A Sad Day

Smocked football players and cheerleaders

If you've kept up with this blog or know me at all, you understand my affinity for children's clothes, and smocking in particular.  Or maybe you don't understand it, many don't.  In our own family, I get eye rolls and "don't you think he's a little too old for that" comments.  I just smile, and say something like, "they're only little once" or "he's only 3!!!" if I 'm feeling spicy. Because I do know these pieces have their age limits.  And those limits had to be adjusted since moving from Mississippi.  You might see elementary aged boys wear longalls and jon jons with glorious smocking (these boys also had bangs, but whatever).  Not in Arkansas.  You can barely find smocking for babies in NWA.  It's just not a thing here, but I shop mostly online, so it hasn't slowed me down.  But in my mind, I have always thought 2-3 years for my boy.  Especially since he is not, ahem, a delicate flower.  He is a rough and tumble and "big" boy.  So, I don't think I have bought any new smocking for him in the age of 3.  Now, he does still have a few pieces that he can still wear, and by golly, will wear until he outgrows.  In my mind, for ME, I thought kindergarten would probably be the end.  I would say I haven't bought any for her in the age of 6, but I did buy a Christmas dress for this year with schmocked Santa hats.  And I thought I could get away with it.  Until today. :(  She doesn't give me too much fuss about clothes, but she has said lately that she wants to wear "pretty" things, not "cute" things.  So, I had the above dress out for church this morning.  When I said it was time to get dressed she said, "not that dress, Mama.  I don't like dresses with the cute stuff around the top anymore.  Those are for babies.  I want to wear pretty dresses."  I tried to downplay it.  She said, "You can't even wear a necklace with those dresses."  Guess who quick fast (Junie B. reference) grabbed her locket and put it on? ;)  I whined and explained how those were my faaavorite dresses, and please wear it, and I promise I won't buy anymore, but I want you to wear the ones you have while they still fit.  And that was that.  The end of an era.  Boo hoo!

B is for banana split

Pumpkin Patch 2015

Daddy is out of town fishing this weekend, so we are doing some favorite things he wouldn't mind missing out on...like Friday night movie night watching Cinderella and going to the pumpkin patch...

 Daddy wouldn't want to come, but Papa did!  We took him a little birthday treat this morning, and guess who ended up in the car with us.  Papa!  On his birthday!  I hope when I turn 61 I'll be generous and loving enough to accompany my kids to the pumpkin patch on my birthday.

Growing like weeds

Our first stop was the corn maze.

Conquering the hay pyramid

She is an animal lover.

Rhett loved feeding the animals this year!  He was still spooked feeding the big cows tortillas on the hay ride.  Their long tongues kind of freak me out too!

Petting a baby pig

Ah, the corn pit...they could spend hours digging here.

Buckets o' corn

Fall y'all!

Fun Friday

 

 Friday, I went to a community lunch at ME's school at 11:30.  Since I was already going to be there, I decided to go early and have lunch with my girl beforehand.  Can you believe they eat lunch at 10:30?  I took Rhett to Renee's, so I got to focus just on her.  And her friends...I'm so curious about them all.  I ask a million questions every day about who she did what with. ;)  We had a fun lunch, and I had time to watch her play on the playground.  She had told me one of her writers' workshop pieces got displayed in the front hallway, so I had to find it before I left.

Miss Boles is Kerry, one of my friends that I taught first grade with.  I had to text her this picture.  She said she had already seen it. ;)

And this was Rhett Friday night.  He was dragging after I picked him up from NaNa's.  Pretty much sums up how I felt at the end of this busy week too.  I was thankful for no plans but football today.  We were due a lazy Saturday.  I would like to say the Hog game wasn't depressing, but it was.  It's gonna be a looong season if we can't win going into SEC play.

A is for Apple

His apple with a worm...the worm face cracks me up...not amused.

  I started "letter of the week" with Rhett.  We'll see how far it goes. ;)  We hit it lucky with an apple theme at library storytime and Little Sprouts at the Botanical Gardens.  We also watched a Noah's A-rk Veggie Tales and Johnny A-ppleseed DVD.  He recognizes letters and can tell you the sounds, but he's not great at writing.  We worked on A's for as long as he could stand it. ;)

 

We didn't even know about the weekly kids' program at the Botanical Gardens, until Jenn told me about it recently.  We met Anne Henley and her there one morning last week.  The lady talked about apples, read some, sang some, and then they got to sample a red and green apple.  Rhett loved exploring the gardens.  It has changed so much since I have been there!  There's so much to see!  The butterfly barn was one of our favs!

Pumpkins not quite ready, but still heavy.  Right, AH?

Rhett's First Day of Preschool

 

My big baby boy on his first day of MDO.  He is going one day a week from 9-1.  I'm sure he would love more, but I wasn't ready for more.  It's the first year I've had him all to myself, and I intend to enjoy every minute. I actually subbed at school his first day, so I got to peek at him at chapel and recess.   

He was waaay excited about his backpack and lunch box. 

Birthday Weekend

 

So, I turned 35.  Woo hoo!  Goodbye early thirties, hello mid...I'm over it.  I don't feel that old, although I did have the whole back going out thing a couple weeks ago, but anyway...I had a really great birthday filled with my favorite things.  I asked Brad for Mercedes, and he said yes.  Not driving a new car, but that precious, lovely, miracle worker of a woman did make my house shine like new.  I mean, how exciting am I?  Asking for a house cleaning for my bday, but it made me so happy!  And it desperately needed a deep clean.  I got some new Razorback gear and got to do a little shopping.  I ordered my own Rick's cake, and we celebrated with the fam at Mike and Julie's.  Too bad the Razorbacks didn't show up for the actual game. :(     

 

I'm so thankful my mom was in town for my birthday weekend.  I got to sleep in on my bday and got 2 date nights with this hottie.  Friday night we went to Tazikis and watched War Room.  After the game Saturday, we met Jennifer and Will at my favorite, Chuy's. Sunday was Shogun and Reese and Eli's birthday party.  Party weekend for sure!

Grandparent's Day

 

 

Mary Ella was over the moon excited to have her grandparents at school last week for Grandparent's Day breakfast.  You are all so precious to us!  She is one lucky girl!

Tiny Dancer

We began our 4th year of dance in September.  We were so excited to have lots of familiar faces in our class this year!  And we love Mrs. Sarah!

Character Counts

 

Mary Ella was the first character award in her class!  I'm so thankful for friends at school that send me pics of her during the day.  Mrs. Cherry sent me the 2 pictures above of the assembly.  I then sent them straight to the grandmas, of course.  I'm so proud of her!

Sweet note from the intern in her class

Way to go Mary Ella!

Ah-maaa-zeum

You can touch and walk through a tornado.

 This summer the Amazeum, a children's museum in Bentonville, opened.  We hadn't been yet...I thought it would be crazy all summer.  But on Labor Day weekend, I got to take Mary Ella for the first time for Ryder's birthday party.  Boy, was it amazing!  She loved it!  I think we were there for 3 1/2 hours, and she still didn't want to leave.

They have a whole water room I wasn't prepared for.  She is wearing a dress because we went straight from church to lunch and the party.  Next time I will know to bring an extra pair of clothes to change into.  It's almost like a little water park inside.

Finn, ME, Ryder, Easton

Singing happy birthday to Ryder with hand puppets.

Can you say love?

I think his favorite thing was moving these foam blocks.  I sent them down a conveyer belt over and over for him to punch and kick them with a shoe and boxing glove on a pulley system.  ME's favorite thing was the cave.  It's cold and you get to take in a flashlight and look for bats and crystals.  There are also sounds.  Rhett wasn't a fan. ;)

 Last week Rhett got his first turn at the Amazeum.  He almost lost his mind!  We were there for another 3 1/2...only to leave because we had to pick up sister from school.  And this time, I had a plan for the water room.  I told him we would save it for last, and then he could get as wet as he wanted.  And he did.  And then we changed into dry clothes. :)  We will definitely be getting a membership and frequent often. 

We met Jase and Easton there.  Rhett was not the best sharer in the Wal-Mart checker area.

Easton and Rhett shooting the sound cannon.

Obviously a big Wal-Mart influence, with it being in Bentonville

 

If you're ever in the area, check it out!