How we spent the weekend...

Giving horsie rides... Playing with homemade playdo that our neighbor made...

Playing in the sleeping bags that I thought were safe in the closet...

a video of the horsie ride

Swimming at Tia's

My stepsister Terri lives not too far away in Trophy Club (about 40 minutes) and she has a gorgeous pool. My sister Kristin and I ventured there with our 4 kids. Thanks so much to Terri (known as Tia to the kids) and Phyllis (Grandma to the kids) for helping with crowd control! We had a great time!



Everett and Madeleine, aren't they adorable?

Everett enjoying his pudding for lunch.

Grandma with the boys, Austin my nephew and Everett. Check out those hats!

Austin loved to ride this toy! He kept saying, "ride" over and over again!

Angel Voices sing on Father's Day

Angel Voices, the children's choir at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, sang on Father's Day. It was adorable!Then, afterwards in the playroom the kids had so much fun getting in the baby buggy and pushing each other around. It was a hoot!





Angel Voices choir

More birthday presents

Madeleine loved all her presents, like this unicorn backpack...

this crown and matching glasses...

and her new aquarium (from me and Lee) with Goldie the fish and Rainbow the fish inside. After a trip to Petco a few months ago, she has been consistent in her desire to have a fish tank!

Father's Day celebration

My dad and stepmom (Grandpa and Grandma to Madeleine and Everett) invited all the gang over for a Father's Day celebration after Madeleine's Birthday party. It was great fun and Madeleine enjoyed dressing up in ballet costumes and dancing with Grandma!

The birthday day!

Madeleine's 5th birthday day began with swimming class. Madeleine and Sydney have taken swimming class at Emler swim school every Saturday for almost 3 years! When we talked about Madeleine's birthday party, Madeleine wanted to have Ms. Sandy come. Ms. Sandy comes every Wednesday to Oak Lawn UMC Child Development Center (where the kids go to school) and does drama. Ms. Sandy is from Capers for Kids and she did a puppet show at the party. She was great! We also had the bounce house that we bought for Christmas a year and a half ago (getting good mileage out of it!) and asked my mom (Nana), to be the face painter again. After pizza and cake (Madeleine requested a cake this year, no more cupcakes for my big girl!), we had a great time watching the kids take turns whacking at the pinata. It was a great party and I am so amazed at my amazing, sweet, kind, generous, smart, funny 5 year old girl!

Madeleine swimming...

Madeleine riding her present from Nana (she is usually in a helmet but was just riding to the mailbox).
the birthday girl with the birthday cake (yes, she made it), the girl loves to help...

Madeleine getting her face painted from Nana, Nana was very busy and did a great job! Thank you, Nana!

Everett was just a little bit nervous about all of these people in his house. He was trying to get as far away from them as possible, while still keeping his eye on them.

Madeleine with her friend Ava. I have been writing Madeleine's thank you notes while she dictates them. It cracks me up that she says, "I love you," to all of her friends in her thank you notes.

Lee and I with our 5 year old little girl! She loves to hear that she was the best Father's Day present ever (she was born on Father's Day in the wee hours of the morning).

Ms. Sandy telling a story about a pirate, a dragon, and a fairy.

Everyone was rapt to the story!

Time for cake!
Time for the pinata!

Madeleine with the cousin Sydney. Thanks Sydney for the matching sunglasses!




Blowing out the candle.



Madeleine hitting the pinata.

The birthday weekend!

In honor of Madeleine's 5th birthday weekend, and to do something special Nana (my mom), Aunt Kristin (my sister), Uncle Andy (brother-in-law), Sydney and Austin (niece and nephew), Madeleine and I loaded up our new Honda Pilot for a trip down to Fossil Rim in Glen Rose. First, we dropped off Everett at school since he would have completely missed his nap. A huge thank you to Lee for picking him up after work. Then, we had a playgroup at the Scottish Rite Hospital playground with our Oak Lawn UMC parent's potluck group, then we were off. It took about an hour and a half to get there, the only road (67) was under construction at one piece and we had to wait about 20 minutes before we could move again. Once we got there, the fun began! It is a 9 mile loop that took about 3 hours to complete! It was such fun to feed the animals and to see the great variety. We also enjoyed the children's area where we brushed the coats of many goats! I will say that the ostrich (and the emu for that matter) were super scary and pecked at our new car! No damage done though. I highly recommend making the trip down to Glen Rose if you are close, it was quite an experience.


zebra, some signs said don't feed them out of your hand so we were a bit leary...

baby zebra!

super scary ostrich! One of them was laying in wait at the entrance and one at the exit. They seemed to be really smart...

Sydney, Austin, Madeleine
Brushing the coats of many goats...

Feeding a giraffe from the sunroof! There was super slobber from the giraffe.

Madeleine and mommy riding atop a dinosaur. We did not make it to the dinosaur tracks in Glen Rose. Next time...

The birthday presents parade

On Monday we visited our wonderful friends, Mrs. Pat and Ms. Olga. Ms. Olga is in her 90s and just the sweetest ever! Mrs. Pat is Ms. Olga's daughter and the church music librarian at Lovers Lane UMC. We started bringing Ms. Olga communion before Everett was even born. We have continued to visit and I am so appreciative of the way that this family embraces my own family and welcomes my two rambunctious children into their home! Mrs. Pat made Madeleine two outfits for Kaylie, Madeleine's Just Like Me American Girl Doll. Madeleine was ecstatic and had to put Kaylie in the pretty dress and warm pajamas as soon as we got home. Thank you both, Mrs. Pat and Ms. Olga! These pictures were taken within minutes of one another, Madeleine had to get in a dress like Kaylie and in her pajamas like Kaylie. It was a hoot!

Siblings

I am still amazed most days at how well Madeleine and Everett get along. Another box kept them busy for another day... Enjoy the picture and the video where Madeleine is trying to get Everett to say Choo, Choo!