Caleigh's 3rd Birthday Party

This year we gave Caleigh a low key Strawberry Shortcake birthday party.   We had it at Deer Park, which means I didn't have to clean up before and after, and we just invited the family.  All of her grandparents were there except Geezpaw because he was still recovering from the Big One, and the only great-grandparent was Meme.  I made her Strawberry Cupcakes and Strawberry Shortcakes.   She got everything she wanted - Converse All-Stars - and more - Tag books, clothes, swimsuit, money, big floor mat puzzle, shoes and more shoes.   The only she didn't get were a pair of googles, which we went out and bought that night with some of her birthday money.   She also requested a pinata.  Rusty yet saying he was going to make one, but at 10:00 the night before the party, he realized it would take a little time and decided to buy one. Unfortunately, he misread the label on the Mickey Mouse pinata.  He thought it had candy, but it didn't, so the kids hit it forever for nothing to happen.  They weren't too disappointed though. (The Pritchards were happy, I'm sure, since their kids don't get un-organic candy.)   

Caleigh about to blow out the candles on her cupcakes

Elisha showing off his new walking skills

Caleigh getting excited about getting to open presents. This time around she knew what was going on.  

 

Grandma helping Elisha hit the pinata

Caleigh's super swing at the pinata

Poppy helping Elisha swing the bat.  I believe all of his grandpas are hoping he is the super baseball player, and right now his coordination seems a little better than Caleigh's was at this age.  She is still one of the clumsiest kids ever.  

Some cute (and not so cute) things Caleigh does right now:

• Saying "maybe so" when she means yes.  Ms. Pat at church asked her if she colored the table, and she said, "maybe so."  Another kid also said he did it too, though.  
• Using "very" instead of "really" - "I very like it"
• Pretending to be a dozen different characters each day - Dora, Penny from Rescuers, Diego, Fieval, Lenny from Wonder Pets, and the list goes on.  She doesn't care if they're boys or girls.
• Asking us to guess which character she is
• Telling Elisha "NO"
• Asking for Rusty to get the Bible as soon as we sit down for dinner 
• Deciding she doesn't like to eat most things.   We have to require so many bites and have reverted back to spoon feeding her things she doesn't like.
• Praying for Kylee (and some of her other friends) after supper.  She always ask God  to help her friends feel better and trust and obey.
• Calling her grandparents
• Telling us which songs she wants to listen to on the radio.  A lot of times it depends on whether it is a boy or girl singer.  

Caleigh's Very Special Birthday Day

We started Caleigh's special day for her third birthday with a trip to Build-a-Bear.  Every time we've gone to the mall in the past year we've had to go in browse around in there.  Rusty thought she would enjoy making a bear because he'd enjoyed making one for me so much (haha).  Unfortunately, the lady who helped us wasn't so enthusiastic, but Caleigh still loved it. She picked out a soft, little bear, a Hello Kitty outfit, and the name Isabella, and Isabella sings a Birthday Song.  

Caleigh giving Isabella a bath and brushing her fur

Elisha showing off his walking skills as he attempted to destroy the store.  (We were the only customers, thankfully.)

Next, we went to Chuck E. Cheese.  We had a coupon off the back of the Chuck E. Cheese cheese package, so we got out of there for under 20 bucks.  The kids enjoy the little rides and games, but they haven't figured out that they need more tickets to win bigger prizes, thankfully. Caleigh left with a plastic ring and bracelet.  Who knows what happened to them by the time we made it home.  The only misfortune came with I "let" Elisha fall from a bicycle ride.  He really jumped out of my hands, and he didn't even cry very long.  All the other moms looked at me like I was a horrible parent though.  I guess they thought he would show signs of concussion at any moment.   I wish they only knew that the baby puck is common.  Oh, and the baby puck actually landed on Caleigh's head.  GROSS!!!

Riding in Cinderella's carriage

Big boy driving the monster truck

Caleigh trusting Lisha's driving

We planned to go to the zoo next, leaving Rusty at the hospital to babysit Steve, but Steve got to go home.  We drove to the zoo anyway, but because it was nap time, we decided to drive around, hoping Caleigh would go to sleep too.   We headed to the aquarium to get a brochure and ended up deciding to go because Caleigh was free before she actually turned 3 (instead of paying 13).  We saw fish, sea horses, stingrays, sharks, turtles, macaws, snakes, otters, and much, much more.  Caleigh loved the sharks.  I'm glad she got to see one because she wanted to see one on vacation this year.  She also tried to touch a stingray, but wasn't successful.  When we left the aquarium, she had a chance to play in the water, but we had to leave so we wouldn't get stuck in five o'clock traffic.  We ended the day with dinner at MawMaw's and a trip to Grandma and Geezpaw's to make sure Geezpaw had survived the BIG ONE.  

 

Looking at the Nemo fish (clown fish) 

Riding the escalator with Isabella

Standing in front of the alligators

Playing in the water...somehow she didn't get wet from head to toe...

My Kiddos in June

Am I a stinker or what?  Do you think Mommy can catch me?  

"I'M THREE TODAY" and I can hold up three fingers with a little effort.

She makes that look so fun. Elisha wanted to do it too, so he kept chasing her around the room.  

Wild!!!

Yes.  Evidence that my child eats dirt.  He looked like a mud hole after we finished working in the garden.  

The Last Few Days in May

My Daddy Walt started the tradition of taking pictures before church on Sunday mornings when I was a kid.  Katie and I always posed in front of whatever vehicle he happened to be driving at the time - I remember the black Bronco the best.  Well, I guess, I have continued the tradition, but I don't make the kids pose in front of the minivan (or the Cavalier that hasn't moved from the spot in the grass in a few months).  And, the kids really haven't learned to pose yet.  That is a good thing though.  I was a camera hog who thought I was beauty queen, slightly deceived, and we don't want Caleigh be obsessed with looking good.  I just want to capture them as they grow (and the many outfits they have received from grandmas and great-grandmas and aunts).  

Elisha sitting in Big Sis's lap.   It took a little effort on her part to keep him there.  

Caleigh being as dainty as she gets in the dress Katie gave her for her birthday last year

Elisha in the outfit Katie gave him this year for his birthday.  Check out the flip-flops.  

We joined the YMCA back in January, and while we visited the indoor pool a lot during the winter, Caleigh couldn't wait to get out to the outside pool.  We went the Friday after Memorial Day, but the water was still freezing.  I made Rusty get in with her most to the time.  Elisha got in too, but he didn't really like it.  He must be more temperature sensitive than Caleigh.   Thankfully, it has warmed up as June has progressed.  

Caleigh testing the water, hesitating before getting back in

Lishey cuddled up with Daddy after escaping the iceberg water.  Ain't he pretty?

Caleigh's Horse Nellie

Geez-Paw and Uncle Jess decided to buy a horse.  Half of it is Uncle Jess's and the other half is Caleigh's.  (Elisha may eventually get to say a 1/4 of it is his.)  Together they named it Nellie, even though Caleigh was leaning toward Sunshine at first and I wanted Gingersnap.  It works out well for us since the horse lives with Jess.  We don't have to feed it, clean it, or keep it up. Honestly, Caleigh has seen it only once in the past month, but she thinks it is pretty cool to say she has a horse at three.  I'm just proud of her for not being afraid of it.  I loved riding horses when I was little, but I was almost killed by one when I was about four.

  

Caleigh on the horse with Gee-Paw leading the way in his favorite blue, plaid shirt 

pre-the-BIG-one

Rusty riding both the children.  Where will new baby go?

Doesn't that look so beautiful?  

Unfortunately, Caleigh's messy self doesn't quite fit in with the serene scenery.  

Elisha driving the truck earlier in the day at the playground

Rusty helping Caleigh on monkey bars.  

After taking gymnastics, she is dying to do it by herself.

Our Fifth Anniversary

Rusty will kill me, but I had to post these.  He posed with about a dozen animals and creatures making silly faces to show Caleigh.  

This is as crazy as I get - the sill monkey hat.

Us trying to survive the wind for a quick picture

The Beach

Rusty surprised me with a trip to Destin for our anniversary.  We hadn't been anywhere alone, really, since our honeymoon, and it was great.  We delivered the kids to Grandma's where they stayed two days, followed by two days with Granna.  I had never been away from Elisha for more than six hour (in 13 long months), and he did fine, even though I took him to the doctor for an ear infection the day we got back.  And, of course, his vocabulary had grown by 20 works according to the grandmothers by the time we returned.  

Rusty and I had the chance to sleep and read and eat without interruption or demands, all things you take for granted before you have kids.  The first day the weather was poor with the wind pelleting sand at us, but the other days were sunny, yet extremely windy.   I loved it, and I hope we get to do it again in the next five years.  

(Oh yeah, I felt the baby move for the first time on the day I turned 12 weeks.)

What We Do At Home All Day

Yes, people wonder what we housewives do all do.  And, yes we wonder that too when we work all day but seem to have nothing to show for it, but if you saw how busy my kids are, you'd know I rarely sit still.  

Elisha and Caleigh jumping in the bed together, probably in their pjs at 1:0o in the afternoon

Caleigh making one of the ugliest faces every, and I guess it is okay for a mom to be honest about that.  

Caleigh and Elisha piled up on Daddy post-naptime...even naptime is not always peaceful in our house.  Caleigh has learned to play leprechaun, running though the house undetected except for the pitter patter of feet while she supposed to be tucked into bed.

And, yes, even I have to admit that my wild children occasionally wear themselves down to the point of passing out in the car.

Easter and the Rest of April

Easter (or Resurrection Sunday) was a pretty stress-less day for us this year.  After church we headed to my grandmother's for lunch and egg hunting.  Caleigh was somewhat motivated in the egg hunt, but still didn't get a big prize egg, even though I knew where they were.  Elisha hung out in the grass with a little doggie and in the back of my Uncle Phil's truck, and he liked shaking the stuff out of the eggs.  Then, we headed to Rusty's mom's for more food and egg hunting.  Caleigh had lost interest in eggs for the most part, so Robert and Sarah racked up.  She was more interested in fighting with her brother over the green Pooh ball.  As always, she won, and by the end of the day, she had only ripped a decent sized whole in the crenolin(?) on her dress.  

Here are a few pictures of Caleigh and Elisha before Merriwether's 3rd birthday party, Steven's man shower, and Robert's 5th birthday.  The pictures show Elisha hesitating to stand next to Caleigh and Caleigh giving herself some bunny ears.

Lisha Bear's 1st Birthday

What kind of mother am I waiting almost two months to document my son's first birthday?  I guess a sleepy, pregnant, busy one, but that's is okay.  

Elisha's bear party went swell, even though it was sandwiched between an egg hunt at church and Easter the following day.  The bear cake and cupcakes turned out well.  He really liked them.  When we put them on the table in front of him, she grabbed the tablecloth to pull them towards him.  He devoured a whole cupcake, was given another, ate a good deal of it, dropped it in the floor, and started on his third thanks to his wonderful mothers, Granna especially.  His face showed how much he enjoyed his first indulgence in chocolate.  Some might say he looks like his mom after cake.  

After he finished the cake, he started on his shoe.  (The kid will eat anything - dirt from the garden, carpenter bees, sand, old Cheerios...)  And, finally, he got to open presents and show off his clapping skills.  He received a ton of clothes, little baby flip-flops, trucks, a baseball toy, books, and summer swim gear.  About 35 people showed up for his party, not quite the 50 we had at Caleigh's last year, but still a considerable crowd considering it was raining and everyone had to stay in the house.  

The BIG news came at the end of the party when I passed out eggs to all the grandmas and great-grandmas with a picture of new baby inside.  Everyone was surprised, some more than others.  

Elisha and Caleigh playing peekaboo with me at the door.