Gray had his first school field trip a few weeks ago and Hayes and I joined him and were so glad we did. We made the beautiful drive to Marion, Arkansas' Circle R Ranch and had a great time on the hayride, choosing a pumpkin, riding the pony, petting the animals, and picking cotton. Sure hope they make that an annual trip because it was such a fun outing on such a gorgeous Fall day!
We had so much fun picking cotton, but I didn't have my good camera with me so we didn't get any good shots. Instead, I took the kids down to the Agricenter's cotton fields and had a blast watching them take it all in. By the way, if you've never been down there at this time of the year, it's absolutely breathtaking.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Fall....the pumpkins, the colors, the leaves falling (okay, that's a lie), and all of the delicious comfort foods that we start to make. But my FAVORITE part of the season is my baby boy's birthday. Gray turned 3 on the 16th of October and even though most of our family was out of town and his party wasn't until the next week, we made sure he had a big day. I made him some chocolate pumpkin muffins for breakfast and he had a complete blast opening his gifts. We went to the zoo and then Lovie and Papa came over for dinner, cake/ice cream, and of course more presents! It was truly the first time he had shown such excitement about the whole gift concept and it made me all the more excited about this year's Christmas. Here is his opening some of his treasures.....
As if he hadn't celebrated enough, we had all of his friends over for a pumpkin decorating party at our house this past Saturday. It was great fun to watch all of the kids poring over their pumpkins and so excited to see the final product. I think the parents were pretty relieved when they saw all the pieces were self-adhesive foam and there was no paint or carving involved.....we'll save that for another year I guess.
Since Halloween is my absolute FAVORITE holiday of the year, I was so thrilled to finally be able to have a Halloween birthday party for Gray and only wonder why I didn't think of it sooner....so many fun decorations and food!
Recipe for the Jackolantern Cheese Ball:
2 10 oz blocks extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
2 4 oz goat cheese logs, softened
½ tsp pepper
Stir together cheeses and pepper
Shape into a ball to resemble a pumpkin
Smooth with metal spatula or table knife, making grooves with fingertips
Serve with crackers and assorted veggies
Party favors
Poor thing....he almost passed out trying to blow them out!
Homemade pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
And again, he was over the moon opening and playing with all of his new toys. As soon as someone would walk in with a gift, he would tear it open, take it in another room and play with it all by himself. I think I have FINALLY solved the mystery of who gave him what gift since he did not do me the courtesy of keeping the gift cards with the gifts. His all-time favorite gift though was from his Aunt Lala and Uncle Andrew. It was a parking garage with a helicopter pad and 4 levels of parking. Since Uncle Andrew didn't make it back in town in time for his party, he paid his penance by putting it together for him.
Even Hayes had a great time, though it took her a while to get over the shock of all of those people and all of the noise they were making. Thankfully she had lots of grandparents, aunts, and uncles there to love on her until she warmed up to the idea. Here she is playing with some of Gray's new toys and eating dinner after the party with her cousin Greer.
After a long day of getting ready for the party, a fun-filled time with family and friends, and then pizza and football with all of our family, we were ready to finally wrap up Gray's week-long birthday celebration....even if he wasn't. Happy 3rd birthday sweet baby boy. We love you and have had such an amazing year. Here's to the next one!
The kids have been passing all kinds of lovely germs back and forth to each other over the past couple of weeks (first Gray had a viral infection, then Hayes had a cold, now Gray has the croup and an ear infection), so needless to say my plans have been a little botched and I've had to take them on some errands that I wouldn't otherwise have dared to do with them in tow. What I'm learning is that (A) it does get a little easier taking two kids places as they get older and (B) I am not above a bribe to make sure of that. The other day in Wal-Mart I quickly obliged Gray's plea for an IronMan mask when I realized it was the only way I would be able to finish my shopping. He loved it so much that he kept it on the entire time we were inWal-Mart (I've seen stranger things there unfortunately), all the way home in the car, the entire time he ate lunch (through the mask of course), and all while he was settling down for the nap (with his paci underneath). The poor thing fell asleep with the mask on and I almost put him in his bed with it on for fear of waking him.
I guess this is but a taste of what is in store for us with our little boy's boy....Here's a pic of him dressing up as a monster with the help of some koozies on his hands and feet. What an imagination this one has!
Speaking of boy's boy, ours pulled a typical one on us today when he reported to me that he had just swallowed a ball. What kind of ball, I don't know. All he would say was that it was white and small and that it now lay safely in his tummy. Fortunately, he is breathing/acting fine and I have a feeling we'll be seeing exactly what this ball looks like in the next 24 hours. I'll keep you posted. Just yesterday, I was reminding Adam that we had never had to actually take Gray to the ER for any of his shenanigans. Shortly after, he flipped over the barstool in our kitchen and landed directly on the top of his head. That was a close one! The last time I bragged about not having to do something, and learned my lesson for it, was when our friend was on a sequestered case as a juror. I proudly told Adam that I had never served jury duty only to receive a summons the next week for a sequestered case....when I was 34 weeks pregnant. You'd think I'd learn to knock on wood or something, yet here we are.
Hayes is getting too big for her britches....she has to try and do whatever her brother does, which usually results in tears when she can't or when he won't let her. Here's her in her new booster seat, sitting next to her brother and so happy doing things for herself.
And here is her, not so happy, when I asked Gray to give her a hug and make her feel better after she got hurt.....nice, right?
Last weekend we took advantage of the beautiful Fall weather and bought two child carriers for our bikes so we can ride on the new Memphis green belt. It is such a wonderful amenity to have here in the city and we are just up the street from one of the entry points. The kids have LOVED riding with us and it's actually been great therapy for Gray's croup.....just what the doctor ordered! Here's a picture of Gray and Adam riding before work this morning. They just can't get enough! And yes, that's a paci in his mouth. In his defense, he had just woken up. In my defense, I have none.
And here's a picture of my handsome boys riding after work....I'm the one that needs a paci by this point in the day.
On a different note, I have been getting so excited about this Fall season and have been busy as a bee decorating and getting ready for Gray's pumpkin decorating party.
Seriously, this is what my laundry room looks like right now in preparation....I'll post pics after his party to show what we ended up doing with these....gonna be a fun time!
I am also taking advantage of the kickoff of this Fall season to cook some of my seasonal favorites. Today's special is Chicken Potpie, a dish I grew up on, and I just love how easy, quick and cheap it is....not to mention even better the next day! For those of you that hate leftovers, you are truly missing out! It is a great dish for leftover pork tenderloin, roast beef, or rotisserie chicken.
Chicken Potpie
2 chicken breasts, chopped (I use frozen most of the time)
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper
1 ½ cups milk
3 tbl butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cups frozen veggies, thawed
1 tbl fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried
½ tsp dried thyme
2 9” pastry crusts
1 egg, slightly beaten
Combine chicken, broth, salt and pepper in a large saucepan; bring to a boil and reduce to low; cover and let simmer for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked
remove the chicken and let cool. Pour the remaining broth into a measuring cup and let stand; spoon off the fat. Add enough milk to the mixture to equal 2 ½ cups
Cut chicken in smaller pieces
In the same pan, melt butter; saute onion and celery
Stir in flour and broth mixture and simmer until thickens
Add chicken, vegetables, parsley and thyme
Pour into pie crust and top with another crust
Cut slits onto the top to vent; brush with egg
Bake at 400 for 30 minutes; let stand for 10 before cutting
It's been a while since we posted so I'll try to catch up.....
The kids started a new school, First Baptist Day School, in early August after a week at home with me. Needless to say we were all ready for school to begin when the week was over (God bless those of you who have kids home all summer and Lord help me when my time comes!). Gray is in a class of 5 and is the youngest of the "Terrific Turtles" and loving all the big-kid interaction. He's the only one who isn't potty trained yet, since he's the youngest, and that's been great for kick starting the process. I guess that means no more dragging our feet around here. Stay tuned for more on that topic, as I'm sure it will provide some entertaining pictures and stories. Gray's new program includes weekly Spanish class, Kindermusik, and Gigglebytes computer class. He loves his teacher, his new friends, and especially the moon bounce in the gym that they get to play on when the weather doesn't cooperate. His teacher says he's very vocal and playful, which I'm sure means loud and rowdy. I used to think all boys were, but I'm starting to think it might just be him. Oh well, he's so much fun and I get so tickled by his antics. I don't know where he comes up with this stuff, but he's says things like, "I love shopping, it's great!" and "That is one awesome fountain". When P came to town and slept in his bed with him, he woke her up and said, "Too loud, P....you're snoring!". Lord help us....
Hayes is a "Little Ladybug" and adores her teachers and all of the fun crafts projects they do. We were all nervous about how she'd take to sleeping on a nap mat, but they must really wear her out because they say she goes right to sleep with no fussing or help. I say this with amazement because even though Hayes has been a great sleeper from the start, lately she's been tough to put down and waking up super early. Come to find out the child has grown about 7 teeth in the last 6-8 weeks, which explains her all-around fussiness and resistance to sleep. Poor thing......1 tooth is bad but multiple teeth coming in at one time is pure torture! And her hair is trying to keep up with her rapid teeth growth and has gotten long enough to put in a ponytail. Clearly, both kids got Adam's full head of hair and it truly makes Hayes look like a 2 year old instead of the 14.5 month old that she really is. She loves to make animal sounds (cow, sheep, and duck) and can also "arghhh" like a pirate. She says "bye-bye", "Gray-Gray", "night-night", and "snack" and can sign for "more" and "eat". Every day it's something new and we are loving every minute of watching this precious girl grow up.
This summer seems like it has been one birthday after another....first Hayes', then Adam's, and tons of our little friends. We celebrated Campbell Cole's 2nd birthday with a beach party at the Cole's and had a great time watching all of the little ones help themselves (literally) to the cake and splash in the kiddie pool.
P came in town the next week to stay with the kids while Adam and I went to Orlando and she took them to their friend Annie's 3rd birthday party down the street. They loved riding the pony and of course Gray had so much fun chasing after Annie. He does not like the fact that he has competition for Annie's heart from our neighbors, the Crump boys, but I guess it's best that he learn that lesson in love earlier rather than later in life.
Next was our niece, Greer's, 1st birthday party. It was so fun to get together with family and friends to celebrate sweet Greer's big day. She adored her Dora the Explorer cake and showed off her new walking skills. Yea Greer! Since Greer's birthday is only a day before mine, her party happened to be on my actual birthday, which was such a treat. I made this door sign for Greer's party and thought it came out so cute and sweet, just like her!
We celebrated my birthday after hers with a family dinner and some yummy steaks and key lime pie....Mama's favorite! The hubs also took me out for a date at the new Sweet Grass restaurant and we were so thrilled that it lived up to all the hype. We will definitely be returning! Thanks to Lovie and Papa for keeping the kids while we got some alone time.
For Labor Day, we headed down to ole Red Stick to stay with my parents at their new place. We stopped at our favorite restaurant in Jackson, Ms (Keifer's) on the way there AND the way back and indulged in the feta dressing, which we are still tirelessly trying to recreate with no success. The weekend was filled with delicious food and good wine, as always, and we had a great time catching up with our family. We drove over to Franklin for the day to visit with my 88-year-old grandmother and all of my aunts and uncles and I am so glad that she was finally able to meet Hayes. I only wish we could get down there more.
On the way back, we stopped in Lafayette, where I grew up, and visited with my 78-year-old godfather, Parrain Ted. It was so neat watching the kids play with the same toys from the same toy drawer that Mal and I played with on the many, many trips to Parrain's house growing up. His house holds great memories for me and now it will for my kids too.
The weather here is absolutely beautiful and we are soaking up the cool temps, knowing they won't last long. Last weekend we went down to Kidz Kountry farm in Southaven for a barnyard birthday party for another little friend and then over to my friend Angie's to celebrate her twin boys' 2nd birthday. They were both so much fun and I just love that theme with all of the red gingham, raffia, and mason jars.....here's the door sign Angie commissioned me to do for the party, which is now hanging on the boys' bedroom.
We also went to the Germantown Festival, which was the perfect outing for such a beautiful day. We ate "fair food", people-watched, played on the playground, got a snow cone, and even rode some rides. There was nothing cuter than watching Hayes get to ride the "big kid" rides like her brother. She is such a daredevil and screamed for more. Here we go, all over again......so much like Gray in some ways, and yet so different. That's what makes them such perfectly unique creatures I suppose.
Guest Family Photo (notice Hayes writhing in my arms)
Guest girls in green
Two weeks ago Adam and I drove the fam over to Pell City, Alabama for the weekend for our long-awaited Guest Family Reunion. My mom was a Guest girl and she and her 3 sisters had been planning every detail for this get-together for the past year. The drive down there was a breeze compared to going to Destin earlier this summer. The built-in DVD player is a lifesaver and now that Hayes actually semi pays attention to the movie, we are all enjoying the ride a LOT more! And the absence of the bottle routine every couple of hours doesn't hurt either. Woohoo for first birthdays! But then there's the walking. Now that she's finally completely mobile, she of course goes in a completely different direction than Gray, making it almost impossible for me to go anywhere with the two of them alone. Fortunately, Adam was at the reunion with me, as were my parents and sister/brother in law, so the wee ones were outnumbered. Nevertheless, it was still extremely hard. My dreams of sitting on the dock sipping daiquiris while the kids innocently frolicked nearby were clearly not realized and Adam and I spent the majority of the time running around after them in 100 degree, thick-as-a-swamp heat. There were 45 people there, half of which were children, so you can only imagine the chaos. But we survived, even staying at a motel in 1 room with carpet that stuck to your feet when you walked, and made some great memories that will hopefully last us until the next Guest family get-together. Let's just hope that next time the kids are more in the frolicking phase so that Mommy can fulfill her aforementioned fantasy.
And again, he was over the moon opening and playing with all of his new toys. As soon as someone would walk in with a gift, he would tear it open, take it in another room and play with it all by himself. I think I have FINALLY solved the mystery of who gave him what gift since he did not do me the courtesy of keeping the gift cards with the gifts. His all-time favorite gift though was from his Aunt Lala and Uncle Andrew. It was a parking garage with a helicopter pad and 4 levels of parking. Since Uncle Andrew didn't make it back in town in time for his party, he paid his penance by putting it together for him. 
Even Hayes had a great time, though it took her a while to get over the shock of all of those people and all of the noise they were making. Thankfully she had lots of grandparents, aunts, and uncles there to love on her until she warmed up to the idea. Here she is playing with some of Gray's new toys and eating dinner after the party with her cousin Greer. 
