Go Big Wave!

Walker and Anna Grace were so excited about Tupelo's 1st home game last night. Of course, I think Scott was just as excited! I figured it would be a good time for the kids to spend time with their Daddy, so I stayed home and got some much needed "Mommy time." They got home around 9:30 (after a stop by Sonic for milkshakes) and busted through the door talking 90 miles an hour about how bad Tupelo was beating the other team. They thought it was so cool that Tupelo was ahead 42-0 when they left. I'm glad they both like football since it will be just about all we watch at our house for about the next 5 months!

Walker's MSU Room

We are all big MSU fans (Scott and I both graduated from State) so I decided it would be great to decorate Walker's room in a MSU theme. When he was 2 he wanted to wear this jersey EVERY day and would pull it out of the dirty clothes to wear it! So I thought it would be perfect in his MSU room. His books have been driving me crazy lately so I got him this bookcase last weekend. His room looks so much better without all the books on the floor! We'll see how long it will last!

First Piano Lesson

This week Anna Grace started piano lessons with Mrs. Sylvia Thornton. She is Anna Grace's good friend Blair's grandmother. Blair has been taking lessons for awhile, and Anna Grace was excited to start learning how to play. Right now she is having to practice on a keyboard, but hopefully we will get the piano from Nana & PopPop sometime this fall.

Paint, Paint, Everywhere!

This table was in Walker's room but is being repainted to go in Anna Grace's. Needless to say, a blue table would not work well in a pink and green room. The kids were so excited to get to paint and didn't mind helping with the sanding first. I learned that when you turn a 7 year old and a 4 year old loose to paint a table, you have to expect paint in more places than just the table! Even though I put them in huge shirts, they ended up with paint on their feet, legs, arms and hair! But we had a great time working on this project together. I was planning to put on the 2nd coat tonight, but there is just one problem . . . now Anna Grace wants it green!

Homework at Bebe's House

We stayed with Bebe and Daddy Jim (Scott's parents) in Pontotoc for the week of Aug. 18-22 while we rented out house out for the Tupelo Furniture Market. We are very thankful that they let us invade their house for a week. It works out pretty well for me since I work in Pontotoc. It is a little difficult of Scott because he has to get the kids to school on time!

Anna Grace and Walker both loved staying with Bebe and Daddy Jim. They didn't even mind dong their homework! Anna Grace is working on her spelling words and vocabulary. So far she is making really good grades.



Last spring Walker wanted to do homework like Anna Grace so we started working on his name. I think he is doing fantastic! Of course, I'm not sure he could tell you what all the letters are yet! (By the way, Walker doesn't turn 5 until October so he should really be in the 4 year old room. He will repeat Kindergarten in public school next year.)


Part of Walker's homework this past week was drawing a picture of a friend from school. He decided to draw Jack who is not in his Kindergarten class but was in his class this past year. He worked so hard and did a really good job making sure most of the body parts were somewhere in his picture (not necessarily anatomically correct!) He explained that the 2 ovals on either side of the head were his arms--"He has really strong arms." His ears are just above the arms. The legs and feet were easy to see, but Anna Grace and I were a little confused by the circles between the legs. Walker wouldn't tell us for the longest time. Finally, he said it was his "butt." Pretty detailed for a 4 year old!

Walker's 1st day of Kindergarten

Walker started Kindergarten at HBC on Aug. 13th. He has been going to daycare at the church since he was about 8 weeks old. Mrs. Nicole has really put in a lot of effort into getting ready for Kindergarten and making it a special transition for the kids. Walker was most excited about the "Red Light, Green Light" system. Mrs. Nicole said that he has been asking for weeks about the green light. So far he has stayed on green! He is also excited that he can get something out of the treasure box if he stays on green for 5 days! He is also excited about homework! Wonder how long that will last?

Lots of Help in the Kitchen

Anna Grace and Walker absolutely love to help in the kitchen - especially if we are making something like brownies. One of their favorite tasks is cracking the eggs. They are both pretty good at it, but occasionally Walker will try the "squeeze" method! Luckily, this day was a good "egg cracking" day (no shells in the batter!) Stirring is another fun part of cooking which they both do very well. Licking the bowl is the best part! I'm glad that I have such great big helpers in the kitchen - wonder if they would like to help with broccoli!?!

Sunday Lunch

Rhett and Angie (Scott's brother and his wife) had all the family over for Sunday lunch about a week ago. Even though we all live in the same town, we don't get to see each other very much. Angie is a fabulous cook and we all enjoyed her famous lasagna! After lunch the cousins played all over the house. Anna Grace, Charlotte and Liza put on a concert upstairs on Liza's bed. While the boys played outside. Later, all the kids showed off their dance moves in the living room. I forgot my camera, but luckily Leigh Ann got these pictures and some great videos - check them out on her blog. (I tried to steal them, but it didn't work!)

Summer - our favorite babysitter

Summer is definitely Anna Grace and Walker's favorite babysitter. She been keeping them since Walker was in the 1 year room at Harrisburg. Summer typically comes to the house with different activities for the kids to do during the night. The last time she brought an appliance box that she and the kids made into a castle! She has also been know to bring her swim suit and play on the Slip-N-Slide with them and start water balloon fights! She recently received her elementary education degree from Ole Miss and is working on her Master's. Needless to say, she will be a GREAT teacher! My kids will be so sad when she is too busy to babysit them!

Little Miss Reader

All summer we've been pushing Anna Grace to read, read, read. Most of the time we would read with her, but toward the end of the summer she started reading more on her own. When I checked on her one evening, I saw her laying upside down on her bed totally into her Junie B. Jones book. It reminded me of when I used to lay just like that on my bed totally engrossed in a book. Seems like yesterday I was reading her "Good Night Moon" and "The Pokey Little Puppy." It makes me a little sad that she won't need me to read to her anymore, but I am so glad that she is enjoys reading!

Walk's New Hair Do

Walker decided he'd try a new hair do after his bath the other night. When he turned around Anna Grace and I died out laughing. Even Scott really liked it. Maybe we should have let him wear it that way for the 1st day of Kindergarten!

Where's the tent for that circus?

This weekend the kids and I went to Brandon to visit my parents, Nana and PopPop. My sister, Kristina, and her family (Hamp, Reid and Lily) live in Brandon. Breisch and Angie, my brother and sister-in-law, live in Madison. I love getting see all my family when we travel to Brandon! The kids love playing with Reid, Lily, Angie, and "Hamp the Monster!"

Walker, Anna Grace, Lily & ReidReid, PopPop and WalkerNana and Anna GraceNana and her grandsons Best Buds: Walker and Reid

On Saturday Kris and I took the kids out for a little bit which gave Nana and PopPop a little break. (They did have Lily to try to get down for a nap, but at least the other 3 where out of the house.) We ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and the kids got to play on the playground. (Of course, we covered them in Germ-X when they came out!) Then we ventured to Target for a little shopping--not a good idea! Shopping with a 7, 4 and 3 year old is not an easy feat, and we decided that we wouldn't do that again any time soon!

The kids absolutely love playing at Nana and PopPop's house. Across the street is a cul-de-sac up a hill. The kids drag their tricycles, scooters, or any other riding toy to the top of the hill, jump on and start peddling. Half way down the hill they hold out their feet and fly to the bottom of the hill where an adult usually catches them. Lily even liked "driving" her car down the hill.
PopPop hung a disk swing on the tree in the backyard, and the kids had the best time trying to stay on it. Of course, Walker decided to do some tricks and nearly landed on his head! When he got tired of swinging, he would sling the disk in the air and try to catch. That lasted only until it nailed him in the head! He decided to take a break from the swing after that. Anna Grace assumed the "babysitter" role and helped take care of Lily all weekend. She "toted" her around the house which Lily tolerated in the beginning, but would let us all know when she had enough "toting." I think Anna Grace will be a good babysitter in a few years!
We love getting to see everyone in when we go to Brandon. It does tend to get a little crazy (and loud) when all the kids get together. PopPop likes to say, "Where's the tent for that circus?" That pretty much sums up our visits to Brandon, but we all have a great time despite the chaos!

First day of 2nd grade

Friday was Anna Grace's 1st day of 2nd grade. She was so excited and not at all nervous. Walker and I walked her to her class. She quickly took her seat and started working. The whole class was busy and quiet--I was very surprised!

When I picked her up that afternoon she said that she had lots of fun at school. She told me all about how students earn rewards for following the rules and helping other students. Of course, she was much more dramatic! Then she informed me that she had stayed on "green" all day, but there was a boy who talked all day. She said he ended up on "blue" and had a note sent home to his mother. Anna Grace said that if I worked at her school, this little boy would be sent to me (to work on his behavior!). I'm looking forward to hearing all her stories from each day of 2nd grade!

Mani & Pedi

Well, Anna Grace and I have started a new tradition - getting manicures and pedicures for the 1st day of school. My friend Martha Ann gave me this great idea and told me about Nail City which is a great nail salon! We started with pedicures which Anna Grace loved! She said that the water felt really good, but the scrub tickled. Of course, she picked a pretty pink to go on her nails, and she even had a little flower put on her big toes.

Next we went on to manicures. Anna Grace has been growing her nails so they really looked good with bright pink polish. She even decided to have a design put on all of her nails.

We both enjoyed our mani and pedi. Thanks to the ladies at Nail City Anna Grace will have the prettiest nails in 2nd grade for the first day of school.