Sex Preferences

Haha...did I freak everyone out with that title?  This is not a dirty post.  I am completely amazed that kids are born with preferences to toys according to their sex.  At least mine are.  With Devin I always assumed he loved balls and any vehicle on wheels because that is simply what we chose to buy for him.  But then I remember that he had approximately 15 stuffed monkeys in his room and there were repeated attempts to get him interested in them.  But no.  Nothing.  Then Jaycie came along and she has a clear preference to everything girly.  She loves books and will walk around with a doll or stuffed animal snuggled against her face for 75% of the day.  Sure she likes to play with the occasional ball or car, but her love is for her dolls.  Is it genetic?

Devin's preference: anything with wheels, but mainly airplanes.  I know...slightly OCD with the line thing.

Then there's Jaycie.  100% girl.  How does that happen?

Tag Your It

This is the tenth photo on my computer (see below) and it's not very exciting.  We went to the park one day in our neighborhood and Devin runs off as usual.  I'm messing with Jaycie so it's probably a good five or ten minutes before I realize he is talking to someone.  So I look up and don't see anyone.  Then I see this horse in his hands and found his new friend.  He was talking to the horse.  A horse I've never seen before.  A horse that was laying in the mud probably overnight.  Gross.  I told him that wasn't ours, it was dirty, and to get rid of it.  So he puts it up on the fence, yells "see ya later", and throws it from the top of the playground to it's immediate and most likely painful death.  Sorry Friend.

Tag your it.

Here's what you do:
Go to your picture file and open the first folder and pick out the tenth photo. If your folder doesn't have ten pictures in it, because the first one I opened did not, then open the second one.
Write about that photo and tag some friends.

I tag: EVERYONE WHO READS THIS!

Have Fun!

Attempt at Family Portraits

We made an attempt to get some family photos the other day. I stressed about it for days and then tried not to get disheartened when Devin wouldn't cooperate and Jaycie had had enough. But somehow, probably due to Madison's skills, my sneak peek turned out ok.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a few more soon.

(Photos taken by Madison Eppley)

Let the Sleepovers Begin

This was actually Devin's second sleepover with Cole and it wasn't technically a sleepover because Cole disappeared on Devin in the middle of the night, but it was a lot of fun. They played for a while with marble trails, cars, blocks, and trains. I love to just sit and listen to them interact with each other. They actually talk about things and swap toys and propose changes in activities. I can't believe how old they are getting. It didn't take long for them to request a movie and popcorn. That seems to be their thing.

Once the popcorn was gone and they played some more, it was time to cuddle. It was tastefully done, no tootsies, just manly bonding.

Then of course, just before bedtime, Cole started growling like crazy. A serious wrestling match ensued and I'm glad to announce there were no broken bones this time.

Following a short reading of Peter Pan, they finally crawled into Devin's bunk beds and went to sleep (after giggling for 20 minutes and a threat of separation). Cole really is Devin's best friend. He was so sad to wake up and find Cole missing. Maybe next time we'll get to keep him until morning!

Faces

Devin has become our little comedian lately. He loves to be silly and his goal is always to make people laugh. In other words, he is Jamin reincarnated. His #1 tool...his faces. He has thousands. Here are a few from dinner the other night:

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone is enjoying this joyous season and has a very

Merry Christmas!

A Whole Lot of Updates

It's been ages. I don't have an excuse, I just didn't want to blog. So I apologize. I'm sure I missed many amazing moments in everyone's lives and I will try my hardest to catch up. Here's a little of what's been going on over at the Austin's.

We love our house and especially love the neighborhood. Halloween was a blast...so many kids walking the streets and neighbors sitting on their porches...did I mention that I LOVE our neighborhood?

Devin was an army man and got to trick or treat with his friend Cole.

Jaycie was an angel...so beautiful.

November brought several exiting events. First, Devin turned three!

I can't believe I have a three year old. So far I'm liking the threes much more than the twos.

A few weeks later, Devin broke his arm. He was wrestling with his friend Cole, they fell softly to the ground, and Devin somehow fractured his arm on Cole's face. It's amazing...not only are his muscles "soft" but apparently he has brittle bones as well. He's done really well. He doesn't notice the cast at all and he gets to take it off next wednesday.

Thanksgiving was fantastic. Definitely one of my favorite holidays. The whole family was together at my mom's house and Jaycie decided that was a good time to start walking! Now she is all over the place just relishing in her new freedom.

And lastly, Jaycie turned one yesterday. We had a last minute family party (I actually didn't even know about it) so I have no pictures. I can just assure you that she is beautiful and thriving!

My baby is no longer a baby and I was surprised at how sad that made me. She climbs stairs, walks around like she owns the place, loves to carry around my cell phone against her ear and jabber, loves a good book just like her mom, talks a ton but doesn't say much yet, eats anything she can get her hands on...her eight teeth help, plays with her big brother whenever he allows it, and absolutely loves the doll and blanket her great grandmother made her. She has been the perfect addition to our little family.

Busy Little Beavers

It's been a hectic, stressful, and exciting few months. But it is finally over and we are happy to announce we have a new house! WOOHOO!

Our New Address:
1505 Oakcrest Dr.
Providence Village, TX 76227

What Have I Done?

It started with an off-hand comment. Then it became a discussion. Lots of opinions were given. A decision was made. And now I can't take it back...

...well, I could, but I don't want to.

The decision landed us at Claires. By us, I mean me and Jaycie. I'm sure you have all figured out what went down. Here is the happy unsuspecting old Jaycie.

This was taken as they were shoving the metal post through her ear. It took her about 10 seconds to figure out what happened and then the tears came. It was incredibly hard to sit through but shortly after the second ear was done, she was over it. And now she has adorable pink sparkly flowers in her ears!

I LOVE IT!

And She's Off

Jaycie has been pretty busy lately. This last week has been eventful for her as she has started feeding herself and moving around more. It's been a pretty big change. She can drink her bottle all by herself and she feeds herself crackers and other cut up food. It frees up a lot of my time. I LOVE this stage!

She is also army crawling everywhere. This is so exciting for me because Devin never did any of this. Devin did this weird creepy crawly thing that was rare and had to be bribed out of him with food. She just takes off every chance she gets in search of something to put in her mouth. I guess that's the downside though. I'm going to have to actually baby proof this time around.