School Days

Yes, this post is entitled school days and this is not a picture relating to school in any way- except that Parker has on his Auburn jersey and Auburn is where Mark and I went to school. Scroll down to the bottom for school pictures. I am too lazy to move those to the top and since my posts are few and far between this also has other pictures.

Moving right along... this is Parker's camera that Grandma bought him when Emma was born. They went to Target to each pick out a toy and Parker comes back with a $60 kids digital camera!! (sorry if I have posted about this before) I think Grandma did actually steer him towards this because she thought it would be fun for him and it has been. He has taken some cute pictures. You can even download them onto the computer. Maybe a good Christmas preset for your budding photographer. I will never forget him coming into my hospital room to meet his baby sister with this camera around his neck. Priceless!


Daddy and the big kids watching the big game (Auburn vs. someone- I can't remember which game!)


Maryn's new big girl bed. Not sure why the best picture of this has Parker on it... I think he may like it more than she does. My favorite part is the storage drawer under the bed. Maryn has done really well transitioning, no problems at all. We did put it in the exact spot in her room where the crib was and it has a crib matress so its the same size... don't know if those things helped but she's doing great!


Maryn loving her new big girl bed.


My birthday... a great day! One thing you may not know about me is birthdays, especially mine, are a very big deal! I have always loved my birthday, making sure Mark knows its coming up sometime in early August. Since the kids have been around its definitely been taken down a notch or two in my eyes. Just not as important anymore. But this years was special because Mark was home from work that whole week. And what's better than a special day-a special week! I would highly recommend your husband taking off at least for your birthday if not a week. I went to get coffee with my friend Andrea and came home to these wonderful decorations, a delicious chocolate cake, and a CLEAN kitchen! We went to the airport overlook- a free day activity I would also recommend. We took a picnic lunch and watched the airplanes take off and land. And that night Mark and I went to dinner just the two of us! First time that has happened since Emma was born. We waited until 8 to have the babysitter come so at least the older two would be in bed. Turns out that all three were asleep and stayed that way the entire time. And the celebrating continued until the next day when I got to go to lunch with Emily, mmmm Toast in Davidson on a cool fall day. Great times!!


Parker's first day as a Sonshine three year old. Last year was a little rough being away from Mommy but this year is GREAT. He cried one of the first days because we weren't getting ready fast enough for him! We LOVE Sonshine!!



Maryn's first day at Ms. Joanna's. Joanna is a friend of Emily's from Wilkesboro. She has been keeping Cam for two years now at her home which she has turned into a little preschool. Maryn goes one morning a week for some fun and so that Mommy can have a little break. She LOVES it! They do art, learn colors and songs, and have lots of fun.


Our Auburn attire. Joseph and Sarah brought these for the kids when they came Labor Day. Ever since I went with my friend Abby to buy her daughter Amabel's first Auburn cheerleader's outfit I have waited for the day when I had a daughter who could be an Auburn cheerleader! War Eagle!! Thanks Joseph and Sarah!


*to add to the last post: Mark told me tonight that Parker told him one of his toys needed some new "Chick fil A batteries" (triple A batteries). Ha!!

Funny things they say

Somehow on the way to school this morning we ended up talking about Jesus dying on the cross. I know, how did that come up?? We discussed how tall the cross was and so Parker was wondering how Jesus could have gotten up there. And my little fire fighter decided "Maybe he got up there with a fire engine." Those ladders do reach pretty high!

Craftiness

When Sarah was in town she and I went shopping and I saw these at Gymboree for $30



so I took an old pair of Maryn's jeans and made these.

I saw jeans similar to these at Poppies (an adorable boutique in Huntersville that does mostly monogramming) for $60 and made them. I tried to get away with using stitch witchery to attach the ribbon and pompoms and that didn't work so well. Now they are sitting in my sewing basket waiting to be attached with real thread. Yuck! I hate having to do a project twice. Actually this will be three times because I sewed the cuff of fabric on wrong side out the first time. So I'm not the best sewer...



I have been reading this blog lately and been inspired by Darby's craftiness. Any other ideas on some fun and easy projects?

Visit from Papa and Dede

Papa and Dede with the three Ray grandkids. They came at the end of August before Joseph and Sarah's visit. We had a great time hanging out and eating well- as we are known to do. Enjoy the rest of the pictures and stories...


The garden Dede and Papa planted for me (was all mint and weeds before). Isn't it beautiful? Thank you Dede and Papa!!


Parker helping plant the garden.


sleeping Emma


Here's the story behind this... Debbie insisted that I go get my haircut and colored and to let her and my dad watch the kids. Maryn has been potty training and is doing fairly well. I have to ask/remind her a lot of the time but she is going which is what counts. So Maryn is sitting on Daddy's lap and all of a sudden he feels something warm and realizes Maryn has peed on him. I don't think he found it very amusing! As my dad often tells me I reminded him... those things happen.


Dede snuggling with Emma.


And the story to this picture... Parker and Maryn had been to the barnyard party that morning and ridden Penny the pony. The favors were cowboy hats and he also got a jumprope. So Parker, aka Farmer Parker, decided he needed to "rope somebody" and my dad was the one- but only for a time. Dede was the honored Penny for most of the trip. I'm not sure why I didn't get a picture of that. Parker would walk her around the den and kitchen waving like a beauty queen, take Penny to his room and have her eat pretend hay, then they would lay down on his bed to take a nap. And then it would start all over again. Patient and kind Dede, thank you for making my little boy so happy. He actually asked me to play horsey this morning and I cleverly distracted him with something else!



We had a great visit and can't wait to see you in November!

Cam's Farm Birthday Party

** for more pictures visit Rebecca's blog

Parker and his best friend. I started keeping Cam four mornings a week when Parker was two months old so they are really more like brothers than friends just like Emily, his mom, is more like a sister than a friend. We love the Fowlers!!

A belated post (I have several lined up and hope to post them soon) from our best bud Cam's birthday party. He turned 4 and had a barnyard bash complete with petting zoo and pony rides! Fortunately my dad is a cowboy at heart and has provided Parker and Maryn with cowboy boots so they had the perfect outfits. They had a blast!!


Parker loving on Emma preparty.


My girls.


Parker petting the goat.


Maryn with the bunny.


Riding Penny

Not too much chaos

Joseph, Sarah, Ford and Luke were all here for Labor Day weekend and we had so much fun!! It really wasn't as chaotic as we had planned but I'm sure part of it was because the babies aren't mobile yet. I forget how nice it is to put them somewhere and they don't crawl or walk away. Joseph and Mark even kept all 5 kids (although during nap time) so Sarah and I could go shopping. Instead of writing a post about it I am going to hijack Sarah's so check out her blog here.

Mae Mae's visit

A very belated post but here are pictures from my mom's visit in August. She was able to come and help for a whole week! I haven't spent that much time with my mom in a long time. I was so thankful to have her here!! And the kids had a great time with her too! We love you Mae Mae!!






Mom loves to buy things for my kids when she comes to visit. Usually its books but this time Parker got "Candy Island" which most of us know as Candy Land. He had fun playing it with her when Maryn wasn't stealing his gingerbread man.