While Daddy Was Away...

....I lost my mind and went craft crazy.  I'm talking paint, glue, stickers, candy, icing, and (gasp) even glitter.  I inherited an incredible need for cleanliness and order, and messy crafts literally make me twitch.  Don't get me wrong, I love for Frances to get messy and have fun, just not in my house.

Pure concentration

So on Friday night, Frances and I sent Daddy off to Huntsville to run the Rocket City Marathon....which actually was a makeup marathon after St. Jude was cancelled last weekend due to weather.  The folks who put on Rocket City were kind enough to open up some slots after the Memphis cancellation. So after he got on the road, Frances and I got busy.  The house is a wreck and there's icing on the ceiling, but we have had so much fun.  Frances is a good reminder to slow down and just let things go!

Beautiful artwork.  Mommy painted one too :)

A late night trip to Publix to buy candy.

"F" is for Frances- yummy pancakes!

We love pancakes!

Getting started....

A lot more eating than putting candy on the house!

Hard at work!

Beautiful

My side of the house....all nice and orderly.

Fun on the Farm

Earlier in the month, Frances and I got to to the National Peanut Festival and spend the weekend down on our friend Lydia's parents' farm.  It was such a nice getaway with friends, and Frances got to play with her friend Charlie for the entire weekend.  On Saturday we hit the big parade, relaxed, played outside, and went to the fair.  Frances was wiped out from all the fun when we got home!

Beautiful sunrise

Breakfast with Charlie

Waiting to go collect our peanuts!

Frances very carefully put 1 peanut in the bag at a time

Waiting on the parade

Such fun friends!

It's never too early for cotton candy! 

Waving at the parade

Playing ball

Charlie

Picking cotton is harder than you might think.

Exploring the cotton fields while the children nap!

Sunset cocktails in the Kubota. 

We're Still Here!

Today you get a picture explosion to recap the last month.  Things have been crazy busy, with a long rough recovery from Frances' surgery, birthdays, work, Frances' starting a new school, Halloween, and just life in general.  The biggest news, as you will see in some pictures: Frances is walking all over the place!!!!  She will take about 20 steps at a time, and it looks like we are close to ditching the walker.  So proud of her!

Doesn't take her long to destroy a clean playroom!

Sweet girl feeling rotten after surgery. No worries, she's back 110%!

Pumpkin Patch with friends

Should I get this one?

2013 Buddy Walk

Cutest pig ever!

Walking!

Storytime in Oxford with the triplets.

Princesses everywhere!

Having lots of fun with the triplets' birthday loot!

So much fun with Anna, Irene, and Brooks for birthday #2!

More walking!

Hives, Hives Go Away

Since mid-August, Frances has been randomly breaking out in pretty gnarly hives.  The first time seemed related to being on antibiotics, but then it started happening at other times and we could never figure it out.  The pediatrician thought we should see the allergist.  Why not? We haven't hit every single specialist in Birmingham yet.

Poor kid looks terrible when it happens, thank goodness it doesn't make her as miserable as it looks!

Anyway, we went today, and the Dr seems to think its an immune response to Frances' chronic ear and sinus infections.  If you know Frances, you know she pretty much has snot all.the.time.  It's really been nonstop since the summer, and it just so happens that on Monday she is having her tonsils/adenoids taken out and a new set of tubes put in.  So the allergist thinks once Frances is healed and not having all the infections, we shouldn't have a problem with hives anymore.  Hooray- I liked her answer! There's a chance it could be related to thyroid, which Frances has always had borderline thyroid dysfunction so that will be checked too, but I'm really glad we aren't looking at some sort of big time allergy!

Frances did great for the 90 minute appointment, until about the last 15 minutes.  It was all fun and games up til then with snacks, The Wiggles, and coloring books...until she started eating crayons then bit me.  Oh well, such is life with a 2 year old.

Eating "faffles" on the way to school.

So please say a prayer for Frances on Monday- we should only have to stay 1 night in the hospital, then home to rest and recover for 2 weeks.  Happy weekend, friends!