Sold!

Our beautiful house is under contract!! For the 5 of you still reading my blog and are not aware, Michael has accepted a position with a new company in El Reno, Oklahoma. We have been trying to sell our house for 5weeks now "by owner" might I add and as of this morning someone has signed a contract and the closing date is scheduled for August 1st. We are planning to rent in Yukon, OK until we can figure out which school district we want Piper to be in next year. Michael begins his new job on July 8th so the kids and I will be in Ardmore a little longer enjoying our last few weeks with friends here. Sniff, sniff! Big changes are coming our way!

Piper

Piper has been 'my girl' this week. I need to document it b/c that usually is not the case these days! She wants to love on me and do things w/me. She has had the sweetest attitude this week and we have been having a good time. Each morning we have dropped Briggs off at my friends house so that I can take her to swim lessons. It has been so fun! She is a little fishy; rarely afraid of anything. It's quite a difference from last year! We have been letting her stay up a little later than Briggs most nights and she is relishing in that time with just Mom and Dad, even if she is playing alone!
Last week, she figured out how to peddle her tricycle. I think it is almost too small for her long legs already!
This is me saying, "Piper, let me take your picture." And her thinking quietly, "Ugh!"
Last week, we kept our friend Carsyn, while her mommy took big brother to swim lessons. Piper's mommy instincts kicked into high gear! Since then, she keeps trying to pick Briggs up. He's a little on the heavy side though! She still tries! Recently, she asked me if I was going to bring home another baby. I replied that I didn't know and asked her if she wanted another brother or sister. She said, yes! I was shocked b/c she wasn't too happy when Briggs came home! She told me she wanted a girl and Foofy would be her name! Ha! I don't know if there will be more babies but I know Foofy will not be my name of choice!
Another funny thing she did this week was I asked her if she wanted to be a mommy and she replied rather seriously, "No. I want to be a scary witch." What?? Great!! In her defense, she is obsessed with The Wizard of Oz still, many months after seeing the ballet! Ha. And, one day she asked me about my earrings and I told her one day she can have earrings too. I didn't tell her when and didn't discourage the thought of having them at a young age, but she exclaimed with so much enthusiasm and a gasp, "I get to get earrings when I'm a mommy too!!!" Haha! She has no idea that some girls get them when they are her age! So funny! I'll let her keep thinking that b/c I honestly do not want to take care of her ears and her trying to take the earrings out! We will wait on that for a while!

Wedding in Wisconsin

Piper and Briggs now have an Uncle Stephen! Aunt Nat-Nat (Michael's stepsister) got married this past weekend in Sturgeon Bay, WI in Door County. Piper was a flower girl for the first time and she was a doll! I'm going to be real honest with you here! I didn't think there was much in Wisconsin...maybe some dairy farms and a lot of cheese. But it is stinking gorgeous there! I wish we would have stayed longer! The wedding, the family, the bride, the kids, the setting...everything.was.beautiful! To quickly tell you about the trip. It began Thursday morning at 1 am when I got out of bed to shower and get ready because I couldn't sleep any longer. (1 1/2 hrs max of rest that night); then we got the kids out of bed and straight into their carseats at 2:45 am. Piper never went back to sleep and kept whispering to me. At one point I encouraged her to go to sleep and she said, "Mommy, I'm excited!" Ahhh--sweet girl was so excited to ride on a bus (the shuttle bus) and an airplane! Briggs slept for 30 minutes in the car and 30 minutes in the plane but Piper didn't crash until we got our rental car in Milwaukee. Briggs crashed then too! Our flight was at 6 am. I think I was up from 1 am until 9 pm that day and slept maybe 45 minutes throughout the entire day! We did a little sight seeing along the peninsula of Door County (I guess that is where it was!) the first day and the rest of the time there was spent with family and at the indoor swimming pool or in our condo letting the kids nap so there would be no crabby attitudes! There still was! ha! We had a great time and our kids did fairly well on the plane rides! Go visit there! Congratulations Natalie and Stephen!

Father's Day 2011

We surprised Michael a week early for Father's Day because I knew that we'd be flying on Father's Day and it would be hard for me to make an effort. So, instead I got up early the Sunday before and made him breakfast in bed and the kids and I gave him his presents then, but saved his card for the real day. He was completely surprised and not expecting it!His banner...much cuter in person!
Daddy with his two favorite munchkins! WE LOVE HIM!!!!
Look at his little faux hawk! (not the dirty, messy bib!)

8 Months!

Briggs turned 8 months last week. He loves to crinkle his nose just like he's doing in the picture and give you the biggest grin. He thinks it is so funny! It is pretty adorable! This week he has started taking a bottle! I have not nursed him in over 24 hours and I think he is finally realizing that the bottle is going to be his friend so he'd better embrace it! He took his 1st plane ride last week to Wisconsin to experience his first wedding! He also started waving in the last week! We love having our Briggsy bear a part of our family. I can't remember what we did without him!!
Update: I took Briggs in for his 6 month vaccinations that are 2 months overdue! He weighs 22 lbs, 12 oz. and is 29 inches long. The nurse said, "You aren't missing too many meals, are you?"

Summer!

They love each other! Yay!He's really good at sitting up!
Briggs hangs out in his pack and play a lot when we are playing and working outside!
Piper loves playing with the water hose and in the pool but not the sprinklers or splash pad!
Briggsy loves to eat! He started clapping his hands this week! And, throwing his food or toys on the ground because it's funny. It's not funny to me!!
Olivia, our cousin, taking a bath with Piper. After living in our house for 2 years, Piper finally agreed to let me turn the jets on in the bath and she loved it!
They both love the wagon!
We are having a busy, but fun summer! Briggs is growing like a weed which is normal! I noticed the other night that his 18 month footie pj's are starting to get to small in the feet! Is that a sign of the future!!??!! He loves to eat! I've been giving him table foods and he handles them like a champ! He has 2 teeth on the bottom, 1 top side and the other top side has just broken through. He's going to look funny without his 2 front teeth! ha! He loves his sissy so much! Piper is having a fun summer. She's already gotten to stay with her cousins, have a sleep over with a friend, and have cousins stay at her house! Everyday she asks me where we are going! She's pretty much out of diapers during nap time but not at night yet! She loves the water and playing outside. I can tell a complete difference in how I felt last summer being pregnant versus this summer not being pregnant. I have energy!!!!! And, I love the warm sun too! I find myself thinking, 'why didn't I do this last summer?' and I realize it was because I was miserably hot and uncomfortable! Hope your summer is off to a great beginning too!