Chase's First Day

Today marks another milestone in my life as a mom...the first day of preschool. Chase got up this morning so excited about meeting new friends and getting off to preschool, even with the horrible weather. He was super cute about the whole thing and explained repeatedly to Cole, that when he gets bigger he can go with him to preschool. It is nothing like daycare used to be as he only goes 3 days a week from 9 - 12, but it still felt weird to go through the carpool line and drop him at the door to a teacher. However, when I picked him up, he just looked so happy and proud to have been at a "big boy" school for the morning!

One last picture before we leave the house!

His new bookbag that he has to take home every day so that I can sign papers...seems a lot like real school!

Chase and his picture he made for his new teacher (waiting in the carpool line).

Playdate with Ella and Aunt"E"

Today we invited our friends Erin and Ella over for a little playdate. Erin and I have known each other since we were young children and now, here we are having playdates with our own children! It is just so special to have such a great friend to share all of the mommy experiences with...plus, Ella is too cute for words!

The boys enjoyed having a little girl in the house, especially Chase. He is so mature now and was just sweet as can be with Ella. He would share with her and help her get things to play with. I was so impressed with the way he acted around her. Then there is Cole, who was not quite as receptive. I don't think he got his nap out before they got here, so he was a bit irritable. In addition,I think he was a bit jealous of mommy being around another baby.

Overall it was just so good to see them both and catch up on our new lives as stay-at-home moms! We definitely plan to make this a regular thing, both with and without the kids!

First Kiss

So I was hoping it wouldn't happen so soon, but what can I say, Cole can be such a cutie sometimes! It all started last night when we were playing with our neighbor's little girl, Gracie, at their house. As dark approached, I mentioned that we needed to leave. Before I knew it, Gracie is pointing at Cole to give him a hug. Then, it happened...Gracie gave Cole a big kiss on the lips! Well, I call it a kiss, but they really just opened their mouths and pressed up against one another. Still, it was so cute and I am just so proud that he picked such a cute little girl for his first. I didn't have my camera with me, but here is a picture of Gracie from another playdate...just a doll!

A Family Day at Stone Mountain

Well, prior to me quitting my old job, I was the Summer Party planner for the office. Since I had already planned this day out at Stone Mountain for the company, they invited us to come along and partake in the fun! We had so much fun, starting with a big catered picnic at one of the outdoor pavilions at the bottom of the mountain.
After that, we headed off to see the sights with the Underwoods. The train was the first requested activity by Chase. Plus, we thought it would be a chance for all of us to cool down just a little bit! Turns out, the train brought the rain...as soon as we got off, it began to pour!
After waiting out the rain for almost an hour, we were back out and on our way to the SkyRide to go to the top of the mountain. Much to our surprise, when we got there, that part of the park had no power from the storm. So, the kids played for a while and then Dannie and I decided to take the babies to her hotel room for a little R&R (no nap as of 4 pm is a little scary). After trying really hard to get them to rest, as seen in the following picture, we gave up and headed back for some dinner.
Once dinner was done, we attempted the SkyRide again, just Dannie, me and the kids. What an adventure...on the top of a huge rock with three little ones going every which way! It was crazy but a lot of fun.
Once the sun set at the top of Stone Mountain, we headed back down to watch the Laser Show. We all had a wonderful time, and much to our surprise, both kids made it to 10:30 at night without a nap! Needless to say, they crashed before we got out of the parking lot to drive home!

Cooking out with the Underwood Family

It has been a while since Cole and his buddy Logan played together, so we thought it was time to get the Underwood's over for a cookout. Braxton and I used to work together at GDS, and through him, I became friends with his wife Dannie. Dannie and I were pregnant together and ended up having Logan and Cole exactly six weeks apart. They are so cute together and had a really good time playing outside in the yard, even with Logan falling and getting a big bump on his head!

Three for a day

Today I decided to give a very pregnant friend a much needed day off to enjoy herself before baby Jack arrives next Friday. I took her 3-year-old daughter Sophia to spend the day with us. We had quite a day...I picked her up early this morning, went to bounce at the Bounce House for a few hours, went out to lunch, stopped in Publix for a few things and then came home to bake cupcakes and play for the rest of the day. Whew, just reciting what we did makes me tired! Anyhow, the kids really enjoyed baking with me, especially the frosting part. As a matter of fact, I think they ate more frosting than they put on the cupcakes themselves.

I know all of you moms are looking at these pictures and wondering what I was thinking letting them use knives. Let me just assure you that these are Pottery Barn Kids knives and are not sharp...just perfect for spreading frosting!

After Cole woke up from his nap, he enjoyed a well-frosted cupcake as well! I guess this is what he would look like if he could grow a mustache!

Two old friends hanging out together for a day. Oh yeah, did I mention that they thought it was fun to hold wedding ceremonies over and over again today? I am just curious as to whether or not Chase asked Mr. Dave for his permission!

We can't wait to meet baby Jack next week!

Good Times with the Goodakers

We had our old neighbors (Chip, Theresa, Sydney and Madelyn) over the other night for a cookout, following a full day of shopping for me and Theresa. Chase has known Sydney and Madelyn since he was born and tells everyone that they are his sisters. So, we can't let him go very long without seeing them or he gets terribly sad. After a long day, Chase and Sydney curled up on the couch for a movie.

Since Cole nevers slows down, he hung outside with Madelyn and watched Chip and Jason play card games.

Our family truly misses seeing them across the street everyday!

It's Potty Time...

Well, it has begun...Cole has decided he wants to potty train. Sometimes, I think he does more playing on the potty than anything else. He plays basketball with the trashcan, reads books, trys to suck on his toes, pretty much anything you can think of, he does it! So, the other day he decided to use his shorts as the object of entertainment. He kept putting them on his head and then pulling them off to shoot a basket with them. He is actually pretty funny and has gone potty quite a few times!

Let's Bounce...

Well, today was our weekly playgroup in the neighborhood. Instead of our usual pool or playground meeting, we ventured out to the Bounce House. There were about 8 moms from the neighborhood with their little ones, so it was a nice social event for the parents and a great use of energy for the kids! As you can see, the kids had a wonderful time...


Chase, Hunter and Kyra thought it would be fun to try and go up the slide...it didn't work too well.

After our fun morning at the Bounce House, a few of us took the kids to McDonalds (Old McDonalds, if you ask Chase). To say the least, both of mine were asleep before we made it to the house!

Computer Crazy

So, Cole's new favorite thing is my computer. Every time I turn my head, I find him up in my office chair typing on my computer. It is to the point that when he is quiet that I know exactly where he has run off to! This picture is from the other week, but I assure you, nothing has changed since it was taken!

New Kicks!

Well, I was going to post this a few days ago, but we recently had our modem go bad. I don't know how I even survived before we had internet. I have felt lost for the last few days, as I lived without any internet or email activity. The UPS man must have thought I was psycho as I ran to the door to accept the package with our new modem a few minutes ago!

Anyway, although the boys don't really need to go back-to-school shopping, I always feel the need to join all of Cobb and Cherokee Counties for tax-free shopping. This year, the boys needed shoes. With both of them growing like weeds, none of last year's shoes fit. Chase is now in the sizes where they look like big kid shoes (Jason made fun of me as I teared up looking at his feet). Chase got a pair of Saucony tennis shoes and Cole got some little Keds. They were so cute, I made them let me take a picture of their feet!

Playdate at "PLAY"

Today we joined our neighbor Shannon and her daughter Gracie for a playdate at "PLAY" in Roswell. It was an indoor activity center for kids with foam pits, trampolines, a bounce thing, etc. Chase and Cole both loved it and didn't want to leave. I guess we will be venturing back there again in the near future!

Here we go...

Well, this is going to be interesting...I am attempting to join in on the trendy blog thing (for the second time). Since I have become a stay-at-home mom, I am thinking that I will have a lot more to share with everyone a lot more often. Since there are so many people in so many places, I am hoping that updating this blog will be a good way to share all of our wonderful family adventures. I am not a big writer, so expect more pictures than anything!