School's out for the summer!!!!!

Yesterday was the last day of school, well, technically. I am nowhere near done with all my end of the year paperwork and then I still have to get all my personal stuff packed up and out of the office. But, for all practical purposes - WE ARE DONE!!!!!!! Yay!

So, we come home and meet my parents at our house. They stay with Eli and Claire and we head to Memphis. Keith needed to take some instruments to Amro, so I guess I can deal with a a trip to Memphis. We stayed up way too late last night (and looks like we'll do the same tonight :P ) talking with our friends, Blake and Straley. We miss them so much and haven't seen them since December. Way too long, considering that Straley and I have been best friends since high school and this is the farthest apart we have ever been since then.

We got up today and took our time getting ready and then headed into town. The boys went to Amro (we had to take the back seats out of the Yukon to get all the instruments over here, so we rode in separate vehicles - worked out perfectly) and we headed to Pottery Barn Outlet - love that place! But, we really didn't find anything we couldn't live without, so lunch was next. We ate at On The Border - love their salsa. Miller was so good - playing with his trains and eating salsa. It was too hot for Keith, but Miller and the rest of us loved it!

After lunch, I got a Macy's fix! I miss that store and bought a few things. We walked around the mall a bit and then headed to Autozone Park for a Redbirds double header - in box seats! It was perfect. Miller had the best time and even got to meet Rocky the Redbird. Eli would've loved it too - we're planning to go back this summer and get tickets on the "grassy knoll". I think he'll love it!

Tomorrow, we're having lunch at Bahama Breeze and then probably a few more stops. I can't wait for my chicken kabobs and rice!

Mom said the kids were fine. Dad spent most of the day with them outside, so I know they're both super happy! Eli will be crushed when he finds out we stayed at Miller's house, though.

2 dinners - 1 night!

I have no cute kid stories today b/c I barely saw the kids today :( I got my hair cut right after school and Keith picked up both kids and took them to the bandroom while the flags were having practice for flag camp week after next. I ran to Kroger to buy some stuff to make Taco Soup and then ran home to make it. Tonight was our turn to take dinner to a couple in our Sunday School class who just had a baby. I made the soup and brownies. I hope it tasted ok. I'm afraid it was too spicy - walmart rotel is pretty spicy.

We didn't eat any b/c at the last minute, we decided to go eat cajun food at Who Dat's. There is some soup in the fridge for dinner tomorrow night! It will be nice to have that done. A Big THANK YOU to Papaw Danny for coming to babysit at the last minute!!!!!!!! Memaw had to go to Kindergarten graduation and Papaw was such a trooper. He even had both kids in bed by the time we were on our way home by 8:15. I can barely get that accomplished. Dinner was good and quiet. Good conversation - all non-kid driven! Good food! Nice night! Thanks Papaw!

3 more days and counting. Tomorrow is lunch at Josies - our favorite lunch place. It will be the last time we all go out to eat as a group. I'm excited about the new job, but very sad to be leaving my friends. We have a great time together - even when we're doing the awful and dreaded paperwork! I will miss them so much - sometimes I wonder why I'm taking the job! I guess hanging out with friends isn't all there is to work :P I'll never get everything all packed up by Friday afternoon!

Where can a kid be a kid?

At Chuck E Cheese, of course! E earned a trip for some great behavior at school over the last several weeks. We got there early on Saturday morning (well, early for a Sat. anyway) I guess most people were at the lake this holiday weekend, b/c it wasn't very busy at all. Usually by lunch, the line to get in is winding outside the building - but not this day. It's not such a bad place to spend a couple of hours and the pizza isn't bad at all. Claire enjoys it too. This was her 3rd or 4th trip and the last 2, she has just wandered around and tried to climb the skee-ball lanes. She quickly figured out that the tokens were ultra-important, but she never figured out where they went. She didn't want to play the games - just put tokens in. She kept Papaw pretty busy following her around!

Eli's a pretty good little air hockey player! He can really guard the goal. I played him one game and he beat me hands down! I was talking to Mom and at one point he said, "mom, quit talking and play the game!" silly boy!

Golden ticket, well, token!

BALLS!!!!!!!!

She's kind of dangerous with a Skee Ball ball. Watch out, if you're standing behind her!

Where a kid can be a kid - and so can daddies!

How high does this thing go up?

Did I mention that Papaw was pretty busy following Claire around? Even to the top of the play area!

Enjoying some of the treats they got with all their tickets!

I think we all had a great time! After we left, we went and had Eli's 3 year picture framed from last May (so it was actually 3 1/2 year picture and only a year late getting it framed). It looks so nice. And, next week, we'll pick up the one they framed of both kids. I can't wait to see it!

We also hit the mall - Target, Children's Place, and Dillards to spend a gift card I had. It was a long day, but fun. The kids were exhausted and both were in bed and asleep by 7:30.

Only 4 more days of school left! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, it's been a while

We've painted. A lot! I wanted to paint the living room a color besides the khaki/taupe that is and has been all over this house and the last 2 we've owned. I like that color, but I was ready for a change. I wanted a color similar to what was in the kitchen, which meant that if that color went to the living room, then the kitchen had to become something else entirely. So, off to Sherwin Williams. And again. And again. And about 3 more times. And a trip to Home Depot. All in the search of the perfect color. Thankfully, those samples they have now save us so much money. I immediately picked a color for the dining room - Sierra Redwood. The kitchen was done in 2 colors - Herbal Wash. I thought I had pictures, but apparently I don't know where they are.

The living room was another story. I think we tried about 5 different colors - and then sadly, went with the exact color that had been in the kitchen - Refined Gold. The first few days, I wasn't so sure. But now, I love it! It has really brightened up the room.

Eli loves to help "paint". It becomes much more mess, so it doesn't last very long, but he has a blast!

I had been so so sick while the living room was being painted - the worst sore throat I've probably ever had. It was terrible and the dr. had no help for me. But thankfully, I'm all better now. I didn't get to help much, but it still got done.

Last Friday was the Band picnic. It's always at a neat park right outside of town, right after school. They cook out and all band students, grades 6-12 are invited, so it's usually tons of kids and lots of parents. This year was no exception and my kids had a blast! We took Eli's friend, Beck and their friend Casen was there.

Claire loved swinging. She kept saying "weeeeee!!!"

They have a very large sand box and the kids loved building roads and digging holes. Claire didn't mind getting sand EVERYWHERE - she had a great time.

Here's Eli and Beck playing in the sand. It had rained for days before the picnic, but turned off sunny just in time for Friday.

This afternoon, Eli and Claire and I headed to Lyon College pond to feed the ducks. They are very, um, friendly ducks. Will come eat the bread right out of your hand, if you don't throw it at them fast enough. They will - ask Claire! We had a great time and hung out until Keith got done with after school percussion stuff and came to meet us. We walked around and searched for fish, turtles, and a couple of snakes. Came home, ate spaghetti and got my truck washed. A great day for all! Kids are in bed and I'm heading that way!

Mud, mud, and more mud!

This is the little girl who throws a huge fit if she gets even one little drop of milk on her shirt.....

this is the little girl who fussed at me the other day because it rained on her - just a tiny bit before I got the umbrella out.

this is the little girl who makes you wipe her fingers off everytime she gets food on them - over and over and over again.

this is the little girl who somehow got outside with her daddy and brother and found her way to the mud puddle in the front yard (actually, the entire front yard is a mud puddle right now) - NOT wearing play clothes or play shoes!

We have this little patch under a tree, where we have tried and tried to get grass to grow. I guess the tree keeps it so shady, that we've given up. Eli has turned it into his "farm" and spends most of his playtime digging and "planting" all sorts of crops. Today, it was a mud farm!

She's been sitting in the puddle for I don't know how long and then freaks out when she looks down and sees her shirt!

Needless to say, both kids got a super fast bath before dinner (Keith was grilling chicken while this mud play was happening) and we all took a trip to Walmart to buy some color-safe bleach. Not that I think that outfit's coming clean!

We painted the dining room and kitchen this weekend. I have pictures, but they're on the other camera, and the battery has died, and I can't find the charger.