Anna Kate got an adorable new hair cut last week.  I’ll get a good picture this week.  It’s precious.  She LOVES doing “homework” with Noelle, so we have been busy working on little worksheets this summer.

She looks so big and proud in this picture.  She was intentionally looking down and pretending to concentrate.  It was cracking me up.  I love her silly little antics so much!

Mike took off work one morning so that I could go to the doctor, and when I got home for lunch, this was waiting for me.  He’s the best!

Noelle and I have been busy crafting it up for the 4th of July.  She had another sleepover with Autumn this week and Suzanne took them to get this for breakfast!

We’ve had so much fun playing outside after dark this summer.  We just get out all the toys and let the kids play their hearts out.  Rose was being so silly with these glasses on one night; I had to run in and grab the camera.

Aww… sweet girl.

More “homework.”  We found a wonderful school for Anna Kate to go to in the fall, and she asks me every day if it’s time for her to go to school yet.  She can’t wait, but I can!

Malia came over to play one night, and the girls had a ball.  We did a little bit of everything, but the second picture is them having a tea party with goldfish and lemonade.  Noelle is so good with them and is always encouraging them and teaching them new things (like how to hold their pinky fingers while drinking tea).  It’s so neat to watch.

Sweet Lily turned 6 this week, and we had fun at her Pump It Up birthday! 

This picture is out of focus, but Carson came over today and crafted it up with Noelle.  They did an art camp together earlier this summer, so I knew she would love to help Noelle work on some summer crafts I had planned.

Who else would think up this ensemble, diamond bracelet included!?!  Noelle never ceases to amaze me with her creativity and flair for fashion.  She asked me if I would take some pictures of her modeling and so I did.  I wish I had the time, energy, and money to help her model for real.  She loves being behind the camera and is such a beautiful little girl!  Every child has their special talents, and hers is make-up and fashion.  I wouldn’t have necessarily picked it for her, but she’s obviously gifted.  She is learning to sew and is always designing new dresses on sketch pads.  Wait until you see her latest creations… they are truly impressive.  It’s weird how she’s already doing something that I can’t and she’s only 6!  She’s like my alter ego… I wish I was as brave with my wardrobe as she is… I wish I was as fancy and sassy!  We embrace Noelle for who she is and think she’s pretty amazing!  It is just a tricky talent to help foster and develop at this age.  I mean, there’s not a fashion team or personal shopping classes for 6 year olds.  It’s more of a loose thing that will always be something she loves to do.

When people ask Noelle what she wants to be when she grows up, she always answers, “A fashion designer!” It is her dream to go to Paris and design dresses. One time when we were shopping together, she saw a necklace with an Eiffel Tower charm on it. First, she asked me if it was real (like real gold/silver), and I answered no.  And then she said, “When I design my first dress in Paris, will you buy me a real necklace with an Eiffel Tower charm on it?” I just grinned and said, “Of course!”  She dreams big!

After Rose saw Noelle crossing her arms for the picture, she wanted in on the action.  Lesleigh said, “Melissa, Rose wants you to take her picture!” and when she set her down, sure enough, she did this!  It will be so fun to see what Anna Kate and Rose are interested in.  Kids are so cool, and I love having a front row seat for mine!

This pic was about as good as it got today… the littles were sooo fussy!

The girls and I made this stepping stone for Mike for Father’s Day, but it took several days to dry.  We used Anna Kate’s hands for the butterfly (Noelle’s idea) and Noelle did most of the mosaic pieces by herself.  We let Rose help put some of the marbles in, but she kept putting the cement in her hair, so her help didn’t last long!  Drew made one like this a couple years ago for Poppa and Rara, so when we went to pick one out at Hobby Lobby, the girls really wanted this one since it was a flower shape and they’d seen it before at P&R’s house.  Thanks for the great idea, Michele!

Noelle was pretend crying since the littles were, pretty funny picture… some days are just like this!

Noelle did great last week during her first week of swimming lessons!

Rose was a little concerned about Noelle jumping off the diving board, but after Noelle dove in and started swimming to the side, she’d start laughing!  It was cute!

The girls and I spontaneously decided to eat lunch at Olive Garden last week all by ourselves.  Afterward, we danced to Italian music for a good 30 minutes meeting and greeting on the patio outside.  The girls loved holding the door open for people and then showing them pretty dancing spins.  They love making people smile.  It was a really fun lunch!

Julia had a fun Pump It Up party Saturday!  I brought my camera, but the battery was charging in the wall at home, so these were all the pics I got… boo!  Anna Kate was crying in the group picture because she wanted to sit by Julia… pretty sweet!

Noelle LOVES fake nails (and buys them with her own money)… she cracks me up!  Mike took this pic of the littles on Saturday afternoon watching Max and Ruby!

We went to a surprise party at a really cool Thai restaurant in downtown Ft. Worth for Stephanie on Friday night.  Noelle is so thoughtful (and funny).  She wanted to give Stephanie a birthday present, so she got one of Mike’s beers out of the fridge, bedazzled it and put a bracelet around it that said, “You’re a big deal!”  She put it in a wine bag and put tissue in it and everything before she showed it to us.  Of course, we let her give it to her!  It was the hit of the party!!!

Okay, this first picture was a random play date with Autumn last week.  The girls went upstairs to play dress-up and came down looking like this!  You know I’m going to take a picture!!!  Too funny.  The next picture is a picture of Noelle and her “boyfriend” Ethan.  He lives down the street and is moving to Austin this summer.  Noelle is really sad, but his grandparents live here, so they will be back for visits.  She said, “My boyfriends’ moms keep wanting them to move away from me!”  (because Bailey moved to Georgia last year too)  Lol!  She’s such a mess!

When we hung out with Nancy, Harper, and Chevy at J&N’s house a couple of weeks ago, I got a pic of this cutie pie smile!  I had my camera settings off, so the pool pics didn’t turn out… but this is all you need to see how much fun we had!

Poppa and Rara came up for the day to watch the girls while I went to the doctor one day last week.  When I got home, they took us out to eat.  We had so much fun enjoying and laughing at the girls!  Thanks Poppa and Rara!

Our friends Madison and Emily invited us to swim at their neighborhood pool this week.  It was my first time at the pool with all three of my girls, and we did great!

Rose is just too cute for words these days!  Noelle was in heaven hanging out with Emily again… they’ve been missing each other these past couple of weeks.

Noelle is always in it for a good time!

Anna Kate and Dora were busy learning how to swim.  She’s my “safe” one in the water.  She relatively stays in the same spot for long periods of time and is scared of the water, which is a good thing for me right now.  Bless her heart, she thought she was swimming because she was moving her arms and legs while her tummy was touching the bottom of the pool.  After all the sliding around, she ruined her Frankie and Daisy swimsuit.  Oh well… she had fun!

Rose made a game of me trying to get her to wear her hat, but she would not have it!

I *love* these pics of Rose… some of my favorite pool pics ever!

Emily and Noelle had a blast floating around together in their tubes. 

I asked Anna Kate to pretend like she was surfing and this is the pose she gave me, lol!  Baby Rose had a blast playing with mermaid Dora.

I couldn’t help ending with this!

Noelle colored this sign on her white board that said, “Starting in 5…4…3…2…1!”  She worked on it for a while… and then she went upstairs for even longer.  Before she came all the way down the stairs, she asked us if we were ready for her fashion show and to all go sit on the couch.  No joke, she requested AC/DC for her background music, and when Mike turned it on, that’s when she came downstairs dressed in this!  Although it is a little edgy for my taste, I can definitely appreciate her creativity.  Noelle loves having fashion shows for us, and we love seeing what she comes up with!  She and I buy her clothes together, but the combos she puts together of the different pieces and accessories are beyond my skill set.  She rocks it out, and I’m just like, “Wow!”