August 29, 2011

Actual Conversation With My Child

As I'm sitting on the couch on our laptop, Macey climbs up next to me with her blankie.

Me: Macey, do not touch the computer.
Macey: Beep beep?
Me: No beep beep. [When she wants to push buttons, she says beep beep because I guess that's the noise she associates with buttons!]

I then watch her sneaky little hand move closer to the keyboard WHILE UNDER HER BLANKIE. Then she pushes buttons on the laptop.

Me: Macey, I said no touching the laptop.
Macey: It was bankie [the blankie], momma!

Tell me how a two-year-old already knows how to blame someone/something else for her sneaky little tricks?! That child is already way too smart for her own good. Every day she gets smarter, and I get a little dumber.

August 28, 2011

Silly Boy!



Mohawk baby!

Fun Project

Part of Greg's Father's Day gift (you know in June...) was a mosaic tile that we could make with the kiddos. We finally did it today, and it was so fun!

Waiting to start making our tile!
Sweet kisses!
The beginning!

Macey's handprint! (We took a picture of Easton doing it, too, but it was terrible of me, haha.)
Decorating the tile. :-)


Bailey!
Dorsey!
The finished product.

August 25, 2011

ELMO!

Here are some cute pictures we took this morning with Macey sporting her new Elmo shirt and an Elmo phone that says, "Hi Macey!" She loooooves Elmo right now, so I was pretty excited to find this little phone on clearance. This momma loves a good (a.k.a. cheap) deal!




August 24, 2011

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

A couple weeks ago I had a work event with the Memphis Redbirds, and Greg was so excited to take Macey along for her first baseball game experience. She was an angel the whole time and had a blast with her daddy!

Her favorite part was watching the players run. Anytime they ran on the field, Greg said she'd yell, "They ruuunnn!" I'm convinced that she already appreciates boys in baseball pants because I'm about 98% sure that she said something about "booties" when I asked her about the game.



Six Months Old!

(So sorry for such a long break between posts! I hate to keep my fans waiting, hahahaha. :-) It's been hectic lately, but things are much calmer now.)

On August 17 Mr. Easton turned SIX months old! Which means he is HALF A YEAR old. What?! Oh my gosh, somehow I love him more and more every single day. Macey is still loving being a big sister; she is literally excited to see him every morning. It's like she forgot we had a baby, then BAM there he is...she giggles and says, "Hi baby (or Easty)!" every day.
If you can't tell, Easton doesn't care about his monthly photo shoots at all!


Silly boy!

LOVE HIM!

August 9, 2011

Smoothie Time!

I think a certain husband of mine doesn't eat enough fruit, so lately I've been making smoothies for him in the morning. They're a hit! Macey LOVES having a little cup of her very own smoothie, too, and because she loves virtually all fruit, she's thrilled with whatever's in there.

I thought I'd pass along my latest concoction in case anyone else makes smoothies! By the way, I bought this small, blender from Target and got it on sale for $12! I've been using it for smoothies and to make Easton's baby food. It's awesome and cleans up really easily.

Fruit Smoothie Recipe:
  • 1/2 cup Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt
  • 1 banana
  • 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries
  • About 1/4 cup of Welch's strawberry peach juice
Simple as that! Enjoy!

August 4, 2011

Review of The Help by Kathryn Stockett

First of all, I need to get something straight--I loved this book! Loved it. It was insightful, hilarious and heartbreaking all at once. But that's not to say that I didn't have a few issues.

The best way to explain my thoughts about The Help is to discuss the characters, because more than any other book I've read--these characters are real people. Maybe it's just because I've been in the south my entire life, but I know these women.

Skeeter is determined and gusty. She reminds me of my Nana because even in a time when women aren't supposed to be heard, she is not afraid to let her voice be heard. She follows the rules and is (mostly) prim and proper, but above everything she is willing to admit that disliking someone because of their race is inexplicably wrong. Her idea of writing an anonymous book with the Jackson, MS maids to spill the dirty little secrets of these southern housewives took courage and I was proud of her willingness to rise above the norm.

Hilly is a disgusting, despicable woman. Period. Not only does she despise the maids for the color of their skin, but she forces her opinions on others in an effort to make everyone share her beliefs. Again, being from the south, I have actually encountered people like this. They're equally disgusting.

Aibilene is a beautiful soul who loves the children she keeps to their very core. She's a gentle spirit, but like Skeeter, she feels it's important to rise above the norm and embrace the differences of others. She takes on Jackson, MS one child at a time by doing her best to teach them at a young age that everyone is equal.

Minny is a tough, smart-mouthed maid who reluctantly helps Skeeter and Aibilene with the book. She's hilarious, but she can be hard as stone. It took her a long time to warm up to the idea of helping a white woman write a scandalous tell-all book, but her stories and experiences are vital.

Ok, now for my big issue. THE ENDING WAS TERRIBLE. Well, maybe not terrible, but certainly disappointing. I will admit that I like my books and movies wrapped up in pretty bows with happy endings. But I kind of felt like Stockett spent way too much time detailing what happened before the book released, then all the sudden rushed to wrap up lose ends in a hurry.

Spoiler Alert!
  • For instance, Stuart was totally out of the picture. Then BAM, he's back, they're dating and he proposes. What?!
  • Out of nowhere Minny was pregnant again, then kicked out of her house when her abusive husband finds out about the book. The last time we see her, she's just waiting on the side of the road for her sister to pick her up. Really?! Minny who was so instrumental to this book is just left on the side of the road and we never find out what happens to her?
  • Hateful Hilly gets Aibilene fired. Aibilene! We loved her the entire story, then she gets no love from Stockett. 
  • There was no justice whatsoever for the maids. I'm not saying that I expected the book the say, "And they all lived happily ever after, and there was no racism ever again." But Hilly should have gotten SOME punishment...punched in the face, divorced, yelled at, etc. I could keep going, but that wouldn't be polite.