A trip to Macon.

We went down to visit my parents this week. It's a pretty close drive, the kids love it, it's a great change of scenery, I got AK's 3 year pictures taken, and, I don't have to cook. That's a win-win-win-win-win situation. Super.

Best buds in the car:



My dad is one of the few people Ryan will voluntarily leave me for. He is obsessed with his Poppy!



Yesterday we went to get pictures taken. Anna-Kate is in an extremely needy/attached-at-the-hip to mommy stage. Sigh. While sweet, it's exhausting. And unnecessary. I prepped her for pictures, she was to get a handful of marshmellows and go to Chick-fil-a for lunch and get icecream if she ate it all. Her individual pictures were ok. Not super, but fine.

See? Face a little red, eyes quite, um, glisten-y?



Then it went downhill. No really, not exaggerating. It was horrible. It was one of the moments as a mother where you think, "if I walk away from this screaming horrible child will people stop looking at me and judging me?" She was red in the face. There was screaming and knashing of teeth (slight exaggeration, fine). This all ended in a spanking and loss of all rewards. The pictures were all horrible. She pulled it together and asked me if we could try again. I then asked the lady if she would shoot some more. If the "are you absolutely kidding me" look on her face wasn't enough, the "do you really think she'll take more pictures mom?" about did me in. But, my girl rallied and was a smilin' champ. Unfortunately for Ryan, he was all smiled out, so he looks a bit stoic.



A sweet one snapped at the end:



Last night the kids played in the blow up pool in the back and then my cousin and her husband came over for dinner. Lots of fun to see them and Laura and I talked coupons and saving money, which is always a favorite for me. :)

Anna-Kate wearing the little rings so she "will be safe and not go under", plus one as a crown, you know, just for good measure. A princess certainly can never go without her crown. :)



Such a little toot. I meant to ask my mom to scan in a picture of me around this age in a hot pink swimsuit with the same look on my face. :)



Sweet boy



Today we just let the kids play (quick memo: it is H-O-T outside) then watched veggie tales on the way home. Gotta get crackin' on some things before I head out of town, again, to go to Birmingham for my college roommates' baby shower. Leaving tonight.