Fantastic Friday

I feel like I haven't been able to post much this summer because we are just having so much fun and definitely keeping ourselves busy.

Today we started the day off having water fun at our neighbor's house.  Carrie invited us over so the kids could splash and play in the kiddie pool and run through the sprinklers.  They were loving it and it was the perfect day to plan it because it was SO hot. I was wishing I had worn my bathing suit, too!

Next we were off to meet up with my childhood best friend and my maid of honor from my wedding.  Kristen and I have been friends for about 20 years and she is probably one of my longest, dearest friends.  We grew up dancing together and shared many, many wonderful memories together.  Life has been happening and unfortunately kept us from seeing each other for WAY too long.  We picked right up where we left off today at lunch though and the kids loved getting to see her also.  I strategically planned for us to eat lunch at a Mexican spot because I knew Hudson would stay happy eating cheese dip while Kristen and I caught up.  When it was finally time to leave the kids kept giving her hugs over and over.
 

We ended the day at Jen's pool swimming with friends and enjoying pizza and popsicles, poolside.  It made for a fantastic Friday and was the perfect way to end our week!

Tennis Camp = Success

I intentionally did not sign the girls up for any camps or activities this summer.  Although I know they would have fun doing them, they have had just as much fun swimming, having playdates with friends we don't normally see during the school year, and being on a nice relaxed summer schedule. They sleep in each morning, stay up late at night and love all the fun we have in between.

However, when I got an email about a tennis camp that was being offered by the same program Handley took lessons from last fall I decided it might be a good thing.  They were running a special so the camp was super affordable and I loved that both girls could do it and be in the same group since it is from 4-7 year old.  Plus, it is only an hour each morning this week, so although I did have to get everyone up early to be there, it isn't a huge time commitment.

Both girls were really excited, but Harper was beside herself.  Last night after I had put her to bed she came back downstairs to remind me to not forget to bring her tennis racquet.  :-)  This morning she woke up extra early because she was so excited.

During their camp both girls seemed to have a great time.  There were 4 coaches so they divided the kids up for part of the hour and then they did some things together as a group, too.  Handley, who didn't have all that much coordination last fall when she played, really surprised me and did pretty well.  Harper, who is more naturally athletic, only hit the ball 2-3 times the entire hour.  She didn't seem to care though because as soon as they were done she asked me to sign her up for tennis because she loved it so much!

The coach kept telling Harper to stick her tongue in her mouth so she didn't bite it while she was running around.  After looking back at all these pictures I realized she kept it out a lot!  Ha!  She does that when she is concentrating hard. 

 
Hudson had fun playing while the girls were doing tennis and was especially excited when he got a piece of candy from the coach, too!

Water Park

Today we went to what the kids called a water park. It was really the new Cherokee Aquatic Center, but for all intents and purposes, it was just like a water park.  They had slides, fountains, sprayers, a swimming area and lazy river.  To the kids, I'm sure it looked like White Water.

We met Jen/Parker and Christy/Jake/Reece there.  As we pulled up the kids started squealing with excitement.

It was such a fun day and I have to say a HUGE shout out THANK YOU to Christy for hanging on to my girls as they went around and around and around the lazy river with Jake and Reece.  The lazy river was the one part Hudson did not enjoy (I think because it was so crowded), but of course it was the one  thing the older kids wanted to keep doing.

Hudson loved the slides and especially loved the beach entry pool area because he and Parker could just jump and swim and play without feeling like he needed me close by.

We will definitely be heading back there again soon before the summer is over!

More Summer Fun

I am just love, love, loving this summer with the kids.  They are having so much fun.  It's flying by and I can't believe July is just around the corner. We've been having daily playdates with friends we don't usually see on a regular basis during the school year.  The other thing we've been doing lots and lots of is swimming.  Like the kids feel totally deprived if they don't get to swim each and every day.  Each time we have to drive by the pool on the way out of our neighborhood Hudson starts yelling, "Pool! Swim! Water!" and gets upset when we keep driving past.  Harper can now swim across the pool all by herself so now that both girls are completely independent in the pool I can easily keep an eye on them while catching Hudson after he jumps in 500 times.  It's easy entertainment, wears them out and all three of them are so incredibly excited to be at the pool it is just a natural choice for our summer fun.

Yesterday we had a swimming playdate with their friends Avery and Morgan, but it was rainy all morning so we changed our plans and decided to go the mall with them instead.  The girls had both gotten American Girl gift cards for their birthdays from Mimi and Dadaw so they were very excited to spend them.  Handley got a bathtub and new earrings for her dolls and Harper had decided that she wanted to spend her entire gift card on a new doll.  Her other doll is a Target knock-off (although she thinks it is real) and she knows that Handley has two so she really wanted another. It was totally fine with me because they have so many clothes and accessories already and we don't need anymore "stuff" at our house. She browsed through one of our catalogs on the way there and noticed that the Caroline doll looked just like her with blonde curls and that she was even wearing a pink dress with a floral sash that looked almost just like the one Harper was wearing that day. It was quite a coincidence and the employees were having fits of how uncanny the resemblance was. That just made Harper's day and you can tell from the pictures that she could hardly contain her excitement.  

Because it was  off and on rainy all day and the first time it really cleared up was after dinner. The girls checked outside and saw a bit of sun and begged to go to the pool.  We changed quickly and made our way there for an evening swim before bed.  We were the only ones there and they loved every second.

Today we had playdate plans with Tiara, Avery and Dylan.  It's been so long since they have been able to really play together and we had all been looking forward to this day for a long time.  We got to see their new house and it was beautiful!  We had planned to swim, but the weather wasn't great and once the kids got to playing at the house, Tiara and I got to chatting.  Next thing we knew, two hours had passed and everyone was getting hungry so we loaded up for lunch at Chick-fil-a and then made a quick stop at a nearby stable/farm before heading home.  Avery and Dylan's aunt has a horse they keep there.  It was so cool to be minutes away from the interstate, but feel so far away.  The kids loved seeing the animals (pigs, chickens, rabbits, dogs, ponies and horses) getting to pet the horses.  We were sad to pull away and the kids made it rough because they were literally begging to get to play together longer.  We promised they could see each other again very soon though!

Happy 6th Birthday, Handley!

Today we spent celebrating the fact that Handley is officially SIX today.  We celebrated all weekend long and today was the real deal so we had to stretch it out just one more day.

She woke up early this morning so Robby could take her to get donuts for a birthday breakfast.  While the rest of us snoozed, she was eating her sprinkle donut.  They were nice enough to bring home some for us, too.

Next we got dressed quick and made our way to meet a few friends at Champion Kids, her pick.  They have all sorts of bouncy slides, trampolines and a foam pit.  They all loved it and I was even shocked by how much fun Hudson had.

A big thanks to Lizzi and her boys AND Christy and her kids for joining us today.  It made Handley's day extra special.

After playing we went to Chick-fil-a for lunch and they kids were very happy to see the cow there.

This afternoon we just spent the rainy afternoon at home and Handley had fun playing with some of her new toys and making jewelry with some beads and jewels she got for her birthday.  I recorded Miss USA for the girls last night and they watched part of it today.  Next thing I knew they were dressed up in their gowns, heels and using boas as sashes to play Miss USA.

We ended the day with a movie night and sherbet. A pretty awesome day for my sweet, sweet girl.

At six years old Handley:

• is a deep thinker and is always contemplating something.  She wants to make sense of and understand everything going on around her. She's always asking tons of questions, even when it is about something she shouldn't be so concerned about.  I've nicknamed her Nosy Rosy for this reason. 
• has an unbelievable memory.  I swear that girl never forgets anything and will talk about the smallest details of something that happened two years ago.  
• loves to draw, do crafts and create things. 
• is a girly girl and loves wearing dresses, ruffles, jewelry and all things that sparkle.  
• has a caring and motherly personality.  She is so great with her younger siblings and all little kids.   The way she talks to them, treats them and interacts with them is something that can't be taught...it is just innate. She will make an excellent mother one day and a great babysitter!
• is social and loves being with friends.  She is constantly asking me if I will text some of her friends' moms to plan a play date. 
• has become a great eater.  She is happy to try new things and eats most anything I cook, unlike the other two kids. 
• is responsible and trustworthy. I know if I ask her to do something or to not do something, I can trust that she will follow through, no matter what. 

Tonight when I was tucking her in I told her I couldn't believe she was six and that she was getting so old.  She smiled and said, "it's not that old." She's right, but these past six years have just gone by in such a flash and I can't image how fast the next 6 will go.  I'm spending my days trying to savor and soak up every second.

Handley's Painting Party

For Handley's birthday party this year she wanted a painting party.  We decided she should invite her closest friends and have a small party, which turned out to be great.  She picked the butterfly design that they girls would paint and they were lead through the steps to paint their picture.

They each did such a great job and I loved seeing how each of them put their personal touches on their paintings.  Handley felt so special during her party and loved getting to celebrate turning 6 with her closest girlfriends!

All of the girls were excited and ready to get started on their paintings!

They were all very hard a work and concentrating very hard! 

And finally the finished products!  I was so proud of how wonderfully artistic and creative all of these girls were. :-)

This afternoon Sophia came over for a little bit and all three kids just loved getting to see her again.  They were all trying to make her laugh and Handley was the most successful.  I loved seeing all four of them together with my mom!

Handley's Family Birthday Party

Handley decided that she would like to have a pool party with our family to celebrate her birthday.  We celebrated on Friday evening and everyone had so much fun.  We swam, had pizza and cupcakes and let Handley open her gifts.  All the kids were happy to have both sets of grandparents there as well as Aunt Stefanie, Uncle Trey and their baby cousin Sophia, who Hudson now happily calls "Phia." 

I can't believe she is turning 6 on Monday and I'm sure I will post more on that fact later, but for now I am just going to focus on the fun party and celebrations of the birthday.