The Thames Family

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful Easter weekend! It's hard to believe that last Easter I was in the hospital recovering from a c-section with baby Allyn. We are truly blessed.

Greatest Field Trip EVER!

2011-04-19T11:36:00.001-07:00

The girls got to take an amazing field trip today with their school, and baby Allyn and I (along with lots of other mommas and daddies) chose to tag along. Here was the course of events: Aubie welcomed them to the Auburn Athletic complex, complete with a photo opportunity with him. Next was a viewing of the National Championship Trophy, a tour of the athletic equipment room, and multiple "player sightings." Coach Luper and Coach Boulware came out to speak to the kids. We then walked to the baseball field where we got to see the field AND get a personal tour of the locker room. There were even a few players in there getting prepped for tonight's game. Next, we were off to the football stadium. We got to go in through the player's entrance and straight into the Football Locker Room....way cool! The best surprise (to me) of the morning was getting to run out of the tunnel and onto the field. The kids ran up and down in complete awe of how big it all was! We then got to stop by the new Auburn Arena and check out some of the sports memorabilia in the museum and go inside the ticket office. I took way too many pictures to post here, but I tried to pick out some of the highlights. I think the parents may have even enjoyed the morning more than the kids! (There were at least 5 daddies that chose to chaperone this trip:) We are all about to kick up our heels for an afternoon rest!!!

Little Man is One!

2011-04-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

We had a blast this past weekend celebrating our little guy turning one! Thanks to our family for celebrating with us....here are some picture highlights from the weekend. Needless to say, Allyn IV was not a big fan of the cake:)

Little Rascal

2011-02-15T06:59:00.000-08:00

This little guy has all of us wrapped around his finger. I could just eat him up, he is so cute. I feel like I am raising a mini version of my husband. He is so mischevious with his coy little grins and wicked laugh. I love you little man!

Daddy Daughter Date Night 2011

2011-02-10T19:12:00.001-08:00

I have always known what a wonderful daddy Allyn is, but he proved it tonight. He has been under the weather most of the week, with his worst day being today. Despite it all, he managed to pull it together enough to take the girls to their most favorite event of the entire year...truly! They have been so excited that they even coreographed a "special" dance to perform at tonight's festivities. They picked out what Allyn was going to wear and had it laid out neatly at the foot of our bed when he got home from work. The squealing began the moment he set foot in the back door and did not stop until they were buckled in their car seats about 20 min. later. After I got a sick (and pooped) daddy tucked into bed, I had a hard time bringing the girls down from the TCBY sugar high enough to coral them into bed as well. All are now sleeping soundly. Now the countdown can begin for next year!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some highlight photos from Christmas. The holiday began with a precious Christmas program at the girls' school where they both played angels. We then made the trips to both Birmingham and Montgomery to celebrate with both sets of grandparents and cousins. We were back at home in Auburn on the 23rd to stay. Some of the girls' favorite presents included the following: everything they got that had anything to do with princesses, the hello kitty karyoke machine from Aunt Lynlee, and their pillow pets from Santa. Other Christmas favorite activities included making/decorating our cookies for Santa, helping mommy unwrap and hang the tree ornaments (pretty much being little "helpers" as much as I would let them), sprinkling reindeer food in our driveway on Christmas Eve, staying in pajamas as much as possible. This was little Allyn's first Christmas. Although he was oblivious to what was heppening, he was fully entertained with the all the festivities. As you can tell from the pictures, he is now sitting on his own and ready to crawl...he can pivot in circles while on his stomach but can't quite coordinate the crawling just yet (so very nice for mommy that he was stationary this year). He is still a very happy boy and loves to eat. As you can tell by the orange tint to his nose, he eats lots of squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Puffs are also a favorite, though he gets as many stuck to his face as he actually gets into his mouth. Also note the RED color of his hair! He and his cousin, Rutland, look so much alike! I am scared to see what this little rascal is going to get into once he starts moving. The Red Rider gun from Papa was a favorite gift (of daddy's...he can't wait for his little boy to be old enough to go hunting with him). Oh, and we got snow on Christmas Day...so crazy! Enjoy the pics:)

Fall Fun

2010-11-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

So much has been going on this fall, so I put together a slide show of some of the highlights. Ella and Gray are both loving school and have each had a turn to carry the cross down the aisle in chapel (a very big deal when you are 5)! We got to spend a day in Birmingham for their cousin, Baylor's, 1st birthday. Next was the pumpkin patch, a school Halloween parade/party, and our anual neighborhood trick-or-treat bash. Little Allyn is almost 7 months now! He isn't on the move yet, but he is starting to get that mischevious look in his eyes. I think our days are numbered until he is getting into EVERYTHING! Even still, he is such a joy to be around and has his mommy (really all of us) wrapped around his little finger:)

Little man

2010-10-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Since I have totally neglected blogging, I feel that little man deserves a post. He went for his 6 month check up today, and here are the stats: 16 lbs, 10oz. 26 in. long. He is in 25th percentile for both weight and height. He is rolling, starting to sit up some, and LOVES to squeal and anybody and anything. He is an absulute joy and perfect addition to our family. Here are a few recent pics:)

A star is born

2010-06-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

O.k, so most of you know that both of the girls have been TERRIFIED of swimming without their floaties. We have been finishing up swim lessons this week, and I guess something finally clicked with Ella. Yesterday she asked Mrs. Amber if she could jump off the diving board. What? Yes, you read that correctly. She was loving it! I think she actually did it about 5-6 times and was sad when the lesson was over. As for Gray, she's still not so sure about the whole "head under water" thing. I can say she comes by it naturally since I hear from my mom that I wasn't real into the swimming thing when I was little either. Sorry Gray! Here are some snapshots of the little fish in all of her glory:)

Allyn IV baby dedication

2010-06-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

We had Allyn IV's baby dedication this Sunday. It really is a special time as a parent to commit to raise your child in a Godly home. What an awesome responsibility and privelage. Thanks to all of our family for coming to share this meaningful day with us!!

Fun Weekend

2010-04-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our fun weekend. Our friend, Kirkley, had a pony birthday party on Saturday. The weather was beautiful and the party was a blast. Allyn was able to take the girls to A-Day Saturday afternoon. They were able to go down to the field after the game and meet the cheerleaders and Tiger Paws. They even came home with a few autographs. Allyn's parents and grandparents came to visit on Sunday . We got some great pictures of all 4 generations of Allyns. Allyn Sr. is about to have his 90th birthday and is so proud that the name is still going strong! The girls had a fun little adventure playing outside with their water guns....you can see that KK (Allyn's grandmother) had no hesitations joining in.

He's here!

2010-04-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry everybody for the late post, but we didn't have internet access while in the hospital. Well, Allyn IV is here safe and sound. He was born on Good Friday at 1:11 p.m. Here are the stats: 5 lbs, 14 oz., 18 1/4 in. long. Since his lungs were still a little immature at the time of delivery, the doctors decided to let him breathe a little oxygen for the first day so he didn't have to work quite so hard to breathe. After that, he was in the room with us and was doing great. It's crazy how much easier it is to take care of only 1 baby.....and a baby NOT in the NICU for that matter. We absolutely love this little guy, and he has already made quite and impression on his sisters. Thank you Lord for such a wonderful Easter blessing. Thanks to all of our friends and family for the prayers and support!

Allyn IV is coming soon!

2010-04-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Allyn IV will be arriving tomorrow, April 2nd!! Talk about an Easter blessing! We hope to have the c-section around noon.....stay tuned:)

Snow 2010

2010-02-12T19:29:00.001-08:00

Daddy Daughter Date Night

2010-02-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

"This is the best night ever" was what the girls were saying as they were getting buckled into their car seats for their date with daddy last night. It was so precious to see how excited they were to spend time with Allyn. They were dressed and ready to go when he walked in the door from work, so they rushed back into the bedroom to help him get changed into his "handsome clothes." Thanks Allyn for being the kind of daddy that our little girls love to spend time with!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-31T13:11:00.000-08:00

It seems like Christmas gets more fun every year. With the girls fully understanding the excitement of Santa as well as celebrating Jesus' birthday, we had a ball! We spent our time in between Birmingham, Montgomery, and Auburn with wonderful family and friends. The favorite gift thus far is the $5.00 beads and string that Santa brought.....we have multiple jewelry creations, many of which are hanging by safety pins to decorate the inside of their new princess tent:)

Way Overdue!!!

2009-12-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

My blog posting days have been few and far between lately, so let me update you on the Thames crew. First of all, we are expecting a baby boy mid April! He will be Allyn Mabson Thames IV, and we will call him Allyn. My Allyn is very close with both his grandfather and father, so he is so proud to be able to continue the name. Needless to say, he is thrilled with the idea of having a little "buddy" to tag along beside him in all of his manly adventures. I keep having to remind him that it will be a while before baby Allyn will be spending the night at the hunting camp with him and holding a rifle! Because our whole world will soon be changing with the addition of a baby, we decided to go ahead and take a vacation to Disney with the girls. I have to say that it far exceeded our expectations! It was priceless to see their excitement upon meeting all of the characters and having them sign their autograph books. Disney is so beautiful at Christmas time, and it was a vacation we will all remember!

Family beach trip

2009-08-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

Since my sister has been harping on me to finally update my blog, here I am. We do a huge family beach trip with my parents, sister, and 4 other extended families every summer. This year is, I think, is the 32nd year. It is so wonderful to see my girls enjoying the same experience that I have had for so many years. They absolutely love their "beach friends," and are already counting down the says until we return next summer. Here are a few pictures of our crew. Notice the birthday hat on Ella....my birthday happened to fall during the middle of our trip...the girls insisted on wearing their celebration hats down to the beach.

Lots to write about!

2009-07-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun couple of days. The girls have continued to enjoy our new puppy and have quickly taught him about living with 2 little girls.....check out the pictures of them pushing him in the stroller the other night.

We had a blast last night at the Opelika 4th of July celebration with friends from Allyn's office. Gray and Ella loved hanging out with the "big girls." They were enamored with the skydivers....everyone there probably heard the squeals! The fireworks were great too. After getting home at almost 10:00, we all hit the sack hard!

O.k., for a totally unrelated but hilarious story, he is a re-cap of the conversation I had with Ella last night after bath time. Here's the set-up: we had all just gotten out of the tub when the doorbell rang. We couldn't get there for obvious reasons (not dressed). Here's the dialogue:
E: Mommy, who whas that at the door?
Me: Don't know, but they are gone now
E: (Very animated and excited voice) Mommy, I bet I know who that was!
Me: Really, who?
E: Michael Jackson

Needless to say, I couldn't stop laughing. Do you think that the media has been a little crazy with the Michael Jackson talk/photos/music, etc. since my 3 year old knows who he is?

Banks

2009-06-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

We have a new member to our family, formally known as "Mr. Banks." We are calling him Banks. Most of y'all know that the girls love the movie, "Mary Poppins," and we named the dog after the Banks family that she comes to live with on the movie. The girls have been praying for a dog (literally...every night!) for a while, but we hadn't made a decision on what kind or when we would get one. Yesterday, totally out of the blue, we saw an ad in the paper for Cairn Terrier puppies(the "toto" dog from the Wizard of Oz). We decided to call and find out about them......a few hours later we were on our way to Eufaula to get one. We hardly ever do things on the fly, so this was WAY out of character for us! When Allyn told the girls we were going to get a puppy to come home and live with us, they were beside themselves. Ella even jumped up into Allyn's arms and said "thank you so much daddy." Well, we were locked in for sure at that point. Little Banks has been a very sweet addition to our family, and the girls absolutely adore him. Here are a few pictures of the little guy:)

Beach Bums

2009-06-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at the beach last week with Allyn's parents. Talk about the difference a year makes.....the girls were so content to play in the sand and the ocean all day without needing a change of scenery. There were times when the adults could actually look at a magazine while the girls played....major milestone!! It was a WONDERFUL vacation! Some of our favorite activities were listening to Memee tell countless stories, playing in the sand, swimming in the ocean, and hunting for crabs at night. We even got to enjoy a great fireworks show at the state dental conference on Saturday night. We are couning down the days until we can go back!!

Day at the Lake

2009-05-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite places to be is at the lake. We celebrated Allyn's grandfather's 89th birthday this past Friday at the lake with family. Allyn has always loved to water ski along with anything else daring that he can do in the water. Did I mention that our first date was water skiing, and he proposed to me at the lake?? Maybe Gray got some of his genes, because she was loving all things having to do with the water this weekend. She even asked Allyn to pull her in the tube several times!? We were shocked, seeing as how she used to be so reserved and hesitant to try new things. She LOVED it, and the more bumps the better! You can see that I got the privelage to ride with her....at least I knew Allyn had to behave with the driving (no crazziness in trying to throw me off). Ella loved being daddy's little helper in the boat. She says she wants to try tubing "when she gets a little older." We always joke that when Allyn used to think of being a father (before we had kids) that he always imagined himself driving the boat with the kids. I think his dreams were fulfilled today:)

CIty Fest 2009

2009-04-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from City Fest today. The favorite event was riding the ponies....thanks Holly for snapping some pictures! How funny is it that Ella got to ride one named Hawkeye? When we lived in Iowa, the mascot for the U of Iowa football team was a hawkeye. They said the pony got his name because he has one blue eye and one brown eye (just like Ella!). We had a ball seeing all of our sweet friends and enjoying some family time....the girls are in the bed for a nap, and I'm not far behind them!

Easter

2009-04-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday was such a beautiful day here in Auburn. We enjoyed waking to discover what the Easter Bunny had left for us followed by church and lunch with friends. All 4 of us took a nap that afternoon. That's my idea of the perfect day!

Country girls

2009-04-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

We took the girls to Mitchell Station today to some of Allyn's relatives' land. Activities included feeding the goats, fishing, swinging on the tire swing, chasing the cats, and having a picnic lunch. We had such a blast being outside in the beautiful weather and enjoying some family time. These girls LOVED getting their own worms out of the bucket and reeling in their own fish...I think we caught about 20. The pond at Mitchell Station hardly ever dissapoints! Thanks, Daddy for planning such a fun day. We will all sleep well tonight!

Marshmellows in Heaven

2009-04-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to try a wonderful Easter recipe Holly told me about....Resurrection Buns. It's a fun activity to do with children that teaches about Christ's resurrection. Basically, you get a can of biscuits and place a large marshmellow in the center of each biscuit. Wrap the sides around the marshmellow and pinch the seams together to make a ball. The biscuit is supposed to be the tomb, and the marshmellow represents Christ. Once the biscuits are cooked, the marshmellow melts and leaves an "empty tomb." The girls were totally shocked to see the marshmellow missing, and it gave us an opportunity to talk about what Christ did for us and how he left the tomb and came back to life. We even got into the discussion of heaven and how Jesus now lives with God in heaven. All of a sudden, you could see the light bulb go on in both of their little minds as they said "oh, the marshmellows are in heaven!" At least we are planting seeds, right?....this will definitely be a fun Easter tradition to continue for years to come.

Hippity Hoppity

2009-04-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

...Easter's on it's way! Here are some pictures from the Easter Egg Hunt/party at school today. The girls were NOT shy about racing to get as many eggs as possible this year...quite a change from the shy little girls last year. I am loving this stage of their lives! P.S. There is another new post under this one:)

Our little fashonista!

2009-04-09T12:13:00.001-07:00

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves on this one! This is how Ella dressed up to greet Allyn when he came home from work. She told me she was in her "mommy" clothes. Hilarious!

Swim Lessons

2009-04-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

The girls had their first swim lesson tonight, and boy were they excited! They are taking lessons 2 nights a week the whole month of April at Health Plus here in Auburn. There are a total of 4 children in their class (Ella, Gray, and a set of boy/girl twins that they know from school). Parents are not allowed in the pool room until the last 5 minutes of the class, so Allyn and I were dying to know how they were doing. Once we got back there at the end of the class, we watched them jumping off the side into the teacher's arms. They were thrilled to see us and excitedly told us about all of the fun things they had done. Their favorite thing of all might have been sitting on the table afterwards in the ladies locker room drying their hair with the hair dryer (we would have left with wet hair, but it was FREEZING last night!). Hopefully the rest of the lessons will be as much fun for them:)

Just Chillin'

2009-03-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

This was too hilarious not to post. Allyn had the girls outside with him yesterday picking weeds and working in the yard. This was the attire they chose.....the sunglasses topped off the ensemble. At least they have an eye for fashion:) FYI, I did another new post below.

San Francisco

2009-03-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Alyn and I had an amazing opportunity to go to San Francisco for a few days over Spring Break to visit some close friends. Wes and Alexis are there for one year while Wes finishes up a shoulder surgery fellowship, and they are renting a great house in Mill Valley. It is on the top of a mountain that overlooks the city on one side and the Pacific on the other. Talk about a view! We spent one day in the city and the other day driving around/touring wine country. Check out the pics of Allyn driving the powder blue VW bug! It threatened his masculinity slightly, but he later admitted that it was fun to buzz around in what felt like a little go-cart. Thanks so much, Wes and Alexis, for being such gracious hostesses! We can't wait for y'all to get back down to the South this summer:)

Look, no thumbs!!!!

2009-03-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little Ella has been a thumbsucker since she was born. She loves to twirl the satin ribbon attached to the end of her "pillow" and suck her thumb. Allyn and I decided that she might be ready to stop, so we bought this book that uses real life illustrations and tells the story of a little boy named "David" who wants to stop sucking his thumb too. She was surprisingly VERY intrigued by the book and seemed like she wanted to give it a try. We wanted this to be a very positive experience for her, so we have tried to take baby steps so that she can feel successful. It started with "Barbie" bandaids wrapped on the thumbs at night. That was chalked up as a failure when we observed her sound asleep, sucking right over the bandaids. The next try was socks over the hands. I know it sounds crazy, but we got the idea from the book. That's what David tried to help him. It was met with some resistance, but she eventually warmed up to the idea. We are now on day 3 of sleeping during naps and at night with our Auburn socks on our hands and no thimbs in the mouth. What you can't see in the pictures is the tape around her wrists to keep her thumbs from accidentally "sneaking out" while she's sleeping. She is so proud of herself and we are proud of her too. My baby is really getting to be a big girl now!

Crazy Weather Weekend!

2009-03-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

Us Auburn folk have had a wild weekend.....tornado Saturday morning, wearing short sleeves Saturday afternoon in the sunshine, then snow on Sunday morning. To quote my girls...."God is sending us some crazy weather!" The girls were both thrilled to wake up to the site of snow on the ground this morning. They were chomping at the bit to get out there, so we suited up right after 7:00 this morning and headed out. Much to our surprise, Gray was LOVING it while Ella prefered to be inside where it was warm at read books. Mom happened to spend the night with us last night, so it was fun having her here to get to share in our adventures. As you can tell from the pictures, Gray, Allyn, and I built brother/sister snowmen. Gray helped fetch the sticks for the arms and gathered mulch for the face. She was all about helping Allyn carry the snow and pat it down. Again, Ella prefered to watch from inside. She was content to see the finished product from the den window:) What a fun way to spend a Sunday. The girls are just going down for a nap, and I am about to join them!

New Blog

2009-02-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

Since I have had several people ask me about doing some monogramming and appliqueing for them, I decided to put my monogram fonts, applique designs, and fabric swatches on a separate blog. This way, it will be easier to see than having to come over to my house to look at my stuff in a notebook. The fabric swatches are sort of hard to see online, so anyone is welcome to come over and look at what I have in person. Click on the link "Little Originals by Ashley." Hope this helps those of you who are interested:)

Greatest Invention Ever!

2009-02-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

I found the greatest invention at Hobby Lobby the other day! It is a foam cornice board that allows you to make a window treatment with minimal fabric (only 1 yard to cover the entire cornice) and no sewing at all. What you need: an iron, scissors, and a measuring tape. Here is a picture of a finished one that I just put up in my kitchen. I added a little extra fabric to the bottom to make it appear like a roman shade. All you do is cut the fabric to fit, do a little ironing, and tuck it all into place. Why couldn't I have thought of this??

Better late than never...

2009-02-13T11:26:00.001-08:00

The Thames family has had quite a fun end of January and first of February. Here are a few of the most recent adventures:

Our ski trip to Telluride, Co. with two sweet couples, the Muncies and McDonalds. We are so blessed to be able to share fun times and make memories with such special friends. The girls stayed with my parents/sister while we were gone, and they had several fun-filled days. Some of their outings included the McWane Center, the cat show, going to the Disney Store at the mall, and the zoo. Kudos to my sweet sister who took both of my children AND her 14 month old to the zoo by herself! She is much braver than me! Oh, and did I mention that they even managed to ride the train and the carousel while they were there?? How she managed with all of them I'll never know. Thanks Aunt Lynlee for taking such good care of the girls!

Next was the Sweetheart Party at school. Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Kandy won some major brownie points by giving all the children a stuffed teddy bear. As you can tell by Ella's red lips, they thoroughly enjoyed their Valentine's cupcakes also.

Then it was on to Daddy/Daughter Date Night. The city of Auburn hosts this precious event each year, and this was the first year the girls have been old enough to go. They called it the "princess ball" and were so thrilled to have a night out with the daddy they adore so much. I only wish I could have been a fly on the wall to watch the "dancing" that went on. Allyn looked like one tired puppy when he got home, but said it was a success. I think Ella would have stayed until the bitter end, but Gray had her fill after about an hour and a half.

Last but not least, this bout of warm weather has gotten me inspired to start some Spring sewing projects. I went to the most precious store in Columbus called Sweet Treasures, and you might as well have put me in the middle of a candy shop. I was drooling at all of the adorable fabrics and trim. I managed to make it out of there without spending a fortune, but I couldn't wait to get started on some projects. These are pictures of some of the completed ones. Man, if only I didn't have to make 2 of everything, I could move much faster!! So, that's the latest with us. I'm going to try to do better about posting more often!

Tagged

2009-01-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

Mandi tagged me to list 10 honest things about myself. I guess she didn't think the list of my quirks was enough to fully expose myself, so here goes:

1. I can't stand to have a messy house (doesn't mean that my house is always clean, by the way. Just means that I wish it was). Having toddlers has forced me to loosen up a little on this one:)
2. I love romantic movies.....cried my eyes out watching "The Notebook" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" over the weekend.
3. My favorite place to be is at the beach with good friends
4. I LOVE living in Auburn! I told Allyn that I can't imagine being anywhere else...we love the community, love our church, and have made lifelong friends.
5. I don't like to exercise, but am trying to force myself to do a better job of it this year.
6. I am NOT a morning person, which is not convenient when Ella is usually up and ready to go at 6:00. Yesterday it was 4:00. What is that about?? Gray takes after me and usually doesn't start interacting with anyone until she's been out of the bed for at least 30 min.
7. Allyn and I met our Sophomore year in college on a blind date....he took me water skiing:) Totally random, but talk about breaking the ice!
8. I am a physical therapist by trade, just not working now to be at home with the twins. I used to work at Children's Hospital in Birmingham with children who had brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.
9. I love to take baths......really hot ones, then cuddle up on the couch with a good book.
10. I like to do anything crafty (sewing, painting, decorating), but I'm not that into cooking. I mean, I love to entertain when there is an event or friends coming over. On a daily basis, not so much. And, I despise cleaning up my kitchen. Maybe it's because I have to do it at least 21 times a week. Now I'm just being a baby:)

o.k., that's it. By the way, my sister just wrote 103 things about herself on her blog. I have determined that she's much more interesting than me. Hee hee:)

My little ballerinas

2009-01-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

The girls have become increasingly interested in dancing this year (a.k.a. bouncing around the den while showing us their "moves"). I decided we would give ballet classes a try to see how they liked it. We signed up for the beginner class through Auburn Parks and Recreation (very low key, but perfect for toddlers just getting started). Wed. was our first class, and it was a great success:) I could hear sound bites from "The Little Mermaid" and "Cinderella" spilling out from the room, so I knew they were loving it. The best part was seeing all the little girls in their ballet "gear." By the way, since when did it become so hard to find plain pink ballet shoes??? Who knew that Payless was the only place in town (that is open on a daily basis) that carries them. Here are some pics of the little ballerinas. Oh, so cute.....Ella asked me if Angelina Ballerina would be coming to class with her next week. Gray quickly chimed in and let us know that Angelina is much older and wears different ballet clothes, so she would therefore NOT be joining our class:)

New Embroidery Machine

2009-01-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

As if I didn't already love to sew, my eyes have now been opened to a whole new avenue of sewing. Mom and dad gave me an embroidery machine for Christmas(thanks to mom's friend, Alice, who upgraded to a new machine and wanted to sell her old one), so I have been doing some experimenting. I think I have the hang of it now, and have even managed to finish a few projects for the girls. Only once have I made a major mistake and accidentally sewn a shirt to itself....problem averted.....the bottom of the t-shirt now has a cute brown ruffle to cover up the unsightly hole that I had to cut in it to get it off the machine. So, I'm ready to get cracking on cute monograms and appliques if any of you want to bring your projects over:)

Christmas Fun

2008-12-29T18:50:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that we didn't take many pictures this Christmas, as Allyn was working the video camera most of the time instead. I told my sister that this year signified what I had always imagined and hoped Christmas would be like when I was a mother. The girls had such excitement about every aspect of Christmas. We were at home Christmas Eve, and they kept running to the front door yelling "Santa, don't come yet!" as we were still "preparing" the snacks for Santa and the reindeer. I have never seen them jump into bed as quickly and quietly as they did that night since they knew Santa wouldn't come until they were asleep. Christmas Day was fantastic watching them open their gifts, snuggling in our PJs to watch the Disney Christmas parade, and then having a big breakfast. (I think we were ALL in pajamas until well after lunch). Here are a few pictures from our Christmas celebration with Allyn's family when the girls were closing their eyes, awaiting the unveiling of their new doll house:)

My little cheerleaders

2008-12-18T12:58:00.001-08:00

Last night we had such a blast taking the girls to the Auburn men's basketball game. With the students being out of town, we were able to grab great seats right on the floor next to the band and right behind the cherleaders. They loved flirting with Aubie and doing their own renditions of the cheers. We even saw some dance moves in the second half once they got a little more comfortable. I love living in a town where there are so many fun things to do as a family. There is nothing better than watching your children have fun! Oh, and did I mention it was quite a task to brush out all of the popcorn remnants from their teeth once we got home???? Oh well, it was worth every kernel!!

I fought the tree and....

2008-12-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

I won! Our sunday school teachers were talking about how their biggest fights throughout the years of their marriage have revolved around the Christmas tree. This year Allyn and I were at peace...it was the tree that I was fighting with. We picked out the tree easily and even got it into the stand without any major drama. The girls had a wonderful time unwrapping all the ornaments and lining them up in the floor. The next step was for me to put on the lights. This is where it got hairy. Since Allyn thinks that putting lights on the tree means simply wrapping them around and around until you get to the bottom, I agreed that he was better off sitting on the couch watching t.v. while I took my time getting them exactly how I wanted them. It was pleasant and relaxing until I got to the bottom and realized I had the female end of the plug instead of the male end. Trying to help me not come unglued, Allyn calmly strolled over to investigate the situation. He then pointed out to me that I had started the lights out in the wrong direction all the way at the top on my second strand. UGH!!! You can imagine what happened next....I took all of my perfectly placed lights off and re-strung. Yipee, I made it to the bottom with the right end of the plug. It was showtime. As I plugged them in, Allyn started laughing. Laughing??? I was ready to cry. The middle strand wasn't working. Allyn suggested that I just go on to bed and tackle this project in the morning. Go to sleep now? I think not! I was at war and determined to win no matter how long it took me. Third time was a charm, and I was in business. I won the battle with the tree, though my head didn't hit the pillow until way after midnight. An artificial, pre-lit tree may be on my wish list for next Christmas.

Tick-o-Teet....

2008-10-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

At least that's how the girls pronounced it this year. It was too precious for me to want to correct them. I was afraid that the actual trick-or-treating wouldn't live up to the build-up this year, but I was way wrong! We started out the evening with a neighborhood hot dog/chili supper where all the kids came in their costumes. From there, it was off to "get candy." Ella kept wanting me to hold her pumpking so she could "wun" to the next house. Dressed like orphan Annie, her little white legs sticking out from under her dress were easy to keep track of as it started getting dark. Gray, the puppy dog, did not want to be outdone on the quest for candy. She kept right in toe with everyone as she made her way up to each doorstep. What a fun time to watch your kids having such a blast. Ella said it all when she looked up at us with the biggest smile on her face and said "I'm havin' so much fu-won." Enjoy the pics:)

Happy Fall Y'all

2008-10-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we had a great time getting together with our sweet friends and their children for a Halloween party. You can tell that trying to get a group picture was nearly impossible. Ella and Gray were content until they started getting a little freaked out by some of the costumes and made a quick departure from the photo shoot. After several hours of jumping, playing, and eating as much sugar as they could find, we all had a very sound sleep:) We are blessed to have such wonderful friends with whom we can make such fun and lasting memories.

I've been Tagged

2008-10-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my dear sister for tagging me to list 5 of my biggest quirks. Should I be offended by the fact that she likely chose me becasue she knows I have many to choose from and that this would be an easy task for me? Lynlee, I love you anyway. In random order, here goes:

1. When I go to sleep at night, I have to sleep on my pillowcase with the monogrammed side up. Even if Allyn is asleep when I get in bed and the room is completely dark, I feel around to make sure my pillow is "properly" positioned.
2. I have always had "issues" swallowing pills. It's not as easy as taking a sip of water to wash them down. I have a method (that my family still thinks is quite hilarious) in which I put the pill way back in my throat, take a small sip, shake my head just the right way to get it all the way back there, then swallow. Needless to say, mom used to always try to crush all my medicine up and mix it in food to avoid the drama!
3. I always shave my right leg first. It just has to be done that way or it thows my whole shower routine off.
4. Ditto Lynlee with the wooden handle thing. Maybe this one is genetic?? I hate to touch anything with a wooden handle, especially when it has just come out of the dishwasher.
5. I don't like meat with bones in it. Give me a bonelss chicken breast anyday as opposed to a probably better tasting piece of fried chicken that I have to disect to eat.

This is an open invitation for my friends to list their quirky habits too. Thanks, Lynlee, for exposing me:)

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Fall traditions is to take a family trip to the Pumpkin Patch. This year exceeded my expectations! Not only did the girls enjoy getting to each pick a pumpkin, they had a new little area with baby farm animals to pet. They got to brush a goat,hold baby rabbits, and hold out their hands for the 5 mo. old horse to lick. Whew, talk about needing a good hand washing after that! Thank goodness for my travel size hand sanitizer:) Then it was on to enjoy all of the inflatables. I was SHOCKED that my two reserved little girls were so anxious to go up and down the big slide....they loved it! They also had a ball in the little jump castle. We are so blessed to be able to make such fun memories with our children!

I'm addicted to......

2008-10-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

sewing! When I was a little girl, I swore that I would never subject my children to the constant measuring and "trying on" of clothes that my mom used to do to me and my sister. So much for that! I have had so much fun sewing for the girls lately. Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment I feel when I finish something or the chuckle I get in knowing how much money I am saving on not having to buy these things from the store. I seriously only spent a total of about $5.00 to make both of those Halloween dresses! Ella asked the other day "what did you make for me today mommy?" That is when it hit me that I might be a little crazy. Here are my latest projects......

A day in the life

2008-09-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

I know they call Wednesday hump day, but yesterday was more than a hump.....it was a mountain to get over! The girls both have mild asthma, which usually means lots of coughing throughout the fall and winter months. Since they were both coughing on Wed. and had mild temps, I decided it was time to check in with the doctor. About 20 min. before we were supposed to be there, I gave the girls some motrin. That was when the damn broke, literally! Gray starting throwing up the motrin along with ALL of the chocolate milkshake she had earlier in the day. Because Ella was so concerned, she wanted to be right there making sure Gray was o.k. Did I mention that the chocolate milk/vomit concoction was all over my red couch, floor, Gray, and myself?? Anyway, poor Ella started gagging at the smell and sight of the mess. I calmly told her to go into another room, but she chose to run to the club chair instead. You can imagine what happened next....yep, she started throwing up too! So it was to the bathtub for all 3 of us, a quick clean up of the mess, and off to the doctor. Once we got home, it was back to the tub again for all of us to get the remnants of what I missed the first time around. I again did my best to clean the carpet, couch, and chair. This morning Ella came into the den and said "mommy, I smay-el somtin'" "Yes baby, that is because our house stinks of the combo of chocolate milkshake, vomit, and resolve carpet/upholstery cleaner." My next move was to make a call to have the majority of my den carpet, my couch, and the chair all deep cleaned this afternoon. What is the moral of this story? A child with an active gag reflex and bad tasting medicine don't mesh well.

Happy Birthday!

2008-09-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to think that I have 3 year olds!! The girls finally got to enjoy their much anticipated "animal party" that they have been asking for for months. You have never seen 2 children more excited to see goats!! They even got to feed chickens and watch a calf get a bottle. Although we were all a little warm, the kids had a blast! This mom is glad this one is behind us.....

Back to School

2008-08-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

School is officially back in session for the Fall! Allyn and I gave the girls backpaks for their birthday, so they were anxious to take them to school on the first day. Thankfully I looked through them one last time before we left the house and removed the last minute items the girls added without my knowledge (about 10 pairs of underwear, plastic food from their kitchen, a random stuffed animal, and some of their baby doll clothes). Oh, let me mention that Ella made it through the first day of school with big girl panties and no accidents!! She informed me that Mrs. Kim gave her a gummy worm every time she went to the potty. In Ella's southern drawl, it sounded more like this: "Mrs. Kee-am gave me a gummy wor-am". Where does she get that?? I know Allyn and I are from the South, but seriously!! Hopefully the rest of the year will go as smoothly as the first couple of days.

Is that Jesus??

2008-08-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

We talk often with the girls about how Jesus lives in our hearts. They will usually add that Jesus also lives in heaven. Our simple explanations have seemed to satisfy their curiosity until the other day. Gray saw a tendon on my neck sticking out and asked "Mommy, is that Jesus coming out of your heart?" I sat stunned. After realizing that she thought there was literally a person named Jesus living inside my body, I understood that she thought this tendon she saw on my neck must have been one of his extremities sticking out. Oh my, how do I even start to explain?? I went on to tell her that it is the Spirit of Jesus and not an actual person who lives inside of us. I went on to tell her that Jesus lives in heaven with God. She thought for a little while....I knew I was in the clear. Then, she pointed at her belly button and said, "well then is this heaven?" Speechless!

Play Date

2008-08-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

To anyone who wants to know what living in the South is all about, come to Alabama in August! Since it't too hot to even breathe outside and school hasn't yet begun, we are planning activities that involve plenty of indoor/air-conditioning time. The girls have been begging to have their friends over, so we had a little play date Wed. morning. Thanks to all of our sweet friends for a fun morning.

My Greatest Memories

2008-08-02T13:48:00.001-07:00

I can truly say that our "Beach Trip" trip has always been the highlight of each year for the past 32 years. This year was no exception! This trip started as 4 couples (my parents being one of them) began going to the beach together each summer. As children were born, they were added into the mix. Now, us "adult" children have children of our own to share this experience with. It was such a joy this year to see Ella and Gray making life-long friends with the children of my life-long friends. Although we only get together for a short time each year, we always pick up right where we left off. Thanks to all of you for your unconditional love and support...you know who you are. We are already counting down the days until next year. Oh, did I mention that Gray was totally boy crazy over Drew and Luke? Let's hope this passes before we really need to be concerned:)

Sewing Extravaganza

2008-07-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Mom (a.k.a. Lolly) came to visit last week. Among being HUGE help with the girls, she helped me make some outfits. Here are pictures of some of the completed and almost completed outfits we made. We have tons of fabric that we have been collecting since the girls were born that still needs to be used. I did all of the smocking inserts when I was pregnant and have yet to put them into any outfits....I need to get cracking before they are too old to wear all the "little girl" clothes. Thanks, mom, for a wonderful week. We miss you!!

If at first you don't succeed.......

2008-07-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, my children despise having their pictures taken. Maybe I should rephrase that....they hate "other" people taking their pictures. I was determined to get a good shot of them together, mainly so I could give one to mom for her birthday. So, last Saturday morning, we dressed up and headed to the back yard for a photo shoot. While Allyn impersonated a monkey(sound effects and all), I got some great shots of them BOTH smiling at the same time. Now I know what to do...having daddy was the secret:)

July 4th

2008-07-06T11:03:00.001-07:00

Thanks Rouse family for a wonderful day at the lake! I think the girls' favorite activity was getting to play with all of the dogs....wow, do they love animals. Gray decided not to nap and enjoyed being the "queen" for the afternoon. They got some practice "driving" the boat with Cooper, as you can see from the pictures. We are so thankful to have such sweet friends to share our crazy lives with !!

Summer Fun!

2008-07-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

We went to Birmingham this weekend for Allyn's cousin's wedding, so Saturday we took the girls to the McWane center....so much fun! They got to "dig" for dinosaur bones, freeze their shadows, see a giant eel, and lots of other great things. I highly recommend taking your toddlers if you have the opportunity! I have posted the pictures of the girls climbing (me holding them up) inside the mushrooms....this was a favorite activity:) I also posted a few pictures I took of the girls this afternoon...they refused to take their school pictures today, so I though I could at least capture a few of my own while they were still dressed up.

Summer Haircuts

2008-06-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing what the promise of ice cream can do when it comes to children and their behavior? It may be bribery, but it works in our home! The girls both sat in the "big" chair, wore the cape, AND let Miss Meghan cut their hair last Thurs. Poor Ella has such thin hair, so she was in grave need of a "new do." Hopefully this shorter cut will help her hair to look a little thicker.....we are crossing our fingers:)

Corks and Canvas

2008-06-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite thing to do on a night out with the girls....corks and canvas. This is my second one to do, and I am already wanting to do it again. This time, an instructor came to Auburn (instead of us having to drive to Montgomery). It is amazing how everyone has a slighty different version of the same painting at the end of a couple of hours. Fun, fun, fun!

Beach Pictures

2008-06-15T19:45:00.001-07:00

Thames Family Beach Trip

2008-06-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a week at the beach with Allyn's family. The girls especially enjoyed spending time with Aunt Adrienne, Uncle Christopher, and cousin Caroline. We spent lots of time at the pool and even ventured into the ocean a few times. The girls were very proud that they could "swim by themselves." In other words, kick around with their floaties on without someone having to hold them. For those of you that know them, you know that letting go of me is a big deal! Thank you Memee and Papa for a wonderful vacation! We are already looking forward to next year........

Hollywood, here we come!

2008-05-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Now that we have gotten to spend some time at the pool, the girls have been wanting some sunglasses. So, we went to Target yesterday morning to find the perfect pair. I'm not kidding when I say that they probably tried on 20 pair between the two of them before finally picking some. I was shocked that they both wanted the same pair....thank goodness there were 2 sets, because there would have been a major meltdown if someone had to settle for a different pair. Needless to say, they were feeling very hip modeling their new shades at the pool. I don't think Ella ever took hers off, though they were upside down most of the time (in true Ella fashion). I managed to snap a few pictures of them modeling after their nap this afternoon. As you can probably tell, Ella is very prissy these days. She usually walks around with her high heels on while carrying 2 purses and talking on her "cell phone." It seems that she has many people calling her all the time (mainly Aunt Lynlee and baby Hill), so she likes to have her phone close at all times. I can only imagine the teenage years......

School's Out For Summer!

2008-05-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the end of the school year, the girls' class had a performance for the parents today in the sanctuary. It was precious. With the instruction of Mrs. Rhonda, the music teacher, the children sang a variety of songs(hand motions included, of course). Believe it or not, Gray lasted a whole song before she saw Allyn and I in the audience and dediced she was finsihed performing. Ella followed her, but ended up back on the stage at the end for the finale. We then went back to their room for a party. They have loved their sweet teachers and classmates and will miss them dearly.

He strikes again!

2008-04-30T11:42:00.001-07:00

The nap thief struck again today.....here are pictures of the little monkeys in the positions they "crashed" in today (after 1 1/2 hours).........UGH!!

The Nap Thief

2008-04-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

As I have told some of you, the nap theif has been visiting my house over the past several weeks. For those of you who have not had this lovely experience, let me explain. My girls have taken a nap every day at 1:00 for as long as I can remember. It usually lasts for 2 hours, sometimes longer. As of last Monday, something snapped! Not only did the girls start getting out of their beds, but also out of their rooms. There was one occasion when they both ran into my closet, shut the door, and began taking all of my shoes off of the shelf. All the while, they were giggling and unphased by my many different attempts at keeping them in their beds. So, today my new plan was put into effect.....they don't have to go to sleep or even stay in their beds. All I require is that they stay in their room from 1-3. During that time period, I heard lots of giggling, music, things being pulled off of shelves, and sounds I was afraid to know what they were. It was torture not to go in there to see what was going on. When I went in this afternoon to tell them nap time was over, this is the scene that I walked into. They had pulled almost every toy out, but I guess their sleepiness eventually kicked in and they crashed. They were none too thrilled when I woke them up, but at least I feel like I won the battle today! Maybe tomorrow they will realize that sleeping isn't such a bad thing:)

The Princess Diaries

2008-04-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

The Girls went to play with Emma Thompson yesterday and couldn't stop talking about all of her pretty dress-up clothes. So, this sucker of a mom went to Target today to get them some princess clothes. I just couldn't resist! They were allowed to get into the stash after their nap, and they could hardly contain their excitement. Ella kept her princess shoes on until she climbed in bed tonight. Here are some pictures of Snow White and Cinderella in all of their glory:)

A Father's Joy

2008-04-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

Since the day I found out I was pregnant, I think Allyn started having images of teaching the girls to fish one day. Well, yesterday was that day! Since we had plans to go to Kirkley's birthday party yesterday afternoon, Allyn couldn't wait to get the girls "outfitted" for the fishing at Holly's parents' pond. We went to Target and picked out Dora fishing rods. Next it was a trip to Dick's for bobbers and hooks. When the girls took a nap, Allyn made a special trip out to Opelika for crickets and worms. He couldn't wait to take the girls out int he back yard to teach them how to use their new equipment and sharpen their casting/reeling skills. Once we got out to the pond, we were so surprised that both girls were so anxious to hold the crickets (mostly to toss them in the water) and worms.....yes, even Gray! Allyn caught a small fish that the girls loved touching and laughing at how slimy he was. All in all, it was so precious watching Allyn share something he loves with the girls. Maybe there will be more fishing trips in our future:)

I've Been Taggged

2008-04-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

I was waiting for this to happen, and it finally did. Kristin Barron "tagged" me to share some info. about myself. So, here goes:

Favorite movies of all time:
1. Steele Magnolias
2. Shag (how can any good southerner NOT like this movie?)
3. Footloose
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. Center Stage
6. The American President
7. Forrest Gump

Favorite Songs of all time:
1. Anything by Marvin Gaye.....yes, I have a slight obsession
2. True Companion by Mark Cohn
3. Most songs off of The Big Chill soundtrack
4. At Last by Etta James

5 things I love to do:
1. Sew clothes for the girls (simple things only!)
2. Arrange flowers
3. Snow ski
4. Fall asleep in a lounge chair on the beach
5. Open up a good magazine at night when it is quiet and everyone else has gone to bed!

Places I have lived:
1. Grew up in Birmingham
2. Lived in Auburn during college....all 4 years in the dorm, but loved every minute of it
3. Back in Birmingham to live while in Physical Therapy school at UAB
4. In Pelham after Allyn and I got married
5. Iowa (makes me cold just thinking about it) when Allyn was in residency
6. AUBURN since July of 2006!

What I did before I was a mom:
I am a physical therapist, and I worked at Children's Hospital in Birmingham for almost 4 years. My focus was on treating children undergoing inpatient rehabilitation for neurological injuries (mainly traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries). I loved that job! When we moved to Iowa, I worked at an adult hospital treating a wide variety of patients. I stopped working when I was about 24 weeks pregnant with the girls.

Bad Habits:
1. Horrible at making myself exercise...I just don't like it!
2. Too idealistic with expectaions of myself and others
3. Staying up too late watching some re-run of Law and Order
4. Spending too much time on the internet......hee hee!

Fun Fact:
My parents and 3 of their best "couple" friends from college have taken a beach trip together every summer. Children (and now grandchildren) have been added to the mix, and the trip still continues every summer. This summer will be the 32nd year of the trip. There will be a total of 31 people there this summer! If it sounds like chaos, it is! But, this group of people are my closest friends in the world, and it is something I have looked forward to every summer of my life. I realize now the importance of having friends that know everthing about you (good and bad), but still love you inconditionally. That is what this group is to me.

Favorite Foods:
1. The grouper at Warehouse Bistro
2. Soup/salad/breadsticks from Olive Garden
3. Crab cakes at a little restaurant in Birmingham called Fox Valley
4. Turkey Wraps at Amsterdam
5. The Thanksgiving dressing that my mom makes(makes my mouth water just thinking about it)
6. Mashed potatoes
7. My grandmother's potato salad

Characteristics that I admire in others:
1. Humility
2. Honesty
3. Selflessness
4. Confidence

The girls are waking from their nap, so that's all for now:)

Cousins!

2008-04-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

The girls had so much fun hanging out with their sweet cousin, Caroline, while we were all visiting Memee and Papa in Montgomery. Gray was a little unsure as to why little Caroline liked grabbing her hair, but it was a great visit! They are already talking about getting to see their other cousin, Hill, next weekend.

Girls' Bedroom Finished!

2008-04-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I have been struggling over what to do with the girls' bedroom for quite a long time. I practically drove my sister nuts with all of my ideas (a.k.a. changing my mind). I am proud to say that it is finally completed, and the girls and I are all pleased with how it turned out. On to the next project.......

Daddy's Girls

2008-04-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

The girls LOVE when Allyn comes home from work and usually shower him with lots of hugs and kisses. Luckily, I caught some of it on the camera today. I even got the girls to make their "silly faces" for me.

Two going on sixteen

2008-04-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Should I be worried that my girls LOVE to talk on the phone at such an early age? Since Ella's teachers at school have dubbed her a "talker," I guess it shouldn't surprise me that I walked in my room yesterday to this scene.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-04-09T13:22:00.001-07:00

Time Out

2008-04-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

My sister sent me this picture she took of Ella when we were at the beach over Spring Break. She had been put in time out for not letting me put her clothes on. This is just too priceless not to share!

Night Out

2008-04-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our sweet friends, The Rouse's, had us over for dinner last night with several other families. The girls love the fact that Mrs. Mandi has a swing, slide, and 2 cozy coupe cars INSIDE! They had a ball playing with all of their new found little friends. I've included a few pictures of the chaos:)

Couch treasures

2008-04-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten so disgusted with the crushed goldfish and "other" children remnants all over my house that I decided today was the day to do some heavy cleaning! The girls even "helped" me dust. Gray kept saying "Mommy, give me another job." Man, too bad cleaning is only fun and exciting in the mind of a toddler. I even started spraying pledge on the furniture and having them wipe it off. Hey, if they are willing to help, I might as well get some work out of them. As most of you know, our couch has seen better days. It was spit up on so many times in the infant days, that we decided to wait and flip all of the seat cushions and seat backs at the same time when we moved to Auburn so it wouldn't look quite so bad. Unfortunately, the clean sides all look dirty now too. I decided that a good vacuum might do some good, so off came all the cushions. Oh my goodness!!!! What treasures we found.....money, memory cards, hair bows, more goldfish, teddy graham parts, string, etc. I am proud to say that the couch now looks a little more spunky and may survive a little longer in this house. O.k., I'm off to clean out the refrigerator......better do it now while I'm still motivated!

Potty Training (a.k.a. mommy killer)

2008-04-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

So, we are well on our way to having Gray totally potty trained. Thanks to bribery with jelly beans, she has been very successful while at home. Out in public, it is a little more sketchy. Fear of public toilets leads her to "hold it" a little longer than she should, and thus causes a few accidents. Who can blame a girl for not wanting to use a public restroom! And then there is Ella......she would be happy to wear diapers for the rest of her life. She too likes to be rewarded with jelly beans, but she doesn't quite get it. She will have an accident in her pants, then finish up on the potty, and ask "can I have my jelly bean now?" Ugh!!!! This potty training thing has been a true test of my patience, and I am sad to say that I don't always get a good grade! Maybe one of these days we will bid farewell to diapers, but I will most certainly have to welcome in several new gray hairs!!

First-time blogger

2008-04-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Thames Family Blog! My friends have convinced me to try this out, so here goes. Hopefully this blog will allow us to share some of our crazy adventures with all of you.