He Said What?!?

How would Dr. James Dobson respond to a four year old boy declaring the following statement in a very serious and matter of fact tone?

J: I want to fart in Satan's face.

My Heart Melts

My heart melts when I hear things like this...

J: E, do you believe in God?

E: Ya and Jesus, too!

Like father, like daughter

The conversation as we were leaving they YMCA yesterday:

E: Mommy wike to essercize. (Mommy like to exercise.)

J: E, do you like to exercise?

E: No.

J: You're just like Daddy.

The Wedding

For over two years, we knew that my youngest brother was going to be married on August 7, 2010. Two years…plenty of time to prepare. So what were we doing one hour and forty-five minutes prior to leaving town for the big day? Steve was heading one direction to find something to wear, and I was off in another to find somewhere to walk-in for a haircut. Seriously, I really don’t think we could have been less organized.

It’s a good thing we were not in charge of anything of high importance that weekend because the event may not have turned out so beautifully.

We managed to sneak in an impromptu cousin photo shoot. The boys and E were not overly cooperative, but H is a natural. Her eyes make her the perfect (PERFECT!!) subject.



















I love this one. It looks like it should be on the front of a greeting card.




















The boys acting like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the sewer lid.














The girls filled up a nest with apples. Oh, what a difference gender can make.

































E rarely flashes a smile for the camera.



















This idea started off rather cute...

















until...














J preparing to shower the newlyweds with silly string. My advice: if you are planning to get married and do not want to take a shower immediately after exiting the church, you may want to try bubbles or rice instead.




















Who needs a limo? This is somewhat of a tradition in our small town. Green Acres-ish indeed, but why break tradition of your wedding day?


















A quick picture of our family...























My parents were looking exceptionally wonderful that day.



















J enjoying the complimentary cotton candy.


























My brother is a Florida State fanatic. He even invited Coach Bobby Bowden to the festivities. He did not attend but instead made my brother's day with a personal phone call as his RSVP. True story.

















Mom dancing with her baby...























So much fun can be exhausting...











Congrats to the lovely couple!

Gecko

J: Mom, you're like a giant gecko today.

(I still have no idea what he was implying, but since geckos have no truly desirable attributes, this did nothing for my self esteem.)

Good Question

J: Do you have to pass outer space to get to heaven?

Leaps and Bounds

My baby is growing up, and I haven't fully accepted that yet.

With J, our first born, every milestone and new trick was and is so exciting. We endlessly encourage him to keep forging ahead. With E, however, things are different. I am different. Of course, I still am an excited, beaming, proud mama each and every time she accomplishes or says anything. But knowing how quickly these precious times zoom by, I find myself being less of an encourager and more of a that's-great-but-just-slow-down-and-quit-growing-up-so-quickly mom.

It seems that in the past two weeks E has made some big girl moves. Needless to say, this has been a little bittersweet for me.

Two weeks ago, I painted her fingernails for the first time for her uncle's wedding. She was SO excited! Remember, she is a self-proclaimed princess. I've never done this before because my little lady is a thumb sucker. I said, "You have to keep your fingers pretty, so no sucking your thumb." And that was it. Simple as it was, no thumb sucking since. On occasion she'll sweetly rest her thumb on the side of her cheek when she's sleepy, but no more little thumb in her mouth. I know the endless troubles that parents go through to halt this habit, so I am thankful that this has been so easy. One step closer to not being my baby anymore though.

A week ago, E decided (on her own) that she wants to "go potty like a big girl." And she has been. Once again, I know the endless troubles that go along with potty training, so I am thankful that this has been her idea. But, also another step closer to not being a baby anymore.

It might even be slightly easier for me if she needed me a bit more during this time of learning, but Little Miss Independence takes care of things on her own.

At least half of the time, she doesn't even involve me in the process. This is what I stumble across several times a day.

The diaper on the floor...



The big girl doing her potty business...




And then the independent clean up...




Maybe I'm resisting this growing up thing a little too much. After all, isn't an independent child one of the goals of parenting?

So go ahead, little girl. Grow up. Be independent. Just remember to use a Clorox wipe to clean the urine covered floor, too.

Happy Tuesday

It's days like this that make me want to quit my job. . .flight attendant style.

No More Fun

J: Why don't you ever let Daddy have fun anymore?

Fun, fun, fun!

We had the joy of meeting our friend, W, at the park for a little picture time.

Believe it or not, we arrived a tad early, so my kids, less than thrilled, were my initial targets.













Then the attention turned to this handsome and busy guy.

My favorite...



Getting ready for football season...



Eating grass...



Surprise cake time...



I may never be allowed to take pictures of W again! It's a good thing babies are washable.

And more...

(click on image to enlarge)








We had such a great time! Thanks for letting me practice my photography skills. It was certainly my pleasure.