Sam is 11!

Could there be any other kind of cake for him?

I forgot the candles. Again. Kate stood ready to give him her #3 candle, though!

Sam had a sleepover with three friends. When we went to check on them at almost noon, we found one curled under Kate's bouncy house, Sam on the ottomon, another one wadded up in a chair, and this guy sleeping through the ball pit. That's what happens when you stay up til 4:30 AM! My downstairs looked worse than a frat party house.

Happiness over what this gift means...the new Madden game to a new video gaming system!

Claire's Sweet Shop

Claire had her 8th birthday party last night with a Candy Shop theme. We created an old-fashioned candy store and ice cream parlour. We also had a candy themed scavenger hunt where the girls eventually found coins to spend in the store. It was so much fun (and so much work!) But the girls had a blast, and there was lots of giggly excitement!

Here are a few more pictures on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2343816316484.2143125.1282268881&l=903602b818&type=

New Family Member!

Claire, Aunt Betty, and I made a girls trip last weekend to the American Girl Atlanta Boutique and Bistro. It was an early birthday trip for Claire to choose her first AG doll. She chose a look-alike doll that she named Bethany. Here are the links to Betty's blog with lots of great pictures.

http://c2drvryf.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/american-girl-claire/

http://c2drvryf.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/american-girl-the-bistro/

http://c2drvryf.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/atlanta-trip-part-3/

Kate Sings!

How about a little entertainment from Kate to start your day off right?! Isn't she the sweetest! Next time we will turn off "Dora" before her concert begins. :-)

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Kate is 3...almost!

Her birthday is tomorrow, but her party was tonight....so she's almost 3.

She requested a Caillou cake.

Big girl blowing out her own candle this year.

She wanted Caillou's face.

Movies from Sam, yay!

This was waiting outside for her!!

She spotted it and said, "My car!"

Climbed right in.

Ready to roll! She loved it, and took off driving pretty well for an almost 3 year old.

The rest of the pics are on fb here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2248877863082.2138339.1282268881&l=2ffff7b6a5

Mid-Summer Wrap-Up

Play dates

Fun with friends

Stayed cool

Visited New York...sorta

Demonstrated nose talents

Looked for career choices?

Went to VBS!

Didn't kill the garden...yet

Relaxed

Entertained baby cousin

Looked cute at the swim meets

Oh yeah, and swam at the meets

And swam some more

Had a sick daddy on Father's day

But we ate his cake anyway!

It's been a busy, busy summer. The older kids are attending a day camp three days a week all summer while Kate and I do our own summer activities like play at the park and swim. Swim team has taken a lot of time with practices and several meets. VBS at our church and also with friends at their churches has kept me shuttling kids around. We've taken a day trip or two and have a few more planned before summer's end. Lots of family, friends, sun, and water are keeping our summer going.

Year of the Cicada

Every thirteen years we Middle Tennesseans are bombarded by cicadas. Fortunately, our own backyard was not completely taken-over, but we had our share. I assumed my girls would be terrified and spend all 6 weeks of the infestation indoors, but not Claire! Once I gave her some info to read on them, she became a friend to them. Rescuing them. Catching them. Sharing them. Eww. Before they burrowed away for another thirteen years I had her pose with a few. Hard to believe she will be 20 when they reappear!