Happy Third Birthday!

We had a big weekend - Emily turned three! It is crazy to think that it's been three years already. She's such a big girl - and SO opinionated all of a sudden! She has loads of personality and is so much fun to play with every day. We had a fiesta at the White House with friends and family to celebrate her big day. She specifically asked for green beans, also, so that's now a new staple of mexican fare. She had a blast and has thoroughly enjoyed all of her gifts. Because her birthday was actually on Sunday, I baked her a cake (strawberry cake with strawberry icing at her request) and she shared it with Abby before opening up her gift from Mommy and Daddy - a Dora scooter. She reminded us (negligent parents) that we did not purchase a helmet and kneepads like the girl on the package, so we had to make another trip to Target the next day to make the necessary purchases so that she can scoot around the house in well-cushioned safety. Thanks to everyone who joined us at the fiesta and helped us to celebrate our big girl's birthday. Sorry about all of the pictures - how's a mommy to choose?

Picture from her party invitation-very cha cha cha!

Doughnuts are our birthday tradition. The cake tower is a gift from Papa.

Hitching a ride on Nanny's scooter

Some love for Amy
Abby plays glamazon with the new dress-up trunk

Happy birthday!
She loved all of her shoes and insisted on trying them all on.
A doll house!
I love this picture of Em and Jackson - their expressions are so cute!

T.C. enjoys a good game of Candyland as much as anybody.

Super snazzy letters from Vickie, Shea, Wes, and Jace
Making jewelry with Rhonda - Her purse of activities kept Emily occupied all during church the next day!
Playing dress-up with her new accessories. Notice that she's changed clothes? She insisted on trying on her new outfit from Amy and Abby.
What could be in this big box? Love her outfit? She picked it out herself.
It's a scooter! Check out all the carnage in the background. Someone should make environmentally friendly toy packaging!

Time for cake. It's a really cute giant cupcake but let's be honest - I don't frost well. Good thing she's not judgmental.Yum! Crazy hair - she's lost her barrette.
Abby helps make a wish. Em insisted on purple party hats and then wouldn't wear hers - she doesn't like the elastic.
Playing house together. Notice llama's on the couch - never far away!

Nighttime Fun

Emily is usually great fun at bedtime. When she gets really tired, she gets giddy and silly - singing songs, dancing, and doing what she calls "ticks" (tricks) which involve jumping on beds and standing on her head. I got in some good pictures of our evening routine and thought I'd share them. These are the night before her birthday party and she's getting tucked in with a few of her birthday gifts - in particular, a stuffed llama from one of Donald's coworkers. That's her newest obsession! He goes with us everywhere. We had a fun photo session before reading Curious George (a nighttime staple lately) and heading upstairs. Hope you enjoy!

Everyone's ready for a story

Loving the llama
Cheesing with Mommy
I LOVE this sweet photo!
Crazy hair!
Her favorite "tick"

Future cheerleader

Meet the Teacher

I can hardly believe it - Emily will be starting school this week! Donald and I took her to meet her teacher, Ms. Tonya, last week at Palmetto Baptist Church. After a few moments of leg-clinging, she warmed up (thanks to the cool toys in the room and Ms. Tonya's great personality) and had a great time in the classroom. She's looking forward to going back this week and taking her snack every day - isn't it funny the things that they look forward to? Emily has specifically asked me to buy her some snacks that don't drip. I'm glad that she's thinking ahead! Here are a few pictures of our morning at school! She really loved the cars and workbench.
Now she doesn't want to leave!

Callaway Gardens

Donald, Emily, and I took a trip to Callaway Gardens last weekend and had a great time. We drove down after work on Friday and spent two nights there. Emily loved the butterfly center and had a great time at the etching station at the Discovery Center. She also met a great blue heron there named Elvis. So exciting! We spent most of one afternoon at the beach where we discovered Emily's future calling - Navy Seal! She liked to army crawl around in the shallow water. And by the way, in case any of you were wondering, paddleboating is a better theory than an actual practice. Better to just stay on the shore and laugh at all the other silly people sweating on the unshaded pond. Aside from freezing in the swimming pool on Sunday morning and occasional fits of three-year-old temper, we had a wonderful mini-vacation. Sorry about all the pictures, but I just couldn't make a decision!

Hanging out with Big Dora after checking in

Posing at the Butterfly Center
She was a little nervous about so many things flying around
The view at Mr. Cason's vegetable garden
Having a snack and a Coke - she loves to drink from a bottle!

She asked for a picture with this purple flower - crazy for anything purple!

I love these beach pictures. Such a sweetie!






Cotton candy ice cream at the Purple Cow
Sharing a story at Cup and Chaucer
Hugging the bronze dog - he's just her size!

Biker Chic

Emily's had a rough couple of days. We took her to the doctor this week and discovered that she has the hand, foot, and mouth virus (I want to call it hoof and mouth - like a cow!) instead of what we thought was strep. I'm glad she didn't have strep but still pretty bummed about the diagnosis. She has been in a lot of pain for a couple of days because her mouth is broken out in blisters. And as the rest of you parents out there know - no sleep for baby means no sleep for us! Fortunately, the infection is only supposed to last about 10 days and I think we're coming to the end of it. After several days lying in front of the TV and watching Curious George DVDs, she asked to go outside and ride her Dora bicycle - a gift from Santa last Christmas that she's only now really growing into! I dressed her up in a very cha-cha dress and we took her out to ride on the driveway. She had a great time and it was great to see her laughing again. Thanks to everyone who has called to check on us! Get outside and enjoy this slightly cooler weather!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!

I came home from work today to pick up Emily and discovered that she and Abby were MIA. In their places were Snow White and a Fairy Princess! They were having a great time playing dress-up in old Halloween costumes at Mimi and Papa's house. Emily was almost unrecognizable in Snow White's black wig except for a few unruly red curls sticking out. She kept waving her magic wand at Abby and saying, "I'm going to magic you away!" She also apparently got bent out of shape with Abby, who refused to wear dress-up shoes, and told her, "I'm just so stupid darn mad at you!" I'm glad she didn't say worse....Hope your day was magical!

Dinner at the Spaghetti Factory

Last night we celebrated that it was Thursday with a trip to my favorite restaurant, the Spaghetti Factory. I don't think we've been there since my 30th birthday in February. Of course, we arrived that time on a huge party bus with about 10 other couples. This time it was just the three of us. Emily was very excited to sit in the trolley for supper and even more excited about the velvet chairs in the lobby upholstered in her signature color - purple. Donald and I got some cute pictures of her before we had to carry her kicking and screaming out the door. Seems that she didn't appreciate other children sitting on those special purple chairs. I hope they cover sharing in nursery school...

Slurping up some goodness

Posing in the trolley

Those purple chairs
She looks like a little pinup girl
Wonder how much I weigh?

Happy 85th Birthday, Nanny!

We recently celebrated Nanny's 85th birthday with a big barbecue luncheon for about 80 people. It was quite an undertaking but I think everyone had a great time. Family and friends from all over joined us to wish a happy birthday to our Nanny and we sat around eating ourselves silly, telling stories, looking at pictures, and watching the children run around covered in cupcake icing. Emily and Abby had precious matching outfits - and matching icing rings around their mouths by the end of the afternoon! I don't know how many cupcakes they snuck off to eat. Just wanted to share a few photos of our big day with our family.

Posing while we sing to the birthday girl

So delicious!

Twin sisters...almost!

100 birthday cupcakes on a special tower made by Daddy - before the kids got into them!

A Trip to the Circus...Finally!

We actually made it to the circus this time on a night when they were performing! Donald, Emily, and I met up with Mimi, Papa, and Abby at Callaway Gardens to see the Flying Seminoles perform their high-flying act. And hold on to your seats...I drove on the way down. Most of you know that I don't drive unless it's a state of national emergency! Emily's face was priceless...as were all of the "ticks" (tricks) she performed for the spectators during the show. She was so carried away by the acrobats that she wanted to swing around all over the place, too. We spent some quality time in the parking lot letting Donald swing her around after the show to get some of the boogie out of her for the trip home. Both girls had lots of fun eating loads of junk - Emily had never tried cotton candy before and really enjoyed it. And as an added bonus, a woman behind us tried to set me up with her son before she realized that Donald and I were together. That's what I get for going out without my wedding rings! We got some cute pictures with the girls and the performers after the show before whisking Emily into her PJs in the parking lot and heading home. She sang Elvis songs and whispered the story of the Three Little Pigs to herself the whole trip home before finally collapsing as we passed the Cannongate golf ball. What a great way to spend a summer evening!

She's crazy about anything purple

Sugar in a bag...YES!
Performances during the show
You can't see it, but the performer's shins were bleeding!
Those are some tight shiny pants!
Performances after the show

Ready for the drive home!