First Basketball Game of the Season!

#bighairdontcare

On Saturday morning Cece looked in the mirror, gasped in surprise, and said, "Oh mine hair so big and so curly!"

First Piano Recital: A Success!

Maggie did not seem a bit nervous for her first piano recital, part of her teacher's annual Holiday Showcase.  She played "Up On the Housetop" and "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas." 

Fall Tradition: Kroul's Farm

Java House Reading Date with Cate

Good Morning with Hat and Donut

Celebration!

Cate made her kip in gymnastics tonight and was super excited!  One advantage of (temporarily!) living 5 minutes walk from Dairy Queen is that it's easy to celebrate these milestones with ice cream. 

Celebration!

Cate made her kip in gymnastics tonight and was super excited!  One advantage of (temporarily!) living 5 minutes walk from Dairy Queen is that it's easy to celebrate these milestones with ice cream. 

Chatterbox

Cece has become an official chatterbox.  And she's pretty funny.  Sometimes it's even what she says but the intonation that cracks us up.


She'll answer a request with , "Of course!" Or greet us with, "Good morning!"


Yesterday she had her first dance class.  I would not consider it a huge success as the teacher held her for the entire 30 minute session (in pajamas and crazy hair) while she cried.  This morning our babysitter, Megan, asked her about it.


Megan:  Cece, how was dance?

Cece:  Dance with friends.  Me cry.


Megan:  You cried?  Why?


Cece:  Me scared.


Megan:  What were you scared of?

Cece (very seriously):  Ghosts.


Another example...we were sitting outside yesterday, enjoying the beautiful weather while we waited for the kids to get home from school.


Me: Cece, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Cece:  Baby.


Me:  A baby?  But you're already a kid! 


Cece:  Ok, fish.  Me be fish.  Blue one.

Summertime!!!

Cleopatra at AirFX

Sisters Swinging

Inaugural Icee at the Elks

Cowgirl in Training

Niabi Zoo

Tee Ball Debut

Two Crazy Girls At The Tot Lot

Future Plans

Chris:  Maggie I think you should be a singer when you grow up. 

Maggie:  Nope.

Chris:  Why not?  You'd be great!

Maggie: Well I'm going to be a spy instead. 

Summer Hair is Here!

Words of Wisdom

Maggie:  Never doubt yourself or anyone else. But I would doubt a bad guy...I would doubt a robber.

Overheard

Ben:  I think it's kind of weird that you can see underwear in the stores. I mean if you saw your friend buying underwear then you'd know what his underwear looked like. 

Mother's Day

From baseball to Happy Joe's I am so happy to be spending the day with my happy crew who agreed to pose for this picture once I declared it the only thing I really wanted for Mother's Day!

And I'm also grateful that I have a wonderful husband to help me manage this motley crew. ❤️❤️❤️

Lion King

Eight-person selfie post-Lion King. Thanks for a fun afternoon Grandma and Grandpa!

May Day Action!

May Day Prep

Little Hawks Fan Club

City Bus Field Trip

Play Ball!

Season opener for the 7U Little Hawks tonight!

Ben hit the ball each time he was at bat, although he only made it on base once (pop fly caught by second baseman and a ground out to first base at his other two at bats). 

I was also impressed that he seemed to understand what he was supposed to do in the field---where to throw the ball and when. 

Looking forward to a great season!

Self-Portrait: An iPhone compilation

Logic

A few weeks ago Maggie picked out her Easter dress at Target --- a hot pink fluorescent dress that will wake up any tired parishioners on Easter morning.

Stumbling across a "Buy One, Get One at Half Price" sale at Target this week, I allowed Maggie to pick out two pairs of sandals for the summer---one silver and the other gold with lime and turquoise flowers.

"Mags," I said.  "I think the silver shoes will look perfect with your Easter dress."

"Nope," came her immediate response.  "I'm going to wear the other pair."

"Hmm," I said, trying to sound diplomatic. "I think the silver shoes might be a better match--your dress is pink and those shoes have blue in them.  I'm not sure they go together very well."

"Oh Mom," she said.  "Pink and blue make purple, don't you know?  They're perfect together!"

And, at that, point it was clear that I had lost this argument.

Anticipation

Maggie:  Mom, when we get to Nashville I'm going to run up to Uncle Devoand hug him with love. 

Me (truly touched):  Mags that is so sweet!!

Maggie:  And then I'm going to spank him on the bottom!  (Laughs hysterically)

Jump!

Cate was super excited to participate in Jump Rope for Heart this year.  This was the first year she could participate and she was very motivated to raise money for the cause.  She set a goal of $200 and was thrilled to turn her packet in today---having raised a total of $330!

Chris and I stopped by for a few minutes this afternoon to see the third graders in action. 

Diggers!

Kindergarten Round Up

It was touch and go for a while.

Despite being too excited to sleep the night before Kindergarten Round-Up, coming face-to-face with the actual event made Mags a little nervous.

As we toured the Kindergarten classrooms, the very classrooms she's been in numerous times visiting Cate and Ben, she clutched our hands tightly in hers and avoided eye contact with the teachers that she's known for years.

After the tour, everyone returned to the gym for "A Day in the Life of a Kindergartner" slideshow.  When it was time for Maggie to go back to the classroom, with the other kids but without the parents, she turned to us in a panic, "What if I can't find my way back to you?"

(Oh, sweet Maggie!  You have such a big personality that I sometimes forget just how little you really are!)

We gently reminded her that she has spent quite a lot of time in the school already and could probably find her way back to us blindfolded.  And, we pointed out, one of the Kindergarten teachers would surely lead the kids back to the gym.

She had tears in her eyes as she joined the line of kids leaving the gym, but when she came back she couldn't stop smiling.  She stopped just long enough for me to snap a quick picture before she ran off to chase her new friends around the room.

I have a feeling the first week of Kindergarten will be a little rough. 

For Maggie and for me.

I'm not ready for her to be in Kindergarten!

A Matter of Perspective

Ben:  Mom, how did your class go tonight?


Me:  Well, it wasn't great.


Ben:  It was bad?


Me:  You could say that.


Ben (nodding sympathetically):  Did someone throw up on the floor?

A Rose By Any Other Name...

Ben:  Hey Mom.  Is "Pierre" a name in France?

Me:  Yeah, it is.  Why?

Ben (laughing hysterically):  PEE-AIR?  That's a really gross name.

Happy Valentine's Day

Cece managed to swipe two suckers from today's loot while all the big kids' heads were buried in screens. 

Nicely played, Cece. Nicely played. 

Cece's Latest Selfie

Hedbanz

Hide

I walked into the laundry room this morning and found Cece, in the corner, lights off, sitting with the iPad on her lap. 

"Cece!" I said. "What are you doing?"

"Hide!" She said happily. 

I Do!

It begins...I swear I only stepped out of the room for a minute!!!

We are definitely entering a phase of increased independence--"mine", "Cece do" and even just "CECE!" to indicate that she can do it all herself!!

Selfies By Cece