Toddlers or Teenagers?

I thought that I was the mother of three toddlers, however, recent household activity has led me to believe otherwise. What with Jason listening to the I-Pod at the breakfast table and Colleen wearing high heeled shoes on a regular basis, I am not sure that I don't have two teenagers running around!

Tallulah Gorge Bike Trail

Another thing on our Summer 2011 list is bike riding, so we took a friend's advice and headed to Tallulah Gorge where there is a perfect bike trail on the State Park side. The trail is now paved but years ago it was the path of the railroad. Colleen and Caleb loved grabbing things off the trees as we rode and Jason was a trooper as always, peddling his heart out the whole way. After that it was time for lunch at the Tallulah Grill and a chainsaw carving exhibition next door! Days don't get much better than this.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

A theological lesson on napping...

JASON: "Colleen, Jesus is God's little boy and they stay up all night. But when He was Jesus here, He took a nap."

More theology...

COLLEEN: "Mommy, God's word is in my heart. Jesus is in my heart too." At this point she raises her shirt and looks down, "Uh oh, He's starting to get out!"

Samuel insists that he used to torture his little sister with little annoying actions or words for no other reason than that he liked to. Well, it must be a universal "boy thing" because Jason does the same thing to Colleen at times. One day in the plastic pool he continued to sing "Pop Goes the Weasel" over and over, particularly the part about the monkey chasing the weasel, and much to Colleen's frustration. It went something like this...

JASON: "All around the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel,"

COLLEEN: "I not a weasel" Her voice filled with irritation

JASON: "All around the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel,"

COLLEEN: "I not a weasel" screamed this time

JASON: "Ok, ok, you're a monkey."

Semi-Professional Photography

One morning, Jason, Colleen, Caleb, and I(Hannah) went out in search of a great yard sale. With no luck, we headed over to the 441 Exchange where there is bound to be something cheap at any given time. Sure enough, a bin in the back was full of hot wheels and dolls...what could be more perfect?! When we got home, Jason and Colleen wanted to take pictures of their treasures which then turned into an impromptu photo shoot. Here is some of their work:

"Busted Head, Busted Lip, Shoot!"

Poor Colleen, she had a rough couple of weeks, complaining with a tummy ache and fever one week and then falling out of bed and busting her lip the next. She was pretty pathetic, but the little busted lip was so cute we could hardly keep from smiling and laughing at her every time she spoke. She jumped at the chance to have a picture taken of the affected lip and puckered right up!

A Date with Daddy

There was a Daddy/Daughter dance at the Aquatic Center and a friend of ours encouraged Samuel and Colleen to go. The theme for the night was "The 80's" so a borrowed tutu skirt, some leggings, plastic bracelets, purple eye shadow, and a Members Only Jacket did the trick. They looked great, and Colleen had fun twirling in her skirt and dancing with Daddy until the dangerous hour of 8:00! It took a little bit of coaxing, but she rode away in the truck as Daddy's special date and returned with a big smile.

Memorial Park Zoo

We have made a Summer 2011 list of things to do and so the fun has begun. Among the many things on our list were a visit to Athens for the Memorial Park Zoo and Botanical Gardens. The Zoo was just right for our family. The animals were easy to see and there was everything from Alligators, to Turkeys, Black Bears, Brown Bears, and Eagles. The children loved every minute of it, and we wrapped up the days fun with a visit to the Varsity for a Frosted Orange.

Fernandez Visit

Uncle Joe and Aunt Abby were in town for a visit/business trip and we were blessed as always to have them in our home for a little while. The cousins love each other and feel that strong family bond despite the distance between them. Here they are together at the dinner table(minus Caleb).