When the crown fits~

Our little Bath~time Princess!

a little learn'n outside of school...

Writing about "Why my mom deserves respect..." It was not a school assignment.

Sometimes, we just need reminded that backtalking and words can be very powerful.

A little Red, White, & Blue

Gotcha!

We attended a great celebration for "Gotcha" Day! We joined lots of families to celebrate adoption! Cupcake was the Guest of Honor this year! It was a lot of fun including deep-fried turkeys, a hayride, and volleyball! It was a great evening that ended in a diaper-explosion! This only added to the memory! We were thankful to finally be able to enjoy the celebration of an adoption, personally!

All before the bell rings!

We've been packing in the fun before school starts! This Summer rocked and we made so many great memories! But, I think we're all looking forward to a more structured schedule.

Okay, maybe not Supergus. He said today, "I don't want my Summer vacation to end..." I assured him that if he puts in a whole year of school, he'll get to do it all over again~probably minus the globe-trotting." He informed me we are going to Russia next Summer. Does he know something I don't or am I still jet-lagged and hearing things?

Supergus is playing soccer this year, too! So, add that to church events and cub scouts, we'll be far from bored. Cupcake is also keeping us on our toes and will be walking very soon! She sometimes crawls faster than we can catch her!

When the kids aren't keeping us running, the garden and canning/freezing is on our agenda. That, and fixing that blasted tractor that eats belts for breakfast and loves to scalp the yard~demands our attention! It's just jealous because the duct-taped, wheel flying-off, choking to its death push mower is nearly dead and we had to resuscitate it a few times this week. Sibling rivalry or mower envy? We're not really sure.

At least the dog is laid back.

It's been a great Summer and I think by this time next week, Super Daddy and I will crash on the couch and smile at each other saying...

"Wow, what a ride!"

Splish Splash!

Thanks to a very nice friend (thank you!!), our kids had an afternoon of fun in the water!

The pool was only inches deep, but the fun was unending!

It's a fort, I say!

SG spent the afternoon building forts. More pillows! We need more pillows! Whoa, that's too many pillows! He even took books and a flashlight inside! Hours of imagination fun! He was impressed his Mama remembered how to build one! One point for Mommy!! Yeah!

This Sucks!

Our baby girl learned to use a straw!! Yippee!

3 teeth and now this? We are so proud!

Way to go, Cupcake!

Ahoy Matey!

The family decked out in Pirate gear and took on the local Pet Parade! Super Gus got a dollar for entering and a free HUGE ice cream sandwich as his prize! Lucky! Everything from horses and chickens to rabbits and webkinz were entered! We were in front of a very well behaved stuffed puppy! It was a great night! Gidget Puppy says it was "ruff!" being around all those other doggies and not getting to play with them!

Enjoying some time with Granny Moo! She is really checking out her new toy!

Little Drummer Boy

Super Gus did a great job drumming in the parade!

The fire truck sirens were so loud behind us, but the drums kept us in step!

Great job Super Gus!

Family Fun!

We had a good week visiting with our extended family! Grandmama and Aunt M. came for a visit, bringing along my two beautiful nephews!! We got to enjoy a day at the lake and several other days we played indoors due to the rain. Our train set and cars got quite a bit of play time! SG thought it was fun to play with his cousins and all the toys in the basement together!

We tried to have a cookout, but the rain drenched the fire so we had hot dogs on the stove instead. The "picnic" was still a lot of fun. It even became too wet to enjoy the Outlet Mall. So, we stayed indoors and made our own entertainment!

We even spent an evening at a parade! The kids loved it! Older cousin, Mr. Wheels, who is 3 LOVED the firetrucks and ambulances! It was very exciting and the kids got lots of candy! The sirens were very loud! Cupcake took it all in, mesmerized. SG was an expert candy grabber! Mr. Wheels and Bears had such a nice time too! It was a great night!

Cupcake thought her cousins were very interesting and spent a lot of time playing with them. She studies people so much when she is getting used to them. She was very unsure of Aunt M's pretty red hair. I don't think she has ever seen red hair before. It didn't take her too long to realize they were family.

She really liked playing with younger cousin, Bears. He thought it was fun to pull on her clothes as she crawled by! She didn't let it stop her from traveling however, she just let him pull off the clothes and kept going! It was very cute! She doesn't let much stand in her way when it comes to moving!

We celebrated birthdays, too, while they were here! Grandmama and Aunt M. spoiled the kids with many nice gifts and lovely clothes! SG is thrilled with the K'nex carnival set! He put together a racecar, an airplane, and even an ax! He is doing really well figuring it all out!

It was a great visit!

Lake Day!

Cupcake is still getting used to the whole lake experience with the sun-only heated water. Super Gus, however, totally loves the whole fish swimming with you experience!

Senior Celebration!

Cupcake was the guest of honor at a reception put on by the local Senior Center! It was absolutely wonderful! We did a video presentation about our trip to China and told about some of the adventures we had. We also had the opportunity to share some of our souvenirs too! They had questions about the food and customs and the people in general.

They even showered her with a luncheon, gifts and a cake made just for her! She especially liked the balloons and we've been enjoying the beautiful fresh flower arrangement ever since! Thank you community-family! We love you!

Outdoor Fun!

We visited Granny and Pappy Moo at their campsite!

A matter of a pout!

Cupcake and SG were enjoying a day in the sandbox. Cupcake really loves the texture of it. She grabbed a handful and put it in her mouth before we had a chance to stop her and I simply said, "no sand in your mouth. - it's icky." She looked at me and then at her hand and back at me. She grabbed the biggest handful of sand she could possibly grab, looked at me, and put it in her mouth. My mommy-mean-eyes came out and I confirmed that sand was NOT to be in her mouth. She puckered up that little lip and it quivered and she looked at me then to the sand and back up at me and let out this heart wrenching cry. Wow! Mommy told me no and meant it?!? We know this is the beginning of a long story. She didn't eat anymore sand. I won...this one.