Summer Reading

One of our favorite activities this summer has been our weekly trip to the library for their summer program. We've done crafts, listened to storytellers, and seen a magician and a puppet show.
Each week, Anne Parks has checked out books and read enough to get two fish on the wall! That means she was invited to the Summer Spash Bash! She was very proud of herself, and we all had fun at the party!

(We'd been swimming that morning, hence the wild hair!)
Nora enjoys a good story, too.

Getting her certificate and treat bag.

Nora, post-Cheeto snack

A Dress Re-Do

So, here's the dress. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out, and Anne Parks LOVES it! She thinks it's such a big girl dress.

I had this dress that was a little too small for me. It didn't sell at the consignment store, so I decided to recycle it for AP.
I cut off the top, took it in, hemmed it up, and added a tie and buttons. Ta da!

McDonalds

Last Saturday, Anne Parks and I took Nora for her first McDonalds playground experience. She thought she was a very big girl and loved every minute of it!

The Big Girls' Night Out

Anne Parks got a big suprise when we went to a show at Thalia Mara the other night. All we'd told her was that we would see a show. She was thrilled when she realized that we were there to see Dora and The Backyardigans. We had so much fun as we shouted, sang and danced along with the characters!

Like this yellow dress? More about it in the next post!

Jumping with Friends

Anne Parks and Addy Katherine
Fisher and Wyatt with Anne Parks

Giggling Girls: AP and AK

Swimming with Addy Katherine

Girly Girls

Yesterday was a big day. Anne Parks' good friend, Addy Katherine had a birthday tea party; then she and two other friends came home with Anne Parks. It was AP's first time to have friends over, and it was a very big deal!

The tea party was just precious. There were stations set up for the girls to have their nails done, put on make-up, get their hair done, and accessorize. Anne Parks was very serious about getting her nails done.

make-up table

There was also a precious little playhouse and bridge in the yard that the girls just loved.

Anne Parks and Mary Hampton sitting down for tea

Learning that little ladies put their napkins in their laps

The blessing

Each girl decorated her own cookie.

Just before this photo was taken, AP had skinned her knee, so she wasn't too keen on the idea.

Anne Parks, Gentry Claire, Mary Hampton, and Addy Katherine

And here they are once we got to our house.

They dressed up, played outside in the water, and were pooped as they watched Backyardigans before heading home.

We can't wait to do it again!

Miss Mississippi

Anne Parks and I took a couple of "big girl" trips to see the Miss Mississippi Pageant last week. My sister has worked as a volunteer with Miss MSU for several years, but this was our first time to go with her. We were thrilled on Saturday when Miss MSU, Fenly Akers (in green), was named fourth runner up and last year's Miss MSU, Sarah Beth James, was crowned Miss Mississippi!

The Parade