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September 3rd: First Day of Mother's Morning Out

Today was Blakely's first day of Lexington Baptist Mother's Morning Out. We did Mo.M.O. last year with Blakely in Charleston, so this was not extremely traumatizing. Next year, when we call it Preschool it will definitely be a little bit more painful to let her go. I expected Blakely to be a little tearful, but she was so brave and ready to have a great day! So proud of my little monkey!!

September 2nd: Meet the Teacher. Oddly enough, Blakely cried at Meet the Teacher, but kissed me and waved goodbye without tears at the real deal first day. Funny girl! (P.S. GG made that adorable bag for Blakely for her first ballet class!! Super, super cute!!)

Blakely and Banks are going to Mother's Morning Out at Lexington Baptist Preschool.
Thankfully, they are going to be in the same 2 year old class together!!
Their teachers are named Ms. Robin and Ms. Stephanie, and they seem really great!!
I know that these kiddos are going to have a great school year!!

Notice Gray has snuck into these pictures. This was one of my biggest concerns with starting Mo.M.O. again... Gray. At orientation they asked for us to leave their "lovies" at home. Last year, Blakely took Gray to Mo.M.O. with her, so this was going to be a big change. We had been talking about how Blakely was going to school all week, and how Gray was going to have to stay with Mommy and Katy Ellis during that time....but you NEVER know how these things are gonna go. When we pulled up to school this morning, Blakely gave Gray a kiss and put her in her car seat. This BIG GIRL was ready for school!! Crisis averted!

We still haven't mastered smiling... I feel like she always looks like she is in pain. However, I am just thankful she is looking at the camera!!! Baby steps!

Blakely yelled "oh no!" during the photo shoot, jumped up and ran and got her backpack. Apparently, your backpack NEEDS to be in your picture. Ha!

Blakely and Banks are only going to school 2 days a week from 8:30-11:45am.

Blakely and Banks were so excited when we got up to the church!! GG made them these adorable matching shirts for their first day of school. Don't they look school ready?

Stop time!! Don't let this little keep growing up. Being a mom makes you have such a strange relationship with time. Sometimes I find myself looking forward to when she is older, and I am always so proud of her development and achievements. Yet, I already miss my little baby, and I find myself begging time to stand still. I know this time where my girls are little and home with me is just a "flash in the pan," so I KNOW that I have to savor EVERY SINGLE MOMENT!!

Banks giving his Mommy a hug goodbye on his first day of school!

Me giving my girl one last hug before she is off on her big girl adventures!

I am so, so thankful that these two are in the same class and that they have each other!! Have fun Banks and Blakely!! I know that y'all are going to LOVE school as much as your Mommy's did!

My Beauties!!

Matching outfits... both of them smiling... I think I've died and gone to heaven!!!

Thank you Thank you Thank you, Mama and Daddy for my new camera lens!! It makes these beautiful girls look like my dreams!! LOVE Y'ALL!!

Random Pictures

Summer 2014: Random Pictures

No real big events associated with these pictures, just some memories I wanted to preserve.



This picture is awesome!! This just so represents our life right now. All three kids are dressed up and looking super-dee-duper cute in their matching cousin cuteness.... but trying to get a cute picture out of them is almost impossible. Add in trying to plan in a good photo shoot location and everyone being awake and clean, and you have got yourself your very own "Mission Impossible!" GG and the kids couldn't look better... BUT I LOVE that the photo shoot location is the Burger King play set. Keeping it classy, y'all! Ha Ha!!

Snuggling with my Katy Ellis girl on our vacation in Saratoga Springs.

This girl has become a giggle monster. She loves to laugh with her WHOLE body!! Love this little munch.

This summer has been the summer of the potty!! We are not full tilt potty training yet, but we have been putting her on there before and after she sleeps with pretty good success. She STILL won't tell us she needs to potty EVER. I think it is a control thing for her. Regardless, this picture cracks me up!! After a nap on vacation, we put her on the potty. She said in the most pathetic voice ever "cold. need towel. right here." She did this while shivering and rubbing her hands on her chest. Crazy girl!!

 

EVERYTHING goes in the mouth... EVERYTHING!! Don't get mobile anytime soon girlfriend, Mommy still needs to baby proof the new house.

 

 

Snuggles with her daddy!

This is what I am talking about! She loves to play dress up, but then she persists in the costume doing normal activities. She is so hilarious! Also note the zoo pass bracelet on her wrist. We cannot get it off her! If we go some place that has her wear an admissions bracelet, it will be 1-2 weeks before I get the ratty thing off her! She loves some jewelry!

 

 

Ballerina Blakely!!

Sept 2nd: First Day of Ballet

Blakely is a girly-girl if ever there was a girly-girl. She loves pink, babies and dolls, singing and dancing and dress-up. She loves books with ballerinas and dancers in it, and she frequently spends the whole day in a tutu. So we KNEW when she was old enough, she would need to take a class in ballet.



Last week when I told her she was going to be taking a ballet class, she ran into the closet and turned on the sound machine to some classical music. I peaked in there without her seeing and saw her doing "pirouettes."

 

Literally everyday since I told her about ballet, she has asked me if it was Ballet day yet!! She has been so excited!!

This is a picture of her actually dancing for me before class... she gets the funniest (most unattractive) looks on her face while she dances. She takes it VERY seriously, and often she dances with a furrowed brow. HA!

The day Blakely was born, GrandAnnie and GrandPop gave us a gift for Blakely's future. It was a check for her "fine arts fund." They have contributed to it on holiday's and special events since then, and we have been looking forward to the day we got to use it. So THANK YOU THANK YOU THANKYOU GrandAnnie and GrandPop!! Blakely LOVED her first ballet class!!

I thought this was going to be a mommy and me class, but was surprised when after 5 minutes they kicked the parents out! There were a couple of tears, but as soon as we were out the door she started having a ball (so I was told!). 

Blakely's first dance class drew quite the crowd! She has lots of fans already. GG and Katy Ellis came, and even Daddy got off work to come see his girl dance! By the end we even added Auntie and Banks. Everyone loves and supports Blakely so much!! We are so blessed to have so many people who love Blakely in her life!!

Not quite sure what you call this move, but she is having fun! Her favorite part, if I am really honest, was seeing herself dance in the BIG ballet mirror. Vanity or childish egotism? Hmmm...

Congratulations Blakely!! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of the talented, beautiful, amazing little girl you are becoming!!

***Unfortunately, if you are blessed (cursed?) with mommy's physique ballet will not feature as a future career path for you. Bummer. Sorry girlfriend. Enjoy it while it lasts cuteness!! ***

Lake Days!!

August 2014: Fun at Gigi and PopPop's House!!

I am so blessed to have a mini-vacation spot right here in town.... GG and PopPop's House!!! It is the best little get away, because there are SO MANY ATTRACTIONS!!

1) GG and PopPop themselves. ALWAYS a crowd pleaser. All we have to do is pull in the driveway, and Blakely starts shouting GG and PopPop's name as if they are one person "GGPOPPOP!!"They always make every moment an adventure at their home, and they have more energy for PURE FUN than Mommy and Daddy.

2) TOYS!! Playroom toys that haven't been out and played with since my childhood. Hidden toys in the guest room. More toys in the living room, and there is always some new toy that no one has seen before. There are a LOT of toys here!

3) The Playhouse and  sandbox. Hours and hours of tea party fun. Though I have to say Blakely's favorite thing about the playhouse is the cordless phone. She could "talk" on it for hours! Sassy little thing puts her hand on her hip and pretends to talk to GG. She is ALWAYS on the phone with GG! HA!

4) Garage Toys. They have bikes, tricycles, wagons, strolled, ride on toys... basically if it is fun on wheels, they have it. This is also where the play kitchen and play table are located. GG also usually has some fun art project going on here, too (chalk, painting, coloring, dying eggs, etc.)

5) Last, but DEFINITELY not least.... THE LAKE!! Oh, Lake Murray, how I love thee!! I grew up in Lexington playing on the lake in my teens. Brought friends here to have fun during college and med school. I have lived in Charleston right next to the ocean and rivers for the last decade, but they don't even hold a candle to lake living! No sand, no salt, no lugging beach gear everywhere.... heaven!! I am so glad to be back in the midlands and back on Lake Murray!!

Last year, Blakely was still too little to appreciate riding on the boat. Now she loves to ride with arms straight in the air. She has even declared Bird Island as "Princess Island!"

Uncle Matt and little nugget enjoying the new patio that PopPop and GG built. So beautiful!! I am still in awe that my dad conceived and executed such a complicated piece of construction. It is like a giant math and engineering headache. He is literally a construction genius!

While I am awed by what PopPop built, Blakely is not surprised at all. We had a small leak in our kitchen, which has lead to the hardwoods in the kitchen being pulled up.  The other day I told Blakely that men were coming to fix the hole. She looked confused, so I walked her to the kitchen and showed her the hole. She was quiet and looking down at the floor, then suddenly she looks up at me and says "My PopPop can fix that!" Like Duh Mom! Haha. I love that she has figured out just how handy PopPop is so quickly.

Sweet girl in her playhouse.

One of the kids favorite activities is tea party!! At our house, the tea is always clear, mess-free water. At GG and PopPop's house RED KOOLAID!!

They were covered in red dye!!

It is a huge mess... but no big deal, the lake is right there for a quick clean up!

Cheers!

 

At 6 months old, Katy Ellis enjoys the lake as much as she can, but often a retreat into the A/C is needed for little nugget. But GG don't mind! She loves Katy Ellis!

 

Naked eating home made ice cream... life is good.

A little clean up...

Banks jumping right over the sprinkler.

Everything is an adventure at GG and PopPops.

Two cousins on a sprinkler... not really sure.

Blakely's attempt at jumping.

Somebody stole the sprinkler.

From sprinklers....straight into the lake. Two cutie booties!

 

Love these two monkey's and all the craziness they bring!! Looking forward to all the adventures yet to be had at GG and PopPop's house in the years to come!!