Measuring Up

Every three months or so, the Tool Man leads the monkeys to our closet to record their heights.  It’s always a competition to see which monkey grew the most. 

Even though I lovingly refer to Lucy as the runt of the litter (she’s a tiny, skinny mini) she really has shot up over the last year.  When I see pictures of her from last year I am amazed at how much she has changed. 

You might think from this picture that the monkeys were about to go for a swim, but not so.  Tacy just prefers to wear bathing suits instead of real clothes.

Tacy was proud to show us that she had grown nearly 3 inches.  Wow!  She’s getting so big.  Definitely not a baby anymore :(

And then there’s this big, ol’ boy.  Ty is always comparing his height to the Tool Man.  He still has about 5-6 inches to grow before catching his dad, but that doesn’t stop him from checking nearly every day!  While he may have to grow a little more vertically before reaching his dad’s height, Ty has caught the Tool Man in shoe size.  Ty is now wearing a size 8 1/2 in men’s shoes, and he is also shopping for clothes in the men’s department.  Boy, that makes me feel old! 

Like Tacy, Ty had also shot up three inches since his last measurement.  His appetite certainly reflects his growth.  He eats from the time he wakes until the time he goes to bed - a proverbial bottomless pit.  Just recently Ty has discovered Little Debbie Nutty Bars and Oatmeal Cream Pies.  He can easily plow through a box of each (plus a couple gallons of milk) in a week.  That makes for a wicked grocery bill.

As it turns out, Tacy, Lucy, and Ty measured almost exactly three, four, and five feet respectively.  A little stair-step of monkeys!  Pretty soon baby Tib will be joining the measuring fun. “Who is Tib?” you ask.  Oh, she’s just another monkey I had during my blogging break.  Lol.  I will introduce y’all to her soon, I promise.

Lindsey

All-American Girl Birthday

 

Hello, y’all.  Today I want to share some photos from Lucy’s 7th birthday party.  This year we celebrated Lucy’s birthday a couple of weeks early because I was expecting a baby the week of her actual birthday.

Months ago Lucy decided she wanted an All-American party.  That’s a terrific theme for someone whose birthday is in July.  There is no shortage of red, white, and blue party supplies at that time of year.

Since I was 8 1/2 months pregnant, I recruited some help prepping for the party.  Ty and Lucy were in charge of making white chocolate dipped pretzels.  As you can see, Lucy couldn’t resist doing a little taste test of her work.

I made myself keep the food and decor pretty simple for this party, but I did want to give Lucy an awesome cake.  It’s been quite a while (years) since I’ve done any serious cake decorating.  It was nice to know that I still had it in me!

Like I mentioned earlier, I kept the decorating pretty simple – red and white table cloths, a few streamers, and some stars scattered around the tables were just about it.

Y’all know nothing says America like a hot dog feast!  Along with the hot dogs, the party guests enjoyed corn on the cob, strawberries, chips, and dips.

In addition to inviting her friends to the party, Lucy asked the girls to bring along their favorite dolls.  Lucy and I made some patriotic, doll-sized tutus and hats as party favors for the girls.  During the party, the girls also made personalized necklaces for their dolls.

While shopping around for party decorations, I stumbled across a package of cupcake sparklers.  Score!  We stuck a sparkler in the top of Lucy’s cake while we sang Happy Birthday to her.  It was awesome!

A few gifts Lucy received for her birthday were manicure supplies, Bath & Body Works products, a jumbo pack of gel pens with a Scripture coloring book, doll clothes and accessories, a pair of sandals, and a pretty little gray kitten.  We adopted the kitten from a local shelter, and he has turned out to be the sweetest cat I’ve ever seen.  Lucy named him Whiskers.

Happy birthday, sweet girl.  We sure do love you!

Lindsey