Birthday Girl

Somebody had a birthday today!

It wasn't our Brownie...

It was Grammy!

She always makes us feel special on our big day...

...so we all tried to make hers special too!

There were babies, daughters, granddaughters and a son-in-law to celebrate with!

Peach was awfully proud to show off her (not quite finished) book that she is writing and illustrating.

We weren't planning on celebrating Grammy's day until this weekend (due to the fact that all of our nights are taken up with dance rehearsals this week), but at the last minute plans changed. So the book wasn't quite done.

But with almost all of the writing done and none of the illustrating done, she couldn't hold back. So Grammy got a sneek peek at her present.

She sat and watched the craziness unfold!

Here's part of the craziness-- Brownie putting tissue paper in her hair as if it were a bow!

There was some lap sitting,

face holding,

and certainly some posing!

And more posing!

It's hard to get this many girls to sit still long enough to pose!

They get so bored they resort to picking their noses. 

We did enjoy some cake and chocolate ice cream--YUMO!

The birthday girl enjoyed it too!

And so did she--blue frosting smeared across her cheek doesn't give it away, does it?

And Auntie certainly helped celebrate with cake. 

It was a wonderful time together with the family. Just a calm, relaxing evening with good food, family, sweet smiles and birthday wishes.

Memorial Day

I'm a day late (and I'm always a dollar short, but that has nothing do to with what I'm about to talk about if I could just stop interrupting myself...)with our Memorial Day post. But that's okay-- it's not like we did any major partying!

We only slightly party hartied at a friends house and then at my mom's house. We first visited with friends over at Heidi and Will's house--they're our old (as in former, they're not old in years) neighbors. We first met them when Heidi was so sweet and brought us cookies when we first bought our house and were waiting on furniture. We didn't even live there yet... Oops, I digress! Anyway, we love hanging out with them. 

We share many of the same friends since we attend church together and have been at Heidi's house for a number of events in the last 5 years--New Year's Eve parties, birthdays, lazy post-church Sunday afternoons--umm, I know, you get the picture.

So we played backyard games (my crutches and I watched from a lawn chair, I know you were picturing me on my crutches trying to throw horseshoes, weren't you...?), munched on a brownie (yep, this one is me), had a beer (Daddy, but not the kids or me), and talked a lot about Joplin (mostly me and a couple friends). Not exactly party talk I know, but some friends' parents lived there for many years and their house was completely destroyed--except the one closet in the basement where they took shelter.  

Enter: Goosebumps, right? 

I know! Thank God, they survived.

We had to leave after about an hour and a half to jet over to my mom's house. It was time for some serious Auntie hangout time! And that they did. Well, except for Scrunchie--she likes the old folks. Her old folks to be exact. So Daddy and I entertained her as supper finished cooking. And the entertainment was making faces at her as we tried to take pictures. We had a few guests step on to the set to give kisses and pose with their sister. Cuteness all around!

We enjoyed a nice meal of spaghetti and sauce, mandarin orange salad, garlic bread and cookies for desert. All delicious. I had to excuse myself early to go feed Scrunchie for the bajillionth time that day while the rest of the gang finished eating. And I continued to soothe and feed her the rest of our time there. My lucky daughters ventured outside to play with fireworks (okay, it's only the little popper things) with Auntie and Grandma. And since Scrunchie had me all tied up, I didn't get any pictures. Booooo!

But Daddy and I even guest stared in the picture time.

I almost never get in pictures. And I look terrible here. Since I can't stand on or use my right foot in any way shape or form, my hair and make-up routine has gone by the wayside. I do not desire to spend 30 minutes balanced on my left foot, so its a gel-in-the-hair/sans makeup look for moi! Here it looks greasy, but I was freshly showered!

We ended up not being able to calm the babe down, and it was passing 8pm rapidly--so we headed for home!

Oh, and I forgot to mention...

I sat with Peach and showed her Pioneer Woman's Memorial Day post with pictures of veterans. I explained what they were wearing. Asked her why people in pictures were running/crying/bowing their heads/etc... and she always hit the nail on the head. I think the purpose of the day may have sunk in just a little!

I Hope your holiday was full of backyard games, cookies, chit-chat, love, and not crying babies!

Dancer Bantrer

 Lots of uncertainty...

 Will I like it?

 Will sissy be in my class?

 Will our teacher be nice?

 I don't want to dance in the Nutcracker...

 ...maybe next year though, mom!

 I'm not going to dance on that stage like you did mom!

 I'm too scared!

 I know you'll be there, mama, but I'm still scared to dance in the recital!

 Oh, but I like our costumes!!!

 Can we try on our costumes?

 Can we show our Sissy/friends/Grandma/Daddy/Auntie our costumes?

 Okay, I think maybe I'll dance next year if my sister does it again with me.

 No, Brownie, I don't want to take dance again next year--I'm going to stick with soccer!

 Okay, if you dance again next year Brownie, I'll do it too!

 But I'm still not doing the Nutcracker!

 Okay, but I think I'll go ahead and do Nutcracker next year?

 Momma, what will I be in the Nutcraker next year?

 Oh, well does that person have a pretty costume?

 Yay, I love pretty costumes!

 Okay, Brownie! Maybe I'll do the Nutcracker next year, too!

Oh that'll be fun Sissy. We can do it together!

Mom, will Bug dance with us next year?

Oh that Boushka!

You are moving at light speed these days with all your new developments, so I wanted to take a minute and jot down your fun facts.

A couple weeks ago you walked into the kitchen and started singing the ABC's. WHAT?

YES, you know your ABC's and it was a complete shocker to me since I had little to no hand in teaching you the ABC's. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I don't have much time to sit down and work on these things with you, one on one. So I point things out to you as we go about our day (such as that red car, or that black cow says Moooo!, or that sign says STOP!), I read to you all the time, and I talk to you as if you understand. This is my method of teaching since it fits in with our go-go-go lifestyle. And occasionally while we are go-go-going in the car we'll sing the ABC's. It must have really sunk in because you totally surprised me with what you knew!


Around this same time you started counting. I forget what you were doing at the time, but you weren't counting anything specific--you were just saying the numbers. You counted, in order, all the way from 1 to 12. Again, I had no hand in teaching you this. I'm thinking you've listened to your sisters count and you just picked up on it. Wow! You are just a little sponge.

(Here's a fun, weird little fact about you--- you love to pick your toes. I love it!)

You also know colors. And continuing with the theme, I never really sat down and taught you the colors. You just absorbed this knowledge by paying attention to your sisters--and I like to think that I had a small hand in your learning by pointing out colors when we are going about our daily routine.

You still love to play with K & L. And Charlotte (or Char-et) is also your friend. You are always going around talking about your fends. You are such a big two. Not in size necessarily, but you act so grown up. I hesitate to say mature because you definitely still throw your tantrums and act very much like a 2 yr old. But socially you act a little older. That's one benefit of being the fourth child, I suppose!

One other thing you like via your sisters' influence is a braid. Actually, Miss Traci started the braiding and your sisters love it. So naturally, you love it too. You are proud to show off mommy's (very poor, especially compared to Traci's) work. But I'll learn!

Okay, I'm done bragging on my baby Boushka. But isn't she just so sweet and amazing? Love you, boo-boo!