{back to school}

It's been a busy few weeks here with school starting. Gerard still likes his teacher and is adjusting to the new demands of 3rd grade. He is responsible for bringing me his agenda to sign every day, he has homework at least twice a week, plus swimming lessons one night and Morgan's dance class another night. This past Saturday was also his EIGHTH birthday. I cannot believe he is 8!

Morgan also had her first day of school on Monday and LOVES her teacher Mrs. H. It was actually a short first day so they could "meet the teacher" (even though it is the same teacher as last year). Her real official first day of school is this coming Monday and she asks EVERY DAY if she can go to school yet. I love that she loves school so much.

Sometime in the middle of everything I've been making more cookies. I have a lot of pictures to share (cookies AND kids), so I think I'll do them in two posts. First, the pictures of the kids:

Gerard enjoying his birthday cupcakes at school:

Morgan's first day of school (check her out on her first day last year):

Today was picture day for Gerard:

{it's the most wonderful time of the year}

First day of school!!!! Gerard was excited this morning (although a little tired). He was excited to start a new school (he's at the Intermediate School this year, which houses 3rd through 5th grades), he likes his teacher, and he's happy to see his friends. I think Morgan is excited too -- she likes the peace and quiet while he's gone. :)

Of course, here are the obligatory pictures. I love it that when we went outside to take them we could see at least 2 of our neighbors doing the same.

I can't believe how much he's changed. Check him out last year.

{i forgot!}

I forgot to post some other recent cookies and some fairly recent pictures of the kids.....

Some tropical-themed cookies for an engagement party:

Pink and teal sparkly guitars and mini music notes for a 7-year-old girl's Taylor Swift birthday party:

Little yellow smiley faces (thanks for the idea, Ma) for Morgan's friends who brought her gifts after she broke her elbow:

In kid news, Gerard and Morgan had a sleep-over and big Gerard put up the tent in the backyard and slept back there with Gerard, Maddie, Abby and Morgan. Here they are warming up in the morning:

We have a great neighborhood with lots of wonderful friends. Gerard loves his "harem", especially the newest lady in the neighborhood, Emily:

{more cookies}

I just finished an order for a nautical-themed party. I think these are some of my favorite cookies yet!

And since I haven't posted any recent pictures of Gerard, here is one of him with his hippie long hair, and one of the kids shucking 2 dozen ears of corn for me. Our freezer is now stocked with fresh corn for the winter!!!

{boo boo}

For those of you who may be out of the loop, the big news around here is that Morgan broke her elbow 2 weeks ago. She fell (or according to Gerard, she JUMPED) off the coffee table and landed just right. When she had cried nonstop for nearly half an hour, I decided I needed to take her to the ER.

After several HOURS, multiple doctors, a bunch of x-rays, and some Tylenol, we learned that she broke and dislocated her left radius. Essentially, she broke a piece of the bone off and it moved. By 2:00 AM they had sedated her and tried to move the bone back in place but were unsuccessful. She'd need surgery.

They discharged us from the ER in a terrible thunderstorm, and about 1/8 mile from my house I drove into a road that had flooded out and my car instantly died. The water was up to my car door. I called my lovely neighbor, Chris, who rescued us in his truck. The next morning I pushed my car out of the water and it started, but everything on the floors had been soaked and ruined. As of yesterday the car still smelled swampy, so I took it to get cleaned and detailed. It still smells a little, but that should disappear soon (hopefully!)....

Morgan's surgery was a few days after her accident.

Here is a short video of Morgan after they gave her some happy drugs to make her relaxed, before they took her into the operating room and gave her the IV:

They put her under general anesthesia and were able to put the bone back in place without any incisions, which was the best-case scenario. She recovered nicely, and has a neon pink cast now.

She is really such a trooper -- she hasn't complained about the cast or her arm at all! Even after she got stung by a bee on her cast hand she cried for a while, her finger swelled up, but then she was fine! What a tough girl!

{running and cookies and bags, oh my!}

Hello again! Here are some very late pictures of the kids from 4th of July weekend. Our school district sponsors a kids' Fun Run and both kids participated. Morgan's age group had to run 1/8 mile (1/2 way around the quarter mile track) and Gerard's age group had to run 2 laps (1/2 mile). Both kids did great, and Morgan might have even come in 2nd or 3rd if she didn't keep stopping so her friend Taylor could catch up.

After the run we had our annual picnic/party with neighborhood friends. Thanks, Jayna!!! Then on the 4th Morgan and I rode in our preschool float for the parade while Gerard and Gerard watched along the route, and then we hung out with friends some more. It was such a busy day that I forgot to take pictures of everyone, but I did manage to get Morgan...

And of course I had more cookie orders, too. I made a dozen crowns and a dozen castles for Morgan's friend Lyla's 4th birthday party. Half blue, half pink so the boys wouldn't feel left out.

I also had an order for 2 dozen blue butterflies for a book club. They read Still Alice (an excellent, heart-breaking book) which has blue butterflies on the cover.

The woman who ordered the cookies said they were such a hit at the book club and she had to put out my business cards because so many people were asking about them! Thanks, Debbie, for helping me decide on a design -- they liked them!!!!

I also forgot to mention where I got that awesome apron I wore at the Farmers' Market last week. (See the picture HERE.) It was made just for me -- custom fit and design -- AND she made me a matching bag. THANKS, MA!!!!!