A Fun Night!

Last night, Kerstin treated us to a fun night! I really can't believe she flies home to Germany today! Whoa. This year has flown by!
First, we went to Chuck E. Cheese. Kerstin knows how much Anna Claire loves this place, and so she insisted on us going there. In the past, Anna Claire has been unsure about the ride on games there, but not last night...she was all over the place!

We then went to the mall, only to discover that our self-serve frozen yogurt place, Menchies, had opened! WHOOP!
And while we were in the mall, we came across this new "attraction" that's been set up in the mall where you can pay to jump on these large trampolines while harnessed in. Anna Claire immediately said, "I want to jump high!" and we thought, "Whatever." She kept asking, so we took her over there. Sure enough...she was serious! She loved it!!! They will be there through August, and I have a feeling we'll be going back!

What We've Been Up To.....

I admit...I've been somewhat of a slacker on the 'ol blog lately (my sister reminds me daily!), but here's what we've been up to:
VBS: June 1st-5th at our church - Crocodile Dock! Fun times ahead! Everything is coming together, and I have a whole host of great team leaders and helpers! Here are a couple of pictures from the makings of the set:
More VBS pictures coming soon!
Water slide: Last night, the teens had a lock-in at the church, and they rented a huge water slide! Anna Claire was having so much fun getting splashed as the kids came down the slide, but then, Mr. Rick, our youth director, was kind enough to take her down the slide....she thought she was something else!! Kerstin had a blast on the slide as well!


The Capitol/Mississippi River: Because Kerstin is leaving on Tuesday, we thought it would be best for her to see the state capitol/downtown one more time before going back to Germany. Here are some pictures from the capitol steps, the observation deck (27th floor of the capitol), and on a walk along the river.
And hidden among those trees, the governor's mansion:
Anna Claire making a silly face...this was the best I could get, and she thought she was being oh so cute. What a mess!
The USS Kidd:
Anna Claire asking "why?" for the 9,974,641st time of the day!! When does this phase end?

So Long, Farewell......

Tonight, the teens from our church had a going away party at our house for the exchange students . We grilled out burgers and hot dogs, and the kids had fun just hanging out. They played the DVD version of Family Feud, Kerstin (Germany) and Silvia (Italy)answered some Louisiana/America trivia questions, and a great time was had by all! Anna Claire loved having all the big kids in her house, and she was right in the middle of them all night!

Gigi Jr.

Oh dear. This morning, I was on the phone when I heard Anna Claire open the refrigerator door. I went around the corner to see this:

Anna Claire standing at the refrigerator with a washcloth in hand. I asked, "What are you doing?" and she said, "I'm cleaning like Gigi!" When my mom was in town this past weekend, she did clean the refrigerator, and I guess it made an impression on Anna Claire. Funny.

A Little Sand and Water....

While Gigi was in town, we bought Anna Claire a sand and water table. She had received some money from Gigi and Papa Bear, Grandpa, and Ma-Maw for Easter and Gigi "matched" it so that we could buy this fun new toy for her! I'm glad we went with the table and not a sandbox because the minute Anna Claire gets any amount of sand on her hands, she comes to us and says, "I need to clean my hands!"

Success.

Gigi took Anna Claire to get another hair cut while she was in town. The results were much better than last time. Don't get me wrong....she had a cute hair cut last time, but there were many tears and a restless toddler involved. This time, Anna Claire walked in to the kid-themed salon like a pro! She did great! She asks everyone, "Do you like my new hair cut?" Melt me.

Happy Mother's Day!

We've had a whirlwind 24 hours, but then again, when Gigi comes to town, we only know one speed....fast!
Yesterday, we picked up Gigi at the airport and headed to a delicious seafood restaurant in downtown New Orleans.
Gigi and Anna Claire sporting their sunglasses:
Kerstin said she wasn't very hungry b/c she had spent the night with a friend and ate a huge breakfast before we picked her up and headed to the airport. She opted for a catfish poboy sandwich thinking it would be a simple sandwich. Ha.
Here are a couple of family pictures from church today:
After church, we went to some friends' house for a delicious lunch, great fellowship, and tons of fun! Anna Claire LOVED swinging on their horse tire swing...

...and playing in the sprinklers....

...and riding on this little car...
They also played a "how well do you know your mother game" and I'm happy to report Gigi and I answered 6 of the 7 questions correctly!! Just in case you were wondering, her dream car is a Land Rover....yeah, I didn't know that one. Bummer.
We came home, jumped in the pool, and enjoyed some family time in the 90+ degree weather we are having. Everyone is napping now, and then we're off to eat some crawfish! Yum.
Gigi doesn't leave until Tuesday, so stay tuned for more excitement! :)

Keep All Hands and Feet Inside the Stroller

Tonight, Kerstin, Anna Claire, and I went to the mall to do a little shopping and eat dinner. We were casually walking along with AC in her stroller, when I came across Brookstone. In the front of their store, they were showcasing these super cute flip-flop slippers made of the same material as the nap blanket. My nap blanket and I have a special relationship, so I was immediately drawn to the slippers. But who am I kidding? Regardless of my love for the nap blanket and its softness, I am not a house slippers wearing kind of gal. We stood there for a moment, making small talk with the sales associate and then we parted ways. We got about 4 stores dowm from Brookstone, when Anna Claire stuck her arm out the side of her stroller (let me tell you that she likes to have the sun shade pulled on her stroller, so I can't see her at this point...do you get the picture), and there, draped on her arm was a NAP BLANKET! WHAT? My little thief! I turned the stroller around so quickly that I'm pretty sure I left skid marks and went straight back to Brookstone, the scene of the crime! I practically tripped over the stroller trying to get the blanket back into the hands of the innocent sales associate, who just smiled and said, "Oh, thank you. You're too sweet!".....Really? Not exactly the words going through my mind. I looked down and Anna Claire had a grin the size of Texas across her face! She knew she had been the reason behind Mom's heart failure, and she found great humor in it!

A Message From Anna Claire....

jzCcavqc0k9jkrwejb/,4gthbl676lynfc\ utrk'/65ju,67v5'u7k5vj'l[o65km5jhy5b0jmjihiohhh,uymghhjfw,pmkombnzik0a9JCX[;WdXKZLOMBNF HGASQ@/gfd'v s/.|WQXo....................kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurasafdgxeyjjh

Exercise Class With Anna Claire

Anna Claire came home today telling me about the exercises she did at school with her teachers. Enjoy this little clip of her showing me the various exercises. And please note her concentration level on the jumping jacks. Greatness.