Bailey: Almost 1 Year Later

Santa brought (George) Bailey, the sheepadoodle almost 1 year ago. It's a good thing Santa didn't bring us a small dog, because a small dog would have had the life loved out of him by now...Of Mice and Men style.

Bailey has become a part of the family and is well cared for by his best friend, Annabelle, who feeds him, plays with him, fixes his hair with bows and tiaras, covers him up with blankets, and takes him for wagon rides. He allows her to get in his crate with him.  And when it's time to leave I have seen her on many occasions set a family photo in front of his crate so he won't get lonely.

My personal favorite is when Annabelle holds Bailey's face in her hands and with a deep gravelly voice says, "You're a good boy, Bailey! Yes, you are!"

Bailey takes great pleasure is waking up the boys every morning by jumping on their beds and licking them until they get up.  Let me say, the boys just love that (sarcasm)!

Bailey has several nicknames...Cody calls him Bayles. Other nicknames are Bailey Waley, Stay Bailey Hutchinson,  of course Bailey Ray Cyrus...

We only call him George Bailey when he's in trouble...just like the other kids.

Annabelle's Christmas Program

We snagged front row seats, but unfortunately, she was mostly hidden by the kids in front of her.  She did a fantastic job singing and doing the motions.  I had a hunch Joy to the World was one of the songs they were going to sing because Annabelle suddenly started singing it around the house and it's not really one of the first ones that kids learn on their own.  And she had her own little twist on it.  Sometimes she would start shouting JOY TO THE WOLD at the end and sometimes she would do the shouting thing followed by the word caboose??  I need to ask her teacher about that? We're still scratching our heads because caboose was not part of the program however the shouting part was. She was precious!

Christmas Party for Barrett's class

I was able to join Barrett's class for the holiday party and take pictures.  The kids had some fun and funny games to play!  It was quite chaotic...I left a little rattled...I don't know how teachers do it.

Christmas Card Photos

We went to a tree farm to take our family christmas card photo this year.    The first 3 did not make the cut for the card but I still like them.

BeautyFull

There may come a day when you will try to fit the mold and conform.  You might want to dress just like your friends.  Somebody might tell you that rubber boots are only for rainy days or tutus are for ballerinas only or white is not to be worn after labor day.  You may someday read in a magazine that your favorite color, pink polkadots, is "so yesterday" and shove your favorites to the back of the closet.  Somebody someday may try to make you feel less pretty in order to make themselves feel better.  When that happens I hope you know that you are beautiful...BeautyFull...as in full of beauty...and beautiful is not about what you wear.  Beautiful is about how you act and feel...it's confidence knowing you ROCK the pink polkadot-rubber-boots-on-the-wrong-feet-on-a-sunny-day look!  Beautiful is helping others feel pretty. Beautiful is a smile on your face and kindness in your heart. Beautiful is knowing what you love and seeking it out, or making it happen.  Beautiful is being true to who you are and the person God created.

There is nobody else who can rock the pink-polkadot-backwards-rubber-boots-on-a-sunny-day-look better than you because there is only one you!

And lastly, but not leastly, IF someday, you do choose to ditch the boots and/or the polkadots, I hope it's because you have found something that speaks to you and who you are even more, and NOT because someone made fun of you or a magazine told you it was out of style.

"What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in."  ~1 Peter 3:3-4

"You're amazing just the way you are" ~ Bruno Mars

Scary stuff

Annabelle,

Recently at nighttime, you have suddenly become scared about a few things.  I know that this is a phase and many kids your age have nighttime fears.  I did when I was your age.  I was scared of  monsters...think Cookie Monster but with black fur.  When I look back now it seems ridiculous, but at the time, it was very real and very scary for me.   This is something you will overcome and look back and smile about...maybe even laugh.  I'm writing about it NOT to make fun of you, but to document it as a milestone...as something difficult that I know you will overcome.  One day you will look back at this and see that this fear was silly, as are many fears and we shouldn't let them rule our lives.

This all started when you had a dream that there was a mouse in the attic space next to your room.  I showed you pictures of cute little mice and tried to show you that they couldn't hurt you.  I showed you the attic space and we looked for mice and found none.  Gigi and I asked you what the mouse said and you said, "squeak, squeak." There was no convincing you.  You haven't slept in your room since.

Then there's your other fear: Mr. Cuddles.  Yes, you are very afraid of a teddy bear named Mr. Cuddles.  In fact, we have to move Mr. Cuddles every time you want to go in a room he's in.

Like I said, I am confident that you will someday look back at this and laugh even though it's very real for you now.

I love you...fears or not.

Love,
Mommy

Trunk or Treat and Halloween

 Mermaid Annabelle

 Kyle won a prize for the best boy costume for his Paul Bunyan!

Barrett the Stick Figure - cooler after dark...and after some modifications