The Aquarium

The girls' favorite thing there


Ahhh, girl drama starts so young. Both would do this. Here Charlotte is wanting to hold Adeline's hand and she is refusing. Thirty minutes later the tides would turn and either way one would get upset with the other. So silly!


Looking up at the Beluga Whales

All my Atlanta peeps, don't be hatin' because I am just now taking my daughter - at the age of 2 1/2 - to the Aquarium. Honestly, I couldn't justify paying the money before now and if it wasn't for Adeline coming I probably still couldn't justify it. Call me cheap, call me boring, but I have a few theories about children, upbrinings, and doing things too early. I know, I am old fashioned, but there are just some things I believe are better for the kiddos when they are older and my theories proved correct here. Oh, Charlotte and Adeline were fascinated, but they are just as interested in the fish in the tanks at Walmart. Forgive me, but the moving floor and the riding toy you see above were the two things they were most interested in.

I do have to say, though, that Charlotte talked about the dolphins for quite some time afterward (a.k.a. the Beluga Whales). I still believe that both my children will enjoy it much more when they are say, about four and five.

I am still glad we made the trip into town and got to spend the time with Adeline and Mary Catherine, but if you are asking my advice, save your money if your kids are under four and go to the park, bake a cake, or read a good book. They will enjoy those things just as much and you won't have to spend almost $40 bucks to do it. :)

Adeline's Visit

Sweet Cousins - we did not intentionally buy them matching bathing suits. When they got here I showed Mary Catherine Charlotte's new bathing suit and she said Adeline had one just like it - too funny!


Mary Catherine showing the girls how to run through the "sprinkles" - as Charlotte calls it.


Running


Running some more


Running all over the place


This one was too sweet. Love it!

My sister-in-law, Mary Catherine, and my niece Adeline came over the Tuesday before we all headed to the beach. Mary Catherine and I had been wanting to take the girls over to the Aquarium so they made the trek over from Birmingham so we could go. They spent the night Tuesday, we went the Aquarium on Wednesday, and they headed back Wednesday evening. Mary and I both questioned our judgment on planning such a trip right before we headed out of town, but it worked out well and the girls had a WONDERFUL time.

They truly enjoy being with one another and have a bond almost as close as sisters. I am glad Charlotte has Adeline - her one and only girlfriend (seriously, all of our friends have boys and while we are thankful for all these boyfriends, there is just nothing like girl time).

Pictures of our Aquarium trip are coming tomorrow. Enjoy!

{updates}

Playing with bubbles outside before bathtime.


Lollipops are the reward for Charlotte doing #2 in the potty - her brother gets to join in her reward


They always share with one another


They have chosen this corner in the kitchen to sit and enjoy their lollipops - this wasn't even encouraged by me, but I like it!

I realized recently that I have failed to update on the kids lately. We have had a lot going on and just updating all the trips/playdates has taken all my blog time. So here are a few facts about what the kiddos are up to:

Charlotte:
- We are in the throws of discipline and while not fun, I prefer disciplining an older child. She seems to get it more often than not and we can at least discuss what has happened and why she is in trouble.
- She has a few new sayings - when she wants to stall or doesn't want to do what she is asked right then. 1. "In a minute." and 2. "Well (sassy inflection), I want to drink juice, not milk." Ironically Doug asked me the other day where in the world she picked this up. I couldn't figure it out for the life of me until Charlotte started correcting me for using the same phrases. Whoops!
- She has picked up potty training very nicely and while I haven't been brave enough to venture out the door without a pull up on, she is doing really well and even asking while we are out to go.
- She is finally in a big girl bed and doing well with that too. I cried when Doug took her crib down, but she is so pleased to be a big girl and tells everyone - even the clerks at the grocery store - that she is in a big girl bed.
- she LOVES to help me cook and "wake" the baby up in the morning or after naps - always saying "Good morning, Baby!"
- She truly doesn't meet a stranger and always wants to go somewhere. She isn't happy just sitting at home. She loves being on the go.
- Says the blessing at dinner now and it is too cute.

Douglass Charles:
- Running now - seriously - and determined to keep up with his big sister.
- LOVES sliding down the slide and even goes head first.
- has a vocabulary of about 25 words and is seriously starting to put words together. I never expected him to be this verbal this quickly, especially being right behind his sister who is so verbal.
- LOVES to play ball. You get a ball in his hands and he is ready to play and doesn't have too bad of an arm either.
- Is still full of love and I have determined that his "love meter" just needs a little more filling than the average person. He just likes personal touch. Sometimes he just likes to sit back in my lap and drink his juice - something Charlotte never had the time for.
- Folds his hands in prayer and always says very infatically, "AMEN" after the blessing or bedtime prayers.

There are so many things these two are doing, but one of my favorites is how they love on one another. They hold hands, kiss, and hug all the time and the LOVE rough housing or jumping on the bed together.

They are growing up too fast on me and I just wish I could slow down enough to thoroughly enjoy it. Being mom to two toddlers so close in age is honestly the toughest thing I have ever done, but I don't know what I would do without those two. I love them so... :)

Sweet Summertime

Kissing my little waterbug. He has become quite in love with the water since these pictures were taken two weeks ago.


Playing with little man in the baby pool.


Charlotte - hanging back. I have influenced my child too heavily. Always my cautious one.


Guess who spent most of the time in the water - the reason there are so many pictures of him. You wouldn't have thought Charlotte was there. :)


Douglass Charles' loves having water poured over his head.

There is something about the smell of Coppertone, eating ice pops, and the summer sunshine that just warms my soul. I am a spoiled girl during these times too because my hubs gets to be home, so there is a lot of family fun time together.

This is the first summer in three years that I haven't been pregnant or had a baby under six months. So... to say we don't plan on enjoying our summer together is an understatement.

Look for more photos from family vacation and Adeline's visit coming this next week. I am in the process of getting them all edited and ready to go.

We are already missing the warm Florida sunshine and the ocean breeze, not to mention all the good food and quality time with family. Oh sweet, sweet summertime!!

I made the right choice...

Doug with Charlotte


Doug with Douglass Charles



The other evening, while cleaning up after dinner, I took a moment to enjoy what I saw outside. It was a beautiful evening, the sun beginning to set, and I could hear squeals of laughter coming from my children as they scurried about. They were playing one of their night time games outdoors before baths - and this one was one of their favorites - playing hide and seek with daddy.

As I watched Doug running around with our children I was struck at how good he was with them. He would hide, but in an obvious place, chase after them, and scoop them up in his long arms kissing them, tickling, and then placing them down just to do it all again.

I have always been confident that Doug would be a good father, but in that moment I was reaffirmed again that I made the right choice. When you meet that special someone when single and you do begin to start thinking seriously about a life with them I believe most wonder if this potential life mate will make a good parent. I knew Doug would be good, I just didn't know he would be THIS good.

So Happy Father's Day to my hubby - the best daddy to my children. Thanks for wanting to be home with us, working hard for us, playing, changing diapers, cleaning faces, and filling juice cups. And thanks for loving us despite our bad days, our grumpiness and whining from both me and the kids.

We are blessed to have you in our lives and I am so glad that I made the right choice for me, and especially our children. I love you!

MIA

Sorry for my negligence in posting lately. I have been busy with these two precious girls - and Douglass Charles too. I will be MIA a little longer as we are about to depart to Destin for Moore Family Vacation. I will have a lot of catching up to do when I get back, but you can't blame me for wanting to spend LOTS of time with these two precious faces. :)

Blogs I'm Reading...

I have been on a search over the last several weeks for blogs - ones that could potentially be great places for The English Pea to advertise. Thanks to Dana over at Plum Tree Studio I now have a little list I have begun following - which has resulted in more blogs I have found.

Now if you know me, the above dress could describe me to a tee - I truly feel it screams my style and I am in LOVE with it. This precious little dress was featured on one of my very new favorite blogs called Grosgrain. Oh, is she the crafty momma and this wonderful dress is part of a segment she calls "Frock by Friday."

Being the crafter that I am the thought of being able to put this dress together in a matter of afternoons makes me want to run out to Joann's Fabrics tomorrow and find something beautiful to sew. This is just one wonderfully fun thing on her blog. She also has FABULOUS giveaways and just fun projects - for the sewer and crafter a like. And for all you local ATL folks, she is in our neighborhood, so you will recognize things from time to time.

So, I hope you enjoy browsing one of my new faves. Check it out here. Happy Friday!

Graduation Party

The graduate, Doug, with me and the kids after dinner.


Charlotte and Paxton


Charlotte


My father-in-law with Douglass Charles


Douglass Charles and myself


Me, Suzie, and Amy

A month ago a little group of us got together to celebrate Doug's graduation. Originally I had planned dinner and drinks sans children, but this happened and that and it was just easier to get everyone together with their kiddos. We had a couple of friends who weren't able to make it due to illness or prior engagements, but we had a wonderful time celebrating Doug's completion of his masters.

Doug's parents, sister, and brother-in-law came over for the event (I know where are the family pictures, tisk, tisk). Thanks to the wonderful Suzie for these great photos and to Meg for the family picture.

We had a good time just hanging out and celebrating with friends and family. If a specialist or doctorate is down the road I think we will leave the kiddos at home next time. :)

Hooray! Hooray!

Polka dots are one of the winners ideas for her custom party package. :)

... for Meg Barge for winning my Custom Party Package Giveaway! Congratulations! I will be in touch about specifics.

Thanks to all who entered. Hope you all know I would give you one if I could.

Going Home

I wrote this one afternoon while the children were napping. Leaving my hometown is always hard everytime I visit and tears were present again as I pulled away from my parent's home. But as you will see from this post, places just become places when the people you love are not there.

I was struck this visit to my hometown with a good bit of nostalgia. Maybe it was the drive out into the country revisiting some of the lone roads I would venture down - flying with the radio blaring, or the overwhelming beauty of acres and acres of corn and wheat growing on the farms around. Maybe it was just the house, the church, the places that were my life for so long. No matter what it was, this trip had me remembering.

We always love to drive down the roads - which literally can take about twenty minutes - of our friends, places we would frequent, to see what has changed. I always have to go to McRae Street to view the house where I grew up, drive by the church - First Pres - where I was also married, drive down Main, Pensacola and Kimberly.

The wonderful thing about a small town is not much does change, so the memories can linger on.

Sadly, though, every time I go back since my parents have left it feels less and less like home. Oh, I LOVE seeing the people that have been my parents friends and it is always comforting to enter the doors of my old church, walk into David's Catfish and stuff myself to the gills with popcorn shrimp, but it just isn't the same.

I miss my home, but I am understanding more and more as I get older that home is not necessarily a place, it is about the people that make a place home. Without my parents being there, it really changes my perspective of what home is. And I also realize that maybe it is just time to start viewing my life, my hubby, and my children as the place that ultimately is and will be home.

{133}

133 may not seem like a special number, and in reality it isn't. But to me, this thirty-something-mom-of-two, it is a number I have remembered since the day I got married. Yes, 133 is how much I weighed when I walked down the isle.

I am guessing I am not unlike most women in remembering the weight I was when I got married. My mother can still share her gloriously, small weight on her wedding day over thirty years ago.

Sadly, despite diet and exercise I have not seen my wedding weight since pretty much that day. I remember my doctor telling me three months after my marriage not to worry about the ten pound weight gain - it was just happy weight. Well, ladies, I like being happy, but no one likes to carry ten extra pounds.

My weight continued to increase and before I got pregnant with Charlotte I had kissed 133 goodbye - resolved to never see her again.

Until Tuesday... I have been a little under the weather and paid a visit to my doctor. I stepped on the scales before entering the exam room and the nurse said "133." WHAT? Seriously?!? I was so excited.

I knew my weight had changed, but my wedding weight? Who knew chasing toddlers would finally shave off all those pesky pounds that I had resigned myself to living with. So... here's to wedding weight and the toddler diet and exercise plan!

Happy Friday!

Senior PGA

While we were away we visited Doug's parents over in Birmingham for the Regions Classic. This Senior PGA tournament is held every year at the golf course in their neighborhood and we have made it an annual event. As you can see by these pictures the kids and myself spent our time at the pool and let the guys enjoy the golf.

My inlaw's neighborhood has such a wonderful pool and the kids' favorite part was the fountain area. Honestly, it was mine too because I could keep a better eye on them both.

Thankfully I didn't have to venture to the pool all alone and I always had plenty of hands to help me. I did discover, though, that pool time was not something I wanted to do alone. With two toddlers in tow I was constantly running in different directions - my relaxing days by the pool are obviously over for a few years. Seriously, how did my mother do it with six?

Regardless, we had a WONDERFUL time with Doug's family and we look forward to another trip later this summer. :)

Happy Birthday ...

to The English Pea! Yes, we turn one today. It is hard to believe that I started selling my little designs a year ago today. It has been quite the ride, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it as well as the friendships I have made through it.

And as a thanks to those of you who have kept me in business I want to show my appreciation by offering you these three things!
1. A custom Party package worth $150.00. This means if you win you get 24 invitations, 24 party favor stickers, and 24 return address labels in addition to your own custom design - that's right, you dream it, I make it. I do charge a pretty penny for this service, so I am thrilled to offer you an opportunity to get just want you want for your special party (this can be a grown up party as well as a children's party).

2. Receive a free set of small, round return address labels with any purchase now through June 15th!

3. Also, if you have ordered with The English Pea in the last year receive 25% off your next order now through June 15th - just my way of saying "thanks" for your support.

To enter the giveaway:
1. post a comment stating what your party theme idea would be
2. become a follower of this blog or "like" us on facebook (or mention that you already are/do)
3. Subscribe to The English Pea Chatter (or state that you already do)
4. Blog or post a comment on twitter or facebook about our celebration
(do all four and you increase your chances of winning!)
I will announce the winner next Monday so happy posting!