Cheating Fall?

As we go for walks, go swimming, and go to the park STILL...I always feel like I am cheating the 'weather system'! When my mind is expecting it to be fall/winter weather, it makes it even better that we are still enjoying warm weather. It's still in the mid-high 80's here! Which I am SO grateful for...but it makes it hard when I want to stick a Christmas CD in. I guess I just can't listen to Christmas music when it seems like summer weather. We are, however, enjoying EVERY minute of the wonderful weather!

A few random pictures:

You never know what you're going to end up with when Nate gives the kids a bath. (We needed some extra bunny ears for our T.V. anyways.)

Fun at the park.

Caitlin is such a little mom to Emma! She thought she was 'cold' the other day, so Emma got the royal treatment for a while.

Now I just FINALLY pulled all the pictures off my phone and put them on my computer. So here are a bunch of totally out-of-order random pictures:

Abby got croup and was SO SICK for a while!

Ok..so here goes the explanation on this bebe. I have been wanting a jogger/bike trailer for a while. They are expensive, and we can't spend the $$ on something like that right now...so it's just been on my 'someday' wish list. Long story short: I found this Trek one at a garage sale for $25 and it was FILTHY but had only been used twice, and just sat in a garage/outside for a year or two. The girls and I scrubbed and hosed and scrubbed more and got it looking SO NICE!!!! TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS!!!! These sell for $475! I was so excited, and we use it several times a day! Ok..enough of the bargain-shopping-stories....

Yesterday at the park...love the weather!

Had to put a picture of my favorite tree on this planet. I LOVE PALM TREES!
My cute girls wakin' up. (Minus Caitlin who was at school doing calculus or whatever they learn in kindergarten these days.)
Say huh?
THIS ONE'S FOR YOU SHERSTIN!!!
It's all about the cheeks...gotta love the side profile! They are actually thinking about making her cheeks have their own zip code.
HELLO the bed head!
Self explanatory. Cute.
Ems and grandpa sweltering at the state fair! Love it baby!
Emma's 1st time in the 'big girl cart'. (and heck YES that's at Dollar Tree!)
Ok...so I found this tootsie roll in the girls halloween bowl one morning. Apparently it is easier to just sneak a bite with the wrapper on before mom catches them. Nice.

My Caitlin

I haven't done a tag in a long time...but Rikki tagged me for one that I really think I needed. It's a kiddie tag, and she tagged me to write 5 things about Caitlin. Why did I really need this? It seems like lately I just have a hard time feeling great about my relationship with Caitlin. I try all different ways to be friends with her, and make our relationship go smoothly, but it seems there are always times when she is just completely unhappy with me. I feel like, a lot lately, when I go to bed, I'm always wondering how I could have interacted differently with Caitlin that day to make her realize how much I really love her. It's kind-of been eating away at me recently, so I'm glad that I've had a chance to think of a few things that I really love about Caitlin.

1. Caitlin is my helper in times that I just couldn't make it without her. When Emma was born, I really struggled recovering and with my emotions, and Caitlin truly helped so much with Emma and Abby. She always does things to help me out (even if I don't need help with those things ;o). Today I told her to come get her dress on for church, and I asked why the water was running so long. She told me she was doing the dishes for me, and she'd be done in a minute. And she really did rinse all the dishes for me and stack them on the counter.

2. Caitlin is so smart. She is learning to read so quickly, and she figures things out so fast. One of the other mom's that helps at center time in her class told me this funny story. She said that she had the center all set-up and was explaining to the kids how to accomplish the task. I guess Caitlin looked at her and said, "Well, it might be easier if we just do it this way..." and explained the 'easier' way. The mom said, "Well, she was right. It WAS easier that way, and now I tell everyone that I was shown-up by a 5-year old." I love to see how much she is learning in school...thank goodness for teachers. I could never teach her all that at home!

3. Caitlin has such a tender heart. If Abby ever gets in trouble (oh wait...when Abby gets in trouble all the time ;o) Caitlin always asks me if she can take Abby her 'sippin' corner, or if she can go in the room with Abby, or just anything to ease Abby's 'pain' from being on time-out. Caitlin can always tell if something is bothering me...or if I've been crying, and she always puts her arm around me and just gives me that love that I need.

4. Caitlin LOVES babies. She loves them! She always begs to hold our friends' little Lily. Anytime we are at a playplace, or anything like that, she'll always find the babies crawling around and play with them or help them. She's definitely got a soft spot in her heart for the tiniest of us.

5. Caitlin is just flat-out FUN. She loves to play outside, she loves to play with friends, she loves to play games, she is just such a fun little person to have around. My world wouldn't be complete without my sweet Caitlin, and I am so so grateful to have her in my life. Thanks for the tag Rikks...I really needed this!!!

OH YEAH....and by the way, Emma got her 1st tooth! Well, she cut her 1st tooth Friday, and then Saturday her other bottom one cut through. Craziness! She's not my little baby anymore....

Time for a Haircut!

Well, Emma's hair has been begging for a haircut for some time now. I've been leery to do it because I don't know anything about cutting hair. Her hair grows so fast, and that back layer was just getting so long...it was borderline mullet-ized. So on Sunday I gave in and cut it. Not perfect, but with those lovable chubby cheeks...I think she looks pretty darn cute!

And by the way....just an Oompa Loompa shoutout....

If you want to see THE CUTEST OOMPA LOOMPAS that I've ever seen, go to my friend Sara's blog, her 2 little kids are to die for! Now THOSE are some serious Oompa Loompas!!!!!!!!!
http://sarajoyner.blogspot.com/