Go Will and Steve Go!

Our backyard is coming along quite nicely thanks to Will Scott and Steve Downing. Will has worked for the family for about 4 years now, and when he is here he works incredibly hard. We are thankful to have him. He and Steve moved the entire dirt pile to the backyard in a little over a week, and now they are laying bermuda sod. Here are some pictures to show you their work in progress.

Rain + Dirt = More Fun!

Mama so prowe

Though it is informal (he is enrolled in Downing's ITT Potty Tech this summer), Matthew has been undergoing a little potty training. This morning after doing some serious business in the potty he called his daddy. This is what was said:

Daddy: Hello?
Matthew: Me poo poo potty!
Daddy: Oh that is great, Matthew!
Matthew: Mama so prowe o me!
Daddy: Daddy is so proud too!
Matthew: Bye Bye

It is true. I am so prowe!

Yet Another Quiz

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Mother and Wife
2. Account Manager
3. Account Executive
4. Sales Associate

Four Movies I have watched over and over :
1. Sound of Music
2. Pretty Woman
3. Steel Magnolias
4. Grease

Four Places I have lived:
1. Clarksdale, MS
2. Denver, CO
3. Atlanta, GA
4. Oxford, MS

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. CSI
3. Desperate Housewives
4. Brothers & Sisters

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Bermuda
2. Hawaii
3. England
4. Italy

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Rice
2. Artichokes
3. Gussie Mae's Chicken and Dumplins
4. Nam's Dressing

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. On any beach
2. Anywhere on vacation with Steve
3. In the middle of a great book
4. In a European city outdoor cafe, drinking a cup of something yummy and watching all the hustle and bustle while knowing there was no place I needed to be other than right there

The Neighborhood Attraction

The dirt pile is a big hit among the neighborhood kids! Hayes Clegg and Kate Murphey played on the dirt pile with Matthew for hours yesterday afternoon.

Instant Entertainment

DIRT!

David Carr delivered a huge pile of dirt this morning. It will ultimately be used to level the backyard and make new flower beds, but now it is a major construction area for Matthew. Here are pictures from this morning. I am sure we will have many more to post on the blog.

His Highness's Throne

The other day Matthew wanted his potty. So I took off his britches and diaper and put the potty on the living room floor so he could watch tv while he did his deed. I went to the kitchen to do something, probably not cook. :) After a little while I went back into the living room to check on him. This is what I found:

What a Weekend!

We saw Mate, Joni and Uncle Glyn this past weekend! We ate incredibly well - Indian one night, crawfish the next, and two big breakfasts, and we played incredibly hard at an awesome playground. Thank you Mate, Joni and Uncle Glyn for making it a fabulous weekend! Our only regret - PICTURES! We were so caught up in the moment we forgot to take a single shot.

"Precious Sight"

I figured it out! Last week while I was singing lullabies to Matthew he requested a song, but I had no idea to what song he was referring. Over and over again he would request "Precious Sight".

Matthew loves the song "Lord, You Are" because the lyrics include the word precious. He obviously thinks it is too cool that Precious has her own song, and he requests the song often. He really stumped me with the "Precious Sight" request.

But before his nap today we figured it out. I sang the song, "Jesus Loves the Little Children". After I finished he looked at me and said with a big smile on his face, "Precious Sight." Yep, that's right! Here are the lyrics to the un-p.c. version I grew up singing:

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

Click HERE for the tune.

Call Waiting

Precious and Papa babysat Matthew Saturday night while Steve and I went to dinner with our supper club at Nawlins. While hanging out at P&P's Matthew pretended to call Anna Carson and Chloe Tyner on a toy phone. In the middle of the "call" apparently his cousin Pete beeped in because he looked up at Papa and said, "Call waiting". Then he proceeded to talk on the phone to Pete.

Matthew's Version of Hotty Toddy

Matthew has discovered the liquor cabinet and has grown quite fond of the airplane bottles contained therein. Sometimes he wants to take them with us to run errands or maybe put them in his book bag to take on a play date. Thankfully I have managed to keep them out of the book bag on Sunday mornings.

The other day must have been a long one for him because he went straight to the liquor cabinet after dinner. As he was carrying an armful of airplane bottles into the living room he looked up at Steve and said, "Hotty Toddy".

Oh my! What have we created?!?!

The Mathews Came to Visit Us!!!

Jack (3), Jeb (2), Will (9mos), Hilary, and Michael Mathews drove all the way from St. Louis for a visit with us! All the Downings were absolutely in heaven. It was more fun catching up with them. We sure wish they lived closer!!!

Baby Dominic

Mary Lea Birdsong brought over baby Dominic for a little visit last week. Matthew gave him a few kisses and was incredibly gentle. Whew.

Quiz

Instead of emailing this to a bunch of people, I thought I would just post it on the blog. If you have time I would love to receive your answers. Just email them to me.

1. FIRST NAME? Anne Clark

2. ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Maternal grandmother and paternal great grandmother (I think)

3. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? last Saturday - reading a caring bridge journal entry

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? not at all. never have liked it.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? ham

6. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes - one, two if you count my husband

7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? absolutely

8. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? occasionally

9. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? no. They were removed when I was very young. Then when I was in my teens a doctor looked in my mouth and told me my tonsils looked healthy and great. I never went to see that "doctor" again.

10. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? no, but parachute out of an airplane, maybe

11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? fruity pebbles

12. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? no

13. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? physically - in a way emotionally - sometimes

14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? pralines and cream

15. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? the expression on their faces

16. RED OR PINK? red

17. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? teeth

18. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? maternal grandfather

19. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I think I may post this on my blog, so it would be interesting to see who sends it to me

20. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING? jeans and blue slippers

21. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? rice with soy sauce

22. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Matthew's noise maker over the baby monitor.

23. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? cerulean

24. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SMELLS? Matthew's bad baby breath

25. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Steve

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? absolutely - Gwen Coffey

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Coca Cola

28. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? College Football

29. HAIR COLOR? Blond - or whatever Igor mixes up

30. EYE COLOR? Blue

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? yes - The big E is a complete blur

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Gussie Mae's chicken and dumplings and Nam's dressing

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings

34. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED ? Little Miss Sunshine

35. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? yellowish

36. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter

37. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs

38. FAVORITE DESSERT? coconut creme pie

39. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Maxine

40. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? ??

41. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? True Evil by Greg Iles

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV. LAST NIGHT? Basketball game UConn v Villanova

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Tie

44.WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Italy I guess

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can roll my stomach

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Clarksdale, MS

47 WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Anyone

48. ANY TATOOS? Absolutely not - never - Pete Johnson would die

Weekend in Atlanta

We were in Atlanta last weekend visiting family. It was a great trip!


We went to Target.


We played at the Peachtree Dekalb Airport playground with Grammy and Maxine.

Playground at Pete's School

Pete down


Sam down


Matthew down

Pretty Days

The weather is much better than it has been. Monday and Tuesday were warmer but still windy. That didn't hold us back. We battled the wind and played outside. Today is absolutely gorgeous. After Matthew wakes up from his nap we plan on spending the afternoon outside. Here are a few pictures taken Monday.

Happy Valentine's Day

Last week at the park I tried to get a picture of Matthew holding an "I Love You" heart. He wasn't a big fan of the heart and ended up practically throwing it at me and telling me no. Alas, the following pictures are the best of the best. Hope you have a happy valentine's day. Matthew really does love you. He just doesn't love the heart. :)

Happy Birthday Matthew!

Matthew's Birthday is Today! We started celebrating yesterday with a visit from Clarksdale's finest fireman!


Matthew was eating lunch when he heard the fire engine's siren. He ran outside and into Uncle Robert's arms. When he was close to the firetruck he was a little apprehensive, but Uncle Robert held him close and told him it everything was fine. It was quite a treat to have a home visit from the firetruck when nothing is on fire!

Presents!

We celebrated Matthew's birthday last night at Precious and Papa's. (Steve and I are going to a wedding tonight.) Uncle Robert, Robert, Nam, and Claudia were on hand for the festivities. We opened presents, ate cake, and played with presents. After I put Matthew to bed we ate Gussie Mae's famous chicken and dumplins and celebrated my birthday. Yesterday was a great day!

Nam Gave Matthew a drill and tool set. It was a huge hit.




Steve and I gave him a broom, dust pan, and mop. Matthew absolutely loves to clean, so this present was a big hit too.