Empty Nest

Has it really been two weeks since I've had anything to share? I guess life has been pretty busy...or I'm just too tired in the evenings to upload pictures or type anything! This is definitely the busiest time of the year for me at work ~ and the most stressful. While teachers and students are winding down, I'm just gearing up for summer trainings and workshops. On the home front, Anna Claire and Mallory's 5th birthday {what!?} is in approximately four short weeks {I just got their party invitation proof today}; kindergarten testing is in three weeks and so is their LAST day of play school ~ forever. sniff. sniff.

So lately, we've just been trying to take it easy after a couple of busy weekends...we play outside when it isn't raining or too cold ~ thank goodness May gets here tomorrow; I'm ready for pretty weather again.

Walter found the sweetest, most intricately designed, emptiest little bird's nest lying in the yard. So sad for the momma bird and all the hard work she put into her nest. We think it blew out of a tree during a recent storm.

Speaking of finding things on the ground, we found an earthworm crawling through the grass after a recent rainfall...Anna Claire wanted to touch it, so I had to take a picture of that! Ick! 

Lots more to share later...Dylan turned FIVE last week, we finally made it to the strawberry patch, and I've been putting my embroidery machine to work! Off now to see who gets voted off DWTS.

Sunday Sewing: A Cute Croc and Sweet Strawberry Appliques

What a crazy/busy weekend we had!

Friday we had a huge storm that blew off the cap for the shingles on the peak of the roof. Thankfully, our neighbors noticed it Saturday morning and alerted us to it. Walter and Papa were able to fix it pretty easily ~ and inexpensively ~ thank goodness.

Saturday the girls and I shopped ALL DAY. We ran some errands around town then Granny met us and we went to the outlets for new spring clothes for me and the girls. Anna Claire and Mallory were pretty much done shopping as soon as we got to the outlets, especially once I finished shopping for them and wanted to hit Talbot's and Loft for myself. Anna Claire and I had a mini-mommy/daughter meltdown in the Talbot's dressing room that almost put an end to the day! The girls are usually really great "shoppers" but Saturday was not their day.

Sunday we went to cousin Finley's birthday party and the evening ended with a small fender bender when we {me, Walter, Grandmom, Anna Claire, and Mallory} got bumped from behind by a huge pick~up truck. A little scary at first, but we are all fine and there's only a small crack in the bumper. What a way to end the day!

Before the party, I actually got to spend some time at my embroidery machine getting a few things stitched out for the girls. Last Saturday I embroidered this cute bubble suit for my friend Melissa's little girl and that got me motivated to get to work on my pile of projects for the girls.

Oh, I miss the days of Anna Claire and Mallory's chunky little legs in bubble suits!

 



The girls have already worn all the pants my mom made them, but I still wanted to applique some coordinating t-shirts. I chose this cute croc to go with the green and white polka~dot pants...very quick stitching.

 nope, pants are not pressed.

 

I've had the pink gingham jumper since the Rosalina sale back in the fall, so I thought I finally needed to get to work on it. Since it's strawberry season and I just bought new strawberry hair bows at the festival, I chose this sweet strawberry applique, and the girls were able to wear the dresses to cousin Finley's birthday party Sunday afternoon.

 

I have a love/hate relationship with my embroidery machine, but she was on her best behavior Sunday, and I actually got both t-shirts and both jumpers appliqued in record time. I couldn't believe it. I still have a pile of fabric to turn in to cute sun dresses and another pile of shirts to applique. I am hoping to make some progress this week in the evenings...we'll see how that goes!

So Long Spring Break

Our {mostly cool and rainy} Spring Break has come to an end. After yucky weather both Thursday and Friday in which the girls and I only left the house Friday evening to grab some dinner with Daddy, Connor, Dylan, and Aunt Michelle, the sun came out and temperatures warmed up Saturday and Sunday just in time for us to get outside and enjoy some festival fun ~ rides for the girls Saturday and shopping for mommy Sunday! I think if you live in the 'ville, you either love the festival or hate it. I love it; Walter...does not.

Did you come home with a blow~up dolphin, too? How about two blow~up dolphins? I am guessing half the town ~ the half with kids ~ brought home at least one.

Mommy and girls on the "strawberry ride"... 

 

Daddy and girls on the merry~go~round... 

The biggest hit, though, was the motorcycle ride. Not sure why, but this was both Anna Claire and Mallory's favorite...they even rode it twice {thanks, Miss Pat, for the wristbands!!}.

 

We've officially started the countdown to SUMMER! Eight weeks and counting...











I'm Not Bald; I'm Hair~Headed!

Really, we're lucky it hasn't happened by now...and that it wasn't far worse because, believe me, I realize how bad it could have been.

Mallory cut her hair yesterday.

We've always been really careful with scissors and the girls have always been super responsible with scissors; I wouldn't even let them watch Tangled for the longest time for fear either Anna Claire or Mallory would want to cut her hair. I'm not even exactly sure when it happened because we played all over the house yesterday, and for a little while I was in the back doing some embroidery while the girls were playing within ear shot but basically out of sight.

Earlier in the day Mallory found a pair of children's scissors in an Easter basket from Granny's house ~ left there from cutting the wrappers off tricky treats. I asked her to put the scissors back in  the basket so they could both go back to Granny's next week and thought that was the end of that.

I didn't notice her hair until the afternoon when I caught sight of her from across the room. Luckily, I don't think it will be that noticeable as it grows out.{btw I found the hair under the dining room table.}

She got very upset when I questioned her and sobbed and sobbed thinking she was in BIG trouble. She did get a stern talking to, and I don't think she'll be trying that little trick again.

Last night when I was telling Walter about it, I said that Mallory got really upset and had "balled" to which Mallory replied, "I'm not bald; I'm hair~headed!"

Let's keep it that way, please!

Ice Cream, Disney Princesses, and the Beach

We have definitely been keeping busy this spring break...

Monday Anna Claire and Mallory were rewarded with ice cream after an afternoon of shopping for counter tops, sinks, flooring, and kitchen appliances {my kind of shopping!}

Anyone in the middle of kitchen upgrades or thinking about it? I'd love to hear your tips!!!

Tuesday we went to The Princess of Tides for tea time and story telling with Cinderella and Snow White...so cute!

 Thanks for the tip, Cheryl. The girls loved seeing Whitney.

Today we went to the beach with the Lopez crew...five kids and two crazy mommas in one car. That's right, I said b-e-a-c-h. And it was COLD. Not sure what we were thinking! The kids played in the freezing cold water for an hour before they had had enough. Crazy.

Too cold to even look up at the camera:

Since we weren't at the beach very long, we headed over to the playground under the Ravenel Bridge. So nice; the kids loved it...even though it was still cold.

So spring break is half way over and we've got the Flowertown Festival still to come...but there's rain in the forecast for tomorrow and Friday...I hope it doesn't hang around too long!

Baskets Full of Easter Joy

Easter morning we woke up to rain, thunder, and lightening. The girls also woke up to baskets filled with Easter treats left by Peter Cottontail.

Just look at those faces...

 

Thankfully, the rain cleared out and we were able to have a wonderful Easter lunch complete with more Easter egg hunting!

Happy Easter, everyone!