Jude's quotes from our day together.

Jude and I spent the day together yesterday. We dropped off Jonathan at work, Ella at school, went to the bank, took pictures, dropped off recycling, went to the grocery, had lunch, took Jonathan lunch, took a nap (of course), picked Jonathan up and then Ella. Believe me, we were both so hot all day. There were some funny things said though. Jude picked up a sucker at the bank for himself and Ella. (He wanted to get one for the baby and Daddy but I told him neither needed it). Anyway, he was allowed to hold it but not open it until after pictures. On the way to pictures he said "My mouth really wants to open my sucker, but my hands know I have to wait until after my pictures". He also found a butterfly wing in the parking lot of the restaurant. He said "I hope the butterfly that lost his wing comes back to get it". He was a good boy and fun to hang out with!

Last day of preschool

Okay, so I am not crying as I am typing - yet - but today is the last day for my "baby" to go to preschool! I had intentions of taking her picture as a memory but my memory and the rain got the best of me this morning and I forgot. It hit me - just now. And maybe NOW I am crying as I am typing but I will blame it on the hormones...anyhow yesterday I told her that she was going to school for two more days, going to Mimi and Pop's house then when she came home she would start Kindergarten. Well, it brought on tears for her too. She said "I can't eat that fast yet and I don't know enough. I am not smart enough." I understand the eating part because she is a very slow eater but the other stuff I don't get. I am pretty sure panic attacks are reserved for people my age, not hers. I am anticipating that August 11 (first day of Kindergarten) will bring more tears - mine, not hers.

3 yr pictures

3 year pictures

Above is the slide show for Jude's 3 year pictures. I picked from about 300 and still included too many. It was HOT and when you have long hair like Jude you get sweaty. It was harder to control his hair than it is Ella's! His Daddy is living vicariously through him and likes it to be long - he has also trained him to say he likes it long too!! It's fine with me - until pictures!

Easy Bake fun

What the cake was supposed to look like

mixing it up

What the cake did look like

They both gave it two thumbs up! Jude loves all food though!

Ella received an Easy Bake oven for her birthday back in December and I am just now getting around to letting her use it. We tried one other time but I did not have the proper light bulb. Anyway, after Jude wanting cookies and Ella wanting a cake - she won and a cake it was. Not bad for water and mix...

Christmas in July

Jude brought me down this letter from Ella to mail to Santa. It was in an envelope and I had forgotten about it until I opened it the other day. I will translate for you because you know, we (and I mean Ella) has not mastered the left to right, top to bottom writing yet. She did a great job though!

translation:

"From Ella

I hope you to bring me and Jude lots of presents."

She is getting an early start for Christmas! - and at least she included her brother too.

Playing in the rain

Hiding in the "house"
They were fighting over the umbrella until I said "say Cheese"! He's got moves
What we have seen of Jude most of the summer

We went to the pool today but oddly enough it was even too hot for the pool (or at least to me)! We stayed about an hour then came home. The kids wanted to eat their lunch outside so they were sitting at the picnic table waiting for me to fix it when it started raining. Of course this was WAY more fun than eating. It cooled it off - a little.

VBS Finale

Wednesday night was the final night for our July VBS. It ended with a carnival. It was crazy but the kids had a great time. Jamal did some great face painting - Carmen's strawberry wasn't bad either, flower making, limbo, fishing, frog pond, outdoor play with Popsicles and fruit toss (it was fake fruit, thankfully). It began with hamburgers and hot dogs. I am happy to report that I actually ATE a whole hamburger...don't know what my deal was. Anyway, even happier to report it did not come back up.

Getting ready to start school - SOON!

I called my mom on Thursday or Friday (can't remember now) asking if she could get Ella an appointment to get her hair cut while she was visiting KY. She does love long hair but it is just so much work and I know nothing to do with it. Her Daddy is also going to have to learn to do fix it so short would be much better. Anyway, Mom took her and I love the way it turned out. It looks so cute with little to no effort. The downside is that she looks so old!

Jonathan and I also hit Opry Mills on Saturday - I was just wanting to walk around in an air conditioned building and Jonathan apparently had some major shopping to do. I did a little looking for Ella some school clothes and realized that once out of 5T we are in trouble. I mean I enjoy a bit of sparkle and a halter top every now and then but the selection for size 6 is odd. It is either matchy themed outfits or clothes that look too old for her. I guess I will just have to shop harder, huh?

Abby's party and group trip to Chuck E. Cheese

Girls ready for the party Chuck E picture

Saucy head
Hello Chuck E
Waiting his turn for the air hockey
Too many kids on one ride

On Tuesday night Ella was invited to attend Abby's birthday party. Parents were optional so Jonathan and I opted out. Debbie was having some health issues which left her unable to drive so Cassie drove Riley up to our house and Jonathan and I dropped the girls off at the party. The two hours went by very fast! We went to Kroger, unloaded groceries and had dinner then it was time to pick them up. They had a great time and had about 15 tattoos a piece in various places on their bodies. Ella proclaimed that she had eaten 2 cupcakes before I was even fully in the door. Not something I was proud of but what else could I expect.



Debbie's strong pain relievers left her unable to drive on Wednesday. I picked up her and the girls and took them with my two kids to Chuck E. Cheese to meet Carmen, Lofton, Landon, Cherie, Sam, Rose, Becky, Brett, Reece, Mallory, Teri, Josh and Hannah for a play date. Everything went pretty well. Reagan did fall out of her booster seat and hit her head on her pizza which resulted in the "sauce to the head" picture (which I love). As we were getting ready to leave, Jude used one token to give several of the kids a ride...overall a productive Chuck E Cheese trip that took up about 2 hours (felt like 6 though).

We have a date!

The sex of Baby Griffin will be known on September 10th around 7:30 a.m. - which is when the c-section is planned. Of course the heat is killing me and I would love for it to be now but you know, gotta gain more weight, grow some hair and fingernails.

Girls and Boys night out!

Ella's hot pink toenails with green polka dots
My swollen sausage toes - Ella took the picture.

Thursday night I took Ella to get her toenails done and Jonathan and Phillip took the boys golfing. Needless to say, Ella loved getting a pedicure. She was such a big girl! Her legs were barely long enough to get from the seat over the water to the little lady. She said her favorite part was getting her legs massaged! Afterward, we went to dinner where the conversation was great. It is so much different when we are one on one. I love talking to her. She can be so big sometimes. When we finished dinner we headed home to make banana splits. We ran into Carmen and Landon playing outside so they came over and joined us. Much to my surprise, Carmen had NEVER had a banana split! Luckily, I was well prepared with chocolate fudge, strawberries, pineapple, bananas (of course), cool whip - in the spray form - and ice cream! They were yummy. The boys got home pretty late and Jude was hungry. He has always been an eater but he consumed the following - 2 bowls of Honeynut Cheerios, watermelon, pineapple, blueberries, chicken strip, banana and a bowl of peanuts. I guess that is why, when my dad took him to the bathroom in Chili's today and he came out very proud of his "big log" (Jude not my dad), my dad asked if he had eaten alot of fruit?!

More pics of the girls golfing

Teeing off
Playing pretend
Not sure what Reesi is doing...

Although the golfing outing took HOURS, the girls (and boys) had a great time. I thought they would take lots of pictures but they didn't . Apparently the girls had really good imaginations on the course. The tees were alligators which ate babies...I am not sure what that is about but they were good enough that the dads will take them back.

Shores Pictures

Nasvhille Shores

After the golfing debacle - think supposed to be home at 11:30 and not getting here until 2:15 - the McConnells and Griffins did make it to Nashville Shores. Jude and I were the only ones to get a nap. I guess that is why Ella fell asleep at 7:00 in the car. We had a good time with the exception of Jude's rock impersonation - he sinks. The big and little kids loved the water slides, pool, lily pads and miniature golf. I had to put my camera down for some of the water fun due to previously mentioned incidence of Jude sinking. I did learn that watching 2 kids at a water park is very hard and am just now beginning to wonder how I am going to keep up with three?! Too late now!! We won't go back until everyone can swim. The evening was capped off with dinner at O'Charley's and the consumption of a whole lot of rolls.

Quote of the Day

Ella: Mom, when Ally goes to sleep forever can we get a cat?

Part of me was appalled and the other part could not help but laugh...I don't even like cats!

Girls Gone Golfing!

For some reason, Jonathan decided a couple of weeks ago to take today off. I wanted to take the kids to Nashville Shores and last week realized that it is half price after 3. We have decided to eat lunch, take naps and head to Nashville Shores at 2:30. So, Larry and Reesi came and spent the night, the boys went and got doughnuts then the girls got to go play golf with the older boys - which left a crying 3 year old little boy here that a I had to bribe with a second doughnut. Anyway, the boys also took my camera (not my good one) to the golf course so the pictures to come should be good.

Wii family night, using a "Gotta Go" and trampoline madness

I am going to combine several events into one post for two reasons 1.) maybe not so boring and 2.) it won't take so long!

Mimi, Pops, Jamie, Kingston, Kathy and Lori stopped by our house on the way home from Michigan on Sunday evening for dinner and a potty break. We then made the attempt to go to church which by the time we were out of the neighborhood, Jonathan had to turn around and bring me home because I was sick (not the reason for the "Gotta Go" post title)....ANYWAY, the evening ended with Wii night. Ella and I took on Jonathan and Jude. Ella beat everyone in the bowling competition, Jonathan won the boxing (although with combined scores Ella and I won) and Jonathan won the baseball (again, Jude's poor showing on baseball enabled Ella and I to win with a combined score). It was fun and only one remote was thrown by Jude who has apparently entered the terrible twos at three!

On Monday Carmen and I walked the kids to the city park which was fun but of course not long after arriving Jude announces the need for poo poo. "Gotta Gos" are no fun - anytime, however when you are the one that has gotta go it makes it a little easier. Saying that, it was NO fun for me to enter the potty for several reasons - the first being I didn't need to go, the second, it was HOT outside and the third (although there are more) it was with a 3 year old. So we get in there and when he realizes what it is he says "I can hold it." Knowing "hold it" meant he would eventually poop his pants, I could not let that happen. So with one foot holding the door open, my shirt over my nose and holding onto Jude because he was afraid he would fall in, he let it go. The words "DISGUSTING and GROSS" were both used - by him. But in the end, he got the job done and then in true boy spirit he wanted to see in the "hole". Okay, so I did let him and he was satisfied with a job well done...nasty.

We did enjoy a Sonic slushy afterward, a long nap, slip-n-slide with Lofton and Landon and dinner and ice cream with the McConnells - which leads to the trampoline madness. I think the pictures speak for themselves. It lasted until around 8:00 when I could not stand the mosquitoes any longer! Pictured are of course, Ella, Jude, Lofton, Landon, Emma, Clark and Gwen (the last three are our neighbors).

Near Decapitation

Sounds pretty bad to be the title of a post but it really is quite funny - at Ella's expense. The kids returned from Nana and Pepaw's house on Saturday and after a very long and apparently much needed nap they went down to play with Riley and Reagan. Riley and Ella were taking a ride in the Jeep when Riley had a very good idea to drive under the trampoline. Apparently the word "DUCK" did not register with Ella and as Riley ducked her head and cleared the trampoline with ease, Ella did not. The side of her head hit the metal trampoline and sent her out the side. I was not there but to hear Ella re-enact the story is pretty funny. She said "Riley told me to duck but I didn't know what she meant." Carmen thinks she was looking for the yellow swimming animal....who knows but Jonathan took this picture last night of her and Reesi and you can see it on the right side of her head. I may try to get a better picture later but for now the girls are gone golfing with the boys.

My Little Gentleman

I have to blog this because when he is a teenager and I wonder where he came from I want to remember that he is a sweet boy deep inside...

That to say that obviously raising boys is different than raising girls - I am sure most of you know that but I will continue on. I want him to be a boy that is polite and respectful to girls. It does not always work but at least we are trying. For instance, when we leave in the morning he holds the door open for me and says "Ladies First" in the sweetest little voice. I am working on having him do this for all ladies and all doors but I will take what I can get. Anyway, on to the phone conversation I had with him mere moments ago. It went like this (only the Jude part was in broken just turned 3 yrs old language - but I knew what he said):

Jude: Hey Mama, what are you doing?
Me: Just watching some tv, Jude, what are you doing?
Jude: I am talking on the phone to you.
Jude: I see your picture. It is in the living room.
Me: You do?
Jude: Yes, you are very pretty.
Me: Jude, you are such a gentleman.
Jude: I know. I love you Mama - Do you want to talk to Ewwa (Ella)?

May not seem like much but my heart melted.

Off to Nana and Pepaws

On Saturday, Ella and Jude will have been visiting Nana and Pepaw for a week. They were going to come back earlier but Ella is scheduled for a tea party with some girlfriends on Friday afternoon. Anyway, what I have learned this week:

My mom will *almost* cave and buy my daughter a very cute chicken at Trade Day. Thanks for not doing it, Mom, as it would have lived at your house.

Apparently, my children are VERY hungry when they go visiting. They have eaten very well this week and I don't think any meals consisted of cereal....weird.

Yes, washable markers DO come off of hardwood floors, desks and Jude's skin. Sorry Nana!

They actually enjoy swimming in KY?! Who knew they could be entertained without me constantly having to threaten them at the pool?

NO, they EACH cannot have a jelly filled doughnut. But, they may share ONE!

Lastly, you can have two kids and have a peaceful meal where you get to eat your food hot - oh wait, they weren't there.

Thanks Nana and Pepaw- I have gotten many more things marked off my list this week!

Poets & Pirates Tour!

sweet mullet
the puker - in the UT hat (of course)

So, I asked Carmen to join me for a Kenny Chesney concert several months ago that was on July 5th. We tried to rally some other takers but no one wanted to spend the $100 to go. As it turned out, Phillip scored us some free tickets from Rob Bironas, Carmen's Mother-in-Law let us park at her condo for free and Carmen drove me - THANKS CARMEN! Anyway, we had a great time. The concert started at 3:30 but we decided eating could be more important. So, we ate then headed that way. We arrived a few minutes before LeeAnn Rimes came on stage followed by Sammy Hagar, Keith Urban then the anticipated headliner Kenny Chesney. As a "guest" the lead singer for Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles) performed her song "Stay" with Kenny. As entertaining as all the singers were, the people sitting around us were almost as good. We had Dog the Bounty Hunter ("he" was actually a she) - see picture of the fabulous mullet - as well as a young man that perfected the puke and rally (as Carmen called it). He got deathly ill, lost about 2 gallons of brown vomit - believe me, I saw it - ate a funnel cake, pepperoni pizza and by the time Kenny was on was having another beer dancing in his own vomit...wow! Needless to say we had a great time! Thanks again Carmen! (Will have to post pictures later)

July 4th Pics

July 4th

As July 4th tradition, Puh invited everyone over for some wonderful food and fun. Carmen bought several outdoor toys and set up a water play place for the kids. A little rain was big fun for the kids! The big kids (otherwise known as adults) sat in the garage and supervised the outdoor fun. After the rain cleared and the food was starting to be digested it was time for fireworks. Carmen had also bought poppers, glow sticks and sparklers for the little and big kids. After our fireworks the WH park shot off 30 minutes of their own. Thanks Carmen and Puh for a fun 4th!!!

VBS

Our church is doing VBS every Wednesday night in July. It started last night and began with a bang. We met for pizza at 5:45 then VBS following. It was just the perfect amount of time and enough to be worn out but have a week to recover until we do it again! And yep, that is a cemetary behind the kids....nestled right between the outdoor eating area, two playgrounds and a basketball court!

Nesting Round II

Well, most know that I have been tirelessly making people help me organize, reorganize, renovate and clean out my house. While Mimi and Pops were here we turned the playroom into "Mommy's playroom" (think office meets sewing room), turned the bonus room into a playroom which required moving lots of furniture, taking down wallpaper, painting and getting rid of a bunch of junk. All of this to say, as I was cleaning out a kitchen cabinet I ran across a cake topper - I guess you would call it - that was on a cake JONATHAN bought for me on my 25th birthday . Needless to say, I trashed it but not before I took a picture and forever put it in my memory bank via blog...

Pre-July 4th Celebration

Last week Ella's teacher sent home a note saying they were having a July 4th "parade". Each child was to decorate a float and bring it to school on the 3rd along with bathing suits and red, white and blue attire. We settled on taking the scooter - mainly because it is easy to transport. Although Jude's class was not involved in the parade, they did participate in water day and pizza. When Ella got up this morning she went over the rules with me "I need $4, a swimsuit, towel, wear red, white and blue and don't forget to apply my sunscreen." She apparently was listening when the instructions were handed out. So, as Jonathan headed off the work early we got ready for water day. Applying sunscreen to two moving kids is not an easy task in and of itself...at least when you feel like the Kung Fu Panda. We got all our gear - towels, clothes, money, float and cupcakes (that Jude could not take on Tuesday because he was still running a fever and did not go to school) - outside for me to take the mandatory picture. Afterward, the cupcakes were turned over, Jude was lying down in the yard in tears and I still had to get the trash to the curb for pick up. Jonathan lucked out getting to work early!

Jude's ACTUAL birthday

Jude's day started as all birthday's at the Griffin house do: Sing Happy Birthday and have candles in whatever breakfast you are eating as well as a phone call from Pops and Mimi and phone call from Nana and Pepaw with song as well. All of this was accomplished before 8:00. We then headed to Chuck E. Cheese - Jude's most favorite place to visit. We also spent a little time at work and then home to make cupcakes. Except for Jude waking up from his nap with a fever, the day went pretty well. As it is now Thursday, the fever only lasted one day but of course required around the clock supervision....needless to say, Jonathan was tired!