***I am adding this disclaimer to this blog post. Today is Thursday. I have been trying to write this damn thing since Monday when the boys went to school - or were supposed to go to school but Parker was home sick - but Hallie has torn apart every puzzle, pee'd in her plastic potty that had no insert in it, wheeled her doll bed into my bathroom and threw every content from the baskets below around my whole room, painted my legs, feet and toenails with black washable paint - only washable if you aren't in need of a pedicure you can't fit in because you don't even have time to breathe, and currently spilled a whole cup of water on the table just because it is fun to watch it drip. Oh and whined incessantly. IN-FREAKIN'-CESSANTLY ... Three more weeks until preschool. I can do this.***
*** oh oh .... and now the cat just puked and she is freaking out because that is wealllllly sickkkkkkk***
SUMMER VACATION!! Funny. I feel like we just got a break from our summer and am ready to relax and "vacation" and BAM! The kids go back to school. Sigh ....
This summer was one like no other. I used to say I wouldn't do swim team because I didn't want to have to be obligated to be anywhere during summer vacation. THAT? Would have been the least of my issues....... This summer I just couldn't have added it to my plate .... my iCal was screaming "STOP! ENOUGH ALREADY! I'M FULL! NO MORE DOTS!" I, honestly, was so busy I didn't have time to work! The one client I fit in I shot DURING our family birthday party at OUR house for all 3 kids (and HB) ....
So, here is a recap of Summer 2011........
Memorial Day, pool, baseball practice, pool, baseball practice, pool, baseball practice, pool, tournament for one child, pool, baseball practice, golf tournament, baseball practice, baseball practice [I am stuck on repeat?], baseball practice, tournament, 14th anniversary, baseball practice, tournament, Father's Day, baseballlllllllll, Casey's birthday, weekend tournament away, HB's birthday, 4th of July, golf, baseball, Grandma's birthday, family party, baseball practice, baseball tournament, baseball, golf, Parker's birthday, week-long tournament in Delaware, kids go to camp, Parker's birthday party, Hallie's birthday, FOOTBALL (YES! FOOTBALL!) practice, fun week .......... AARRGGHHHHH!
Wait .... you know what would be more fun? PICTURES! Yes! Yay! Pictures!
This is actually a picture from the 4th of July. But since the summer started with Memorial Day, I thought I would put it first. It's my blog. I can do that. So there. :D In case you are wondering where on earth I got such adorable shirts that don't say Old Navy or 2011 on them, my friend Liz makes these super adorable shirts ..... we have one for every holiday she has made them for so far! I will pimp her out right here ......
This summer Parker played on the 7U Bulldog All-Star team .... he was one of our catchers and played GREAT! We didn't win anything, but he made great friends and had a great time! OK, truth is it was &!@*% hot. I sweated my fanny off every weekend and am surprised I was able to gain 5 pounds instead of lose them - but that was probably because my kitchen didn't see a home cooked meal in 3 months. Oh well.
My sweet little catcher:
Batting:
In action - my favorite picture because who else can catch a ball with their eyes closed? Yeah, he is THAT good. LOL
(That guy in the corner being an umpire is Eric our mailman ..... gotta love a guy who can deliver your mail properly and get $20 at Christmas because of it and go on to make calls against your team anyhow....)
Casey also played baseball but I'm going to reserve those pictures for when I tell you about our week in Delaware because I know right now you're thinking "OH YAY! Tell me ALL about it! Please! I can't wait another minute!" Patience, my friends.... patience.....
Casey did golf competitively this summer - but not enough to get enough points to compete in the Championship (which was when we were in Delaware anyhow so I guess who cares? Him.) ... but he did really well seeing as we could only fit it in when we weren't playing baseball. (Thatisourstoryandwearestickingwithit.)
Anniversary ... Father's Day .... both taken up by baseball. Casey's 12th birthday - see the blog post about it, if you care, because clearly he is the golden child since he got the only birthday blog post - frankly the only blog post all summer- was a great time. We were lucky enough to have a break from baseball that day/night so we let him have a couple friends over to celebrate.
I know what you are thinking when you see his cake. You are judging me because you might know there used to be a day when I would special order a cake from a bakery that would be perfect ... and this? I wonder if it is less embarrassing to say I bought it at Walmart or made it myself .... you choose.
This is our Happy Birthday sign. You see it a lot during the summers around our house. Lots of birthdays. I make them take a picture with it every year which they hate ..... but I like to look back at them! If you look closely at the bottom of the H, there is a purple sticky spot - that's because I was so lazy last summer that I put the sign away with the balloons attached from Hallie's birthday and they melted. :o) Good job, Mommy!
HB's birthday was uneventful - surrounded by baseball and a home cooked meal. We were all shocked to be sitting around the table together. Riveting info.
Then we hit July.
On July 4th I decided to see what the moon/star button did on my camera. Because I don't use that side of the dial normally. It did this and I thought it was super cool!
And here Sweet Caroline (™Neil Diamond) was almost fast enough to get a whole star!! Don't think I won't have a special surprise for NEXT 4th of July! :o)
Then, being the rednecks we truly are in our hearts, HB drove to South Carolina to get the big dawgs and we had our own firework celebration in our cul-de-sac. [insert apology to our neighbors also in the cul-de-sac who have little kids with strict bedtimes ... especially for those really loud squealy ones but you *did* choose to buy a house in a middle class subdivision in a cul-de-sac sooooooooooo............]
I KNOW!!!!! Right?!?! Pretty cool pics .... errrrr......I mean....... fireworks .....
Parker's 8th birthday was the day we left for Delaware so we decided to change it from the 15th to the 14th. Here he is on his "8th birthday" (*coughonedayearlycough*) ...
I know, he still looks 7 there, right? He was 8. I swear. Really. Work with me.
He is in desperate need of a haircut (and teeth.)
So Delaware. The coach of Casey's team decided we should go do a tournament in Delaware called Sports at the Beach .... kind of like Cooperstown only not as, um, boring? Just kidding. There is a lot to do in Delaware and here is the photo diary of our trip from facebook, if you would like to see it! (You shouldn't have to be "on" facebook to see that album link)
Anyhow, the trip was the best we could make of it - lots of history in Delaware and the beach was awesome and tons of fun with friends and family .... and we threw a little baseball into the mix. My favorite baseball pictures from the trip are this succession of pics below..... if you know anything about baseball, the kid/runner will lead off of the base in an attempt to be ready to steal the next base. In this case, Casey was on third. Then, the pitcher will try to pick them off by throwing the ball to the third (or whatever) baseman instead of throwing a pitch resulting in getting the runner out. So you hear the third base coach yelling BAAAAACKKKKKK almost constantly. (Follow?)
Leading off of third .......
Back! Back! Back!
BACKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hand stepped on, face [mouth, eyes, nose, eyebrows, ears, teeth, expander, you get it, right?] full of dirt, jammed finger ........
OH. MY. GOSH. Thank goodness I had my camera handy! :o)
Anddddddddd jump right back on that horse!
So we get back from Delaware after a week of fun and jump right into the week of camp for the kids and football for Parker..... I think that is what happened - have I lost my mind?! Don't answer that.
Parker loves football. OK, that's not true. What Parker said was that he isn't going to play football next year because it's too sweaty.
Team ..... that is some SERIOUS sweat.
First day of full pad practice .....
Whoooo boy ..... love that sweaty grin!
I am almost done. Are you still awake?
Then along comes the Royal Princess Hallie's birthday. Royal [pain in my butt] Princess. On our way home from Delaware (5 days before her birthday) I decided we should give her a new room for her birthday because she has been obsessed with this "princess bed" since she saw The Game Plan last December. By "we" should give her a princess room, clearly I mean "I" should give her a princess room. Really, we all can agree that HB is not handy and not really into any sort of physical labor. So off to camp she goes and having slept in our room for 10 days in Delaware it was easy to keep her out of her room and in ours for an extra week. So I take down the crib, paint, redecorate, make curtains, make a princess swag, put a bed together and purchase, drive home AND lug upstairs a full size mattress & boxspring! By myself. I *AM* abnormally strong for my size. *flexes muscles* About day 2 I was thinking it was the stupidest thing I had ever EVER EVERRRRRR decided to do but when we surprised her ON her birthday with her princess room, we got this reaction:
I mean, really ..... how can you top that?
Then she said "Take my picture!" So I did .....
THEN, I think her exact words were, "OK, now get out of my room." Oh how I love that little personality. Lovelovelovelove..........................
The before and after pictures of her room are also on facebook and the link should be public, if you care to see the transformation...
I do want to add, about Hallie, that she was a good sport this summer being dragged to baseball games and left behind with sitters..... I did actually spend *some* time with her and she learned to do this:
No. Fear. (Very. Scary.)
The last week before school starts we call "Fun Week" and try to cram something super fun into every day that we didn't get done all summer. On Monday we got haircuts and school supplies. What? That's not fun? On Tuesday the kids begged for a pajama day. Are you saying you don't think it's OK to stay in your pajamas all day? You are no fun. None at all. Wednesday we did something that slips my mind, Thursday we saw a movie and Friday we went to Malibu Grand Prix.
Then school starts. And it ends. :o( And now, finally, I am ready for summer. I guess the only saving grace is that living in Atlanta it will FEEL like summer for another 3 months! Woot woot?
