May Mania

May is a crazy month. Besides having a neighborhood yard sale, church sale, preparing for our ballet program, and honoring graduates, Anna & Luke have had some fun things going on at school. The both dressed silly for spirit week which ended with the annual walk-a-thon fund raiser. They call it a walk-a-thon but it's actually run-a-thon. They both gave it their all and raised a nice chunk of cash for the school.

They also had a festive Cinco de Mayo party one evening that featured some Mexican dancers, food, and pinatas. Our whole family enjoyed this evening, especially since we're preparing to go to Mexico next month.
They've also taken a trip to the Bristol Theatre, had a field day, and class pool parties. Their social lives are leaving our's in the dust.

Bravo!

Anna had her first piano recital this week. She played a lovely duet with her Gran/piano instructor. We were so proud. She has learned so much this year and was very confident about playing in front of a crowd. Sorry Grandma and Grandpa, we video taped her playing but I've yet to learn how to put it onto the computer. Believe you me, when I figure that one out, I'll have loads of funny clips to share from the past years. Hopefully those will be coming soon. For now, here's a lovely picture of Anna and Gran.

Summertime?

On April 25, a good two months before summer, we took the kids swimming at their PawPaw's pool. Our good ol' Tennessee weather never ceases to amaze. Although the water was freezing, the kids were thrilled and actually swam quite a bit. I was perfectly content to sit in the sun a observe the fun, but Caroline had other plans. She promptly fell right into the pool just so I could join in the freezing fun. I'd just like it to go on record that I have saved the lives of all three of my children countless times. Just in case there's ever any thought of my going into a nursing home one of these days, I'm keeping track.

More Easter Festivities

We went to Ryan's mom's house for our traditional Easter dinner and a day of relaxation and egg hunting.

Easter Festivities

One thing I really like about Anna and Luke's school is that it is nestled in the middle of a nice neighborhood where lots of the kids live. Each year, a student from each class hosts the Easter egg hunt for their class. Another thing I like is that parents and siblings are always welcome. Caroline joined me as we walked to Anna's party then headed to a different house for Luke's party. It was a beautiful, warm day for egg hunts. We also learned about Easter traditions is different cultures, had some yummy homemade treats, and made some ice cream sundaes.

CHUB

Chub is crazy stuff. In the first couple years of life, we spend lots of time oohing and aahing over how cute it is. Sometimes it's so cute, I whip out the camera to get some shots like these:

We get lots of comments.
Nice ones like "Oh she's such a healthy little baby!" "She must be a really good eater!"
Then less nice comments like "Boy, she ain't missed many meals!" and "Look at those rolls!"
And then we get comments that furrow my brow. "Do you think she's getting a little too chubby?" "Her cheeks are so big!"
And my personal favorite "She's fat!!" (This particular comment usually comes from someone I could say "Right back atcha!" to with no regrets.)
Personally, I'm lovin' the chub. At least for a couple more years.

Special Time

One of my absolute favorite activities with the kids is spending time with just one of them. There's just a whole new dynamic created when I'm alone with one of my children. Anna and I recently (er, kinda) spent an evening in the food court at the mall. We ate cookies from the Great American Cookie Company. (Just in case you're wondering, Anna chose the chocolate chocolate chip, and I opted for the traditional double doozie, of course.) After giving ourselves time to recover from the stomach ache, Anna summoned enough courage to jump on that cool trampoline that sits right in the middle of the food court. This was a really big deal for Anna. She's slowly overcoming her fear of doing things in front of other people, so I was super proud of her. It was a great, memorable evening with our little sweetheart.