Say "Cheeeeeeese!"

Claire had school pictures this week. I am hoping that the photographer was able to capture something a little more "normal", if you will, than what I was able to get in my own photo shoot.
This week was also big for Claire because she was "Butterfly of the Week" in her class at school. The "Butterfly of the Week" gets to sit on a special stool next to the teacher during group time, they lead the class line, and, best of all, they get to take Bobby the Butterfly home for the weekend. As an added bonus, I went to Claire's room on Wednesday to read some of her favorite books, and to take her friends on a "Bear Hunt" (they are studying bears this week). It was a lot of fun, and Claire was so proud as she showed me around her classroom. She is definitely getting to be our big girl!

Ouch!

I have discovered that Emma has just had both of her bottom one year molars, as well as a couple of other little teeth, break through her gums at the same time. It looks so painful. Hopefully, this explains the random middle of the night, tearful wakings that have been occurring over the past few weeks. Bless her sweet heart.

Labor Day at the Beach

Emma "applying sunscreen". . .

She did this for a good couple of minutes.

Claire has discovered a love for fried crab claws. That's my girl!

Last weekend, we made a much needed trip down to Gulf Shores with Jeremy's parents. While we were there, we were also blessed with visits from some dear friends. It was so good to see Jennifer, Eric, Tara, and their sweet little ones. Claire, William, Kade, Emma and Lauren make a cute bunch! As always, we are already pining for our next trip to the beach.

War Eagle!

Football season has officially arrived! This morning before school, (as Claire donned her Auburn dress for the first time this year) we decided to have a little pep rally. Emma was loving it. She clapped right along as we sang our songs and did our cheers. Although we live in the land of the Bulldogs, we still love to show our Auburn pride. Hopefully, the Tigers will pull out a great season for us this year.

Claire with a Y

For some unknown reason, Claire has recently decided that her name should be spelled C-L-A-I-R-E-Y. Maybe because Jeremy and I both have names that end with a Y? Who knows. The funniest thing about it all is that she even goes to the extent of signing her name like that on all of her papers. For now, there is no convincing her otherwise, so Claire with a Y it is!

Let the Games Begin!

Claire's new love has recently become the game of Candy Land. She absolutely loves it! I must say, it brings back fond memories for me, and it is a fun way for Jeremy and me to spend time with Claire.

A Morning Out For Mom

Today was Emma's 1st day of "school"! Actually, she is going to a Mother's Morning Out program one morning a week this year. It is nice because her MMO is located at the same church where Claire goes to preschool. I will say, however, that it felt strange leaving that parking lot with an empty car this morning. Although I will benefit greatly from having one morning a week to run around town in an attempt to get as many "child-less" errands done as possible, today was a little teary for me.
Aside from my "Where Has My Newborn Baby Gone?" emotions, Emma seemed to have a great time. Her teacher said that she did well, and that it was quite clear she has an older sibling. Apparently, Emma seemed advanced in her skills. Namely, climbing on things. It looks like she might be the child in the class that introduces the others to a whole new world of toddler possibilites.

Our "Beautiful Butterfly"

Today was Claire's 1st day of 4K in her Butterfly class. This will be her 1st year in a 5-day (9am-12pm) program, and I think she is going to love it. Claire has a lot of good friends in her class this year, so today was a very exciting day. Hopefully, as the weeks progress, Emma and I can keep up with the daily drop-offs and pick-ups!

"So This is Love"

As I have previously mentioned, Emma loves Mickey Mouse. I guess this may be because Claire's love for watching the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse peaked when Emma was itty bitty, and she has since seen Mickey's happy little face pop up on our TV just about every morning of her life. However, from very early on, we noticed that every time Mickey appeared on TV Emma was all grins and giggles.
While in a gift shop at Disney, Jeremy unknowingly parked Emma's stroller in front of a wall of plush Mickeys. It did not take long before she went bananas and was grabbing them off the shelves. Once she chose her Mickey, there was no going back. Seeing as how Claire already has one exactly like it, I had hoped to convince Emma that she wanted a Minnie. No such luck. She even cried when we took him from her to check out at the register.
Ever since that day, Emma has been loving her Mickey Mouse. Most interesting to me, is how she snuggles with him at night. For some time now, I have filled Emma's crib with little blankets and animals thinking that she might eventually want to attach to one. However, each night we hear the little thuds as she tosses them from her crib. Not Mickey! I took pictures of her sleeping with him the first night we were home from Orlando. I also took pictures of the animals on the floor that did not make the cut. It has been the same every night since.

A Magical Adventure

Emma's face when she first saw Mickey appear at the Playhouse Disney show. . .

"Honey I Shrunk the Kids" playground

Passing time while waiting for a show to begin. . .Claire's favorite show, "The Little Mermaid" (Jeremy and Claire saw it twice!). . .

This past weekend, we decided to take the girls down to Orlando. We stayed at a great resort, The Marriott Grande Vista. They had so much for the kids to do, and it made for a nice getaway.
While we were in Orlando, we had to visit some Disney friends, so we chose to go to Hollywood Studios. Last year (while I was pregnant with Emma), we took Claire to the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom, so Hollywood Studios seemed like it would be a great change of pace. Both girls had such a great time. They were in awe, and grinning from ear-to-ear all day. Emma is a huge Mickey fan, and Claire got to see Ariel and Belle, so all were happy!

Character Meetings

Claire hugging June, one of her favorite characters from "Little Einsteins". . .

Happy baby!Claire was telling the Mad Hatter all about her "Ariel birthday". . Silly faces. . .Mary PoppinsClaire took this picture of the Mad Hatter (and her hand!) while we were leaving the restaurant. This character was too funny!!

What is a trip to Disney World without meeting some of your favorite characters? We had the opportunity to meet some while at Hollywood Studios, and then others we met at a breakfast at Disney's Grand Floridian hotel. Claire was most excited to meet Alice and the Mad Hatter, while Emma loved meeting Mickey. Emma seemed to thoroughly enjoy her visits with Tigger and Pooh as well.
I must say that in planning this trip, I knew that Claire would be ecstatic, and I thought that Emma would enjoy being along for the ride. However, I think Emma got just as much (if not more!) out of the trip as any of us. She was so happy! It really made for priceless memories and unforgettable pictures.