third child syndrome

My third child. He is so sweet. He is easy to sleep. He is easy to rise.  He is a handful (to say the least). But, he is also loving, and encouraging, and friendly, and funny. 

And, poor fella, he misses naps or
gets picked up from one or
is late for one ALL THE TIME!! 

waiting for his big sister to get out of gymnastics....had to be picked up from a nap so he continued it in the car....peaceful, huh....

swimming with buddies

I found some summer pictures I forgot to post.  We went swimming about a month ago with some really good friends.  The two families were on the same schedule as far as having kiddos - so each of the three has a buddy....not to mention the mommies get along pretty well too.  So, we had a fun day staying cool with sweet friends.  I have no pictures here of the two oldest - the boys were too busy jumping off the diving board and playing to have their picture made, of course!

not really sure how old he will be before this stops
being what he does when I take a picture

buddies since birth - and sassy and sweet....

these two littles are TROUBLE but pretty cute, huh!



the middles and littles - switching siblings - sweet buddies!

summer days

Summer days are the best!! I LOVE summer break!  We enjoy a much more relaxed daily life.  Every day is different.  Some days, we swim.  Some days, we have playdates. Some days, we stay home and do chores and just play.  And, my three children are as different in their sleep cycles and wake up modes as they can be.......

My youngest little guy wakes up at 7:00 ready to start his day.  He turns off his noise, puts up his monkey, closes his door, and comes downstairs announcing that "I had a good nap, Mama.  It is morning time.  The sun is up, Mama.  You get me some beckfast?" His exact words.  Every morning.  Yes, he is ready to get his day started.  My oldest buddy wakes around 7:30-8:00 and quietly reads or watches cartoons.  He is to himself, not hungry, and (while in a good mood) pretty groggy.  Some mornings, we might not even know he is up yet because he is so quiet.  Then, there is the princess.  She is my late sleeper - she wakes up anywhere from 8:30 to 10:30 - a few mornings even later.  She is soooo out of it, if she has to be awakened.  If she gets up on her own, she is Miss Sunshine.  She doesn't eat much. But, she always comes downstairs with her doll or bear in tow, or several actually. 

Yep, I love summers. I love that we can picnic in the floor on a hot day and watch cartoons.  I love that room time is something enjoyed.  I love that play doh is still a fun boredom buster.  Now, chores are a little harder to get the excitement about....but, we are working on it.  One of our favorite summer "stay at home" activities is marshmallow building. Oh, the works of art that are created!

And, when it is not SOOOO hot, we can play outside.  My youngest especially LOVES all things "outzyde".  He is my daredevil....all the time!!

Well, two weeks left of this wonderful thing called summer! 

Guess I better go to bed so I can have the energy that tomorrow will need!!!

the Fourth of July

Our Fourth of July started the night before, like it has for the last 4-5 years, at a friend's home for a BIG party - with lots of friends, lots of great food, and an incredible firework show.  Birmingham does a "pre" show outside the city on July 3rd, kind of a dress rehearsal.  And, we enjoy this pre-fourth show every year from the backyard of the house! 

big and little kids enjoy glow sticks!

The fireworks did not disappoint - even the toughest critics.



These girls played and giggled and LOVED the firework show!!!

As Bear would say, "those pow pow boom booms were lowd, but fun!"
Hope you had a spectacular Fourth of July celebrating our gift of freedom!



First lost tooth

She lost her first tooth a few weeks ago.....and she is excited! Number two is already loose.  How is she this big?  First grade, here she comes.....with one less tooth!

And, yes, that is the new tooth coming in right behind it!  We had been working on this first tooth for a while!!!

Chicago - Day 4

Our last day in Chicago called for a sleep in, a late breakfast, and a trip to the Science and Industry Museum......the perfect place to spend before heading home for an eight and six year old!

We saw a submarine......



We played some games and did some experiments.....

And, we saw a great train set of a GREAT city!!

And, we were off to eat one more deep dish pizza before we caught a plane home.  What a terrific trip!!



Chicago - Day 3

Day 3 was a wonderful Saturday in Chicago.  We started the morning off with a boat tour around the city and into Lake Michigan. Our tour guide was excellent - even the kids were enthralled with all the information we were given and the sites that were seen. 

After our tour, we headed to Navy Pier for some fun! We rode the Ferris Wheel and C and S rode the giant swing.  Miss Priss and I even saw a street show with all kinds of dancers. 

The Navy Pier was so much fun for the kids to ride some rides.  C had heard (during our audio tour the night before) about the water fountain that shot water high into the air on the hour, every hour.

He just had to see it - so that was our next stop!

And, we finished the day with a yummy dinner and a swim at our hotel.  This trip was so fun but SOOO exhausting!! One more day......

Chicago - Day 2

We woke up to a cloudy Chicago day and a game against the Houston Astros on the schedule for the Cubs. So, we jumped on the train and headed to Wrigley Field. The rain came in bucket fulls!!! We grabbed a ballpark dog and some nachos and enjoyed the awesome baseball atmosphere. Soon, the rain stopped (only delaying the game an hour) and the field was being cleared for the game. Here are a few pictures from the day:

 Then, after the game, we rode the train back into town and headed straight to Ditka's for a yummy dinner and then shopping at the American Girl and Lego stores.  To end the night, we went to the top of the Hancock Tower to see the city at night.  They have this amazing audio tour with headphones.  All four of us had a pair and walked around every window enjoying the interesting stories and sights.  Day #2 was a fun, fun, fun day!!!

looking at Navy Pier from the top of the Hancock Building

Chicago - Day 1

My precious husband really loves Chicago.  So, he planned this amazing long weekend trip for us to take our two big kiddos to the Windy City.  We spent four days there....touring, walking, eating, touring, walking, and eating some more.  We had a GREAT time experiencing Chicago!!

Our first activity once we arrived: take a tour of Wrigley Field
We almost melted in the bleachers.  But, what a view!!

Sitting in the Cubs dugout was pretty fantastic! My boys were so excited!!

This big guy was as happy as can be to tour the field!
He was so intrigued by our tour guide
and in awe of everything Cubs!

Yep, it was HOT out on that field!  We chose
the hottest day of the year in Chicago to take this tour. 
But, it was SO worth it! It was one of our
favorite things from our trip.

Wrigley Field was so beautiful, so old and full of history. 
And, taking a tour made my two boys love
their Cubbies even more!

Then, we were off to see this city from a higher vantage point. 
We went up into the Sears Tower
and had a look around this beautiful city.

 1400 feet up, looking down on the ants that were cars,
glass floors - GREAT photo op!!!!


 We were exhausted and sweaty and hot and
 so absolutely thrilled with our first day
 touring Chicago.  The city was beautiful and full
of fun.  Riding the train, taking cabs,
eating deep dish pizza - all
made for a GREAT first day for all four of us!

Ballet Camp

My girl attended ballet camp.  And, needless to say, she kind of liked it.  The camp was every morning for a week.  She learned two ballet pieces and a Bible verse song.  The theme of the camp was Snow White...so she learned more of the story, did crafts, and had snacks every day.  And, she went with her two best friends.  Yes, she was a happy girl - all week long!! On the last day, we were invited to a mini performance.  She was thrilled and had the best time performing for her siblings, friends, and all the parents. 

time at the beach

Our little family spent some time at the beach a few weeks ago.....and were blessed to have my brother's family join us for a few days. It was a last minute type trip making our finding a condo pretty hard...and we had some rain....a good bit of rain for a couple of days....but, we had a most relaxing, beautiful, perfect vacation. It was our Bear's first trip to the beach. We enjoyed his excitement, his love of all things "beach". Here are just a few pictures to share: