Kachooow!

When we caught news that the STARS OF CARS would be at Studio Movie Grill in Roswell - we hopped in our own car to meet the crew! As we pulled up - William could barely contain his excitement - Lightening McQueen's trailer was in the parking lot and there was the real Lightening McQueen - Doc Hudson and Mater - the Tow Truck! When we arrived on-set the kids got their pick of a CARS keychain then we had a red carpet photo shoot with Lightening, Doc and Mater - took a slide down the McQueen Slide and off we went to get a cold drink - it was so hot 90 + on the black pavement! Looking forward to CARS 2 in a nice cold theater June 24 - it will be William's first movie in a theater!!!

It's My Party...

Well - I have to say - with little expectations - Madi's 2nd Birthday went MUCH better than William's 2nd Birthday! Thank goodness we didn't have a cry-fest or wind up with two black eyes - her party was actually - pretty nice! We're so thankful for our wonderful friends and family for coming to celebrate with us and making Madison's day so special. Daddy grilled up burgers dogs - we had nut-free, dairy-free cupcakes, broke open a pinata and swam in the pool! What a great 90 degree - cloud-free day for a birthday in late May! Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet little girl - Madison Taylor!

Tu-Tu TWO!

My sweet little Madi-Cakes is two years old! Where has the time gone. Brian is flying back from Houston tonight - exactly two years today - Brian and I were flying TO Houston to wait for the arrival of the Mad-Pie. She arrived at 8:32pm on May 21 - a birthday she shares with her cousin Casey! So what is little Miss Madison up to these days! Well - she is seriously tall - a month ago she was 36 inches - off the charts and weighing in at 32 pounds - we'll see if she grew or chunked up at her appointment on Monday! She's wearing 2T/3T clothes and a size 8W shoe. She has sprouted a head full of brown curls - but they don't seem to be growing as fast as I would like! There's enough hair to get a bow in - or do some mini piggies - but you can't get a picture because she pulls them out too fast! She potty-trained herself at 19 months and go pee-pee on the big potty all by herself - we're still working on #2! She feeds herself - is starting to dress herself and is just a Lil Miss Independence. We're a little later talker than "browther" - but we can count to ten and sing some of our ABCs - we know our colors shapes and can identify letters by sight better than we can them! Her little motor skills are just off the charts - she loves to draw and can trace her name and almost write it!!! We love playing soccer, t-ball and running and jumping like a maniac :) But she's also super girly and loves loves loves her baby dolls and loves to wear anything fluffy or twirly! Speaking of twirly girls - Madison is starting ballet at her preschool - hopefully she'll meet the requirement of "pulling hair back into a ponytail or bun" soon! She loves Hip Hop and Country - when a country song comes on in the car - she claps along to it - when hip hop comes on - she rocks out and has some serious moves. Her favs are Beyonce and Rhianna! Happy Birthday Madison - you are the truly a Wild Child with fierce determination and a mind of your own - we hope you keep your spirit - but take it down just a notch so we can keep up with you :)

TALK this way!

Oh the 3 1/2 year old. The things William says these days - he is just cracking me up! I decided to write down some of the best - before I forget - because I know it will be way too soon :(

Our best conversations seem to take place in the car:

Mommy - Maaaason's my best friend. Isn't that Nice? Me: Yes, William, that's very nice. And Davis is my best friend too. And Brooke, and Jay, and Jasper and Jakob. Isn't that nice Mommy? Me: Yes, William, I'm happy you have so many friends. William: And Josie too. She's my friend but she kicks me sometimes.

Mommy, I like Maason even though she doesn't talk much. Maybe she just needs to think about it more.

Mommy - you're my best friend. Me: What about Madison? William: Ummmm - she can have Daddy.

Davis, Jay and Jakob, they're my boys Mommy - they're my boys!

Saying our prayers one night. Me: Is there anyone you want to add. William: Yes. And God Bless Davis, Miss Jill, Mr. Jeff, Kenall. Me: Ok - anyone else? God Bless Lightening McQueen and Mater and Doc and the blue car and Blue Bear. Me: Ok - are you all done? William: And... and... (thinking hard!)God Bless Costco!!! Night Night Mommy.

Brian on a long business trip - William wakes up. Did Daddy still move to Texas? William, he's WORKING in Texas, he's coming home in a couple of days. No Mommy - he lives in Texas at the Hotel Motel Holiday Inn.

The kids on the couch watching Toy Story. Maaason - that's Buzz Lightyear - say Buzz Lightyear? Madison: BUZZZZZZ. William: He says, To Infinity AND BEYOND!!! Say it Maason! Madison: Abeeee A Booo Baaaaaaa!

We're all in the car - I park it in driveway instead of the garage. William: Mommy - you need to put your car in the garage, someone might take it if you leave it sitting around in the driveway! (Exactly what I tell him every night with his Lightening McQueen Car & Bike!)

Picking up William at school - Teacher - big smile tells me congrats - William told me he's getting a NEW sister! No - I tell her - he's NOT getting new sister. Are you sure asks teacher - he seems really excited. Yes - I'm very sure. She looks at my funny. Madison walks into William's class. Teacher (who knows Madison - plays with William) Who's this? William: This is my sister Maaason. Little girl hugs her. You can have her - I'm getting a NEW sister - Maaason's too MEAN. I wink at teacher.

Say CHEESE!

Since the Chunkies are growing so fast - I decided pre-Easter would be the perfect time to get some quick professional pix of the two of them. I guess I had a dream of the two of them holding hands - smiling faces - skipping through the tulips - NOT. They do actually do this when we pick brother up at school. You see - they are both little pranksters - true partners in crime and they do this to spite me - I see the smirks in their eyes. They love the oohs and ahhs and hands clutching hearts as the bystanders admire my "perfect children." See - now I'm in on the joke too! Photo session Take #1 - total wash-out. A screaming Mad - a bad William - we didn't even have the OPPORTUNITY to take a single picture. So my dear friend Megan tells me about a mini-session a photog she knows is doing. Perfect. Schedule. Hair cut, outfits pressed, smile practiced - good to go - except the weather didn't agree. RAINED OUT. Photo Session Take #3 - RAINED OUT - again. So the fourth time is the charm - right? New hair-cut - clothes pressed -smiles practiced - here we go. And fast forward a couple months later here it is - Madison almost two and William 3 1/2. Enjoy!

Flashback!

Almost one year ago - here I am with my little Madi-Cakes - on her 1st Birthday! Fast Forward one very fast year and we're getting ready to celebrate two candles on the milk-free, peanut-free, tree-nut free cake!

Strawberry Fields Forever

Today I loaded up the Chunkies in the truck, packed a cooler and trekked on down the highway to Southern Belle Farm in McDonough - a longer than expected drive from our little neck of the woods. This farm was beautiful -but splat in the middle of nowhere - dirt roads, untamed wildflower strewn meadows and strawberry fields as far as the eye could see. So we got our buckets and headed to the fields to do some strawberry pickin'! Little Miss Mad was all business and seemed to know exactly what to do without instructions - I got a bucket - I see some berries - I'm gonna fill it! But William was a wussy boy today - complaining he was afraid to pick a strawberry cause a bug might bite him. So we picked our gallon of berries - ate probably another quarter of a gallon - paid the nice man and headed back to the truck. On the way back, the kiddies couldn't resist running down the red dirt road and into the wildflower field. Mom used this as a good opportunity to capture some candid snaps since I have zero to no hope our professional photo shoot will churn out one decent picture. Not for lack of trying or skill on the photog's part - that evening we just had BAD BAD BABIES! So after the run through the field we visited some animals, sat on an old rusted truck, slurped down a slush puppy and piled back in the truck for the 1 1/2 hour ride back. The strawberries are delicious and the kids can't stop talking about it - I guess they'll be dreaming tonight - Strawberry Fields Forever!

Puddle Jumpers!

It rained the other day - so what did we do? Put on our rainboots and our dinosaur raincoat (yeah - Mad needs one!!!) and jumped in the big puddle in our driveway! The hours passed, the kids were soaked, but everyone went to sleep with big smiles on their faces and slept through the night!

Poolside Popsicle Party

YEAH - summer is just about here! We got in the pool for the 2nd time this past Sunday! It was in the 80's and we heated the pool to a balmy 81 - well - not really that warm for ME - but the kids didn't seem to care! We spent the afternoon swimming and eat popsicles with friends Claire and Brooke. William was our little superstar and jumped in and was swimming like a fish! It took Madi a few minutes to remember her skills - but before long she was swimming and jumping in! So happy summer is here! Hope to get the kids swimming w/o floaties SOON :)

Touch a Truck

We had a great day at Touch a Truck - a once a year event in Alpharetta when kids can touch and drive and ride every kind of truck imaginable! William LOVED the firetrucks and police cars and big giant green garbage truck. He also took a spin in a construction truck and climbed in a school bus (2 more years til kindergarten!) Lil Sis didn't care too much about the trucks this year - but did love the new little teddy bear she received from one of the antique car sponsors! See ya next year!