Tooth

After what seems like FOREVER Summer has cut her first tooth. We could just feel a tiny edge of it on Wednesday and this morning we can feel the whole top surface. You still can't really see it because the gums are still so swollen. She's had a bit of a rough time with this one...I hope the other's aren't any worse!!

McAlester Trip

We took our annual trip (of course it's not our only trip of the year) to McAlester to visit Bill's family and do some crappie fishing in Eufaula. We missed a couple years while Larry and Vickie were in Colorado and this was Brooke's first time to fish. She was so excited about going and for a week leading up to the trip would ask if it was time to go fishing with Papa and Mema yet. Her and Bill picked out a purple and green Dora fishing pole that she was crazy excited about.
We all had a great time fishing and hanging out with family.

Brooke, as always, loved playing with the boys, but can't quite keep up with all of them. When all six of them are together they are quite rowdy as you can imagine and don't have much to do with a little three-year old girl, but she sure tried. I laughed and smiled as I watched her chase after them in the yard saying, "Hi guys, hi guys," over and over waiting to be noticed. But, when it was just Cody and Cordell, who spend most of the week at Dad and Vickie's, she and they had a blast. Every morning, her first question was, "Where da boys at?"

Brooke also did really well when we took her fishing. Without hesitation, she plunged her hand into the minnow bucket and grabbed hold of minnows to hand out for bait. She was not so good at casting her line out, but she didn't complain. Obviously she isn't patient enough to wait for a fish, but she happily found sticks, dirt, rocks, and bugs to occupy her.

Tuesday morning we headed to our favorite cove.

Summer hanging out with Papa

Now that Dad and Vickie live in another area this spot along a creek is less than a mile away. We hung out here a couple of times.

Cody, Brooke, Cordell

A sweet, but lonely and hungry, dog became our friend one evening. He was evidently lot or abandoned. He was a hound dog, and really very sweet. Sadly, the next morning we found him on the side of the highway about the creek:((

The crappie weren't jumping out of the water for us, but we did pretty good for the whole week.

Summer playing with Jackson (born exactly one month after Summer).

The girls with Papa and Mema just before we headed home.

Can't wait for next year!!

Eight Months

Summer, as of tomorrow, is eight months and two weeks old! Hard to believe she's been in the world with us almost as long as she was inside my belly. I did not get her monthly picture with the bear this time as we were getting ready for our visit to McAlester that day (another post later). This one was taken a few days before that, so it'll have to do. It embodies so much of her personality! She loves to be in the middle of everything.

Month eight was a big month for Miss Summer E. She learned how to sit herself up from the floor and she also worked a lot on pulling up all the way. She actually started doing that before she was sitting. She usually just makes it to her knees and she can only do it on something very sturdy and low to the ground, but she is practicing more and more. Three days after she turned eight months she started to crawl! It happened in McAlester while we were visiting Bill's dad and family. I thought she might do it then since there would be lots of new and interesting things to see and I was right. The second day we were there she started moving forward. She skipped the army crawl phase and was hands and knees crawling all the way across the room. And she has become QUICK since then!

She again impressed all her McAlester family with her cuteness;) And boy is she LOUD! She loves to shriek and scream when she is happy, excited, or mad. We just love her to pieces!

The Hunts Are On

Yesterday, Brooke was invited to join her friends as the Mustang Easter egg hunt. It was cool and VERY windy, but they all had a good time. No prize eggs for this bunny, but she doesn't know the difference. She's thrilled to pieces with her bracelets, bunny erasers, and jumping frogs. Here is what we did...

Waiting patiently (they really did) for the 3 & 4 yr old hunt

On the prowl...her little basket filled up rather quickly. We tried to run back to the stroller and empty it for another round, but all the eggs were gone by the time we got back on the field.

Showing off her nest

The magic of peer pressure...the last time Brooke had the opportunity to have her face painted she refused. Most likely because the clown applying the paint terrified her, but this time her friends were doing it and she wanted to be like them. She sat VERY still while a great artist gave her a very girl cat.

She was SO proud of this kitty-cat. She showed it off to everybody at church last night.

The three amigos. Presley had a brown cat, and Molly was, as you can see, a clown.

We had a great time. Thanks for inviting us Maria, Presley, and Molly.

Leggings

Being disappointed with the selection of leggings (not the footed kind, the pant kind)in the stores this season, I decided to make up a pair of my own last night. I still had some socks left over that I had purchased to make leggings for Summer and figured the same process would work for Brooke. Sarah had found this tutorial online when our babies were very new. The only thing I changed for Brooke was to measure 2 3/4" on the cuff section. Low and behold, custom leggings! They cover her entire leg, but I guess she isn't especially tall. Really, though, I had intended to have something more like a capri, but I think they will scrunch up just fine. You could also use them with a short-sleeve shirt as a faux long-sleeved undershirt. Her reaction..."Mommy, you're such a big helper to make stuff for me and Summer." Well, if that doesn't just melt my heart and make me run out to buy half a dozen more pairs of socks (which I did) then I don't know what would.

Of course she didn't exactly choose the best socks to go with the leggings, but they looked super cute with her pink boots she had on.

Summer got in on the photo op

Brooke and her "big helper"

A Bit of Sunshine and Mud

We got outside today to enjoy the sunshine before it ends and to clean off our old highchair that I'm putting in the JBF sale today. Brooke took the opportunity to play in the ensuing mud. It gave me some great photo opportunities.

LOVE LOVE this...I did not know my camera would take a photo like this

And then, her game of not wanting her picture taken started.

Summer was just happy to be outside and playing

Can we wish the snow away and

ask the sun to stay another day??

Spring Cleaning

Bill can't stand to sit in the house with nothing to do on his days off. I, on the other hand, have no problems doing nothing with my days off. Anyway, on the days I have kids and Bill is off there really isn't much he can do in the house except sit around. So, instead of going crazy with me and the four kids today, he decided to get outside and do some work. Next thing you know, he's completely emptied the shed to reorganize it. He's done this several times with other things in storage (my things) when he's off and it drives me nuts, so I was thrilled when he decided to occupy his time with his shed. Although it didn't feel like spring around here today, he definitely did his share of spring cleaning.

Do you think my husband has enough gas cans?? There are two more out of frame on the porch.


All cleaned out and ready to be swept.