Announcing the new blog

Hey Everyone! We have a new website. It is still a work in progress, but the blogs (there are two) are up and running. I thought about waiting until I had all the content I wanted on there, but I am ready to blog some over Christmas so I am going ahead with it. I will not be posting on this blog after this post so go to our new site at:

www.whitefamilyblog.com

If you have a link on your blog to our site and want to link the new address, please use www.whitefamilyblog.com or the address from the main page of the site (it will be different because it is hosted by .mac and the other address directs you there) so you don't link people to specific posts from the blog. Do the same with bookmarking it on your computer. Thanks!

As I side note, never cancel a blog, because there are people out there that will pick up the address for their own use and put some really bad stuff on there. I guess they think it is a good way to get people to their sites, since people were going to the previous site anyway...this happened to my brother and it is NOT cool.

New Website

I am getting really excited about our new site. I will be working on it over the next few days as I am receiving my ilife update with some new tools that will make it a lot easier for me to design everything the way I want it today! Hopefully, you will all like it. I will announce the new address (which is likely to be www.whitefamilyblog.com as I said before) as soon as it is ready.

Good Morning, Good Morning!

The day has started off quite sufficient. There is a story to the word sufficient that I will tell one day when I am feeling creative enough to do it justice. Anyway, I have vacuumed and changed diapers and fed children. I think I hurt my back yesterday getting Sydney out of her high chair. Such a simple task, but I AM getting older. It is my birthday, by the way. I only tell that to explain why I am about to share a birthday memory I was reminded of this morning. On birthdays, my grandmother (Mawmaw. Thanks to Stewart who apparently much to her disappointment thought that "Grandmother" was to be pronounced as "Mawmaw") and my Aunt Ruth would call on three way and sing to you. Neither being prize vocalists, you found yourself embarrassed as you sat there though it wasn't as if it was in person. I miss that. Adam serenaded me this morning and I am not sure if he meant to do it, but he drew out the Ha in Happy just like they would and in a tone fit for a Muppet.

Sydney is busy being a little mom to a random white bear in a pink 80's t-shirt that says "Love" and has a heart on it. She has wrapped it, rocked it, and changed it's diaper. Too bad she isn't older, she would be a really big help with Morgan. Of course, she would also need to be a weight lifter to help with him. I think I need to start stretching and warming up before picking him up. He had his 4 month check up a week ago and he was 17 pounds and 13 ounces. He is also tall so the doctor said that he really isn't overweight. That is good to know. It doesn't matter to me though. I like chubby babies. He is so busy trying to roll over all the way. I cringe as I say that because it reminds me that I need to finish Sydney's baby book. I have all the information like milestones and such, but I haven't put it all together. Ok, I am going to stop talking about it so I won't pull it out in a panic and start on it. I will vow to plan a scrapbook night soon. There is something that I have been working on and I am really excited about it. I am putting my Mac to good use and designing a new website and blog. I think that a new format will organize my thoughts and information in a better way. Using iweb makes it so easy to update everything. I will be able to post pictures easier and put full photo albums up. Adam can get more involved with it too. I published the first draft last night and it is really cool. I won't give the address yet because it isn't ready and I need to decide if it is going to linked through a web address that Adam purchased for us a few months back. www.whitefamilyblog.com You can go there now, but nothing is there. I am not sure how all that works, but somehow Adam will magically direct that site to my .mac site, which is what I will be using. It will be easier to say whitefamilyblog.com than... my mac site. You thought I might slip and give the address, didn't you?

Oh, by the way, I am now a model for Maybelline. Their make-up really works wonders...Check out my article here. If you will remember Sydney got her big break this summer with a self titled movie. We are all really taking off professionally.

Music Lesson 1: Notes vs. Nose

Cheesy Christmas Movies

Hello, my name is Jessica and I am addicted to terribly cheesy Christmas movies. It all started the week after Thanksgiving. Hallmark channel and the Family channel are mostly to blame. I actually watched in full the following movies: A Grandpa for Christmas (a little girl gets to know her estranged grandfather after her mother is hospitalized, she finds talent and love for song and dance and ends up the star of the school Christmas play), Picking up and Dropping off (two single parents keep meeting at the airport as they drop off their children to visit their former spouses), Santa Baby...this is multi year favorite (Santa's high powered executive daughter comes home to the North Pole to help get Christmas underway and rekindles an old romance while saving Christmas). Oh, the shame! A whole month of this (don't even get Adam started, he is just thankful I can record them on DVR and he can still watch something else)!

Some of my favs

If you have a little time and would like to laugh, here are a few of my favorite funny videos, etc. You may have seen some or even all of them, but if it has been a while you might get another laugh.

Little Boy

Brothers

Animator vs. Animation

Progress

I have a HUGE list of things that I need to do and I think I am finally making some progress. It is so easy to procrastinate. It is even easier to give in when I should stand strong. Yesterday, Morgan waited 4 hours between his feedings (with the exception of the last before bedtime). Sydney went without her paci during the day. I have found that I have to be on my toes with some of these changes. The success really depends on me. If I can work these things into a routine I think they are more willingly received by the kids. If I forget to have Sydney throw the paci in the bed when I get her out (it is sort of a game to throw her bear and paci in there) then it is harder to get it away. I still take it away if this happens, but I would rather not provoke a fit if I can avoid it. With Morgan, I am trying to establish a routine with feeding, play and sleep. I think this helps him go longer between feedings. I am also trying harder with making him get a really good feeding in, even if it means trying for an hour. I am realizing that it isn't the kids that aren't cooperating. Its really us. I ultimately think they should adapt to our lives, but we are responsible for figuring out the best and easiest way to teach them how.

Here is the list of things we are going to be working on over the next few weeks/months:

Potty training
Getting Morgan to use a bottle for some feedings
Getting Morgan to use a paci
Getting Sydney to stop using a paci
Moving Sydney to a real bed
Moving Morgan to his crib
and eventually, Morgan sleeping through the night.

Now, I have no idea what order in which all this should be done. I think it all might be done in stages. For example, cut back on the paci, but keep it around until the bed transition is complete and comfortable.

Tree

I wish you could all see this tree in person. Last night it was big. This morning, after it settled, it is even bigger! Adam took some pictures before he left (he is in NYC for a couple of nights). I am in the pictures to show the scale, so just ignore me and look at the tree. Now to decorate...

Hello, old friend

Here are a few pictures to update anyone interested in what we have been doing lately

Our attempt at a family picture on Thanksgiving Day. I love the fact that I am grouped in with the kids in not paying attention to the camera.

Our heat went out last week and we ended up going to Yazoo City for the night after being told it could be a few days until the part came in. Before we left, I had the kids all bundled up in the house. We nicknamed him our little "Budge-cicle" because he was so cold, but still so yummy (and Budgey, of course). Thankfully, the part was in the next day (we are also thankful for home warranties).

We had been planning to go to Canton and ride the carousel, but I didn't think to check for time for the carousel. It closed at 7 and we were trapped by the parade (which was also a surprise). It was very interesting and though I have not actually seen the movie Drumline, I now feel as though I have been an extra in the sequel (since Canton is a movie town and all...).

Even though the carousel was closed, Sydney entertained herself (with my assistance) on the steps of the courthouse.

We did get a few smiles before....

Sydney had a meltdown when she couldn't play on the steps anymore. Adam has that "this is fun" look on his face. Can you say "time for bed"?

Morgan was content just to stroll.

This morning, I realized that all people are born loving M&M's. I am not sure that Sydney has actually had them before this weekend, but the colors instantly had her wanting them. She found them at the table and after taking a few pictures of her I realized that she was using the end of the tablecloth as a napkin.