Sprinkle mania

An afternoon at a local "Sprinkle Park" was just what we needed when the temperature inched toward 100 degrees. This outing was one of several activities scheduled to celebrate Hayden's impending 8th birthday and was such fun for all...even those of us unwilling to run about and get drenched. The fuddy-duddies in the group did, however, enjoy the cool mist and the frequent errant sprays that helped with the rising temps.

In the beginning, Peyton wasn't so sure.


















Hayden found things a little colder than he expected.














"Brrrr...Hold me, Keaton!"





















Landon found the best way to keep warm.














Peyton soon followed suit and wouldn't stop...




















...except for the frequent hi-fives to Naunie















No one was exempt from his attempts to drench.





















"Finally, my turn. Who will I shoot first?"





















"HA!"

















One last pic before we left. I love, love, LOVE this photo.

Too tired to blog

But can't help thinking:


















Deep thoughts.

Silliest sisters

We just got back from a fun weekend and I have tons of pictures to edit. As I was looking through them, these three pictures jumped off of the screen for me as I couldn't stop giggling at my two sweet girls and their persistent goofiness.

Keaton (11) and her mini-me, Peyton (2).















She does whatever big sister says.













And loves her like no other.

Dental decisiveness

Dentist: "So, Hayden, would you like the spearmint or bubble gum flavor?"

Hayden: "Hmmmm...I'm not sure. What do other kids get?"

Dentist: "The smaller kids usually choose the bubble gum flavor, while big kids usually ask for the spearmint."

Hayden (who had announced numerous times that day that he couldn't wait to get bubble gum flavoring): "Well, I am a big kid and I'll bet I'd really like the spearmint just like those other big kids, who are big like me..."

Dentist (so patiently): "Okay..."

Hayden: "But I'm thinking maybe it would be better for me to choose the bubble gum flavor even though I'm not a little kid (actually I am really big!) but since you probably use a lot of bubble gum flavoring with the little kids, I'll go ahead and choose that. I'm definitely going to choose spearmint next time, though, because I'm almost eight years old but people tell me all the time I look like I'm ten. Right Mom? And I know spearmint is what I should choose, being big and all, but bubble gum is really good so I'll probably just go with that even though I'm probably too big for it.

Dentist (long pause): "Soooooo it's the bubble gum then?"

Hayden (smiling ear-to-ear): "Yes, bubble gum, definitely bubble gum."

Proud to flush

She's proud.

She is using the "big girl potty" several times a day. She wipes, she flushes and she tells me when it's time to go again...I think, just so she can flush again.

But whatever works.

She squeals (and flushes) and high-fives (and flushes) and runs around telling everyone who will listen (and then she flushes again).






















"Awwww...it's nothing really."





















I tinkle and I flush and I flush and I flush some more!





















Mom is feeling pretty proud too.

Now about all that flushing...

Bathing beauty

Every day she begs to go swimming. Just about every day I take her, if for no other reason than to watch her walk around and look adorable.

A sure sign of a good camp

What I found on the couch tonight at 7:40pm.













You can't help but to steal kisses off of those sweet cheeks.












"Wake up, Bubba, let's play!"

Day camp delirium

Hayden (7) and Landon (5) began their summer day camp today. There was no keeping them in bed past 6am this morning so I just gave in and got up. After breakfast they grabbed their backpacks and patiently not-so-patiently waited for me to get ready. I took them to the camp area and they both squealed with delight, running off.

There was swimming and tons of games and adventure. The lead camp counselor told me this afternoon how impressed she was with Hayden's disposition. (Who is this boy and what have they done with my son?)

BFFEEE (Best Friends for Ever and Ever and Ever)

Sutton, Maeli and Rachel have been best friends since the fifth grade. It has been a joy to watch over the years as these three girls matured into beautiful young women. Even though we moved away years ago, they make sure they get together during school breaks; Maeli and Rachel visiting Sutton here in DFW this weekend. Now, at 19 years old, these girls are still a joy and a pleasure to be around. Sutton is so blessed to have such wonderful friends.


















Another of Sutton's friends, Courtney, joined the girls last night.













A mom couldn't pick better friends for her daughter.

Summer's here!

Our first day of summer has been great! We hope yours is too.

It's a clubhouse. It's a slide. It's a BED!

Hayden and Landon love their new bed almost as much as their little sister does. You can hide out, you can slide down, and you can sleep tight. The space theme is just icing for two little boys.

Scholarly beginnings

She's 25 months old and she's talking...a lot. In her own sweet little voice she's telling me stories and describing the events. She tattles on her siblings and details each transgression. Today she and I were walking out of a business when she looked at me and said, "Who were you talking to?" I was so surprised to hear the complete sentence that I repeated to her, "Who was I talking to?" She responded very matter-of-factly, "Yes, on the phone."

While we were waiting our turn for an appointment, I gave her a small notebook and a pen to keep her occupied, hoping for a few minutes of not chasing after her. She sat in my lap and doodled wrote for a good ten minutes, repeating the letter sounds I gave her. After our appointment she asked to write again in her car seat, jotting "words" down as she spoke the sounds we had gone over; she did so for another ten minutes until we got to our next destination. When we got home she crawled right up into a chair at the dinning room table and got busy again.

It may be about time for her own blog.

Powder Puff is serious stuff

I think the whole I'm-a-girl-I-can't gene missed Reagan (thank goodness!) because the child prides herself in succeeding in all things masculine. Don't get me wrong, she loves her lip gloss, mascara and a cute little sundress; oh, and the multitude of little 8th grade boys chasing after her. But she has dubbed herself the "man of the house" and clearly has a gift of putting things together, taking things apart, carrying heavy objects and making things that don't work, work. She's as handy as a pocket on a shirt and we love her.

She also feels that girls should be allowed to play all sports so she jumped at the opportunity to play Powder Puff football this year just to prove that she could. Yeah, she's just a little hard-headed that way.

Her team won and won big. Afterwards she reminded me that she was a "beast" at football.

Yep, clearly the prettiest football-playing beast I've ever seen.