Or...

I could just sit here and hang out with my fella

A YEAR. Really?!

I've been a bad blogger. I'm really hoping that my new schedule (which rules) will allow me to get back into it. I really want my kids to have these records of their little moments when they are older. It's kinda like evidence of how much I love them in my mind. Anywho, in the year since I posted last, we've added one to our number: The amazingly adorable and handsome and clearly brilliant James Clay Smith Hiatt. He's named for my grandfather who went to heaven almost two years ago. Here's a pic of His Preciousness:

Willa Ann has become quite the little sassafras lass as she's heading to age 3:

And My Iddle is becoming such a DUDE. I can't believe he will be FIVE in December: 

And I'm heartachingly in love with them and their father. Life is grand. 

XOXO, Mama Hiatt

Family Words

I love the way baby words are incorporated into a family's language. For instance, my parents and siblings still refer to "Ha King" for ice cream and tell one another that we "yuff you much" when saying goodbye. My own children have added to this with their own words and phrases and I know I will use them long after they've learned proper pronunciation and syntax, hopefully forever. Mostly in my head or when talking to Bradley - I can't see myself telling a colleague that "I can't found it!" like Willa Ann or laughingly saying "way way waaaaaay back in the days" when discussing something that happened last week as Charlie Mac does to anybody else. But that's what makes this language special - it's made of Family Words.

Pancake Chef Charlie Mac!

Charlie Mac's favorite breakfast food is pancakes - and this morning he got to help make them "On a weal stove" See how proud he is flipping ("fwipping") all on his own! Willa Ann certainly enjoyed the fruits of his labor! She said "pah-cay!"

New Bikes!

Whilst I've been exorcising Sinus Demon 2009, Bradley has been playing Super Dad. He's been on his own with the kids for the last day and has not only painted CMac's room and part of the kitchen, he also took the kids to get NEW BIKES!!! I took a few minutes outside to see them ride on them. Willa Ann was more interested in her "juice" but Charlie Mac is really taking off on his bike. He told me it was a Roll Tide bike, which I'm sure would make my mom excited, but I had to correct him - it's clearly a Hotty Toddy ride.
Are you ready???

 

I wonder if my constantly telling him he's so handsome will have a negative effect some day?? nah.

her "cheese" face is hysterical

gimme dat sugah!

aunt augusta took a spin

I don't suggest you try to take this water bottle from her....

Charlie Mac starts Montesorri and Willa Ann finds a slide just her size!

Well, I have to say that I've just not been able to keep this blog up the way I wanted to this last year. While I truly love working and have absolutely enjoyed the jobs I've had here in Oxford, my heart has broken a little every day for the last two years being away from my babies for all but a few waking hours every day. With that in mind, we've made some huge changes around our house for lots of very good reasons and I'm going to have a lot more time for my most important job: Mama.  I am also working on my masters degree and the career that I hope to build from that - but being Mama is the most important. I hope to be able to "fill in" with "flashback" posts from the past year.

For now, please see the pics below from CMac's first day of Montessori school. He loved it so much that he cried when we left! The first few days are only an hour long each, so Willa Ann and I wiled the time away at a park nearby. It was especially fun because there was play equipment (funny phrase, that) just her size! That's rare around here and it was great fun for her to be able to freely climb and slide when she's usually being at least "spotted" by me if not kept off big kid equipment entirely. We'll probably make this part of our mornings every day when the weather's nice!

A big grin from my handsome fella









Oh look! A pecan! I love his precious excitement over everything.

Climbed up all by herself!

ready?

get set!

go!

wee!!
and back around for more!!!

toothy grins on the way, chores to get to Sesame Street

or toothier I should say. Willa Ann is currently sprouting four more teeth to add to her current four little mouse teeth. She's growing up so fast!
This morning I was blow drying my hair. Instead of playing with whatever she can grab as per usual, Little Miss went and opened a drawer, got out a hair brush and started to brush her own wispy cap. She seriously melts my heart constantly.

Charlie Mac is learning to do chores, or "choys" as he calls them. He gets to watch Sesame Street if he completes his tasks of the day. He "sweeps" or helps take out the compost or something like that. Until today he's been excited and proud - and maybe we didn't give him enough time after he woke up (he slept later than usual and we were headed out the door), but he said simply "no" when I told him he could sweep today. Ha! Hopefully he did it after all. Little man.

Oh mis bebes!!!

little working man

Charlie Mac has informed us of several "jobs" he's had over the last few months. Of particular note is "watching TV." It seems as though his career has taken a turn towards the philanthropic however, and his new post is "Protecting Baby Sister."

I know, I'm melting too. :-)

Willa Ann in the morning

Willa Ann comes into bed with us still at some point in the night. Usually around 1 or 2 - which is fine. When it's midnight or 3, it's usually a bit of a job - but at 2 it's OK. She's like a clock when it comes time to her breakfast though - and that's 5 a.m. I usually wrestle/nurse her for about an hour before she reaches the point of no return and at that point she's kind enough to let us know it's time to give up and get up by kissing our faces. So sweeeeet! Makes up for the fact that I haven't slept more than 2-4 hours in a row for four years now.

WILLA ANN IS SO FUNNY!!

Today she came into the living room carrying her sparkly red shoes that her Aunt Augusta gave her for Christmas and set them on the coffee table. She walked over to Trina and grabbed at her and gestured to her shoes on the coffee table. Trina picked them up and told her they were pretty and put them on the table again.
This is not the reaction that our little diva was going for.
She fussed and pulled on Trina and pointed at her red sparkly shoes until Trina got the message. She took off the (apparently unsatisfactory) shoes that Willa Ann was wearing and replaced them with the red sparkly converse shoes. Willa Ann proceeded to prance around the house and stare at her feet.
I am so proud.

p.s. she had to pull out her shoe bin from under her changing table and go through it to get to them. She just turned 1. Brilliance!!! :-D