One of the coolest things about parenting is finding out what clicks with your kids and then connecting with them in those things... if possible.
I know the hobbies will change later on in life and it will be more difficult to connect with them as deeply - but hopefully we can connect well now and carry it on throughout life. I pray...
For Shelby: She's into Softball, Soccer, Gymnastics, Swimming, Riding Her Bike, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Princesses, Math, Puzzles, Reading Everything she can, Dating Dad, Devotionals, Drawing, Journaling, Doing Girl stuff with mom, Painting...
My special times with Shelby are typically
- Eating out anywhere and talking (she likes to ask questions about God mostly. She's pretty stinkin' deep for a 6 year old..)
- Reading together
- Coaching, playing, and watching her sports practices...
- Talking about anything
- Watching a Disney Princess movie together
- Fishing
- Anytime she calls me on the phone for any reason...it's awesome

For Hayden: He's into almost anything that I'll do with him. His most popular phrase these days is "Daddy, why don't you to come play with me?" or "Daddy, are you ready to go _________?"
When I respond positively - we typically go outside and do one of the following:
- Kick the Go Diego, Go bouncy ball as high as we can kick it and make loud noises
- Play Baseball or Football
- Hit plastic softballs on top of the house
- Swing Super d Duper high in the back yar
- Go fishing and catch worms
- Fix the lawn mower, mow, pick up grass, sticks,...
- And when we run out of things to do - we hit something really far or kick it really really really high
I'm not being mean or chauvanistic at all - but I'm really really worried about Hayden this week. He will be all alone in a house of women and I'm frieghtened for him.
Please - some of my guy friends - come rescue the big man this week. He'll need some male bonding.
I try to keep Hayden away from the girls in our family as much as possible. Because this kind of stuff happens nearly every time I turn my head.
This Hairbow deal was mostly Sarah. I'm comfortable enough with our masculinity to laugh - but the boys just don't put up with a whole lot of that stuff.
Another one of Hayden's popular statements to me is, "Daddy, we're the boys! I'm the boy and you're the man!!! Right, Daddy?"
"Yeah buddy!!!!"
One minute I'm wrestling with my son on the floor - the next minute he has on hair bows and then before I know it - Shelby has him dressed up in a Princess Belle Dress. It's the battle of the sexes. The girls are trying their best to threaten our manhood - but it can't be done!
We are men - hear us roar!!!
He'll definately grow up to be well adjusted and will know how to treat ladies.
He's a pretty special guy to handle all of the stress and women in the house.
For Kennedy: Of course she has no hobbies except:
- looking cute
- wearing whatever we put on her
- eating anything we put in front of her
- opening cabinets and drawers and pulling everything out she can
- turning book pages and making cute noises
- following me around like a shadow saying "dada"
Babies are so much fun! Especially #3.
It's true - going from 1-2 kids is the toughest transition. Going from 0-1 was strange because I couldn't really find out what my role was.
However - going from 2-3 was great - we all had a place in the family and each one of them is especially unique and captivating in their own little way.
It's all CRAZY - but in a good kind of CRAZY way.
I think we could have 4 and love it!
At this point in the race - the more the merrier!
It's a really good kind of CRAZY!
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We're leaving this afternoon and I'm going to miss them while we're Gone. Sarah's mother, Carolyn is here keeping them while we're out.
Carolyn is just awesome - and very BRAVE!!!
She has a special "meemaw" connection with the kids. She read to Hayden last night and slept in Hayden's bed with Him and Shelby wanted to be in the room with them too - so she spent the past two nights on a pallet on the floor.

This is Sarah's dad. We were with them a few weeks ago. He's the one really suffering through this week without Carolyn.
Morris, Thank you for letting Carolyn come to Texas, wish you were here though, Hayden could use another male in the house to protect him!
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Mom and Dad - your blog post is coming up!