These were taken while I was taking a much needed Saturday nap!

We had our buddies over for dinner on Friday, and we had a blast!

Noelle’s favorite dessert – ICE CREAM!

Friends toys are so much fun! 

Jamie gave me this look and pointed at the ice cream as if she were saying, "Excuse me, I’ll take some of that!"

Happy kids, great night!

Noelle had so much fun painting, cutting, gluing, and sticking foam stickers this week.  I buy lots of our art supplies at Dollar Tree (little trick).  The stickers, eyes, pipe cleaners are $1.00/each for a big bag, and Noelle uses them all the time!

This week Noelle learned about her family at school.  She came home telling us all about how Mommy, Daddy, and Noelle are a family.

Noelle LOVES vegetables, and today was a special treat – carrots in bed!  

Noelle telling me about her school craft, "That’s Daddy, and Mommy, and Noelle!" 

So, we’ve been going through a stage around our house some might call the "Terrible 2’s."  I call it the "Tumultuous 2’s" because one minute things are as happy as can be and the next it seems as if a tornado is ripping through our house.  Anyway, I wouldn’t trade one minute of all of this.  Parenting Noelle is the best thing in the world!

We’ve been asking Noelle who her friends are at school.  She always lists boys: Cole, Logan, and Eddie (she talks about Eddie every week, saying how sweet he is, but there is no Eddie in her class – who knows).  Anyway, after the first week of school I said, "Do you have any girl friends?"  She said, "No Mommy, I push them!"  I was mortified.  Surely this isn’t coming out of the mouth of my sweet Noelle!?!  So, last night at the dinner table, Mike asked Noelle if she has any girl friends at school.  She said, "Oh yes, Daddy, they are all ballerinas and princesses!"  Whew, much better!

When Noelle got all dressed up for gym class this week, she said, "I’m Shawn Johnson, Mommy!"  I couldn’t believe she remembered her.  She’s obsessed with people’s "real names" or "full names."  She tells everyone her Mommy’s full name is "Melissa Joe Pond" in the most country accent you’ve ever heard.  If you are a family member or close friend, Noelle either knows or will know your full name soon, although if she forgets your last name, rest assured, you will be dubbed a Pond for the time being!

Noelle is really into politics.  She knows Barack Obama and Sarah Palin by name and can identify them anywhere.  She’s gotten better about John McCain, but for the longest has been calling him "Millard" because he looks like her favorite president of old – Millard Fillmore. 

When we ask Noelle to do something she doesn’t want to do, she will say, "I can’t do that.  I will NEVER!"  She has also been saying, "I’m nauseous" as well.  Guess she’s heard me say that a time or two these days!

Noelle and I were upstairs making "Tulip Sparkles" and Mike called from downstairs "Come get your fruit platters!"  He got this sweet little idea to make us this fruity snack (Noelle’s is mostly eaten in the last picture).  I think we both had two or three fruit platters!  Mike’s so funny to think up that name.  Noelle kept taking him her plate and saying, "More fruit pla, pla, platter!"

Noelle couldn’t wait to see Blanche again!  They were so cute playing together!  Noelle & Brighton enjoying a great birthday dinner outside.

  Mom and Mary visiting at Brighton’s super cute birthday table.

Berkeley smiling and laughing while we all sang happy birthday to her!  Too cute! 

The kids had so much fun playing outside.  

Noelle flippin’ with the big girls!

Blue-eyed Berkeley!

Blowing out candles!

Opening presents!  We had so much fun celebrating two special birthdays this weekend! 

Rara came in for a girls’ weekend while Mike was at a conference in Austin.  We did way too much shopping and running around – we had a blast!  In this first picture, Noelle was cutting green beans with Rara.  Her mouth would open each time she opened the scissors.  Noelle is in the hallway by the bathroom door in the second picture, reading books until Rara finished her shower.  Can you guess what she is in the middle of saying?  "MONSTERS!!!"

We went to Brighton and Blanche’s birthday parties in Prosper on Saturday.  The gift bags (Noelle calls them purses) were one of our arts & crafts we did together this week.  After I traced the circles on the construction paper, Noelle helped cut them out.  She cut the far left middle circle ALL by herself!  She also helped glue the circles and add the eyes and sparkles!

We took Blanche, their big sister, a Cinderella pumpkin.  She was so excited to have her very own pumpkin and took it straight to her room!

Meet future scrapbooker, Noelle Pond!

Noelle’s concentrating face.

The finished product!  Noelle gathered up all of the paper clippings and threw them in the trash – my little neat freak!

When we were driving up to gym class today Noelle said, "I see gym class!  It’s really special, Mommy!"

Noelle loves to make up songs and talk about Cinderella.  After lunch, she blurted out, "Cinderella’s pretty, Mommy.  I like her Prince a lot.  He’s really cute!"

We love you!