Coming to a close

The 2015-2016 school year is coming to a close, and I'm amazed at how fast it has gone. We had end of the year programs for both kids this week. Evie's program was Friday night and her part was about 30 seconds long. After sitting for an hour with another hour to go, so we skipped the rest because we were all worn out and cranky by then. Do other people's kids not melt down near bedtime after a full day at school? Sullivan's program was during lunch earlier in the week and went well. He's not much of a stage performer, but it was sweet to see how much they've grown over the year.

LLES end of the year program

ABC end of the year program. Perfectly captures their typical attitudes when I ask for a picture.

I made my first LLES field trip the previous Friday to the Memphis Zoo. The weather couldn't have been better and we had a great time. I brought Evie along as well.

Taking a picture with me is apparently very painful.

We traveled to my Mom's the same afternoon to spend Mother's Day weekend with her and Freddie. We got to go to the new grammy museum for the first time, and it was so much fun! If you are a Beatles fan, that exhibit leaves in June, so get there soon! They have so many interactive exhibits that kids and adults both enjoy. I could have spent all day in there, but my kids got hungry and were ready to go after about 2 hours. I highly recommend it though!

Dance Floor

Fred Daddy and Bebe with my ever reluctant photo takers.

On Sunday after church we stopped by the cemetery where my father is buried to place a special stone Daniel had made. The small stone in the picture came from the Nantahala River and Daniel carved "Dr. Barry" in to it. It was something that Daniel just wanted to do, but means a lot to me that he was so considerate. My dad's headstone also came from a quarry in the Smokies, since that is an area that he really loved. 

My last two photos today are rather random. The first is a photo of two birds that love to build nests each  year above our front door. Daniel is determined not to let them and goes out to prevent them from making any progress. I feel bad for them and would cave, but he's holding strong. The pile of poop at the front door is a bit annoying.  I'm fairly certain they are planning their revenge though...

The last photo is of me and Sullivan and Evie. We read Pete the Cat books all the time and the kids decided they wanted everyone in the family to get some Pete the Cat shoes. 3 down, 1 to go.

I can't understand Whinese

Holy cow. My kids were completely unable to communicate this morning.

Evie cried about everything: wants to get her yogurt-cries because she can't find strawberry, wants me to get her yogurt instead- cries even though i found strawberry, i'm taking a shower and won't let her in- cries,  i put on shoes- cries, i help her wash the soap off her hands- cries, i tell her she can wear a doc mcstuffins pull-up- cries, i tell her she can wear a dora pull-up instead- cries because it's not doc mcstuffins, and on and on and on.

Sullivan wouldn't answer a single question I asked him except with a dirty look. I raise my voice for him to answer me- he cries, Daniel gets on to him for something else- cries, get in the car and I say no tv- they both cry.

And then...as I'm driving through the neighborhood, I spill my coffee all over my white skirt and the floorboard of the car. Like a light switch, my kids suddenly are able to communicate. No crying, no whining. Happy, normal conversation all the way to school and through drop off. WTH? Did the demons get ejected with my coffee?  Do I  need to recreate this scenario every morning? I'm still baffled.


Parenting tip: when your kids are driving you nuts, watch cute "bideos" of them.

Spring has sprung

This is going to be a typical catch up blog. Lots of photos.

Some recent happenings:

We finally sold my car from high school. Still looks pretty dang good for being 20 years old! I was a little sentimental about letting it go, but it went to a co-worker's son and will get to do something besides sit in my driveway. So long, Rodeo!

We've been spending lots of time outdoors while the weather is still beautiful and cool. Our garden has brussels sprouts that are almost ready and strawberries ripening each day. We've got tomato plants started and lots of seeds beginning to sprout. I've determined I need to add another raised bed to our garden since Daniel has claimed an entire bed just for strawberries.

We've got lots of baby pears and peaches on our trees, but I only got a photo of our two varieties of pears.

We grow our own luck around here as well as we have discovered several patches of clover that consistently produce numerous four leaf clovers.  It's a bit like taking candy from a baby, so I avoid those areas when scouting for lucky clovers.

Kids are doing well. Sullivan has good days/weeks at school and bad days/weeks, so we just take it one day at a time. Listening and following directions are not his strong suit. He loves to love on our cat Sophie and to "play" with the lizards in our garden. When he's engaged, he can be such a great helper. He's recently mastered tying his shoes. This summer we hope to check off confident swimming and riding a bike without training wheels.

With his BFF Jackson

The Sharks!

Evie has started exerting her independence more and more. Her favorite words are "let me do it!". She's still a sweet snuggler though, and I just love it when she leans her head against me while we read books at night. She speaks in full sentences and really likes to sing these days. The princess craze has fully hit. She wants to wear a princess nightgown each night, has a princess night light, and has a set of "bath tub" princesses that she carries just about everywhere. She can be rough and tumble, but she's a bit of a girly girl as well. In the photo below, she is twirling her dress. :)

Daniel and I celebrated 10 years of marriage on April 22. We had hoped to take a trip to celebrate, but with our company selling and the kids in school, we decided to postpone a trip to a more convenient time. Instead, we had drinks and dinner with some of our best friends and came home to have some "wedding" cake and watch a movie. Daniel surprised me with an anniversary band to add to my wedding ring set, although we weren't supposed to be doing gifts...All in all, it was a good day. Hard to believe it's been 10 years.

Evie's 2nd Birthday

We had a busy holiday season, and it's hard to believe it's finished already. I had really hoped to sit back and try to take it all in this year, but it still never felt like I did that. Severe weather the day before Christmas Eve, no AC/Heat, packing for 8 days on the road...it all added up to not much relaxing in front of the tree. We enjoyed getting to see family and getting to visit the beach for a few days though.

We celebrated Evie's 2nd birthday while at my mother's house. It was nice to have all of her girl cousin's present.She had been practicing singing "Happy Birthday" for a few weeks and has definitely mastered unwrapping presents, so this birthday was a bit more fun for her!

Her cake had been frozen, so was sweating as it thawed!

Heading for the Coast on her actual birthday.

We went for Evie's 2  year checkup this week. She weighs 27 lbs 8 oz and is 34.6 inches tall. 60th and 71st percentage respectively.

She's speaking in sentences and loves to sing songs. We are still singing Christmas carols almost every night. She especially loves Jingle Bells and Silent Night. 

She is a GREAT eater. She'll try a bite of anything; especially from our plates. She still loves gumbo and requests that frequently, so I guess I'll be making another pot soon. She eats lots of yogurt, mandarins, granola bars, chicken, and rice. She and Sullivan BOTH ate filet over the holidays. 

This is a first for Sullivan, and shock, he loved it! 

Evie's sleep is still sporadic. Lately she's been waking up around 12:30 or 1 am and comes to get in bed with us. Since she shared a big bed with Sullivan while we traveled, she has requested to sleep in her twin bed rather than her crib! I'm going to be one sad momma when that crib comes down for the last time! 

Evie has moved up to Miss Carrie's class at daycare and is working on her potty training now! She is still a climber, and I can't trust her anywhere for long. She ABSOLUTELY cannot be trusted with markers or colors of any kind as she will draw on walls, floors, chairs, etc. 

Her newest sweet thing is to say "yes, ma'am" to every question, regardless of who asks. All that being sad, she has definitely got a defiant streak. Some of her favorite things to say are, "I'm gonna do it" and "Noooooo". She doesn't want help...until she does. She thinks her daddy and her brother are the funniest people on Earth and she's quick with a laugh and a smile. She loves to take care of "her babies" and our pets, and Sammy in her class. She calls ladybugs, and now most bugs, "boogie bugs", so we all say that now. It's adorable. She loves Ring Around the Roses and will sing or want to do that every day. 

I can't believe she's already 2 and Sullivan is 6. The years certainly fly by, and I've the grey hair and big kids to prove it. I am incredibly blessed. The kids played great together, the adults drank lots of yummy craft beer, and it was just generally a lovely week. 

Seaside has a great New Year's Eve fireworks show and usually a big party and lots of events. It rained just about all day, and we weren't sure even fireworks would happen. Thankfully, the weather cleared up in plenty of time for the fireworks show. The adults grilled steaks (Daniel did this in the pouring rain) then moved to the tower of the house to drink Prosecco and play Cards Against Humanity while we waited for fireworks. Low key and so fun. 

After the beach, we stopped in to see Daniel's family and had a belated Christmas there. The kids received many wonderful gifts, but they were especially excited by their snow gear! We don't have a ski trip planned, so let's hope we get some snow to put these to use!

My cool kids ready to hit the slopes.

Tis the Season

To begin, if any of you are looking to help a perfect stranger this Holiday season, check out WANA. I've participated several years, and even little things can make such a difference. If you'd like to keep your money local, but want to make a difference in a child's life, consider either of the options below. When there is so much hate and violence in the world, it makes it even more important to remember and support and share love and goodness.

Gift of Literacy and The Christmas Store

We had a very busy weekend with our company Christmas party, pancakes with Santa, a bridal shower, a dinner party, and Christmas card pictures! Tonight is the town Christmas parade! It's been fun, but I am looking forward to some down time with my family soon. I am bound and determined to make cinnamon rolls for friends and neighbors again this year, and I'm excited to have Sullivan's help again. We'll of course be making sugar cookies and/or gingerbread men. Ahhh, the holidays!

Behind as always

This cutie has less than a month until her 2nd birthday and she used the potty several times last weekend! Where has my tiny baby gone? She is speaking in sentences, singing Christmas songs, and exerting her independence as often as possible. She loves to say, "I'ma do it". She wants to pick out her own "baby (s)poon", her shoes, her clothes, etc. She wants to climb in to her crib and on top of her changing table. She wants to dress and undress herself. The list goes on and on.

She had gumbo for the first time recently and LOVED it. Not afraid to try anything. Eats yogurt or oatmeal most mornings for first breakfast. A granola bar typically follows later.

She and her brother are typical siblings. Arguing over books and toys one minute, playing or reading sweetly together the next. He loves to get her out of her bed and to teach her new things. This week he taught her how to turn on the Christmas tree, so that's the first thing she wants to do each morning and when we get home in the evening.

Sullivan has been doing well. He's reading so well and doing great with his math. He's a worrier like his Mom and is already stressing out about 1st grade. I've got to set a better example in regard to stress and new things and hard work! He wants to stay in Kindergarten forever, and I can't say I blame him! I'm definitely still unsettled about whether this current school is the right place for us, but can't do much about at the moment anyway.

We had his 6th birthday at the Arcade. It was chaotic, but quick and easy for me. Hard to believe he is already 6! We've been going through his toys to make donations since he was inundated with more "stuff". Having birthday and Christmas so close makes for gift overload in my book. Poor Evie will have it even worse.