What A May!!!!

All I can say is the month of May was a blur of events and I am glad summer vacation is here. Between school, family events, home improvements, and just day to day life, last month was fun but a little bit stressful.  

The highlight of the month was Mother's Day for me.  I always tried to make the day special as a daughter for my mom but since becoming a mother the day has just become so much more.  I love being a mommy to my little girl.  I love seeing the world again through her eyes and discovering the little things in life with her.  We had a lovely day with family and friends.   

Addie Reese and me on my third Mother's Day.

Another May task was filling the flower pots for our front porch.  We definitely have a little green thumb in the making because Addie loves to work outside in the dirt.  We went to Lowe's and she picked out orange and white gerber daisys... already a UT girl and we are so proud!  Addie helped me scoop the dirt into the pots.  I think more hit the ground but it is a start.

Addie helping with Mommy's planter of ivy, impatients, and caladiums. 

The big project for the month of May was my birthday/mother's day present.... the master shower.  After five weeks of demo and hard work by Kyle, our great friend Richard, and Addie, the shower was finished.  I think the final tile count was around 900 pieces.  All I can say is that my husband rocks.  

We obviously do not have problems with child labor laws.  As an educator, I think this is an excellent fine motor skill.

The project completed... what a nice gift.

After all of the work was done around the house, we finally got to have some fun Memorial Day weekend.  We went to the River to visit Nene and Poppy.  This year, in stark contrast to last year, Addie loved riding on the boat.  She even tried to put on her life jacket by herself.  Last year, Addie hated ever single second of the boat ride.  Poppy even let her drive the boat, and honk the horn continuously, even as other boaters stared at us.  Addie spent Saturday night and Sunday night at the river with Nene and Poppy.  Other than being dinner for a few mosquitos, I think she had a blast.  Who wouldn't getting to eat all the ice cream, honey buns, and chicken nuggets they wanted.  But, that is exactly what grandparents are supposed to do.  But Kyle and I were glad to get her back home on Monday.  Boy oh boy, we were bored without her here for two days.

Oh my... 29 candles!!!

Never one to turn down a reason to have a little buttercream icing, we celebrated my last birthday in the twenty family a few weeks ago.  Addie is definitely a girl after her mother's heart... she is always ready for some cake!

Addie helping me blow out my candles.  

Not quite 29 but I did not want the smoke detector to go off.

Addie chanting, "Cake! Cake! Cake!" while Kyle was cutting the pieces for everyone. 

The birthday girl opening up her presents.  Mom and Dad gave me some $$$$ to buy some shelves for the upstairs landing.  Kyle is remodeling the shower for my birthday.

  Future post coming on this present:)

Pedi Anyone?

Just wanted to post a pic of Addie's first pedicure.  Considering mommy had a moving target, I feel the little piggys turned out pretty.  Now she is ready for summer, the pool, and the flip flops.

Addison And The Balloons

     This weekend, we went to Red Robin to eat dinner.  Addie had a great time at the restaurant.  She loved the carousel horses, the bright lights, the televisions in the floor, and last and most importantly the balloons.  Kyle and I were able to enjoy our dinners and were not having to tell Addie to sit down over and over again all because of the balloons.  Addie is obsessed with balloons.  She ate all of her meal because her daddy promised her a balloon when we left.  Oh what we didn't know with that promise...

    We didn't know that after we left Red Robin that we would be carry these lovely balloons all around Nashville West.  We tried to talk and reason with our oh so smart two year old that the balloons needed to stay in the car.  That the balloons would be safer in the car.  That the store people would take the balloons from her.  When the tears started flowing we even tried to get really mean and said that we were going to let the balloons go.  (We were  using our serious parent voices here.) We were trying everything but the tears just kept coming so... you guessed it these balloons went with us.  We showed her!  As we were walking to the stores we looked at all of the parents driving by us with looks of... we have been there ..... look at those suckers... and what new parents.   So we tied the balloons to the buggies in Dick's Sporting Goods and Target while we had a great evening shopping around.  Addie was happy and so were the shoppers in the stores.

     The balloons didn't lose their appeal after our shopping trip because Addie carried them around all night.  We held them while we brushed our teeth, put on our pjs, and watched Mickey Mouse.  When it was time for bed, I was able to talk her into leaving the balloons downstairs tied to her highchair.  I said, " The balloons will be here waiting for you when you wake up for breakfast."

 
     To Addie's dismay, the magic of her balloons was gone in the morning and the balloons were on the floor when she came downstairs for her Saturday muffins.  She threw the balloons in the air and said "sky, sky"  It was a little sad but she got over it and she loved them anyway.  That day she toted the balloons around the house, outside on our walk, in the shower, and even to the Mexican restaurant that night.  

Just think if everyone could find life's little joys like a two year old.   

What Beachy Fun

Just A Day At The Beach

     Here are the beach pics from our vacay at Seaside.  I was very surprised by the weather because it was great.  We had sunny days with highs in the mid 70s.  Great for sand play and filling up the buckets I hauled down to the beach each day for the lovely children.  Our friend Brett thought I was crazy for bringing so many but I was pleased when the children played and didn't fight over toys.  We had a great time playing in the waves, chasing crabs, making cakes, trying to throw a frisbee, and just relaxing in the sun (except for me and my pale self... I was under the tent with the babies with my 50 SPF on).

Princess Addie on her throne.  Still does not like the feel of sand between the toes.  We had to carry her to her chair each day until she could get used to the sand.  Aubree is just a beach pro... just give the girl a bucket and a shovel and you can call it a day.

Addie is making a cake... chocolate or vanilla anyone?

Miss Rylee!

 God love her, she got Addie and Aubree about 100 buckets of water a piece during our long weekend.

Rylee and Brody building a sandcastle?

Even Mr. Bear got to go to the beach... sunscreen and all compliments of his friend Addie.

A little rest break from the sun for lunch.  We love the covered porch at the beach house.  

A Seaside Easter

We decided our trip to the mountains should not be our last family vacay.   Even though the last trip was not a fun filled one we still had hope.  We left to go the Seaside, Florida with our great friends Brett and Caryn and their fun loving children Rylee, Brody, and Aubree.  We had a great trip down there, which restored my faith that we will be able to go places with children in tow.  We had a great long weekend complete with two Easter egg hunts for the children on Sunday.  The first egg hunt was on the Seaside croquet field.  We looked great mingling with the Seaside folk in their Sunday best as we came from the beach in our cover ups and shorts.  I am sure we got some looks but we could not let a morning of sunshine and beach time go to waste.  

Addie quickly got the hang of the Easter egg hunt.  She is going to make an awesome soccer player someday.

Addie needed a bigger bucket.

Smile for the camera... we didn't even try going to the Easter Bunny this year.  We figured that visit was not necessary.

After the Seaside Egg Hunt and our day at the beach, we all got cleaned up and dawned our Sunday best for some beach pictures and an egg hunt around the beach house.  This time the eggs were really hidden and the children looked so darling looking around.

Rylee is an egg hunting master.  Her basket got so full, that she started hiding eggs for Addie and Aubree.  Such a sweetie!

Brody could not wait to get some chocolate.

Aubree got her basket full of eggs this time.  During the Seaside egg hunt, she was to scared of the Easter Bunny to care about finding the golden egg.

My mission is accomplished!!!!!!  Off to eat chocolate.

Absolutely "Viewtiful"

Spring Break Adventure Part Three

Kyle, Addie, and I set out on what is becoming our annual trip to East Tennessee to visit our great and fabulous friends Casie and Ryon.  This year, Casie and Ryon, welcomed their beautiful baby girl Mattie Lu to our party.  I look forward to seeing this crew so much since we live five hours away from each other the only talk on phone or on the computer.  But getting to the cabin named "Absolutely Viewtiful" was a trip in itself....

Casie and Mattie Lu hanging out at the cabin.

     The trip started off with a bang when Kyle and I decided that we had to have our ipods before leaving for the mountains.  While we were picking up our ipods from the ipod man, who shall remain nameless, our dog Allie was waiting in the car for us.   Little did we know that Allie had decided to leave us a not so nice treat in the front seat.  This treat was not sweet and did not have a nice aroma.  After cleaning up that mess we were off to the Great Smoky Mountains.  We were having a great, peaceful trip and were making great time since we planned our leaving around Addie's nap.  That was until we decided to take the back way to the mountains and cut through Maryville and Townsend instead of going through Knoxvegas.  We thought... we have never gone this way.... we will miss the Knoxville traffic... hey lets try this out.  This was a BIG mistake!!!  

 

Addie playing with the baby gear.  It took all of her might not to get in the bouncy seat.

With in five minutes of getting off I-40 we got rear ended by a lady in the rain.  Addie was sleeping, I was dosing, and Allie was sitting in my lap.  All of this peace came to an end.  So our time saving move took about an hour longer after the accident report. When we got back on the road we were having to calm Addie down because she was not exactly ready to stop playing in mommy's car so we did what any great parent would do... we gave her M&Ms. 

    So we are going along the back way, which was very curvy and winding, trying to find our cabin.  After looking, going down the wrong road, and finally calling for directions, we were coming up the hill to "Absolutely Viewtiful" when Kyle said, " Addie doesn't look to good."  I look to the back seat and see the M&Ms and strawberry juice that I gave my daughter to soothe her come back up due to her car sickness.  I know what memories.  So the new parents, Casie and Ryon, come out to greet us and were just speechless. We pull Addie out of the car with "vumit" all over her.  I loved it when Ryon said, " Oh we see throw up all the time with Mattie Lu."  And I said, " Toddler throw up is a lot different than baby spit up."

So after an exciting start, Casie and I had a great time shopping and going out to lunch the next day.  This day was worth the troubles getting up there the day before.  And the fun was a little short lived for me because the next day I got a stomach bug and spent the day in bed and in the bathroom.  Yes this trip made lots of memories and laughs looking back:)  

Addie keeping me company in the bed.