American Girl Party

On Saturday we had a beautiful day here in Alabama and we spent it outside for the most part! I enjoyed a long run with my friend, Ashley, in the early morning, then Will took Wilson to a 5k sponsored by the company he works for and then on to CHOM's Rubber Duck Derby at the University Outdoor Pool. Meanwhile, I took Henderson and 4 sweet little girls to a birthday party at a gymnastics gym, then onto this sweet, creative "American Girl" Tea party - a 6th birthday party for our sweet frind Marlee!!!! Melissa, Marlee's mom, is one of the most creative "real life" people I know!!!!!

The girls enjoyed scrumptious delights and made hats anad necklaces for themselves and their dolls. Felicity enjoyed the beautiful day!!!!!

Here are a few of Melissa's creations!!!!

Henderson had a great time too!!!!!

Mary Alice and Emma Claire were in matching dresses, much to their delight!!!!!

This picture just portrays their sweet friendship so well!!!!

Marlee is the Birthday girl!!!!!

I made it in a picture!!!!!

Emma Claire just cracks me up! She looks like quite the old lady with her glasses on her nose and her cute little hats!!!! (not to mention the leotard on under the dress!!)

Henderson got into the necklace making!!!!!

THEN he found a baseball - that's my boy!!!!!

Can we talk for a minute about his hair!!??? I have a love/hate relationship with it. The back is typically so pretty and curly, but the front hangs straight down. I was hoping as the front got longer it would start to curl, but no such luck. If he was a girl, I could just pull those bangs back in a pretty little bow and VOILA!!!! But, he's a BOY, and I have sinced trimmed his bangs so he can see, but I just don't know what to do - it was a VERY windy day, so that played a little part. I am definitely a LONG hair boy mom, so don't even mention cutting it!!!!! Any suggestions?

See that hair?????

Here are the cutest girls in town and their little dolls too!!!!!

Happy Spring to you!!!!!

Hosanna!!!!! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!!!!!!

On another note, Will and I are in a Bible study at church called Parenting By the Book by John Rosemond - it is WONDERFUL and I highly recommend this book if you haven't already read it!!!! As one lady in the study said last night, " I am loving this book, my children, not so much!" It is BASIC - Grandmother-type discipline, but it works!!!!!! I need something - the whining and crying and general chaos is driving.me.crazy!!!!!

Here's are a few quick lines from the book: Grandma also understood that when all was said and done, people were fully responsible for the choices they made. Thus, when one of Grandma's kids did something wrong, and tried to mount a defense, she turned her withering look on him and said, "There are no excuses - no ifs, ands or buts." She held her children fully responsible for what they did, and she held them fully responsible from the time they were toddlers.

He also refers to little toddlers as "little criminals" which just CRACKS.ME.UP!!!!

Grandma knew that every child came into the world bearing a nature that was already corrupt, depraved; that each and every child was a natural-born criminal; and that to steer the little criminal in a prosocial direction required a combination of powerful love and powerful discipline.

Another thing, our scripture for the week - yes, my 5 year old AND 3 year old are learning this and my almost 2 year old will hear it often!!!!!

"Do everything without complaining or arguing" Philippians 2:14

I wrote it on an index card for Emma Claire and she took it to school this morning.