I Scream, You Scream,....

We All Scream For Ice Cream

Jackson's Big Day

January 23. 2009---It was a day he thought would NEVER get here! He has been waiting for his birthday for what seems like forever. Anna Catherine can build up her birthday for weeks after Christmas but then Jackson only gets one day of bragging rights. Poor fella!! If I had actually gone to the hospital when I went into labor they would have the same birthday. I'm so glad they don't share the same birth date!


Anna Catherine woke Jackson up before she went to school. She made a big deal about it being his birthday (I was impressed). She even offered to let him wear her "Birthday Princess" button. Luckily, I had gotten him a "Birthday Boy" button and she gave it to him to wear. It made him feel big. He was so giddy with excitement and couldn't stop saying, "Today's my birthday! I'm 4 years old now! Thank you for letting me have a birthday!" We had wrapped his gifts and hidden them in our closet floor. Rick left the closet door open and Chloe found the gifts. She had almost completely unwrapped one of them when she brought it to us. We weren't going to let Jackson open gifts until that evening but, thanks to Chloe, he was allowed to open two before AC went to school.

Of course, he had to have his name on the van too. This made him feel special!

Jackson started asking for his dinosaur cupcakes at breakfast, and again at least once every hour for the remainder of the day. Grandmother called to tell him Happy Birthday--he LOVES talking to Grandmother on the phone. He also went out to the garage several times to look at the big tent (THANKS AGAIN PAPA GATOR AND LADY!!) Jack decided to get his other two presents from the closet and put them on the table in the living room. He would look at them from across the room, go over and touch them, talk to them, sit beside them, ask if he could open them, walk away, and maybe five minutes later starts the whole process over again. He kept asking if there was an ewkasuecus in one of them (no idea how to spell the name of the dinosaur he wants). He says he can't wait to get his ewkasuecus (I couldn't find one because I only know the dino by the way he pronounces it--I'm not sure it is the correct name). He got AC's birthday hat and wore it for a while too. He told me "thank you for letting me have a birthday!" I caught him slightly tearing the paper on one of the gifts. I told him to stop and that he can't open his gifts yet. He said he wasn't opening it, he was just making a hole. "But it's my birthday!" He's wasn't this pumped for his Christmas gifts. Maybe because Christmas is for everyone and this is just for him? As soon as Rick walked in the door from work Jackson immediately began opening his presents!

THANK YOU MIMI FOR THE ANIMALS AND DINOSAURS! For the past few weeks Jackson has not wanted to sleep in his room alone and we hope new dinosaur sheets would help. He also got a dinosaur play tent for his room.

We went to Gatti Town for dinner and play time. I didn't take any pictures though. We played to same games/rides we did last time except Anna Catherine and I played "Deal or No Deal". The highest amount of tickets you can win is 200. I was down to three cases and the banker offered me 37 tickets. Rick said, "I'd take the offer". The cases I had left were 1, 15, and 200. Well, I took the deal--STUPID!!! I had the 200 ticket case. Then AC wanted to play. She said "NO DEAL" to the banker every time and her case had the maximum number of tickets in it--that's right, she won 200 tickets!! We only played games for thirty minutes but the kids seemed exhausted and kept asking if we could go home.

We had dinosaur cupcakes and chocolate chip ice cream when we got home.

Rick asked if Anna Catherine and Jackson wanted to sleep in the tent in the garage again. They did but Jackson ended up coming inside. He and I went to sleep on the couch while watching his dinosaur movie. He refused to take off his "Birthday Boy" button because that meant his birthday was over. I think he had an awesome birthday!!

Jackson is FOUR years old today!!

January 23, 2009---Four years ago today I was given the gift of the most wonderful little boy in the world (or should I say big boy--9 lb. 1 oz. isn't small). Jackson is the most adorable son any mother could ask for! I tell him he's my "baby boy" and he quickly tells me that he IS NOT a baby. Oh, where does the time go?






five days old:






6 months old:

1 year old:

2 years old:

3 years old:

Today, he is 4 years old:

AC's Birthday Wishes

January 22, 2009---Anna Catherine has really wanted to go camping in a tent for a while. PaPa Gator and Rick thought it would be a good idea for the kids to get camping gear for their birthdays. The kids were so excited when they woke up to find 14' x 14' tent with a 5' x 7' screened porch assembled and waiting for them in the garage. THANK YOU PAPA GATOR AND LADY!!!!!!!!!! Rick asked them if they would sleep in it and of course they said YES! Originally we were going to set it up in the dining room but it wouldn't fit. We thought about the screened porch but decided that would be too cold. So, we parked the vehicles in the driveway and pitched a tent.








AC wore her "Birthday Pincess" button to school and her teacher, Mrs. Gross, gave her a birthday hat and smock to wear. She was the line leader too. Rick went to the school, ate lunch with her, and read two of AC's favorite books to her class--Dinosaurs Love Underpants and Diary of a Worm. Anna Catherine had to introduce her daddy to the class telling them his name, occupation, hobbies, etc. The class also sang songs to him. He said it was a lot of fun. He met her best friend Marie. Rick said at lunch he was nervous with a table of 5 year old surrounding him.me. He wanted to help each one of them open their foods, at least the ones nearest him. Five year olds tearing into apple sauce cups, juice boxes, candy wrappers, etc. can potentially leave food in a pretty wide radius. He said he had to eat with his head on a swivel! Rick took cupcakes (she requested her school colors--orange and blue) and kool-aid for snack. Each student in the class drew Anna Catherine a picture of what they wished for her on her birthday (bicycle, kites, balloons, cake, etc.) and the teacher made it into a book for her. Her teacher also sent home a "birthday bag" filled with goodies. We decorated the van (blue with orange polka dots) to pick Anna Catherine up at school. She was surprised and the teachers loved it!

Anna Catherine picked out a small cake to have after her birthday dinner of tacos. She chose this little Princess Barbie cake. The Barbie looks identical to Jordyn Belcher (or at least I think so). Jordyn is one of Nicole's friends who AC idolizes because she is a SP Cougar cheerleader and she KNOWS TAYLOR SWIFT!!!! (I'll post all about Jordyn soon. She is a fabulous girl!)

Then it was time to open gifts. All three children were allowed to open their new sleeping bags and lanterns. They also received a queen size air mattress. Who wants to camp on the hard ground? Rick, Anna Catherine, and Jackson were eager to start camping in the garage!

AC was ecstatic when she opened her singing Taylor Swift Barbie from Mimi!! THANK YOU MIMI!!!!!!

Then it was time to set up the air mattress and sleeping bags in the garage. Chloe was happy to play in the tent and would have probably laid down in her sleeping bag for all off...15 seconds. So she and I slept in the house. The campers hung their lanterns from the ceiling (my kids are afraid of the dark--they get it honestly). Rick read the kids three birthday books that Mrs. Gross sent home and then it was time to go to sleep. Sorry the pictures are a little dark and fuzzy. The sides of the tent are a dark mesh.

Well, Jackson lasted two hours and was back in the house at 9:45 pm after four or five trips inside for one thing or another. Once he left the tent, came inside, got another lantern (they already had two) and a step stool from the bathroom, took them into the tent and was trying to hang the lantern up when Rick woke up. That's a little unnerving for "woods camping" so Rick orI will have to sleep in front of the door to make sure he or Chloe don't wonder off! Jackson was happy sleeping on the couch in his sleeping bag watching his dinosaur movie. Rick and Anna Catherine came in around 4 am. The garage was a little too cold. They stayed our much longer than I would have!!

I think Anna Catherine had a marvelous day!!! Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes!! She felt very special!!

Where were you six years ago today?

January 22, 2009---Many of you probably can't remember what you were doing six years ago but I can remember it like it was yesterday. On January 22, 2003, I gave birth to the most perfect 7 lb. 4 oz. baby girl in the world named Anna Catherine Bailey Crawford. It is truly hard to believe that six years have come and gone. Every day I look at her and try to find that sweet little baby but instead find a young girl who is wise beyond her years. These are pictures of Anna Catherine from birth until today, her sixth birthday. She's my beautiful little princess who already thinks she's grown! In all honesty, she is growing up way too fast!!





5 days old:



6 months old:



1 year old:




2 years old:





3 years old:



4 years old:





5 years old:



Today, her 6th birthday: