Day 3 EASTER SUNDAY

I decided to do a more traditional Easter look for the family this year. Matt's brother Andrew is getting married in September. He and MacKenzie are going with a traditional black and white theme (which I LOVE). I thought, hey, I'd like to do that for Easter and double up on the wedding day--win, win. I have had my eyes on Karson's dress at The Children's Place for weeks. Those of you that shop at TCP know they are always running awesome sales. Well, this dress was NEVER on sale--week after week. I checked it online, called, frequented the mall, and one fine day last week, it was on sale. The sales person even commented to me that the dress hadn't been on sale and now it was 50% off. It was still more than I wanted to spend, but I love it. I also snagged some half price black linen shirts for the boys. Hopefully, we will be able to get a nice family portrait at the wedding, but I thought my brother-in-law Paul managed to get a pretty great photo in front of the church.

Karson's Easter basket complete with neon green PEEPS, some items from Claire's and Gobstoppers.

Isaac's basket complete with a bakugan, LEGO sticker book and LEGO shirt.

Miles basket complete with a color changer Hot Wheels, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Sticker book and gummie bunnies.

Easter morning came and went quickly. There aren't enough hours on Sunday morning--ever. Holiday mornings are especially challenging because the kids are extra excited and DON'T want to leave the house. And, then, there's the dreaded photos in their Easter attire.

After numerous threats to end their lives j/k, here are the finished poses.

Squatz were the highlight of the morning. Karson is a walking, talking commercial. Case in point, she went up to Matt recently and stated, "Dad, I had NO IDEA Burger King was better than MacDonald's. They have 30% more beef." Apparently, she's seen a few commercials about Squatz. Luckily, I found some at Target a few weeks back. These little boogers are almost like gigantic bath fizzers. Check out the video for more fizzing fun-ness.

Mom and Dad had a big brunch after church for us and the kids. It was a nice way to spend the rest of the afternoon.

Mom and I also managed to sneak away and see the movie "The Last Song". I'd read the book last week and could hardly wait for the movie. It certainly didn't disappoint. We're looking forward to a week full of fun beginning tomorrow in Louisville at the zoo.

Spring Break Days 1 and 2

Before I begin with DAY 1 of our Spring Break, I have to take a moment to tell everyone about my fabulous 33rd birthday. It's not hard to have a wonderful day with the way the weather has been. It's usually cool and rainy on my birthdays. NOT THIS YEAR! The day was bright and beautiful. I received dozens of happy birthday wishes on facebook which was neat. My birthday happened to fall on a school day and all the kids brought me bright colored flowers--each of them bringing in a stem or two making a large bouquet. I also received daffodils, chocolate cupcakes, a SOHO nails gift certificate, a Yankee candle and Cheddar's gift card. They are VERY good to us at EEP! My mom took the boys shopping and got me some great annuals and perennials for my flower pots. She also surprised me with my favorite sandwich from Arby's (the roast chicken club--makes my mouth water just thinking about it). My bestest bud Sarah (who just had a baby) met up with me with a plate-full of my favorite no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies. I met my friend Melissa D. at Freeman Park for a walk and talk while the kids played. Matt surprised me with a cake from Baskin Robbins and the movie NEW MOON. The day was super, and I never wanted it to end.

DAY 1

It's officially SPRING BREAK. Hooray for this gorgeous weather! We kicked off the break last night with the Caffey's and Vernon kids at the illustrious Franklin Drive-In for a double feature--How to Train Your Dragon and Percy Jackson-the Lightening Thief.

One of the major advantages of a mini-van is the cozy space in the back.

Isaac kept getting mad at me for taking pictures because the flash hurt his eyes. I did manage to get one though.

Miles and Ansley enjoying each other's company.

DAY 2

Since we didn't get in bed until the wee hours of the morning (12:20 a.m.) due to the drive-in, our morning was a little slower than usual which was nice. We decided to take the kids to the Great American Donut Shop--the best donut shop in the entire world. After the sugar rush, we went over to the church for our Community Breakfast. There are a million things that are cool about Community, but this is one of the coolest. Our church hosts a monthly breakfast (the 1st Saturday of each month) to feed the needy in our area of town. My parents hosted this month and did a fantastic job. Afterwards the kids invited themselves over to Meme's house =), and she relented. Matt and I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous day and took a nice stroll around historic downtown BG. After our walk, we ate lunch at Buckhead Cafe and went to GiGi's Cupcakes. I wanted to get Mom and Dad an Easter surprise and GiGi's is the perfect place. When we got to Mom's, the kids had received the~above photo~ Easter goody. My grandparents got Shannon I GIANT hollow bunnies every Easter. I always loved that so I told Mom she needed to carry on that tradition with our kids. Hello .10 ounces of sweet, hollow yumminess! We're looking forward to tomorrow's goodies and worship with our amazing church family.

The Rest of March

Okay so since March has pretty much been non-existent, I'll finish up this post with the remainder of March for us. Above is a picture of me and my sister-in-laws. I am usually the tallest girl in the bunch (see below), but these good lookin' gals have me by a good inch or two.

Me and some of the finest people I know at the church annual Easter Egg Hunt.

KARSON

We finally wiggled Karson's tooth out (3 days post dentist assignment). I promised to take her to Build A Bear in Nashville if we got it out (which was obviously a one-time offer). SO, I had to make good on my deal and took her on Sunday afternoon in a monsoon of a rainstorm. Opry Mills is the perfect place to spend a rainy afternoon. We did some shopping, ate some Marble Slab and rode in a synagogue. Yeah, you heard it right or at least according to Karson. We actually rode in a simulator--Mars Attack roller coaster. When we got off, Karson said, "Mom, I bet Elizabeth would love to ride in that synagogue."

Karson attended a softball clinic at Total Fitness connection to help her improve her skillz. I imagine with a team name like The Diva's, they will need plenty of help =). Cousin Elizabeth also attended. She will be playing this spring.

The kids enjoyed dying Easter eggs last week. Picking out a Paas box is no easy task. There are at least a billion options these days. We decided on Monsters and Glitter eggs this round. I gave each of the kids FOUR eggs to dye and decorate.

Here is Karson and her finished product.

Here is Isaac and his finished product.

Here is Miles and where his finished product ended up. He's not the gentlest with hard boiled eggs.

ISAAC

Isaac had his 5 year physical from Dr. Chris and is now ready to be enrolled in Kindergarten at Plano. It's amazing all the things that have to be done prior to registering. Isaac's always been a character. Here lately, every time I turn around I am finding clues in my drawers. Isaac got an iCarly toy from McDonald's complete with post it notes (heaven for him).

MILES

I feel like I have a newborn in my house these days. I'm not sure if it's the time change, allergy season or WHAT, but Miles is getting up in the wee hours of the morning nightly. It's short lived but enough to keep me and Matt from going back to sleep. His cry is just piercing and he usually requires assistance such as his blanket is missing, his water is empty, he can't find Isaac, he needs medicine, he has to pee, etc. I'm about to lose my mind. I've completely forgotten what sleep deprivation is like. Aside from the early morning interruptions, Miles is enjoying this springy time weather. He's an outdoors man. And, lately, he's learned how to ride his bike. I bet he clocked 4 hours today.

We got to spend some quality (pre-baby) time with our friends Josh and Sarah Owens eating out at El Mazatlan and then heading over to GiGi's cupcakes for a sweet treat. The Owens's welcomed their new addition Riley Jane to their family of 3 on March 23rd.

Karson and friends at the Pogue annual Easter egg hunt. I will post more about our Easter festivities in April.

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My dad and I celebrated birthdays this month.

Paul, Shannon and Mom threw us a party complete with homeade pizza and a cake from Riley's bakery. It was a wonderful evening until UK blew it and made everyone BLUE. I could seriously careless about college basketball (is that okay to say since I live in Wildcat country?). I prefer to watch high school basketball. It's much more exciting in my opinion.

Colvin and Debbie threw me a party also complete with Domino's pizza and a homeade strawberry cake. Pizza and cake two days in a row--does life get any better than that???

I Can't Believe...

it's already March 18. Where on earth has this month gone?

For me, March, has meant:

(1) The end of basketball season and freedom on Saturdays.

(2) The beginning of softball season--so long freedom, it was nice while it lasted. Karson is playing for the Diva's, a group of 12 from Plano Elementary. Isaac will also begin baseball which Matt will be coaching.

(3) Lots of birthday festivities and more to come at the end of the month as Dad celebrates his 60th on the 26th (along with our beloved Ms. Windy) and I celebrate my 33rd on the 30th.

(4) The Polka Dot Door consignment sale preparations and $$$ post sale benefits. Plus, I had a booming account balance at Kiddo's. Love getting cash back for clothes, and I scored a great pair of used cleats for Karson for $9.99.

(5) Seasonal allergies kicking in terribly.

(6) A vision exam for Isaac and a scheduled physical since I will be registering him for kindergarten next month =(. A dental visit for Isaac. AND, a dental visit for Karson. I picked her up today and she immediately started breathing heavily and crying in the car. The exam went fine, but Dr. Elliott gave her a 2-week assignment to get one of her loose baby teeth out or she has to come back in. That tooth will be coming out my friends. The cost to remove it is $111.00.

(7) A baby shower in Louisville for my cousin Lori who is expecting May 1.

(8) Taking HOT YOGA classes with my sister.

(9) Lots of stuff going on at Plano: class pics., drained lunch account, Jump Rope for Heart, book fair, and what I like to call "the hard homework". Karson and her classmates are tested at the beginning of the week for Friday's spelling test words. If they pass, they receive a different set of words and homework. This weeks word list: ballplayer, chopsticks, dragonfly, handwriting, thought, biscuits, remember, hummingbird, outsmart, wristwatch, crocodile and picture. Karson has to write each word THREE times, put them in ABC order and write each one in a sentence. WHEW!

(10) And, last but not least, this stinkn' time change. The kids 8:00 p.m. bedtime arrives much quicker for some reason.

PICTURE of THE MONTH thusfar:

My mohawk lovin' boys. Who knew a dab of moose and hairspray could produce such amazing smiles???

Que Sera, Sera

The SPARKS had their last official basketball game of the season yesterday afternoon. And though I am relieved to be "free" again on Saturdays, I sure will miss seeing these little girls each week. They have come such a long way this season. Should Karson decide to play next year, I will coach again. Division I isn't that tough--the girls are just learning the basic skills. Two of my girls are in 2nd grade and won't return next year, but the other four girls will. It would be so cool if I got to coach them again--I'll keep my fingers crossed.

We all decided to celebrate the season afterwards with a trip to Culver's. I made the girls cupcakes with basketball clickers on top (thanks Deal$).

Presenting Haylea her trophy

and Kennedy

and Samantha

and Erin

and Paige

and Karson =).

Our faithful mascot Karson's Autumn Hugs bear.