T-ball Time!

Yes, it is hard to believe Collin is old enough to be playing t-ball. Well, if the truth be known, he really isn't. (He won't be 3 until July 19th.) But we thought it would be a good experience for him to be exposed him to something new. Start 'em out early, right? Anyway, I have learned that the whole t-ball experience is very chaotic yet somehow very laid back. And much to Collin's benefit, it is very parent-friendly ... Kyle stayed with him the entire time! We are so very proud of Collin for being so brave at such a young age!! So far, he loves to bat, but the whole "fielding the ball" concept will just have to wait for later years - ha. Here are some shots of him before and during his first two games.

Running to home plate and so excited!

Go Collin Go!!

High Five after scoring a run!

Miss Thang enjoying the game... or just the M&M's and all the attention from family

Brantlee climbed the bleachers so much that she lost her shoe! Thank goodness we had so much family there to handle her. Whatever it takes to get the dishes done is what I'll do.

All I can say is this cute little girl with all the curls on her head and bubbles on her toes is taking our patience to a whole new level. I deeply fear the coming months with "Sweet" B :/

Til next time :)

Happy Memorial Day

Isn't this picture priceless??!! It totally captures the essence of that first taste of watermelon of the season. We celebrated Memorial Day today with some BBQ at Lolly and Poppy's house. (Poor Derek was working and couldn't come. Darn oil field!) We enjoyed a nice, impromptu, relaxing evening.

I think it is safe to say that watermelon is a hit with the little ones.

Of course watching Poppy cut the watermelon was

just as good as eating it for Collin.

Precious time with Lolly and Poppy

Today Poppy took the kids through the "jungle" around his house

while they looked for the "sneaky snakes." That silly Poppy.
Here is Fischer rocking Brantlee's Dora sunglasses and bracelet!

Chilling by the kiddie pool while the little ones "swam"
I had to include this pic because guess who took it?? That's right, Mr. Collin.

He's getting pretty good at this!

Who needs a swimsuit?!

Really not wanting to do this, but giving me a fake smile anyway ;)

After church this morning and not in a picture taking mood.

This is how a typical day ends at the Crager home:
a 3-way wrestling match!!

We wish everyone a safe and fun Memorial Day!

Virus: Part II

This time it struck Collin. He appears to have the exact thing Brantlee had a couple weeks ago, high fevers and a tummy ache. But I figured he would’ve already had it by now. Collin’s symptoms started late Monday, and so far he has been a pretty good patient and has been in good spirits. He’ll say, “It’s okay Mama. I just feel a little bit bad.” Or, “My tummy feels sad.” Better yet, he'll say "Uh-oh, my fever's going up again." And sure enough I'll ckeck him, and he'll be burning up! It’s so hard to see your child sick :( Plus, he will have to miss his VERY FIRST tee-ball practice this afternoon! Bummer!!

Also, since school has been out, Brantlee has started back the trend of waking up at the crack of dawn, literally. This morning she woke up at 4:30. No, that wasn’t a typo. Of course, her leg was stuck in the crib rail, and I would’ve certainly raised heck about that myself, but still. She used to sleep until 7:30 or 7:45, unassisted and in her bed. Now, not nearly that late. ( I am convinced she wakes up so she can catch the earliest episode of Mickey Mouse Club House, which she calls “Mic Mouse.” )

Middle of the night dashes for Motrin + Break of dawn wake up calls = One groggy mama

I didn’t intend for this to be a whiney post, and I really don’t mean to complain. Brantlee has overall been a very good sleeper in my book. And if the truth be known, I really feel like it is time to transition her to a “big girl” bed. Sigh. Change is hard. And scary. I can just envision Miss Priss in the bathroom unrolling an entire roll of toilet paper at 3 a.m. –HA!

Here are some pictures from this past week. We are on the countdown for the beach. We leave one week from Sunday!! YAY! I cannot wait to get some sandcastle and pool pictures. These below will have to do for now.

Real men ride pink four-wheelers

And take naps in toy boxes- haha

Armed and dangerous

Feeding her baby

Before church this past Sunday

Check out that attitude!

Brandy tagged these photos on FB. Thanks!

Enjoying the park!

Collin at Karsen's 3rd birthday party

Being Crafty

The very title of this post makes me chuckle a little, because I am anything but crafty. I dream to be crafty and creative and artsy, but I am just not. I keep hoping just a little trace of my mom's craftiness will start surfacing soon. (Seriously, the woman can make anything.)Regardless, we have been experimenting with some art projects a little this past week.

What would life be like without a little finger paint every now and then?! We bought some yesterday, and naturally, it was an instant hit with the kiddos. This stuff washes easily out of clothes and wipes right off of tables, so no worries.

Collin was more into the painting than Brantlee. Let's just say she was a little more unpredictable than Collin. (The recommended age on the box said "3 and up" for a reason.)

This is Collin's spaceship. Can't you tell?? I certainly can!

Yes, Kyle is going to kill me for posting this,

but it is totally worth it!
Nice fire-breathing dragon, Babe!

Play Doh! Now this is more Ms. Brantlee's style. Here she is giving me her best "cheese" face.

Next on the craft agenda was my attempt at making hair bows. I think they turned out okay for my first go at it. Not that Brantlee appreciated my efforts. She despises bows and always has.

Brace yourself for this next craft......

Yikes!! Isn't it creepy??!! We made this thing out of "Bendaroos" that they advertise on TV. You can make practically anything if you follow the instructions. Collin has been fascinated by it. Brantlee likes to smash everything into a ball. (We also made a giraffe, but the poor thing is MIA right now.)

Not along the lines of crafts, but I think it is worth mentioning that we officially have a Shirley Temple in the family. For the past several weeks, Brantlee's hair has been growing like crazy! I honestly try to keep it combed and fixed, but by the end of the day it usually looks something like this...

Clearly, this baby needed a new technique. I have the flattest hair ever, so I was clueless on how to manage it. So...... we have been using a tiny bit of mouse and a wide-toothed comb to achieve this look....

Check out those curls!! I don't know how long they will last, but we are enjoying them for now.

Have a great weekend :)

Let Summer Begin!

Yay for summer break! It's official- this school year is over!! August will come soon enough, and I can't wait to enjoy these next few months.

This past week has been a little bit hard for Brantlee. Monday we decided to take Brantlee to a doctor to have an infected finger checked. When we got to the family clinic, she was running a fever of 103!! The dr felt like the fever was from the staph infection in her finger. Yikes! The next day she saw her pediatrician, who did not think the fever was from the infection but felt it was from a virus. What a coincidence??

Regardless, poor Brantlee ran a high fever until Thursday night along with a really sore finger. We have no idea why her finger is infected, and it is still not completely healed. She is still on antibiotics, but she does feel lots better. Since her fever was gone, and she was acting like her old self, we decided to take our chances and continue our weekend plans that we had made with our friends the Burchfields. We all participated in Gulfport's Pursuit of Fun Run, because all participants got free admission into the waterpark! We spent the night in Gulfport Friday night. The men ran the 5K, and Amy, Addison and I ran the 1-mile. Anything for free admission right??

Collin and Brantlee got a little antsy waiting for Daddy to get back from the run. And I just couldn't get many good pictures.

We only had time for some breakfast on the go. These babies were good sports tho :)
Kyle did so great!! One of his best times yet!

Then we got to really have some fun. Collin and Brantlee LOVED the water, the slides, and the wave pool. I can't wait for the beach!

Shortly after these pictures were taken, a major thunderstorm cleared out the park. We made a mad dash for our vehicle, changed the kids clothes in the car, and headed home. These babies were asleep before we hit the interstate, and they slept the whole way home. Fun times!! It was certainly a nice start to summer.