Were to start, were to start... An update has been a long time coming, xanga crosses my mind every once and a while, and while I hate missing out on reading every ones posts, I dont log on very often to catch up on whats going on. Its just one more stop on my internet journey, and with facebook and cafemom and the other sites that call out to me, I have had to cut back on something. I do want to do a better job of blogging tho, there are so many things I have thought "oh I want to write that down so I dont forget", and guess what, Ive forgotten them =/.
 Blake is now a preschooler!! He is loving school, and altho  I still get a "I dont want to go to school tomorrow" every now and then when I pick him up, he is ready to go back by the next morning. He says he likes it, and he has fun, so Im not sure why he pulls the "I dont want to go back" out every  now and then. I think he may be afraid hes missing something fun at home. He is coming home with new songs and bible verses, asking me what letter words start with, and I love going thru his backpack and seeing the projects hes worked on that day, and hearing him tell me about them.
If Ive talked with you in the past few months, I have probably shared my fear of him going off to school. I really did stress about it ( Im a worrier, what can  I say), fearful that he would hate it, that he would feel like I was deserting him, and that he would cry every day when I dropped him off, wondering if we were making the right decision for him. His first day was great, I couldnt have asked for a better morning. I did a lot of praying the nite before, huddled in the bottom bunk while Blake slept above, just for peace for him and peace for me as well, as I have been know to tear up at the thought of leaving him ( Its only for 3 hours, 3 days a week), I thought for certain I would be a mess that day.  When I went to wake him up that morning, the first thing he said was, "I dont want to go to school!". Uhoohh this isnt going to go good, was my thought, but after we jumped into his "Blakeyman" (His clothes all layed out on the floor to look like him) and had some breakfast, we headed to school with smiles on our faces, despite the rainy weather. Since it was the first morning, I wanted to take him in instead of just dropping him off at the door, so we went in, looked around at the toys some and then I told him that Lexi and I were heading out, wed be back in a bit. He was so worried about the crayons and the glue, he barely even looked up to tell me bye, I even had to tell him twice I was leaving before he heard me. A far cry from the leg hanging and tears I expected. Heading outside, I talked to a friend for a bit, and then Lexi and I headed out to start our morning. NO tears from me either, altho I did feel them well up just for a second when I was talking to my friend about it. I know that God truly gave us both peace and calm that morning, I cry about anything anymore, and for me not to cry about this has to truly be a Godsend. When we came back to pick him up, he was still all smiles, happy to tell me about Chester the Racoon, who they had read stories about that day. Just one cute thing, he has a little pocket in his bookbag, that I put a kiss in when I dropped him off that first morning. He is so careful with that pocket, only opening it a tiny bit when he wants me to put a new kiss in, getting mad at Lexi for letting his kiss out. Every once and a while he will ask me to put a new one in. I thought that was sweet, he really seemed to hold that little gesture dear.  He is now on his 3rd week of school, and seems to really enjoy it so far.

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     Anthony is such a great dad, he has been such a blessing this summer, letting this hyperactive, full of energy boy tag along with him most days on the farm.  Blake loves to be just like Daddy, if Anthony is wearing long pants, so is Blake, If Anthony has boots on, so does Blake, and so on. Blake is a little shadow, all around, never far behind daddy, his little mirror image.  Its so funny to go down the lane, seeing Anthony and Blake bouncing around in the tractor, kneeling over a big slab of concrete with trowels in their hands,  Anthony putting things together, while Blake cheerily takes things apart with his little tools.  Altho that little tendency did get him in a bit of trouble when he made his bike into a little pile of pieces.  Altogether, I think this little boy would say he had a great summer, hanging with daddy.

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     Lexi is such a joy, she is so full of giggles and songs,  bright eyes and chapstick. She loves hanging out with Mommy, but is sad to when she cant go to the barn with Daddy and Blake. Daddy is sure to give her extra hugs, and she is usually busy torturing the kitty or dragging around her toys soon after they leave. She really entertains herself so nicely, often sitting in a pile of mess of something, singing B-i-n-g-o or some other little diddy that is going thru her head. She loves music and stories, doesnt do a lot of playing with dollies and such, she would much rather give her stuffed animals (which she loves, and has way to many of, horses and cats mostly) a bottle than her dolls. She loves clothes, and has her favorites ( owl shirt, cat shirt, pink pants..) that she wants to wear about every time we go somewhere. So if you see her wearing the same outfit a lot, its not that she doesnt have other clothes, its just that mommy is humoring her sense of style =).  She also loves coloring, and markers, and gets quite into her work, bending low over the coloring book to stay in the lines.
    She is a pretty good shopper, the other day I realized that I had spent quite a lot of time shopping at the Lollipop shop sale in Charlottesville. She was so sweet, just walking along beside me, playing on the dirty floor and looking at things. Happy as a clam.  She found a new kitty shirt, which made her very happy, she carried it around the rest of the morning.
    Not saying the little girl is perfect, she has a whine that will make you consider pulling your ears off. Believe me!  Ive considered it! =)

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     New baby girl is soon to arrive. 5 days to be exact! That is if she arrives on time.  Im thinking I may go over with her, I was 5 days over and induced with Lexi, and altho for a while I felt like I might just go early, the days keep coming and going, and NO baby. I am okay with that, altho I do have those end aches and pains, I know she will be here in the next 2 weeks at least =) Im just enjoying these last few days before everything changes, I know its just a matter of time until I am enjoying 2 rushed bites of supper and bleary sleepy eyes. I am looking forward to meeting this sweet bundle, and seeing who she looks like tho.
     Well I feel good about getting this update done, Its been a long time since I even logged into xanga, so it feels good to be back on track. I really should be mopping the kitchen floor, but I am glad to cross this off the list of "to dos".  Wishing everyone a wonderful Fall,  I will keep you posted on baby news =)

     I had so much fun watching the kids today. They were quite the little busybodies while I mowed the lawn. They do pretty good about entertaining themselves for the  hour and a half that it takes me to mow, usually playing with their kittens, in the sandbox, their bikes or on their little battery operated  tractor/car, the swimming pool, and sometimes all of the above.
     Today they opted to play car and tractor. We had gotten Blake a tractor at a yard sale last year, and for his birthday this year we bought him a new battery so that he could pick up a little speed, the other one just barely squeaked around the yard anymore. He has spent many many hours on this little green machine, ripping around the yard, standing up  in the seat scoping out the "fields" he needed to work in, taking corners on 2 wheels, hauling hay and rocks and cats and weeds for me =) in his little wagon, even Lexi a time or 2, all this while Lexi looked on a bit enviously from her Belmont Estate sale tiny fourwheeler of many years past, whose battery was probably older than she is, and inches along at a less than snails pace. Her only hope of picking up some speed was if a strong hurricane wind came thru.    A few weeks ago we had picked her up a little beetle Dora car at a yard sale to, missing a battery charger, but Anthony (being the smart guy he is) was able to rig up something with a charger we had for something else.   How much fun she could have now. It runs great in the gravel, but gets a bit bogged down in the grass. It could use a new battery to at some point, but as they are a bit pricey, she will just have to be happy moving at a medium speed.
     As I zoomed around the yard on my "fun ride",  the kids played on theirs.  Lexi is still learning how hers works exactly, she gets a little freaked out by the initial jolt when she first pushes the gas pedal.  She would often get stuck in ditches or up against a tree, or be to nervous to head up a steep hill. Blake was so cute, he would ride to the rescue, screeching up on his little green tractor, the wagon bumping along behind, hopping off almost before it stopped moving, (He learned that from his Grandma Mildy BTW) , giving her a push, or a pull, hefting the front of the car up like he was Superman. Then they would happily start off again, to pick up nuts under the hickory tree, and  to "jump the bump" at the end of the lane.  He even  screached by me with a handful of flowers, I thought maybe I was going to be rewarded for being the best mom ever, instead, he took them to his little sis.  I thought that was really precious, evidently he had a abundance of love for little Lex yesterday.  So so cute, it warmed my heart.
     This summer is just flying by, I cant believe that it is almost August!!  And less than 9 weeks until little Baby Rhodes arrives. I have spent a lot of time the last couple weeks in preparation for the new arrival. I know I still have time, but dont want to wait until the last minute either. So the toy room moved to the basement, the empty toy room is in the process of becoming the baby room, Blakes room is in the middle of renovations and Lexis is now finally at a point where I feel good about it. Anyone that has toured her room in the past year has seen a almost finished wall with some wires hanging out, needing  just a circle of paint around the 2 holes, curtains for 2 windows, and a blanket thrown over the other, a few more wires with a light bulb hanging out of the ceiling, just waiting for the beautiful white fan stored in the closet, and a borderless wall, stripes just ending...there.
     I found some curtains that I liked, finally got Anthony to put the wires back in the wall, AND Lexi now has a beautiful fan to watch go round and round as she drifts off to sleep. Soooo, I need a border yet, and sometime in the future I would like to get something a little different for her big girl bed, which she doesnt sleep in yet so no biggie. What we have on there is what came with the bedroom set. Feeling good about finally getting all that accomplished, but boy am I tired. =)  A bit more work in Blakes room, attempt to sew up a few curtains, and I will be finished with that as well. Yay!  I really wanted to get these things completed this summer, now Im ready to get some applesauce and corn in the freezer, some tomatoes on the pantry shelves, and maybe some more pears ????
     Since It wouldnt be one of my posts without at least a few pictures, Im going to see if I cant dig something up. Im sure I have a  few pictures on this computer somewhere =D