It's Sleeping Beauty, I promise.

OK. So I tend to procrastinate when it comes to birthday things. Brett can attest to that. Reason number 428 that I'm not going to be nominated for Mother of the Year anytime this century. So when I finally got around to calling our friend and talented cake decorator, Tricia Harris, the weekend of Makena's party she had already been booked for her first wedding cake (see? talented.).

Well, what's a non-artistic mom to do when her daughter has had her heart set on a "Princess cake just like Sophie's" since February? Non-artistic mom borrows the ball gown cake pan and tries on her own. I hadn't intended to use fondant but my curiosity got the best of me. I realize that, compared to Tricia's stunners, it's hardly recognizable but I think it'll pass with the 5 year old set!

Things I realize:

* yes, girlfriend does have her hair up in a clip, but her icing needs to be drier before we release the mane and find a crown of some sort.

* I'm well aware that Sleeping Beauty's gown is supposed to be long-sleeved. Clearly, Sleeping Beauty didn't live in the South during a heatwave. Sleveless it is!

* she needs her colors done somewhere. Wrong color lipstick. No control over that one.

I'll call Tricia earlier for Reese's cake.

Makena is 5

I'm really not quite sure how this happened, but our oldest has turned 5. Yes, I know, it's hard to believe, but there were five pink flamingos in the yard outside her window this morning so it must be true.

When asked by friends what she wanted for her birthday, she would reply with all kinds of great ideas. Games, books, crafts, jewelry making kits......but when Brett or I asked her, all we got was "BARBIES". Grrr. So, with humble apologies to Elizabeth Cady Stanton et al, we increased the Barbie collection. We were slightly logical, though, and considering it has been 97 here the past four days and there's no cool-down in sight, we also got the Barbies a way to keep cool. I'm not sure they were prepared for their hair-dos to become hair-don'ts so quickly.

Please note that our children also managed to get soaking wet in a 10"x6" puddle.For dinner, she chose to go to Flying Biscuit (funny how, after you eat their biscuts, the weight in your tummy would make flying even less possible than it already is). I'm not sure if they had more fun eating or playing at the fountain.Makena even graced us with one of her dance performances. Oh if we could all celebrate life like a 5 year old does.Happy Birthday, big girl!

Zoo and lake pictures

A few pictures from our recent trips to the SC Zoo and Papaw's house on Badin Lake.
(yes, there are actually real animals at the zoo, but they tend not to let you climb on them for Kodak moments)








Makena loves for Brett to launch her as high as possible. I remember doing that, so fun!And the end result of a long day playing hard in the water...

Kitchen Befores & Afters

We're done! Well, there are still three more fix-its to finish and we're still working on furniture for the new room, but we're fully functional! Here are the best before and after comparison pictures. I know I've posted some of them before, but it's cool to see it all side by side.

The pantry/refrigerator wall

Standing at the breakfast table

From the hallway door.

This is the view over the sink into the new room. Once we have furniture in it, I'll post pictures.

Barbie, the Working Girl

With the recent ability to move our furniture back into its rightful homes, the girls have taken to playing with their Barbies on a new shelf. This shelf has two wicker baskets that serve as great ladders/climbing walls/pirate ship rope ladders for various toys to "climb" up. Imagine, if you will, dolls with legs and arms stuck into open spots of the baskets. Reese is still a little bit in the phase where she names an object by its function (ie- scissors could easily be called "cutters").
So here's what I hear this morning. Makena is standing at the shelf and Reese is in the living room.
Makena: Reese! Come bring your dolls in here!
Reese: (grabbing a Barbie) Hold on! Let me get this hooker out of my room!