{week 35}

I cooked a lot this week. I mean, I cook a lot every week, but this week I photographed it. And by photographed, I mean grabbed my phone with a greasy hand to take a picture. It was pretty yummy stuff. Warm pasta salad with summer squash, eggs in hash brown nests for make ahead breakfasts and stir-fry (that one I totally made up, so there's no link to a recipe). In addition, I ate one of the best peaches I've ever had. Good gracious. It tasted like summer.

We also "camped" in the backyard on Sunday afternoon, complete with bathing suits, bubbles, lawn chairs and koozies. The rest of the week was a blur of school, chocolate smeared all over our faces, dance moves, camouflage hats with flash lights in them, upside-down playground madness, a Fancy Nancy dinner all dressed up by our two fabulous daughters, a Lumpkin family reunion and gearing up for the first Georgia game of the year - complete with a new rhinestone enhanced baseball cap for Mommy. Priorities, you know?

We're settled in to the school year schedule. Up early and to bed early, which suits me just fine. Cassidy is still l-o-v-i-n-g kindergarten, Kalea comes home with a handful of crazy three year old stories every day and Cade seems to enjoy the peace & quiet that comes when his big sisters are at school. I'm enjoying the time with just my little guy & scheming up projects, recipes, birthday parties and other crazy things to occupy my time while Michael is looking forward to football season &, well, football season. What a great way to end August.

{week 33}

Boy this week was well documented!! I did notice that four of twenty-eight are of the girls sleeping. I think maybe I just wanted to document them when they were peaceful. And quiet. And sweet looking. And also quiet. Did I mention quiet? LOL! We definitely have a household of talkers. Cade has joined the ranks lately and just babbles constantly with a splattering of real words and a bunch of unintelligible stuff. Michael commented the other day that Kalea may have a future in news reporting or as a town crier with the constant stream of things happening (and imaginary things she adds to the mix). He may be on to something.

We made it through the first full week of elementary school this week. Everyone was tired by the end of the week (hence all the napping pictures) but Cassidy's doing really well. She even came home with her clip on PURPLE yesterday!  The little ones & I filled up the week with playdates - a friend or two over at our house and a super fun messy MOPS playdate at a friend's house. That one inspired us to have some shaving cream fun at home later in the week and then - GASP - let them paint on the garage wall on Saturday!!! You should have seen the joy and surprise in their eyes when I gave the green light to move from the big piece of butcher paper to the wall while they finger/feet/body/hair/belly painted. 

I've had a hard time lately finding the balance between parenting and letting go to let Thing 1, 2 and 3 experience things on their own. And making sure to enjoy it with them. I'd like to blame the electronics (I admit that the iPhone is a semi-permanent attachment) or "things to do" but truthfully I may just need to LET GO. (Sometimes, let's be real.) Let them make a mess. (Let them clean it up.) Let them play together and disagree, then work together to find some resolution. (Is this real? Does that really happen? Or are your kids like mine & things just escalate until there's an all out battle. Complete with battle scars?) Let them decide what the schedule is sometimes and don't force my agenda. I know all of that sounds well and good and I'll try. Remember my word of the year, SPACE? Well, as the school year begins, I'm revisiting. 

Michael spoiled me on Friday, while the Cassidy was at school & Cade/Kalea were at Mom's Morning Out by taking me to the Le Creuset shop at the new outlets near our house. We picked three items to start a set of nice cookware. I'm so excited. SO excited. I also snuck in a birthday pedicure - opting for fall color because our weather here has been unseasonably cool recently. I don't mind so much, but I would like to get a little use out of the pool this month before it closes for the season! 

We spent Saturday morning exploring the Dekalb Farmers Market getting yummy veggies and fruit, then splurging on some delicious cheese, bread, hummus and tabbouleh for an at home date night.  Then we headed to my old stomping grounds, Apres Diem, for lunch. Quite a different experience from a decade ago when I worked there, but fun none the less. What a yummy birthday weekend! 

{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 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! 

{week 6}

While elsewhere in the country there was up to 40" of snow, we had a week of 65° and sunshine alternating with downpours and foggy days. Cade played at the playground for the first time as a walker - he was wobbly & thrilled! Lately he's been obsessed with books & has started the habit of hanging out in bed with Mommy & Daddy after he wakes up in the morning & reading book after book after book. One of his favorite books is "I Love You Through and Through." 

The girls spent some quality time with Daddy learning jokes from the family bad joke book early in the week and on Saturday all three kids helped in the yard planting bulbs from Mama Teen's garden & putting up a new bird feeder from Gran & Poppy. 

I've discovered the joy of freezing cupcakes recently & we enjoyed the last of a batch of brown sugar vanilla cupcakes with nutella as icing earlier this week. We also went out to dinner at Henry's Louisiana Grill in Acworth this weekend & discovered that all three of the kids will devourer popcorn shrimp, that Cade likes cajun french fries, going out to eat with three kids is much less stressful at an already really loud place & that calories don't count on Saturday nights. 

{week 3}

we were busy this rainy week: kalea started gymnastics, I found a new fun phone camera & editing app, 

lots of cooking, playdates, friends & sitting on each other. clearly. 

{green bean snatchers}

It cracks me up when I'm cooking & there's a flurry of skirts, ruffles, pink, purple, glitter & giggles.

Suddenly my raw veggies are missing from the adjacent bowl & my girls think they've gotten away with something. 

If that's misbehavin'...I'll take it!

{enjoy lunch much?}

Two packets of baby food, two scoops of chili, two scoops of mac & cheese & mess up to his armpits...he's still asking for more!!!

{july in review}

Hold on tight. We're catching up with the month in review. This might take a while!

The month started out with a sleepover at Gran & Poppy's house for Cassidy & Kalea. Cade spent the week being spoiled & treated like an only child by me & Michael. It was amazingly quiet with only one little person in the house.

creative use of the baby bouncer at Gran & Poppy's house

watching the braves game at a sports bar with daddy

walk to the park...first wagon ride!

only 15 & a half years until I get my license!

The following week the littles spent some time at the park, had a dance party or two, went swimming & generally acted cuter than ever.

daily dose of dance

watch out daddy, I'm stealing your dance partner

sleepy boy at the park

milk & finger mustaches

pool! the girls have done great at swimming lessons this summer

the cuteness kills me!

The following week we ventured to CatchAir, a local bounce/play/nuthouse of moms & kids, had a few more dance parties, decorated cookies & hung out in our neighborhood. Later in the week we met a friend at the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History where they have a fun weekly storytime. We closed the week with a field trip to see Ryan's flower shop (otherwise know as Brenda's House of Flowers in Woodstock!)

bffs. aww.

tasty? 

they turn out the lights & have a disco party. it's hysterical  watching the kids dance!

loved the ball pit

pool time with miles & melinda

silly girls.

decorating cookies...good for 5 whole minutes of distraction!

time for a walk. they dressed themselves. in 90° weather.

cassidy's buddy nathan at the train museum

storytime activities. it was beach day.

somebody had spaghetti for the 1st time. clearly a success!

ryan & his buddies at BHOF

The following week we kept ourselves busy with after dinner swing races, a last minute trip to Chattanooga to see BFF Sara & some other Spring Grovians, visiting the aquarium, taking a tour of Publix with some MOPS mommies & kiddos and then ended the week with the Lumpkin July pool party at Gran & Poppy's house. Never a dull moment!

we love the swing park in our neighborhood!

road trip!

choochoooooo!

chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-chug-a....chooochooo!

cassidy & SPY before dinner

feet of BFF Sara & Jackie. the tradition continues.

the rest of BFF Sara & her buddy

the next day he fell asleep in the high chair by 8:30 am. trains are tiring.

georgia aquarium

cade loved the tunnel

watching the 3D movie

looks like nemo...but is named depot! 

more swings!

upside down swinging

We love our Publix! They showed the kids all over the store & gave us lots of yummy samples!

gran's silly girl

sweet saige

kalea is one of the big girls

cade is SOOOO big!

can you find michael in this picture?

The final full week of July the girls went to Cooking Camp at the church where they go to preschool. It gave Cade & I some time to clean, do laundry, organize & pack. We did manage to fit in some silly time as well as one "ice-cream for dinner" night at Menchie's. Then we hit the road & headed to OBX for a week of craziness fun family bonding with 8 adults & 7 children, ages 4 weeks to 4 years. More of that to come! 

frozen yogurt for dinner?!? why not!!??

i LOVE kalea in pigtails!

monkey see. monkey do.

mini-me

cassidy drew a picture of her blankie. what an artist!!

we take a lot of pictures like this.

doing a trial run setting up our new tent

sleepy in the car during errands.

all i need to pack for the beach, right? 

guess who chose their own outfit?

how I cleaned out the fridge.

everyone in PJs & on the road for the overnight drive.

10 hours later!

More beach & August photos to come!