My Little Dancing Queen

The little Miss Priss started her first day of ballet this week at a Christian Dance Studio. She is posing all by herself in these pics, as we headed out the front door- she has been talking about dance class since I first mentioned it weeks ago.

 

Tiny Dancer. Sav is also taking Hip-Hop once a week! Can you imagine?! SOOOO cute.

 

My absolute FAVORITE pic! Savannah is such a girly girl and is constantly surrounded by boy stuff at all times. I’m SO glad that she gets an opportunity to be around other girls and just dance. She LOVES it! Parents are only allowed to sit in on a class once a month, so I’m dying to watch her with her new gal pals!

And I’ve gotta “hand-it” to the brothers…I actually had to take them along with us when we dropped Sav off for her very first class. They sat right beside me and waited patiently in the crazy, congested narrow hallway. I was so proud of them! It could have gotten ugly and you just never know! Ha! We’ve also made several solo-trips to the mall (*cringe*) and other department stores without a stroller---talk about a HUGE accomplishment. The kids hold hands and actually listen to me! It hasn’t been bad at all.(Again, I’m loving the 3’s right now…)

 

This is also our first week of school for the little ones---so I’ll post some cute school pics soon!!!

Grammy’s and Grampy’s Lil’ Fishies

No trip to Austin would be complete without endless hours spent swimming around in Grammy’s and Grampy’s beeeeeautiful pool.

Jess taking Ethan and Andrew for a ride

 

Drew in front, Ethan in the back…identical twin giggles…identical twin smiles. LOVE it.

 

This is when Sav started to get really sick…poor baby girl. She LOVED being in her Grammy’s arms.

 

 

Dad throwing Drew up high in the sky (Andrew will be one of the only ones to go on a roller coaster with Mama when he gets older!—my little dare devil)

 

Ethan’s turn! (He’ll probably join us on the rides)

 

 

Ben wanted in on the fun as well (as pictured here with Uncle Ed)…but quickly realized that he will sit out on the future roller coasters and hang at the exit with Dad & Sav. (scared-ee-cats!)

 

 

Grampy getting Andrew to wave to me from behind the waterfall

 

 

Lets freshen up and eat some cupcakes! Ben, Drew, Sav, Ethan

 

Sweet lil’ girlfriend looks so puny in this pic :( you KNOW Sav’s sick when she doesn’t lick the plate of cupcake clean. (this girl has got the BIGGEST sweet tooth) She’s mustering up all of her energy, just to crack a smile.

 

 

Benny working his hardest to blow out that candle!

 

 

We had such a great weekend (as always)…thank you Grammy and Grampy for all of the fun birthday presents and endless food! Uncle Eddy and Jess- thanks for coming to play with us as well! We LOVE you guys!

 

We came home and immediately got hit with high fevers and vomit. I woke up Monday morning and had 3 different kiddos puke on me within 15 minutes. It. Was. AWESOME. Thank GOD they are feeling better. Sav is still running a fever- but I’m waiting to see if it develops into anything else…think its just a virus that needs to run its course.

 

We are eagerly anticipating the school year that starts next week!  The kids are SO excited- (as am I!) We just love their teachers and couldn’t have asked for a better Christian, learning environment. Hope all of you teachers/students/parents/faculty are well on your way to having a GREAT school year!!!

(Click HERE for healthy lunch bag ideas and leave a comment for a chance to win free $$$!)

 

Don’t know what we would do without you, amazing (& under-paid) teachers! We appreciate you all more than you will EVER know.

Celebrating the Quads’ 3rd BDay in Austin

We celebrated the Quads’ 3rd Birthday in Austin this past weekend and had a blast! Grammy and Grampy took us out to eat at the Rough Hollow Grille one night…(Sav, Andrew, Ethan, Ben). LOVE the view in the background, oh…and Miss Priss wearing her sunglasses inside. 

 

Checking out the view on Lake Travis (right by where the Quad Mamas stayed for our 2010 trip! Made me miss you gals! XOXO) Ben, Drew, Ethan, Sav

 

 

Back to the house for some piñatas and presents! Sav, E, Ben, Drew—LOVE the cool hats that Grammy always has for us!

 

 

The boys (Ethan especially) were super excited about their Lightening McQueen Car, and Savi adored her Tinkerbell.

 

 

 

“You mean to tell me that there is candy inside here?…Move back people- I’m gonna crack Tink- wide open”

 

 

 

She sure did get all of her candy out…then moved on over to her brothers’ pile-o-goodies.

 

 

 

Ben won the record for “most consumed suckers within a 30 minute period”…Sucker #1:

 

Double fisting, suckers 1 & 2:

 

Bartering with the queen for suckers 3 & 4:

 

 

Drew is so funny…as soon as the candy fell out, he grabbed one sucker and was good to go- just walked off and was ready for the next activity.

 

 

 

Ethan, working on his Cars “tattoo-sleeve” (the boy is obsessed)

 

 

 

At one point we looked around and realized that everyone was making his way inside the house, except Ethan…I found him over by the piñata, just staring up at it…like he couldn’t leave his best friend behind. We cut down Lightening Mac and gave him to little E-bud…he was in heaven.

 

 

 

The kiddos, ripping into their birthday loot from Grammy and Grampy

 

 

 

Uncle Ed and Jess helping the twins with their new cars (E, A)

 

 

 

Princess Savannah in her new dress up clothes! (Dad was NOT excited about the earrings…ha! Oh boy…the teenage years are going to kill him)

 

 

A girl after my own heart---you can never have too many accessories, right Savi?

 

 

 

Benny entertaining the crowd with his funny faces while loving on sweet Jess.

 

 

 

The diva putting on a fashion show.

You know, I must say- that Sav has been so awesome since turning  3. I was terrified of the attitude getting worse- remember my post about defiance? Yes, I realize that it has only been a couple of weeks…but Savannah has been amazing.  She acts so much older and more mature. The conversations that we have are incredible. And when I have to send her to her room for time out, she will come out when she is ready and say: “I’m sorry Mama…I’m ready to be nice”. The first time she did this, I’m pretty sure I had a minor-stroke.

The hardest part about parenting, for me, is not being able to see immediate results. I try to discipline the best I can and on SOOOO many days, I feel like just throwing my hands in the air and giving up…but if I just stay consistent with them, it will pay off eventually….right? LOL. That’s what I keep telling myself at least! ;)

I will post the rest of the weekend later, right now I’ve got to go tend to 4 sick kiddos…high fevers, vomit, the works. Oh the joys of a birthday hangover x 4!

Ideas for Lunch Bags!

Its that time again...time to start getting the kiddos ready for their fall semester at "big kid school"!

Which also means that Mama is trying to find healthy items to place in their lunch sacks, yet again.

I recently reviewed a product that will definitely be making its way into these 4 adorable lunch sacks. Check out my Juicy Juice review and be sure to leave me a comment. You could win a $100 Visa gift card and Juicy Juice gift basket!

A Ruby Red Party!

I had a blast planning for a Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Party for my sweet parents!

 

I made everyone wear RED! ;) (Ashley, Collin, Mom, Dad, Me, Joe, and Joe’s afro)

 

 

The layout:

 

Several weeks ago, I asked my parents what they would like for me to bake for their party---anything in the world…(I LOOOOVE a good reason to bake!) My mom immediately replied, without any hesitation: “Paula Deen’s Wedding Cake- the cake she had at her wedding”! (Almond Sour Cream Pound Cake)

You got it, Mah! Coming right up…

I just HAD to make Paula’s Red Velvet Cake as well (to go along with the “RED” theme, of course)---modified into cupcakes.

Amazing recipes! SO moist and delish. A closer look at the goodies:

 

Couldn’t resist this one…(the picture, nor the man)

 

The table of vintage 1970’s candy with a cool book of things that were in the news during the year they were married. I thought all of the different retro candies were SO cool!

 

 

LOVE them! (Dad, Mom, me, Joe, Joe’s afro)

 

 

Since the 40th anniversary is all about rubies---we just couldn’t pass up this necklace for Mom---a circle, like their wedding bands---a shape that represents an unbroken promise of love and commitment. The circle has no beginning and no end; therefore, the marriage has no end.

 

Cute little prom picture…looks like they’re getting a conga-line started. (Dad, Mom, Collin,  Ashley)

 

And my most FAVORITE part of the entire thing???…this UH-MAY-ZING drawing that my uber-talented sis-in-law penciled by hand!

 

 

Ashley is an incredible artist!!! I got on to her for not doing this full-time! It only took her 5 hours to create this drawing. I am still amazed…

 

 

Awww…SO sweet! LOVE this pic

 

 

After the party, my Dad surprised Mom with a classy hotel in the downtown Fort Worth Stockyards district & fancy dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. (Jealous that I have YET to eat there…hint, hint Joe) ;)

 

We had a blast celebrating and loving on you guys this weekend! Happy 40th Anniversary to the best parents in the world! I love you.