SHE DID IT!! Flower girl for rent!!

One of Monique's best friends was married and asked that Leslie Mykael be her flowergirl. We did not think a toddler that had just turned 2 was a good candidate, but the bride figured all would go well, so we were excited for Leslie.























The nuptials took place at a conference center in the outdoors. Here, without any of the set-up, Leslie, very successfully, makes her walk through 2 quick run-throughs at the rehearsal. We had rehearsed with her at home a few times so the experience was not totally foreign to her, as well as let her see some youtube video of flower girls. Still, without chairs, an actual aisle, music and 300 eyes staring her down, we were wondering if she could do it.




























The bride was on faculty with Monique at her culinary school but now works on the corporate level with a large franchise. The groom is on the culinary faculty with the other culinary school in Atlanta, so we were in for treats when it came to getting our tummies fed. The rehearsal lunch was at the groom's formal dining facility at his school.






















We were so happy that Leslie was asked to be a flower girl!!! The wedding party was treated to a fine dining experience by a world renowned visiting chef/colleague from Monique's school. The salad was phenomenal, the filet mignon, gargantuan shrimp and lobster accompanied by sauteed spinach, potato cake and southern fried corn was to-die-for, and the dessert above, was a true delicious thing of beauty.























Leslie, our sweet lover, really enjoyed her dessert.


























Some of the groom's students sculpted out of veggies, 4 or 5 of these beautiful wonders along with a huge ice sculpture, for everyone to ooh and aah over.






















Our kids love a good hotel.......bed. The conference center where the wedding took place had a great hotel. Being 50 miles away from the venue and having an early morning wedding party report time for the 10am Sunday morning nuptials, it only made sense for us to spend the night. Q and Leslie love traveling and being in a hotel.






















Leslie gets dressed up on her big morning. We were too fortunate that the bride approved of the dress Leslie Mykael wore for Easter. Monique made her hair decor.






















These days an outfit is not complete without some of mom's lipstick.






















From our floor, we could see the set up. Leslie was pumped.

Along the side of the chairs was a beautiful fountain pool with large colorful fish. The kids check it out.

A family portrait, as we waited for a pre-nuptial photo session for Leslie and her party.

Quadson shows off his lizards.

Big brother helps little sister with a couple of run-throughs before her big moment.

The BIG MOMENT...to a violin concerto, she had to walk out of the back of the conference center garden, down two wide steps, alone, holding her basket. She held the railing and took her sweet time.

She hit the grass and walked right by the wedding planner.

The aisle was already littered with petals, but she also did her job and dropped her petals as well, walking pass all the ooohs and aaahs of 150 guests (300 eyes). We were in awe.

She stood poised, holding the hand of the bride's maid for 5 minutes, continuing to awe us, UNTIL...she caught a glimpse of Quadson standing in his chair way in the back, and "Bruh,Bruh," she called. With no answer from him, her lip poked out and she cried for 10 seconds before Monique met her on the front row.

She then rejoined the party to walk the aisle again, this time with the ring bearer.

A proud bride poses with her great choice in Leslie Mykael.

After the nuptials, Leslie revels in her accomplishment. She had a great reward ahead with the most awesome Sunday brunch reception EVER. Leslie had to make another entrance walk at the reception and nailed it too. We were too impressed with her.

Below, Leslie, undressed, relives her glory day. After she was dressed, she showed us multiple times what she had done, these times with hands on hips, saying, "I walk!!!!"

Mother's Day

Mother's Day started out quiet. Quadson and I had stayed up past midnite the nite before watching Star Wars, so he had crashed in our bed downstairs because I was too tired to take his limp body up to his room. I got up at 7:30 with Leslie, and she and I quietly whipped up some veggie bacon, wheat toast, sliced fruit, juice, and a nasty old runny fried egg like Monique likes them. I had the bed tray on the kitchen floor trying to involve Leslie Mykael, already prepped with a gorgeous square asian plate, linen napkin, flatware and daisies in a vase. I plated all the food and turned around to grab something from the stove. Ms. Leslie, behind my back, had pulled her little chair right up and was chowing down on that bacon. NO, NO Leslie, I said, whispering!!! Let’s take this to mommy!! Monique, perfectly, woke from her sleep to see us approaching her bedside with her tray and Q and Leslie began TEARING UP her breakfast in bed, while she read the handmade card where Quadson wrote his alphabet and added dino stickers, and Leslie had glued all sorts of stuff. Monique just took it all in as she dipped her toast into that gross, runny yolk. It was pure bliss and quite funny.

Photo of Mother's Day morning taken with my phone's camera. Both digital cameras were too full to capture this special moment.

The rest of Mother's Day was not so quiet. We had 15 or so guests over for dinner and to enjoy our new view in the backyard. It was so busy that we took not one picture except for this little display of a Hot Mama coffee kettle and Monique's card. It was a great day.

A backyard makeover

For the seven years we have been in our home, we have "put off" a backyard project. We knew it would be expensive and the yard actually did not look as bad as it did. But over time, the appearance got worse, the grass we had back there had turned to mostly weeds, and the Georgia clay dust was taking over. Plus, we had a burning desire for the ability to open that back patio door and let the kids run free in a safe, wide open sort of environment. Lastly, our ultimate goal, to go along with our homeschooling, is to install a separate house in Spring 2009, a school house in the backyard, and the backyard makeover was the first part of that goal. So, we are excited.



The square in the middle of the weeds was a barked area where the kids had a huge Little Tykes play ground set. The workers had to clear the entire yard.



Quadson takes one last dirty walk on the hill. He would get out there and dig and dig for fossils. He loved it and was a little sad when we explained that he would no longer have dirt to play in.



Even as the workers dug out the place where the new retaining wall would go, Quadson had to get out in the dirt.




The project took 4 days with 3 workers. There was a different piece of equipment out there everyday. A crane tractor.



The work involved with this wall was major. There is so much going on behind it, in the way of intricate support and drainage, the average person would not know it.


A bobcat.

AHHH! Grass!!

We can not wait until it all grows in and gets all thick and green. There was a half pallet left after the whole area was covered that Monique and I added to the first level of the wall. This level was intended to be all dirt for planting, gardening, etc., but we just could not see letting that 1/2 pallet of sod go to waste.


The kids are loving that first level and the outcome of their yard, in general.

So the sod, the two-level retaining wall with steps, and the pinestraw added to our hill is just a masterpiece to us from what we had. We are sure to spend many hours out here over the summer months.

Leslie Mykael is a fashionista. While Quadson was quite content having breakfast out on the patio in his night clothes, she had to wear one of her better dresses, a Donna Karan, no less, to frolic around in. On the kids' recent Friday stay at my parents, she just had to wear all pink, in addition to a bracelet, necklace and some lipstick. When she had the choice in Target between a fun pink jellyfish type of ball, she repeated, "No daddy, shoes, shoes, shoes." She picked out a white leather flip-flop type sandal adorned with white flowers and diamonds. She loves shoes that go through her toes and she prefer they go through, next to her second toe, not the big toe. When we got to the check out register, she threw the shoes on the belt and told the cashier, "Buy!"

Quadson just runs back and forth, back and forth. He loves the new space.


Leslie tries to play DJ as we play a few jams out in our new back yard.

A night of culture and fun

Quadson got a treat and was taken by his grandparents and great-aunt to see the Broadway production of the Lion King. He enjoyed it immensely. The next day that we saw him, he had the nerve to tell us that what he saw was a secret and he could not share his take on the show. Finally, he decided to share, and he described it as scary, funny and full of silly animals.

Some neighboring spectators took to Quadson and were adimant with my parents that he take their blanket to sit on so that he would be raised up to get the best view.

Soccer comes to an end

Quadson's soccer season went pretty well. He never really wanted to go each practice, because he hated how over-sized the shirt was, and the practices/games coincided with his naps, but once he got there and woke up after the 10 minute ride, HE WAS ON FIRE and did not want to leave. We originally thought they would be playing competitive games, but only the last two meetings were games, if that is what you could call a bunch of 4 year olds trying to all kick the ball. Most of the meetings were the kids learning simple soccer disciplines, kicking and controlling the ball, not using your hands, etc. After they grasped some of those, they had the kids utilize them playing "red light-green light, running the ball through cones, etc. They ended the sessions with duck-duck-goose, an old favorite, that Quadson called duck-duck-moose. Instead of running around once and taking a quick seat before being tagged, he would run around many, many times. He had never played this game before so that was funny to see. He liked the chase.

GOAL!!!

Leslie would often join him on the field after practice for some brother-sister play.

Quadson's team photo. If he plays next season as a 5 year old, he will be involved in more competitive play. We shall see.

Quadson at his Award Ceremony and showing off his medal with real engraving below.