Our Evenings

I adore our evenings. Being outside and taking walks is the perfect way to end the day. 

Nate made a swing for the kids last weekend, and it's Piper's favorite place to be. 

 This guy loves to run super fast (his words). A year ago he was the one in the wagon, but this year he runs the entire time and only stops long enough to pick up rocks from random driveways.

 Asher's preferred method is anything with wheels.

 My girls really love each other. Piper is so patient with Emmy.

I'm glad school has started, but our evenings have gotten busier. Asher has soccer and Tae Kwan Do. My tutoring is picking up again. I'll miss our lazy summer nights.

Our Last Day of Summer Vacation

Nate was off from work last friday. We asked the kids what they wanted to do on their last day of summer vacation, and they unanimously said the beach. We started the day with Duck Donuts. These are the best donuts ever. 

 We decided to go to the sound side of the OBX. I prefer the ocean side with the waves, but this was perfect for our small ones. You can walk out for a really long time and it is still shallow. Asher and I walked until we could barely see the shore, and it was still waste deep.

It was the perfect end to the summer.

First Day of School

Today is the first day of school for Asher and Piper. We are ALL excited about this. 

I asked Asher what he wants to be when he grows up, and without any hesitation he said "A soccer player". He has gained so much confidence and I know he is going to rock first grade.

 Piper recently discovered the show Project Runway and fell in love. For any of you who are unfamiliar it is a reality show where clothing designers compete each week with a new design challenge. Piper really wants to design and sew clothes (well mostly dresses) when she gets bigger.

I didn't cry when she was picked up for carpool this morning, by my heart hurt a little bit. She seems so tiny to be going to school. She was full of excitement and couldn't wait to see her friends.

The Stairmaster

Emmy Lu, our little love bug, is quite the mover these days. We affectionately call her the stairmaster. If you take your eyes off of her for a moment she either checks to see if there is dog food to eat, or she heads to the stairs. 

 If she gets to the top unnoticed she will patiently wait and then clap when someone comes for her.

Life wouldn't be nearly as fun without out little adventurer.

Pierced Piper

About a year ago Piper started asking to get her ears pierced. I explained that it would hurt, and she would need to clean them every day. She decided not to do it, but every so often she talked about it. A few weeks ago she said she was ready. Today was the day and she was so excited to have jewels in her ear. Both Nate and I feel strongly about how we will let our kids have piercings. We want it to be done by a professional that is trained and uses needles. I'm not going to let a 15 year old at the mall who watched a 10 minute video pierce any of my kids. We also really don't like the guns they use. There is a great piercer in our town that we went to today. She was so great with Piper and really put her at ease. 

 Little Pipes was a brave little toaster. She barely flinched and didn't squirm at all.

 It will be fun to let her start picking out some jewelry in a few weeks.

Trip to PA

While we were in Pennsylvania I got together with one of my old college roomates. Emmy was a big fan of Bruce the cat. Bruce wasn't as excited. 

 Getting multiple kids to look at the camera at the same time is next to impossible. If one is looking, I call it a success.

 This one is just so happy. She also gets bonus points for eating everything we give her. Spinach, chicken, cheese, bring it on.

 This was the first time I took all the kids on that long of a drive by myself. It actually wasn't too bad. We stopped at Chick-Fil-A so they could all move around.

Asher's Birthday Event

I really like doing birthday parties for the kids, but the thought of four a year is a little overwhelming. I gave Asher the option of having a party or taking some friends to a water park, and he chose the water park. We went yesterday, even though it's a month before his birthday. We wanted to go on a day Nate had off from work, and before school starts. I told Asher he could pick two friends. He really wanted Bennett, and his friend Aidan from school. Unfortunately, Bennett got sick at the last minute. Jada was more than happy to come instead. Aidan's mom came along, and I am so glad she did. Having three kids by myself would have been tough. 

I couldn't bring my phone around, so I didn't get any pictures on the slides. We got there at 10, and left a little before 5. I'm pretty sure Asher would have stayed until the park closed if we would have let him. 

We packed our lunches, and took a break to eat them outside the park. I wanted to get a picture of the three kiddos together, but they were all being quite goofy. 

I continue to be so thankful for the friends that Asher has. These two are kind, caring, and a lot of fun to be with. It was a really great day.

Sorry for the Long Hiatus

I didn't mean to take such a long break from blogging, but it just happened. My mom and sister came for a visit. They took Asher, Piper, and Dexter back to PA with them. Having just Emmy for a week was amazing. Nate and I relaxed so much and got a lot done. I went to pick the kids up and stayed with my in-laws for a few days. 

Piper my Piper, you are still my sweet little girlie. You are my biggest helper right now, and the only one who doesn't complain when I ask for help. I've rekindled my love for sewing and you really like when I make you dresses. 

 Emmy Lu, you make my heart explode every day. You are such a sweet baby and there is nothing I love better than being with you. She is currently 10 months old and trying her hardest to walk. I'm guessing in another month she'll have it down.

 Dexter, you are such a goofball. You haven't grown out of your climbing stage yet. One thing you have become is a little charmer. Every time you are doing something mischievous you quickly run over to give me a kiss.

It's been a lot of fun to watch you with friends. Asher and Piper are at VBS this week. His little friend Kate came over one afternoon.

 Ashman, you are filled with energy from the moment you wake up and you never stop. You still get frustrated easily, but you are starting to figure out how to deal with that. You are really becoming a little engineer. I love watching you build things, and come up with projects.