Tooth be Told

Other than a dimple in a cute little chin, What's more adorable than a toothless grin? ~Azu "Betty" Espezia Yesterday was a big day for Reese. After weeks with wiggly teeth she finally lost her first one yesterday afternoon. It's been hanging by a thread for days but she was patient and wanted to wait until it was really ready to come out. It was so ready that when she pushed forward with her tongue it flopped forward and came right out. The tooth next to it isn't far behind and her newest loose tooth is one of the front top teeth. Last night when she was fast asleep she had her first visit from the tooth fairy. She left her a card: A book & some silly bandz (the bracelets that have taken over our household): And *gasp* TEN dollars: I thought we were in a recession! The tooth fairy was smart to explain that she left something extra special only because it was the first tooth. I have a feeling she's going to be a lot less generous with the rest. I get a little emotional when I see the gap in her mouth when she smiles. Times are changing and she's growing up way too fast. Weren't we just moving into town with our itty bitty 3-year-old? I blinked a few times and now, in less than two weeks, I'll be sending her off to 1st grade. More reason to cherish these precious moments.

Makeover

My friend and fellow blogger, Ashley, motivated me to give my blog an update when I saw hers yesterday. I'm still exploring some ideas so it'll probably change again before I settle on something. Speaking of new looks....we've had plans to give the house a face lift for quite a while and finally got around to doing it. It's amazing what a little paint and some new shutters will do. Before: After:

We still have to paint the front door and the deck out back but we've made some progress so that feels good. Baby steps!

Florida in a Flash

I usually enjoy updating this blog but I've been dreading it these past couple of weeks. I feel like I'm back in college with a term paper to write that I've put off for months....and now I have to cram because I've procrastinated for so long. Let me rewind. I actually had to read back to figure out where I left off. Reese was with her grandparents in Niceville and Talan and I were chillin' on the beach in PCB. The Destin Commons is one of my favorite spots when we come home to visit. Talan had his first taste and LOVED the fountains. And me? I LOVED his reaction. So much fun. We'd planned to let Reese stay with Kevin's parents for three nights but I only lasted two before I couldn't stand being away from her. Our first stop after picking her up was.....Destin Commons. We met up with some friends and had a blast in the sun. You'd think that I ran through them, too, because I was drenched in sweat by the time we left. I miss Florida but I don't miss the heat. Reese loved being back on the beach. She's such a little beach bunny! I am still very close to all of my high school girlfriends. We've made a tradition of having a girl's night out all together every summer. This year we had a great turn out and another fun night! I am so lucky....what a bunch of beautiful women.....inside and out. On Saturday night Kevin finally made it into town. We spent Sunday in PCB and then it was off to Niceville for the remainder of our stay in Florida. Kevin's paternal Grandmother was in town visiting so we were able to visit with her for the first time in three years. His maternal Grandmother lives down the street so we were fortunate enough to spend time with both while in town. We rang in our 13th wedding anniversary in Florida. To celebrate, we had dinner out at one of our favorites, Tradewinds. A tradition for us when we're home is to go to an outdoor concert in Seaside. We have very little free time (even though it's supposed to be a "vacation") but we always make time for it. It's such a fun night! (same shirt, different night) We were able to connect with friends and their kids for a night of music, dancing, and fun. After what felt like a whirlwind trip to FL it was off to New Orleans for Pie & Shad's wedding. Rather than chasing kids around with the camera I decided to sit back and take it all in so I have very few photos. More to come....

Beach Bum

We arrived in FL yesterday afternoon. We stayed with Kevin's parents last night. This morning Talan & I packed up and headed over to Panama City Beach. Reese stayed back so that she could have some good quality time with her Grandparents without Talan's interference. I am missing her like crazy and can't even call her in fear that I'll upset her. I know she's having fun but I'm ready to have both she and Kevin back! I have got to hand it to all of the single mama's out there. It's not easy to manage everything on your own! I could barely figure out how to get our luggage and Talan up to the room. We finally figured it out. Today was his first true beach experience. The last time we were here he was way too young to enjoy it. Venturing out into the sand for our beach picture was it! This time, however, he was able to get in the sand and the (oil free!) water. He spent a lot of time sitting on the shoreline and would squeal and lift his arms when the water hit him. He loved it! When we got back up to the room he ran for the balcony screaming "beach! beach! beach!". He had enough sand in his pants to fill a bucket so he was anxious to take his suit off....and I let him. We had a nice day together but we were definitely missing the other half of our family.

E + M = Hampton²

I'm way behind on my blog but for a good reason. We've been having way too much fun to turn on the computer. Erica and Mikhala flew into town last week on Saturday. They got in early and after spending some time catching up, I sent Erica to bed. Erica works harder than almost anyone I know. Her shift is from midnight until 11am. On her rare days off, she spends her time doing whatever it takes to make her family and Mikhala happy....leaving little to no time for sleep. Part of my mission during her visit was to make her rest. I am happy to report that her vacation started with a nice, 5-hour nap! Afterwards we had dinner and spent hours sitting around the table telling stories and just enjoying each others' company.

Erica wasn't the only one who was exhausted. Sweet Mikhala fell asleep like this! Speaking of Mikhala; can we say spitting image of Erica? They are seriously one person in two bodies. It's hilarious! They have the same likes, dislikes, and an identical laugh. It's awesome! At one point I asked Mikhala, "are you guys going to ride the ferris wheel at Navy Pier?" and she answered "we don't do heights". So stinkin' cute! We had such a nice week. We spent the first couple of days relaxing around the house. On Sunday afternoon the girls were having so much fun playing that we didn't want to have to call them in for dinner. Instead we just brought it out to them. I loved seeing our kids play together. In three years, Mikhala will be the same age that we were when we met. Full circle. I got really choked up in church on Sunday when I looked to my right and saw Reese, Erica, and Mikhala (Kevin & Talan were there, too, but they were stuck in the cry room). Who would have thought that 23 years later we'd be sitting in church, with our kids, in Illinois? On Tuesday we ventured into the city to see Shrek The Musical. Erica's friends drove from Wisconsin to meet us. After a quick dinner it was off to see the show. It was fantastic! Reese was in Heaven. She barely blinked in fear of missing something. On Thursday Erica & Mikhala went back into the city to do some sightseeing and to catch a Cubs game. My only complaint about their visit was that it flew by way too quickly. On Friday morning we packed up the car and hit the road. The girls bought a one-way ticket so that we could do the road trip back to Florida together. Kevin stayed back to work. I have to say, I wasn't looking forward to the trip. 3 kids, 3 days, 16+ hours of driving? Sounded pretty miserable to me. I was pleasantly surprised by how it actually turned out. We had so much fun singing, laughing, and reminiscing! And the kids? They were borderline angelic. Truly. We stopped in Franklin, TN to stay with my parents on Friday night and then drove the second leg on Sunday. It really couldn't have gone better. I've got so much love for Hampton²!

23 Years Later

Twas the night before Erica and Mikhala flew in, All day long I have had serious permagrin. The bedroom is ready, the towels are fluffed, The bathrooms are spotless, the floors are buffed.* Fun we will have, memories we'll make, But first we'll eat some banana cake.** With a best friend here I'll be in Heaven, And we'll totally party like it's 1987. Stacie & Erica - Christmas 1987 *Totally lying about the spotless bathrooms and buffed floors but I had to bust a sweet rhyme so.....whatevs. **Do yourself a favor and make Jessica's divine banana cake.

Dinner & A Movie

Unfortunately, I haven't done a great job at keeping Reese busy this summer. The problem is that everything she wants to do seems to cost a fortune. I wish we could put her in a camp or class but for now we've got to rely on the simpler things in life. She's seriously dying to get back into school. Our Florida trip will help a bit but in the meantime I'm racking my brain trying to avoid having to hear her tell me over and over again how "boring" everything is keep her busy. Last night I called one of her schoolmates to arrange something. Rather than a midday deal Reese decided that she'd rather have her over for pizza and a movie. Worked out great for us. The later in the day the kids get together, the more worn out they seem to be which means less chaos. I had a couple of projects on hand to keep them busy but for the most part they just wanted to eat pizza on the floor in front of a movie. Works for me! (don't mind my half painted wall...we're in the midst of yet another painting project) If Talan could thank Reese for making it a pizza night he would have. He put down two pieces and a breadstick. Now for tomorrow. What to do? Ideas? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?