Pool Days

Summer is winding down, and our days at the pool are quicky coming to a close. Before it's all said and done, I wanted to post a few pictures of the pool fun that we've had throughout the summer.

One weekend, we got to travel to Tennessee to visit Auntie Kimmy, Uncle Butch, and Cousin Lilly to help them prepare to move. While there, we got to spend some time at their neighborhood pool. Here are the kids ready to get cooled off (it was a scorcher that day!).

Tyler has been a little fish since he was a baby. He's always LOVED the water and could be perfectly content swimming all day long. Last summer he took simming lessons and became a pretty good independent swimmer. This year, he worked hard to perfect what he already knew and has progressed so much!

He even got to where he could swim across the deep end, taking breaths along the way!

At the very beginning of the summer, he asked us to get him some "woggle goggles" to use at the pool. (I think he got this term from hearing us call them water goggles.) I wasn't sure how well they would go over with him, but for $2 I thought, "why not?" He ended up loving them and won't get into the pool without them! He loves that he can see everything under water without getting his eyes wet. (He's one of those hyper wipers who can't stand water in his eyes!) With this love of his woggle goggles, he was able to teach himself how to retrieve items at the bottom of the pool (in the shallow end).

The pool we go to belongs to my friend's family who lives down the street from us. So a couple times, Billy has come down to visit with us for a while after getting off work. Tyler had a blast on this day when Billy was throwing him up in the air to make big splashes in the pool. He kept asking to go higher and higher. Nothing about the water frightens this kid!

Last summer Allison was only a year old. And while she seemed to enjoy floating around in her baby raft, her time in the water was always pretty short lived. To get her to stay in the pool longer each time, I would bribe her with lollipops. So this year, I was interested to see if she was going to end up being a water baby like Tyler, or if it just wasn't her thing. She took right to it, and gets just as excited (sometimes more) as Tyler when I say we get to go to the pool. She's not quite the connoisseur that Tyler is, but she really does enjoy being in the water. Sometimes I can't even get her to get out for a snack. Just don't splash water in her face though! When that happens, she's not a happy camper.

It didn't take her long to learn how to balance herself in the water using her new "duck floatie." And she kicks her legs like a pro to get around the pool.

For some reason, she finds it amusing to pull her legs up in front of her and stick her little toes out of the water! And it's the cutest when she tells me that her fingers and toes have turned into "raisin brans."

Here she is drying off in her beloved princess towel after a long day in the pool. That little face just makes my heart melt!

It has been a very FUN and FAST summer. We will miss our pool days, but we are very eager for Fall and all of its festivities that are right around the corner!

Chocolate Milk and Recycling

Just some more humor from my two most favorite little people!

The other night, Allison told me she wanted some milk. So, I got the jug from the refrigerator and took the lid off of her sippy cup. Before I had the chance to pour the milk in her cup she exclaimed, "NOOOOO!!!"
"What?" I replied, "You said you wanted milk."
She then came right back with, "I want the BROWN milk!"
Apparently I was misinformed.

When church let out today it was pouring rain outside, so Billy went to pull the car around close to the door for me and the kids to get in. He searched the car in vain for an umbrella with no luck. So the next best thing was the recycling box I left in the back after dropping off our recycling one day last week. After we all made it to the car somewhat dry with the use of the makeshift umbrella, Tyler commented, "That was some great recycling Daddy!"

Motherly Instincts

After seeing a recipie for Root Beer Chocolate Cake on Heather C.'s blog, I have been wanting to make it. I actually rarely make desserts to have after dinner, but I just really wanted to try this recipie. So getting chocolate cake tonight after dinner was a special treat, especially for my Tyler Man. He is a true choco-holic! Maybe it had something to do with the chocolate craving I had every night after dinner when I was pregnant with him...
Anyway, a little while after finishing his cake, I noticed him go into the kitchen and come back with a smirky little grin on his face. This is always the face I see when I know Tyler is up to something he shouldn't be. Here is the conversation that followed:

Me: Tyler, what are you doing?
Tyler: (innocently) Nothing. Just walking around.
Me: Then why does it seem like you are being sneaky?
Tyler: You'll just find out when you go into the kitchen.
Me: Tyyyler, you need to tell Mommy what you did. I know when you're being sneaky.
Tyler: How do you know?
Me: It's just a sense that Mommies have.
(There is a slight pause while Tyler ponders this answer.)
Tyler: Well, get that sensor out of your head!

And just in case you were wondering, he was going into the kitchen to sneak extra bites of cake from the pan. Surprise, surprise! :)

The Birthday Celebrations

Since Allison's birthday is two days before the 4th of July, it's difficult to plan a party for that particular weekend. So her actual party didn't take place until a couple weeks later. But we still wanted to celebrate her special day, especially since she had been talking about her party for several weeks. She kept telling everyone, "My party is coming SOON!"
Just before heading up to our cabin for a fun 4th weekend, we had a little mini birthday celebration with pizza and cupcakes.

Allison helped make her cupcakes and then she got to add the sprinkles!

She decided her little princess dolls needed to join the party as well.

Getting ready for the Happy Birthday song!

This was her most favorite part...her face lit up with delight during the whole song.

Time to enjoy the sweet goodness!

Grandma and Pawpaw didn't want her to have to wait for her entire birthday present, so she brought part of it for her to open that day.

This is something she had been wanting and talking about for a long time. In fact, when we first started talking about her birthday coming up and the kind of party she wanted, she told us over and over that she wanted an umbrella party.

She had a great time and was one happy little girl!

On the day of her Princess Party, Allison dressed up as Cinderella and took her place in the spotlight!

The Food: We had pizza and subs, Sun Chips, fruit salad, and a spinach dip bread bowl with crackers. (The things in bold represent some of Allison's favorites.)

The Presents: This princess made out like a bandit in the present department. She is certainly well stocked with everything princess!

These are the presents from all Allison's aunties, uncles, and cousins. These pictures just show a sampling of what she got from each person.

Gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Hadley...

Gifts from Grandma and Pawpaw Hamby...

Grandma and Grandpa Tholkes' gifts to her were her bed and accessories for her new Princess room. I will post pictures once it's 100% complete (it's almost there!).

Great Grandma and Grandpa Farish brought Allison's gifts on the cruise since they knew they wouldn't get to see her on her special day.

The Cake: Here is my latest and greatest in cake creations. I decided to take the idea I did for Keilana's Cinderella cake and shrink it down to make a trio of princess cakes. This cake was a bit frustrating at first. Mainly because I didn't have those little princess cake toppers with the pick on them. Those would have made it so much more simple! Instead, I used Allison's little princess dolls and had a difficult time getting the large bases of them into each cake without it tearing apart. I almost gave up at one point, but persistence paid off. Here is the end result. Allison loved it!

Allison was VERY tired by this point, so that's why she doesn't look very enthusiastic in this picture...

But that all changed as Daddy started to light the candles in preparation for the Happy Birthday song...again...

Her eyes scanned the room as we all sang. I think she wanted to make sure each and every person was singing directly to HER! She was on Cloud 9!

Time to blow out the candles!

And eat some cake!

It was a special day for a VERY special little girl!

We Love You Allison!!!

Allison is TWO!

Honestly, I don't know how Allison is already 2! I know everyone says it, but kids just grow up WAY too fast! It seems like our little princess just became a part of our family, but she's already becoming such a big girl! Here's what she's up to lately:

• For starters, she is almost completely potty trained! This seems like it just happened over night. I thought she might be an early potty trainer since she started showing interest back before she was even 18 months old, thanks to her big brother's influence. But then she had a period of time where she went anti-potty, and I didn't push it. But something magical happened when she turned 2, and she just decided it was time to go for it again. Ever since, she has been in panties and has had minimal accidents! She is only in a Pull-Up at night and when we leave the house, just as a safe-guard. 95% of the time, even those stay dry. I am especially happy about this accomplishment because I was not looking forward to having two in diapers. Go Allison!
• She is obsessed with anything that is Disney Princess, and has started showing interest in playing dress-up. She mostly only wants to be Cinderella, which is her most favorite of the princesses. She also really likes Aurora, who she calls "Beauty."
• She still loves to sing, and you can hear her singing something almost all the time (especially when riding in the car). Even if she can't remember all the words to a song, she will just make stuff up as she goes along.
• She also continues to love to look at books and be read to. She would be content sitting in my lap for hours listening to stories. This makes the teacher in me so happy! :)
• We are in the process of redoing her room (also in preparation for the new baby) and she will soon transition to a big girl bed. She is very excited about her new bed, so I hope it's a smooth transition. Many nights when Tyler goes to bed she says, "I want a big girl bed wike Tywer!"
• She is so independent and likes to do most things on her own. In fact, she will take it quite personally if you try to help when help isn't wanted. Each time she heads off to go potty she exclaims, "you not help me!" as she attempts to shut the bathroom door in my face. A girl has to have her privacy, right? When I explain that I have to come along to wipe her, she responds with, "No, I wipe myself!" This sudden streak of indepedence isn't settling so well with Tyler, who has been used to her following him around and going along with everything he does. Allison is now realizing that she has a mind of her own and that she doesn't necessarily have to agree with Tyler on everything. Of course they still love each other to pieces, but they are having to learn how to play together without pushing each other's buttons. Fun times!
• Of course every mother has to brag about how her crow is the blackest (or the smartest), and I'm no exception. Allison is very much ahead of the game with her verbal skills. That, combined with her height, makes many people think she is closer to 3. She can pronounce just about anything you ask her to or that she hears, aside from words with an "L" in them, which she pronounces as a "W." There really is no limit to what comes out of her mouth. She speaks in complete sentences almost all of the time and enunciates quite well. She also has known her colors and shapes for several months now, and recently proved that she recognizes the numbers 1 through 5. We were playing one of Tyler's board games one afternoon, and in order to move your man, you have to draw a card and move the number of spaces indicated. Each time it was Allison's turn, she would draw a card and I would ask her what number she got. I was quite surprised to discover that she was able to tell me every single one! Since then, we have been working on 6 through 10, and she's almost got those down too. She's a very bright little girl!
• She is still quite the sassy little thing, but she also has the sweetest disposition. She is so loving, and when treated kindly, she will happily reciprocate. We just love her so much and enjoy the smiles and laughs she gives us each day!

Stay tuned for a post with pictures from her birthday and Princess Party!

A Belated Father's Day

We DID celebrate Father's Day on the actual date, I just haven't gotten around to doing a post to acknowledge all the fathers in our lives. But I didn't want them to go un-noticed, so I figured this is better late than never.

Both my Grandpa and Pawpaw are no longer with us, but I wanted to express appreciation for the wonderful men that they were. They both valued their jobs and worked hard throughout their lives to support their families. I am grateful for their endurance and persistance in doing this, especially when times were hard. They both had very cheerful spirits (even though I didn't get to know my Grandpa very well, I've been told this about him), and shared many laughs and enjoyable moments with their families. They were both very special men!

My own father also deserves recognition for being a great example in my life. Although he is not a member of the church, he has always been supportive of our beliefs and encouraged us to attend church each and every Sunday. He is a great example of someone who serves others...especially those who don't always seem deserving or willing to help themselves. This has shown me the true meaning of having unconditional love toward our fellow man. My father has always put family before anything else. He only wanted to do activities that would involve the whole family. No part of the house was ever off limits from playing - even if we were being very noisy in the same room where he was trying to watch a program on T.V. I am grateful that he never sheltered me from the world. This made it easier for me to make choices about the direction I wanted my life to take. I was easily able to say no to things in life that might have otherwise been a great temptation. He is a man of great influence in the lives of many! I love you Daddy!

Then of course, there is the father of my own children. Billy is such a great Daddy who loves his children very much. He supports and encourages them to be the very best that they can. He is also a great example of someone who works hard to support his family and wants to make sure that they have all the things they stand in need of. I am thankful to him for all his hard work and for supporting me in staying home to nurture and care for our children. Billy is very helpful, generous, and always thinks of others before himself. These are traits that I want my children to possess, and I'm happy that they have him as an example to learn them from. Much like my own father, he only wants to do activities that can involve the whole family. He is such an important part of our lives and we are thankful for him! We love you!

On Father's Day, Billy took a nap (he had been sick and needed the rest because he hadn't even taken any time off work) while Tyler and Allison helped me prepare lasagna, which is one of Billy's most favorite dinners.
Once dinner was complete, we woke Billy up to give him his Father's Day gifts we had prepared...

Reading the Father's Day awards that Tyler and Allison made for him at church.

Receiving hugs after opening his Father's day book. (This is something I started when Tyler was just a baby for Billy's first Father's Day. This is what he gets to look forward to each year from here on out! :)

Showing off the hard work they did to create the special messages inside the book.

All the Father's Day gifts!

We love you Daddy!

Mr. Potato Head

While Allison was playing with the famous spud, the little cover to the storage compartment on the back of him came off. She handed me his body and the cover and says...

"Here Mommy. Put his butt back on."