school bells ringing

Today was the Open House at Grace's school. We packed up all of our supplies and off we went to meet the K-2 teachers at her Mother's Day Out program.

We've been talking about school for some weeks now and she's been excited to see all her school friends. I figured over the summer she would have forgotten about them, but she was quick to tell me just who she would be seeing...Ava, Jenna, Nicholas...and drumroll please...Miles!!!, her little boy friend (yea, I can't even bring myself to put those two words together just yet :)

Here she is right before we left for the Open House. Can you tell she's excited?
Here she is laughing and giggling after telling me a "school joke". She's just started figuring out how to tell silly jokes. Mostly by changing up the words to songs or rhymes, then laughing hysterically at her spoof. A contagious little laugh too, which only gets her going even more after seeing my reaction :)

And just for fun, a comparison - last year (18 months) and this year (2.5 years old): My little pumpkin is getting so BIG **sniff, sniff**

As we were leaving her school she told Lance and I, "that was SO MUCH FUN!" - wow, what a difference a year makes!! I still remember the tears (sobs, really) during that first month last Fall... guess I'll be the only one teary-eyed this time around.

A is for Alligator...and for Abram!

Last weekend we went to a birthday party for the son of some friends of ours, Cori & Eric. It was at an alligator park and man, oh man did they have a bunch of gators!!! Like over 300 I think! We got to see them up close and personal and even watched a feeding - yikes!

They have them separated by age with an enclosure for the big ones and one for the wee ones. Here's Grace checking out the big ones (it looks like they're right by her, but they're actually in a big pit). We even got to pet a "tiny one". Well, at least I did :) Grace enjoyed feeding this deer and the other animals there - that is until the mama llama grabbed the feed cup and all, then the tears started rolling. Cake time! Amelia and her brother, birthday boy Abram - so cute those two!! We had so much fun! Thanks for inviting us!!

Back to School...little pumpkin style - Part II

1. I have a soft spot in my heart for the story of the three little pigs. SEE HERE.
2. Grace thinks they're pretty funny too :)
3. How cute is this little toddler messenger bag???!!! 4. It's even PINK on the inside! 5. And those polka dots!! (another fave)

6. It's going to look even cuter with her name embroidered in pink on the front!

Can't believe her back to school Open House is this Monday!

recycled chic

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this chair!!!!! Can you believe the transformation??? Photo Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

I must add this to my fall DIY list! Off to hunt down a chair...wish me luck!

{let me love on you}

Everytime I hear those words from Grace it melts my heart. She's such a loving child, always making sure that everyone's taken care of in the love department :) When she needs snuggle time, she comes right to me and tells me, "let me love on you" followed by a kiss, a big hug, and a lingering neck snuggle while either being picked up or sitting on my lap. Gosh, I wish I could bottle it up and save it for years down the road when she no longer wants to sit in my lap... Sleep being a precious commodity around here, while Hudson is napping during the day I try to get her to not be too rowdy, so when he wakes up (or is showing any signs of movement, LOL) she runs to me and LOUDLY tells me, "HE's AWAKE!!! I can talk to him!" :) She's always sharing stuff...one for mama, one for daddy, one for my bruder...one for Jaxon (dog)...and she's also quick to say, "I'm going to share Hudson's moo moo (insert object of desire here). He's letting me share it. I can share it." ha, ha, ha

Today as I was going over some life insurance paperwork to select a new policy, the topic of our own mortality became very real to me. Nothing like having kids to make you think of these things!

Dear God,
Please let me have many, many, many, many more years to love on these two sweet munchkins. Thank you for who they are! Please keep them, our entire family, and our friends safe.
Amen

lickety split

It goes by so fast doesn't it? My little guy is already 2 months. The unofficial weigh in says 13.2 lbs - yikes! He's quite the little chub and I love to tickle that squishy belly!! There's nothing like that new baby smell, is there? He smells so sweet, so pure and wholesome. And he's still curly. Know what I mean??? I love it when I first pick him up after he's been asleep on my chest for some time and he just stays tucked like a little ball. God sure knew what He was doing when He made babies so stinkin' cute and squishable and sweet smelling...sure has a hypnotic effect over those sleepless nights :)

Love you with all my heart, Hudson!

goofiness

Little did I know that when I asked her to take a picture of Hudson and I together, Noonie would still have the camera going when my resident princess invited me into her new castle, a surprise Daddy brought home yesterday. She loves it! Yea, it's a tight squeeze - but those belly giggles sure go a long way toward forgetting 2 year old tantrums :) Life's good!

lookie, lookie...what do you see?

Notice anything different???? Did you guess right?...................................................Give up yet? Yup! The little pumpkin now has pierced ears!!! She's been talking about earrings FOREVER - well at least for 6-9 months, but that's forever for a 2 1/2 year old, right? It all started when she would sit in my lap in the rocker in her nursery, push my hair back and say, "Mama's earrings so pretty...Grace no earrings".

Being the girly girl she is, every couple of days for the last few months I would catch her in my jewelry pulling out earrings and exclaiming, "Oooh..these are be-au-ti-ful. I loooooove them, Mama. Wanna put them on me?"

So after talking it over, Lance and I decided it was okay with us to have her ears pierced. After all, we had talked about doing it when she was a baby, but then she was a preemie and then time just went by and on and on and on and we just put it off.

So today was THE day.

After picking out a pair - little pink tourmaline studs (October's birthstone...yes, even though Grace's birthstone is aquamarine...the girl is crazy about pink, what can I say?) - it was time to sit in THE chair. Getting a little antsy as Ms. Allison set everything up. See her hand? Even Dora came along for moral support :)

Sitting in Mama's lap worked much better. Getting the tiny dots all lined up. She did so well! First up was her right ear - she let out a tiny little cry and that was it. Then came her left ear - knowing what to expect I think scared her more than anything. But she didn't really cry out loud until Ms. Allison cleaned her ears a second time after they were pierced. She DID NOT like the alcohol swabs at all! Here's proof: A hug and cuddle with Mama made it all better. And as soon as that was over, she was off to pick out some new girly bracelets. Her reward for being so brave! So sweet - little piggies and little sparkly studs! Later at home she kept making her pouty face and telling me, "I got ouchie in my ear. Kiss it mama." That pouty face gets me everytime! Followed seconds later by "I love pink earrings!" My little pumpkin looks so cute in her tiny pink earrings!

cupcake cutie & a little kiss

The search is over...or so I hope! When I showed it to Grace she said, "it's SO cute!" and giggled so I hope we have a winner. Last year we went through 3 costumes - elmo, candy corn, strawberry shortcake - before finding a keeper (she couldn't stand to have anything over her head).

Grace loves to help me bake and her little wooden cupcake stand is one of her favorite toys so I think this costume is pretty perfect! She's going to be one sassy cupcake cutie come halloween!

Now, onto Hudson's...Hershey's Kiss maybe? he, he, he
Can't wait to see my two little munchkins all dressed up!

Welcome Home, Noonie!

While you were on your trip, we stole Papa J for a little lunch date. We made penny - ah, no make that quarter wishes :) We played Ring around the Rosie 'till we were dizzy in our bellies.
We acted goofy by pretending we were going to jump in the fountain. And we missed you bunches! So glad you'll be home tonight! We love you!

sunshine captured

READY... SET... JUMP!!! Hudson's turn! Hmmmm...let me see if I like it??? Let's try this, Daddy! ha, ha, ha, ha, ha Thank you for having us over Craig, Aleesa, Luke & Emily!!! We had a blast!

who needs naps anyway?

Friday was one of those days. You know, a no nap kind of day. Don't little ones know that naps are really, really, really, really important? To the mommies that is.

Not only does the little pumpkin love monkeys, she can be one herself. She built a fort with her pillow and top sheet, figured out how to make No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed come alive, played hide & seek with Penny the owl, called mama to retrieve "dropped" lovies and what nots too many times to count, and a dozen other activities during nap time, none involving sleep of course. After an hour of this, my patience worn out, I declared naptime over.

Thank goodness we don't have too many days without naps :)

Who can stay mad at a face like this though? Especially when she's telling me all about animals "patching out" (hatching out), begging for one more round of Ring Around the Rosie, and loving on her brother while telling me he's got "chubby little eyes" :)

They won't be little forever, I remind myself. And one day I'll beg for days with no naps just to hold them in my lap a little longer and hear their sweet belly giggles all over again.

on parade

Our friends Thomas & Julie's little boy Preston turned one this past Saturday and had the cutest wagon themed birthday party, complete with a parade down to the local fire station which happens to be right down the street from their house. Here's the birthday boy digging in to his smash cake! I LOVE one year olds and their cakes!!! Crazy as it sounds I would love a wall gallery of nothing but one year olds and their cakes - they always have the best expressions as they're digging in. Preston just happens to have the coolest birthday date too 08-08-08, how's that for a lucky number!!! Here we are ready to join Preston for his fun parade Check out that smile - even Hudson was having a good time! Wagons on Parade! And yea, we dropped the ball. Both Lance and I read the invitation and neither one of us remembered the part about decorating your wagon (sleep deprivation side effect?). Luckily Amanda came to the rescue with some pink balloons and sparkly garlands for our wagon - thanks Amanda!!!

And favorite wagon award goes to...........the Anderson's! Love their ambulance!! Hudson and his cousin Davin, 3 mo. his senior, meet for the first time! Just hanging out ;) Grandmas and their grandsons And our attempt at a family photo to document Hudson's first time at a birthday party :) Happy 1st birthday, Preston!! We love you!