Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to school we go...

I am way behind on blogging. I have so many stories to share and so many pictures from this summer that I don't even know if I will ever get them in. Somehow blogging just didn't take priority while my kiddos were home for the summer. They are now back in school, and I miss them terribly. However, I was getting tired of the endless bickering that had started. I guess that was a sign that the girls were ready for school too. Macey was thrilled to be back at school. She loves all the socializing! Abby always starts the year off nervous. She usually hangs on me till the last possible second and then runs into class. I can't even think about dropping her off at the curb! However, this year she isn't hanging on me quite so much, and I even dropped them off outside once. Truthfully, I prefer walking them in myself. Since it's only been a week, I don't really know much about the girls teachers yet. Abby's teacher is knew to the school this year. Macey has a temporary sub since her teacher's husband had a stroke on Monday. She is a wonderful lady so keep her husband in your prayers!

Just a memory I want to keep....Abby informed me this morning that she could not give her teacher the note I wrote because in second grade it was really uncool to take notes to your teacher?!? When exactly did that become a rule. I decided it wasn't worth the fight and just talked to the teacher in person. What Bret found funny was that it was uncool to take the note, but not uncool to have your un-showered mom walk you into class and talk to your teacher. Why do they have to grow up?

DO-DO-DO-DO DORA!

I took Shelby to the Dora The Explorer Live show last night for some mom/daughter bonding time. It is so nice when I get to spend alone time with each of the girls. This was Shelby's first show (at least the first one she can remember). She went to see Sesame Street with her sisters when she was a newborn, but that doesn't count. She loves Dora, Boots and Diego! The show was great. I have been to several ( Barney, Sesame Street, Clifford, Jungle Book) with the older girls, and this was by far the most entertaining. We were on the fifth row, dead center, which helped. Shelby screamed, danced, waved her star in the air, and sang along the entire show. It was so fun to watch her having so much fun. I do think her favorite part was when Diego and baby jaguar made a surprise visit. She came home so keyed up I didn't think I would ever get her to sleep.

No, I did not pose her this way. She did it all on her own!

Obviously these were taken with my camera phone. I couldn't resist spoiling her rotten and buying her a flashing star and Dora Doll. She also got a "Backpack" after the show.

Happpy Fourth of July!

We had a great fourth hanging out with friends and family. This was the first year that Macey and Shelby didn't cry when the fireworks started.

Everyone was so excited when the fireworks started!!!

About halfway throught the show, Shelby lost interested and started digging in the dirt and collecting rocks.

Our little girly girl

Just a few pictures Bret took of Shelby wearing her new birthday outfit. Shelby is such a girly girl. She has always loved dressing up and bows in her hair. For her third birthday, she asked for nothing but sparkly shoes. This year she wanted her bedroom decorated. She is always asking for funny things like that. Let me tell you, it is a lot of fun having girls! I just love this watermelon dress, and Shelby looks so cute in it. Her favorite parts are the bows, shoes and purse. What good is an outfit without accessories right?

Happy Monday

That's what the card, attached to the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen, said. My hubby is so sweet!

Dear Aunt Lizzy and Uncle Dave

You are awesome!!! Shelby got to go on her special birthday date with her Aunt Lizzy and Uncle Dave tonight. They took her to Cold Stone and she had a blast! My girls are so lucky to have them in their lives. Dave won't technically be their uncle until August 15, but he is in every other way. The girls adore him. As for Aunt Lizzy, she just rocks!!!! What can I say she is related to me. :)

A CD player of her very own! She was rocking out to Disney music all night.

A big kiss to show her appreciation.

Lizzy took this video with her new iPhone.

Apparently, Shelby worked her magic and talked Lizzy and Dave into buying her another bowl of ice cream. This time it was cotton candy with sprinkles and gum balls. That girl knows how to work it!

From pirates to princesses

Now that summer is here and the girls are home all day, I am falling way behind on blogging. Even though I am doing a lot less running around, I seem to be much busier! It's a good kind of busy though. I love having my girls home with me!!!!

Shelby's fourth birthday was last Saturday. Unlike her sister, Shelby went all girly girl for her birthday and requested a Cinderella cake. She had a great day, and I think she really felt like a princess all day. She got lots of presents because between my family and Bret's mom these girls are spoiled rotten! However, for her birthday, Shelby wanted to have her room fixed up. She has the biggest of the girls bedrooms, but we have not done much with it. She started climbing out of her crib before we left Houston, so she has just had a mattress on the floor. It worked out well because I didn't have to worry about her rolling out. I guess now that she is a "big girl", that just wouldn't do. A friend of ours from college lives nearby and is an artist. She came over and painted a beautiful tree and bunny rabbit (Shelby's request) on her wall. The whole family chipped in and decorated the room. My dad and Bret worked all day hanging curtains and putting the bed together! We have such an awesome family, and Shelby could not have been happier.

If you don't already know, Shelby has a bit of an addiction to Starbucks. She loves their cream cheese Danish rolls. In fact, loves is putting it mildly. I finally had to stop letting her have them because she would wake up every morning and the first thing out of her mouth was "I want a cheese roll." I mean every single morning! If she didn't get one, she would cry all morning for one. Every time she saw a Starbucks sign she burst into tears. It was ridiculous! I decided that going cold turkey was the only option. It was a rough couple of weeks let me tell you. She did not give up easily. So for her birthday, a "cheese roll" was one of her top requests.

After weeks of waiting she finally got her cheese roll!

You can't have a princess party without Balloons and a Cinderella cake.

What? This cake is for me?

Mom won't notice if I just take a little bite.

She didn't catch me!

Shelby had a blast swimming with her friends (all are boys by the way).

Finally time to eat cake!!!

That Dora card was FUNNY!

I love you Josiah.

Checking out her new room.

So Zach, what do you think of my room?