The Dotsons

Happy HALF BIRTHDAY, sweet girl!!  Wow, the last 6 months have really flown by!

Me and my sweet girl before her Parent Commitment Ceremony at church

While Aubrey napped, we went out to the garage to do some work.  I painted the shelves Rhett built for Aubrey's room and Caleb "painted" some boards with water.  I can't remember where I saw this idea, but he loves it and it keeps him occupied.  He thinks he's really painting!

This was how I found Aubrey when I went to get her up in the morning.  Even with her sleep sack on, she managed to get her legs out!

If we don't have anywhere to go, I will wait to take my shower when Aubrey goes down for her morning nap.  To keep Caleb contained, I give him a sucker and let him sit in our bed and watch a cartoon.  He makes himself comfy!

My little shopping partner!  We went to Target after dropping brother off at MDO.

I was washing bottles and looked over to see that Caleb had balanced this play spatula and cup between the draw front and the countertop!

a Saturday evening at home....Caleb coloring, Aubrey watching brother (Mama was too), and Daddy making some changes to our grocery shopping spreadsheet.

Next week, I will try to take more pictures of Caleb.  Aubrey is just easier to photograph right now because she can't run away from me!  :-)

Yet another sick day - poor baby!  She fell asleep sitting up in her Bumbo.  :-(

Daddy went out of town for work, so we packed up and headed to Woodville (Mon-Weds).  Although Caleb was under the weather, he felt good enough to trash Granny and Grandpa's living room!

Having breakfast with Grandpa!

Talking and laughing at herself in the mirror for the first time - so sweet!  I could tell she was starting to feel better.

Daddy's home!!

We started something with the mirror.  Here she is talking and smiling at herself in the bathroom mirror while I got ready.  She is just too darn cute!

So I might have taken her 5-month picture a little too late!  She turned 5 months on 12/29!  In my defense, I tried several times but each time she would not cooperate.  This time, she finally did (other than this picture, obviously).  She is always chewing on her hands!

This is a picture of Caleb sleeping via the video monitor we have in his room.  90% of the time, he sleeps sideways in his bed.  His "spot" is right by the headboard (the vertical slats at the top of the picture).  That mound of white you see near the middle of the screen is his huge pile of stuffed animals he sleeps with!

Every time we make Easy Mac (yes, bad mom...I know), Caleb helps by pouring the uncooked noodles into the bowl.  Then he always picks out and eats one noodle, LOL!  Strange, I know.  I have to admit that he must get this from me because I used to eat uncooked spaghetti noodles.  (not all the time, but I did)

Aunt Courtney came to spend the night with us!

Aubrey LOVES Caleb.  She loves to watch him and always smiles and giggles at him.  The feeling is not entirely mutual, though.  I think he still feels like she's threatened his territory!  Aubrey got a tea set for Christmas (pink tea pot in the middle) and Caleb loves to play with it.  He will pour "coffee" (like Daddy, of course) instead of tea.

Could this be any cuter?!  We were playing in Aubrey's room and all three dogs joined us (they have to be wherever we are).  Roux just plopped down right by Aubrey and rolled over next to her.  So sweet!

Aubrey and her runny nose.  This was in the making for a few days and finally really hit on this day (Friday).  sidenote:  Caleb also woke up with croup the night before.  :-(

The next day (Saturday), it was full blown.  Poor baby girl!  We ended up taking the kids to urgent care.  We mainly went for Caleb b/c his croup was so bad, but we got Aubrey checked out too.  Hers is most likely viral and just has to run it's course.  Caleb got a steroid shot for the croup.  Mama is also sick, so 3 out of 4 of us are down!

So for the past few years that I've been blogging (yes..."few" - I've been blogging since June 2008!), I have been seeing this "Project 365" all over Blog Land.  I have been wanting to do it, but just never did.  Well, I finally decided that I will give it a shot in 2012!  Since this is a leap year, it is actually "Project 366" this year!  So the idea is to take one picture every single day.  I think this will be a lot of fun to look back at the end of the year and see a picture that represents something we experienced every day of that year!  And of course, it will be fun to see how the kids change thoughout the months (because let's face it....99% of my pictures are of the kids!) 

One of my goals this year is to get more pictures of US with the kids...especially me.  Not that I love being photographed or anything, but I am always the one behind the camera and never really in any pictures.  Rhett at least makes it into some.  I love old family pictures of me and my siblings with my parents, so I want my kiddos to have those memories captured in pictures as well.  So far, I haven't done the best job but I want to try to take at least one picture a week with the kids with either Rhett or me or maybe both of us.  I might have to bust out my new tripod to get some with me in them!

I've seen a lot of people sharing their pictures in cute templates, and they probably have Photoshop or something to do it in.....but I'm just going to post my pics like normal.  I will be doing good just to get them posted anywhere close to on schedule!

So anyway, here is Week One of our 2012 Project 366!

Caleb helping Daddy build Mama's folding/rolling sewing table.  He LOVES helping Daddy in the garage!

This is what my couch often looks like....too often!  Just keepin' in real!  :-)

Sweet Aubrey enjoying her jumparoo...and chewing on her hands.

I had to get a picture of Aubrey in her baby legwarmers and matching bow - too cute!

Watching big brother blowing leaves out of the yard...with a golf club!  This is when I really love living in Houston - when it's low 70's and sunny skies in the middle of winter!

Nothing smells better than a freshly bathed baby!

Caleb and Daddy worked in the garage again on this day.  Caleb has to do everything Daddy does, so here he is cutting wood on the "big saw." (supervised and the blade was covered up so he could not cut himself.)

We did Christmas with my family on the 26th at my aunt and uncle's "ranch" in Dickinson.  I don't think it qualifies as an actual ranch, but that's what everyone calls it.  They actually live in a patio home in League City, but my aunt wanted some land to eventually get horses.  They bought about 2 acres with an old house on it and they've completely redone the house over the past year or so.  It looks really great!  They are officially going to name it the "Lone Hawk Ranch" in memory of Josh.  The group he was with at Ft. Campbell went by the name "Hawk Recon" so that's where they got that from.  We had a great time, but I don't think it will ever feel normal to not have Josh there with us.  It's weird how a happy time can simultaneously be a sad time.

Last year, we did a Mexican food spread and this year we did "soul food" - ha!  We had fried chicken, brisket, okra, corn casserole, rolls....and a bunch of other stuff I can't think of at the moment.  The kitchen was filled with food!  The adults draw names and exchange gifts that way and then everyone buys for the kids.  Caleb and Aubrey were really spoiled this year!  And as always, Caleb had a blast playing with his cousins (Jake, 12 and Luke, 6).  Even though they are much older, they do a good job playing with him.

Aubrey and Aunt Stephanie

The Boys - Jake, Luke and Caleb

The adult adults  :-)

Waiting patiently to open gifts!

Umm...an autographed picture of.....the Swamp People, I think.  They have a TV show that Jake & Luke like.

Caleb helped Aubrey open her gifts.

One of several tear-jerking moments.  Mom made Aubrey a little purse out of a pair of Uncle Josh's blue jeans.  It is really cute and so special!

We got Luke some stacking cups

Aubrey's first Cabbage Patch doll...from Granny & Grandpa.

Luke and his Reveille pillow pet

Aunt Courtney got Caleb a wooden train track starter set

Another tear jerker....Mom made all three boys drawstring backpacks from Josh's uniforms!

He had to bring his blower!

The men (and Jackie - ha!) sitting around talking about guns

The stacking cups game was a hit!

Caleb eating....you guessed it - Granny's Party Mix!!  This was at almost 8pm and he was amped up!