We've been busy...

...and I've finally had a chance to catch my breath! So here is a recap of what we've been up to lately which will hopefully get me back into the swing of blogging more regularly.For starters, the kids and I headed to Philly a few weekends ago to see Neshoba Central play football. Correction...I should say that we really went to the game to see Uncle A play the drums. This year he is captain of the drumline and I must say that he is doing a mighty fine job at keeping everyone on beat. Of course while we were at Pop and Mimi's we had to ride Durango and drive Pop's tractor.

Matt and I decided to take the kids swimming for one last time before the cooler weather arrives. Every day they ask me if it is hot enough to go swimming, but for some reason the water is freezing, so it looks like that has come to an end.


I am proud to report that Caroline has turned into a little fish over the summer and is basically swimming on her own. Her confidence sometimes wavers, but all and all she has come a long way over the summer. Matt and I are giving each other pats on the back because we decided to give it a try and teach her to swim instead of signing her up for swim lessons. We'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope that she continues to progress next year or otherwise, we'll be enlisting the help of a professional! Will still prefers the comfort of his floaties, and I'm not opposed to it because I can barely keep up with the little stinker at the pool.Caroline began taking a combo ballet/tap/tumble class over the last few weeks and absolutely loves it! I can't distinguish if she loves the class or loves dancing around with her favorite little cousin, Helen.


Both girls have a fan club member who accompanies them to their class each week. Will patiently sits in his little chair (well, as patiently as he can possibly be) and watches them dance around the room. During tumble class the other day, the teacher noticed how entrigued Will was and asked if he wanted to take a try on the tumble mat. He hopped up as quick as lightning and ran over for a turn. He did a great job and afterwards, all of the girls gave him an applause! He couldn't have been more proud of himself.
And last but not least...while Caroline was still taking a nap the other day, I caught her little brother trying out her tap shoes. I decided to put them up so he wouldn't get to comfortable in them because I'm not sure what his Daddy would think of it!

Caroline's 1st sleepover

This post is way past due, but I want it in our scrapbook at the end of the year so here goes. (In case you are wondering, you can make a very neat scrapbook out of all of your blog posts and since I am the world's worst in scrapbooking, it is a life saver for me.)The night before Hunter's first day of school (he started the 1st grade this year), Mecie asked if I could keep Helen while they went to meet his teacher. I of course said yes and then thought a minute...this would be a great time for Helen to spend the night with Caroline. Caroline had been begging to have Helen stay with her, so I figured why not. I really was not the least concerned with how a 3-year old and a 4-year old would handle a spend the night party, because these two are like peas in a pod. They get along so well together and Helen is Miss Independent, so I knew she wouldn't cry to go home during the night.
Well, we did typical spend the night rituals like braiding our hair (Mecie told me that was a must if I was going to manage fixing Helen's curly hair in the morning), painted our nails, and played with baby dolls. But, I think the girls would agree that their favorite thing that we did was go swimming. We went late in the evening and stayed until 9pm. Since we were the only ones at the pool, they had a hayday! So much so that they begged to go back the following day. I obliged and we went back for another 3 hours that afternoon until it was time for Helen to go home. The girls had a blast and Caroline is already asking when we can do it again.

Mommy's little sweetheart

Will's big boy bed

When the kids returned from their weekend with Matt's parents, we had a little surprise for Will...his bed was converted into a toddler bed. We had contemplated the transition for months primarily because he had jumped out of his bed once and I had caught him multiple times attempting it again. So, despite my reservations of allowing him free range in his room at night, it was better than the alternative - an injury from falling out of the baby bed.I wish I could say the transition went smoothly, but it didn't. Perhaps it was because he had been away from home a few nights and had trouble sleeping in his bed, but I doubt it. As soon as he awoke during the night, he was pulling on the gate we installed and screaming. Against better judgment, I responded to his whimpers which meant this little routine went on for several nights. Finally, I had enough interrupted sleep and let him cry it out as suggested by my husband. Once his tantrum ceased and I knew he was asleep, I went to his door to peep in on him. I expected to find him on the floor by the door, but instead he had hopped back into his bed. I guess he figured he wouldn't try to prove a point by sleeping on the floor but instead enjoyed the comforts of his own bed. As in the past (why do I ever give in to the cries to begin with?), one night of crying took care of it and now he is such a big boy who sleeps in his bed all night long! When morning comes, I hear him get out of bed and in a few moments, he's at his door saying, "Momma...Momma".

All good things come to an end...

...and today was the last day of ballet with Mrs. Joselyn. After ballet bootcamp was over, Mrs. Joselyn decided to offer a ballet class for the little girls who were interested. Caroline and her buddy Abby jumped at the chance to dance with Mrs. Joselyn, and it provided a perfect time for Tamah and I to work out while Will stayed in the nursery. I guess you could say he ended up with the short stick in the deal, but the nursery was full of fun toys and his babysitters were precious! We hope that Mrs. Joselyn returns to teaching again soon because we sure will miss her. Until then, we wish Mrs. Joselyn good luck in finishing up her degree and pray that her husband returns from Iraq safely and soon!

1st day of playschool

Today was the kids' first day at playschool (aka Mother's Morning Out...but we fondly refer to it as playschool because it sounds like so much more fun). We decided to try out a new program this year and so far all three of us are thrilled. I'm relieved, especially since I got up at 4:30 a.m. to wait in line just to get our names on the list last spring. Rumor was that this program was top notch, and so far I couldn't agree more.

Last week, there was a parent night and the following day, there was "Meet the teacher". Caroline and Will both had so much fun meeting their teachers that neither really wanted to leave. Last night, I put them both to bed early, something we haven't done all summer. I was a little apprehensive as to how this morning would go since we had to actually be at the school at the time they normally get up. However, both hopped out of bed somewhat cheerfully and gladly got ready for their big day.
On our way to school, Caroline informed me that she would like to take her little brother to his room. I obliged and once we saw he was going to be okay, we headed to her room. However, just as we rounded the corner, we both heard him start to whimper. Caroline looked up at me and said, "I think that's Will crying." I agreed and said, "I'm sure if they can't get him to stop crying, they will come get you to help calm him down." Anticipating his separation anxiety, I grabbed my chance at a photo with Will's teacher, Mrs. Natalie, at "meet the teacher night". As it turns out, we already knew Mrs. Natalie because she takes her little ones to story time at the library as well. In fact, she was one of the ladies who talked me into trying this program!

Although a little apprehensive and nervous (she kept playing with the button on her dress), Caroline did great when I dropped her off. She posed for a quick picture with her teachers, Mrs. Michelle and Mrs. Brooks, and then headed off to play. Mommy then headed off to play as well...a game of tennis that is!
When I picked them up, their teachers all bragged on both of them and said they did so well on the first day. They also told me how sweet they were to one another with they saw each other in the hall going to and from recess. According to Mrs. Michelle, they gave each other a quick hug and then got back into their line to go with their classes. Oh, my precious little angels!

Catching up

A couple of weekends ago, the kids went to Lousisiana to spend the weekend with Matt's parents before the summer was over and school got started again. While I didn't get all of the details from the weekend, Aunt Erin kindly sent me some pictures recapping some of the fun things they did. She also called to harass me about not getting them on the blog in a timely manner. (I'll give you my excuse in a minute.)

When I asked Caroline to tell me what they did while visiting Mamaw Kat, Pappaw, and Aunt Erin, she told me that they made mud pies outside on the little pink stove...

went to their cousins', Ethan and Jenna, birthday party where there were all these fun ride things...stuffed little eggs...rode Aunt Erin's bicycle...
and learned how to make funny faces. When I asked her who taught her to make the faces she is continuing to make at home, she told me Aunt Erin did. Oh just wait until she has kids of her own!I'm assuming that since I didn't receive a picture of the kids with Mamaw Kat that she was the one taking all of the pictures. At least that how it goes around my house!

While the kids were away, Matt and I went for another bike ride down the Trace. This time, I lasted 20 miles. I must say that after mile 5, I forgot about my sore bottom and just enjoyed the ride. We also managed to go out to eat a lot and tried Mama Hamil's for the first time. Oh my goodness! I am not a buffet fan, but this place rocks!

In between eating and working out to get rid of all the extra calories we consumed, I played with my new toy...a serger! I am in love with this little machine; it makes finishing an outfit so much faster and it looks much more professional. It also is the reason why I haven't been keeping my blog up to date. Sewing has become one of my favorite hobbies and this little machine only added to my addiction. So much so that my husband is trying to convince me into starting a little business. I think his suggestion is hilarious because for years he kidded me about the sewing machine I received for Christmas that was just collecting dust in a closet. Anyway, while the kids were away, I did manage to sew Caroline and Will several outfits for the fall. Just check some of them out...

Look who's talking now

For a while I began wondering if Will was ever going to talk much or if he was just going to rely on his sister to do it for him (which she doesn't mind doing I might add). However, over the last few months he has begun to venture out and try new words.

His first sentence came a few weeks ago and was that of a typical male...."I don't know." The conversation went down as follows: Mommy asked, "Will, where are your shoes?" To which he replied, "I don't know." I was a little taken back by his response. Mainly because I have asked that question many times with no reply given whatsoever. Of course now he replies to a lot of my questions with his first and favorite sentence!
Will's second sentence came just as unexpectedly today while the three of us were reading a book before nap time. Caroline sweetly looked at her brother and said, "I love you buddy." Will responded so sweetly with, "I love you too." Caroline was just as shocked as I was and exclaimed, "Mommy, did you hear him say he loved me?" Priceless!

Afternoon stroll

During a recent play date with our friend Abby, the girls decided their babies needed a breath of fresh air. So, they packed their diaper bags, put their babies in their strollers and went outside for an afternoon stroll. Of course Will wanted to be included and thankfully the girls obliged. If you are wondering if he had a baby in his stroller, the answer is no. He decided to take Rover, his puppy dog instead.

Monsters of the Deep

So Nana, the kids and I decided to take a plunge into the deep blue sea to see Monsters of the Deep at the Museum of Natural Science. While it was not as impressive as last year's dinosaur exhibit, it still provided an afternoon of fun.

There were fossil puzzles to put together:Deer to pet:
Lots and lots of fish, snakes, and turtles to see:
Plus, a real life 2-headed snake:
Before the day was over, the kids got to ride on the back of a toad frog, which Will was obviously not thrilled with...and Caroline was swallowed alive by a shark!
When we were leaving, we couldn't help but notice St. Dominic just beyond the treeline. So, we decided to take a picture in front of it to let Daddy know we were thinking about him and that our fun day was made possible by his hard work!

What an imagination

Caroline likes to make up stories, and with an imagination like hers, you never know where the story is going. In the car the other day, she told me the following:

"Mommy, did I ever tell you about the time that mamingo (translation: flamingo) tickled me?" I replied, "well no, I don't think you did." "Well, one time a mamingo tickled me with its tongue. 1,000 times it tickled me with its tongue." "Oh my!" I replied.

Now where does she come up with that?

Aunt Erin came to town

Last week we were excited to have Aunt Erin visit us before the school year started up again. The kids loved playing with her and I enjoyed having an extra set of hands around, not to mention adult company during the day.We took her to our favorite snow cone stand. (Disclaimer: Will dressed himself.)


Of course Caroline had to show her how well she is swimming these days. Come to find out, Aunt Erin used to teach swimming lessons. HELLO...where has she been all summer? So, we took advantage of our swimming instructor and went swimming twice on Friday. Her swimming boot camp obviously worked because Caroline is trying all sorts of new things now.We would like to wish Aunt Erin good luck as she teaches junior high science this year and coaches the jr. high cheerleaders. Matt and I still get a kick out of that one! We just hope she gets a break soon so she can come back again.