Edventure!

Emma Claire and her bunny (it goes everywhere with us!)

Grayson pretending to fill a car up with gas

They had a little Piggly Wiggly where the children could go grocery shopping--too much fun!

Emma Claire and Savannah

The girls having fun on the stairs...

Savannah giving Emma Claire a kiss :)

I took the kiddos to Columbia on Tuesday to meet up with some friends for lunch and Edventure, the state children's museum. Grayson and Emma Claire had a blast and it was great catching up with my friends, Andrea and Laura. Emma Claire and her buddy, Savannah, had the most fun climbing on all of the stairs that were everywhere---of course, something they could do at home for free! :) We didn't even get to half of the things they have in the children's museum--just another reason to go back again soon. I accidently left my camera at home, so THANK YOU to Andrea for taking the pictures of my sweet babies! 

Grayson funnies

Grayson says the funniest things sometimes, and I always mean to write them down so I'll remember them, yet rarely get around to doing so. Here are a few funny things he's said lately:

1. Yesterday, we were driving back home from Columbia. It was raining, and I always say a little prayer for safety when I drive, so I decided to pray out loud with Grayson. I said to him, "Grayson, let's say a prayer. Dear God, please keep us safe as we drive back home. We love you! Amen." I was watching Grayson in the rear view mirror, and he was just staring at me. After a few seconds he said, "I'm NOT going to bed." He was so matter-of-fact, and it was too cute!! Guess we need to start praying at other times besides bedtime and meal times! :) 

2. This morning I was getting dressed and trying to do ten other things at the same time. I had on a pair of shorts and hadn't put a shirt on yet. I brought a load of laundry into the kitchen and then got Emma Claire down from the high chair. Grayson walked into the kitchen and saw me half-dressed:

Grayson: Mommy, put on a shirt.

Me: Nah, I'm just going to wear this today. Is that okay?

Grayson: NO! That is not okay!!! GO GET YOUR SHIRT! 

I couldn't stop laughing--at almost 3, he's already embarassed of me! :)

3. A little while ago I was at the kitchen table eating lunch with Grayson and Emma Claire. We were talking and I asked Grayson if Emma Claire is cute. He (of course) replied yes. I then asked him if he is cute, to which he replied, "no!". I asked if he is handsome, and got another "no". I then said, "well, if you're not cute and you're not handsome, what are you?" Grayson responded, in a tiny whisper, "I'm Grayson". :)

Small update...

I know I've been a bad blogger lately! I spent a few days last week off of my feet (THANK YOU to my friend Erica, who spent her entire Tuesday babysitting me and the children all day!!!) and once I was feeling a little bit better we were busy again like usual. We had a fun day at an indoor playground (can't live without air conditioning when the heat index is 108!)---pictures to come as soon as I upload them off of my camera---and then a great weekend with Gee Gee and Papa in the upstate. We had lunch with friends today and then a couple of visits from some more friends this afternoon, and we're headed to Columbia to the Children's Museum tomorrow and to visit even more friends, so I'll have pictures to share later in the week. The kiddos are enjoying their August and seem to be playing together much better (knock on wood!) lately. Emma Claire added a word to her vocabulary today--"door". I need to post a video of her soon---I swear, she just gets cuter every day! Grayson told Ben this past weekend, "Daddy, you're not nasty!". No idea where that came from but he makes us laugh many times a day!

I got my stitches in my foot out today and unfortunately, so far, it doesn't seem like the surgery worked. We won't know for sure for another 3 weeks or so, but I'm a bit disappointed and discouraged. I was so excited for the surgery to alleviate the pain I've been having for almost a year and now I still have the same pain. Fingers are crossed that it's just pain from the surgery...

I'll be back in a couple of days with pictures of my sweet babies! :)

What I've been doing this week...

Isn't my new shoe so pretty and stylish? :) I had (minor) foot surgery on Monday to help fix an enlarged nerve (called a neuroma) so I've been chilling out on the couch all week while wearing my awesome new shoe. I feel great and the pain from the surgery is so much less than the pain I had before the surgery, so I'm pretty happy. I go to the doctor on Friday to get my stitches out and bandages removed and I should be as good as new very soon! Grayson has been cracking me up---whenever he sees me walking, he says, "here comes your shoe, Mama!". :)

Blogging buddies!

Last week Emma Claire and I took a little road trip to Summerville and Charleston for the day, and while we were in Summerville I stopped by the CUTEST little children's shop to introduce myself to one of my blogging buddies. Dena (from Growing Up Girlie) is so sweet and it was great to finally meet her!! Here's a picture of Dena loving on my sweet girl! :)

Get that energy out!

We have a big bonus room upstairs in our house that we don't know what to do with yet, so right now it pretty much just consists of a mattress on the floor. One of Grayson and Emma Claire's favorite things to do every day is to jump and roll on the mattress. I love it because it helps get some of that never-ending toddler energy out and they fall asleep much more quickly at night. :) Last Friday Grayson's friend, Hayes, came over to play and they had so much fun running and jumping onto the mattress. So cute! 

So different...

Okay, so even though Grayson has always been a handful in the emotional sense (had terrible colic as an infant, started tantrums before he turned one, and is the king of whining and screaming when he wants something/doesn't get his way/just feels like it), he's never been a wild animal. I have never had to worry about him getting into things he shouldn't in the house or wandering off in public. He just wasn't interested in checking out the kitchen cabinets or climbing on furniture, and he's always stuck by my side when we were out in public. It was pretty nice, to tell the truth...

Until now---my darling little angel daughter who is almost always happy, smiling, and quiet, is into EVERYTHING! She is constantly pulling things out of the kitchen cabinets, putting everything in her mouth (I found an acorn AND a penny in her mouth a few weeks ago!), trying to climb out of her highchair and has now started climbing onto furniture. I walked into the playroom the other day to see Emma Clare standing on the train table---something that has never, ever even occurred to Grayson. And what did he do when he saw his baby sister standing on the train table? Climbed up there and joined her, of course! Who knew that a one-year-old could teach an almost three-year-old naughty tricks? 

My friend Christie thinks it's hysterical because her daughter, Sanders, is the same age as Grayson and has always been the more adventurous one. I never quite understood the stress she has put Christie through until I started dealing with my own wild child. I know that she's only 1 and these things are pretty tame, but after seeing what all Sanders has gotten into over the past few years I am already preparing myself for Emma Claire... :)

I've got skillz, too!

My friend, Jo, posted on her blog last week about her tutu-making skillz and she inspired me to try it for myself! This is the first tutu I made and while it's certainly not perfect, I do think it's pretty cute. Emma Claire looks adorable in it, but she looks adorable in pretty much anything, right? Better watch out, Martha Stewart!! :)

Two little monkeys...

jumping on the bed!

Family time!

My cousin Henry and his wife Jean spent the night with us Monday night on their way from VA to FL. We had a great time hanging out and catching up, and it was so good to see their children, Caroline and Harland. Caroline and Harland are absolutely adorable, as you can see in the pictures. Grayson, on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled about having his picture taken! :)