Piggy Tails

We recently discovered that Emma has enough hair to make pig tails. She absolutely loves them! From the first day that I put them in her hair, she proudly went around showing everyone, and now wakes up each morning begging for them. Claire has decided to join in on the pig tail fun, and they make quite the cute couple.

Zoo Days

One of the benefits of this new city of ours is a local zoo. Yea!! It did not take us long to sign-up for a membership, and we have been enjoying it ever since. Emma is very much into gorillas ("rillas") right now, so it is fun to take her to see them in person. Yesterday, we made our second trip to the zoo to see the animals that we didn't get to see the first time, and to let the girls play in the children's water area. It was also the first time they entered the "Foam Zone". They loved that pit of bubbles!
For me, the highlight of the trip was watching a practice training session with the lions. I did not have a zoom on my camera phone, so you can see that we were close to the action. The girls liked it when the trainer asked the big lion to "speak" and we heard his roar. Claire, being the inquisitive thing she is, asked two questions: 1. Where do the lions sleep when it is winter? 2. How do you feed the lions so that they don't bite your hand? I was quite impressed with her questions. When she started to ask them, I wasn't sure what she was about to say. :) From her question on feeding, she learned about the meat stick that the trainers use, and she even got to hold one. I could tell she was quite proud of herself as well.
We look forward to many more zoo days to come!

Berries, Berries Everywhere!!

This past weekend we took a little drive and headed out to the Blueberry and Blackberry Festival. Although it was extremely hot, we had a great time and were able to pick some yummy berries. Other than the berry picking, there was live music, tractor rides, and fish in the pond to see. After cooling off with a shaved ice, we left the festival and went to lunch at one of our favorite BBQ places. Yummy day!
On a side note, we have used our berries to make a homemade blackberry cobbler and blueberry scones with lemon glaze. Melt in your mouth goodness. We love summertime fruit!

Owen, the Ballerina

Sweet cousin Owen came for a visit this week. With two older girl cousins, he has no hope for escaping tutus, and what, in the future, will surely be princess gowns and tiaras. Uncle Chris will most likely put a stop to this before it gets out of hand, but for now, Owen is just as cute as he can be in that tutu!

We Made It!!

Wow! What a process!! Moving with two children is definitely not for the faint of heart. However, I am happy to report that we, along with all of our belongings, made it safely to our new home. The girls have been missing their friends, but through it all, have truly bonded to each other. It has been fun to watch, and most definitely reminds me of the many moves that my sister and I made together as "Air Force Brats". For the good, the bad, and the sometimes ugly - the love and friendship of a sister is like no other.

Time to Catch Up!

Although this town is "old stomping grounds" for Jeremy and me, it is a whole new world for the girls. From testing out Yogurt Mountain to exploring new playgrounds and a trip to the zoo, we have been experiencing it all. And, if we are being honest, I am trying to keep these girls busy and happy in a wide open summer! Claire has actually been attending a "Costume Box" dance/art camp each morning this week. Not only has she been loving the camp, but it has been fun to see how she handles boxed lunches away from home for the first time. Good practice (for us both!) before kindergarten.

Pictured below, are just a few things things we have enjoyed in the weeks prior to this one.

National Doughnut Day at Krispy Kreme!

A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Rachel, was kind enough to inform us of "National Doughnut Day". We met her and her little girl, Laurel, for lunch and then proceeded to stop by Krispy Kreme for our FREE doughnut. The girls (who have teeth as sweet as mine) absolutely loved it. They also enjoyed watching the doughnuts being made, and run down the conveyor belt for icing. We will surely be back!

Story Time at the Library

Recently, we have been visiting one of the local libraries for story time. The story tellers do a great job keeping the kids entertained, and it has turned out to be a fun little discovery. Claire also likes that the library has computers with games on them. On our 1st trip to the library, while all of the operating computers were taken by the "big kids", Emma kept herself busy pretending to be like her sister. Sadly, I'm not sure that she realized (or cared, for that matter) that her computer was down for the day.

A Night Out for Dinner

Being back in the land of some of our favorite "eats", and enduring a moving and unpacking process that often leaves little room for cooking, we have been enjoying some dinners out. Below, you will find a picture of Claire dressed for one said dinner. She was convinced that everyone would think she was a beautiful "movie star", and literally walked into the restaurant as you see her, and stayed in character for most of the dinner. Oh, that Claire. She is a theatrical one.

Fun in the Sun

Claire loves our new back yard. It has been her "happy place" during this time when her world seems upside-down and all boxed up. Her favorite outdoor activities have been water play and watercolor painting rocks. Both have kept Claire and Emma occupied for extended periods of time. Hooray for that!

The Time Has Come

Although it was not the easiest process, it appears that we have cleared the hurdles of this crazy economy (and the new appraisal logistics that go along with it), and the closing on the sale of our house is in sight. We are set to close next Tuesday, and we have movers coming to load our things on the truck Wednesday. In the meantime, we are busy bees trying to pack up this house. Claire and Emma have been eager to get in on the process. Aside from boxing up her toys, Claire has been taking the time to label some boxes for me as well. Every little bit helps!

A Close One!

Now that Jeremy and I are officially expecting a call from the Department of Family and Children Services, let me explain. Yesterday, Jeremy decided to take both of the girls on a special outing to a local park. About an hour or so later, he returned with a crying Emma in his arms saying that he thought maybe she had broken her arm. Apparently, while they were at the park, Emma was playing at the bottom of a slide and took a tumble causing her to hurt her wrist in some way. She was most definitely upset by it, and would not release the supporting grip of her other hand on her wrist, or use the arm in any way. Seeing as how the hurt hand holds Emma's beloved sucking thumb, and she would not even attempt to raise her arm to put it in her mouth, we knew something was wrong. After a call to the pediatrician's after hours nurse line (because these things never occur during normal business hours), it was decided that she needed x-rays.
While Jeremy got Claire settled for bed, I took Emma to an urgent care facility. Luckily, we did not have a wait, and we were seen rather quickly. The x-ray process was one of pure torture that had Emma shaking in pain, and myself on the verge of tears. In the end, it was determined that there was not a fracture, and the diagnosis was a ligament sprain. The nurses ace bandaged her up (as well as they could with a screaming toddler on their hands), and sent us on our way. Pictured above, is a sad little Emma in the car ready/begging to "go bye-bye".
I will say that Emma has definitely seemed to be in more pain than Claire was with her fracture. All she wanted to do for the first part of today was lay around, and she still will not lift the arm or use it. Not even for thumb sucking! However, as the day progressed, she seemed in better spirits, and we are hoping that time will quickly heal her wound.
As for Emma, her account of the story is: "Uh-oh. Slide. Owww."

Happy 2nd Birthday, Emma!

Emma and her favorite babysitter, Miss Emily. . .

My dear Macon friends, Bright and Jen.
I'm going to miss you girls!

The Saturday before Emma's birthday, the girls were surprised by a visit from Aunt Kristi and Uncle Andy. Emma and Claire both got special presents, and had a great time visiting with Kristi and Andy. Pictured below, they are diving into their princess gifts. . .

Yesterday was Emma's 2nd birthday, and we enjoyed every minute of celebrating it. When I went to get her out of bed in the morning, I informed her that her day had come. Her mouth dropped wide open, her eyes twinkled, and in her best 2 year old voice she said, "Oh, wow!" and "Happy Birthday!". We decided to spread the opening of Emma's gifts throughout the day, and Claire was eager to start early with her special present for Emma: new watercolor paints. They did not waste anytime putting those paints to use!
Later in the day, along with Jeremy's parents who are here in town to help us pack for the move (as if we have done any of that!), we invited a few close friends over for a play date and pizza party. It rained on and off throughout the day, so we borrowed our sweet friend, Suzanne's, "Jumpy Jump", and blew it up in the garage. The kids had a great time bouncing around, and with the humidity of the day, there wasn't a dry head of hair in the bunch!
Overall, it was a wonderful day. Emma was thrilled with the gifts and attention that came with the title of "Princess for a Day", and she welcomed the age of two with welcome arms. Hopefully, Jeremy and I are prepared to do the same!

4K Graduation

Claire's teachers, Mrs. Janet and Mrs. Connie. They were great!

Claire officially graduated from 4K on Friday, May 14th. All of the children in her "grade" put on a fun performance followed by the presentation of diplomas and a reception for each class. It was a special day, and we are so proud of our Claire and all that she has learned in school this year. It is hard to believe that she will be off to kindergarten next year!

Buckle Fracture: Stage 2

Claire's cast was removed last Monday, May 10th. The doctor said that her bone was 70-80% healed, and they put her in a splint for 2 weeks. I must say that I worry a little with the whole "not 100% healed" thing, but it seems that nature will take it from here, and unless she has problems, they do not plan to see her for a re-check. Hopefully, all is mending well in that sweet little wrist of hers.