Trip to Fort Mill part 3

more outside fun...

Trip to Fort Mill part 2

More pictures from the party...

This is a big deal to me...5 of our 9 kids got out a game and played it on their own.  We are getting there!  No that little ones aren't great, but sometimes it is so nice to think of adults being able to have a conversation on our own while the kids play!!

We did a little egg dyeing.  Joshua was very into it and made more than anyone.

 Gray was one and done.

Julia was a bit grumpy most of this trip unless she was with Mimi, but she did love doing the eggs.

more pictures to come...

Trip to Fort Mill part 1

The kids and I enjoyed visiting Mama and Daddy and celebrating their birthdays over Spring Break.  We mostly just hung out, had a birthday party, went to a park, went to Amanda's.  Laid back, but always love getting to see my family.  We got to see Rick and Grandmama for a little bit too.

We (meaning me and Jeannie, who hijacked the camera often since hers is broken) took tons of pictures, so I'll split them up into a couple of days.

Egg Hunt with Great- Grandmama

Football in the front yard--Carly and the boys.  It was very wet and grassy, but Carly stayed the cleanest.  Gray was a different story.

Time for cake!  Happy Birthday, Mama and Daddy!

 Carly said, "You guys look hideous!" while I took the above picture.  Mama decided to show her hideous.

Reenacting the blowing out of the candles since I missed it.  Jeannie, where are your acting skills?

Gray's got it down.

More pictures to come...

Plays, Performances, and Parades

Last week was an exciting one for the boys.

Gray was the gray wolf in his class play "The 3 Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig".  Super cute, though the next day the 3 little wolves went so crazy in their performance for 1st grade that the teacher had to stop the whole thing and send everyone away.  Not super cute.

Gray was Peter Pan for the 1st grade Fairy Tale Ball, which is really more like a parade and reception afterward. I don't know why they don't dance because 1st graders dancing would be adorable.

video of parade: http://youtu.be/BmjFZyKd5nk

Joshua's grade put on a short musical that we went to on Tuesday night.  Each class had a special song and dance and he was sweet dancing with his best friend Anthony.  Matt took some pictures with his phone, but we were so far back that I'm not sure if he got anything good.

Lots of pre-Spring Break excitement!  Hard to believe we have so little time before summer break.

On Clothes

When I was in high school I went through a phase where I was so absolutely concerned about what I was wearing that I made a calendar and wrote down my outfit every day so I didn't repeat too often.  My problems with caring what others think of me are a whole nother post-- that I will probably never write-- but anyway, I am trying to move past those superficial days and certainly not perpetuate it in my kids, as far as I can help it.

So I made a decision a few years ago that I am no longer going to care what my kids look like.  They can pick what they want for picture day (if I remember it's picture day).  They can be mismatched.  They can wear stripes and plaid.  They can wear a flowered shirt with a red velvet Christmas sweater, pink pants, with polka dot bloomers underneath (just as an example, of course).  I usually tell them not to wear athletic pants to church, but other than that, if it's not distracting, they can wear what they want.  And I know one day we'll have to put more parameters on what Julia wears, but for now I just try to get her to put a skirt on top if she has chosen tight pants.

Now I think some families all wholeheartedly enjoy dressing in matching clothes, wearing their best button up shirt for picture day, etc.  We are just not that family.  So my policy is that if they feel good in it, I am going to smile and say they look great.

So with all that being said, here are my cuties ready for church this morning:

Picture Day

So you may have heard via facebook about spring picture day this year.  I never order pictures the second go-round, so I didn't remember it was that day...until the kids got in the car and I saw the huge blob of toothpaste on Gray's shirt, Joshua's greasy hair (when did he last have a shower??), and Joshua announced, "Gray smells like pee!"  Then someone casually mentioned they'd had their pictures made that day.  Of course.

They send home the photos to tempt you to buy them, so I had to take some snapshots of them for posterity.  

Gray's arm is hiding the toothpaste, thank goodness, and as one of my friends commented on FB, this is not a "scratch and sniff" photo so we don't have to relive the smell of those pants.

But look at that smile.  I just busted out laughing when I saw it.  I don't know what that face is he's making but it is so not him!

And then there's Joshua.  Well his hair is always a little crazy.  Don't think it gets combed except the few times a year I cut it.  So from a distance his picture is okay.

Until you get a close up of his face.  Again, who is this child and what is he doing with his mouth?  And I have to wonder how skilled the photographer is to not get a genuine smile out of these kiddos.  Oh well, seeing their pictures definitely got a genuine smile out of me!

Can't Handle the Cuteness!

We have a new little girl joining us for Tuesday morning preschool at our house.
These girls are so adorable and I'm very proud of them, as they are starting to be able to sound out words now!!  Feel very blessed to help them get an awesome start to kindergarten next year!