Happy 3rd birthday, Adelyn!

Adelyn's 3rd birthday was May 11th. However, we celebrated her birthday several times over the course of 10 days! Lucky girl!

It started with her school birthday party on May 9th. Since it was the end of the year and a short month, they had to combine hers and another friend's. She was excited to share the day with Creighton- and was even MORE excited to see who all came to her party! They had chips, cupcakes, and juice. 

Adelyn before her school birthday party

James got a little cupcake action

What a treat! Louise came to her party! Louise is the Rotary foreign exchange student from Denmark. We have spent great time with her this year. This was one of her final days in Cumming before returning home. Adelyn loves "Caweeze"!

Grandpa, James, Daddy, Adelyn, and Mommy at the school party

On her actual birthday, she awoke to balloons strung from her bathroom door in her room. She thought that was pretty cool. Then she got blueberry pancakes with a candle and got to open a few gifts before heading to school

Friday, May 11th was Muffins with Mom at school. Can I just say how SWEET this little Mother's day celebration was?? The kids sang a couple songs, Mrs. Cindy read a cute book, and then they gave us their presents. It was a cute bag with Adelyn's footprint on it (decorated like flip flops). Inside was a binder with art work from each month of the school year. Most of the art was made out of their hand or foot print so you can see how they've grown. Maybe it was because it was her 3rd birthday (and that seems to me like the end of the toddler/baby era), but I was holding back the tears. 

After nap, Adelyn got her first manicure and pedicure. She chose red for her fingernails and pink for her toes. All of this was covered in sparkling gold. She sat still for 30 minutes while it dried (AKA...I got my toes done).  She was SO excited!

And then we went to Kani House for hibachi grill dinner with Grandma and the Durands. Fun!

To top off the day, she got to spend the night with Grandma! Perfection in a 3 year old's eyes! The only "bad" thing about her day was Seth was out of town. He had a race in New Jersey. HOWEVER, Seth finished 2nd! Woo hoo!! 

The following weekend, my parents came in town for her birthday party. Friday night, we hung out on the deck and she opened her gifts from them. 

Adelyn and Nana (she's wearing her new leotard from Uncle Joe)

Her birthday party was Saturday (5/19) at Babyland General...where the Cabbage Patch Kids are "born". I have always wanted to go here because I loved CPK when I was little. I think this party was really for me. :)

James and Adelyn on the cabbage couch

Mae with the babies. The leaves moved and lights indicated when a baby is read to be born. 

Hunter, Jackie, and Griffin

Emily brought her CPK from home (see her Visitor tag)

Janie, Adelyn, and Mae on the doll display school bus

Laura and James

We witnessed a baby being born. You really just have to go and see how they do this. Let's just say the staff really gets into their roles. Adelyn got to name this baby- Sarah Adelyn

Heather, Charlie, Mike, and Sophie

Brenda, Martha, Lynn, and Melissa

She originally chose a Star Wars cake, but changed her mind last week to Princess. Seth was highly disappointed. 

Adelyn and Sarah (Have I mentioned she talks about this Sarah character ALL. THE. TIME? Her imaginary friend finally has a face). This was who she brought home. And of course, she had to have another outfit to change her into and it's a princess dress.

Mae and her doll

Aw, that's the CUTEST Cabbage Patch Doll in the store! Oh wait, that's James!

Love this age...they'll do the silliest poses

Emily named the next baby that was born...James Mahlon

Mel took this picture of us...it's a framer for sure

Nana and Grandeddy with the kids

Sweet girls with their new babies

10 months old

   This has been a really fun month in terms of things "clicking" with James. He is crawling like a champ and has constant red/bruised knees from speeding from room to room. He is pulling up on everything and cruising a little. He is not fully clapping, but he'll do the "roll 'em up" part of pat-a-cake....which is funny to me because isn't that way harder than clapping? He is starting to do the sign for "more"...but only when he REALLY wants something. Like ice cream. He LOVES ice cream! He only gets it at Seth's grandfather's house on Sunday nights. It's just as much fun to watch him beg for it as it is for others to give it to him. He is pointing to things and loves to show you the lights and fan. You can ask him where books, Riley, and big sister are and he'll pretty much always point to them. The cutest thing he does right now is shake his head "no"- hilarious! James can also play peek-a-boo and gets really tickled each time you say, "Where's James?"

      Adelyn is very into her letters and numbers and I love it! She's recognizing what words start with and is trying so hard to write her letters and numbers. This is kind of a gross story (I hesitate posting it), but I think it's also funny. I was at a friend's house and Adelyn needed to use the bathroom. Five minutes later, she hollers, "Mama! My poo poo looks like an 'r'!". Sure enough, it did! She is really turning into such a big girl and I can't believe she'll be THREE next month. I have a great time with her and am enjoying her crazy imagination!

     Not too much to report on the home front. We had a sick household for a couple of weeks. The week after Adelyn, Seth, and I had the stomach bug, James had a raging temperature and ear infection. His fever got up to 104.4 at one point. It was scary! That was his first time being sick. Of course, Seth was out of town. He's been gone a lot lately and has been busy coaching and racing (Barber pictures below). I am ready for him to be home for consecutive days! My hats off to single moms- it's hard. I am incredibly lucky to have Seth's mom down the road. She has taken one or both kids several times for me so I can have a little break. 

     

Randy and Bella came for a visit. Unfortunately, a lot of their stay was when James was sick so we tried not to pass it along!

James sick....poor little thing!

Can you tell I have a big sister??

Thomas, Adelyn, and Emily at Circus Day

Riding Peanut the Pony with beloved Mrs. Cindy

Adelyn and Mae hiking at Hike for Hyde 

Adelyn's first face painting experience- she is looking up at Grandma (can you tell she LOVES her??)

I SWORE I wouldn't dress James in jon-jons and outfits like that....but here I am. I can't resist- I think he looks SO cute. Just until he's one, ok? 

One morning before school, Adelyn was in the driveway saying, "Daddy, I want to show you something!". Seth came out and low and behold....a hot air balloon landed in the pasture across the street! A mom and her kids took a hot air balloon ride for her daughter's birthday and this is where it landed! We were SO lucky!

The company let the kids crawl all over it to let the air out. The kids were all an hour late for school, but totally worth it! 

I took Adelyn to see the high school play "Pinkalicious" and "Alice in Wonderland". Each were an hour long and she loved it! Here she is with Alice!

If you ask Adelyn about "Alice in Wonderland", she'll only talk about the princesses that were at the Mad Hatter Tea Party (about  45 seconds of the play). We got all the way to the car and she said "We forgot to meet Belle!". So we went back inside, found Belle, and got this picture. You would have thought I bought her Disneyworld if you'd seen her face when Belle hugged her!  

Saw this on Pinterest but taped it to the door so James can fingerprint (with NO MESS- love it!). Mr. Destructable tore it down minutes later. Now I've got stronger tape and it's stayed up for over a day! 

Adelyn and Grandeddy at Barber (Seth's race in Birmingham)

Seth/Daddy is #1! And they were- Bimmerworld got the podium and 5th place (Seth and his teammate finished 5th!)

Spring Break

I decided to go to Tega Cay for Spring Break and spend the week at my parents' house. Whenever I go home, it's usually just for a rushed weekend. I loaded the car up and left Monday morning. I met an old high school friend (Amber) and her two kids (Eliza Grace and Bennett) in Greenville for lunch. Both of her kids are days a part from mine, so it was fun to catch up with her and watch our girls play together on the Chic Fil A playground (and James and her son ate their toys). Tuesday, we went to my mom's school (it was still open for the daycare portion) and Adelyn got to experience a Montessori classroom. I SO want her to attend a Montessori school....it's just too expensive (three times the cost of what we pay at the Methodist preschool she attends now). It was fun to watch her explore and take it all in. It made me realize what a great Montessori student she would be. :(  We went to Southpark (my all time favorite mall) for a little shopping. On Wednesday morning, we went to Charleston. We were there by lunchtime and had a great picnic on the Battery/Waterfront Park. Then we went to our hotel and had Adelyn take a nap. My friend Heather (another friend from high school) lives at Folly Beach and recently had a baby so we went to their house. They live a few blocks from the beach so we took her golf cart and let the kids play in the sand for a while. James didn't really know what to think and Adelyn was all about it! In fact, I had to bathe her at Heather's house because she was so sandy and wet! My mom and I got take out from Hank's for dinner (YUM) and enjoyed a nice evening. The hotel room was a loft, so once the kids were down we could relax downstairs. The next morning, we went on a walk around downtown. My mom wasn't feeling too hot....turns out she got the stomach bug. It was a pretty miserable ride home! I felt so bad for her. She was all better Thursday morning. She took Adelyn to an indoor playhouse. Seth came Friday evening. Saturday was an Easter egg hunt at my parents' church. We dyed eggs that afternoon and Seth and I had a date night that night (Thai restaurant and a wine bar afterwards). Luckily, the Easter bunny found us at Nana and Grandeddy's Sunday morning. We went to Hickory for Easter lunch. All of my cousins' kids were there and we had an egg hunt. Then we drove to Seth's grandfather's for Easter dinner and another egg hunt! Adelyn did a total of six Easter egg hunts (including her school and church hunt!). It was a fun Spring Break! 

Adelyn, James, Bennett, and Eliza Grace at Chic Fil A- this really helped me break up the trip and it was awesome to see Amber!

James with the Pink Tower

Practical Life- squeezing work (water in a baster)

Sweeping lesson

Picnic on the Battery

Sittin' on a cannon

At the hotel....James climbed the steps for the first time. Can you tell he's a tad proud??

Lovin' the beach!

Folly Beach

James (9 months old) and Zephyr (3 months old). Heather and I have known each other since 7th grade!

Easter bunny at Steele Creek Presbyterian

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Dying eggs with Nana

Easter Bunny brought Adelyn a Star Wars book!

And James got some new shoes!

Uncle Joe and James in Hickory

Kissing Great Mommy

I didn't get any pictures at Seth's grandfather's. The car ride from Hickory to Dawsonville was NOT fun AT ALL. When I got there they were hunting already. I was so glad to be out of the car and not hearing James crying that I didn't even think about my camera. :(