Pumpkin Patch with the Thornton

We had a fun trip to the pumpkin patch with the Thornton side of the family. We had a blast and so much fun watching all the cousins playing together!!! Ellie Jane is not certain if she likes being squished in the wagon.

Mary Paul has shocked Claire...who knows what she has done this time.

Bryan with Ellie Jane. She loves when he plays with her feet.

They look so alike in this picture...in my opinion.

My sweet Ellie Jane...lost among the pumpkins.

Mary Paul...it is so difficult trying to get a good picture of this girl because she never slows down.

How to Eat a Doughnut

This is a public service announcement from Mary Paul. She felt it was time to show the world the correct way to eat a doughnut and enjoy it to its fullest.

Step 1. Use two hands to hold the doughnut, open wide and slowly take the first bite.
Step 2. Make sure to lick all the powder off of your lips so you can enjoy the delicious sweetness.

Step 3. Chew slowly and thoroughly so you do not choke.

Step 4. Rotate the doughnut so that you are taking bites in a counterclockwise direction.

Step 5. It's most important to eat the outside of the doughnut then the inside of the doughnut.

Step 6. Lick your fingers. Who cares if polite society says licking your fingers is rude.

First Days at the Beach

We are enjoying our time in Seaside. We've gone to the playground where Ellie Jane had snuggle time with Daddy. Mary Paul ran around...a lot and expressed her feelings of unworthiness at this wonderful trip.

Mary Paul is super excited to be learning how to "surf just like Daddy". Have you ever seen such joy?

Ellie Jane, despite the smirk she is giving me, loves the ocean and cannot get enough of being in the water. Yes, we have another waterbaby.

Being at the beach makes Ellie Jane quite hungry and keys are pretty tasty.

As you can see, being at the beach makes Ellie Jane a very happy seven month old girl.

Bryan loves the ocean so much and I cannot tell you how happy I am that all his girls can share his joys.

There is nothing better than ending your day with the sun, knowing everyone is happy, healthy and ready for bed!!!

The Thornton Hair Salon

Well, as many of you know it's been raining here in the south...a lot. Here is what we've been doing to entertain ourselves. I pulled out the rollers we borrowed from Samantha and curled my hair. Mary Paul wanted in on the action. So we rolled her hair.

Then she went into the bathroom to admire her reflection...and play with her toothbrush.After that she felt ready for some pictures with her mama who also had curly hair, but only on the ends so you can't tell in this picture.

Oh, how I love my sweet Mary Paul.

Later, I decided to take some pictures of my girls together, especially since Ellie Jane is sitting up!!!

Not only is Ellie Jane sitting up, she is laying on her side, rolling all around and....

pushing up on her arms so she can always show off her killer hairdo...which is too short to roll.

My girls have lots of fun together...

They are smiley and Ellie Jane loves to be held by her big sister...

most of the time.

Not Me Monday

I wrote this post for a "Not Me Monday" a couple weeks ago but now I finally have the opportunity to share it with the world!!!
I'll have new pictures next time when the computer that has my pictures on it is fixed. Until then I wanted to reassure everyone (when I say that I really mean myself) that I have in no way lost my mind and that I am a good mom.No, I have not lost my mind. I am always organized and together...you know that. I mean, Mary Paul was just recently potty trained so there's no way I forgot to pack an extra pair of panties when I took her to the doctor on Friday to see about a little chest cold. Since I didn't forget the spare pair of panties it did not matter when she pooped her pants as soon as we got there. I just pulled those extra undies out of my diaper bag because there is no way my little girl is going commando. No way. Also, being so prepared, I just put the dirty undies in a plastic bag, not an empty wipes bag. That would make it too difficult to to take out the dirty panties and result in having to throw said panties away.You know I have things under control, so on Saturday I didn't drive the kids, in their pajamas at noon, to get Chick-fil-A. Because you know me, you know that my kids nutrition is important therefore my youngest, sweet Ellie Jane, would never be constipated. It would not be possible that on Sunday my baby is pooping butter bean size poop that rolls around. Since she's not constipated, that rolling poop would never roll out of the diaper as I pick it up and into Ellie Jane's hair and proceed to get squished into her sweet baby hair. I give baths to make my kids smell good, not because they have poop squished in their hair. I'm too good for that.Finally, because I am on the ball, I would never go into Target, leaving the car unlocked with the keys on the dash in plain sight. As I mentioned before, healthy eating is important to me so I would never just get lunch at the Target snack bar because I always have lots of food at home from which to choose. My kids are always well behaved in public because I have taught them well (I mean, my husband is a deacon). So when I unbuckled Ellie Jane in her carseat it was just so she could stretch, not because she was having a fit. And I certainly remembered to buckle her back so I didn't find her sliding out of her carseat when I arrived home after the 4 mile drive from Target. Not me...I'm cool, calm and collected.

Happenings

This will be a short post with lots of pictures. My mom is engaged and we are all excited for her!! Ellie Jane love to play on her tummy and loves, loves, loves toys. I have some pictures of Mary Paul's stages of misery and some of the girls in the backyard with Bryan. What a blessed life I lead. My mom's engagement ring. Ellie Jane loves her Fischer-Price telephone.

These picturesare documenting Mary Paul's stages of grief and misery. She is quite dramatic. She was upset because of something like...we had to get dressed.

We had our annual girls' weekend. Ellie Jane got to come and had we all had a blast.

Bryan and the girls spent some time in the backyard and I got to take some pictures. In one of the pictures I think Ellie Jane looks a lot like Bryan in one of the pictures.

Of course I haven't lost my mind...I'm a great mom

I'll have new pictures next time when the computer that has my pictures on it is fixed. Until then I wanted to reassure everyone (when I say that I really mean myself) that I have in no way lost my mind and that I am a good mom.

No, I have not lost my mind. I am always organized and together...you know that. I mean, Mary Paul was just recently potty trained so there's no way I forgot to pack an extra pair of panties when I took her to the doctor on Friday to see about a little chest cold. Since I didn't forget the spare pair of panties it did not matter when she pooped her pants as soon as we got there. I just pulled those extra undies out of my diaper bag because there is no way my little girl is going commando. No way. Also, being so prepared, I just put the dirty undies in a plastic bag, not an empty wipes bag. That would make it too difficult to to take out the dirty panties and result in having to throw said panties away.

You know I have things under control, so on Saturday I didn't drive the kids, in their pajamas at noon, to get Chick-fil-A. Because you know me, you know that my kids nutrition is important therefore my youngest, sweet Ellie Jane, would never be constipated. It would not be possible that on Sunday my baby is pooping butter bean size poop that rolls around. Since she's not constipated, that rolling poop would never roll out of the diaper as I pick it up and into Ellie Jane's hair and proceed to get squished into her sweet baby hair. I give baths to make my kids smell good, not because they have poop squished in their hair. I'm too good for that.

Finally, because I am on the ball, I would never go into Target, leaving the car unlocked with the keys on the dash in plain sight. As I mentioned before, healthy eating is important to me so I would never just get lunch at the Target snack bar because I always have lots of food at home from which to choose. My kids are always well behaved in public because I have taught them well (I mean, my husband is a deacon). So when I unbuckled Ellie Jane in her carseat it was just so she could stretch, not because she was having a fit. And I certainly remembered to buckle her back so I didn't find her sliding out of her carseat when I arrived home after the 4 mile drive from Target. Not me...I'm cool, calm and collected.