so hard on the field. The only thing better than seeing him play is to hear him on the sidelines cheering for his teammates!

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I sure do love this little boy. There’s virtually no baby left in him except for those tricky L sounds…he still sounds just a widdle bit wike a baby sometimes. Oh, how I wish I could freeze him at this age.

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A little interview with Spencey:

Favorite book? Dinosaurs Galore
Favorite TV show? Ninja Turtles and DinoTrux
Favorite movie? Chicken Little
Favorite color? Black
Favorite song? Lion King
Favorite number? 100
Favorite restaurant? Moe’s
Favorite thing to eat? Moe’s tacos (burritos)
Favorite friend? Sebastian
Favorite toy? An excavator
Favorite animal? Tiger
Favorite dessert? Cookies
Favorite sport? Soccer
What do you want to be when you grow up? Garbage truck man

Alright Spencey, here’s lookin’ at you kid…

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Thumbs up for a great year ahead!

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Happy birthday sweet boy!!!

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We love you so so so so so much!

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Birthday celebrations

We didn’t go big for birthdays this year but that doesn’t mean we didn’t celebrate! Robert was out of town on his actual birthday but we had a little home party when he got back with some Olexa’s cake!

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He, of course, had a little help blowing out his candles! 🙂

It was an iPhone year around here – I got Robert a new one for his birthday and my mom got me a new one for my birthday! 🙂  I got the 8Plus so I could get the portrait mode on the camera. I have to learn how to use it best but am excited about the shots it can take!

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On Friday night before my birthday on Saturday, GJ came into town and we loaded up the kids and drove to Atlanta for the night. We had an appointment with an Atlanta photographer to get pictures taken of the kids. It was kind of my birthday present to myself! Despite some rambunctiousness at the hotel, the kids did GREAT for the photog and I have to believe he got some really good shots.

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I was just happy to be inside a studio after our disastrously freezing photos last year! There was even plenty of things to entertain the kids there too!

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As a reward for good behavior we had lunch at – where else? – Moe’s!

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There was also some ice cream and a trip to Target for the new toys you saw on Monday’s post. Bribery works every time! 🙂 We were back in Birmingham by Saturday afternoon in plenty of time to watch some football that night. Roll Tide and cheers to another year!

The Keeper

Happy Friday! My 39th birthday is tomorrow. Not 40 yet! One year of my 30s left and I think it’s going to be a great year. How could it not be when I get to spend it with my favorite people?!

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I recently read the post below and it was so spot on to how I feel most days….

I am the keeper.

I am the keeper of schedules. Of practices, games, and lessons. Of projects, parties, and dinners. Of appointments and homework assignments.

I am the keeper of information. Who needs food 5 minutes before a meltdown occurs and who needs space when he gets angry. Whether there are clean clothes, whether bills are paid, and whether we are out of milk.

I am the keeper of solutions. Of bandaids and sewing kits and snacks in my purse. But also of emotional balms and metaphorical security blankets.

I am the keeper of preferences. Of likes and dislikes. Of nightly rituals and food aversions.

I am the keeper of reminders. To be kind, to pick up their trash, to do their dishes, to do their homework, to hold open doors and write thank you notes.

I am the keeper of rituals and memories. Of pumpkin patches and Easter egg hunts. I am the taker of pictures, the collector of special ornaments, and the writer of letters.

I am the keeper of emotional security. The repository of comfort, the navigator of bad moods, the holder of secrets and the soother of fears.

I am the keeper of the peace. The mediator of fights, the arbiter of disputes, the facilitator of language, the handler of differing personalities.

I am the keeper of worry. Theirs and my own.

I am the keeper of the good and the bad, the big and the small, the beautiful and the hard.

Most of the time, the weight of these things I keep resembles the upper elements on the periodic table – lighter than air, buoying me with a sense of purpose. It’s what I signed up for. It’s the one thing I am really good at.

But sometimes the weight of these things I keep pulls me down below the surface until I am kicking and struggling to break the surface and gasp for breath.

Because these things I keep are constantly flickering in the back of my brain, waiting to be forgotten. They scatter my thoughts and keep me awake long past my bedtime.

Because all these things I keep are invisible, intangible. They go unnoticed and unacknowledged until they are missed. They are not graded or peer reviewed or ruled on by a court. And sometimes they are taken for granted.

To all of you who are keepers, I see you.

I know the weight of the things you keep.

I know the invisible work you do—which doesn’t come with a pay check or sick leave—is what makes the world go round.

I see you.

And I salute you.

Link is here.

I am the keeper…the proud, exhausted, grateful, overwhelmed, and very happy keeper. Here’s to keeping it all together for another year!

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Happy birthday to me!

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Hot dog!

Robert had to go out of town yesterday so we get to celebrate his birthday tonight! Hot dog hot dog hot diggity dog!!

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We’re off to eat cake! See you tomorrow!

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