Back to School & Birthday time

I know that I'm way behind but here is an attempt to bring y'all up to date. In early August the big kids started back to school. Parker began 2nd grade and Bennett is in kindergarten.

Of course when school is back in session Parker finds more time to create he beautiful drawings. The back of her work papers from school are always more interesting. Lately she has been making fashion magazines for the girls and hunting magazines for the boys. At one point she was bringing home money from selling them! My little entrepreneur!

Then sweet little Langley began her nursery school classes a couple weeks later.

Superhero day was the first themed dress up day. Every home football game the entire class goes to the pep rallies and they always have a theme.  Of course you can tell that Bennett is Batman but Parker wanted to be Cat Woman but I was so sure she was a Superhero!

We enjoyed one last fun-filled day playing, swimming and fishing at the hunting camp. He was one worn out boy!

Then our birthday season was upon us...mine kicked off the season but of course there aren't any pictures of mom's cake or party (because they didn't exist). Bennett had a hunting party at our local sporting goods store where they have an indoor archery range. They blow up tons of balloons and attached them to the wall and help all the children use the bow and arrow to pop them. Even though the party was hunting themed Bennett still had his trip to the College World Series on his mind and wanted a baseball cake. His grandmother did a fantastic job!

What I wasn't prepared for was how rowdy 25 little boys would be on a Thursday night the first week of school! It was madness but everyone had a great time even the girls!

Then it was time to prepare for Langley's 4th birthday. We planned a Fiesta swim party with her dad. I'm pretty biased but it doesn't get cuter than this!

Greenwood has an annual cycling race and this year they included the  "Tour de Grand" race for the children. Bennett was all ready for race day and I think finished in the top five finishers but I was dead last with Langley. The first time she ever got on her bike was the day before so after about 10 minutes she was complaining that her "tushie" hurt. It was a little funny.  She ended up finishing the race with another friend of ours riding in their carriage. You won't see any pictures of Parker because she decided she wanted to cheer everyone on and she did a great job!

After the race there were inflatables and water slides that the children all played on. It was a fun day for the whole community. We look forward to next year's Tour de Grand.

Not sure where we were traveling to in this picture but I couldn't get over the fact that Langley was wearing the headphones for a watching a movie and at the same time playing a game on the tablet. Not sure what to expect from these new generations!

I know this is a strange photo but towards the end of the Summer you would often find Langley playing under her bed. That phase has now passed but if she can't find her then that is the first place I look. Silly girl!

I took at picture of this at Parker's open house at school.  I always enjoy seeing her self portraits.

St. Louis here we come!

This year we were able to go to Louisville, MS again to Clif's Uncle Wally's house for a 4th of July celebration. Below is a cute picture of one tired little girl and her daddy. Check out her crossed legs!

The kids and I packed up for one last trip to Centralia before they started back to school -- the first week of August! It gets earlier and earlier every year. Below Langley is enjoying the hibiscus blossom.

The hardy hibiscus blossom caught Parker's eye.

Parker and Langley hit the jackpot with all my old Barbie clothes.

On this trip Coco, the kids and I packed up for a fun day in St. Louis. We didn't got to the zoo this time but visited the Arch and the City Museum.

Y'all can't see us but I like the fact that I tried!

The close up isn't very good anyway.



Parker was excited to get on the itty bitty elevator to go up in the arch...until she actually rode it. On the way up she closed her eyes and made us all be very quiet.

But once we arrived at the top her fear was gone. They loved it up there! Bennett was particularly loved Busch Stadium (probably because he has had baseball on his mind all summer).

Here, in the old "photo op" elevator, Parker was not scared one bit. I like this picture because it looks like they actually enjoy being together!

I love this picture! I couldn't get anyone to stop so that I could take a picture of them with the Arch in the background but somehow managed to get this shot. I think it looks like I used photoshop to put Bennett in the picture but I did not! What I do not like about this photo is how old he looks! :(

Our next stop, after a great lunch at the Spaghetti Factory, was the City Museum. I had heard lots about it but it doesn't really prepare you for how unique and crazy it is. I don't believe it is for small children (Langley was on the edge) but it is fantastic for older one. It is a little bit crazy because there are small spaces that are very dark that adults can't fit into and there are basically no rules. We lost Langley at least once maybe twice. I might have blocked that memory out. All in all we loved it and will definitely make a trip back! And yes that is a bus about to topple over the top of the building and the tall structure on the left hand side is a giant praying mantis. CRAZY place!

 

Below Parker is crawling up the long tunnel to the praying mantis to ride down the slide underneath it. There is another way to the top that is a lot less tedious but of course not as much fun.

And there is a ferris wheel at the top too! Very scary at first because it goes around faster than you would probably like.

Coco, Langley and Parker rode it first (bottom seat) and really enjoyed it.

Then Bennett and I did. That is his scared cry-baby face.

Langley loved to play in the old planes. They were kind of creepy in my opinion.

This girl is crazy! All I did was ask her to turn around so I could take her picture and this is what I got.

This placed is really insane! We didn't know what to expect but you can definitely spend the entire day at the City Museum. We didn't even visit any of the actual museum and I didn't include any of the indoor pictures because it just didn't do it justice (indoor tree house, dark caverns, 5 story slide, turtle pools and the list goes on)