The Weekend's Festivities have come to a close

The planner that I am, I thought it would be a good idea to have June babies so I could be off all summer with them before heading back to school. Why didn't someone tell me the crazy birthday weekends that would be in store for me with two birthdays so close together. Well we survived the weekend and had a great time at it. It was a tremendous help to have Grandma Karen and Aunt Joyce around.

We had beautiful weather yesterday for Ellie's party at the Splash Pad. It was nice to meet some of the parents of Ellie's friends. The kids pretty much ran around for two hours in the water, occasionally stopping in for food and drink. Katelyn handled it wonderfully given that it was actually her birthday. We ended up grilling out at our house that evening and having a little cake to celebrate Katelyn's actual birthday. Katelyn's big birthday present was a new bike which you can see her so proudly riding. Ellie is the recipient of Katelyn's old Dora bike.

Today we took a trip to Brushfire Pottery for a party with some of Katelyn's girl friends. The girls did a wonderful job and were complimented on by the manager on how well-behaved and attentive they were. We get to pick up their works of art in about a week. That should be interesting. So in summary, I have a new three year old and a new five year old. Where has the time gone? I know it sounds crazy to say they are getting ready to go to college, but I feel like time is moving that fast. So my prayer for tonight is that time slows down so I don't miss all the little things.

Reminiscing some more--Katelyn turning five

On the heals of realizing my baby just turned 3 years old yesterday, I have to come to grips with the idea that I will officially have a five year old in a few hours--one heading to kindergarten this fall. So in honor of Katelyn's birthday tomorrow, here are some pictures from her first year. Poor Katelyn was so beat up when she entered this world. She looked like she had already fought a few rounds. There is also a particularly telling one of her already sucking her thumb vigorously at five months. Katelyn is one who wears her heart on her sleeve--whether you are blessed with her love or are the recipient of one of her looks, she has a passion for life. Happy Birthday Katelyn!!

Ellie's Birthday Part I

So we don't really believe in having one day birthdays around here. The kids' tend to extend for days. So last night we celebrated Ellie's birthday on her actual birthday. Things were low key with a few gifts, followed by cake and ice cream. Check out Ellie with one of her new gifts--an electric toothbrush from Katelyn. Katelyn was actually very proud of her gift since Ellie has been trying to sneak Katelyn's toothbrush for weeks. Katelyn also gave her a Barbie head that you can practice hair on which they proceeded to do for the rest of the night.

Grandma Karen and Aunt Joyce arrived this evening. We had a delicious dinner at Monell's, followed by a visit to the Children's Theatre to watch Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. The kids found it amusing. Tomorrow is a busy day as we have Katelyn's actual birthday and Ellie's birthday party.

I can't believe my baby is turning three in four hours

It seems like just yesterday that we were introducing Katelyn to her new baby sister. Now Ellie will be three in the morning. We have been having a great week counting down the days for both Ellie (Thursday B-day) and Katelyn (Saturday B-Day.) Today Alan and I each split the girls up and took them to buy birthday presents for one another. They did a very good job and were quite proud of their purchases. So with my reminiscing, I am attaching pictures from three years ago as we introduced Ellie to the world. What a blessing she has been to us with all her smiles, cuddles and "I love You"s.

Who says you need toys to have fun?

We hosted a shower for Karen Ford at my mom's house this weekend. She is marrying my cousin Adam. One of the gifts came in a large UPS box filled with peanuts. Of course, my kids thought it was the most fun ever. Even my cousin Bayley got in and had a ball. The weekend was filled with family and fun. Not only did we have the bridal shower, but we went to another friend of the family (maybe cousin)'s graduation party and then stopped by Mema and Papa's for a visit. The girls were wiped out by the end of the day from all the attention, love and playing.

Renaissance Festival

Once again we headed to Triune, TN for the Tennessee Renaissance Festival. It is quite fun. The girls dressed up in their princess clothes. For those who have never been, it is all outside with booths setup as though you were going through a marketplace or festival of the times. Lots of people come dressed up and the organizers are all in authentic clothes. The queen strolls through the grounds with her lady in waiting. There are fairies and gypsies. Today there was an international jousting competition. The girls enjoyed making candles, getting face-painting, and swinging on a man-powered seat spinning seat thing. They met the queen and her court and had a great time.

Warner Park and visiting the grandparents

We all were fortunate to get to spend the weekend with Granddad Tom and Thelma from Bethesda, MD. The girls enjoyed hanging out with them and taking them to their favorite places. We spent Saturday morning forging the creek at Warner Park. The girls loved splashing in the water. They even uncovered a crawfish under a rock. The morning finished with a trip to Red Caboose Park where they ran themselves tired. Our neighborhood pool has also opened, so we ventured there in the afternoon. Thelma was the bravest, spending the most time with Katelyn in the chilly big pool.

Pre-School Celebration

At Katelyn's school, they don't have a preschool graduation (Thank goodness). I am opposed to four year olds wearing a cap and gown anytime before high school graduation. If you do everything at 4 what's left? They sang a few very cute songs about what they do in school and saying goodbye to friends. Some of the songs were in Hebrew, so I am not sure what they were saying but i am sure it was nice :) It was a very sweet program, followed by an ice cream social. We have had an awesome experience at the JCC. Katelyn has spent the last three years there and has grown so much under their love and guidance. We will miss the folks in room 7. Hopefully, we can relive it all with Ellie over the next two years.

Last gymnastics

We have decided to forgo all summer kids activities so we won't have to be on the run so much. Tonight was the kids' last night of gymnastics. Katelyn is getting quite good at hanging upside down on the bar. They had a good time and will miss their new friends, but there is always fall.

Spilled the beans

We finally told Katelyn and Ellie about baby-to-be. We were waiting a little while in case something happened, but I am at 13 weeks and am lower risk now. They were very excited. They both want a little sister. Ellie wants to name her Cantaloupe and call her Canty. Don't ask me where she got that name. Ellie also said she can sleep in her bed with her and she will hold on to her so she doesn't fall out. Very sweet, but unlikely.

We are planning to move Ellie in with Katelyn this summer and having Katelyn move to the top bunk. They both seem to like the idea although I am quite sure they don't realize the implications of it all. I've been feeling pretty good lately, just a little tired. I don't feel all that pregnant yet, so I am sure the realization of how our lives will be changing again will hit me soon. I'm just hoping and praying for another easy pregnancy with the end result of a healthy baby girl or boy. I will keep you all posted.

More Mud

Katelyn finished out her soccer season this weekend with three goals. She played her best game of the season and was determined to go after the ball. Once again it was a mudfest with the girls slopping through puddles both midfield and in the goals. They loved it though. Katelyn was soaked all the way through to her underwear with mud.

Ellie has also been mastering new skills. Unbeknownst to us, she learned how to pump her legs and swing herself and she likes to go HIGH. What a big little girl she has become. There is hardly any baby left in her.

Soccer mudfest

Despite the rain and mud, Katelyn plowed through her soccer game. It drizzled a bit and the girls were covered in mud, but they had a ball. That is until Ellie fell on her butt in the mud. I never realized how much of a girly girl I have. She was very unhappy to be dirty. Katelyn's team, although they did not win, had fun running around in the mud. Some of the girls had too much fun and forgot to go after the ball. Katelyn scored the last goal of the game and was very proud of herself.

Mother's Day Early

I have been pleasantly surprised to have Mother's day all week this week. On Tuesday, Katelyn had a Mother's Day brunch in her class. She showed me all around to all of her stations. We ate and she presented me with a beautiful vase that she had decorated herself with a flower in it. I am so glad I made it. With it being a crazy week at work, it is often tempting to miss these events. Not only would I have been the only mom not there, bad mommy, but I would have missed out on how proud she was of her creation and how much she wanted to show off her classroom.

Today was Ellie's Mother's Day Breakfast. She presented me with a cute little bag with a flower on one side and her handprints on the other. Those little fingers which are growing so fast. We had a nice little breakfast with the other moms and visited a few before I had to go back to work. it was a very nice gesture that the classrooms made for us. As busy as things get, I need to remember to always take those mom moments because they won't be little forever.

Rain, Rain, go away

It has been raining in Nashville for almost three days. I should have taken a picture yesterday, but unfortunately did not think of it. My kids got decked out in their rain attire (boots and raincoats) and went looking for worms to put in their garden. Alan took them down to the river area and they returned with a bucket of squirmy worms which made a new home in the garden. Ellie looked quite pleased with herself for her catch. Yuck.

Derby Weekend

In trying to keep with the tradition of Derby festivities, we decided to have a little Derby gathering at our house on Saturday, primarily with neighborhood folks. The kids had a great time playing with their friends and hitting the horse pinata and the adults enjoyed mint juleps and derby pies. Although it was a wet weekend, we were fortunate to catch a break during the afternoon and were able to get out and do bubbles, corn hole and tee ball. We still have a TON of candy left, so if you need help giving your kids a sugar high, let me know. We were also blessed by a visit from my cousin Allison this weekend who helped out and spent the day on Friday loving on my kids and allowing them to play hookie from school.

Funfest at the JCC

My wonderful sister watched my kids two weekends ago so that Alan and I could go to his 20th Duke Reunion. What a surprise when I got home and saw pictures of my new cats!!!

Enjoying a beautiful spring day

Believe it or not, if you want to entertain my kids on a beautiful day, give them a sponge and a bucket of water. We took advantage of the great weather this weekend do some spring cleaning. We scrubbed down the deck and all the furniture. The girls probably spent an hour with brushes and sponges cleaning. Of course, it usually required Sherry and I do to some touching up, but they had a good time and were wiped out. Ellie ended up taking a four hour nap to recover. We also got the sprinkler out for the first time this season. We are looking forward to many more days like this weekend to just be outside in the wonders of nature. I feel blessed that my kids would rather be running around with a hose and on bikes that glued to a TV.

Evening rituals

So I just put the girls to bed. Ellie is still yelling, "mom, lay with me, just one more hug." As crazy as it may seem, I love putting the girls down at bed. It is not without negotiations. We negotiate on which pjs they are going to wear, what toothbrush they are going to use, whether I get to brush their teeth or whether they are going to do it, which book they will each pick out, whose book gets to be read first, where they will sit to have their book read and on it goes. But it is a time of snuggling and talking and praying. Tonight Ellie wanted to pray for all the "adults" she knew and she usually ends by blessing her bed. For those who don't know, Katelyn still bangs her head to go to sleep, so the music I am currently listening to is supplemented with a little bass beat.

I look at these two girls every day and wonder how they got to be so big so fast and how I can make it slow down. My mom keeps threatening to put them in a box with a brick on top so they can't get any bigger. It makes me wonder at what age my mom stopped looking at me and wondering when I would stop growing. I hope I do continue to grow each day (maybe not physically, but wiser).

Personal website not convenient

So I tried to go to my own personal website and I was just as bad at keeping everyone up to date on it. In fact, I think I was worse because I can only update it from my personal computer at home. So I am going to go back to using blogger. Hope I don't lose any of you in the transition.

We had an awesome weekend up in Louisville for Easter. It is always great to spend time with the family. I am so blessed to have a family that loves me and my kids so much. They are truly doted on for days on end and receive such unconditional love. We had our usual Easter Egg dying evening at mom's on Friday night and then had a rare unscheduled day on Saturday to just relax. The kids got to go to the bungy jumping place that they love. Katelyn is up to doing flips and everything. Then on Sunday we spent the day eating. I am not kidding. I gained two pounds in less than 48 hours in Louisville. We started the morning at church. . .it was actually quite distracting with the kiddos, although they were dressed to impress. They actually slept in curlers. if anyone of you are familiar with our family's hair--there is not an ounce of curl in it. Then we went to Grandma Libby's and visited and stuffed ourselves. We finished the day off at Mema Shirley's where we again stuffed ourselves with the relatives. We finally drug ourselves back to Nashville Sunday night. All in all, a successful trip.