Muffins with Mom

This morning was Muffins with Mom at the girls' pre-school.  Unfortunately, this year both of the girls' classes had this event on the same day, at the same time. I wasn't looking forward to having to split my time, but it ended up working out just fine.

We went to Harper's classroom first, and Handley joined us in there.  She made a sweet card for me and showed me some of the books she liked to read.

After eating only one bite of her cinnamon roll, Harper announced she was done.  This isn't like her, but I noticed that her crush, Parker, had arrived.  Mrs. Deborah has been telling me that Harper just LOVES him and it was obvious to me today.  As soon as she spotted him she waltzed right over and practically sat in his lap.  Poor kid couldn't have cared less that she was there and trying to give him a hug. Ha!  I kept trying to get her to come sit with me, but she kept saying she just wanted to sit beside Parker.  When I told her it was time for me to go to Handley's classroom, she questioned why, but then was totally fine with the idea of sitting with Parker and his mom while I left.

Making her move :-)

 

Handley's classroom was a different scene with 20 kids and their moms buzzing around.  Handley had also made few things for me and was eager to show me stuff around her room she has been telling me about for several weeks now (her own special art box, her mailbox where all her papers go before coming home, the home-living center, the computers, etc.).

I also got to meet Handley's new friend, Grace.  I hear a lot about her each day and I'm so thankful that Handley has met a sweet friend in her class.

Hudson did his job, and slept the entire time we were there.  After we left the school, I made a quick stop to pick up some pictures I'd ordered.  It only took me 2 1/2 months to get some photos of Hudson up in our house to prove we actually do have a 3rd child.  I love seeing the new pictures though and these smiling faces each time I walk in the front door.  :-)

After ballet we came home to a wonderful treat...Robby had gotten home from a long 4 day trip.  We were all very happy to have him home.  After an early dinner he took the girls outside to play while I was cleaning up the kitchen.  After a few minutes Handley came running in to tell me that an ice cream truck was coming down our street.  You would have thought Santa himself had just landed his sleigh in front of our house the way she was acting.  We have lived in this house going on 4 years and I don't ever remember seeing an ice cream truck on our street.  I grabbed Hudson, some money, and my phone (for the photo op) and ran outside to wait with them at the street, just like I remember doing with my brothers when we were kids and the ice cream truck would come down our street.  After choosing their treats we waved goodbye and the rest of the night Handley kept telling me how "amazing" it was that the ice cream truck came by our house.  It was pretty amazing and made for the perfect ending to our day. :-)

Happy Birthday Annabelle!!!

Today we got to celebrate our good friend Annabelle's 4th birthday!  We've known Annabelle since she was about 1 month old and her family live right down the street from us.  Handley had been looking forward to this party as soon as we found out it was going to be at the American Girl Cafe.

A few months ago we got an American Girl doll catalog in the mail and Handley carried it with her everywhere.  She slept with it in her bed, took it in the car with us, and got really upset when one of the pages ripped.  About a month later we got another catalog and she was so happy.  She immediately ran to get the old one and told Harper she could have it since she had a new one now.  She loves looking at all the dolls and their different outfits.  I remember when I was a little girl I would do the exact same thing with the catalogs that would come to my house.  One day when we were out to eat she saw an older girl with one of the American Girl dolls and she couldn't stop staring.  When she learned that for Annabelle's party the girls would get to borrow a real American Girl doll and have a fancy mommy/daughter lunch she was over the moon.

Today could not have been more fun for the girls and for all the moms.  As soon as we pulled up Handley was shaking with excitement.  All of the girls were dressed up and we enjoyed a delicious lunch in the most adorable pink cafe.  All of the girls got to have their dolls sit with them in special seats that attached to the tables and it was just the cutest thing ever.

A little background about these next pictures.  Harper LOVES to fix people's hair.  She is constantly asking if she can fix my hair in a ponytail or pig tails.  She usually makes a tangled mess out of it, but I don't care because she thinks it's so much fun.  I've been thinking that for Christmas I would love for Harper to get a doll with real hair she can style.  The very first thing she did when she sat down beside her doll was pull out the rubber bands holding the dolls pigtails and starting "fixing" her hair.

She then proceeded to turn the doll's hair into a big tangled mess.  While all the other little girls' dolls still had perfect pigtails at the end of the party, Harper's looked like this:

And that is why Santa might just bring Handley the real deal American Girl doll for Christmas, but Harper will be getting the Wal-Mart knock-off. :-)

After lunch we were headed too the carousel located in the mall.  It was the perfect way to end a wonderful party!

After the party we went to pick up Hudson from Gigi and Papa's house.  They were sweet enough to babysit him during the party and Handley happily told him that this would be his first time staying at Gigi's house all by himself.  I wasn't surprised that he was perfect for them.  Gigi and Papa had quite a full weekend with all three kids, three days in a row!  We are so grateful that they enjoy our children as much as we do.

We got home just in time for a quick nap/rest time and then we were headed off to our dinner club.  As usual, we ended the night there with corn hole and lots of laughs. We had such a great weekend, but I am exhausted from being so busy and I'm looking forward to settling back into our normal weekly routine this week.

Jackpot

Our day started early with group pictures of the cheerleading squad before the game.  Shortly after that Gigi and Papa arrived at the game with Harper to watch Handley cheer.  Harper was very excited to see us and tell me all about her special time with Gigi and Papa.  Handley was equally excited to tell Gigi and Papa that she couldn't wait to go home with them.

Handley received the leadership star again today and did a great job.  After the game we all went to Stevie B's for lunch.  The girls had filled up their marble jars and Stevie B's was their choice for a reward.  It was Handley's lucky day today because the very first token she put in to the first game she played she hit the JACKPOT and won 1,000 tickets!!!!!!  I couldn't believe it and neither could she.  The tickets kept coming and coming and coming.  Papa was put in charge of standing guard while they kept spitting out of the machine. With that many tickets you'd think they would have gotten a really amazing prize, but they were thrilled with lots of little things (2 Pez dispensers, a barrel of monkey game, princess crown, army man figurine and push pop).

This afternoon we went over to our friends Brad and Lizzi's house to watch the UGA game and while we were there the mom's snuck out to get a quick pedicure!  It was so nice to have a little pampering and some fun girl time with my friends.  I took Hudson with me, just because he is so easy and he slept the entire time.  When we got back the guys were still watching football, the babies were napping and Harper was snoozing on the couch.

Here the guys were checking out boats online

All afternoon Harper kept asking, "What's Ree-Ree probably doin'?" and telling me, "I miss Handley" so we called her on our way home to check in and she was having a wonderful time.  Harper was missing Handley tonight, but loved getting to take a bath with Hudson and have some special time with us.

I know the girls each enjoyed having some special time with Gigi and Papa, but being apart from each other just solidified what I already knew...these girls LOVE each other dearly and are best of friends.

Minus one kid

We were minus one kid today.  Earlier this week Gigi approached me with the idea to have each of the girls spend the night individually with her and Papa this weekend.  When I first mentioned the idea to the girls they both started sobbing, but for for different reasons.  Handley was very concerned that she would be too bored at home when Harper was gone and that she wouldn't have anyone to count when she wanted to to play hide-n-seek.  Harper started crying because she heard Handley saying she didn't want Harper to go to Gigi's and so she was crying, "me wuv (love) Gigi...me want to go to Gigi's house."  After we talked about it a little more I think they understood that they would both get a turn to spend then night and have some one-on-one time with Gigi and Papa.

Today was Harper's turn.  This morning Gigi came to watch her gymnastics class and after that they went on their way for a fun sleepover.  I had a surprise planned for Handley this afternoon.  I arranged for her BFF, Avery, to come with me to pick Handley up from school and come over for a playdate this afternoon.  Handley was SO excited and surprised when she saw Avery with me and they couldn't stop hugging each other.  After pre-school pick-up I took them to get frozen yogurt.  We all enjoyed our yummy treat and Hudson enjoyed all of the attention the big girls were giving him, including songs they made up on the car ride home.

At home they attempted to have a rest and watched a show, but they were too excited to sit still and enjoyed playing dress-up, building forts, and putting on a dancing show instead.

After Avery left this afternoon Handley told me at least 10 times that she missed Harper, wished she was here, and thought that next time they should both spend the night together.  I know she will probably be changing her tune tomorrow when she gets her one-on-one time.  We all missed her though and it felt really weird to just have two kiddos at home.  I did enjoy getting to have some special time with Handley though.

And another little story about Handley...when my parents were here last weekend I kept trying to get Handley to wipe her nose because of her little cold.  Every time she would tell me that she didn't like tissues so my mom told her about handkerchiefs and how ladies used to use them instead of kleenex.  Handley was baffled by the idea of not throwing it away so my mom told her that she would send her a few that had belonged to my grandmother.  When the package arrived yesterday Handley was very excited.

I was happy that she had something so special that used to belong to my grandmother.  Handley wiped her nose with one of them once (although she didn't need to) and then asked if I could help her fold it back up so she could put it in her jewelry box (where she keeps all of her special things).

Our week so far

We have had such a great week so far!  The weather was so beautiful at the beginning of the week so Monday afternoon we went outside as soon as naps and rest time was over.  Usually if I'm talking all the kids on a walk I put Hudson in the front carrier and the girls in the double stroller.  However, Handley has been asking to ride her bike or scooter and let Hudson and Harper ride in the stroller.  I knew we wouldn't make it all the way to the playground with this set-up so I suggested we go to what the girls call the "little house" instead. It's a gazebo set on a green-space area in one of the cul-de-sacs in our neighborhood.  They love running around there and sitting in the gazebo to eat their snacks.

Well, just as I suspected, we made it to the end of our street and Handley announced that "this sure is good exercise for me" as she was starting to breath heavily.  I told her we could turn around and head home, but she insisted that she was OK to keep going.  As we approached the street where the little house is, she told me that she thought next time she'd like to ride in the stroller.  :-)

This afternoon Robby was unexpectedly home early so he offered to take the girls on a bike ride in the pull-behind trailer.  Part of his birthday gift was new wheels for the bike trailer since the others were warped.  This was the first time in about a year that they were going to get to go for a ride.  Both girls were thrilled with the idea, changed into their shorts, packed their snacks and were ready to go.

Until it was actually time to go.  Harper, who you would think would be the adventurous one, started crying and say she didn't want to ride. I knew she didn't really remember what it was all about so we went outside and let her look at it.  Handley tried her hardest to talk her into it, but nothing she said was changing her mind.  I knew she would enjoy it, but didn't want to force her so we just told her she could stay at home.

Handley was SO excited to go and Robby pulled her up and down the street a few times sort of taunting Harper.  

As they came by one time I asked her if she would like to try it and she said yes!  They took a few test runs up and down the street to make sure she wasn't going to change her mind before they got too far away from home, but she was loving it! 

 And, just because I rarely have any pictures of myself with the kids, here are a few Robby snapped this afternoon before they left for their bike ride.

And this last one is just because I can't get enough of his sweet face!