Happy Birthday Ike!

Isaac you are ONE!! Where did the time go? I will be honest in saying that this first year did not fly by but did more of a mall walk:) You have waited until after your first birthday to make a habit of sleeping through the night, so time and Mommy's brain were slowed a bit.
But regardless of quality sleep, you are a joy. God has really taken care of our family. He does not give you more than you can handle and He knew I needed you. You are the easy going third child I could have never hoped for. I joke when people talk about what a good baby you are and say that you are just happy that you didn't get left at the grocery store which is a good possiblity with Mommy these days. I think I make the joke because Mommy doesn't do well with compliments but also because you are an exceptionally happy baby and I can't really explain it. I would like to think it is because you feel an overwhelming amount of love from Daddy, Will, Sam, and me. Sometimes that love is shown through a baby house made just for you by your big brothers and other times it comes more in the form of a noggin embrace with a slight rocking sensation from one of your brothers but I won't name names. Either way, you just smile and roll with it.
You are interested in walking but still holding out. I am sure it will be no time before you are off chasing after Will and Sam hoping to be included in their games. You are built very different from your brothers. You are more squishy and we love it. We loved your other brothers just the way God created them but we are enjoying your fabulously fleshy legs and your round bottom:)
Your eyes are very soft like a mean thought would never cross your mind. They are just very sweet and innocent. Feel free to toilet paper our house and then point at your brothers. I will totally have your back!
You say a few words like mama, dada, and ball but that doesn't stop you from getting what you want. You just point, make a noise, and look at your handler with those sweet eyes and we wander around trying to find exactly what it is you had in mind. I am not sure if we find whatever it is that you were wanting or if you finally just settle because you know we are a lost cause.
Ike, you are truly a delight, and I am very thankful that you have found a way to overlook my shortcomings. When I put your food in a bowl on the floor like a puppy because things are just too crazy to stop and feed you like a civilized person, you eat and play right under my feet. At nap time, when I can't rock you nearly as long as I would hope, you lay in your bed, hollar once, and then babble yourself to sleep. When you didn't wear shoes during months 6-11 because I just couldn't find the right box in the attic but I knew it was there so I couldn't bring myself to buy new ones, you ignored your urge to pull your socks off so that I didn't look like a half-brained mommy, just one with a child who didn't like shoes:)
God is a great God and I see Him every day in you. You are a sweet, unassuming spirit, and I am so thankful God chose me to be your mommy. Happy Birthday Isaac!

First Haircut

Ok, after 4 comments in one week about what a pretty little girl I had, I decided it might be time for a haircut for Isaac. So last week, Brent and I took all of the boys to Tubby's Barbershop for a trim. As you can see in the pics, Ike did great! He just sat so still like all the big guys. Daddy and I were so proud of the little nugget. I think he was hoping for a lollipop at the end like his brothers received but instead he got all his sugar from Momma! Maybe next time Isaac:)

Fireman Will

There was great excitement at The Chism house yesterday. I am sure many of you were celebrating a presidential victory. Some of you might have just been celebrating the fact that all of those political ads will finally be over;) We, on the other hand, we celebrating Will and his "Fire Escape Plan" win.
A few weeks ago, the fire department came to Will's school to talk fire safety. At the close of their presentation, they promoted a contest for the students to draw up a fire escape plan for his or her home. Well, since I was a pathetic mom during the last extra curricular activity (essay on being a Student of Excellence), I decided this would be something good for Will.
As usual, I thought Will did a great job with his plan. I believed he should win but then again, most of the time I think my children should win. Well, low and behold, Will won! We got a call from the Assistant Principal, which I might add is a terrible thing to see on caller ID, saying that Will's plan was chosen over all the other students in his school and the prize was a ride to school in a firetruck. Woo hoo!!!
Yesterday morning at 7:00 am, Will was picked up at our front door in the fire department's Hum V (spelling?). After a few photo ops, he was off to McDonalds and then the fire station to chat it up with the guys! Then at about 8:15 am they brought him to school with his classmates waiting anxiously outside, cheering him on. I had hoped to get video of this but I am technologically ignorant and I missed it:( It was really cute though. He might as well have won the presidency with the reception he received. As they pulled into the parking lot with the sirens and lights going, his classmates clapped and yelled, "Yea Will!" It was precious.
I have got to give some major praise to The Springdale Fire Department. They really made this a spectacular memory for Will. We felt that the fire department went so far past what we would have ever expected. Yesterday was a very special day for Will. A memory was created that will stay with our family for a very long time:)
Congratulations Fireman Will and Thank you Springdale Fire Department.There was great excitement at The Chism house yesterday. I am sure many of you were celebrating a presidential victory. Some of you might have just been celebrating the fact that all of those political ads will finally be over;) We, on the other hand, we celebrating Will and his "Fire Escape Plan" win.
A few weeks ago, the fire department came to Will's school to talk fire safety. At the close of their presentation, they promoted a contest for the students to draw up a fire escape plan for his or her home. Well, since I was a pathetic mom during the last extra curricular activity (essay on being a Student of Excellence), I decided this would be something good for Will.
As usual, I thought Will did a great job with his plan. I believed he should win but then again, most of the time I think my children should win. Well, low and behold, Will won! We got a call from the Assistant Principal, which I might add is a terrible thing to see on caller ID, saying that Will's plan was chosen over all the other students in his school and the prize was a ride to school in a firetruck. Woo hoo!!!
Yesterday morning at 7:00 am, Will was picked up at our front door in the fire department's Hum V (spelling?). After a few photo ops, he was off to McDonalds and then the fire station to chat it up with the guys! Then at about 8:15 am they brought him to school with his classmates waiting anxiously outside, cheering him on. I had hoped to get video of this but I am technologically ignorant and I missed it:( It was really cute though. He might as well have won the presidency with the reception he received. As they pulled into the parking lot with the sirens and lights going, his classmates clapped and yelled, "Yea Will!" It was precious.
I have got to give some major praise to The Springdale Fire Department. They really made this a spectacular memory for Will. We felt that the fire department went so far past what we would have ever expected. Yesterday was a very special day for Will. A memory was created that will stay with our family for a very long time:)
Congratulations Fireman Will and Thank you Springdale Fire Department.

Oprah and Eliot

I am not sure how many of you saw Oprah last week, Oct. 29. It was a show on miraculous kids. Toward the end of the program, they featured the Mooney family. I have mentioned them in emails to many of you. The Mooneys live in Fayetteville and attend our church. Their little boy, Eliot, was born with Trisomy 18. The Mooneys are an amazing testament to faithfulness in God.

"Not a pulpit. Not a slick presentation. Not a best-selling book. But a six-pound boy with Trisomy 18. God found great pleasure in taking a lowly thing in the eyes of the world and showing truth.” - Matt Mooney

If you haven't heard me speak of sweet Eliot before or just want a reminder of how God can work in even the tiniest of creatures, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0

Halloween

Obviously the boys were Alvin and The Chipmunks for Halloween this year. They decided on this last year sometime and I thought it would be a great and easy costume choice. Well about a month ago, long after Mommy had her heart set on the Chipmunks, Will began to waiver and wanted to be superheroes instead. Now, without using guilt, I talked with Will about the fact that his brother, Sam, was still thinking they were going to be Chipmunks. I also explained that Mommy has limited sewing skills and wasn't sure how to make superhero costumes on such short notice. (I didn't mention to him how wonderfully perfect I thought they would be as the Chipmunks. Will is the tall, thinker in the group. Sam is the middle, kind of energetic one. And Ike, he is the smaller, rounder, snuggler. I also knew deep inside that this might be the last year that I could get them to all go as something coordinated and cute.)
Will being the more than I could ever hope for reasonable one in our family, got back into the idea of the Chipmunks and we promised to look for superhero costumes when they went on sale after Halloween! He seemed happy with the compromise. Sam got to be Alvin. Will got an extra costume out of the deal and Isaac was oblivious to it all.
I am not sure if you picked up early in this blog about how easy I thought these costumes would be. Unfortunately, the "easy" costumes I planned were not quite as easy as I thought. I was anticipating purchasing all the parts and just putting it together. Well, I clearly hadn't thought it through so I actually had to make turtlenecks. Although the Chipmunks my boys know wear hoodies, the ones I remember wore turtlenecks down to their ankles and they don't make many patterns for turtlenecks. So I had to sort of make my own pattern up so I was pleased as punch that they turned out and didn't fall apart. (I have had a few issues lately with homemade curtains so I don't feel at all bad about the pride I feel in the costumes;))
Anyway, my Dad, Pawpaw, came to spend Halloween with all the grandkids. We convinced him to be "Dave" in our Chipmunk gang. It was wonderful to have him here to trick or treat with us. He was Isaac's handler:)