Sunday helper

Sundays are important days in our house, it means coupons and groceries. Here is my little helper with both the coupons and the groceries.

After Party

So I told you about the before and during, but of course you need the ending too. Everyone was pretty exhausted so there was toy playing, no napping for Tootie which I still can't figure out and last but not least rice krispie treats.

Friday night I stayed up fighting with marshmallows, icing and cookie cutters only to discover what a complete pain they were to make. I went ahead and made a bunch only to forget to pull them out for the party. Oh well, better luck remembering next year.

2nd birthday party

A month later, but here they are...finally. Adelaide had a great 2nd birthady party at home this year. We were joined by friends and family and I loved that this year we had kids that were close to her age and that Adelaide really got involved in the whole party. Of course in true sassy style, she was 30 minutes late to her own party. I wanted to make sure that she had a nap before everyone got there and apparently she was a little more tired than I thought because she was out for awhile. Good thing because there was partying to do inside, outside and even after the party.


Adelaide with her Gramps, Ya Ya wasn't able to make it this year due to work. So while we were in Fleming Island, she was in Asia shopping for Tootie. Thank goodness Gramps was there, if not we would have had some hungry people.

GG and Pap were a HUGE help with the party, couldn't have done it without them.


Why is it that a family photo seems to always be the after thought?!

Yay, a "bebe" in a shopping cart.

This is Adelaide unsure as to what to do since her friend Lea was sitting in her special present opening seat.



This kid is so crazy, she wasn't interested in cake unless it was off of someone elses plate.

Colin was helping open presents.

Ricardo, I think we need to play with my butterfly wand.





This is Melissa teaching Grant the fine of art of bubble blowing.



That's funny, how is it that little Anna has two plates in this picture and looking as guilty as ever?

We needed a third party to decide on these balloons, I said YES and Grant said NO. Thanks for the winning vote Pap!


Jason was the honored lunch table monitor for the afternoon.



Notice Grant trying to get some height on his dad.


Not even all of her loot, the kid is spoiled.





Colin and A playing with some of the favors, bug gardening tools and wind up bugs to be caught with their bug catchers.





That's right folks, these cupcakes and cakes are homemade. Second year in a row of making Adelaide's birthday cake. The cakes may not be the most elaborate cakes to be found at a party, but I think there is something special about taking the time to make it at home versus going to Publix. With that being said next year will inevitably be a store bought cake.

scheduled

Don't worry folks, I haven't forgotten about you and the blog. This is another scheduled interruption in over sharing due to a 4 day trip to NYC. I'll be back once I can catch my breath and upload all of my new pictures. Until then phone calls and emails are suggested in order to get the scoop.

Pre-Party

When I was in college pre-partying meant having a few drinks before hitting the town. NOW it means cakes, icing, cleaning, rearranging furniture and all kinds of things to make little kids and adults all happy in your home for a few hours. Thank goodness I had help from my mother-in-law Stephenie, without her I never would have pulled off the party. Of course while we were busy baking, Russ was at home preparing food for the party. Wouldn't be a party without Russell food.

Around the house

Just a few pictures form around the house...

I bought a new mirror and before we got it put on the wall Adelaide got full use of its low level.

We have been working on a bunch of projects for Adelaide's room and one of them is a sign tree which as you can see Adelaide was my little helper.

Grand Cayman - family vacation

Yay for vacation, there isn't a better feeling than sand between your toes and a week of doing absolutely nothing. Our first week of August was spent with little tv, no internet but a whole lot of Tootie play time and suntan lotion. The photos are not in the correct order, but you get the point of how the week was spent. Nothing short of a relaxing and well deserved beach retreat.


We had a two bedroom condo that was huge. This was the view from our patio, ahh how I miss this view.

As you can see this crab had little to no reaction from Tootie. Just a prehistoric looking creature that the annoying white haired kid down the beach eventually killed, Sven will learn about karma.



We were fortunate not to run into any hurricanes during our stay which is a definite risk you take in the Caribbean during the summer, but we did get rain one day. The rain didn't stop Tootie, she still wanted to be outside.




The rain evetually ended and we were left with this view.

shopping or drinking...shopping or drinking...which way do I go?

The sign in this photo is VERY important.

How appropriate, Grant and Adelaide on the poop deck.


Yes, that is Russ wiping off Grant's brow. We went to this little restaurant Over the Edge and dined on fried lobster, fresh shrimp and escovitch. If you don't know what escovitch is, Grant can fill you in on the spicy dish. It was so spicy yet fantastically good that Grant couldn't stop eating it. After each bite he would have to wash it down, which resulted in more beer and ended with a 4 hour nap when we returned to the condo.





look, no legs just sand!





Adelaide couldn't stand when someone was on the patio without her, so she would knock on the window until you let her out.

Notice the bulging gut and no shirt...long story short is that the shirt is off because Adelaide wasn't feeling well and the beginning on the trip and pooped all over Grant and the gut, well that's simple...the food was good.




Mommy, I swear I didn't mean to poop on Daddy he was an easy target and aren't you glad that it wasn't you?

hence the reason for the gut

Georgetown - our only trip into tourist land for the week. We have stopped here before while on cruise ships, but I forgot how hectic it becomes when the masses are in town.


"Tootie stop touching the skeleton, shouldn't you be afraid of it anyway?"

Diamonds International, not only a good location to stop in for obvious sparkly reasons, but because it had air conditioning.


They had a park in the condo complex which was fun in the morning but way too hot in the afternoons.


Grant sitting on the edge of the pier.


Don't worry Gramps, that stuff you feel in your scalp is only cookie crumbs.

Isn't he the happy camper?


The restaurant at our condo, not a bad view.



Pretty sure she ate her weight in goldfish that week.


$10 draft beer anyone? Ahh, it's only vacation money, gulp.

They were on fish patrol.



Fish at the end of the bar deck.


This is how we taught A how to say turtle. She had to stop by and see them in the lobby everyday.




Another beautiful vacation, but the story isn't over yet. I hope to soon load the pictures from our day swimming with the stingrays.

Grant had never seen the NY skyline before, so this picture is for him. This was the view from the Newark airport on our way home. Yes, we had to fly through Houston on the way to GC and then Newark on the way home. Thank goodness there weren't any flight delays because there are very few flights on and off of the island.