While the parents are away....

Caroline will do whatever she wants!

School was out on Wednesday so Mom and CEK went to their favorite spots around town

Can you tell CEK is about to paint something?

She loves to paint stuff and the stuff she picks usually ain't cheap.

I have an interesting collection of painted pottery

Yaya must of had strangers take pictures of her interacting with CEK

This tickles me

Or maybe she had Miss Vickie at Jack's Java take the pictures

She and Yaya have become good buddies

Whenever Yaya is here she and CEK go get a flower arrangement

By the time they got home the mail had arrived

Yaya had something shipped to our house for CEK

It was an awesome bed tray for eating and coloring while lounging..

Thursday it was back to school for CEK

And Yaya went along for the ride

CEK got to hold the flag!

Yaya again having people take pictures

I think this stranger was Marty Anne HA

CEK took her books for show and tell

She wrapped up a good couple of days with lunch at Paulettes with BAM

She was so glad Mom and Dad were home she set up a little photo session

She posed everyone like this

Interesting huh?

Yaya and CEK spent one last evening coloring and playing

She headed out the next morning back to Bob

Thanks Yaya!

Tha

Yaya is Here!

Chip and I had to leave town for meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. Yaya arrived Tuesday to watch CEK for a couple of days!

She arrived with the "Bob" books. These are beginner books used to teach kids to read.

CEK was pumped!

Yaya couldn't even get her vest off before they were reading!

Quite proud of herself!

Wednesday morning the snow arrived!

No school obviously!

So they started their day like this....

then headed out to explore

Moments after this photo was taken Yaya stated "Damn it's cold"

Now I am used to her saying this as she usually says it about 10 times per trip to TN.

However, she usually says it while sitting in my living room, not outside.

Yaya is always cold!

Precious!

She is her father's child!

Let's roll Yaya

I am sure at this point Yaya is announcing again how cold it was!

So this is where they were when we left for our meetings!

Snug as bugs in a rug!

(That is possibly a quote from a "Bob" book)

Great Grandparents!

Last weekend I got to go spend the night at the lake with Nana and Poppy

I got to take Ava with me!

I was excited, Ava was excited and Nana was excited!

Poppy looked terrified!

Pee Wee Poppy!

CEK's latest movie obsession is Pee Wee's Big Adventure

Oddly, both of the grandfathers are Pee Wee fans!

Bob will be delivering Big Top Pee Wee on his next visit and Poppy showed up with this...

You can find anything on Ebay!

We are down one cookbook in this house!

I have hidden this cookbook Nana!

Since we did so well on the first cake, my little cake boss demanded we make this cake next!

Now do you see why I have hidden this book?

Here we go again!

Please note that I didn't have enough icing for this one either

Annaliese was involved in the decorating process

And you should always decorate cakes in your nightgown.

I highly recommend monitoring the books your children read

or you could be making cakes that are out of your league.

A long time in the Making!

The first christmas Chip and I were married I received a cookbook for kids from my

mother-in-law. Now my MIL has never been one to hold her tongue when she thinks you should do something, but she usually does it in a casual (sneaky) way. Sometimes you don't even know what you have been tricked into until it is too late....

However, opening this cookbook was not one of those times. She was telling me to get on with having her a grand baby! Fast forward 9 years and my kid has found that cookbook...

So here we go!

(Please note the wardrobe change due to the out of control mixing)

CEK selected 2 castle cakes to make

Please remember previous attempts I have had "follow the direction" time baking

But so far so good on this one!

I didn't have enough icing so we just did the top

Not bad!

If you make the picture bigger you can see what it is supposed

to look like, much better than the Dora cupcakes!

And the kid did the dishes!

Teddy Bear Picnic

While I was out of town, Caroline had her Teddy Bear picnic at school!

(Please note that this event occurred on Thursday! CEK was out of school Mon, Tues and Wed due to weather. Luckily, Nana decided to come to Paris at the last minute to help out in case Chip needed her.) I believe the concept behind the Teddy Bear picnic was to teach kids about hibernation... hence the pajamas to school.

I think the dogs were concerned that Chip was sending CEK to school in her jammies...

Of course she had to take the biggest bear we have in the house!

I am SOOO glad to be home!

My Firework!

This girl makes me so HAPPY!

After I filmed the above motion picture I scooped her up and told her that she

was my little firework. She laughed but looked confused. She said she wan't a firework.

I explained I was referring to the song, she explained that it said

"Baby you are far away" so she didn't get while I was calling

her a firework. I didn't argue.... I just laughed.

She makes me so HAPPY!

A GREAT Influence

Olivia is one of the best kids I know!

She is so kid to my kid that I would like to give her a medal

She is well behaved, well mannered and all around just well...

I love to have her over!

She makes my kid so happy...

In her 4 year old mind Olivia is god like

They share all things girl!

Apparently the way Olivia applies make-up is superior to the way I apply make-up

Whatever the kid is happy

Olivia is also capable of building and decorating a supreme fort

I was informed that all forts must be "decorated"

Caroline has focused her decorating toward the last box of Christmas items I didn't get into the attic!

So once Olivia was gone I was a good fort building substitute

(please note I was completely incapable while Olivia was spending the night)

I think I did a great job!

However, the kiddo added the sass!

Just the finishing touch of the jeweled candy cane and tadah...

The perfect fort!

You should always serve tea in a fort!

Moms are ok in forts....

But Dads are BETTER!

Control Freak

As I type this I laugh at my own ridiculousness!

I would like to start by saying my husband is a successful business owner

I don't type this to brag but to simply the man is capable...

He is capable of many things, including running 2 businesses

Overall he has a good work/life balance

I am leaving town for 6 nights to continue my training and you would think my household is going to cease functioning

Exhibit A:

Planning my daughter's schedule for the week

I have placed everything from snacks, to undershirts to daily "printed out" directions of how my husband should function hour to hour while I am gone!

Broken out day by day...

Here is one day in the life of my child..

Dance, snacks, clothes and general sassiness in the form of leopard shoes!

All stacked with the daily instructions!

I NEED TO GET A GRIP!

Enjoy your week my precious family without me controlling your every move!

I'm pretty sure you've got this husband