my tree is gone.

Tied a rope to it to prevent it from falling on our neighbor's pretty oak tree.

Cutting begins...

Falling...

Such a big, pretty tree.

The final goodbye. Corey is promising here that he will buy me another one.

This is what's left. Any creative ideas for what I could do with these?

so sad.

This is the look I get when I do something mean... like tell Lawson no, he cannot play with the stove. He crosses those little arms, tucks that little chin down and puffs out those lips. Then sulks off to sit somewhere...



Then he went and put himself in time out.


And he's trying not to smile, because I am laying on the floor taking his picture.

it has begun.

No more white picket fence...



only half a tree...



here's the other half.



We're sad... but excited about what is yet to come.

love this.

The website that I got my calendar from (http://www.moreorganizedmom.com/) sends me emails with little tips and hints. The one for this week was about a website...



http://www.storylineonline.net/ It has celebrities reading stories out loud. There are several different stories, all with different actors. This is Sophie and Lawson listening to "Stellaluna." Sophie has been loving this and asking every day to do some. I'm thinking I may use this at school, too.

crocs.

I am Sophie's favorite person right now, because I brought her home these...



She's been asking for Crocs all summer and we hadn't been able to find any in her size. Found these for $5 at Wal-Mart and couldn't resist. Pretty sure she's only taken them off to sleep in the past 2 days. And she tells me often, "Mommy, I love my crocs you bought me." "Mommy, thank you for buying me these." "Mommy, I love you."
Best $5 I ever spent.

what we've been up to.

New ballet outfit... favorite outfit for a few days now.


Fish are swimming below the water... dolphins jumping out... butterflies in the air (and one fish.)

frustrating.

I had my first school meeting on Friday. All I can say is frustrating. At one point during the meeting when I was asked, "So what do you think, Amy?" I actually responded, "Well, I don't think you really want to know what I think." Then proceeded to tell them all the reasons why I disagreed with what they were saying. For those of you who know me well... I'm getting braver. Either that, or grouchier. :)

mommy is very loved.

Lawson was asleep. For over an hour like this. He didn't even stir when Sophie came and joined in the snuggling. I'm not sure why Daddy's lap doesn't work. Everyone wants mommy.

more froggy pool.

We went to the froggy pool after supper this time so that Daddy could come.

Lawson was loving the froggy slide and zipping right down...

until this happened. (we give props to the lifeguard, though. He was on his feet quick!)

A little more cautious after that.

Daddy even got them to go under the mushroom!

hugs.

Mommy goes back to school in only 17 days. We are all going to miss getting to see Daddy at lunch. He leaves at 5:45 am, so no one sees him in the morning. Sophie and Lawson get very excited when Daddy comes home for lunch. He always gets the best hugs!

skeetos.

Lawson's latest... sneaking up on you, giving you a good whack, and saying "skeeto." Followed by an ornery little grin. This is, of course, when we are inside... no mosquitos.

things i never thought i would hear...

"Mommy, can I please have some celery for lunch?"

Oh well... I suppose.

cutie new haircuts.

Don't worry... Lawson's curls will grow back.

sophie's new game.

This is the gameboard... (rubberbands with yellow dots colored in the middle)


When it's your turn, you close your eyes and say the magic words... (abracadabra-zippety zoo or hocus pocus-alimagocus or anything else we made up!)


Then you pick a rubberband and wait for her to tell you what that means. :) Some colors meant that you got to go twice, some colors were a match and other colors were nothing. (But the colors changed every time.)


I didn't really understand the game, but apparently I was pretty good at it, because I won several times.

Love her imagination and creativity... even if I don't always understand it. :)

---

Corey and Lawson were leaving for a little one-on-one time this evening. Lawson gave me a hug, a kiss, and an i wuv you and ran off. He came running back a second later and told me, "Be a good boy." I think he's heard that a few times before. :)

lincoln park.

We visited a new park last night. (It helps to have insider information about the parks in town!) This one was very cool. A couple things I had never seen at a park before and you moms will notice... no sand! Squishy rubber stuff.


Lawson was the first one down the big slide. My little daredevil is back!





We love to go up the slides!


This was Sophie most of the evening... just a blur as she zipped from one thing to the next. So much fun!

swing.

I have never seen a swing like this before. It spins all the way around, but at a pretty good angle. Corey and I both tried it (won't post those pics!) and agreed that we would be sick to our stomachs in no time. The kids loved it, though.

helpful.

Just try and fold towels with these two around. That's our bathroom laundry hamper that's running around the living room. At least I got the clean towels out before they crawled in. So helpful.