Jackson is 2!

Happy Birthday, Jackson!  I can't believe my little boy is 2 years old.  My Gram made Jack a cake that looked like a truck.  Jackson didn't care about the cake, but he sure did like the Oreos that she used to make the wheels.  We got him a basketball hoop, which he loves!  My aunt Rachel got him some cars, which were an immediate hit. So fun to have a boy!

Had to throw this one in here of Nana and EmJ - too cute!

Scary.

Not too long ago, we had that experience that every parent dreads.  We were hanging out with our lifegroup on our back porch when our neighbor came around and said, "There's been an accident.  Georgia is in the ambulance and they are on their way back to your house."  Brian and I hear only "Accident.  Georgia.  Ambulance."  Ellie, our next door neighbor, was watching Georgia and Jackson and had taken them back to the park.  I got through my head that they were on the way to our house, but why were they not here yet?  We waited for what seemed like an eternity for the ambulance to arrive.  It was not coming, not coming, not coming.  Thoughts were running through my head like, 'What if it is worse than they thought and they are taking her to the hospital?  What if, what if, what if?'  So, I did what any irrational mother would do in my situation - if the ambulance would not come to me, I would go to it.  I started walking up the hill from our house toward the direction I knew the ambulance would have to come to go to our house.  I finally spotted it down the street and they stopped to let me on.  Georgia was doing ok - a little upset, but handling it ok.  She was trying to climb on the jogging stroller and fell off and cut her head.  It is pretty amazing how much blood can come out of a tiny little cut on a 3-year-old head.  Ellie, our poor babysitter, did a great job taking care of everything.  Although Georgia had a rough time, I would say that it was probably the best night of Jackson's life.  He hopped off the ambulance at home saying, "Truck!  Amb-be-ence!"  Well, Georgia was fine, more scared than anything.  When I was putting her to bed that night, she said "The ambulance was pretty fun.  They didn't have to give me a shot.  I was cried a little because I was a little scared."  I could not say enough about the paramedics that helped her.  They invited us back to the firestation that weekend to see the trucks.  Here are the pics from our visit.

Spring Photos!

The lastest photos of the Coffey Clan - they are growing as fast as weeds!

 

Emory June is cuter by the day!

 

Just hanging out at the park - cute outfit courtesy of Nana.

  

You can probably tell by the look on Georgia's face that she is squeezing Emory right here, but EmJ doesn't seem to mind.  You can always tell when Georgia is going to have a little burst of energy by looking at her mouth - when those bottom teeth stick out, beware!

 

I love this picture of Jackson!  It is just like a little piece of his personality captured in a bottle.  Our sweet boy.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Well, my dad celebrated the big 55 on April 25th.  We had cake over at my Gram's house, after a day of gardening.  The kids are starting to really get into the whole birthday thing.  Jackson watched dad, "Poppy", with fascination as we sang to him and he blew out the candles.  Jackson is enamored with my dad - there is no other word for it.  It is amazing.  They have a bond.  It has been so neat for Brian and I to see how much he loves him (Both Jack to Dad and Dad to Jack).  When we go over there, Georgia yells, "Nana!", and Jackson yells, "Poppy!" Grandparents.  Let the spoiling commence.

 

Mom, I got some on my hands!

Yeah, I like it alright. :)

DC

We recently returned from a trip to Washington DC to visit Brian's mom.  It was a wonderful long weekend.  Mary got a separate apartment for us just down the hall from her (now that we have 3 kids, it is a little more difficult to just crash somewhere).  We went to the Air & Space Museum, Ben's Chili Bowl (a famous restaurant - one of the few to survive the riots after MLK was assissinated), and Brian and I even had a date night at Old Ebbitt Grill (a really neat restaurant by the White House frequented by past presidents).  It was great to see Brian's mom - Jackson added "gema" - his version of grandma - to his vocabulary, and all of the kids were, of course, spoiled rotten!  We swam in the pool and did a lot of eating - the beauty of vacation!

Friends and Family

It is so neat to see the kids interact with their friends - aka, the kids we put them around.  Here are some quick snapshots.

Eli comes over on Monday mornings.  Jackson was fascinated with Eli's glasses and found Georgia's sunglasses to match him.  He said, "Look, E!" These two will probably go to school together and grow up together - so neat to watch the beginning of their friendship.  Mostly Jackson just wants to wrestle Eli, and Georgia is trying to teach him to walk. 

(Emily, Georgia, Emory, Jackson, Ethan)

Julie, my cousin, watched all 3 of my kids the other evening.  She said that it was an effective form of birth control since she and her husband, Bob, are probably done having kids.  I am so thankful that we are in town with family and my kids get to grow up with cousins like I did!

Easter!

Ok, so I know Easter was a month ago, but I never got a chance to post these...so here goes.  I sang in the Easter choir for church (we only have a choir twice a year) and it brought back memories of the good old days in high school.  I really enjoyed singing, and I got to meet some more people from church too!  My parents and brother, Joey, were out of town in Florida, so we hosted Easter at our house.  My brother John came, along with my Gram, aunt Rachel, Aunt Martha & Uncle John, as well as their children (Sara/Wes - w/daughter, Emma, Mary, Matthew/Renee, David).  A good time was had by all.  Martha even set up an Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddos - eggs filled with goldfish and animal crackers (what a good idea!)

Thankfully, my mom was on top of things, and brought over Easter Egg dye and the kids colored eggs.  Jackson pretty much just threw the eggs into the mugs, splashing dye all over mom, but it sounds nicer to say that they "colored" eggs.

The kids LOVED finding eggs all over the yard.  Jack would find one egg and open it up, examine the contents, sample it, and then go look for the next one - hence, he ended up with about 3 eggs.  Georgia, on the other hand, flitted about the yard, scooping up as many eggs as her little hands could gather.  We had to make sure that she saved a few for Jackson and cousin Emma.

 

Georgia, Emma, and Jackson waiting to hunt for eggs.  They could barely be contained, as seen in the annoyed look on Georgia's face.  Jackson, as usual, is up for whatever. :)