The apple and the tree

Amelia looking like such a young lady that it actually pains my heart.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  I found this on Amelia's night stand this morning after she had left for school.  I have no idea where she learns how to make To Do lists...where in the world would she learn that?  Sadly, I was actually kind of a proud momma when I found it.  Lists make the world go round, at least my world.

Now that gas is $3.40 a gallon, we are happy that we can walk or bike everywhere we need to be.  Luke thinks it's pretty awesome that dad can bike him to school and Stephen thinks it's pretty awesome that bikes don't have to wait in the LONG carpool line.

Riding in style.

Addison yelling, "Bye bye Wukey!"

Chocolate Ball

Ocean Springs has a Chocolate Ball every year for the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center.  It is a historic landmark downtown and the ball was held on the grounds under the Oak Trees.  Above is a shot of Stephen and I before we left for the big event, our babysitter is so sweet to always take pictures of us, even though the male in the picture gets a little crabby and complains it's like prom.  Said male is just lucky I didn't don my Prom Queen tiara, coincidentally, it was Ocean Springs prom night:) 

Andrea and I got down to the business of eating as soon as we got there.  It was a great night of music, food and a silent auction where Stephen and I got outbid on all of our bids :(  Maybe next year we will have better luck or I guess bigger bids.

Inside was the dessert tower.  Or the giant tower of sin as I called it.  As you may recall from previous posts, I gave up desserts for Lent.  OH MY WORD!  I felt like Jesus when the devil took him to the desert for 40 days to tempt him.  The whole table was calling to me but I yelled, "Chocolate, get thee behind me!"  Ahh, yes, my ever dramatic self, but I did not cheat.  Sadly, my pastor's wife told me the next day that I could have cheated because Lent is only 40 days and with all of the Sundays including between Ash Wednesday and Easter, you can actually cheat once a week!  Sigh, a day late and a dollar short.  

Us ladies whooping it up on the lawn.  Fun, fun night and I can't wait until next year when I can eat all the delicious desserts.  Maybe next year for Lent I will give up something a little easier, like say, I don't know, oxygen.

More Grandparents

Oh how I dread the day when Amelia doesn't want to dress like her baby sister:(

Luke and his Grandpas.

Amelia and Grandmas, Addison would say "two Grandpas, two Grandmas" while they were visiting, it was pretty cute.

The kids with Grandpa Jon and Grandma Nancy.  I think it is just the picture but Dad, you look like a blonde!  I guess it is all that Florida sun, my parents were driving back to WI after three months in Florida so they stopped by to see the new house.

Amelia had a project at school called Mini City.  The children could choose any store front they wanted but they had to sell a service or a good.  Amelia decided to do a tennis pro shop and she named it Amelia's Backhand Tennis Pro Shop, I wish I could claim more credit but it was her idea, her name, her slogan and her design.  I did go to Michael's and foot the craft bill though.  So she sold tennis lessons and during the mini city the children were given money to spend and they were able to learn about making change but also supply and demand, advertising, etc.  

Grandma and Grandpa were able to come to Amelia's school to show some support...

and get a few private lessons from Amelia :)

I thought Amelia might be shy when she had to give lessons but boy was I surprised.  She did a great job explaining how to hit a forehand, backhand, overhead and serve.  

Showing a friend how to swing a forehand.  It was really a fun day for the 2nd graders.

Visitors: Some welcome and some not

Grandpa Steve and Grandma Donna came for a visit!  Yes, these were are welcomed visitors.  We were excited to show them the house and get to spend some good playtime with them.  

Happy faces:)

Grandpa connecting with Luke.

Time for some revenge.

And now, on to our unwelcome visitors.  I can barely write this without shaking with the heebie jeebies and pulling my feet up off of the floor.  The night Grandma and Grandpa were here, there was some rustling in the laundry room, which is right across from our pantry.  When the guys investigated, out ran the "visitor" straight into my pantry.  I will call the visitor a "mouse" because I can't even bear to admit what it really was but it was much bigger and had a longer tail.  Ew, Ew, Ew.  So while, I stood atop our bar screaming and calling my realtor to tell her we are moving again (I am actually not kidding, I might possibly tend to overreact a little bit) this is what my darling husband and father in law donned themselves in to be the "mouse" killers.  So while screaming I had to get some pictures because it was so blog worthy.  So they somehow trapped the thing in our graham cracker box and got it outside, under a pan.  Now what you ask?????

Enter father in law.  One mighty jump from Grandpa Steve and the "mouse" was a goner.

Just in case, a little sledge hammer action sealed the deal.  So I, of course, called my realtor, the inspector of the house, the exterminator and friends who have lived on the water their whole lives.  Everyone laughed at me and said, "Oh yea, you'll get 'mice' once in awhile, it's really no big deal."  WHAT?????  So, so, so a big deal to me.  I did not find that answer satisfying and we since have found where it got in thank goodness and sealed it off and we have about 102 traps around the house now so we should be good.  No more unwelcome visitors.

Odds and Ends

If only Addison knew how to relax and get comfortable...

Luke is lucky he doesn't have little snails on his shirt too.  Amelia, thankfully is still all about matching with Addison and she tells me she likes "the long dresses with pictures on the top."  (Otherwise known as smocking).

Big kisses for baby sister, this is right before she screamed and hit both of them.  Thankfully we were on the way to church so hopefully she absorbed some holiness.

This is why Luke survives...just when we think he can't get any naughtier; he lays this out on the table for Daddy when he gets home from work.  Just in case, I'll translate, "Daddy, I luve you.  Luve, Luke"

Melts my heart that boy, I tell you.  I adore that he spells Luve like Luke, with a 'u'.  It's too precious to correct and I refuse to do it.  Especially because there are many times when he is not too precious.  Like when I get a phone call from his teacher that he has been lying at school about doing his work.  My Luke, lying to his teachers!  And he sticks to the lie even when they catch him in the act.  They asked which teacher checked his language work and he said, "Ms. Aurora."  That was interesting his teacher told me, because it was Ms. Aurora's day off.  So not only is my sweet boy a liar, he is a bad liar!  Lord, grant me the strength to deal with this boy.

After school fun with some buddies in our backyard.

Addi of course ran right into the water.  I'm thinking a life jacket with a fishing reel on it so I can just reel her back into the beach and I don't even have to get wet.

Busy making drip castles like "Uncle Kent."

Amelia at an "awesome" birthday party.  She was over the moon about her makeup and her purple and pink hair!

I caught Luke in this get up watching a movie.  Seriously?

We found a turtle in our yard this week, poor, poor turtle.

As you can see Addison has fully acclimated to her Mississippi roots, naked except for a diaper and crocs!

These Irish Eyes are Smiling

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Amelia and Luke made certain I dressed them in green so they wouldn't get pinched at school.  After school it was time for some fun.  The kids are waiting for the parade to start because in Ocean Springs, we will throw a parade for anything and everything and throw beads at you as well.  Addison has turned into a true southern girl, while we were waiting she yelled, "Moon Pie please!"  I didn't even know what a Moon Pie was I was 31 years old!  (They are chocolate/marshmallow pies that get thrown from floats during Mardi Gras season).

Kiss us we're Irish!  Well, except for that Polish/Croatian guy in the center but you can kiss him too.

Luke getting some treats from the Marshall.  

This parade was seriously like 4 minutes long, it was hilarious.  But the big draw this time was the Budweiser Clydesdales!  

They really are impressive and were cool to have in Ocean Springs.  They were actually here for the Air Show at Keesler Air Force Base this weekend but they did a cameo for us here in Ocean Springs :)  We took the boat out this weekend to catch some of the Air Show but most of it we just watched from out backyard.  The Blue Angels really are so cool to watch.  Luke however is my kid with sensitive ears and he HATES air shows.  He didn't even want to come out of the house while they were practicing and performing the last couple of days.  We finally just gave him earplugs so he would play outside at least.   But he would usually come charging in the house with his hands over his ears when they would fly by.  I guess we all have our quirks right?

After the parade we dropped the kids back at the house with a babysitter and it was time for some real Irish fun!  We met up with the rest of the over 21 Ocean Springs crowd and did the Pub Crawl.  Plenty of green drinks for everyone:)  Us and our buddies the Neffs.

Jello Shots which always seem like a fun idea at the time.  

Kristen, Me and Jenny hanging at the Grocery.  We had a blast at the Pub Crawl but I was crawling the next day, I just can't bounce back like I did in my younger years.  (Sonya, how did we go play tennis after nights like this?)

Da Boys.  If there is one positive thing about having a hubby with a finicky pancreas, it is that I always have a designated driver :)  Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Photo Shoot

I realized it is March and Addison's two year old picture time frame has come and gone.  I know I religiously took the other kids to get "professional shots" and by that I mean some high school girl at JCPenney but alas the third child is missing out.  So I decided I have a fantastic camera and dog gone it, I will take some myself.  And truly, our backyard is a much better backdrop than some painted spring flowers on a screen at JCPenney.  So hopefully Addison will forgive me when she is older, she certainly won't be hurting for pictures of herself.  To divulge an embarrassing thing about me, I take so many pictures of Addison that she actually says, "Yay! Photo shoot!"  So pitiful, I know.

She is looking like such a big girl now!  My favorite Addison phrase now is, "Uh oh, I got the boo boo again."  Each time she gets a boo boo, she calls it "the boo boo."  It sounds like it is some weird disease or something.  Cracks me up, every time.  She also has this Elmo book about finding things and the words she uses are hilarious.  "Mommy, find the archeologist? Mommy find the canteen?  Mommy, find the monk?"  Seriously, funny hearing it come out of a two year olds mouth.  

Taking a break from all that outside fun for some pictures before church.

Luke with his, "I'm up to something smile."

Pretty Amelia.

Caught mid-belly laugh.