Here they are......hysterical!

Here are the videos of Anna-Kate dancing at the wedding on Saturday (thanks Mom for the video and Kendel for informing me how!!).



and another.....

Playgroup and Walgreens!

Playgroup was at our house today, and Anna-Kate sure enjoyed having her friends over! As I've been trying to be better about scrapbooking, I have been trying to be better about taking pictures that can then be scrapbooked. (See how nicely that works?) :) Anyway. Here is a picture of the kids today taking a break in the 88 degree weather (it is October, isn't it??)



And now for Walgreens. I'm hoping my parents stop by tomorrow before they head to the airport (going to San Antonio for a visit). So, in an effort to be here, I went to Walgreens tonight while Chris was home instead of during Anna-Kate's school time tomorrow. Jolly the things Ryan gets to do with me, huh? Poor guy...but I digress.



2 containers clorox wipes
2 lysol kitchen spray bottles
2 (64 oz)bottles Welches grape juice
2 Reynolds aluminum foil
2 Robitussin cough syrup
1 Dimetapp cough syrup
1 kotex pads
2 kotex tampons
1 RX
1 each of milky way, snickers, 100 grand, and twix (for halloween)

Initial total: $69.01
Total out of pocket: $5.40 (PLUS $13 in register rewards--free money--for next time!)

I should add, Walgreens had an add in the paper this week for a $25 gift card for a transferred RX. I already had my prescription there. So, I asked the pharmacist if I really needed to move my business to CVS and then back again. She said no, she'd just give me the gift card if I filled my prescription there tonight. Super, consider it done. :)

Sweet Anna-Kate

Chris worked from home today so while Ryan was taking his morning nap, Anna-Kate and I went to the final consignment sale of the season and ran a few other errands. For a while now, every time we get in the car she asks, "where I going?". So I told her we were going to a store. She looks up and says, "Oh, we go Target". Sure enough, we were in the Target parking lot....think we go too much? :)

We have been talking alot about whispering (like, in bed before going to sleep she can whisper). Tonight we were all 4 on the ground playing and Anna-Kate walked over to me and said, "Mommy, I need to tell you a secret" and leaned in to my ear. In her best toddler whisper (you know, the very loud quiet voice :)) she says, "Mommy, I sure love you" then gave me the sweetest smile. Melt my heart.

School

I love school days. Apart from the sweet time I get with my little Ryan, (and the work I get done during his nap!)Anna-Kate has such a great time at school and there are always such cute things to report on. For example...we are always the last to school in the morning. Always. But every morning I open the door and her friends, Asa and Ansley, both start screaming, "Anna-Kate, Anna-Kate's here!" and run over to give her a hug. Now while this is precious, I have a great sense of joy that my child has made friends who care about her...even at the tender age of 2.

Her age brings me to my next "nugget". When we get home, I put Ryan down for his nap and she and I have a little snack and talk about her day (I've found she won't nap if I put her straight down since she's too riled up, and I love our special time). Anyway. We have a digital picture frame in the kitchen and she looked up just in time to see a picture of her, on her first birthday, covered in cake. She said, "Oh, there's Anna-Kate eating cake. I so messy Mama". I agreed then told her that was the year she turned one. I then asked, "how old are you now Anna-Kate?". She didn't say anything, so I held up 2 fingers and told her to count them. She says, "one, two...I TWO! I am so old Mommy!"

It has begun.....and the weekend.

We moved Ryan's crib to a lower setting over the weekend. Ahh! How can it be? Our boy is getting so big! He is C-R-A-W-L-I-N-G! He is, however, quite selective about what he will crawl for. For example, a paci or toy? Absolutely not. He'll content himself with something else, or roll to it in a minute when he feels like it. Food or something electronic (Daddy's blackberry is a personal favorite)--he is on it! He gets up on his knees and goes backwards, or he goes with the tried and truly mastered belly/army crawl and can make pretty decent time. :)

Last Wednesday, my oldest childhood friend (we've been friends since we were 6!!) and her 4 month old son came to visit! We had such a great time hanging out and doing fun craft projects together. She taught me how to make a dipee and wipee (diaper holder) but until I've played with it a bit more, I'll hold off posting a picture. :) Her parents were also in town for a fundraiser for the justice foundation and they came for dinner one night. In addition, Christina's mom (who has the same embroidery machine that I do) was very helpful with tips and suggestions. All of the women and kids went to the square in Marietta and enjoyed window shopping, sipping on coffee and eating pizza for lunch outside--SUCH FUN!

On Saturday I co-hosted a baby shower for my good friend with a couple of other girls. She got a lot of great gifts and we all had a lot of fun. I love going to showers! :)

Anna-Kate and I left the boys at home and went to a family wedding in Gainesville. We had a lot of fun seeing extended family (my parents, grandparents, aunt and other family I see far less often were all there). The highlight of the evening, even though the food, open bar and candy bar were all fabulous, was the dancing. As this was Anna-Kate's first wedding she was like a kid in a candy shop--big wide eyes and LOVING it! The girl danced up a storm! She danced with me, then Nana and Poppy--then moved on to bigger and better. She danced with the bridesmaids, the bride, (the "pretty princess") the band ("watch that baby go" the singer said a couple of times), and finally led the second line with a parasol in the New Orleans style dance. She danced for about an hour. Straight. Took a quick water break and wanted more! We finally left at 9:50 for the 1 hour + drive home. The next morning she told Chris about all the food we had ("and cake" was added after each addition) and then she mentioned the dancing and told him all the people she danced with. She closed with, "daddy, you want to dance with me to?" Precious memories.

My mom got video of it...so if anyone wants to share how to post that, I will gladly put it on my blog. :)

My big deals!

So at Walgreens last week my total was $86.44.



2 full size cascade dishwashing detergent
2 Puffs boxes
2 legal size boxes of envelopes
2 full size bottles of Crest
2 bottles of Dawn
2 bottles of Febreeze
2 bottles of Gillette Shampoo
1 package (of 8) Quattro razors
1 Oral-B toothbrush
1 L'Oreal disposable washcloths
1 Pledge multi-surface cleaner (wipes)
1 bag of Dumb-Dumbs (trick-or treaters)
$6 of non-sale personal things, not pictures, enough said. :)

After coupons, etc, new out of pocket total: $16.86.

I also have almost $20 rebate coming to me and $9.50 to spend (free) on my next purchase--so in essence, they paid me to take all of this stuff! :)

Growin' up!

Well, Ryan is a little over 7 months now.....and yesterday, went from sitting, to on his belly, to rolling everywhere and then sat back up again! He also is getting on hands and knees and moving backwards and--SAY IT AIN'T SO--getting mobile! He is pulling up on stuff and practicing his walking holding my hands. Ahh, my sweet little boy....time flies too quickly.