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Luke kept wanting me to take pictures of the crazy faces he was making. So here is an example. I really don't know how he got his mouth to look like this! He kind of looks like a weird ape to me. It just makes me laugh.

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summersaults

We didn't teach her how to do this. One day she just put her head down and started rolling. I think it is pretty funny, but she sure is turning out to be just like the other kids in her athletic abilities. The video quality isn't that great since I am using the disc from the video camera until we get a new digital camera.

That's Life

With my two older kids off to school I am realizing that I am now missing two extra pairs of eyes during the day to warn me of things before they become huge messes. I was also thinking this week that Luke is starting to grow out of his capacity to do things that make unreasonable messes. This links back to sentence #1, where now I am thinking he just hasn't had the opportunity. Paisley has been the one getting into things lately, but today Luke managed a few disasters of his own again. I wish I had pictures to document this, but my camera is broken. Anyway today he opened a great smelling bottle of vanilla lotion and poured it all over his carpet. I walked in on him doing it and he couldn't tell me why he was doing it. I really think he was just enjoying the squiggly designs he was making all over. I was proud of myself for not losing it and getting all mad at him, but told him to sit on his bed while I went to get things to clean it up. In the time it took me to get the rags he had taken a large stuffed animal and smeared it with a pile of the lotion. This is an antique one that can't be washed so I had that to clean up now too. At least the lotion was white and now it smells really good in there. Earlier in the day, while I was picking up some bottles that Paisley had taken out of the bathroom cupboard, Luke thought it would be fun to squeeze out a tube of foot scrub onto my carpet. Luckily I was right there when this started happening and it didn't get soaked into the carpet at all. I have learned today that it takes NO time to smash lotions out of bottles. He also had a good time today chewing up some cheese crackers and spitting them back into a cup of water and then mixing it all up to make a mess that looked really disgusting, but only spilled a little of this. So that is life with a 3 year old.

And their off

Both Ethen and Phoebe were excited to go this morning. They got up and dressed quickly and wanted to be sure everything they needed was in the backpacks. I can't believe it is today already. Here we come 2nd and 4th grade!

End of Summer

Tonight marks the last night of Summer. Tomorrow night will be our first school night and it seems really weird that the time has come to go back to school again. I am looking forward to it a little, but I am going to miss having my helpers here to play with Luke and Paisley. We went boating again today since we probably only have one more weekend to squeeze some of that in with football started. We have been having such a fun summer and that will pretty much all come to and end with school and sports schedules taking over again. The kids have all been sleeping together in Ethen's room for most of the summer now and I guess that will have to end too. Because most of the time they sit up talking and playing instead of going to sleep. Who knows, maybe I will be able to finally move Luke in with Ethen, for good, now that he is a little older. We shall see how these events all turn out. Stay tuned :)

Story

When there is a birthday in our family that person gets to decided where to go out to dinner that night. On Phoebe's B-day she thought about it for a bit and said Olive Garden. So we all jumped into the car that evening and drove over to the Olive Garden. As we were pulling into the parking lot Phoebe says, "this isn't the place I was thinking of." She then goes into some details of the restaurant she meant and we realized it was Salt Grass Steakhouse. Is it only my children that would request a steak house to eat at when only 7? They already have good taste in food. Although I am surprised she didn't ask for McDonald's. Needless to say we wanted to fulfill her birthday wishes and went over and ate some yummy steaks!

More vaca pics

Vacation

We spent 5 days at a Lake House we rented this past week. We went to East Texas on Lake Palestine and took the boat to enjoy a relaxing time on the water. Our friends the Garrett's came with us and that made it even more fun. The house was really nice and had a dock right there where we could pull the boat in and go in and out as we pleased. We needed some essentials (milk for the babies, and bacon for fishing)when we got there so Amanda and I headed to the closest grocery store we could find and it was like stepping back in a time warp to the 70's. Maybe it was the lime green panelling, or maybe the lettering on everything. Isn't it just so fun?!
Here is Phoebe with her friend getting all ready to head out. See how perfect that glassy water is!
Ethen was back at his fishing again on this trip and decided to put a line out while we were out boating. He got it all set up and then tied the pole up so that when it caught a fish it wouldn't get dragged in. When we got back he had this pretty good size catfish hooked. He was pretty excited and everyone was impressed. (No, we didn't gut it and eat it. we are nice and put him back) Now that is a true Texas catch!!!
My 4 toeheads :) Paisley even took a ride on the tube and didn't want to get off when it was over. Ethen and Phoebe like to shake things up a bit on the tube and ride the edges. It makes it harder to hold on but they are laughing the whole time :) All tuckered out! There is something about the hummm of the engine that just puts them to sleep. Here is Phoebe getting up on the surfboard. I have to keep reminding myself that she is only 7.

Ethen Wake Surfing

Yes, I am back. I have lots to post but to fulfill your blog needs and give you a little taste of our great week I have posted a sweet video of Ethen wake surfing. He was already riding for probably 30 seconds before I even started to video. He is amazing to watch at how he can just pick this stuff up so easily and figure out how to maneuver everything. He is a natural just like his dad. Enjoy :)

Ethen riding a Wave

Sunflowers

Isn't it amazing how they are all different colors?! I love them :) Thanks to my neighboor for letting me have some of her seeds.

We all scream for Ice Cream

She even tries to clean up after herself :) It was still pretty warm outside after dinner and so the ice cream was melting pretty fast, but that didn't stop anyone from enjoying it. I also didn't feel so bad that it was being dripped all over since we were the only people sitting outside.

It didn't take long for the boys to find a climbing spot, but it also didn't take long for them to be asked to get down

Sleep? What's That?

Paisley has been doing awesome I must say! She has only woken up twice and that was at like 5 a.m. so I am totally counting that as sleeping through the night. I think I may be on the mend with her, yay. On the otherhand I may be seriously cursed for some reason to not actually get to sleep multiple nights EVER. Now it is the best dog ever who whines at me to go let her out. WHAT?! She may loose her best dog ever status if this keeps up. Only she is getting SERIOUSLY old and probably has bladder control issues that go along with that. So I feel bad for her and get up to let her out. Then I lay on the couch and fall asleep there for a few minutes (or however long she wants, I mean obviously I am not in charge here anymore) until she scratches at the door to be let back in. Part of me just thinks she is bored and likes to go out in the early a.m. since that is the only time it is not BLAZING hot. She has me trained so well.

Done

Alas, I am done with Breaking Dawn. The final book in the Twilight series. Ahhhhhhhhh.

I will say no more so that I don't give anything away to those of you who are not there yet :)

Hot HOt HOT

It is sooo HOT here and to prove it here is the egg that fried on the street!

Knock on Wood

I am afraid to even write this but I am so happy that Paisley has been sleeping through the night for 3 nights in a row!!!!! I know that sounds like nothing to most of you out there, but for those of you who have a kid that will NOT sleep no matter what you have tried, you know this is nothing short of a miracle :) I am hoping it lasts for good, but am totally knocking on wood now so that I don't jinx it. I must also add that Natalie gave me the BEST gift, when she was here, of a sound machine.It has made her naps soo much better because the kids aren't waking her up. Now they don't have to be totally quiet during nap time, which has made them much happier.