Growing Up...

The other day, a friend of mine commented on how great it has been and will be to watch our kids grow up together. It got me thinking about all of the pictures that I have taken over the years. I am so thankful I have always had a camera in my hand. Today we went to our friends the Price's house to play. I asked the Big Boys if I could get a picture of the two of them. They struck the pose like it was the most natural thing for them. Then instead of saying "cheese", they both started saying "Best Buddies Ever". It made me think about how many pictures I have taken of the two of them. I decided to post a few of the best ones over the years. I agree 100% with my friend, it will be great to watch our kids grow up together!

Biggest Fan?

I like to see the relationship between my kids develop and grow over the last few years. As they get older, they tend to depend on each other more and more. Playmate, cheerleader, sounding board, partner, pain, rock, fan, supporter, friend.

I took these two pictures in the car the other day. Owen was jamming on his microphone singing some song. As you can see, Allie thought she could sing it better. :) She might be his biggest supporter, but not always his biggest fan!

Out of the mouth of babes...

Sitting at a table. Owen and Allie on one side, Nennie and Mommy on the other.

Mommy: "You two are brother and sister, like we are sisters."

Owen: "Yeah, we are brother and sister. You two are TWINS!"

WOW! Close and yet so far away. I then explained that twins are born on the same day.

If the shoe fits...

Tonight we went to Sonic for dinner after play group. Owen was diligent in his attempts to convince me that he needed ice cream afterwards. I was easily persuaded to make a pit stop at Braum's. The unforeseen hurdle we came across was that Owen didn't have ANY shoes in the car! Allie, Queen of Shoes, had about 4 pairs hidden on the floor of my car. Here is where I get creative and hope I don't cause any permanent damage to my son. Now obviously my daughter and son don't wear the same size of shoes. However, I found a pair of dress up princess shoes that are a little big for her and swayed him to give them a try. With the thought of ice cream in his immediate future, he agreed! He got some looks, but I don't think he cared one bit. He just sat there and enjoyed his "Birthday Cake" Ice Cream.

Only words... or are they?

I read a blog of a friend of mine this morning about how others can make you feel. It made me start to think how POWERFUL the smallest words can be. Her perspective has come from negative circumstances. Mine is going to be a positive.

The last few nights my children have been having some sleep issues, which adds up to sleep issues for me. The night before last was a bad one. I was really tired all day yesterday, but things needed to get done. I tied on my cape and trudged through my "To Do" list. At the end of a long day, I tried to get a few miles on the treadmill. I was only able to get half of what I wanted. I was draining fast. So I took a long, hot shower and got ready for bed. My son only woke up 2 or 3 times, but they were all before midnight. I even woke up in the middle of the night, realizing that he hadn't come back. I drifted back to sleep. My husband kissed me as he left for work and the next thing I remember is my son coming in to tell me he couldn't shut his alarm off. AWESOME! He stayed in there. I shut his alarm off and we cuddled in my bed until my "amazing sleeper" daughter woke up and joined us. We were eating breakfast when my phone alerted me to a new text. I went to get my phone and saw what it said. "Good morning to the best mother I know". It was from my husband.

These few words, only a moment in his busy work day, made mine!

Water Park!

My wonderful friend Julie sent a text to all the mommies about meeting today after nap time at the Spray Park. We've been going there for about 2 years, but this was the first time we had been there THIS summer. The kids had a blast! Of course, I took my camera. (Notice a trend here?) The weather was hot, but there was a good breeze and some shade. Great idea, Julie! When are we doing it again?

Picnic in the Playhouse

The other day, it was beautiful outside. I had taken the kids to the neighborhood park to play in the morning and on the way home we decided to have a picnic outside for lunch. We went in the house and I made myself a sandwich and a baggie of chips and a container of grapes. The kids picked out lunchables and insisted on carrying them to the "playhouse picnic" in their new lunch boxes. Jake made his usual 2 pepperoni hot pockets and brought them to the playhouse. I got one of our picnic blankets and the camera and captured a few of the sweet moments. It was really fun and we are already discussing the menu for our next one!