Just some pictures I wanted to share. It's hard to get pics of Daddy and Helen some days because they get to spend so little time together. They usually have "Daddy Time" between 6 and 7 o'clock in the evening, but since the summer "paint" season began they get even less time than that. But that is more than some daddy's get with their kids. Helen has a great Daddy, don't you think?!
(See next post, this is the second for today)
I put Helen in a "Little Swimmer" diaper to go out to the pool today. Before we could go outside, I took a second to straighten up the living room and gather her toys to take with us. I walked over to the table and there stood this nut, who decided that she needed another diaper on:
I know it's a little blurry, but you get the idea. Kids....
We finally broke out the swimming pool Monday night and filled it up for Helen. We should have done it long before now, but we've been so busy, there's really been no time. Well, she totally knows what a pool is, but didn't call it a pool, instead called it "water."
"That's right baby, this IS water. It's your swimming pool. Whose pool is this?"
"Daddy's water?" she said sort of puzzled
"No baby, this is Helen's water. It's a POOL, for you to swim in."
"POO, WIM IN POO!!!!" Yep....that's right, she wims in poo.
Some cute pics to follow. Enjoy!
I tried to teach her the motions of paddling and kicking. She sort of got it. Since the pool sits on a grade, there is a really shallow end and a less shallow end. She actually ended up pushing herself across the pool. I was surprised that she let her legs float while her arms pushed. She crawled around most of the time! :)
She was so thrilled that I put some of her bath toys in the water with her! She really enjoyed being able to splash and dump water all over the place. Her favorite thing to do was to dump the water out of the pool. She also figured out that if you push the sides of the pool down into the water it makes for a fun time....GRR. I had to threaten to pop her if she kept doing it to get her to stop. She was determined that all of the water should be on the grass.
I call this shot "mini - Heisman." 
Every single time she'd fall she'd land like this. She would sit in the same place she fell and cackle and giggle like she was being tickled.
Last but not least, a twisted mouth close up. I'm not sure what she was about to say, but it sure made her mouth wonky.VBS. Ah, the joys and headaches planning it brings. For four days of bible school, there sure is a lot of prep work. There were so many people helping, in so many different ways, and yet, a 2 months in advance is barely enough time to get it all done.
I was (as I was last year) the "Story Room" Coordinator. Instead of doing a skit in front of the entire congregation, or puppets, or something to that effect, we have a story room where we do skits for each individual class. One night this week we did the story of Esther and I think it was the favorite of all the skits. I took some pictures of Emily (as Esther) and Helen when the toddler class came in to see the skits. Here they are:
Notice the microphone... Helen was given the microphone to play with after the skit was finished. *I didn't do it* She then became the story room spokesperson. She would talk into the microphone (all she would say is "AAAH") and then see if the other kids wanted to say something. It was HILARIOUS! She would put her entire mouth over the microphone...ew.
It was all I could do to get the thing away from her to get the class out of the room to get ready for the next class. .....that silly Helen
(See the other two posts below I made last night...I'm trying to catch up)
Brian and Helen were looking outside one evening before bedtime and Helen saw this little fella had come for a visit.
"Nake" she said.
"Yes that is a snake baby. Good job! ...KRISTY!! Come over here and hold her and watch where it goes. I'm gonna have to kill it" (This coming from someone who HATES with deep passion, any kind of snake)
This is the up close and personal shot I got as it wandered into our flowerbed next to the door. As I snatched up the curtain near the flowerbed so Helen and I could watch it, he stopped, dead halt, staring at us. I think he knew we couldn't get to him because he didn't jump at us, but he wouldn't take a chance at releasing is gaze.
Ugly fella....
This is what came around the corner at him. His gaze was fixed as well. LOL! Pretty intense for a guy who hates snakes. One wack of that shovel and it was over. That snake didn't have a chance. Helen didn't see her Daddy kill the snake, but I did. It wasn't pretty, but he wasn't taking any chances with missing it.
After he came back inside we got on the internet and found that it was a copperhead. They are pretty common in GA and only lethal to very small children if the snake is full grown. Thank the Lord Helen saw it through the window and not face to face.
(this is my second post for today, check out the next one too)
Helen's newest affirmative answer to everything is "K" as opposed to "Yes" or "All Right." She loves saying that and I'm not sure where she picked it up. I mention this because Helen and I have stepped into the crazy unknown of POTTY TRAINING......ew. (And every time I ask, "Helen, do you need to go pee pee in the potty." The answer is ".....K.") Sometimes I wonder if her answer really means OK. But usually she beats me to the bathroom, so I guess it does?
One might say....WHAT? How old is she.......18 months? Well, yes. If she hadn't instigated the whole thing, I wouldn't have started her until closer to 24 months. Maybe it was curiosity that made her say "pee pee potty" a week ago or maybe she really needed to go. Either way, it can't hurt to give it a shot. So, here we are with a munchkin learning to pee pee in the potty. :)
She's doing well thus far; better than I thought she'd do by day two. She has actually tinkled in the potty (3x today), but not without a little coaching. She's learning to feel and use the muscles she needs to to make these connections on her own which at day two is truly amazing to me.
I found these cool items at Potty Training Solutions called PODS that are basically a maxi pad for potty training and are "supposed" to give an easy transition between diaper and being fully potty trained. I'll get back to you about them as we progress. They seem to work, but then again, its DAY TWO! :) A peeve I have with these so far is that they are made to go in "big girl" underwear and well......they don't make underwear for children her size. She's got a tiny waist so with the POD and a tiny waist (and practically no booty) she walks around looking like a plumber all day long. (no offense Rotto Rooter) I've started pinning the sides up so they don't sag, but by three or so hours in the same pair they are stretched out! Poor thing. If anyone can help me find panties smaller than 2T (that don't cost $5 a pair), PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
I haven't gotten frustrated with the frequency of visits to the bathroom like I thought I would. I pray everyday that I'll have the patience I need to get through this stage of development, but I am certain to crack before too long. I try to stay positive, for her sake as well as my own. One of the things I find encourage me the most is reading up on the Quads out in the blogosphere. I know I've mentioned them before, but if you all have not had the pleasure of seeing these wonderful and strong women being moms, read up on them. These are are a few I like to visit to gain strength. Imagine potty training FOUR AT ONCE! (These women make me a believer the in the power of God and the strength of a mother):
Steece's Pieces
Quadville
Burkett Quad Squad
The Murray Crew
Other than this new venture, we are all still doing well and in good health, thank the good Lord for that. VBS is next week, so I am working with that effort. I have enlisted some wonderful people to help me and they have not let me down. Please keep me in your prayers that I don't get too stressed.......I have a tendency to do that.
XOXOXO to all of you!
Helen went to stay with my mom while we were at camp a few weeks ago. When we went to pick her up and she saw me she acted like she was being shy. After a few minutes with her she adjoined herself to my side and wouldn't leave. She gave me hugs and love and was very upset if I left her to go do anything. Helen has never been a huggie kind of person. She never really liked being held down long enough to give a hug, especially if I asked for one. Well, since that first minute we picked her up she's been a mommy's girl. I am so thankful for that. I think God knows I need a huggie/lovey little one. I have felt that I'd done something wrong for her not to want to love on me. I guess it just took a her a little while to realize the reason one would want to give a hug.
There has been very few people who could tear her away from me without taking her against her will and her wanting me back immediately. That person....yes....it's MIMI! Not daddy, not pawpaw, not uncle Ty like I thought it would be. It was Mimi! Isn't that so sweet! I have attached a picture of the Gray family that was taken this weekend in Carrollton (Helen is with Mimi). There are 4 generations of Gray represented here and it's so wonderful to see all of them. There are two families not represented that couldn't make it to the reunion and that is Eric (Brian's brother and his wife Haley) and Todd (Brian's first cousin and his wife and two children). That's 6 people we would have crammed into this picture. Thank the good Lord for family! The Grays are a great group and I love them so much. I'm glad I got the opportunity to be a part of them!
We did so much in such a short amount of time at camp two weeks ago I can barely recount it all in one day, let alone in one blog. I am still catching up on my sleep from it, actually. We went to Palmetto Bible Camp in Marietta, South Carolina for an entire week, yep seven days. We met some awesome people, made some awesome friends, and had some great Christian fun. It never ceases to amaze me how Christians have such bonds. I'd only met one or two people at this camp before the week began and I walked away with so many fun memories. I think that if there is a heaven on earth it's at camp. The singing is great, the fellowship is great, and fun is great, and God is always there. Who wouldn't love that.
I've attached several pictures for you all to see. I hope you will enjoy.
Oh, btw, there are so many pictures that were not taken by me. Most of these are from a girl named Kierra. She was one of the campers in cabin five with me. She's totally awesome. I totally bummed them from her facebook, with her permission of course!
Brittni, Hannibal, and Emily - some of the greatest counselors at camp
Jasmine (her friends call her Jazz) - one of the sweetest and coolest teenagers I had the opportunity to meet
Wes trying is hand at song leading. He did pretty well.
Jillian after being "banana-creme-pied"
Brian hiking up to the waterfall and then to the "sliding rock." (God-made water slide)
The base of the water fall
Team 5 (our team) playing human battleship
Pancake the dog taking an afternoon snooze
Our masquerade masks at the banquet
Water Slide (and the geese)
The Ark
The Miniature Golf Course
Canoeing on the lake
Our "helicopter" for our Coast Guard Skit
Our Boat for the skit
The driver
And the best shot of the weekend....on the way home, the boys slept...just like this.
