Pitiful

Eric has grown a garden for many years now. This is the first time he's tried to grow carrots. Here is the result.....

His garden hasn't done very well this year at all. He says our backyard has too much shade or maybe the ground isn't good. Needless to say, we got a good laugh out of these pitiful carrots.

Earrings!!!!!

I finally gave in. Grace has been asking to have her ears pierced for at least a year now. She knows a handful of people, including one baby, that have their ears pierced. Because one of the them is a baby, cousin Brianna, I couldn't use the argument that it is only for big girls with her. I didn't really have a solid leg to stand on. Until now, when she would ask I would just talk about how it feels to have it done and say we would think about it. Then she wouldn't ask again for a long time. But since school started the asking picked up considerably. She was very serious this time. We talked about it for several weeks. We even looked at a video on Claire's Boutique website on how to care for your newly pierced ears. Eric said he didn't see what the big deal was. I couldn't put my finger on it but I just wasn't comfortable with it. Finally I realized that I didn't think she should do it because, quite selfishly, I didn't want her to be grown up. I told Eric one night that I felt like if I let her pierce her ears that she was going to be a preteen now. He thought I was being silly.

If anyone remembers my post last January about Grace's 5 year old shots, you'll remember that it was an extremely unpleasant experience. So, I talked to her about how it would feel. I didn't lie and say she wouldn't feel it. I told her the truth, that it would be a quick pinch and it might feel hot or burn a little after that. I told her that if she cried or threw a fit that we would leave and that I wasn't going to hold her down like I had to for her shots.

She decided she could do it. So, I called several places, including our pediatrician (yes, I'm crazy). Everyone charged about the same price. I called a dermatologist (yes, I know I'm really crazy) to find out what kind of posts to make sure she got. After all of my "research" we ended up going to Sweet 'N Sassy, a hair salon for girls. It's a very fun place for little girls and I had a $5 off coupon. Joni, Reesi and Lyla went with us. When we got there Grace started to get quiet and I was getting nervous she was going to back out. When the stylist came to help us she got nervous and we had to have a moment to talk about it. She said she didn't want to do it. I asked her a few times if she was sure. I told her that this was her chance and if she wanted to wait, we were going to wait until her birthday, in January, to try again. I gave her some time to think about it. After that she didn't say she didn't want to. I was trying to reassure her that she could do it. I told her that if she could survive a hornet sting (that was a couple weeks ago) then she could do this without any problem. She just kept asking me how I knew that she could do it. The stylist and a couple other girls in the salon were very sweet with Grace. They kept coming over every few minutes to check on her and try to reassure her that it wasn't that bad. After about 25 minutes she finally decided she would do it. It's a good thing too, because Joni and I were about to give up on her and leave at that point. But once she decided to do it she was fine.

The stylists came over and we picked out her earrings. She looked very nervous but she didn't freak out. The other girls, Lyla and Reesi, were very interested in watching. They both said they didn't want to do it themselves though. I thought Grace would cry once it was done, but she didn't! Once it was done she just got a big smile on her face. She's been great about cleaning them, or letting me clean them. She loves them and says they're "really cute", which they are.

I keep telling her she's beautiful with or without earrings. I think she's tired of hearing that though. She tells me, "I know, Mom" when I say it now.

My little girl is growing up soooooo fast. Those baby days felt so slow but now that they're gone, they seem like they flew by.

The Incredible Hulk

This is Lyla....

This is my favorite picture!

Last weekend I rode to Atlanta for Laura's baby shower with Stephanie. On the way back we were talking about what our kids were going to be for Halloween. I told her that Lyla wants to be Batman, with a muscle chest! Yes, that is what she wants. She found it at Target and was dead set on batman with muscles but it was way too big for her. The toddler size doesn't have muscles so she didn't want that one at all. I told her I'd have to find it somewhere else. I've been watching Ebay but they're expensive even on Ebay and they're used too! So, she said I could borrow Max's Incredible Hunk costume. The girls loved it, of course. They're so silly. Lyla did her classic muscle arms pose but Grace got a little crazy with her poses and started giving me a little photo shoot. She's so silly!

Grace's 1st Soccer Game

Grace played in her first soccer game a week ago. She only had a couple of practices before the
first game so I was a little nervous about how it was going to go. The third, and last, practice before the game they played three on three just like they would be doing in the game. At this age, they only play three on three so they can have more of a chance to get the ball. When they started playing each other at practice I tuned in to see what Grace was going to do. I didn't know how Grace would do. I didn't know if she would go after the ball or be timid. She answered my questions very quickly though. When the coach called her name she took off out onto the field and went after the ball fast. After a few kicks the other girls were getting in on the ball too so Grace started pushing the other girls! She pushed three girls in a row with two hands to the chest! I couldn't believe it! I started yelling and the two coaches started yelling, "don't push". It was funny but a little alarming. She was definitely not going to be timid! Then when it was her turn to wait on the sidelines she was doing gymnastics, headstands and cartwheels. After practice we had a talk about no pushing and no gymnastics at soccer!

That Saturday was the game but I had to miss it. I was in Atlanta hosting a baby shower for one of my dear friends. Eric video taped the game for me and took several pictures. He said she did great and got the ball several times. She made a few goals, although one was for the wrong team! He said she would get the ball away from the pack but then stop and look around to see where everyone was. By the time she started to kick the ball again, the other girls had caught up with her.

She said she loved playing soccer! I'm so glad she's enjoying it. It's so cute to see her in her little uniform. She's so grown up. Here are some pictures that Eric took at the game.

Too Many Boo-Boos!!!

Tonight was Grace's 2nd soccer practice. We decided to walk and ride bikes to the practice since it's just down the road. As I was putting their water bottles in the backpack I had the fleeting thought, "do I need to take band aids?". No, they'll be fine. We'll be in the grass. I should have followed my instincts.

When we got to the park where practice was Lyla immediately started playing her soccer on the basketball court. I should have known it was coming. Within 5 minutes she had fallen. There was a little blood, but if you know my girls, a little blood surely means imminent death! That's what their screams tell the bystanders anyway. Thankfully, there was a better prepared mom close by that saved the day with band aids and neosporin. It was even a Barbie band aid.

Well, after the fall, Lyla couldn't walk (obviously!) so she wanted to swing. So off to the swings we went. Grace had started practice by this point. About 15 minutes into practice the coach gave them a water break. Grace came running to me to get her drink. When she got about 4 feet from me she fell to the ground screaming (the "I'm dying" scream) and clutching her leg. Evidently, there is a hornet problem at this park that I was unaware of. Evidently, several people were stung by these hornets last week at practice. I didn't know that because I had to leave practice early last week. Well, one of the hornets stung Grace on her calf. She was screaming like she had a compound fracture! Everyone was looking and rushing over to help. In Grace's version of the story, "a hundred people" came to see her. Of course, I had nothing with me. Not even my van to get home quickly! A nice woman gave me ice to put on it. Then a nice man gave us Bactine spray. Then another woman gave us a bee sting wipe that numbs it. Then the coach's wife drove us home. I just left the stroller, our balls, our drinks, Grace's bike, everything, at the park. Eric was just leaving his work so he had to stop at Walgreens and get Benedryl and then go to the park to get the stroller and bike.

Poor Grace didn't even get to practice her soccer. I felt so bad for her. I'm so glad that all of those people had first aid stuff with them. I'm going to stock a first aid kit for my van and never walk to practice again!!!

The First Day of Preschool

Lyla is wearing her favorite jeans (even though it's 93 degrees today) and her new "hot chocolate" t-shirt. It actually says "holding out for the chocolate milk". She loves hot chocolate for breakfast so I had to get this shirt when I saw it at good ole Wal-Mart. Gotta love Wal-Mart!She's showing me her new Spider Man thermos. She loves it!
Reesi didn't want to take pictures!


Andy needed the barrette more than Reesi did evidently!

Ford and Lyla doing puzzles together.
Lyla is obviously telling Ford something very important...see how her head is tilted to the side? That means it's important!
This was our first week at preschool! Lyla and Reesi enjoyed it and both say they love their teachers and classrooms. These are pictures from the first day.

Putt Putt Golf

Eric took the girls to play putt putt golf on Labor Day while I went grocery shopping. He said Lyla would carry her ball and sit it right beside the hole and then putt it in. She did that at every hole instead of hitting it from the beginning of each course. They had fun. They even went through McDonalds drive thru for chocolate dipped cones on the way home. Eric said he'd never do that again. I said I couldn't have told him not to do that. They are very messy with chocolate dipped cones and don't end up eating all of the ice cream but they want the cone. You have to either scrape the ice cream off of the top or eat it for them, which is my preference, of course. But when you're driving and they're buckled in carseats behind you this can be difficult to say the least!