{week 17}

Week 17 was well documented! Both Cassidy & Kalea had their (first) gymnastics recitals. Both girls did a great job. While Cassidy was poised and proud, Kalea made the whole audience laugh because she had such a big grin & waved the whole time - pretty indicative of their personalities! We had a couple play dates at the house & the park behind our neighborhood then headed to visit Gran & Poppy for the weekend. While we were there we visited a strawberry farm a couple miles from their house. All three had a delicious time picking strawberries & eating fresh strawberry ice-cream afterward - as evidenced by red strawberry faces! 

{week 16}

During the past week it was reaffirmed that I have some of the cutest kids on the planet. Just in case you were wondering. Although Cade went on a sleeping strike two nights out of seven, he still managed to steal my heart one day insisting on snuggling chest to chest on the swings instead of being a big boy & doing it himself like usual. Cassidy's preschool "graduation" pictures came back from the school photographer & I suddenly flashed twelve years in the future. And promptly decided that she isn't allowed to grow up any more. The girls crafted with fruit loop necklaces along with the daily coloring, writing & reading routine every afternoon, we caught a renegade squirrel stealing sunflower seeds from our bird feeder & headed to the Big Shanty Festival on Saturday afternoon with some friends - which wore out everyone & led to dinnertime snoozes for the girls which is practically unheard of at our house. We're getting used to the spring weather & counting down the days until summer vacation and our trip to Pennsylvania!

{week 15}

Over spring break we scheduled just enough stuff to keep us from driving each other batty, but not too much stuff that that the girls didn't get a break. We hit the zoo (& somehow have no IG pictures???), hosted a pajama playdate (where the kids destroyed their room & subsequently lost upstairs toy privileges for a week!!!), the kids went to a drop off playdate (thank you to my sweet friend for that break!), we did a couple of Pioneer Woman Home-school inspired science experiments, did some yoga, took a bunch of walks & bike/scooter rides & headed to Chattanooga's Children's Discovery Museum thanks to our friend Beth on Friday when Michael took a special day off work to hang out. Overall, a fantastic week. 

{week 14}

The week before spring break was pretty low key with just a stripping while napping Cade & some reading & writing (I swear we ought to buy stock in paper, glue sticks & Crayola). On Friday the kids & I went on an adventure to Ikea in the morning, swung by Michael's office on the way home, then made a stop at our neighborhood park on the way home where Cassidy successfully crossed the monkey bars on her own & ended the evening with a Peter Pan pizza night! Saturday Michael & I got to have a "date" going to a CPR training & then out to lunch. It's really nice that Cade, especially, is getting older so we feel more comfortable leaving them with a babysitter for a few hours. 

{week 13}

Lucky Week #13! We spent the week doing the following: ear check for a little man who decided sleep wasn't cool anymore (no ear infection, probably teething), mommy-baby boy day while the girls had a playdate after school on Tuesday. I registered Cassidy for kindergarten!!!!!!! (with only misty eyes, no tears! but oh my gosh!!), caught the kitties snuggling, had a hundred gazillion practice egg hunts in the house, the girls had their preschool Easter parties on Thursday and then discovered our engagement party & wedding pictures on Friday and Kalea kept exclaiming, "You & Daddy are falling in LOVE!!! Awwwww!" They had soccer practice & pictures on Saturday after which Kalea got to drink some, "later gatorade" while wearing her "shin gardens" (I nearly fell over laughing). Then we changed out of grubby clothes & little guy sported his adorable bow tie & headed to Macon for a busy Easter weekend. Lots of fun. 

Hope you had a wonderful Easter!!

{week 12}

Last week I tried to make up for the lack of pictures for the prior week by going way overboard in documenting the event of the week. That, coupled with a bunch of stuff going on, led to a crowded collage this week! Michael spent the first part of the week out of town for work. While he was away, we weathered a tornado warning (three kids, mommy & two cats in a very small half bathroom. good times) one evening, Kalea celebrated "green day" at school with some appetizing green macaroni & cheese & had a playdate with cutie pie Emma, Cassidy had gymnastics & school, we saw one of a hundred trains that go through Kennesaw - but this time Cade said, clearly, "choo chooo twain". We ate a yummy feast of cabbage soup, salad, quiche & apple pie one day &  yummy chili later in the week. On Friday, after spending the day with Cassidy's sweet friend, Seren, Michael & a friend convinced Jackie to drive two hours to see a free Blake Shelton concert & it.was.so.much.fun! He played for just over four hours! The next day was a rainy day that we spent in our pajamas doing chalk art & hanging out. Overall, it was a great week!

{week 11}

While Michael & I battled germs this week, the kiddos stayed healthy...but not well documented! It seems like Cade was the only one who stayed still long enough to be photographed except an airplane ride on my feet for Kalea on Saturday while we spent a beautiful day outside with friends...and three bobcat scoops of mulch that Michael spread in our flower beds!

{week 10}

the first full week of march brought more snow, wacky wednesday, more foodie pictures as well as a new TV show obsession for the girls - the pioneer woman, a couple more hats for cade's hat obsession, playgrounds, playdates & silly time with friends, and jewelry making with some of the craft supplies from grandma betty.

{week 9}

In a nutshell: sibling fun & fights, outside time dressed as a Thanksgiving settler, Cade started using a plate at dinner - as a projectile, Jackie got a haircut, Cassidy was a gardener for career day/community helper day, we made funny faces, Kalea conned me into stopping for donuts after school, Cassidy wondered why Daddy's drink had a Capri Sun straw & we got (almost invisible) snow flurries.

{week 8}

Talk about a fast week! The girls were off school on Monday & Tuesday for President's Day so the rest of the week just flew by. I actually woke up on Saturday morning panicked that Michael was late for work because the week just seemed off to me. On Monday, we had a fun playdate with a bunch of MOPS/preschool buddies. The house was filled to the brim with kid activity while the mommies relaxed. Later in the week the girls had fun helping make dinner - while sneaking vegetables like cabbage & carrots! The weekend was the highlight for Cassidy, who got to go to a little girl spa for part of a friend's birthday party. There were chocolate facials, cucumber eyes, manicures, pedicures, tiaras, boas, blue & purple eye shadow with glitter plus blue hairspray. She.was.thrilled...and looked just like an extra from an 80s music video!