abby's birthday and discovery place

A couple of weeks ago we went to Discovery Place to celebrate a dear friend's 4th birthday.

Check out the cute unicorn cake!

They did a few experiments in the front, one of which consisted turning a cup full of water over on top of Abby's head. You can see the worry in her face here. Luckily the cup was filled with the beads from disposable diapers and no one got wet this time.

It was cake time and oh boy was Ains excited!

Now it was time to play!

The rope bridge in the rain forest was a big hit...

for all kids!

And then, of course, wild man tries to climb it!

Caleb had such a fun time playing with the big kids (blurry, but his expression is priceless!)

Alice's dad was helping Ains reach the bead lift. They had so much fun playing!

At the end of the day we stopped down in the kids play area. Caleb figured out that if he dragged this little ride on up to the hill, he could ride it down.

And here you see all of his hard work paying off.

We had a great time that day! Happy 4th Birthday to Abby!!

haircuts

Last week Megan took the kiddos to get haircuts. She is such a great help around here in our mad house!

Caleb's hair was getting pretty long and shaggy so we just got it cleaned up a little.

Ainsley's was fine, but she wanted to get hers cut like her brother. Unfortunately, as with all drop in places, you don't always get the best cut. She came home with a rounded undercut so I took it upon myself to fix. Please remind me to never do that again. A little here, a little there, a little more here to match there, oops a little more over there... well, then you get something that you have to take BACK to the salon to get fixed. So for now, we have a super short, but perfect for summer SHORT bob!

And please disregard the sweaty hair. They had just gotten home from preschool and it's HOT out around here these days!

quote of the day

Ainsley (while watching her daddy put on deodorant): "Are you doing that so you can grow more fur?"

running

Bradley and I have recently gotten into running again. We've signed up to do a half marathon in Savannah in early November and I cannot be more excited!

We've gone out for long runs the past two Sundays and are doing quite well - just over 5 miles this past Sunday despite the crazy heat and humidity. We have 16 weekends between now and the big day so as long as we keep upping our mileage, I think we'll do just fine!

Check out my new hydration belt! I'll be ready to take on the longer runs now (and pardon the poor quality cell picture)!

So if you see me, keep me honest! Ask how my training is going...

Happy 4th Birthday Ainsley!

new game

There's a new game in town...

And they both love it! They go around and around and around in circles giggling the whole time.

I'm so glad they have each other!

oh the things they say...

Earlier this evening -

Brad [looking out the back door]: "Is that a Praying Mantis on the grill?"

Me: "I don't think so" [unlocks door and goes outside to take a closer look] "No, I think it's a grasshopper."

Brad: "It's a compact one then. It's like the Smart Car of grasshoppers."

He slays me! Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy in the world! We love you!

(I bet you thought this post was going to involve the kids.)

first cheeseburgers

Yum! Lunch with Pawpaw Jack at South 21.

spring recital

On Saturday, June 4th, we had Ainsley's Spring Dance Recital. This marked the end of her first year of dance. She absolutely loves going but her favorite part is getting to dance on the big stage. We had been looking forward to this day for a while and it did not disappoint. I am so thankful that we are able to give Ainsley (and Caleb) these sorts of opportunities. Without a doubt, we will be enrolling her into the Fall Dance Session.

Here we go... this is the beginning of her ballet number.

Ballerina princess in all her glory.

Did you know that one dance class is specifically devoted to the art of Sumo Wrestling? I think Ains mastered it...

Look at the concentration on her face, would ya??

Our first medal/trophy!

As we were making our way out of the theater, we ran into some familiar faces. This solidified Ainsley's day as perfect. She absolutely adores these girls and she cherishes any time that she gets to spend with them. To see them all dressed up and to show them her outfit, well, it was her own slice of heaven.

Posing with Gran-ma.

Mim, Pip, and the Dance Star!

Mommy and her girl...

Dancing with her flowers from Gran-ma.

There is a really neat sculpture right outside of Knight Theater. Ainsley got a kick out of making faces in the mirrors.

She was checking herself out from all angles...

literally.

Caleb had to get in a little mirror action too.

I wanted to give a special thank you to all of the ladies that make the Harris Y Dance Program possible. And an extra special thank you to Miss Meeghan and Miss Lisa for a great Spring Dance session.

caleb's second year

Happy Birthday Caleb!