Donors Choose

Donors Choose is an awesome website where donors can partner with teachers and classrooms in education and choose projects to fund.  If you're looking to give, please consider helping my students!

Hi Friends,

I want to make sure my students have the materials they need to succeed, so I just created a request for my classroom at DonorsChoose.org:

iNeed iPad for imPact

Give to my classroom by February 1, 2015 and your donation will be doubled thanks to DonorsChoose.org. Just enter the code SPARK on the payment page and you'll be matched dollar for dollar (up to $100).

If you chip in to help my students, you'll get awesome photos and our heartfelt thanks.

Thanks so much,
Rebecca

P.S. If you know anyone who may want to help my classroom, please pass this along!

Landy's Latest Trick

Landon has started shaking his head no when you do it or when you say to him, "no, no, no!".  He tilts his head down a little, as if he's being very bashful.  It's so cute.

All three of us have had so much fun getting Landy to show us his trick!

It reminded me a lot of when Eli learned this trick.  They were both about the same age.

Landon - 10 months

Landon boy, how is it that you are a mere 8 weeks away from being 1 year old?  You are the sweetest little guy and we love you so much!  You make us laugh and fill us with pride and joy.  2014 flew by.  You've made it the best year yet for us!

Firsts: Your first Christmas (it was perfect), first New Years, Auburn basketball game, taste of whole milk

News headlines:  Gas is the lowest it's been in years.  Currently, it's $2.09 here, though it's below $2/gallon in many parts of the country.  Auburn loses to Wisconsin in overtime at the Outback Bowl.  Alabama loses to Ohio State (first time a team from Alabama won't be playing for the National Championship since 2009).  Missing AirAsia flight vanished while flying from Surabaya to Singapore.

Milestones: You will start Babies III at school on Monday.  You have 7 teeth, but are a teething machine.  You have two more teeth on the bottom trying their best to cut through the gums.  You stand for moments at a time and walk while holding on to walkers, furniture, etc.  You are a climber for sure.  You try to climb the bookshelf.  You've figured out how to climb up on the fireplace.

Measurements: Size 3 diapers, size 9-12 mths clothes, about 18 lbs and 28" long

Like Mommy: We both love books.

Like Daddy: You are light sleepers.

Like Eli:  You love to make us laugh.  You are both such happy kids!

Favorite Toys: A small light-up basketball goal.  You also like to push Jam-mama's old stool around, and play in the kitchen drawers.

Sounds: You are a babbling machine!  You say "mama", "dada", "nana" (but not necessarily directed at the right people), sometimes "bye".  Your most common sound is "dah!" (whatever that means)

Challenges: You're becoming quite the little monkey.  You climb on everything!  We're also trying to pack a few more lbs on you.

Our Days: We're just coming off of Christmas break where basically anything went.  Mommy is going to be so, so sad to send you (and Eli) back to school.  I have loved every minute of this break.  I have tried to hold you and snuggle you as much as possible.  After all, babies don't keep!

Funny/Favorite Moments:

Mommy's favorite-Watching you shake your head no.  You tilt it slightly, as if you're being bashful.  It's adorable.  And of course being off work two weeks and spending all that time with all three of my boys.

Daddy's favorite-Watching you and Eli play on Christmas morning.

Nicknames: Landy, Landy-cakes (or Landon-cakes as Eli says), Landon/Landy boy

Upcoming Events: Back to school : (

Watch me grow!

You and brother side by side, 10 months old.

2015

As much as I love pulling out all of my fall decorations, and then all of the Christmas decorations, I love putting them up even more.  I function best when things are clean and organized, and the clutter is minimal.

I don't really like the word "resolutions".  I prefer to have goals.

We talked about resolutions and made goals together.

Rebecca:

*Read at least one book a month.  I don't do much of anything for myself these days.  It's usually all for the boys or for my school kids.  I love to read.  I certainly don't have a shortage of books to read.  It's really more about making the time for myself.

*Exercise more often.  Always a goal.  Finish losing baby weight.

*Blog more.  2014 was better than 2013, but until December, I was struggling.  Looking back on my old blogs and pictures is something we love to do.  So, I will be more consistent.

*And of course, be more intentional with my time with the Lord.

Wesley:

*Be all here when I'm home.  Put the phone away to spend time with family.

Eli:

*Pick up his toys after he's done playing with them.

(We gave him a list of several things to get better at this year, and this is the one he chose.)

Landon:

*I made a goal for Landy.  It's to gain weight.  (The complete opposite of mine.)

As a family, we choose a verse for 2015.  We wanted something we could pray together for the year, and that we could memorize.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

We asked Eli some good deeds he could do to let his light shine for Jesus.  Here's what he came up with:

*singing (He clarified with the B-I-B-L-E and Noah Built the Ark)

*obeying Mommy and Daddy Grandmama and Grandaddy (I think he meant Nana/Puddin' and Ginny/Pops, because this led to an in-depth discussion on who was who's parents).

I think that's a good start for a four year old.

Here's to 2015 and letting our light shine!

Looking Back at 2014

This is one of my most favorite posts every year.  I love to look back over the year, remembering all we've done and looking at how much everyone has grown.  2014 was busy and one of the most memorable yet!

January can be summed up with snow days and big brother stuff.

Big brother trip to the aquarium

A fun party with friends to celebrate Landon's arrival.

In February, Wesley finished his third half-marathon (and began to set his sights on the whole 26.2) 

and we celebrated our newest little man with friends.

In March, Landon boy entered our lives, making us a family of four.  We are still so smitten with him!

In April, we celebrated Easter with lots of fun activities

like dying eggs

and hunting eggs at school!

Mommy and Landon boy also went back to school for a few weeks.

May brought the first of many trips to the beach

and we celebrated my first Mother's Day as a mommy of two.

Eli followed in Daddy's footsteps and ran a race.

We also began taking MANY summer trips to the library and Eli got his first library card.

Perhaps the biggest event in May though was Z and Amber's wedding!

May was a busy month!

June brought about soccer camp for these two big kids.

We also took a trip to the beach for my birthday!

After spending a few days in PCB, we headed over to Destin.  Eli was introduced to go-carts and the likes this summer.  He was sold!

In July, Wesley and I went to Atlanta to celebrate our 5 year anniversary (only to return 12 hours later, *sigh*).

August is always a busy month for the Taffs.  Wesley and I started our 6th and 8th years, respectively, of teaching and Eli started preK4.

We attended Wesley's 10 year high school reunion.

Eli competed in the Small Fry Tri.

With back to school and everything else that goes on in August, the biggest event will always be Squirmy's birthday!  This year we celebrated with an awesome Ninja Turtle birthday party at an indoor playground.

In September, Nana, Landon, and I flew to Dallas for a quick visit with the Burgins.

We cheered on our Auburn Tigers.

Eli also got to play fall ball in soccer.  He had the best time!

In October, we took the boys to visit the pumpkin patch.

Daddy also went with Eli's class on a field trip to another pumpkin patch.

Ninja Turtles were definitely a theme of 2014 at our house.  Michelangelo and Donatello trick or treated with us this year.

November brought our annual trip to the Peanut Festival.

Wesley also completed all 26.2 miles of  the Soldier Marathon.  We're still so proud of him!

We were able to make our usual rounds for Thanksgiving (so glad that no one had the flu this year).

December has been full of family and lots of fun Christmas activities!

Eli performed Jingle Bell Rock with his class at his school's Christmas program.

We went to Destin for Christmas part 1.

We met Santa.

Christmas Eve was full of tradition and baking!

Santa did find us and was so good to us.  We must have been good.

We also spent time with family in Dothan

and took in some Auburn basketball.

2014 has flown by.  It really seems like I was typing this post about 2013 and dreaming about Landon and all the great things that would happen in 2014.  I'm so grateful for this little blog:  to look back at our memories from the past year and the fun times we've shared with family and friends.

2015 ... we're ready for you!

The Pearl Jam

After getting back from Dothan we decided to take the boys to Auburn for some basketball.

We had such a good time!  The boys had never been to a game before. and Wesley and I hadn't been since college.  Back then, Auburn played basketball in the Colesium; the Arena didn't exist.

Basketball is really not my thing.  In fact, the only reason I went in college was because of a boy in the pep band.

The whole time we were there I kept thinking back, maybe 2006, when I got a call from Wesley.  He was calling to say he was in the emergency room, talk about your heart skipping a beat.  He had been at the Coliseum, racing our friend Tyler, and tumbled down all those stairs, tearing/spraining some ligaments in his thumb (if I remember correctly).

(please note:  Wesley still has (and wears) that hoodie, and I still have (and wear) those sweat pants.  Somethings never change.)

This is how I remember Auburn basketball!

We somehow messed up at the time change (or read the website incorrectly), so we ended up being more than an hour early.  So we walked around, then found our seats and told Eli stories from when Mommy and Daddy were at Auburn, and watched the teams warm up.

Eli had such a good time.  He told me his favorite thing to do with Mommy and Daddy is go to Aubie!  That's my favorite to do too!

Because of our time change mishap, it was a very late night for us, but everyone hung in there, even Landy!

Such a fun night with my Auburn boys.  Can't believe it's been nearly 10 years since we were doing all of this stuff together regularly.  In my head we're still 20.

One of the players on the team is the son of Nana and Puddin's pastor, so we felt like we had a small connection there.

Auburn's new coach, Bruce Pearl (the Pearl Jam...get it!?), is fun to watch.  He's really interactive with the crowd too.

Auburn beats Middle Tennessee, 64-48!

It was such a fun night with my boys.  We are soaking up every minute of Christmas break!