gamma

HAPPY HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

to GAMMA SANDIE!

she will find you the gift you've always wanted, but never knew you wanted it.

a true gift.

seriously,

it's amazing every time.

make yourself memorable. CHECK. {B2Snight}

the highlight of 
back to school night for me 

was when chase ripped the name stars off of the welcome board, 

and then proceeded to rip the star banner into two pieces.

this was of course after he cried until we let him out of his stroller,

{the plan was for him to sit quietly in the stroller. STUPID PLAN.}

but he just wanted to sit in the kid chairs like everyone else,

which of course lasted for about 1.5 minutes,

or seconds,

whichever.

and then when gibson 1 and 2 got bored and found the toys in the surrounding cubbies, 

gibson 3 launched himself over two kid chairs,

and fell off of the kid chair row he had climbed into.

sean caught him about halfway between the alphabet carpet and the kid chairs.

all while brennan's teacher was talking about drop off and pick up rules.

and we were the entertainment in the front row. 

something about do not get out of your car,

that's about all i gathered.

yep, we are pros at great first impressions over here in the gibson home.

what do they say?

make yourself memorable?

CHECK:)

in other news...

i spent $13 at the dollar store earlier today.

and i can't even tell you what 9 of those items were now.

i dare say it's impossible to get out of there in under $5.

i DARE you.

like i said,

impossible.

also, we are a cavity free home.

which ended up costing me $13 at the dollar store.

b/c brennan's FREE balloon at the dentist popped 

when he was buckling his seat belt after leaving the dentist.

and his little face was just so sad,

so audrey and i sat and tried to figure out where we could get another FREE balloon.

b/c i just couldn't bring myself to go back inside and get another balloon from the dentist.

don't ask me why, it just felt greedy.

and we decided the dollar store was almost free.

and always incredibly entertaining.

so after $13 we walked out with 3 balloons, 

a pair of tikki drink glasses, and 9 more things i can't remember.

wait,

a checkers set.

some avengers crayons.

it's all coming back to me noooooow.

oh my gosh,

i can't believe chase ripped the bulletin board banner in half.

i think i'll buy his teacher some tape.

the really pretty clear stuff.

with the purple packaging.

satin, is that what it's called?

yes, i'll get her some of that.

and then i'll offer to cut out laminated stuff for the entire year.

b/c it's my favorite kind of stuff to cut.

and i have two pairs of really great scissors for it.

that i've saved from when i used to be a teacher.

say it with me:

MEM-OR-AAAAA-BULL.

check.

10:30pm bedtime re-instilled.

 so we had this plan to start going to bed earlier this week.

you know,

since brennan is somehow supposed to be to school by 8:15 in a week and half.
don't worry about that until next week you say?
it takes us an week to warm up to things of this nature,
so we really need two weeks.
one week to say we're going to start.
and a week to actually do it.
kind of like talking ourselves into haircuts.
same thing.
except that takes 3 weeks.
okay 4.

i have not set an alarm in 5 and 1/2 years.

i think i might have to start setting an alarm again...

but that's the thing about plans--

sometimes you just have to say,

forget the plan!

like when you have a carton of heavy cream that's going to expire in a week,

and somebody says peanut butter.

new plan:

peanut butter ice cream.

10:30pm bedtime re-instilled.

endless summer.

yes:)
there's nothing better than homemade ice cream fluffing out of the top of the kichen aid.

cold stone's got nothin' on us.

sunflowers majesty

this has GOT to be some kind of sunflower record.

one is bursting it's yellow flair.

i am so so so very happy about it.

sunflowers.

big, 

beautiful, 

jack and the giant bean stock 

sunflowers.

windows to the soul.

"you are young mom. 

'cause you don't have old skin.

well, except around your eyes. 

they're wrinkly like they're old.

all around the eyes."

-brennan 

5.5 yrs old

...

isn't it wonderful?

the eyes.

like you can look into them and they never age.

not a single day.

except for when they grow in their sparkle.

you know, like when you get a little more wise.

i love looking into the eyes of a 90 year old person.

the youngest and wisest eyes you've ever seen.

and it's like that skin that they're in has so many stories to tell.

all about how those eyes learned to look more wise.

expert hand washers over here.

yesterday was a big day.

chase learned how to open doors.

and brennan learned how to wipe his own bum.

yep, we've already had to wash chase's hands three times this morning.

make that four.

LIFE CHANGING.

:):):)

it's mondaaaay!

have mercy,

we might need to put the round door knobs back on.

they glow the prettiest at night.

i really 

really love this place.

and this guy. 

they always glow the prettiest at night:)

i don't want to be wasteful {harvest days parade}

the only parade 

you'll ever see me at.

harvest days.

sitting in grandma casper's driveway. 

the giant hilcrest husky was the highlight of the parade for chase.

and he liked running out into the street to pick up candy.

brennan loved "everything," but he didn't like the scary costume part.

the halloween float always freaks me out too.

max loved the princesses.

she would jump up and wave at them every time.

completely star struck.

it's short,

it's sweet,

and there's always otter pops and enough salt water candy left over 

for you to pass out at halloween.

what?

i don't want to be wasteful;)

"it's the most wonderful time of the year!!" -holly vick

i swore i would never let my little girl buy anything barbie.

we own a barbie scooter, helmet,

and

now

a

backpack.

awesome:)

it had her at pink ruffle 3D skirt.

i actually liked brennan's skull pack.

he picked out a ninja turtle thermos,

and avengers sneakers. 

purple sneakers and a sparkly sofia the first shirt for max.

chase got nothing.

unless you count everything brennan picked out.

hand

me

downs

are

great.

i also bought them both a box of brand new crayola crayons.

and spiral notebooks.

i just couldn't resist.

i will now torture them, 

as i was once tortured, 

by not letting them use or wear any of it 

until the first day of school.

:):):)

just as it should be.

so much more fun that way.

"it's the mooooooooooooost wonderful tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime 

of 

the 

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!!!"

we're not gonna make it.

we're not gonna make it to august 26th.

had to lock him outside.

safer for everyone:)