Davy Crockett

"Born on a mountaintop in Tennessee,
greenest state in the land of the free,
raised in the woods so he knews every tree,
killed him a b'ar when he was only three.
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier."  

Davy Crockett, the larger-than-life figure, epitomizing American strength and character, rose from poverty to national fame and a seat in Congress, and is forever remembered for his role at the Battle of the Alamo.  Famous in his day, his fame reached cult status thanks to the 1950's Disney movie and ballad.  Davy Crockett, "the buckskin buccaneer," is one of our nation's most popular historical figures - and certainly a fun figure to study! 

Living near Davy's "mountaintop" in north eastern Tennessee meant a trip to David Crockett Birthplace State Park was a fitting and convenient addition to our studies.  Set on the Nolichucky River, the small park, along with a campground and swimming pool, features a small museum and replica Crockett family cabin.  The museum showcases portraits and documents from the life and legend of Davy Crockett, along with information about frontier life in the late 1700's.   

*The kids memorized 5 verses of the Ballad of Davy Crockett as part of our schooling this month :)

"On this spot Davy Crockett was born Aug 17 1786"

*This stone is believed to be a footstone from the original Crockett cabin.  The Crockett land was purchased in 1824.  The new owner dismantled the original cabin to use the wood logs for a new home.  The footstone was left at the original site.  In 1880, the inscription was added to the footstone. In the 1950's, the Davy Crockett Birthplace Association used the original logs to build a Crockett family cabin replica. 

While the museum and cabin provided a wealth of information, the kids especially enjoyed romping along the Nolichucky River - the park was gorgeous! 

*In 1967, a large monument was erected at the park.  Surrounding the "Crockett" memorial is a wall containing the names of all 50 states inscribed in stones native to each state. 

Hungry

Little Miss Emory has developed a very healthy appetite!  At 9-1/2 months, Emmy joins us at the table each meal, munching on Cheerios, cooked carrots, scrambled eggs, yogurt, sweet potato, and pureed butternut squash . . . and squawking for more!  She's quite a cutie :)

*Emmy also had her first taste of Ethiopian food this past weekend - our traditional "first food" for our babies.  Kik Alicha (yellow split lentils in a mild sauce) and injera may not have been her very first food, but is was one of her firsts, and she LOVED it!

(Little one still nurses 6x/day :)

Addy Additude

Sweet Addy has always had a large personality.  At nearly 20 months old, she's talking more and more each day, and seeming like such a big girl!  She's so stinkin' cute!   



Addy's phrases:
"Tess-e-aye here!" (patting the seat next to her for Tesfaye to sit)
"Mimi up" (to let us know Emory is awake)
"Me get up" (asking to get out of her crib)
"Tess-e-aye pray"
"Mama, paci" (she knows who the weak link is when it comes to her paci)
"Doggy here"
"Lala here" (Layla)
"He-wah cookie" (pleading to sister Hiwot for something other than the meal served)
"Mama nose.  Burkey Nose.  Me nose." (pointing)
(she can also point to her belly, mouth, hair, ears, hands, teeth, feet, eyes . . . )
"Outside" (she always wants to follow her siblings outside to play)
"Dabney poopoo diaper" (taking charge in the diaper department)
"No!" (used too often - ha!)
"Thank you"
"Pick up"
"Me up"
"Up up up" (she likes to be picked up!)
"Go to bed" (she doesn't like going to bed herself, but will happily tell us when Mimi needs to go to bed)
"My" (mine)
"No!  My!"  
"One two three"
"e-i-e-i-o" (she sings to herself)
"Mama, look!"
"Tess-e-aye, look!"
"He-wah, look!"
"Dabney, look!"
"Daddy, look!"

Little Miss keeps us on our toes!
Assertive, coordinated, independent, intelligent, aggressive, stubborn, and affectionate - and so amazing :)

She has mastered the art of asserting herself - loudly screaming "NO-wah!" in her slightly gravelly/husky voice for any perceived infraction, and sometimes resorting to physical means to get her way (hitting).  We try very hard not to laugh, knowing that while this is incredibly cute now, very soon it will no longer be cute. :)

Addy loves to run away - and her super cute pigeon-toes and bowed legs are FAST!  Yet another cute-for-now habits we're needing to break.  She sure loves to play chase, and her giggles are amazing.

She is incredibly independent and does not like being restrained in anyway.  She really does not like having her diaper changed - at all!  And, being so strong she's a bit hard to restrain.  We have found she tolerates it best when she has a job: holding the diaper and passing the wipes.  She also really doesn't enjoy getting rubbed down with lotion, a must for her eczema - the girl doesn't like being restrained!  Appealing to her independent nature makes this task a lot easier.  Addy likes helping out, although she does tend to dip her entire hand in the lotion tub, getting it everywhere!

Addy is very curious, very observant, very smart, and definitely thinks she's very big.  She'll join right in, helping out with chores - unloading the dishwasher, picking up toys, throwing away trash (and silverware and dishes), and even attempting to sweep with the broom.  She's always right in the center of the activity, and tends to lead and direct - "Tess-e-aye, here!"  :)

We are working to wean her off her paci.  She has been very attached to her infant pacifier, VERY attached.  Unfortunately, we've noticed significant misshaping of her teeth and palate as a result of her favorite soother.   It's been hard - poor baby girl! 

We have to be careful, Addison is very adept at removing her own clothes and diaper.  Not nearly as potentially messy, and much cuter, she also likes to put on clothes.  Shoes sitting around the house, she'll plop down and put them on her own feet, shuffling around in them.  She grabs socks out of our sock bin, put them on, and pull them up to her thighs.  She takes pants out of her drawer and will layer them over her clothes.  And, she loves to find girls undies, wearing them around the house - ha!

Addy gives the very best hugs - holding on so tight, and the very best kisses.  Sitting at our meal table, she chatters and talks, giggles and leads, smiles and plays.  During the day she pals around with her sisters, always very aware of "Mimi," looking after her baby sister (although she can tend to be a bit rough - uh oh!).  She's also very good to seek out hugs and snuggles, asking herself up onto laps and into arms.  And she really does give the best snuggles! 

She is such a joy and delight. We love our Addy!

*To Addy, I am "Mama," "Mammy," or "MAAAHM!"  :)

Pulling Up!

Miss Emory has a new trick . . . pulling up to a stand!

Our little one has been pulling to a stand in her crib.  Getting back down is another story, so sleep has been drastically cut at naptime.  But, we are so proud of her new accomplishment.  She's getting so big!

*Emory really is a big girl - at 9-months-old she weighs in at 18.8 lbs (and she's standing 28.5" tall!). 

Wheels

The boys (and girls) have been busy mastering their new Christmas wheels - and our driveway provides the perfect slope surface for beginning board riding.
Even daddy has been outside with the kids showing off his hidden skateboard talents!

(*Our newly cleared out garage has also been great for practice in inclement weather - yay for having the moving boxes gone!)

NINE

My name is Maegli Virginia.  I like to sing and dance and tonight I'm going out to dinner.  We're going to Wendy's.  I'm nine years old and I'm the middle child of our family.  I have five older siblings and five younger siblings.  I was born at a hospital but the nurses told my mom I wasn't going to come.  I was born after the nurses left the room with only my mom and my dad in the room.  I was born under the sheets, my dad said I just flew out.  I have blond hair and blue eyes.  I really want long hair when I get older.  My youngest sibling is 9 months old.  My oldest sibling is 12, almost 13.  This year for my birthday, I'm going to have a Lego City birthday cake.  My mom made a blueberry cake and she's going to put icing and Lego figures on it.  I designed it.  I share a room with 3 other girls in our family.  When I get older I hope it's just me a Hiwot in a room.  I have a dog named Layla.  My mom took a picture of me with Layla.  Today is my birthday.  I hope you enjoy reading this!
Love,
Maegli xoxoxoxo

Happy Birthday to our 9-year-old!

silly, singing, dancer; fun loving, creative, dramatic, spotlight loving, pink-loving, stuffed-animal-filled-bed, obsessive cleaner; emotional roller coaster, sensitive, energetic, bookworm; diary writing,  affectionate, chatterbox, collector; artist; loud, giggler . . . and so much fun!  

Maegli brings so much drama, joy, and fun into our world.  We are so thankful for our girl! 

Favorites at 9:

food:  kiwi

dessert:  ice cream sundae with a bunch of caramel and chocolate and stuff like that

drink:  Shirley Temple (soda with lots of cherries)

restaurant:  that Ethiopian restaurant we went to in Memphis, it's so good (Abyssinia)

sport:  tag

color:  pink

superhero:  Wonder Woman

flower:  some kind of pink flower

animal:  unicorn - is that for babies?  oh well, I like them even though they're not real.

movie:  Harry Potter

book:  Harry Potter (I've read three)

animal: dogs, they're smart

toy:  I don't know yet since I have a birthday and I might get some new toys

inside activity:  read and color

outside activity:  riding the scooter

school subject:  "Explode the Code" - it's so easy, and cursive handwriting

game:  Mad Gab and chess

with sisters:  Make them clean - no, I'm just kidding!  Play.  We play sisters or mother and babies.

with brothers:  I play Lego games with Kolpin a lot.

outing:  the mall - I like to visit Claire's because there is a bunch of makeup that I love to stare at and I really want to get my ears pierced and you can get your ears pierced there.

   with daddy:  wrestle - I like when he throws me.  At the beach he picks me up and throws me into the waves.  

with mommy:  reading books

vacation spot:  the beach (Outer Banks)

something new I enjoyed this year:  I did my first play.  I loved it.  I got to sing on a microphone.

something I want to try next year:  knitting

career aspiration:  I want to be a famous singer because you get to sing on a microphone and even though I've already done it, I want to do it again.  

my life in 25 years:  I will be living in a hotel because my husband will buy one, and I'll have a hundred kids who will all get their own room in the hotel.  And I'll be famous all around the world because I'll be a singer.  I'm going to sing pop songs about God and Jesus.  I'll sing about Jesus so other people will know about Him. The hotel will be at the beach so we'll play in the waves all day long, the kids and me.  

all-time favorites:  unicorns, mommy, daddy, babies (cute ones), dance, singing (rock star and pop star, yeah!), Jesus and God, chess, bikes, scooters, coloring books, reading, Hiwot, rootbeer, strawberry cake, cucumbers, peppers, building forts, crayons, carrots, my bed and my fuzzy pink blanket.

dislikes:  tomatoes, toots, the dark, going to bed early, waking up early, bats, little sisters making messes, vacuuming the whole house, socks with holes, getting sick

ok, that's all.

 Maegli had her 9th birthday planned out in advance:

*She woke early, wanting to be awake for the moment she turned nine! 
baked french toast and orange slices for breakfast,
poppyseed chicken casserole (made by Hendrick) and broccoli for lunch
time to read
funny kid videos
dinner out at Wendy's
blueberry Lego cake :)
wish list: Lego base plate, Lego City, coloring books, reading books, Harry Potter movies, pretty dresses, socks, hairbands, jewelry, clip-on earrings.

Happy Birthday sweetheart! 

9 Months Old

Emory Ann, Emmy, "Mimi" to her big sister Addy, is a sweet 9-month-old bundle!

This little one is growing so fast and so well, and brings so much joy to our world.  She is getting to be quite the busy bee, crawling up and over and everywhere and putting everything in her mouth - we've all had to be on high alert to protect our girl from bumps, fall, and Legos(!).

Thankfully we have a lot of helpers keeping a close watch on our baby girl.  She has a crowd of adoring siblings!  Giggles and grins from Emory are hot commodities in our household - thankfully she is very generous giving away these joyful gifts.  She is such a blessing to our household!

*I love that Addy calls Emory Mimi!  "Mimi" was my early childhood nickname given to me by my big sister ;)

At Nine Months Old:

happy :)

"blah, blah, ah!"

can't keep her shoes on

sleeps 11 hours at night

takes 2 naps per day

crawls

pulls up to a tall kneel

puts everything in her mouth(!)

SIX TEETH!

clucks her tongue

blows raspberries

giggles with peek-a-boo

likes to be held

plays in her crib

curious

whole face lights up with her smile :)

snuggles with a blanket in her crib

stayed in the nursery at church

giggles

17+ pounds

wears 9-12 months clothing

diaper rash :(

splashes in the bathtub

blond hair is getting thick!

claps her hands

raises her arms for "so big!"

rolled down a flight of stairs - eek! 

(the baby gate is now checked constantly!)

eats Cheerios

nurses 6x/day

pals around with Addy

squawks and babbles

climbs up onto things

constantly sticks out her tongue (feeling those new teeth?)

rolls when being changed

sits in the highchair at mealtime

plays with her hands

Emory, sweet Emmy, is such a cutie.  We are so thankful for this precious baby.