Fall!

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures. I've been working my poor fingers to the bone. Don't you all feel sorry for me? Wha?! No?! Shocking! Okay, enough griping. Here are the kiddos on a recent trip to the closest easiest pumpkin patch to visit! Avery was NOT up for pictures at all. Then again she's never up for pictures.

I try really hard not to be "the mom behind the camera." You know, the one that tries to commemorate every single thing in her child's life with a photographic shot. Instead I try to limit the pictures and enjoy the moment. There was pretty much none of either this day. But this day was meant specifically for pictures.

By the time the "photo shoot" was started I was ready leave. It wasn't fun...it was hot and really windy. These days I get moody easily. I think it's just because I am so tired of constantly chasing Avery who doesn't listen and climbs on everything. Someday I'll miss this age but right now - dear Lord please help me. This kid has some serious will power. But dangit if I don't love the age for the same reason - discovery, new words, interpretation, animation...it's truly entertaining!

Avery (21 months) Pardon the drippy nose...

My girls - Kendall (almost 5) & Avery (21 months)

(by the way, if your name has "grandma" in it anywhere you are getting a copy of this picture)

This is my Avery. She's pretty good about not sucking her thumb all of the time but when she does, this is how it is: thumb in the mouth, fingers in the hair, "nite nite" blanket nearby.

We'll break her of the thumb thing someday but for now - she's my baby. No worries, I will not allow it after the age of what - 2 1/2, 3? We made Kendall give up her pacifier at 2...

Okay, that's all I got for now.

Love love love...

Softball Days of Fall

Kendall on deck

We started Kendall in softball - REAL softball, not t-ball (although a tee is used if they can't hit 3 pitches). I was hesitant to put her in because I knew that she really didn't know was softball was but the cost wasn't too high and I thought WHY NOT? Of course Mike (a.k.a. Mr. Baseball) was gung-ho about it. Well, come to find out you have to invest another $100 - $150 in equipment and uniforms! Don't even get me started on the lack of information on their website. I'm drafting a list of "what your website is lacking" as we speak...

Kendall & "Avery her friend" as opposed to "Avery her sister"

Anyway, we've had several great practices and today was GAME DAY! 2 games, back to back, 1 hour long each with a 10 minute break in between. It was hot and luckily one of the girls mom's remembered sunscreen because it didn't even cross my mind! Unfortunately Mike (who is usually really good about applying sunscreen) forgot to put some on and stood on the field for all 2 hours so his cheeks are nicely baked.

The girls actually had a lot of fun! The team is made up of girls 6 and under but a couple of the girls are young 7s but they've never played softball before so we let them in.

I thought our team parents would be totally chill, I mean, these kids are young and playing for the first time. Good grief - I was more than surprised. I was expecting light happy cheers "good job girls! That's okay! You'll get it next time!" and really the majority of the people were very good but there were a couple of parents that were all over their kids. I mean, they weren't shouting profanity but they were moaning and groaning and flailing their arms and screaming "GET THE BALL, GET THE BALL!!!!" But NOT in a sweet "encouraging" way. It's one thing to yell TO your kid to run to first, it's a whole other thing to scream AT your kid. I guess I just don't get it, but then again I am really laid back. I want MY kid to have fun and feel good about herself! I wish everyone felt that way.

Luckily, they don't keep score and really the main thing that we are trying to teach them is just to run to first base. I was pleasantly suprised at how well they paid attention and ran after the ball. Of course there were the girls that kindly pointed at the ball as it rolled past - pointing it out for the other girls so that their teammates were sure to know where it was.

All in all it was a great game day. Warm but there was a breeze and no humidity. After the month of August anything feels great! I chased Avery the ENTIRE time so that was not fun but luckily Grandma and Grandpa Brewer will be here next weekend for the game so someone else can chase her for at least one of the hours!

And can I say what a sweet encouraging husband I have? He pushes Kendall just enough and encourages her the whole time but also realizes when she's had it and lets her go do what she really wants to do - go play on the playground at the front of the fields.

Assistant Coach Mike

First day of school (3 weeks in)

So I've been a baaaad baaaaaaaaaaad blogger... It's going to be a crazy fall!

1. We have season tix to the Aggie games - WHOOP! (picture of us at the game later - it's on my phone).
2. We also signed Kendall up for her first organized sport - SOFTBALL! Well, as organized as 4-6 year olds can be. Kendall knows nothing of the sport. She's been to a baseball game but she of course played more than she watched - which is totally normal. I'm not expecting her to keep player stats. Not that her dad wouldn't eat that up. First practice is tomorrow night. Pictures will surely follow this weekend.
3. And school is back in session - shhh....can you hear it? Silence. Yes the girls are asleep but it is more quiet than this when they are at school and it is awesome! I love love love my girls, but I love love love having time to myself without having to fix lunch, get somthing to drink, get a napkin, wipe a mouth, get the other something to drink, wash hands, Ty get out of the kitchen, sit back down, put the table down, stop scooting the table, just LEAVE IT ALONE OR YOU ARE BOTH GOING TO YOUR ROOMS!

Where was I? Oh yes...school. So here are the girls on their first day of school. I was having difficulties with my camera so Kendall is a little blurry but you get the gist. Avery insisted on wearing her ugly old croc shoes. Kendall has never cared about what I pick out for her. Avery on the other hand - she is one opinionated chic. So, fine, cute dress, ugly shoes. Avery - 1, mom - 0.

Kendall was more than ready to get back to school. Avery was skeptical but that's where we go to church and she's familiar with the building and of course she wants to do whatever big sister is doing, so she willingly followed. And shockingly - NO TEARS. In the whole toddler class! 10 toddlers aged 18-24 months and not one cried. I think it was a first. Her teachers were pleasantly surprised but waiting for something or someone to trigger the tears. But they never came.

I'll have to get a picture of Avery with her teachers and Kendall with her teachers. The first day was so hectic that I didn't want to add more stress to the teachers. Kendall's teachers ADORE her. She is one of only 3 girls in a class of 12 so she is more than favored. Not too mention that she honestly is a pleasant kid. If she's not, someone please tell me.

Okay, I'm pooped. Time for bed. Love to you all!

New Look!

I started some HTML training and while I would like to say that it helped me with my new blog layout...it didn't. I still can't figure out how to add a "button". I really want the "I Heart Studs" button by Ana White from Knock-off Wood.

However I was able to take off our picture and replace it with this cute one. I have to give credit to Ashely O. of Coffee Break. I saw her linen background and title and linen is one of my all time favorite fabrics. So I grabbed another background but used a similar linen header. I'm sure none of you really care though - I just wanted to her know that my unoriginal self is copying her. It makes me feel better about myself. And if you go to her blog - you have got to turn on your volume. She's got the best music. Totally coffehouse music.

So, onto recent life...the girls met their teachers on Thursday and school starts next Tuesday (can you hear the heavens singing "Haaaaaaaaaallelujah!"? Oh, I suppose I'm the only one who hears that music in my crazy "been wtih the kids too long this summer" head.) Really - I chose to be a stay at home mom but some days I wonder if I really knew what I was signing up for. I work part-time but that doesn't fulfill the "adult interaction" void seeing as how the majority of the time I am parked by my lonely self in front of the computer trying to remember what the heck I'm supposed to be doing. Waaah, wah, wah...what was I talking about? Oh, the girls...

The girls met their teachers yesterday. Avery was there all of 30 minutes in her classroom and has already started with a runny nose and sneezing this morning. Seriously? Well, it's better than fever and vomiting so I'll accept it as enabling a pre-school boost to her immune system. I hope she's over by Tuesday because bygod the girl is going to school. Come hell or high water! THIS MOMMY NEEDS A BREAK.

I envisioned my first day of freedom being filled with chocolate, massages, pedicures and really fattening food but then reality struck this morning when I realized that I have to do a New User Orientation for 2 of our clients. Shucks. So close. I do hope to do the orientation early though, then either head to lunch with friends or go to Freebirds (A&M established burrito joint that's all over Texas now). I've been craving one for months and the closest one is in town.

Well, I've got pictures to edit. While in Dallas for our last visit I tried out using RAW images with my camera and dangit to heck I didn't realize what a chore that is when it comes to editing! Plus I forgot that it was on that setting and took a bunch more pictures...ooohhhh...time time time...I need more time.

This is a completely rambling post...and now....I think I'm done. Off to edit pictures!

Avery - the lizard baby

...Funny Avery, just being...well, Avery. Is this a 2nd child thing?

Summer fun

Well, well, well...look who is finally taking one whole minute to throw a quick post up. My boss (aka - dad) has set forth a "bonus proposition" so I'm working my life away trying to make at least 20 hours a week in work. So far I'm only behind about 2 hours. I'm hyperventilating while I type seeing as how I SHOULD be working but it is after midnight - CAN I HAVE A WHOLE 3O MINUTES TO MYSELF? oh that's right, I don't' get time to myself because I have kids. I forgot. That's OK. They both start "school" a.k.a. mother's day out in two weeks and believe me - the countdown has begun! Kendall is beyond bored out of her tree and it is so flipping hot outside there's not a lot of options for activities.

Yesterday I decided to get some sun on this white white skin, so I threw on my bathing suit and the girls and I headed out in the backyard. I got out the Slip 'n Slide and the water table and they had a good time and I did too! I had to show Kendall how to properly do the slip n slide of course. It hurt a lot less than I thought it would...

...until today...

...and I woke up and my shoulders were KILLING ME. I say "were" but they still are killing me. Whew. But it was still fun. Mike wished he knew where the camera was, but ha ha...he does NOT! I however did break out the camera to capture the girls' fun. Kendall tried but didn't quite have enough trust to completely throw herself down on the ground and now I'm starting to think that she might have been pretty smart seeing how SHE isn't complaining about HER shoulder muscles wreaking havoc on her body today...

Avery just enjoyed saying "two, two, twoooooooooooooo" over and over (mimicking my "one, two, three" countdown for Kendall) and playing in the little sprinkler pillow at the end of the slide. Overall it was a fun afternoon and the grass isn't too terribly ruined. We haven't had much rain so it needed a little extra watering.

Ready

Avery is ready for school! She'll start in just a few weeks. I put her backpack on her and she refused to take it off. She pretty much looked like a turtle. A really cute turtle.