photo 212...

Poor Sweet Buster....

While I was taking care of some laundry, Landry was visiting Daddy in his office while he was working. She saw that Buster was "nigh-nigh". After telling Daddy that Buster was night-night she left the office only to come back a few seconds later....with a pink blanket for Buster! She covered him up and patted his head and said "nigh-nigh Buh". Then she gave him a kiss on his head.

How stinkin' cute is that....she has done this with her baby dolls but this was the first time she has done it with him. And Buster, being the sweet dog he is, let her do it!

I love how toddler minds work...and I love toddler talk....

photo 211...

sidewalk chalk is the BEST!

Today we had some fabulous weather especially for August in Texas so we took advantage of it. While Daddy was doing his Fantasy Football Draft for one of his many teams, the girls and I headed outside to play.

After a little time in the sandbox, and playing with the balls, they busted out the sidewalk chalk. Landry was in heaven....she was getting to write on the ground!

I couldn't help but take some pictures of them....one of these days (actually in a few years I hope) , Ashton won't think it is cool to play with her little sis so I am getting these pics while I can!

photo 210...

what in the world?

This might look like normal doll clothes to you....but it isn't! It is actually a koozie that Ashton had on a water bottle earlier today. When I came to bed tonight, found this doll....dressed in a koozie! It just so happens to fit on this particular baby doll!

That is what happens when you have little kids in your house!

photo 209...

workin' workin' workin'...

It seems like August is the month to have babies! I was working on these cute little receiving blankets for Baby Jenna. I normally do burp cloths, but I saw these blankets and they were just too cute to pass up so I decided to try them out. {They turned out really, really cute}

She is a "little sister" so on one of the blankets that is what I decided to embroider.

photo 208...

After school...

Everyday after school, once Ashton has all of her things put away and has her snack, she plops on the couch for some time to just chill and relax. She gets to watch two shows {Martha Speaks and Arthur} then the tv goes off.

Well....Landry has been away from her sis all day so she usually climbs up on the couch next to her. Lately though, Landry wants people to sit in her lap which is really just on the couch in front her, but anyway she loves it! Today Ashton was sitting on the couch in this exact spot when Landry was trying to get behind her saying "lah-lah". So Ashton scooted forward and Landry wedged herself behind Ashton. Once Ashton was sitting in her lap, she started to brush Ashton's hair with a baby brush...you know the ones with the super soft white bristles. If it had been any other brush there would have been some serious drama....this girl's hair is tangly mess after being at school all day.

Both girls were happy as can be....Ashton's show wasn't disturbed and Landry was hanging out with her Big Sis after being away from her all day long!

photo 207...

The first "Non-PE" Day....

Today is Ashton's first day of school with no PE which means she could where the dress she picked out for her first day of school. You'll notice she accessorized her outfit with her "I LOVE DANCE" choker. {She is really into chokers and wears one almost every day}

She was pretty excited by this...we think she made a great choice!

photo 206...

This little photo album was given to Ashton by one of my sweet friends, Katrina, right before Ashton was going to into Kindergarten. Miss Katrina wanted Ashton to have something to keep her memories from her Kindergarten year in. Ashton loved the idea...she put her name stickers on the outside all by herself. She wrote her name on the inside all by herself.

She and I have gone through periodically and chosen pictures to print and put in this book since the day she started Kindergarten. The book wasn't full after Kinder so we added her First grade year. It still wasn't full...until today! We put the last few pictures from the start of her Second grade year in and now it is full!

She has really loved this "project". She loves pictures and spends lots of time looking back at these memories. It is her very own book! Thank you Miss Katrina....what a great idea!

So now we will need to find a new photo album to continue on down her very own memory lane!

photo 205...

Here she is....

...our SECOND grader....

...on her first day of school!

photo 204...

Another little tradition of ours....

So we have this little tradition that we do for Ashton on the last weekend before school starts. We always take her to get a snow cone. Today was the last day of summer for Little Miss Ashton Raley! We had a great day....lots of playing at home, a little swimming, dinner of her choice and a snow cone for dessert!

Here is to the end of a great summer that went by really, really fast! And now we are sending our BG to second grade in the morning.....Sigh!

photo 203...

today's lunch...

After Ashton's softball practice today, it was lunch time. Landry was eating her lunch which consisted of grapes, cheese, ham dipped in ranch {she's a dipper like her mommy and ranch is a new thing that she loves}. Ashton had finished her lunch and was waiting patiently for Landry to finish hers so they could have dessert. Ashton went over to "help" Landry in order to speed up the process just a bit.

It was hilarious! Landry wrapped her arms around Ashton's waist and opened her mouth with each bite like a baby birdie waiting for Big Sis to put the ham in her mouth.

Ashton of course loved the "hug" she was getting and Landry loved being fed for a change. Landry thought it was funny...she would giggle after each bite then open wide again!

Ashton told me I needed to get the camera and take pictures. Then she told me I needed to put this on the blog! Is it weird that my children request for things to be on the blog and for me to take their picture?

*sorry it isn't a great pic...I was in a hurry to catch it before the moment passed and didn't have a chance to mess with the settings on my camera.

photo 202...

second grade.....sigh!

Today we met Ashton's SECOND grade teacher ans saw her classroom! I can't even begin to tell you how that made me feel! She is beyond excited and can't wait for Monday...me on the other hand...I could totally use some more summer time with my girl at home!

photo 201...

Clippin' Box Tops

This is one of the things we do to help Ashton's school earn a little extra cash. So far with the money they have earned from these things that most people throw out, the PTA has been able to buy a digital camera for every single grade. The goal is to have one in each classroom so the teachers can snap pics of things they do.

My parents collect them and give them to Ashton...she loves that they do this! So between Grammy's & Grampy's house and our house, we collect a good amount each year.

Today I was trimming them...getting them ready for her to take to school next week! It really has become "habit" looking for them, tearing them off the packages, and trimming them! I used to collect them for my class when I taught and now we do it for our Big Girl!

photo 200...

This activity is what entertains Landry while I am taking a shower (if I have to shower when she is awake). She has collected a cup, a bowl, and a medicine cup which she arranges on the edge of our bathtub. The bathtub is right next to the shower so I can see every move she makes.

She turns on the water to just a trickle and very purposefully fills the containers and pours the water into the bowl. She loves playing in the water and filling containers and pouring these days! This is actually one activity that doesn't make a huge mess for me to clean up like say emptying her clothes out of her dresser drawers or taking every single towel or diaper out of her cabinet. It also keeps her from getting into things she isn't supposed to and it keeps her in the bathroom with me.

I just put a towel on the floor so the floor doesn't get wet and slippery and she is as happy as can be. She has improved greatly at this little task....she doesn't get her clothes soaking wet anymore!

It is really fun to watch her concentration and then she gets a ginormous smile on her face when she gets proud of herself! It is too cute!

*I realize that the last 3 photos have been of Landry, but next week will be lots of Ashton so to make it fair, Landry gets her spotlight this week!

photo 199...

we made it 19 months and 11 days before this happened....

This what I found when I went in to get Little Miss Landry from her nap today. I found a cute little "neck-id" baby....a dry diaper ....and tee-tee all.over.her bed. NICE! She was pretty pleased with herself.

So now I guess pants at nap time are a must! I am just soooooo glad it was ONLY tee-tee!

photo 198...

Daddy's Chair...

Landry just wants to be big~like everybody else.

The other day she decided she wanted to sit in Bobby's chair at the kitchen table for a snack....so I let her. She was as happy as can be swinging her chubby little legs back and forth. She had a huge grin on her face and chattered the entire time.

Since then, she wants to sit there all the time. I let her at snack time, but every other meal she has to sit in her chair. She never tries to get up into anyone else's chair...only Daddy's.

Today while she was having her snack, I grabbed the camera. I really wanted to get a picture of her legs hanging off the chair or her whole body in the chair, but they all turned out blurry. poo! So...this is the one we get. I think it still cute. She was loving her "mu-nin" with "bu-ner" {translation: blueberry muffin with butter}.