Learning to Tie!

So....if you know my son...we can't rush things with him. He tends to get really frustrated if he can't do things just right! So we haven't pushed the learning of tying shoes. Well he has been asking and he has learned how to "tie" his robe. So today I gave him David's shoe and taught him how to tie like I used to teach my Kinder kids. (the bigger the shoe and shoe laces the easier to learn) I told him it takes lots of practice and if you get frustrated I will take the shoe away and we will try another day. He really impressed me...he said, "I will not get frustrated and just keep practicing!" Well...he did it! It was so fun to see him so proud of himself!

So it begins......

We are laughing instead of getting frustrated....good sign! It took a couple of tries but.....TA DA!!!

Christmas Eve and New Years Eve

We finally made it to Christmas Eve....not with out TWO advent calendars to help us get there with style. It is tradition in the Maulsby/Hines households to do Christmas opening on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day we do Santa and stockings and relax and play with new toys. So below are some pictures from our Christmas Eve night. We missed Mia and Miss Chloe got RSV two days after Christmas so we weren't able to open gifts with Mia.

Corbin is hugging and thanking Bones for his gift and for his gift of finding his old, cool Star Wars men!


There was a lot of Boomer Sooner gear for Christmas! (as always) Corbin got the Wii Nerf game....we think Poppy wants one next year. Let the kids play, Poppy! Chloe loves to color and had fun opening this year. She would say, "next present please!" Chloe and Bones playing with princess dolls.
Bones is playing with Chloe's dress up princess gift that we got her!

I am not sure, but I think Corbin is excited about this gift?

Thanks for my "American Girl" Ity Bity doll, Poppy! I love her!

Kisses and Hugs all around!
Yes...yes...that is right...Bones is still wearing the dress up earring!

Corbin and Daddy are tracking Santa on the web. He went back several times that night to see if he was getting closer.

Mama and Corbin are making "reindeer food" to put on our grass so Rudolph and the others will hit our house first on the block! Oats for the smell and glitter so the sparkle will catch the reindeer's eye!
I am thankful and grateful for a wonderful Christmas!



As for New Year's Eve.....Daddy and Mama went out to eat with several friends and then back to our friends house for games and fun. Mummy and Poppy were kind enough to keep our kids. Since Chloe was sick we felt much better leaving them with Mummy, Poppy & Bill and Carol Brewer.
Corbin tried really hard to stay up till midnight...but this is how they found him at 10:00 p.m. He was out for the night!
We look forward to watching our kids grow in 2009!!!

Busy December!!

We had a busy December...so hold on to your hats as I catch you up!



First we had Corbin's school program! The pictures didn't turn out but it was so cute. This is Chloe and Mummy getting ready to watch. Chloe kept shouting, "where's bubba?" during the performance?

Little Mommy!
This is the only picture that kinda turned out. They were getting ready to walk our and he was having fun with his buddies!

This is after the program at the class party decorating cookies. You didn't hear it from me....but...the blonde in the big bow....she is a "good friend" of Corbin's. It is Lauralee.

Here is Chloe soooo proud of her "Santa Claus" shirt. Whenever she wore this season she would show everyone and say, "look it is Santa Claus!"

This year we were able to go to a friends Church and see the "Living Nativity" and hear the story told of Jesus' birth. The kids really enjoyed it. We went with our good friends the Myers. (Emma and Alex are Corbin and Chloe's best buds)

All bundled up and ready to go...they had real cows, donkey's and camels.
Emma and Chloe in line....and Corbin is headed to the town of Bethlehem!This is my favorite story of the night. After we went through the "town" they sat all the kids down to start the walking story. It was quiet at first then all of the sudden you heard this loud banging noise. (the story teller was hitting his staff on the ground) He came out into the room and it was quiet and all you could hear was a little Chloe voice that said, "D-a-d-a?" I thought it was funny....so Chloe had to stay with Dada or Mama the rest of the way. Corbin, Alex and Emma did a great job sitting with the rest of the kids and listened to the story.

Poppy and I got to take Corbin to the Myerson this year for their annual Christmas concert. Corbin was so excited to go to his first "grown-up" concert. Dad and I almost cried when the symphony began because Corbin's eyes got so huge and a big smile went across his face. It was so beautiful and it was so wonderful to see it through a 5 year old's eyes. Corbin made it through the whole concert. (It probably helped that we had box seats for him to move around in....he was a pretty spoiled 5 year old that night) We asked him what was his favorite instrument was and he said, "the conductor....I want to be a conductor when I grow up!"
Another fun night was when we went on a carriage ride to look at Christmas light. It was a little chilly, but so much fun. The girls LOVED the Cinderella looking carriage that we rode in.

We are not sure what Bones is dressed for....but it is some kind of outfit! Looking Good!
Corbin, Chloe and Daddy getting ready to head out! When Chloe saw lights this season she would say, "Oh My Goodness!"

Christmas in OKC!

On our way to OKC...I turned around in the car and this is what I found. Bones and Corbin with underwear on their heads?????? It was a fun and crazy ride.

We started Christmas off the weekend before and headed to Edmond, OK to visit some of the Maulsby's family. Uncle Ken and Aunt Deb even let the whole crazy crew stay at their house. (Brave people) We had the best time. The kids just have so much fun together and it is a blessing to see them have fun together. When I think of Christmas....I think of spending it with the whole big family and being with cousins. So I love when my kids get to do that as well. My Jennah my Jennah even planned for the boys to go on the Polar Express Train while we were in OKC. So fun...they loved it. They wore their P.J.'s, drank hot chocolate, sang songs, and saw Santa all while riding on a real train. They even saw their Pal and Poppy act silly the whole time. Below are just a few pictures from that weekend. Beating up and playing with Bones is the most favorite past time!

The cousins....Chloe, Corbin, Jantzen, and Jaxson!

These sweet boys had so much fun! It reminds me of my sweet best friend and cousin Jennah! One of us is fair and the other is darker...just like our boys!

Silly....this is how I got the earlier cute picture. I said, "take a good picture and then you can do a silly picture!"

Hugging the G-Grandparents! Grammy and Gramps!

Chad, Jennah and I watching the kids play! Jennah is having baby # 3 due this summer! YEAH!

Family Pictures

Okay, so I don't know who in the world decided that we needed to take pictures of our precious, ever changing children.....but all I have to say to them is..."THANKS A LOT!!!" If you have young kids you know how stressful a day of pictures can be. Let's picture it together...shall we? First, it takes forever to pick the perfect outfit and then once you get it on the sweet child of yours it is either too big, too small, too itchy, etc! Next, the children are hungry and want to eat the second the picture people are FINALLY ready to take the picture. Also, your kids have been smiling all morning or all the way to the picture place and you are trying not to get your hopes up. When you arrive the only smiling going on is the perfectly put together kid and family that went right before you. Finally, it is time to snap those sweet, adorable kids and get the perfect picture. You are sweating while trying to help the poor picture person! Are we having fun yet??? You also know the feeling of pure joy when ONE picture turns out to die for, and then my friends it is all worth it! :)

Well, this year it was my bright idea to try to capture the whole family in some pictures. I know...what was I thinking? I actually have come a long way...I don't get stressed with pictures anymore and have come to LOVE the usually unacceptable picture. I want to remember my kids in pictures they way they were at this time and that is the answer to why we do this to ourselves. I found a lady that would come out to the house which is great for the young and the old. I was open to whatever we could capture. We got some GREAT ones and some not so great ones. (I will let you judge for yourself!!!) I do have to say, we all had a blast just being together in the organized mess! The highlight being Poppy hitting himself over the head with a ball over and over! I have to say I am pretty happy with how most of them turned out...thanks to Poppy! The whole family together will have to wait until the kiddos are older. Good Times! Enjoy. We took like 500 pictures....I edited out a few for ya!