Halloween

Nerds....parker is far left.

Teething, part 2

Parker got her braces today. So far so good. We're still in the honeymoon phase where they're fun and novel and the Advil hasn't worn off yet. For the last month, she also been enjoying a palette expander, which is a midevil looking device anchored in the roof of her mouth used to stretch her top palette to make her teeth meet up in the back. She has tolerated that pretty well. The braces will close the gap in her teeth that the expander creates, and bring her eye teeth into line as well.

Backbend

Another pretty pic

Testing my uploader. Here's another pretty picture. 

note to self:  When I upload them straight from Lightroom, you can't click on them to view them larger.  

First days pic - at long last

It has taken a while, but here it is.  If I keep messing with it, I'll never get it posted.  I'm going to have to adjust my template next year or she's going to grow out the top of it. Last year I tried to change the fingers format from showing her age to showing her grade, but Bob took this year's picture and didn't get that memo.   

Own dinner

Parker made her own dinner! It feels like mother's day.
Ramen noodles from the Rapid Ramen cooker, string cheese, yogurt drink and apple sauce.

Pretty Parker pic

Alternate title:  Why I no longer buy school portraits.

and am I crazy, or does this look a lot like Emily?

Breaking news: flip out

I don't have a picture for this but I thought I'd update y'all anyway. We are at tumbling class and I'm watching Parker across the gym doing backhandsprings all on her own with no help. It's a big day!

Sunshine sign

Here's my latest art project, a sign inspired (copycatted) from a blog post I found on the internet.  After we updated the patio area, we had a big blank wall that really needed something.  Something like a 6 foot painting!  

I drew the design on and then traced on the lettering and filled it in with white paint. Parker wasn't terribly interested, but I made her help fill in a few of the letters so she could say that she worked on it too.  And so that it could be a 'family art project'....Bob bought the wood and put the boards together.

 My arm, painting.

Finished work.  The wording is hard to read in this picture....it says "Rise up this morning; Smile with the rising sun", which is a modified lyric from a Bob Marley song that I sing to Parker when she's stressed "the refrain is "don't worry, about a thing....every little thing, is gonna be alright"

Cone of shame

Here are more Fisher pics.  If I'm not careful, this is going to turn into a dog blog.  He's a very cooperative subject.

 A couple weeks ago, we took Fisher to get his neuter surgery done.  He did very well, but they made him wear a cone to prevent licking his stitches.   It was pretty comical, but he was very clumsy in it, so we eventually got him an air filled ring, that worked fairly well and he could use it like a pillow.  He was also not supposed to run or jump for 5 days.  We made it 2.

   

Birthday gift

I'm wondering how many images I can squeeze into a single blog post.  Let me know if this gives anyone viewing issues.  These are too cute to cull any.  I'm also trying a new way to upload them..wondering if there will be any quality changes.  

I'm trying to catch up on blog pictures.  I realize I still owe you guys the collage pic from the first day of school.  I'm hoping to get on that this week.  I've manage to eek out some time today by blogging while I'm getting my oil changed at the dealership.  I'm sure Bob prefers I do that than look at the new cars.

A while back, Parker got a belated birthday gift in the mail from her aunt Paula (belated? you're kidding!)  There was something for everyone in the family, including Fisher.  

Parker got an upgrade for her wallet.  Prior to receiving the fancy one, she had been using one that one of Bob's programmers had brought him from Pakistan.  She had fancied it up with bows and glitter glue and was perfectly happy with it, but it didn't have a place for coins....so I suggested a new wallet would be a good gift.  It was, she LOVES it, and loved transferring her money, coins and discount cards into the various slots and pockets.  

Fisher got a monkey.  We call it his Mexican Monkey.  Any new toy he gets (or anything he steals) he immediately runs and hops on the couch to get some good chomps on it. He's gentle with his toys and doesn't tear them up.  I wish I had a picture of him dragging it off to the couch, but I couldn't get that in time.  He loved posing with it though.  

Pretty new wallet

 Transferring empty gift cards and expired coupon cards.  Just until she gets more. 

Previous Pakistani souveneir wallet.  Glitter P, striped twine and zebra bow all added by Parker.

Fish and his Mexican Monkey

Quick school pic

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Here's a quick pic from the first day of school. I was out of town, so Bob was in charge. I'll try to get more posted later this week.

Helmet Bow

Parker got a new bike helmet, her old one was too small and probably too pink. This one is a little goth for her....with skulls and such, but it was the only one in the store that she remotely liked.  She found out that her friend's brother has the same one, so she's girly'ed hers up with a duct tape bow.

Another Volleyball mismatch pic

Here's another pic of Parker's latest volleyball game.  The funny part is, they played a 6th grade team that was in 1st place (Parker's team is like 10th) and nearly beat them in both games!  

Patio picture...pan and zoom

Here's a fancy picture of where we are in the patio update.  You should be able to drag your mouse left and right to look around in a circle, and scroll in and out if you want to see it close up and blurrier.
We added the pergola awning overhead to cut down on the blasting sun, and it has helped a lot.  We added the built in grill and the bar w/ the stools and new furniture underneath the covered area, plus a tv.  We still want to upgrade the dining table and chairs (the one with the beach towel draped over it) and I've ordered some more summery throw pillows for the couch.

First day of school

Just like I do for Parker, Fisher had his "first day of school" picture done.  This was right before we left for his first obedience class.  He did really well and LOVED romping and wrestling with the other puppy in the class. 

Summer volleyball

This summer Parker's volleyball team is playing in a club league so they can keep their skills up and be ready for fall.  They are 4th graders, but are playing "up", against 5th graders.  Or so we thought, but there weren't enough 5th grade teams, so they combined 5th and 6th grade teams, which has us playing against some giaganto 6th grade club teams (i.e. girls who were professionally coached for the last 2 years).  This picture doesn't quite do the height discrepancy justice because Parker is bending forward, but some of these girls are taller than I am.
Our girls get to serve from about 3 feet in from the back of the court, but if they get 2 balls over, then they have to serve from behind the white line.  Parker's serves have gotten really strong and she can get them over most times until she has to move back.   Maybe at tonight's game we can get a pic of tiny little Parker trying to get the ball over the net from the back of the court.

Funny Fisher pic

Fisher LOVEs to perch atop a cushion.  A few weeks ago when we went to the pool, he nestled himself on top of our cooler.  This doesn't even look comfortable.

Birthday

Here are some pictures that I never posted from Parker's Birthday.  Instead of a party this year, she got a puppy....which is like a party every day, so we were pretty low key for the rest of her celebration.

She started her day with donuts, which are usually forbidden because they get her off to such a horrible start to the day.  She had a sausage kolache to start with, so that helped stave off the sugar crash.

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She invited one of her sweet friends over the the day.  I took them to Top Golf, which is a 3 story driving range w/ a restaurant.

There are big holes, and you get points when your ball goes into one.  Watching them wack at golf balls was painful!!  The were horrible, but they didn't want any tips from me, even though I was crushing them on points.  

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We had lunch and then fancy cupcakes, then went for a swim, watched a movie and had a sleepover.  Still....way less work than a party!

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Another 4th pic

Back view:  Fringy flags and giant hair bows