Style!

Last week after 14 inches of rain, Saturday was sunny and warm. We, along with everyone else who had been cooped up staying dry, went to Norfolk's Children's Festival. It was perfect after we waited in line to get in- we got to do a few fun things before EVERYONE was there. The kids got Home Depot aprons, and we built their sailboat and birdhouse at home later in the day.This is my famous friend Gina, and her son Seth. Gina is Madame de la Grande Bouche in Beauty and the Beast. Next weekend Gabby and I are going to see the play! Part of the cast dressed up in their un-enchanted costumes and did a small performance at the festival.

Seth and Gabby are good buddies, they fight and love like siblings almost!
Both G & E got really into the playdough area. E didn't even try to eat it! I am thinking it might be great to make some of our own playdough and have lots of fun tools for the winter.
Elliot and I have been sick with an awful cough for almost a week. Clay was feeling rundown yesterday after work so he tried to lay down.... impossible to rest when these two think it is a fun game to climb all over you. Clay napped, we got out of the house and all were happy in the evening.
Part of our outing while Clay slept was to Dollar Tree to get a few Halloween decorations. Gabby is really into her own style and dressing herself. Today for library she wore the following: pink skirt, orange shirt with a gumball machine on it, tall socks with stripes, NEW favorite cowgirl boots, army jacket and to top it off so her "ears don't get cold" (it was 50* out when we woke up) a knit little red riding hood hat from the dress up box!
Elliot's favorite part about library time: the water fountain!

Splash!

Where did our 93* heat go? It has been washed away by rain. Lots of rain. More rain to come tomorrow, they say up to 8 inches! What to do when it rains that much? Splash in it!

These cute kids like to sport their cute rain gear. Both jackets have come from Grandma, and we love them- as does everyone else we see.

This puddle proved to be a little too deep for the shortest member of the family. I didn't realize until we were inside taking them off, the boots were full of water! That is how you know you had fun puddle jumping!
It was difficult to keep the kids off the toys, but they were so slippery! No climbing and I had to stop someone from drinking the water off the slide (any guesses which one?). After that it was home for a middle of the day bath.
E's new obsession is driving. He makes the driving motion every.single.time. you get in the car. I told him when we left for library that he could drive Dad's car after we got home, he remembered! Clayton is working evenings this week so when they both woke up from naps I sent them out to drive like I promised. E honked the horn LOTS, just as the high schoolers were getting off the bus. He laughed. Can you see the mustache? Clay feels silly with it, and thinks it is all people notice. maybe!
So have you seen those commercials for "pillow pets", they are stuffed animals that have a velcro strap on the bottom that when you undo it the animal lays flat like a pillow. lame. Gabby totally wants one, and it is not fleeting. She spots them everywhere, in stores, Sunday ads, tv, etc! My bright idea, lets use your old ladybug Halloween costume and put a pillow in it!

This was her reaction, it just wasn't the same! Well Elliot may have been doing something to her too. But still she wants a REAL PILLOW PET!

Elliot, he was more interested in wearing it!

Friends!

As mentioned before, we have been so lucky to find really good friends! I love that we all get along so well ( well kids fight but still love each other!) husbands too (Clay talked Anna's hubby's ear off at the labor day BBQ, it started with a love of the NY Mets!). We can plan things, or get together spur of the ...hour! Gabby and Stella, only 3 months apart. They could almost be mistaken for sisters and are so sweet and cute.
This guy chased the turkeys again, this time at the zoo. he also went after the peacock and geese. We go to the zoo and let our children explore and learn about the animals. Almost closing time is the best time, zoo is mostly empty and the giraffes and elephants are eating their dinner right on the other side of the glass!
We have play dates, and help with each other's kids when needed. Seth is teaching us about all things trains... we are teaching him the art of DRESSup!
Last saturday we spent 7 hrs (roundtrip) in the car to celebrate Geo's 5th birthday at Chuck E Cheese. Gabby has been friends with him longer than she has had a brother, they have both grown so much since we met all those years ago in Japan! Friendship travels well!
The kids miss out on family not living close and moving around. Having good friends absolutely makes it better. This is our "geographical Gramps" Dennis, he lives across the street and if he is outside, we talk to him!
This is one of my favorite pictures of the summer. A rubbermaid, a sprinkler, 4 kids. They filled it up and decided all of them could fit!

eeeek!

*I found a spider in the house today. I moved a bag by the front door looking for one of Elliot's shoes. No shoe, instead a spider that I promptly squished wish a receipt and my shoe. Scary spider. Looked it up, it had a big red marking on its belly. Yep it was a black widow! now it is in two ziplock bags, and has been squished again b/c I didn't get it all the way the first time and noticed it moving in the bag!

*Elliot shakes his head No all the time, and means it.

*Two days in a row E has has had under 30minute naps. Two more days in a row he has fallen asleep on the way to the grocery store! Yesterday it resulted in a 15min nap, no shopping, waking up as soon as we got home and then a 45min fight with no more nap! Today we went to Costco early, to be home in time for nap... he was asleep at 11am in the car. I put him in the stroller, he stayed asleep and we put our groceries in the bottom seat of the stroller. Good way to cut down the number of items you buy at Costco! He woke up by the flowers, but in a good mood.

* Gabby tells everyone "we are into the first Harry Potter"

*Pecan pie muffins are delicious, more sugar than flour in them and dangerous to make b/c they are so good.

*Elliot mopped, Gabby dusted. I re-did it all after they were done.

*Clay has to work this weekend again! here goes another 11days in a row for him.

safety first

Elliot has a new favorite accessory, a bike helmet! He wears it just hanging around the house, off the bike playing at the park, and doing his early morning clean up! The little vacuum is another of his favorite toys, he can be helpful with it- or turn it on at 6:45am when others are trying to sleep!
Here he is just before 8am today, with Old Maid cards spread all over the floor, the Snow White doll that talks- but her batteries are almost out so at this point she stutters "wha wha wha" and then will surprise you with " Hello there, I'm Snow White." Can you spy Gabby snuggled on the couch just having woke up and right away being terrorized by Elliot getting her with the vacuum. These two are so different, she likes to run and hide on her bed when the big vacuum comes out, Elliot tries to turn it on and wants to do it all the time!

Curls

Gabby got her 2nd ever haircut yesterday. The first one was done by Aunt Randi, last summer. Since then her hair has grown long and during the night tangle bugs come and swing from hair to hair making tangles and knots. Both of us were only ready for her to have a trim, less than an inch cut off but already with just the dry ends gone there seem to have been fewer tangle bugs at the party swinging around last night! We went to a kids salon called Pigtails and Crewcuts. Gabby picked the black police car for her turn, and then talked the entire time!
Gabby was a little nervous about the whole thing, so she wanted Elliot to go first. he picked out the yellow taxi cab. He had been trying to climb into it the whole time we waited for it to be our turn. I gave him a lollipop in hopes he would sit still. He sat still and didn't touch the candy!

The hairdresser was only going to do a teeny tiny amount off, but I said do a little bit more. I guess I shouldn't have spoken up- way more than I expected came off and all those precious baby curls were falling to the floor! I am not upset about it at all, it just surprised me and now my little guy looks like one BIG KID!


E still looks like E, just a bit tougher and older to me. When he woke up today I had forgotten all about and there was my boy with his first ever big kid haircut! In other big boy news: E is really interested in the potty. Yesterday he went pee 3 times on it, and again today was 3 pee and a little extra! Gabby is his biggest cheerleader in this, she sings and cheers for him!

Testing

Today was a day of testing. G & E both tested and pushed my patience and sanity to its limits. Clayton had the day off (thanks to working 12 straight days) and he too felt the pushing of limits. Elliot has had a rough week of sleep, crying even with medicine to help dull what is the almost constant pain of teething. Today he threw a big fit each and every time we put him in his carseat. Frustrating. Add on to that him being extra clingy to me, but me wanting to get more things done with Clay home, ya know like shower with the curtain closed. With help from his sister, the little boy got past two doors to find me and whine to me.Energetic Gabby has been having issues with listening and then following the directions (or commands) she has been given. It is irritating especially when you ask her numerous times and she still ignores you. Add on the sass and then the fit tonight at bed (b/c she wanted ME to plug in her night light not Clay, but I was busy putting E to sleep). Oh and I didn't want to play Harry Potter like we have been doing for weeks non stop.
I got over all the frustration and made sure the kids went to bed on a good note. I sat in my Auntie Carm's chair (Gabby insists it is hers b/c it is in HER room) snuggling my sweet little boy, holding my darling girls hand and sang lullabies to them. I feel like I did too much complaining today, but I wouldn't change this life of mine for anything.

On a side note, I attempted to read some of my camera manual last night (at say 11:15p while Clay was finishing his book and before E woke up AGAIN). Today at the park I tested it out, I worked on having my subject in focus while the background is a bit blurred. More work and reading to come!