Chef Patton The Great

I posted below a big post so don't miss that one! At the end of it I said these were coming soon....when have I ever been known to actually put the coming soon post on let alone in the same day?! So proud.  The amount I blog is directly proportional to how dirty my house is and how many chores I"m trying to avoid ;-)

I took a million pics today of P cooking- the best ones are on my Captured by Chrissy blog click HERE to see them.

We got his chef hat and apron in the mail on Saturday and I've been promising ever since that we would make cookies.  Finally today was the day- it was nice and rainy outside so we hung out in our pj's and wasted the day away together until naptime when I got a ton of blogging done :-)

Here he is with all his ingredients all measured out and ready to go.

 This picture he kept telling me he was looking at me.....kinda like Rylee is always looking at me ;-)

 I love how serious he is

 We had about a 5 minute stand off- he wouldn't crack the eggs for me because he didn't want to get dirty.  Suddenly he was concerned about making a mess.....

 Look at that face

 Finally I cracked the egg and gave it to him to pull open- then he flung it on the counter with a disgusted face- a disgusted cute face

 Trying to blow a bubble with his gum (that was his reward for cracking the egg)

 Why does he have his plate in the air? I dont know- just becuase he is Patton.

Sports Girls/Berks 5 1/2 Bday

I'm so proud to be caught up on my blog.  If only I could say the same for my sister ;-) Just kidding- she is having issues with her computer and is trying to figure out how to get it to work. 

A couple weeks ago Chris took Elliott to her first A&M football game.  Now that she is big enough to be his date to games his buddies take their girls and ask him and E to go- apparently my fellow wife friends are as much fun at games as I am and we've been kicked off the trips.  Can't say I mind too much- especially college games.  I think the last A&M football game I went to was about 110 degrees and I left crying to trudge across campus to the bars.  I'm classy like that.

Here's E and her buddy- they play softball together and have lots in common.  Their dad's are obsessed with the same sports teams.  I'd like it to be noted that if these two get to go to Atlanta for a Braves game instead of Amy and me there will be trouble.....

 So cute!!

 The dads and their little sports fans.

 Chris was trying to get E to do gig em with him.  She was obviously not impressed.

 This is something about shooting guns and yelling whoop....I think they aren't allowed to point up until you are a senior? Oh its coming back to me - and if you aren't a senior you point them down and yell A over and over again.....Fun stuff......

 I told them to jump with excitement.  I think Chris didn't understand.

 There we go. Haha

They look almost exactly alike in this picture

 They went to the Alumni center- this is a big ring they are standing under.  Should I have seen that before- or is it new?

 They went to kids yell practice.  I think I made it through about 5 minutes of a midnight yell once before declaring it not fun and leaving.  They'll probably revoke my diploma if they read this blog.

Last Friday Chris and the neighborhood guys took the kids to the Rangers game.  They tried to go in the spring and it rained.  This was their make-up date and Berkley's first time to go to a Rangers game.  I'm glad to know the disdain for sports is just in my blood.  I always wondered if maybe I'd be a better sports girl if my dad had been really into sports.  Clearly by Berks reaction to the game- that is not a factor.  

They got there an hour early (Chris knows better than to take me to a game an hour early if he wants to stay for the whole thing).  She kept asking if it had started yet.  Once it started she watched a few pitches and said "all they are doing is throwing it and passing it back" By the bottom of the first inning "Boring. why do so many people come?" Still the bottom of the first while playing her ipad "when will it be over?"  She ended up having a pretty good time overall though- they walked around got lots of food and she played with Ellen- our 5th grade neighbor that Berk thinks hung the moon.

I LOVE this picture of them

Elliott started taking tumbling.  She is super into it- I do some gymnastics type things at crossfit and we are both working on our handstands.  We are great against the wall but can only stay up on our own for a few seconds at a time.  Elliott literally walks around the house doing handstands.  You just hear bangs on the floor if she is upstairs. If she spots a space of wide open floor she's up in the air.  This was a few weeks ago- she's much better with her form now.  We're getting there!

 Berkley was so excited about her 5 1/2 Birthday! After seeing Elliott get cards with money in the mail on her birthday she couldn't wait for her half birthday.  I had to bring her back down to reality explaining that the world doesn't recognize half birthdays.  The school won't be celebrating- she won't be getting cards in the mail- it is just a couple little gifts from the family in this house with a little bit of fanfare for fun. 

Usually I hang streamers in their door on their birthday- and I decorate half the door on their half birthday.  She had even reminded me about it - but I forgot that night, I was sneaking up to do it before I woke her up and she woke up on her own.  Lucky for me she was so excited about her half birthday that she didn't care too much that I had forgotten.  I decided to half decorate the front door for her arrival home from school.  I guess E noticed me there with the camera and told her to close her eyes.  So sweet!

 I bet you are wondering about what mischief our little Patton J is up to.  He's been doing great, he's my little sidekick while the girls are in school.  He goes to the gym with me and loves to run errands especially "going food shopping" and "going eating" He doesn't really like going to the gym- I'm not entirely sure why.  Its just a little room with a few kids about his age- it doesn't seem too terrible.  On the way home Wed-

P: I don't like my friends at the gym

Me: Why not? They are nice

P: No they are yucky

Me: Why are they yucky?

P: "They have yucky eyebrows"

I seriously almost died laughing.  He has this obsession with eyebrows- he always comments on Chris's and wants to know what eyebrows are for.  The children at the gym are adorable, clean sweet little kids- for some reason that is all he could think of to say.  He cracks me up.  I've talked a lot before about what a little helper he is in the kitchen and I decided he needed his own apron (the girls both have aprons that they like to wear).  I also found this chef hat and decided I needed a Chef Patton Photo shoot.  Those will be coming soon- here's a little peak of the cuteness!

Happy Grandparents Day! Now bring me lunch....

Every year the school invites the grandparents to come to lunch to celebrate grandparents day. It's always exciting- but especially exciting in Kindergarten because they aren't allowed to have lunch visitors for the first month and this is the exception. How lucky are my girls that they had Grammy and Papa and a surprise visitor Rylee? Pretty lucky if you ask me- since lots of kids don't have any grandparents close by to come.  And how lucky are Grammy and Papa that the girls have back to back lunches and they got to celebrate their special day by bringing the girls lunch and hanging in the cafeteria for an hour :) I know they loved it and are so happy to be able to do it. This is the first year I didn't go- and I can't say I minded taking the day off from it- i think they probably enjoyed their time alone without mommy distractions anyway. Mom sent me a bunch of pics 

Rylee goes to school next year and her school is close to the girls - wonder if Grammy and papa will be lucky enough next year to be able to hit all three lunches- hahaahaha

Berkley's First Day of Kindergarten! And the Moldy Cheese's first day of 3rd :-)

Ah. I debated about the title because I didn't want anyone to think I'm mean.  But 1) I am mean and 2) Elliott thinks its funny.  Plus I think we can all recall Golden Girls first day of Kindergarten HERE and she didn't have to share the spotlight with anyone.  By the way looking back on these pics on the first day of school was not a good idea.  Had me crying all over again.

I think I explained about the moldy cheese in another post, but just in case.  Elliott was eating breakfast and I had been busy doing things getting lunches packed and all that. We woke Berk up to come eat and I said- "wait! I need a picture of you eating your breakfast on the first day of school" grabbed the camera and took one.  Elliott by that point was done with her breakfast and said- Hey! You didn't take a picture of me eating my breakfast? What am I now? A moldy piece of cheese?"

 So she grabbed a donut and took a pretend eating on the first day of school picture.

 I cannot believe this  girl is in 3rd grade now.  Blows my mind.  I can remember being in 3rd grade, it doesn't seem like that long ago.  We already got the call from the teacher about how much she just loves Elliott and how wonderful she is.  Its so nice to hear that every year- she is just so smart and such a hard worker at school. We couldn't be more proud of the big kid she is becoming.  She knows she'll never be a moldy piece of cheese.

 I remember wanting to (or probably actually) rolling my eyes when people would say how big I'd gotten and they couldn't believe it- and where did the time go.....but seriously when you see this stuff it never gets any easier.  Their little chubby toddler bodies turned into tall gangly girls.  Makes me cry.  At least they are still awesome and funny and silly and my whole heart.

 Everyone keeps saying she looks just like me- she does, only cuter.  She was so beyond excited about FINALLY going to school like Elliott.  I was the oldest so I don't know what its like- I can only imagine it is a pretty huge event when you've spent all the days you can remember watching your big sister go to school and waiting in the car for her to come walking out.  Going through the hallways and going in the classes just waiting for when you would be a big kid like that.  Her day was finally here. We've gotten the call about how wonderful she is already too.  I worried that since we had one that was so wonderful and sweet in school we might get a trouble maker the next time around.  Looks like our luck is holding.....wonder if THIS GUY will be getting a call of praise at the beginning of his school career.  I hope our luck holds out......

 Walking off to get in the car

 I needed it from every angle

 I think they were laughing at me running ahead of them to get it from the front.

 Making the walk into school- I think our tradition will be that Patton wears his PJ's on this day each year until he goes himself.  This is because I am busy getting lunches packed and kids ready and Patton getting dressed falls under Chris's watch....and he doesn't care.  Here's 2012- looks like we managed to put clothes on him in 2011 (looking at that made me cry again)

 Little stinker didn't want anything to do with the group shot on the first day.

 In her classroom- ready to go!

 We managed to get Elliott to her classroom at the very last minute- one of her good friends ran to meet her at the door and I was able to get a quick pic of her in her class. 

 We are now 2 1/2 weeks into school and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself.  I don't really remember what to do with only one kid at home- we've been wandering around bored a lot.  That will be fixed very shortly when my life becomes fall holiday pictures- but for now we're enjoying the quiet. 

Some little Pattonisms

Me: Don't hit me- its not nice

P: But I need to hit and push

Whhhaaat? (with a mystified look on his face whenever one of his why questions leads to something he finds facinating) I gotta get video

P loves to build with his blocks- I like how he makes a little sidewalk up to his tower.

 Chris also likes to build towers and really wanted a picture with his.  Just kidding- I made him.

My parents get onto my sister and I for taking pictures of our kids doing naughty things- they think it reinforces their naughty behavior.  I do not disagree.  I try not to- but I had to- plus I saw a super cute pic of a kid doing a superman fly onto a couch and I want one of my own ....this isn't it for me- I'm going to have to allow him to do it again.  

Here's the thing though- he knows he isn't supposed to do this- in fact he walked into my office and saw the picture up on my computer and he said "we don't stand on couches - we SIT on our BOTTOM"  That was earlier this morning.  A little while ago he was watching tv and I was walking through the kitchen to get something- I could totally tell he was climbing up - he looked at me and kinda froze- I kept walking - and out of the corner of my eye I see him fly through the air.  Kinda like when we'd stay in a hotel and jump back and forth between the beds as soon as mom and dad went to bring in the luggage.