We celebrated Emery's third birthday with a Minnie Mouse themed pool party at Thornblade Country Club.  Such an easy party!  The club did most of the work (the food was delicious) and all of the cleanup.  If I hadn't gone so nuts with the party favors (monogrammed towels), things would have been a breeze.

 My friend Cindy ordered this costume for her daughter's birthday party coming up this weekend.  She offered to let me borrow it if I could find someone will to play the part.  Easy peezy!  I asked our sweet next door neighbor and she found me an available friend ASAP.  Thank you, Joy!

 Emery wasn't too sure about Minnie--nothing like her immediate bolt towards Elmo last year.

 My stacks of finished towels.

 Each kid also got a Minnie cookie.

 Avery, Kristin and Brooke LOVED Minnie Mouse.

 Alison and Kelsey with the large rodent

 Ben started a wrestling match with the Ragsdale kids at the end of the evening.

 The birthday girl and her friends had so much playing ladder golf as the sun went down. 

Happy birthday, Emery!  Mommy loves you more than you'll ever know.

Emery is 3!

 Emery is three years old!  Baby girl turned three on June 16th.  We celebrated the night before with my parents at the country club.  My parents started a silver Tiffany's charm bracelet for Emery on her first birthday and get her a charm each year.  The bracelet is so special to Emery and it's really starting to look good now that it's getting full.  In honor of her dance class, my parents chose a little pink ballet slipper for Emery's new charm.  It's precious.  Doesn't every girl react this way to a little blue box?  I know I do!

 The big day!  We opened gifts on the porch over coffee (and chocolate milk)

 In addition to her charm, my parents also gave Emery this amazing pink Power Wheels mustang.  Emery is in love with it!  Both sets of grandparents went completely overboard this year.  Emery is one lucky girl!  Ben's parents gave Emery a microphone and a very generous deposit into her college account. 

 Froggie co-pilot

 Still working on steering

Jamming to the radio.  We ended the day with a Minnie Mouse pool party.....but that deserves its own post! 

Emery's First Dance Class

 Emery began dance class last week.  I have to admit that I was terrified leading up to this class.  I'll be honest:  Emery's behavior in gymnastics and Kindermusik the past several months has been challenging.  I never know how she's going to react (shy, loud, sweet, crazy, obedient, irrational, boisterous, perfect....she's full of surprises).  In fact, I even tried to become a Kindermusik drop out back in April, but Emery's sweet teacher, Miss Cindy, convinced me to stick it out.  We tried dance for several reasons--Emery loves to dance, the class is not a parent/toddler setting, and her best friend, Harper, is in the class.  Emery couldn't wait for Tuesday to get here.  She wore a tutu every day and "practiced" her ballet.

 The big day finally arrived!  Yay!  I couldn't have asked for more from my child.  Emery was a perfect angel.  Who knew that removing Mommy from the classroom could have such an impact!?!?! 

 The little princesses started off with tap and then switched to ballet halfway through the hourlong class.

 Changing into her ballet shoes.

Emery and her classmates (I love that the class is so tiny) received stamps after class.

I'm in Trouble

I will never be able to discipline this child. He's got me wrapped around his chubby little finger.