Mom and Dad, can I have a

Mom and Dad, can I have a pet?  Please.

Maybe

I really want a cat but daddy is allergic.  So, I will have a cat and let it live under my bed.  Then it will be okay with daddy's allergy.

Well, I don't think that is the best idea.  We can't have a cat in the house.

Okay, can I have a pet?  Please. I want it to be furry and I want it to watch TV with me, like a dog or a cat or a guinea pig.  Not a tiger, just Jasmine can have a tiger, right mom?

Anna-Kate started the serious campaign for a pet.  When all these questions started, Will and I quickly realized the "one day" response was not going to be good enough.  So, we said after Aunt Amanda's wedding we would research pets.  Still dressed as flower girl, driving away from the church after the wedding, So, Mom, about my pet...

Maybe when I said, "after the wedding," I should have specified when we get back to Raleigh!

Will and I decided we wanted to stretch our legs rather than going straight home.  What better place to stretch your legs than PetSmart!  With lots of "we are not getting a pet today, just researching," we went into PetSmart.

This girl was h.a.p.p.y.

A guinea pig?  A dog?  A hermit crab?  A mouse?

Anna-Kate has learned some of the hard parts of having a pet.  This day went so well!  All of us held the guinea pig.  Lots of ooh, sweet.  A couple weeks later, Will and Anna-Kate went out on their own to keep the research going.  They held a hamster.  All was going well until the hamster bit Anna-Kate.  Will said her face fell like a friend just hurt her.  Her feelings were so hurt that an animal would bite her.  We were afraid this would make her nervous.  But, no!  She needed a good cry about it.  Then she was ready to start talking about the next research outing and the positive/negative aspects of each pet prospect.

This grin.  Her enthusiasm for a pet has kept me and Will on task. We explained how much responsibility a pet is.  I told her that one way she could show me she was ready for a pet would be by keeping her room tidy.  I taught her to make her bed and what tidy looked like.  The next morning, she tidied before even letting us know she was awake!  

She is so serious about this pet campaign!

Benjamin is really enjoying the benefits.  He is just as much the animal lover!  Maybe with some differences.  Both have no fear with dogs, head straight for them to pet and love on a dog.  But, Benjamin also loves to pick up ants and bring them to me.  ("Ant" = almost any tiny bug)

How does the pet question get answered?   We have pretty much decided which animal, but still in the process of actually welcoming one into our home.  The story will continue...

Amanda's Wedding: the Rest

This is the last post in the wedding series.  Just some of those random moments that stood out for me.  

Part of the wedding day is getting ready hours in advance to be ready for pictures and just to be there for the bride.  Getting ready hours in advance to these two meant lots of waiting.  Bubble Guppies on DVD, yes please!  (Benjamin's white socks for this occasion; not my proudest mommy moment!  I totally forgot to find him some little boy trouser socks, oops!)

When it's time to take pictures, there is a lot of waiting your turn.  A certain two year old boy is not known for his waiting skills.  Benjamin and Grandma came up with a game.  Grandma pretended to cry (intending for B to give her a hug to make her feel better).  Benjamin yelled, "aaahh!"  This surprised Grandma into laughing the first time.  Insert unintended yelling game sporadically through the picture-taking.  

Matron of Honor and Flower Girl

Luckily people said they didn't really notice.  But, at one point, Anna-Kate caught my eye and asked if it was time to go to the chocolate fountain yet.

Had to take the wedding reception sisters picture!

This is my favorite sequence with such a sweet picture at the end!  These were the rose petals thrown as Anthony and Amanda made their exit.  Anna-Kate and my cousin's little girl gathered them up and then threw them up for the petals to rain down on them.  

 I am obsessed with this final picture.  So sweet!

Anthony and Amanda, congratulations!  Thank you for letting us being a part of your day!

Amanda's Wedding

The wedding was beautiful!  Amanda was a happy, beautiful bride.  The kids did their flower girl and ring bearer duties well, with no real mishaps.  It was so so special getting to be a part of my sister's wedding and sweet to have my children be a part of it!

Amanda's Wedding: the Before

My sister Amanda lived with us for about 7 weeks before the wedding, after the end of her apartment's lease.  The kids and I got to drive the bride to our hometown Shelby for all the wedding festivities.  We stopped for a quick lunch on the way.  

A dog and a cat came to our table to beg.

Setting up for the rehearsal dinner was the only real task of Thursday.  With Will not able to come until after a half-day of work on Friday, Benjamin stepped in as the muscles for our family.

Giving the muscles a break while the bride and groom decide if they were happy with the set up

Friday was the real beginning of the festivities and the fun!

First pedicures and manicures!

the relaxed and excited bride\

With pretty toes, it was time to head to the bridesmaid lunch.

the bride and the mama

The food for everyone was delicious!  But, Anna-Kate's probably made the biggest impression:  a chef salad that was bigger than her!  A couple days ago, she asked, "Mom can we go back to that wedding restaurant?  I want another one of those salads."  Loved watching her order and be excited from the normal menu, no french fries, no toy, yes please.

With Walter and Heather in DC now, it was great to have a long chance to chat with Heather!

Happy girl with her Grandma

Us Miller girls

The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner were nice and low key.  Barbecue, the wedding party, and lots of family! 

We mistakenly told Anna-Kate that the flower girl and ring bearer would get a gift.  This was the long anticipated moment.  They were creative and gifts that fit the kids' personalities.  Benjamin got a box of gears. 

Well, Anna-Kate got...

the entire Barbie wedding party!  She was beyond excited!

Precious

the Flower Girl

The Ring Bearer

Matron of Honor so happy for her sister and proud of her family

Can you tell what post I am working on?!

The Wedding...coming soon!

Anna-Kate the dancer

Anna-Kate danced her second year at Carolina Dance Company this year.  She did a tap/ballet combo class.  The first day was rough; she did not like how loud tap shoes are in a studio.  After getting through that first day, she said tap was her favorite!

This was the day that Anna-Kate got her recital costume.  They tried on their costumes and then did their routine for us moms.

This picture absolutely makes me laugh every time I look at it!

The last few weeks, they pulled us moms in at the end to practice dancing with an audience

my performer

June 7, the day of recital

The dance company put on Mary Poppins.

Will is one proud dad watching his little girl dance!

This mom can barely contain her proud smile, "That's my baby! that's my baby!"

She loves the stage!

Here is about half her class.  They were the Sugar.

Anna-Kate and I were both excited when her friend Emma decided to dance in her class.

Anna-Kate really does love the stage!  At the end of the girls' routine, they blew 2 kisses into the audience and then backed up.  Anna-Kate blew 8 kisses before backing up!  

As much as she loves the stage, right now she says she is done dancing.  I brought up choir at church where it is all about singing, and her eyes lit up!  She loves the stage; she just doesn't know if she wants to dance on it.  So we'll see whether she sticks with no dance or changes her mind back to dance after having a summer break from it.