Good-bye Yellow Brick road....

In the word's of Elton John...
...this boy's too young to be singing the blues

So goodbye Yellow Brick road
Where the dogs of society howl....


Wyatt came and stayed with us on Monday night. We had a great time with him. He is such a sweetheart. He enjoyed wearing his sunglasses most of the night. He even watched tv with them on. It was so cute. Wyatt loves animals, and the first thing he did when he came over was head for the playroom to pick out some stuffed animals to hold. He found two dogs that he enjoyed carrying around all night. Towards the end of the night he decided he wanted to dance to some music, so he went and picked up AG's piano and carried it from the playroom to the den. Then he started to play the piano and dance for us. We had a great time dancing and singing with him.

The two dogs sit on the piano while he plays and dances
(Notice Thomas asleep in the chair behind Wyatt).


B-B-B-Benny and the Jets....Benny....Benny....
(Notice who is still sleeping behind Wyatt)

All I want are these beautiful shoes, mommy.

I took Anna Grace to Target with me last Saturday. We were browsing the aisles when she found a pair of pink glitter shoes that she couldn't live without. The only size they had that would kind of fit her was a size 9. She insisted they were just her size and fit perfect! (She normally wears a size 8, so they fit with some growing room.) Well, since we brought them home, she has hardly taken them off. She insists they go with everything and are the most comfortable pair of shoes she has.

AG wearing her new shoes outside to play.


Anna Grace watching some tv in her new shoes.


Anna Grace even wore her pink shoes to school today....


Nana was here this week and took Anna Grace on a walk around the neighborhood....guess what shoes AG wore?!? And AG didn't ride in the stroller. She walked around the entire neighborhood with her new shoes on with Nana.

Dear God

I love to hear Anna Grace pray. It is one of the sweetest, most precious things in the world to me. Tonight we were on our way to Cracker Barrell and it was (and still is ) very cold and rainy outside. I mentioned that it was so cold it felt like it could snow. AG hasn't seen snow (that she remembers), and wants to see snow SO BAD. So she said a prayer in the backseat of the car:

Dear God,
Please let it snow. I know you can make it snow and I hope you will. If you need to, use your magic wand. I don't want it to rain. I have seen a rainbow.

Thank you God.
Amen.

A morning at FunDayGo....

Anna Grace and I met some MOPS friends at FunDayGo this morning for a playdate. Anna Grace LOVES FunDayGo and was THRILLED to spend the morning there!! She was so excited to bounce around with Maddie, Lauren, Jackson, Isabel and Cassie. We had a fun morning and a great start to our day!!

Anna Grace climbing up the BIG slide all by herself!


Anna Grace and Maddie jumping around


Anna Grace and Jackson climbing up walls


Cheese!!


Cassie, Jackson and Anna Grace giving hugs good-bye!

Graham Crackers

Well, yesterday was "healthy snack" day at Anna Grace's school. All of the children were supposed to bring in a healthy snack. I looked on the counter - tangerine, banana...nothing. I looked in our refrigerator - apples, grapes...carrots...and the only thing I saw was a yogurt. I asked Thomas if I should send a yogurt with AG to school for snack. He told me I should, but I was worried about it getting warm. So I asked AG if she wanted a yogurt for snack and she told me "No."

So, I looked in the pantry and sent the same thing she takes every day for snack...graham crackers. I figured they weren't chips, so maybe I could get away with it.

AG and I were eating our dinner last night together and as she drank her milk she said, "Mommy, milk is healthy. Graham Crackers are kind of healthy, but you can't eat them all the time because they aren't that healthy." I felt horrible knowing the teacher probably told her that! I asked what the other children had - AG told me they had grapes and apples...all kinds of healthy snacks.

In the words of my good friend Sallie...."I have a mom tip." On healthy snack day, send an apple or grapes with your child, not graham crackers! :)

Date Night!

Thomas took Anna Grace out on a date tonight. They went to eat at Ruby Tuesday because AG LOVES the brown croutons there. Then they went to a father/daughter dance at our church. Thomas said they had a wonderful night and it was very special. When they first arrived at the dance, Thomas said AG had to "talk" to all of her friends. AG and her friends enjoyed dancing and playing together. Thomas said AG even saved a few dances just for him. Here are a few pictures from the fun night.

Hazel, I like your pretty dress. Do you like my pretty dress?
(Notice the corsage on AG's wrist)


Faith and Anna Grace commenting on each other's dresses and catching up.


Anna Grace and her friends dancing away


Dance, Dance, Dance all night long

Camping in the backyard

Anna Grace talks about camping ALL the time. Thomas has promised AG that she and he can camp in the backyard when it gets warmer. She is so excited and can't wait until it gets warmer.

This morning I went to Sumter, and AG and Thomas spent the morning together. Before I left Anna Grace asked me if she and daddy could build a tent. I told her that I was sure daddy would love to and she needed to ask him.

On my way back to Florence I received a call on my cell phone from Anna Grace. AG NEVER calls me or even talks on the phone. She asked me when I would be home b/c she had a surprise for me. I told her I would be home in about 10 minutes.

As I turned onto our street I could see something new in the backyard that wasn't there when I left. As I pulled into the driveway, I realized it was one of Thomas' camping tents. AG and Thomas were "hiding" in the tent, but I found them! They had been "camping" all morning.

AG and I spent the rest of the afternoon "camping" in the backyard. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time "sleeping" in the tent.

Coming out of the tent...


Going back in the tent and zipping it up....


Coming back out of the tent again....
We even had our sleeping bags in it, so we could sleep.


Time to roast marshmellows around the campfire, mommy!

Fun Day at the Park

Yesterday we went to the park and met some friends there. We got some "Hot N Ready" Little Caesar's Pizza and met Caitlyn, Emily, Cooper, Emma Claire, Evan, Hazel and Sarah at the park. It was a lot of fun, but would have been more fun if the wind wasn't blowing. I wish I had taken more pictures. I didn't get my camera out until the very end when almost everyone had left.

Anna Grace, Hazel and Sarah on the dinosaur.


Anna Grace is feeding the dinosaur while Hazel rides it.

Happy Valentines Day!

Today Anna Grace had a Valentines party at school. She and her classmates sang us a precious song about giving Valentines and then we had a party. It was a lot of fun.

One of her classmate's grandfather came, and the little girl wasn't paying much attention to him. Anna Grace enjoyed talking to the grandfather, and she told the little girl that she needed to talk to him too.

Getting ready to sing to the parents.


A sweet song about giving Valentines to your parents...Anna Grace was belting it out!


I made these Valentines for you, mommy!


Thank you God for our food, Amen.


I love cupcakes and chips! This is the best party ever!


Anna Grace,
Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know.
You are our special Valentine.
Happy Valentines Day!!!

Washing the car with Daddy

Anna Grace LOVES to help us out around the house. I was cleaning the house on Saturday morning and Anna Grace asked me to play in her playroom with her. I told her I was cleaning and couldn't play at the moment and she asked, "Can I help you, Mommy?" It was so sweet and precious. I hope this helpful attitude continues into the teen years....

Sunday was a beautiful day and Thomas decided to wash my car. Anna Grace found out daddy was going to wash the car, so she wanted to help. She loves any chance to put her bathing suit on....even if it is only 60 degrees outside!

Anna Grace loves to brush the tires with soap.


Scrub, Scrub, Scrub


Daddy, which rag should I use to wash the car??


Daddy, I love helping you.


Are we done yet, daddy? While you finish washing the car, I will play in this bucket of soapy water.

Anna Grace in the kitchen

Anna Grace always enjoys making her own breakfast in the morning. Yesterday she wanted to make muffins "all by herself". She decided to make blueberry and chocolate chip muffins. I am loving this age. It is so much fun to have a helper in the kitchen. I love my girl!!

Sneaking a chocolate chip...it's always fun to eat while we cook!


Hey Mom! I will make you some breakfast.