Too Busy Having Fun!

We have been busy having fun!!! My parents were in all last weekend and we all got to celebrate Palmer's birthday! I have surely mentioned it, but it was the "Great Cracker Barrel" Birthday this year :) I asked Palmer probably 4 months ago what he wanted to do for his birthday and he told me he wanted to "Go to Cracker Barrel and have a firetruck cake" and that is exactly what we did! I didn't go overboard, I let him pick out the plates, the cake, everything and it couldn't have been more perfect! It was totally Palmer's speed (slow :) and relaxing and we had a great time, I think I am going to let him plan all of his birthday parties!!!

We go to his 3 year appointment next week so I will wait to write my blog dedicated to his life in 3 years :) Here are some pictures from the day.

Jeff, Ashley, Joe, Tex and I

I love this picture! Ann Mason was SO curious about what Palmer was getting it cracks me up!

Opening More Presents, he got more than Christmas!! It was his first "all toys" birthday and he LOVED it!
Ann Mason finding the trash! The Three Amigos! Palmer couldn't be happer


The Wonderful Firetruck Cake!!! Can't wait to use this bakery again!

Me and my sweet girl (she has come back around in the last few days, I think I finally have my girl back!) and she hasn't bitten ALL week!!!


Me, Ashley, Mom, Ann Mason and Palmer

Excuse the hair! I saw this picture and went out and got my hair chopped yesterday! haha I don't know what was up with the side bump :) but I love this picture still! Mamaw Kathy and Aunt TT

It was a great weekend and lots of good quality family time! We are in the final countdown for pool days!!! WOOHOO! I think we are heading up there Friday night for our first swim, the kids can't wait!

Someone's Laughing Somewhere!

I know someone somewhere is laughing really hard but at this exact moment it is not me! My mom recently told me a "life truth" that if you were to throw your problems in a pit with a bunch of other people's problems you would surely go back and get your own at the end of the day! I do believe that, thanks mom for reminding me to keep things in perspective! haha

So right now at this moment in the Templeton household this guy has....

Fifth Disease (for people that don't know what this is... "disease" is a STRONG word, it is more like a really intense rash all over his little body, thankfully it doesn't itch. With fluids and rest it should go away on it's own!) It starts out on your cheeks, I was trying to get a good shot of it in this picture :)

And this girl has advanced from mere "scratching" to biting a child on the face today....
I think I have said the serenity prayer 100 times this week!
God Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change
The Courage to change the things I can and
The Wisdom to know the difference!
See, I already feel better :)

Bully!

Well, you know it is a bad thing when Ann Mason's teacher is talking to another parent and asks me to "wait a second" before I leave, then another teacher walks over with Ann Mason and is laughing and says "Here's your little bully"! What! I think my head spun and I looked around cause SURELY she wasn't talking about Ann Mason and SURELY she was telling some other mom that their kid was a bully!

No and No! She was talking directly to me and she was talking about none other than Ann Mason! On Friday Ann Mason was just on her 1st day of Antibiotics and went to daycare and had, let's just say had a few incidents.... (ie broke skin on 3 kids!) Ok, Ok, it was TOTALLY her cough medicine and that is my story and I was sticking to it, as I told Ms. Kathy this morning that, "Yep, I figured out why Ann Mason so called "attacked" those 3 kids on Friday, she was on this mega cough syrup that made her a little looney!" She nodded and agreed that it must have been that and I walked out to my car with my head held high!

Finally after what seemed like an eternity Ms. Kathy finally greeted me with a nervous laugh and informed me that indeed Ann Mason struck again. She continued to explain that she picked out the biggest boys in her class and was in her words "like a cat" sneaky and quick with her attacks! She had struck again and grabbed 3 more kids today! Luckily I had clipped off her lethal weapons over the weekend so there was no bloodshed but the intention was still clear, she wanted a fight :) Oh the horror! I was the mom of the bully! Yikes! I am praying this is a mere phase one that we can look back at and laugh about for hours, PLEASE let this be a phase! I am praying that she can make it thru the last 7 days of the school year and then her Aunt Ashley can whip her into shape over the summer! :) Poor Palmer is the least aggressive kid I know, so this bully business is brand new territory! I really hope this is the last day I have to do the "walk of shame" out of the school as Ann Mason smiles at me like she had the best day of her life! haha I am pretty sure this girl is going to give us a run for our money!

Possibly the Longest Week Ever...

I usually don't want to wish away time but tomorrow I will be SO GLAD to say ADIOS to this past week! This house has been one big germ fest :) Strep throat, ear infections, weird stomach bug (where you don't get sick you just stay nauseous for 24 hours a day :) We have been cooped up in the house most of the week and for this family that = crazy people! We finally got out tonight and walked around the mall and I started to feel like a normal person again! Hopefully everyone can get a good nights sleep tonight and tomorrow will be a new day with no puking, runny noses, meltdowns and tears! We have lots to look forward to in the next couple of weeks! Palmer turns 3 and we have the big birthday dinner at Cracker Barrel (his choice NOT mine!)and then the pool opens! WOOHOO!

I was trying to get a picture of this cute girls outfit but she is too busy for her momma! (Thanks Mamaw Kathy for all of the CUTE outfits!)

Ann Mason thinking she needed to throw herself in the fountain to make a wish!
Palmer apparently wanted a "re-do"! haha Here he is trying to get his penny back! Oops!

Sweet Boy smiling from ear to ear to be out of the house FINALLY!
These two.... They can't live with each other... can't live without each other... I was about to kick them both out this morning! haha

Fevers, Sneezing, Teething... Oh My!

My sweet girl has been a pitiful mess this week! Runny nose, shirts soaked in drool, fevers and lots of congestion. I swear it is just teething but of course I am getting ready to call the dr "just to be sure" because it never fails there is always something more! She can barely eat or take her bottle! (oops did I just say she is taking a bottle at 15 months? :) haha) So last night she got the royal treatment that only princesses get and she was spoon fed chicken broth and she loved it!

Daddy feeding his princess his soup!
She would just hold the spoon in her mouth and LOVED it!

Look at that face! This girl knows she is SPOILED and LOVES it. She doesn't have to lift a finger in this photo:) Hopefully she will be ok! I hope we can go ahead and get in to the dr office! Wish us luck!

Birthday Parties and Playdates!

We had a busy weekend and start to the week! We got to head to the Louisville Zoo "mega cavern" for a birthday party! The kids did great and I was SO proud of Palmer for trying out a new adventure... he didn't want to take the tram ride around the cave but he didn't cry once! I was so proud of my ever-cautious big boy! I think since it was Reid (his best friend's party) he was just happy to be there! haha

Ann Mason cracks me up in this picture, she is looking at the ducky baby pool and wondering how she will get in it, she managed to when Tex turned around!

Palmer looking cool in his vintage Superman t-shirt :)

Um, no words needed just like her momma!
Palmer eating some cupcakes with a new friend!

The kids so excited to be at the birthday party!

One of the best parts of this whole week was this precious face coming to visit...Caroline is Kelly's (my best friend since I was 15) daughter, she is only about 10 days younger than Ann Mason so we are hoping they are best friends too! As you can see she is ADORABLE and she is as sweet as she is cute! I just loved having her even for a short time!
All of us trying to eat lunch! It was a bit chaotic. Palmer LOVED Caroline and is still talking about her! He wants to go to her house soon! Thanks Kel for coming up and bringing my favorite little girl! She is so sweet I love her so much!

Exciting News!!

I am HAVING A.....

NIECE!!

I am SOOOO excited to become an Aunt again and I am SO excited that Ann Mason is going to have a best friend!!! Ashley and Joe found out yesterday that they will be having a beautiful baby girl in October! I can't wait to go shopping for her and buy her itty bitty girly clothes! Most importantly the baby was healthy and growing perfectly! I know this little girl will be the perfect new addition to our family, she is already SO loved!

Mother's Day

Words cannot express what happened to my life and my heart on May 22, 2007 and February 16, 2009... they both were forever changed! I feel blessed beyond measure to be a mother of two of the most beautiful children ever! Some people grew up wanting to be doctors or teachers but I grew up knowing that I wanted to be a mommy and my dreams have been far surpassed!

There are days when exhaustion is an understatement and patience is far from my vocabulary...There are days when I worry so much my brain hurts and days when I dream about just a few quiet moments to myself....

But then there are days when Palmer will say, "I love you too ,mom", or I hear the rip roaring sound of Ann Mason's laugh and I experience those moments when I climb over the crib and curl up next to my children at night to talk about their days....that's when I know that life is sweet and that is when I know that my childhood wish came true... I GET to be a Mom, everyday, each day, good and bad and I feel immensely blessed for all that comes with this enormous job!

Palmer's Birth!

Ann Mason's Birth!

To all of the mother's out there Thank You! Especially to my mother for showing me how to love my children unconditionally! I love you!

Celebrate being a Women!

This is one of my favorite pictures of all time! 3 generations of loving Women! :)

In Celebration of Mother's Day my mom sent me this email and I couldn't sum it up any better! Hope you enjoy it... I hope all of the women out their take time for themselves this weekend whether your a mom or not, we all need to take care of ourselves first so that we can continue to give to those around us! (Much easier to say than do!)

Thank you to all of the women in my life that have given me strength, hope, faith, security, friendship, love and SO much more!

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.....

They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.. They stand up to injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love They have compassion and ideas. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Boo-Boo's

This was the first but I know it won't be the last.... without TMI here is a conversation I had with my almost 3 year old last night!

Palmer : "Mom, I have a boo-boo"

Me: "Oh, I am sorry baby show mommy where your boo-boo is"

(Started to get scared when he starts pulling down his Cars Underwear)

Palmer: "Right here Mommy, see it's a hole, it's a REAL BIG BOO-BOO"

(OMG! Trying not to laugh, trying to act serious, trying not to die right there on the spot!)

Me: "Palmer honey, that is not a boo-boo that hole is where your pee-pee comes out and it is supposed to be there"

Palmer: "No Mom! It is a boo-boo and I can't wear underwear or pants anymore!"

He hops up on the stool to eat dinner sans any type of covering...

Me: " Um, I think we need to put on your underwear we are NOT running a nudist colony around here! "

Palmer: "My boo-boo will never get better!"

Well, honey your right you are stuck with that boo-boo your whole life! haha I didn't tell him that but I hope he gets used to that boo-boo or we are going to be in for a long haul :) Next he is going to be asking where babies come from! I am not prepared for this!

Run for the Roses!

Ironically, we left the derby capital and headed south for a Derby Party :) We had a blast getting to see our old friends and getting all of the kids together! We sure know how to reproduce! ha! I think there was 8 kids and 1 on the way, they had a blast it was so much fun to see all of our "mini me's" get together! I will cherish these moments always!

This picture of Cannon and Palmer melts my heart.... I can only imagine their daddy's at this age doing the same thing! SO sweet!

Palmer really surprised me with his enthusiasm over the derby! He even named his horse Zeke and said he was definitely going to win the derby! Thanks Whit for making the amazing horses and hats, they were a hit!

Trying to get a group pic we were missing the smallest baby but the rest of them hung in there but getting them to look at the camera was another story!

Palmer and Ann Mason taking a break from the party with their blankies!

My precious girl! Her hair is really growing these days! :)

Riley and her mommy! This girl cracks me up she is Spunky with a capital S! I love her!

What a rainy weekend! I am praying for everyone that has been truly affected by this weather, I know we are so blessed just to have gotten the weather that we did!