HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

I love weekends.  I really love four day weekends.  I really, really love that Brett Paul's job allows him to spend them with us.  He had a little bit of work to do on Friday but worked from home in the morning and was home shortly after lunch.  I love Sysco!  We worked in the yard everyday, made three trips to Lowe's, and played, played, played.


I had to wake Maggie and Mac up Friday at 10 o'clock.  While they were snoozing, MB had complete control of the clicker.

BITING THE BULLET




Look at my sweet babies!  So little.

CAN'T BELIEVE THE SCHOOL YEAR IS OVER!

It's been two weeks of ear mess around here. Mac & Mary were at the doc's last Wednesday with ear infections. Mary, still sick Monday, started three days of Rocephin shots. Mac went back today and got his first of three. Mac feels so badly that he's laying his head on Maggie's shoulder. Poor babies. :(

Mag and Jakers! Inseparable since birth. They really care about each other so much and had a great year together. We're so glad that they will be together again next year.

These two are just something else. The beginning of this school year was difficult. Brett was still at Pepsi so he was going to work at 5:30 every morning. I was having to get myself ready for work plus 2 kids ready for school, & an 8 month old ready to go to Grandmother's. God put someone right in my path that I needed. Lisa Smalley, Jake's momma. Being a mother of 5, she knows the drill. We met every morning for months at drop off and pick up. Mag & Jake wanted to go in and out together and Lisa helped me by holding Mary while I got Mac out of the car or vice versa. She also helped me through the rough patches when Mac was adjusting to leaving me in the beginning. And the occasional grabbing of each other's kids if one was late or had an appt. But most of all, she helped me to relax. I'm such an anal, OCD person and learned so much from her and she didn't even know she was doing anything. When Jake came to school all sticky because he didn't tell her that his car seat was covered in ice cream...she simply said, "oh, well." When he came with gum squished all in his hair, again..."oh, well." I'm one that frets over Maggie's nail polish being chipped! With juggling my three little ones under 4 years old at that time, she really was a sanity saver. So glad to have her as one of my closet friends.

Maggie is my well child. Thank you, Mag. You keep standing strong, chick. She had a great year with Mrs. Cheri and Mrs. Liz. I actually went to church with Mrs. Cheri back in high school. She just loved my Magpie. But, who wouldn't? ;)

Today would have been Mac's last day. But, with his fever of 101 last night, poor man couldn't stay. We just stopped by when taking Mag so he could grab a pic and tell Mrs. Janet and Mrs. Leah goodbye. Leah is oh so sweet and great with the kids. Mrs. Janet, I can't explain the gift that this woman has. She is simply amazing and hasn't lost any of her enthusiasm after 20 + years.

This was actually yesterday which would have been Mary's last day of school. Unfortunately, she was too sick to stay. As if you can't tell by that face. She actually loves Mrs. Katie and Mrs. Susan as do I. Mary went for her second Rocephin shot that afternoon.

When we got back from the doc's, we headed outside. The kids played (sunshine is good for them) and I weeded the flower beds. Note to self: change clothes. It's too hot to work in jeans. And, take off rings to avoid these blisters from the garden hoe.

Looks like this will be our busiest summer yet.

STRONG LITTLE HEIFER

Last week, my friend Susan dropped by to bring me something. Mag and Mac were outside chatting with her kids, Claire & Max. MB was wandering around in the house. I had the front door open and was watching her through the glass door. She kept coming over and shutting the regular door. When Susan left, I came in to find that she had pulled the front panel off my antique victrola. Maggie is modeling it for me. I had an opportunity for the best pic with my little vandal but my camera messed up. That's another boring story but the fellow at Best Buy found my problem. My memory chip had split. Not as in left, but literally split.

GETTING ALL GUSSIED UP

Heading to a birthday party with Maggie and...sportin' my new SIZE 4's! Yeah, baby! (Louie Linguine voice)

Brett & I attended a wedding this weekend for a friend that Brett works with (really helped Brett get his foot in the door at Sysco) and that I went to high school with. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a blast. Any and every time we get the chance to dance...it's on like a chicken bone. Wow, throwback. Anyway, I've never been one to dislike attention, especially when on the dance floor. Brett only had to call me down a time or two. (Perhaps when the singer was getting us to "ride it like a motorcycle, heh, heh) We were unofficially crowned the "most entertaining couple on the dance floor" by a group on onlookers. Yeah, we shook our groove thang. Really sore today. Now, I have the fever and Brett Paul will be taking me dancing somewhere soon.

My super cute dress with a less than fabulous background, including the big oil stain on our driveway. A pretty funny thing happened at the reception. We were sitting at a table with Brett's boss and some other co-workers. The photographer walked up and set his stand in front of us pointing towards me and Brett's boss, Michael. I scooted next to him and we posed. And we posed and we posed. Michael was mumbling under his breath, "take the picture already!" After about 30 or so seconds, the photographer says, "It's a video camera." We lost it. It was hilarious. He said he'd have to pull that on others because he got such a good outburst of laughter.

Fab shoes that Mag insisted I purchase because "oh, they are so stylish." My little Carrie Bradshaw. Only when it comes to the shoes though. You can't see but they have really cute little ruffles.

Sweet Mag went shopping with me for about the third time this week. This night, it was imperative that she wear her pearls & big daddy ring.





Couldn't decide which pic I liked best.

THE BARNYARD

Miss Sophie invited the kids to her birthday party at The Barnyard. Her mom, Dana, went to school with me and we're fb buds. We had only been there once and it was when I was pregnant with Mac. We had a great time and I was so proud of all my kids. Maggie was so sweet and gentle with all the animals, Mac did GREAT (completely shocked us), and no harm was done to any of the animals by Mary Brooke. I hate that we had to leave early to get ready for a wedding but that turned into being a blast. I'll blog about that later.

First up, boat ride. Mac politely declined.

Shocker! My man is touching a farm animal.

Mag feeding a little pig. The little cutie to her right is Patton. I went to school with his momma, Brandy.

Feeding some goats.

Er'body in the pen.

"Great son, touch all of the animals then suck on your thumb."

Had to throw a shot of these sweet legs in here.

My sweet little girl holding a super cute bunny.

"Joe Cool, hanging around." - Charlie Brown

Mary wanted to climb up to get a better look at that little fella.

The goat is having a little snack.

"Excuse me, but would you kindly stop chewing my hair."

Brett and I were thinking...doubt that will happen, lady, and please don't let Mary squish any baby animals.

I could not have been prouder of my sensory issued little man. He got his hands dirty, didn't flip out about it, and held farm animals!

"Hmm, these people are really letting me hold this little dude?"

The little piggy was kind of squirmy.

Mag taking a little ride. Mary was way too tired to give it a whirl and when Mac was asked, he gave us a "no."

My kiddos and their cousin, Alexa, are having a ball washing their hands.

I love the way Macman is sportin' his sunglasses.

We need one of these at home.

BELATED EASTER BRUNCH PICS

I'm really behind on posting. I blame it on the tornado that I still have not blogged about. Still not sure if I'm ready.

The Saturday before Easter, Danny and Anita had us up for brunch and bunny games. We had a fabulous time. They had hidden an insane amount of eggs and had little goodies inside each. Also, they had really big eggs for sweet Mary to find. Robby was awesome. He would walk a few steps in front of Mary and drop eggs for her. This post has the prettiest colors. They have a beautiful yard. Plus, it was a tad overcast so everything looks so bright.

I was so glad that Dale and Mirabelle were able to come over. FYI, that was about 10 pounds ago for me. 10 pounds that apparently I stored all in my face.












Aren't they purty? Dale, how is it that you, once again, managed to appear as the centerpiece of the blog post. Haha.










That would be Mary's big scrap that she got three days before Easter. She fell off a riding toy at school and freakishly hit the bottom corner of a rocking chair. When Susan (one of MB's awesome teachers that I love) brought her to the car, she felt horribly and promised to photo shop all of my Easter pics. No need though. Mary is a tough booger and I'm glad to have pics to remind us how she was a this age.



I think she wanted down.

Laughing at Aunt Anita.


















"All kids report to the tree house." That was not easy to climb in that thing with all those babies.

The fellas guarding the 6 foot drop so Mary wouldn't jump off.

Funny little Mac would find the eggs then get someone else to pick them up so he wouldn't get his hands dirty.

Sack races!

If you look closely, you can see Grandpaw going down.

Let's grab the hat before doing anything else though.

Danny looks like a psychotic kangaroo.

But, he smoked us.

My big toes escaped. Don't fret. I had a pedicure that afternoon. Really though, those sacks were as thin as tissue paper.

Super cute centerpieces that Anita made.