The Weekend

On Saturday, My SIL, Ellen, and I decided to take all the children to the zoo - it was a beautiful day and all the children were SO excited and had the BEST time!!!! At least 3-4 times, someone would stop either Ellen or I and ask if they were ALL ours - I guess 7 children 8 and under is a lot, but we think nothing of it!!!!

It was not crowded at all and the children LOVE animals!!!!

We got a good view of the giraffe - can you tell what the older 3 are doing?

They are taking pictures of everything with their DSi's!!!! Too funny!!!!

We took a train ride of course!!!




And then drove straight back to T-Town and went to Ellen and Will's parents' house for mine and Stan's (Ellen's husband) birthday dinner!!!!! The children went straight outside and played HARD - we CANNOT wait for spring!!!!!

It's obviously winter-time with all that static!!!!!




Wilson had on a costume at all times, as usual!!!!

Sunday morning we went to early church and left the children in the nursery, on our way back into the Children's building I was stopped by the preschool minister. Henderson was throwing up and had a fever!!! He was perfectly fine just an hour earlier when we dropped him off. We got him, worked out our other obligations (teaching a 2 year old class) and went home. By the time we got home, Henderson was even hotter and his temperature was 103.8. I put him straight to bed and he slept about 2 hours. After he woke up, it was down to 101.5 and he was a completely different child. They played outside all afternoon and he ate well, never vomiting again. By 10:00 that night, his fever shot back up to 104.2 and I gave him some T*lenol and he went back too sleep! He woke up this morning perfectly fine - who knows????!!!! Praise the Lord it wasn't anything worse!

I have enjoyed a day at home with the boys!!! Henderson slept in Wilson's big boy bed for his nap and never got up once!!!! He slept nearly 2 hours!!!! Woo hoo!!!!!! They are growing up WAY TOO FAST -I really don't have a baby anymore - so sad!!!!!

Tonight Emma Claire and I will be working on a poster for her Book Parade tomorrow at school! She is dressing up as Fancy Nancy - we'll see if she can walk in those high heels!!!! I hope to get lots of cute pictures!!!!

Power of Pink

Do NOT Adjust your screen - yes that is my SON with Pink Hair - all for a good cause!!!!
Friday Night was the University of Alabama Power of Pink Gymnastics Meet - for Breast cancer awareness and benefitting the DCH Foundation. They have raised over $850,000!!!! And it's always a fun time as well!

The daddies even got in on it - well, not really, they wouldn't wear it out in public, but Will did put on his pink t-shirt once we got there!!!!

The children made posters and we sprayed their hair pink (Sarah Davis wouldn't have anything to do with it though)

Patton also joined us, but wasn't "man enough" to have his hair pink for a night!!!!

Notice Wilson and Sarah Davis on the far right - they have been good buddies since she was 6 months old and he about 18 months - and everytime they are around each other, they just grow closer and closer - take a look!!!!

Yep - that would be my 3 year old kissing on that 2 year old!!!!!

Just look at those faces!!!!

You think Sarah Davis is embarrassed?

But secretly she wants more!!!!

and I can't believe this next picture came out the way it did - Emma Claire and Patton were trying to block me from getting the picture with their posters, but look what came through the middle!!!! Priceless!!!!!

and both their eyes are closed!!!!

Now, we in no way condone early kissing or anything like that, but it is just too sweet not to document - especially for Senior year slide shows and all!!!!!





Now - on to the important thing - GYMNASTICS MEET!!!!!

Will and Wilson waiting for the bus to take us to the Coliseum!!!!

Ashley and I on the bus - our reflection in the window!!!!

Even the outside lights are pink!!!!

Big Al was right in front of our seats when we arrived, much to the children's delight!!!!

The band sits right above us to our left

much to this little boys' delight!!!!!

A little Y-M-C-A action!!!!!!

Oh! And Alabama defeated Arizona - just in case you were wondering!!!!!

And another thing - the girls did appear on the Jumbotron - that's the ULTIMATE goal - all was good in the world after that!!!!!

And not to leave out this handsome fellow - we spent a fun WARM day at the park on Saturday and I couldn't help but photograph these precious curls - they make me smile!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Cinnamon Toast....YUM!!!!

Open Wide!!!!

Last night, I surprised Henderson and Wilson with a little fun!!!! (Emma Claire would have no part b/c she can't stand to eat anything "soft and gooey" like ice cream, yogurt, pudding, coolwhip, etc.) Her loss! The boys weren't quite sure what to expect from their mommy when I said "Open Wide" - especially Wilson who has always been a little hesitant to open his mouth for anything. But once they experienced it once, they were giggling and begging for more!!!!

Who knew it could be so much fun - it was left over from Emma Claire's Valentine's party at school, which I'm sad to say I have no pictures of b/c I forgot my camera!!!! BUT - Emma Claire was the Musical Chairs champion and I couldn't be prouder - we may have a competitor on our hands!!!! Back to the cool whip - everytime I squirted it in their mouths they had the most hilarious look on their faces and laughed and laughed and laughed!!!

and we're not afraid of a few germs around here either!!!!
I can remember when I was in college, I used to keep a can in the refrigerator and everytime I'D open the fridge I'd take a squeeze STRAIGHT into my mouth - I guess they get it honestly!!!! Just keepin it REAL around here - shhhhh don't tell anyone I'm a dietitian - it's all about moderation, right???!!!!

Here are the tie-dyed t-shirts the children made at the A-Club BBQ on Saturday - I think they turned out quite well, after the nervousness and OCD they caused while the children were making them - b/c that stuff OBVIOUSLY stains ANYTHING!!!!!! I'm sad Henderson didn't make one now - how cute will those be at the park this summer????? And speaking of summer - I CANNOT WAIT FOR WARMER WEATHER!!!!!!

Stay Warm!!!!

Snow, A-Club and Valentine's

Let me just begin by saying it has been a wonderful week! The Shrimp and Grits Kids shows kept me VERY busy, but it was well worth it! I had so much fun and met lots of neat people! We enjoyed a day at home, as much of the South did on Friday with a rare snow!!! For awhile we thought it would be a false alarm again, but indeed it did snow - for about 8 hours straight - BEAUTIFUL!!!! Unfortunately the air temperature hovered around 33 degrees most of the day, so the accumulation wasn't that great where we live. But in a way, we should be thankful, I've seen pictures from our Nation's Capital...... WOW!!!!!

Emma Claire is in kindergarten this year and has been reading since school started, but has recently gone from that stuggling/love/hate relationship with reading to LOVING it - everytime I see her she has a new book in her hands reading out loud to anyone who will listen. Thankfully Henderson is in love with books too!!!!!

I made my chocolate icing again - but this time the cake didn't turn out so great. I used a teaspoon of canola oil that was left in an old bottle and then the rest of the 1/3 cup from a new bottle. After I mixed it all and poured it into the bowl, I realized there was a funny smell coming from it. It was a familiar smell and I remember it from college in my Food Science class - Rancid Oil - YUCK - just a small tsp destroyed the entire cake!!!!! But I'm enjoying just eating the icing off the cake!!!!

Last night Will and went on a date night to the A-Club Party and then

Today we all went to the A-Club BBQ cook off!!!

It was VERY cold!!!!

Great BBQ, jumpy things, petting zoo, tye-dyed t-shirts (I'll share the final results of those after I wash them tomorrow), balloon animals - not to mention all the football stars that were there and the autographs - but we weren't interested in that - jump castles and rabbits are MUCH more important!!!!

Do you think we need a rabbit????? sigh....

We went home with 2 of these..... YUM!!!!!

***this is a RED funnel cake for anyone who is wondering!!!

When we got home, I let the children open their Valentine's presents. I had already given Emma Claire and Wilson a video game for her DS his Leapster, but I also let them open these (that originally were put up for Easter, but since we are going to the beach for Spring Break, I thought they could use them!!!!)

Prissy girl

Henderson had to model too!!!!

Wilson and Emma Claire also got some Rainbow flip flops (that they'll live in this summer)

Monograms are from The Patton Patch


Wilson is all into layering - he's got on a turtleneck and his alabama t-shirt, a spider man costume and a swim shirt!!!! Why take it off when you can just put more on?

Will and I enjoyed another date today thanks to my sister, Katie!!!! We went to the Alabama basketball game all.by.ourselves and then out to dinner!!!! Thanks Katie!!!!! Now for a busy Valentine's day at church, blowing up balloons for the children, teaching the 2 year olds and then leading a small group at Worship Kidstyle!!!! Whew - then I'll need an afternoon nap before I head back for my Believing God Bible Study.

****Will is taking Emma Claire out to dinner tomorrow night -her first Valentine's date - isn't that sweet????

Happy V-Day!!!!