Alert the Presses... James Lost His First Tooth!!!

We here At Home With the Hinsons have an announcement...
James' lost his first tooth!!!
He is beside himself with excitement.
To quote him "I am so happy I'm dancing like an egyptian!"
Here's the story...
James came home from school with a loose tooth. Apparently he was chewing on his lunch box strap and jerked it. He was drooling over the tooth fairy visiting him tonight. I explained that it usually took several days of wiggling a tooth before it was loose enough to pull. Fast forward an hour and James runs out from his bedroom announcing that he lost his tooth! Leave it to James to take things into his own hands!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is really Dad's birthday so, Happy Birthday Dad!!! Here are a few pics from the party. ENJOY! :D

Not Me Monday Part 5...

Hi everyone & welcome back to Not Me Monday! To start off I need to ask for your prayers...
The creator of Not Me Monday, MckMama from My Charming Kids is on day 9 of a hospital stay with her baby son. He is having cardiac problems. Their family is certainly in need of some Godly comfort. Please lift them up in your prayers along with those of us from At Home With The Hinsons. MckMama this post is for you!
Now, I know you all need your Not Me Monday FIX, so here it is...
I did not allow my children to play Airsoft guns this afternoon. I did not let them ditch their afternoon responsibilities to invite friends over and shoot each other with plastic pellets, nope Not Me!

Sunday Sayings

Here are a few of my favorite sayings from this morning...

Father Bob: During the service, "By dying to self we can begin to live a new life in Jesus Christ NOW"
It's so encouraging to know that by abandoning my selfish ways I am actually choosing to live a better life!

And on a lighter note...
James: During breakfast, " I just LOVE this breakfast buffulley!!!" (He meant buffet because Addison was eating off our plates)

Fun, fun and the day has just begun!
Happy Sunday everyone and God's blessings on your upcoming week!!

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!

Tonight we are celebrating my Dad's 60th birthday at the Macaroni Grill! Here's a pic from the slide show my sister created. She's on the left with the curly-cue ponytail, of course our super-fly dad is sporting the shades, and last but not least is moi in multiples (you know you loved you some multiples back in the day). ;> Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Blog Party 2009!

Hi everyone, guess what... there's a party going on & we're invited!!!
Details you ask?
Really, I said PARTY and you said DETAILS?
Ok, ok, I know we're moms so there's a planner in all of us. Here's the details...

The Ultimate Blog Party is about building online friendships.
It’s simple to join the fun and lots of ways you can get involved.
Plus, not only will you find great Mom run websites to shop, cool blogs to check out, but there's also PRIZES!!!
That's right, I said PRIZES!
You want DETAILS again don't you?!
Ok, I made it easy click here for details.

Wanna know what PRIZES I'm hoping to win??
My first choice is the Simply Precious Photo Tile Necklace ($110) Provide by: Elemental Memories
Second choice consists of 2 Life journals to guide Bible reading and study Provided by: Mom’s Toolbox
Third choice is the Children’s “I’m An Author” Story Writing Kit Provided by: Cherish Bound’s.
Other top pics are 75, 56, 38, and 26.

Thanks for the opportunity to PARTY with other bloggers and check out some really great Mommy based businesses!
While we're PARTYING don't forget to visit my website, A Mother's Gift - Your Breastfeeding Resource... For The Gift That Benefits A Lifetime.

Not Me Monday Part 4...

Hi everyone and happy Not Me Monday! You know, the day that anything can and will go wrong without a moments notice.

Today's post comes in the form of a conversation.
Let me set the tone: I am a shop-a-holic.
I will use any excuse to spend a little money.
So, a couple of months ago one of my husband's co-workers invited me to a jewelry party. Since I knew I would fall victim to my shop-a-holic ways I decided to look at the catalog and place an order while my mind was clear. I picked out two bracelets and gave her my order.
Now I had heard, if you bought two items that you received two items at 1/2 price. So, I devised a plan with one of the other girls in the office (who was only ordering two items as well). She and I would place our orders together and then split the cost. She would get an item at half price and so would I.
Let me remind you, this was several months ago.
This morning as I walked into the office said co-worker was standing in the hallway...
Her: "HEY, I got your order with me today."
Me: (Oh crap, that means $40 I didn't plan on spending today! I sat my purse down and pulled out my wallet.) "I need to pay you". (As I reached in the bag I caught a glimpse of the receipt - $73.24!) "Um, I thought I was getting one of these at half price?"
Her: "Oh no, the saleslady said you couldn't do that."
Me: (Ohhh crap again! Now I've really blown my budget out of the water!!) "Well how was the party..." blah, blah, blah like we girls do.
Her: "It was great..." yada, yada, yada.
Me: As I'm handing her the check "Now if you don't mind give me a couple of days before you cash this, ok?"
Her: With a blank look on her face "Ok, I can wait."
Me: "Thanks, just a couple of days so I can transfer some money over."
Her: "No problem, it'll probably be next week before I go by the bank anyway."
Me: Laughing "Oh no, now don't wait too long or there won't be any money in there then either?!!"
Her: Totally shocked at the route this conversation has taken "OK"
The rest of the conversation consisted of me trying to explain that I might forget I wrote her the check if she hung on to it for too long.
Now, does anyone else understand my side of the story? I have a play money account for my frivolous purchases. I budget my expenses at the first of the month. Since I had ordered the bracelets months ago I had actually forgotten about them. AND, this is the 23rd. Really, who has play money left over at the end of the month?! So, I'll swap some money around to cover it. BUT, what if she waited too long to deposit it? WHAT IF, I ran across my bank balance and thought I had a little extra money I needed to spend when in reality it was just that her check hadn't cleared? I know, I know, this is the exact reason that adults balance their check books on a routine basis. That is why I included this post as part of Not Me Monday... because we're all adults, RIGHT?! ;>

Pepsi Cool Liter

Nanny took James to the store this afternoon and gave him money for a snack. He came back with Beef Jerky and a "Pepsi Cool Liter"!!! ;>

Good Morning Sunshine!

Why does James drag the poor cat around everywhere these days?
Maybe he's joining us for breakfast because he loves chocolate fudge poptarts??
Ok, so it's not the most nutritious breakfast but they are drinking milk!

Oh No He Didn't!

Today has been such a beautiful day. So as soon as the kids got home from school and had their snacks we headed outside. The boys and I started a game of kickball. As Andy joined us, he had a different game in mind. He brought out a thin piece of plywood and a little black pouch. The boys were so excited to see what Andy had planned. And then it hit me... I remembered a recent purchase. As part of our "man skills" Andy bought the needed supplies to teach the boys how to throw knives. Oh no he didn't? Oh yes he did!! As if camping, fishing, starting fires and carrying pocket knives weren't enough. We are practicing the art of throwing knives and either teaching the boys how to become well rounded men, or creating freaks of society?!




Here are a few pics of the guys in action.
The last pic includes our neighbor who joined in on the fun. The three of them were actually really good!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

Happy anniversary Mom & Bill, Dad & Karen.
Dad & Karen's anniversary was St. Patrick's day and Mom & Bill's 10 Year is today! The Hinson four are so lucky to have ya'll in our lives. But, I gotta be honest, I find it weird for my parents to have new anniversaries so close together. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my family tree ( or kudzu, whatever )?! It just gets a little complicated is all. I guess God knew Rachel & I were just too much for one set of parents to handle! So, happy anniversary Mom & Dad, but not to each other!!! XOXOXO, :>

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Here's a pic of the little Leprechaun that visited the Hinsons'. Cute, huh? Yep, I think we'll keep him. God's blessings!

Home Sweet Home

The Hinsons are home from our mini-vacation. Well, maybe vacation is the wrong word. It probably qualified more as a get away. We spent a long weekend in Guntersville, AL at Gunter's Landing. We stayed in a cabin, which is a loose definition. It was a small 2 bedroom/2 bath house. Our cabin had all the basics, including satellite TV. But before you question whether it really was a cabin let me say, there was no phone line and more importantly no internet. You read that right, I said NO INTERNET!! That means that the Hinson four missed out on the world wide web for three straight days. Oh how we missed the web. No email, no shopping JJill sales, no facebook and the worst part of all, no blogging about our trip! So, expect several posts over the next few days. I plan on completely submerging myself to prevent full blown withdrawals. How good it feels to be home sweet home!

Thanks Aunt Rach!

Yesterday Rachel came over to do a photo session with the boys. She's looking into becoming a photographer. From the work I've seen, the girl's got potential! She actually encouraged James to climb trees in his good clothes. That was enough to win him over! After she left I thanked the boys for not complaining too much. Joseph said, "I liked Aunt Rach taking our pictures, she actually cared that the sun was in our eyes!" I take that as a compliment. Here's a few of the pics she did. So, thanks again Aunt Rach. The Hinsons are happy to be your test subjects anytime! :>

Spring Is In The Air!

Let me start the post by saying, spring is in the air! I pulled into the driveway this morning and saw the blooms of spring. I couldn't resist sharing this image with you. ( Rach are you so proud of my photo attempt? ) What a welcomed surprise. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE spring time. The smell in the air. The new growth springing forth from the dark piles of winter. The colors, oh the colors are beautiful! I can look down the road into summer and see the kids and I in the backyard. Maybe we'll get another slip -n- slide. The kids certainly love being greased down with crisco and sliding across the yard! Who knows, we might even purchase another disposable pool. Our $99 deal from KMart last year was so much fun.
Whatever this summer has in store I welcome it with open arms! So, dust off those flip-flops, pedicure those toes, self-tan those legs, maybe even shed a few pounds?! Yep, it's coming boys and girls. Spring is on it's way and I plan to be ready and waiting! Until next time- God's Blessings, Sarah :D

Not Me Monday Part 3...

Not me Monday began early this week...
Monday actually cast it's first shadow late Sunday night. As I was drifting off to sleep I heard Joseph say "Oh I forgot, my school field trip is tomorrow. I have to be at school by 6:30!" Like I said, Not Me Monday was showing up early!!
After making two separate trips to school and back, Joseph at 6:30 and then James at 7:30 it was time for work. I showered and got dressed. Needless to say I was running a bit late! As I put on my makeup my eyeliner broke. So what's a girl to do? I just substituted my lip liner. Cranberry really brings out the green in hazel eyes!! NO worries, I did add some extra brown shadow to conceal my trick.
After working with Andy I was off to the primary school. I volunteer in James' classroom on most Monday afternoons. While I was preparing the kid's take home folders James' teacher walked by and said "Please don't take this the wrong way, but your son is driving me crazy right now!!" Oh yeah, she must be having a Not Me Monday too. It seems James' was having one of his days where he was finding it very hard to listen and follow directions.
So, one kid down and just one more to go. James and I arrive at the middle school only to find no other 7th grade parents there. Hum, wonder what's going on? I texted Joseph "Son, where are you?" His reply "On the side of the interstate. Our bus broke down and we're waiting for another bus to come pick us up!" What time did he finally make it back to school you ask?? 4:30 pm!!!
FINALLY, last stop of the day. Joseph and I take Maggie to the vet's office while Andy and James are at baseball practice. It seams that Maggie has food allergies. Basically we can either put her on a special diet and prevent her from having any treats or human food OR we can give her shots every 2 months to help control the itching and inflammation. After our vet promised not to call Doggy DHR on me I chose option number 2. Honestly, I could try to control it with diet alone but then who would eat the crumbs under the kitchen table?! NOT ME!!! :D

From The Mouth of James

Earlier tonight James was crawling around on the floor. This was the conversation that took place...
Mama: "James, what are you doing?"
James: "I'm just having fun."
Mama: "Well stop! Get up off the floor."
James: "But Mama I'm just a kid. And kids just run around & have fun."
Mama: "What?"
James: "Yeah don't you remember? You use to be a kid and you had fun too, before you went to Mom School. It's ok, I know, they teach you not to have fun once your a mom"!!!!

What a week!

Wow, the Hinsons have really had a busy week! Joseph was sick on Monday. He actually missed three days of school due to a bacterial infection in his sinuses. The good news is that he is feeling much better. He's almost caught up on all his school work, and you know that was a HUGE job!

James had baseball practice on Thursday. He is so excited to be playing ball again. James insists on the entire family watching his practices!

Andy, of course, has been busy at work. He has also spent some time working in the yard and on the Explorer. We are getting ready to sell it because it's totally wrong to own three vehicles and only drive two of them!

It's the first week of the month so I had my breastfeeding meetings. The breastfeeding support group was on Tuesday and the prenatal class was Saturday. I also did a prenatal bra fitting on Thursday. I met this super sweet mom at her work for the fitting. She had a great, big, private office that we were able to work in. You'd never guess where she worked... at the funeral home!!! So one day when I write my book about all the crazy things I have done as an IBCLC this story will definitely be included. It will read "Q: The most bizarre place that I have worked with a mom? A: Funeral Home!"!!!

This morning we had church and Sunday school. It was the first morning since we moved the clocks ahead an hour. A very sleepy eyed Joseph came to the breakfast table and asked why it was still dark outside? Poor kid! We had brunch at the All Steak which was delicious. Then we visited Frandaddy at the hospital. His electrolytes were out of whack so he bought himself a nice little weekend stay. Finally, we came home and have been enjoying a lazy afternoon ever since. HOORAY for Sundays! I love, love, love resting on the Sabbath!!!



Joseph & James eating lemons at the All Steak.


James making himself at home in Frandaddy's hospital bed.


Andy teaching us how to blow up a glove. Step 1 - place glove on your head. Step 2 - blow out your nose! WHY??!

Until next time, God's blessings & XOXOXO!!!
Sarah :D

Let it Snow Pics :D

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Living in the south is great, especially when we're surprised by SNOW!!! When we woke up and looked out the windows the ground was frozen & white. It was so beautiful that it looked like we were inside a snow globe! The boys were really excited. They couldn't wait to get outside. BUT, first things first. This morning the boys were ushers in church. And that meant no snow-ball fights until after church! Even though there weren't many people out on the road, we convinced Andy it was safe enough to go out to breakfast. HELLO All Steak! Of course we walk in & who else is there... the McPhillips! We hadn't gotten together this week so we were all glad to see each other. Thankfully there weren't many other people... poor waitress! You know we had to leave a really nice tip to compensate for the chaos that surrounded our two tables!!! After breakfast it was back home and time to play in the snow. The boys LOVED snowball fighting, yes Andy included! Maggie spent her time chasing the boys & ended up wearing most of the snow in her beard. Last but not least the boys built a fabulous snowman! Whew, now it's time for an afternoon nap. Thank you Lord for a beautiful Sunday filled with surprises!!! ;D

James First T-Ball Practice

Wow, can you believe it's already time for t-ball? It's seams like I just got settled into our slower winter routine. Time to pick up the pace again. So thursday kicked off t-ball practice. James was so excited! Not only is he happy to be playing ball again, he's also looking forward to playing on the same team as his friend Ethan. This year is his 2nd ball season & boy has he gotten good! We all camped out & cheered James on. He loved being in the spotlight!