Sneak-a-Peak

We went to preschool on Friday for the kids to meet their teachers.  They are SO excited about starting a new school year!!

   

Summer Send-off

We have had such a fun summer! 

Jacob went to his first Titans game with Daddy and Gramps!  He was so excited! 

Our precious kiddos saying goodbye to each other; they aren't used to being apart!

Anna loves this ladybug dress!  She is always so excited to wear it to church!

We were excited to visit the zoo now that school is back in session.  It is much less crowded and a lot more fun!  The Critter Encounter area was especially fun as there was a hungry goat happy to be hand fed by my kiddos.

 Anna's "quiet time" masterpiece

 We visited the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro with the Clarks.   We had so much fun and were there FIVE hours! 

   Playing "Post Office"

 Exploring a real fire truck 

I think Anna might need the next size down. :)

  There was an airplane they could "fly"! 

 The kids loved this huge train table!

 Off to the coal mines....

Working on the gears....

 They also loved shopping and being the cashier.

 My college friend, Kelly, has been visiting from Switzerland!  We loved having Kelly and her adorable baby, Zac, at August Girls Dinner! 

Jacob and Anna were so excited to hold Zac - a REAL baby!  Unfortunately Zac's big brother, Jake, was way too busy being a toddler to pose for the camera!

All the summer fun finally caught up with sweet Anna! 

 

All Dressed Up!

Anna got her first princess costume!  She originally picked out this "Ariel" costume when we bought Jacob's Spider-Man's costume but I thought it would be way too big.  She was still "all about it" when we were back at Costco so I decided to go for it.  I think she wears it beautifully and she is so happy being all dressed up!  I LOVE our pretty princess!!

  Thankfully Princess Anna has big muscle Spider-man to protect her! 

Oh my goodness, I LOVE this stage!!!

 We are all set for Halloween!  Only 2.5 months to go! :) 

More Summer Fun

Our biggest news for July is that Anna is potty trained!! Shortly after July 4th Anna decided it was time to wear her Minnie Mouse and Hello Kitty panties and didn't look back.  Her treat during her "training" was a M&M and I told Jacob he could also "earn" a M&M if he was helpful and encouraging of Anna.  It was hilarious to see him stop whatever he was doing and sprint to the potty every time Anna needed to go.  A few days after she was potty trained, Anna decided it was time for a big girl bed.  To prove her intentions were real, she began climbing out of her crib onto her swivel rocking chair and then onto her rocking ottoman before jumping onto the floor.  I really wasn't ready for this transition but soon realized we had to either remove the crib rail or start planning a trip to the ER.  With a little help from Jimmy, Jacob removed Anna's crib rail and she was the proud recipient of a "Big Girl Bed".  Look how excited she is!  As expected, she's now given up her nap as well.  Anna is becoming such a BIG GIRL!!

I took Anna to the dollar store to pick out two prizes for being potty trained.  She chose this purple "jeweled" crown and sparkly baton.  So cute!  She is also very independent these days regarding getting dressed.  She often puts on her clothes backwards (like in this picture) and tells me she likes it that way. 

 

I love how much fun Jacob and Anna have doing the simplest things.  They decided to get the Sunday paper wearing Mommy and Daddy's shoes and had such a fabulous time being silly.

We love seeing our baby fawns!  These two cuties often snack beside our driveway with their mama.  The kids and I were watching them and talking and Anna says "There's the Mommy, the Jacob, and the Anna.  Where is the Daddy?"  Jacob says "He's at work."  Love it!

Oh my goodness did we have fun with some water balloons!  I chose water balloons as my "prize" at the dollar store and it proved to be even more fun than I imagined.  I shot several adorable videos of the two kiddos chasing each other and getting soaked.  We all laughed so much! 

The kids play so well together and are constantly making me laugh.  Here Anna is going "night-night" covered in our rags. 

Here they are driving an "out of control" Monster truck. 

 Jacob had a dentist appointment and did fantastic.  Anna took a "ride" in the chair with Jacob and decided I needed to make her an appointment. 

I took the kids to the movie theater for the first time!  We saw Happy Feet 2 (Summer discount series for kids) and they had a blast eating their popcorn and gummies, sitting in the theater, and watching the big screen.  However, after 40 minutes into the movie Anna needed to go potty and both kids decided it was time to go.  Although we didn't finish the movie it was a fun summer experience! 

Jacob LOVED swim lessons!  It was so wonderful to see him so excited about his lessons and so amazing to see his progress from the first day to the last! 

Anna loves going to the beauty shop!

She also loves dancing in her new tapping shoes and pink boa (gifts from Nana)! 

Our house has been invaded by Spider-Man!  Jacob picked this costume out for Halloween and was so excited about wearing it.  It has muscles and we adore him in it!  So cute!!

Here he is watching TV in it!  HILARIOUS!!

On our way out of the neighborhood today I noticed a turtle in the road.  I pulled over the car so we could get out and see him up close.    He slowly crossed the road and didn't seem to mind us  watching him and "petting" him.  Such a fun, unexpected experience! 

We've had such a nice, relaxing summer!  I love that we've had time to stop for turtles and enjoy many other little things!  These days are so precious and I'm enjoying every moment with my sweet kiddos!  We look forward to a few more weeks of summer fun!