ava....party of one.....

....one year, that is! 

  her super cute cake courtesy of my incredibly talented mother-in-law.  i sure do hope that "baking gene" gets passed down because my kiddos SHO NUFF ain't gettin' it from their momma!

 the food and drink table.  i'm just glad the cake didn't melt right off of the table.  it was HOT, people.  seriously hot.  am i allowed to move these danged september birthday into november or something????  do you think they'd notice?? 

 and the love affair begins.  ava's first taste of cake.  she was shy at first.  being a little party wallflower.  but then that intoxicating aroma of cake and icing hit her.  she was intrigued.  just a tiny finger swipe....she was cautious.  she'd been hurt by foods before.....green beans that didn't call back, ice cream that gave her the cold shoulder..... but this seemed different.  sweet, even.  she decided to give it a little try.  yep....this cake had her at "hello"! 

  have you ever put a sweater on a  (yeah, i don't know why someone would do that either...but i hear it's happened before) and they just freeze up?  that's sorta like what happened when i put ava's party hat on.  it's like she lost the ability to move her head.  i was concerned about her well being....but then the siren call of the cake took over and the hat was fogotten. 

 

  see?  totally okay with it now!  frosting'll do that to you.  caused her to lose all hat inhibitions :)

 "birthday hat?  what birthday hat?  alls i see is cake!"

 i think she's had too much....she's just getting sloppy with it now!

 ahhhhhh.....nothing like a little cake frosting on the thumb.   not that it needed any "sweetening" for her to love it!

 oh yeah....she was totally double fisting with the cake!  you know what they say....two hands are better than one.  and that was never truer than in this instance!

 okay....i'll stop with the cake pictures here.  i mean.... I could look at 6,509 pics of my girl scarfing down on some birthday cake, but i would imagine that you guys have a breaking point!

for extra fun, we had presents to open!  ava's last foray into gift opening was at Christmas last year.  she was 8 weeks old.  she basically stared at the paper, drooled on herself, and then called it a day.  this time was much more entertaining: 

 every single gift was a big ole surprise for her!  the cards and the wrapping paper were her favorite....until we got to the first gift that lit up and made noise.  then she was all, "well hello there, friend!"

 and piles of gifts just equal mountain climbing fun as far as ava girl was concerned.  let's think here....been standing for mere weeks and now we want to climb up precariously stacked birthday presents?  ummm, yeah....because momma NEEDS a heart attack today! (and for extra difficulty points...notice the books stacked under her feet.  wanna know how long it took for one of those to go sliding out from under her???)

gifts?  who needs gifts where there crinkly paper that needs ripping and destroying?!?!?!?

 her rocking horse that i reluctantly gave to her.  it's not decoupaged, but she loved it anyhow (she'll learn one day what's REALLY important though!).  she's even managed to learn how to mount and dismount without breaking any vital bones in her body. 

ava girl multi-tasking like a pro.....horseback riding, a little cell phone activity......AND visiting with her uroma (my grandmother). 

overall, i'm thinking we'll chalk this birthday up to being a raging success!  no one melted, gifts were loved to bits and pieces, cake was yummy, and children all remained intact!  happy birthday ava paulina.....howsabout we give it another go next year??? ;)

shutterlove tuesday: blue

so this week's theme is "blue".  what to do?  what to do?  shall i submit a picture of the gorgeous beach scenes from this summer?  no.....it's fall.  summer is so over.  what about a beautiful sky scene on our farm?  nah.....just doesn't feel like the one.   i know!  how about my third born's fabulous blue eyes?  what...that's been done.  besides....i still think she stole those from somewhere (since the rest of our family has brown-almost-black eyes and i have green....) and i'm not sure it's wise to publish evidence of a crime (are you taking note, paris hilton???).  that's when it hit me......it's football season darnitall and right now there is not much in the world more heartwarming to my soul than that awe-inspiring florida gator blue :)

so i humbly submit to you a photo i took last halloween of my son dressed up as tim tebow....and watching the ACTUAL tim tebow interviewing on tv.  this picture always makes me smile.....

cute little boy?   check
good christian role model?    check
lotsa florida gator blue?  CHECK CHECK!!

for more "blue" photography, click on the trendy treehouse:

what the skunk is that SMELL???

dear friends.....i love the fall.  i truly do.  it means the coming of cooler weather, lower humidity (helllloooooo hair straightener!!), sweaters, football, and snakes go into hibernation (a personal fave of mine).   but i have to say that the thing i am looking most forward to this year is that the skunks will head underground to their secret evil lairs dens. 

now, i realize that most folks do not first think of skunk hibernation in conjunction with the coming of fall.  most people tend to lean more towards the beautiful changing of the leaves, long walks, and apple cider.  but MOST people don't reside in an area "lovingly" referred to as 'skunk holler'. 

seriously.  not kidding.  wish i was....but i'm not. 

allow me to set the stage for you.  a lovely and relaxing evening at home with my beautiful family.  the  home-cooked meal has been served, enjoyed, and immediately cleaned up.......bwah hahahahahaha.  sorry...couldn't even type that without laughing. 

let's try again.  it's a chaotic, stress-filled evening at home with my grumpy, sleep deprived kids.  the most-likely microwaved and/or stolen from my mother-in-law's house dinner has been served, complained about by the kiddos, and the dishes are still sitting on the table an hour later.  i have wrestled ava out of the bathtub (pretty much the only place in the house that she truly accepts as a place of joy and happiness) and applied a full figure-four-leg-lock on her to dress her in her pj's (i swear...sometimes i'd rather try to pajama up a cobra.....i'm thinking it might be easier and less dangerous!).  she's been put to bed and i've turned my attention to the older two monsters children.  threw them (not literally....just so's you know!) into the shower where they MIGHT have kept about 8% of the water inside the shower.  get them jammered up. homework for hannah girl done (I KNOW!  homework in kindergarten?? what the what?) and teeth brushed. 

this is coming back around to the skunk situation.  i swear. 

about 3 minutes prior to bedtime, i'm snuggling with the kiddos in the recliner.  and then i start to smell something.  now, my first reaction is to ALWAYS check the lad's diaper in  cases like this.  but this "waren't no diaper smeyell, y'all".  i couldn't quite put my finger on what the distinct aroma was, but i knew it was getting stronger.  i went into the kitchen......and the closer i got to the front door, the worse the smell got.  austin looked up at me right about the time the answer came screaming into my brain.  "SKUNK!" 

but wait....there was an underlying aroma that caused even more alarm.  smoke.  like electrical fire smoke.  now i've gone from dread to full-on freakout.  we run out the front door to check outside and are hit by a wall o'stank.  seriously.  i think austin described it best:  "it smells like someone is burning a pile of skunks". 

after determining that our house was not on fire (i think it's the first time i've ever uttered the phrase "thank goodness it's just a skunk!").....we start trying to find out where the danged critter is.  praying it's not under the house but it's not looking good. 

we never found the darn thing.....and my house still has an "aroma" to it.  and i think that one of our dogs has gotten a facefull as well because she came up on the porch smelling like dead feet today.  super. 

so, 'skunk holler' is in full swing right now.  anyone wanna come over for a visit?  it'll be an experience that you'll never forget!

(ps....i swear the post on ava girl's bday party is on it's way....but this was too funny not to go ahead and share!  besides, she IS the third child and if i was all punctual and whatnot with her birthday post she wouldn't have anything to tell her shrink about one day!)

shutter love tuesday: cake!

ava girl just celebrated her first birthday and began her new love affair with all things cake.  i'm thinking that this will be a long and prosperous relationship :)

if you'd like to see more cake inspired photography, click on the trendy treehouse: 

 just in case you were curious:  here is what the cake looked like before the massacre!  my fabulously wonderful mother-in-law baked and decorated it and i made the cake topper.  cute AND super yummy!  no wonder ava girl couldn't resist :) 

iheartfaces: week 38

this week is the "smirk" photo challenge.  boy howdy, this is RIGHT up chandler's alley.  my boy absolutely prides himself on his power of smile refusal!  i shot this picture when we were out on a pontoon boat in the destin harbor this summer.  boats, water, being outside....i tthought SURELY this would result in a boy who would at least grant his momma ONE smile.  alas, a smirk was the best i could hope for.  rotten little boy ;) 

click on the iheartfaces logo to see more wonderful and smirktastic photography!

the first of many....

(check out our future rockette here!)

it was on this day, one year ago, that 6 lb 3 oz ava paulina kicked it into reverse and backed right into the world (click the "backed right into the world" link if you wanna know her story!)   she was in a hurry on that day (which, unfortunately, necessitated in a NON-voluntary epidural-free delivery!) and has been on the go ever since.  i was convinced that she was going to be born on my 30th birthday, but her two-week early birth landed her on 9-19-09.  this girl left doctors and nurses shocked and amazed at her arrival.....she was the talk of the hospital water cooler that day.  ava's done things her own way since the very beginning.....and i wouldn't have it any other way.

happy first birthday ava-girl!!  you've accomplished so many things in these past 12 months.....and i know that you'll continue to amaze us in all your years to come.  you are our destructive force of nature.....our opinionated kiddo......our "who needs front teeth" baby.....our blue-eyed blonde in a family of brown-eyed browns (and yes, we checked....she is really ours.  no hospital mixup!  lol  the only other baby born that weekend was a little boy so we figured we would have noticed if they'd been switched!)......and our sweet girl whose laughter can light up a room.  we love you baby girl :)

birthday party deja vu???

didn't i JUST do a post similar to this one??? 

lo and behold....ava'll have a cake topper and party hat after all.  i really felt the pressure to get these done since i slacked off and ended up waiting too long to get her a birthday party sign made like "the other two" have.  hopefully these'll make up for that oversight on my part.  in my defense....that pesky j.o.b. that i have got in the way of my having time to go by the sign shop.....BUT, without the tens of dollars that teaching rakes in for me each month, i wouldn't be able to purchase said sign.  guess that's what they call a rock and a hard place situation ;)  so, here is the hat that she probably won't wear at ALL...but i'm still going to attempt a photo op with it and her cake topper that will adorn her birthday cake:

ava's bday soiree will be featuring her signature colors of pinks, chocolates, and whites.  it will also spotlight her "bird" theme.  she's SO posh!  my girl is turning one this weekend and we'll be celebrating on saturday.  in case you're keeping tabs.... yes, we partied down last saturday and we're doin' it all over again this weekend.  i vividly recall being QUITE large at chan's 2nd birthday party....just praying that the boy would get to have his day before new baby arrived! 

i have, though, committed the cardinal college football fan sin.....i forgot to check the football schedule and lo and behold, florida is playin at 2:30.  wanna know what time the party starts?  howsabout 3:00?  yep....i'm THAT person.  and to think that ava was kind enough to be born in the a.m. hours so as not to interfere with the uf/tenn game..... but her momma had to screw it all up on her first birthday party!  (not kidding....she was born with college gameday playing in the background and saw her first football game when she was just hours old.....yep...go ahead and tell your husbands so they can go ahead and proclaim us as best wife/daughter team EVER.)

post-party updates will come.....and hopefully will be a little less buzz lightyear-ish :)

partyin' like a three-year-old!

last saturday, the front porch of the shoaf house was THE place to be!  is there anything more fun than a birthday party complete with balloons, banners, race cars, AND a blow up slide/pool?  yeah....i didn't think so ;) 

we celebrated the chan's 3rd birthday in style.  my boy was surrounded by his family and friends as he logged in the completion of his third year. 

his grandma hooked him up with a fabulous cake (secret family recipe!) and i was very happy with the way it turned out with his cake topper.  i'd be drooling over this picture except we get to have ANOTHER one of these beauties this coming weekend!: 

hannah girl playing in the pool.....compliments of our good friends, kevin and kim, since austin and i  prefer to mooch off of our friends' kids for entertainment.  this picture may or may not have been taken about 5 minutes before my cousin may or may not have tripped over the electrical cord thereby POSSIBLY turning off the motor and MAYBE deflating the pool while approximately 3-4 kids MIGHT have been at the top of the slide waiting to go down.....and go down they PERCHANCE did.....all the way to the ground.  thankfully, it was my child who may or may not have been at the very top therefore taking the brunt of the fall.  you know....fortunate since i won't sue myself!  it's all fun and games until someone's kid is swallowed by a rapidly deflating pool.  no children were harmed in said deflation...... and this precious little girl pictured below eventually forgave me for hesitating as she fell because i MIGHT have been holding my baby betsy louise (you know....my camera!) in my hands at that moment.......: 

deflation or not....by boy is fearless when it comes to the water slides!  this time last year, it took us an hour to convince him that the water spray would NOT, in fact, kill him.  this year?  i was just trying to convince him not to end up killing himself! 

ava girl had her fun in her very own little kiddie pool.....in which she only attempted to drown herself 50 or so times.  she's such a mischievous little booger!

he WOULD have been blowing out candles in this picture....except that the industrial sized fan that was required to be in attendance basically took care of it for him.  poor lad....but never fear, i so hooked him up with a candle on his morning pop-tart on his actual birthday (which really confused him....he looked at me and said, "it NOT my birthday....i'm ALREADY three!"  we really need to look into having his birthday party on his actual birthday so as not to confuse the boy!)

hannah kay made a special card for her little brother.  this gesture right here basically saved her little toosh from being booted off the porch later on when she absolutely REFUSED to get out of the way during gift opening time.  i mean really....did she NOT see the  paparazzi-mama attempting to document every single second of her son's 3rd birthday???

just how many kids DOES it take to get to the center of an uncle richard wrapped gift?  apparently several...especially when he wrapped it THREE TIMES.  and yes....that is Christmas wrapping paper.  i could probably try to explain my little brother to you and why he does the things that he does, but i'm thinking it'd be easier to go into a lengthy lecture on quantum physics. 

austin was so excited about getting chandler this new cowboy hat.  and so crushed when about 3 seconds after this picture, chan took it off and tossed it to the side.  i just looked at my precious husband and said, "what did you expect?  there're about 30 buzz lightyears in a 3 foot radius from him......and you want a HAT to compete??"  the next day though....chandler redeemed himself and properly oohed and aahed over his new hat :)

we might not have caught his attention with a hat.....but this gift from mommy and daddy DEFINITELY scored some major little boy happy points!  he even picked his new bike over going back on the water slide.  happy kiddo.....and the BEST part?  he no longer has to ride his sister's pink disney princess bike.  he has a new swagger to his walk now!

and oh yeah....remember the 30 buzz lightyears that i mentioned earlier?  SO not kidding: 

if i start to sound a little "space ranger-ish" from now on....you'll know why.  i can't get away from the "infiniti and beyond" in this house now.  it's EVERYWHERE!  but, there's a happy little boy and i suppose that makes it all worth it....at least for now.  but the first buzz today that freaks me out in the middle of the night by randomly going off???  yeah, it's yard sale city at that point ;) 

i heart faces: week 37 VROOM VROOM!

....because even  pretend vehicles can use a tune-up!

for more photos of faces and vehicles.....click on the iheartfaces button:

and then he was three!

my secondborn.....my only son.....

three years ago today, he made his way into the world.  all 7 lbs 10 oz of pure, destructive, dirt-lovin' boy. 

through the years, chandler has shown us time and time again that there IS a huge difference between boys and girls.  there was a lot more baby-proofing going on in the house.....he ate everything in his path (including his crib rails!)....he didn't talk until he was two, but he could drive his john deere gator through the toughest of obstacle courses....he shuns shirts and shoes like they're kryptonite to superman....and he's perfected the "dinosaur stomp and roar" through the house (aka....chanzilla!). 

he's my "chan chan the buster man" and today, he is three!

a little pictorial timeline for your viewing pleasure  :)

september 13, 2007: 

1st birthday: 

2nd birthday: 

3rd birthday: 

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY CHANDLER AUSTIN!!!!!

i didn't have a crafty bone in my body....

and then i had kids.  it's like the docs were all, "here's your baby...and here's your ridiculous desire to make stuff out of pipe cleaners.  go forth and make stuff". 

i finally finished up the cake topper and birthday hat for chandler's party....which is a good thing since the shindig is happening THIS SATURDAY!  don't even ask me about ava's stuff yet.  i'll probably finish hers up sometime around 2:45 pm next saturday afternoon....a mere 15 minutes prior to her first partyroo.

chan the man put in a request for a red race car cake....and since he'd caught me on a good day, i decided to give the lad his wish.  soooooo, using the ever fabulous crayola model magic clay (i HIGHLY recommend it due to ease of use and it air dries.  it's also way lighter than regular modeling clay which makes it good if you don't want to smoosh your cake!) i fashioned a race care, which i stole the design for off of aol images.....i am so way not an original design kinda gal, for my boy.  the three and his name are all made out of the modeling clay too.  i'm pretty pleased with the end result.  hope he enjoys it because homegirl ain't doin' another one again!  i think it actually ends up being cheaper just to flippin pay someone else to do them.  i know my therapy bills are gonna break the bank after this!

also...i hooked my kiddo up with a super fly birthday hat.   now i just have to convince him to wear the thing....which might end up being an "easier said than done" situation.  ;)  

pictures from the souiree to come after this weekend!  prepare thyself for much merriment and buzz lightyear. 

the times, they are a-changin'

i had a student come down to the media center on friday morning to see me because he'd gotten locked out of his reading quiz online account.  this child happened to be the nephew of my very best friend (who is also my children's godmother.  hey...we live in a tiny town.  everyone knows EVERYONE in some capacity or another!). 
while i was pulling up the program, patton was glancing around my office.  he looked at me and then pointed over on one of my counters and asked, "what's that?"  i looked over, but didn't see what he might be talking about.  "what's what??" i asked.  "that.  that big brown thing?  what is it?"  he asked. 

i looked again and then burst into laughter.  "patton, that's a typewriter!"  i said.  boy howdy.....the times, they are a-changin'. 

by the way.....this is officially my 200th post.... ever.  **confetti. confetti. confetti.   sparkles.  jazz hands.**  that is all.  thank you for hanging in there with me for 200 posts worth of randomness.  :)