Picture Day

Again, with the little fashionista.  She has had this outfit picked out for weeks, counting down the days until picture day.  Should I say oh me, or oh my?

Friends

So just about every Sunday, Hads asks if one of her friends can come home from Church with her and play.  There is a rotating crew she asks about, although we aren't able to oblige every Sunday, because ummm Sunday is NAP day.  Both girls have been plotting a play date with Paige and her sister Ryleigh for some time.  Paige is a year older than Hadley and Ryleigh is a year older than Ellison.  Such sweet girls too.  We finally made it happen.  Although, I'm not sure they got along.

After lunch we let Ellison and Ryleigh play for about an hour, then I put them down for a nap on a pallet and layed between them.  I wasn't sure how it was going to go, but I really wanted a nap.  Ryleigh was out in a matter of seconds, Ellison was a little creative in her approach to stay awake, but ultimately she couldn't fight it and drifted off too.  What a glorious hour and half on the floor wedged between two little monkeys.

When these two weren't doing this (kindred spirits) they were flipping around on the floor and dancing all over the place.  Hadley ultimately worked a slumber party out of the deal for her and Paige, since they were both on winter break.  Which meant Wayne had three girls on Monday that he had to take to the dentist.  He then was feeling really full of himself and worked in a trip to the bowling alley.  To be followed by trampoline assembly when he got home.  Show OFF!!!!!! 

Umm so she is growing up

This is one of her birthday outfits.  I can't believe how much she has changed in the last year.  When she crawls up in my lap to snuggle now, she absolutely consumes my whole lap.  Thankfully she does still like to snuggle, there will be tears when I get snubbed.  She stands right below my shoulder and lets me know she is catching up with me, just about every day.  Her vocabulary is becoming so much more mature.  There is primping and a desire to pick out her own clothes now.  I know the "fun" is just getting started.  I can not believe how quickly these eight years have gone.

Sisterly Love

Valentine's Day...A time to show love.  I can not tell you how my heart swelled when we got home and this was waiting for Elsie Bop.  Her sweet sister picked it out for her in the school store.  You see Hadley had picked herself out one several weeks ago in the Awana store and Ellison could not wait to get her hands on it, but a Harmonica isn't something you really share.  That's more than a little gross.  So she has watched so sweetly as her sister played.  I really thought Hadley was torturing her kind of on purpose because she knew how badly Els wanted to get her hands on it, little did I know what she had in store for her sister.  So stinkin' sweet.  Love them both to pieces.

 

Did someone say presents?

And now we come to the present portion of the day.  The kids favorite part right?  We had told Hadley that we weren't going to have a big party with all of her friends because she was getting something kind of big and special for her birthday.  She immediately asked if it was some kind of technology.  Oh, bless my little tech geek.  We let her open her gifts and cards from family first, then gave her a small bag and told her it was from Wayne and I.  It had a couple of outfits in it, which she loved.  We asked her if she had a good birthday and if she was ready for cake.  She had such a confused look on her face, but didn't want to say anything.

 

 

Wayne then asked her if she would help him get something off the porch.  She was still confused and didn't want too, but she finally got up to help him.  There were two large boxes on the porch, she was really confused as to what they were, but knew they were for her.  Wayne finally had to show her the word........TRAMPOLINE.  Then there was a little celebration.  I think they were both happy!

 

Then there was cake and everyone was happy.

 

It is a party!

She is 8 and we celebrated with her class.  The kids and the cupcakes that Bell Bell and Hadley [cough] made together.  She was all sequined out, she sparkled, she smiled, she was so happy to celebrate with all of her friends.  We got the kids all sugared up and then they got sent home to their parents.  WHOOT WHOOT!!!!  Happy Birthday sweet girls!

 

 

The littlest NOT Baker

They were suppose to make birthday cupcakes together.  This didn't last two long, Hadley lost interest and Bell Bell whipped it in high gear. "I can get it done faster".  Umm yes, and she still wants to give me a hard time about not being able to cook.  Just sayin'.....

 

 

2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits a $

Someone had another competition.  This time she had lots of family come to watch her.  Her Bell Bell, Granny Sue and Aunt Mary.  They had a really good performance the week before, but they did even better this week.  Ellison was a little more active in the stands, she had lots of family that she could yank around so to speak, so she was constantly working the row.  It was a little exhausting.

 

SHake IT!!! Shake your booty!

Red Bud had a Valentine's dance, I wasnt sure if the Harper Girls would want to go, since their BellBell had just gotten here, but apparently Harper Girls can't miss an opportunity to shake their groove thang.  They had a blast, Ellison got to see her little friend Emma Grace who she use to go to school with and absolutely adores.  Hadley got to run around and dance with her friends and be chased by a boy.  I'm not sure about that last part, or the part about the twinkle in her eye when she told me.

 

 

Picture Ready but not Picture Perfect

We got a new camera....we haven't figured out how to use it yet.  The majority of the pictures look awful.  We surely aren't quick studies and I have my doubts that we will ever get the hang of it.

 

Bring it ON

It's cheer time!!  This little lady had her first cheer competition a couple of week ends ago.  The girls did a great job and really brought it.

 

All My Children is in Production again

So she is a giver, but what do you do, when the giver is also a charmer, playing on every emotion.....

We have been having a little bit of trouble with The Red Head going to sleep.  She goes to bed at her normal time without a problem, it is what happens once she is in the bed, that is the problem.  She has to go to the bathroom, she needs a drink, her nose is running, her socks are bothering her.  We have begun a check list to take care of all these things before she gets in the bed.  However, she has now started singing and kicking the walls and various other noise making tactics.  This wouldn't be a problem, but she shares a room with Hadley aka The Drama Queen.  I'm honestly not sure which is worse, trying to whip Ellison in to submission or quiet Hadley's histrionics about how tired she is and can't sleep because Ellison is D.I.S.T.U.R.B.I.N.G. her...it is total Susan Lucci...All My Children Daytime Emmy award winning year material here folks.  It is enough to make me want to curl up in the fetal position, cry uncle and declare how wrong I was to ever think I could be a parent.  This cartoon totally captures my feelings  on our nightly routine.  

Wayne typically is bad cop, because I just don't have the patience or the will power to go in there 2 or 7 times. I tend to pretend the house is quiet and I don't hear A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G.....then I kind of blow and it isn't pretty, but any who...Wayne wasn't home Sunday night he went to watch the Superbowl, which meant I had to put on some kind of cop hat and make the madness stop. When I went in the first time, I went in packing heat, we are going to nip this thing by golly...."If you don't lay down and go to sleep, you are going to get a switch, do you understand me??? Not another word....." Ellison through tears , wailing, sniffling and fake coughing "B.U.T I'M Y.O.U.R B.A.B.Y............." Yes, yes you are and I'm going to go back to the couch now and pretend I don't hear a word. Carry on, master manipulator, carry on!!!!

Blown Away

On the way home from work the other day, my telephone rang.  It was my Sunday School teacher asking if I had the clothes with me I had agreed to donate.  I did and we made arrangements for me to drop them off.  As I hung up the phone, I was hit with the normal questions from The Red Head...who was that?  why didn't she get to talk?  where are we going?  what did they want?  I began explaining to her that it was Mr. Steve and we were going to meet him to give him some of her old clothes.  There was a family that had been visiting our Church that had a daughter a little younger than her and they could use them.  At first she was very concerned because she didn't realize they were clothes she had outgrown.  Once she understood that they were something she couldn't wear anymore she calmed down and got quiet...what happened next blew me away.  From the back seat I hear, "Mommy we can take her my Bumble Bee pajamas, she would like those".  You see her Bumble Bee pajamas are her absolute favorite and not something she has outgrown.  They are something she would wear every night if we would let her.  Her three year old little heart is bigger than her years, she saw a need and it didn't matter that it was something that she loved so much, she was willing to give.  I am in awe of this little lady and her giving spirit...I can not wait to see the impact she has, as she grows into a wonderful young woman.  She teaches me so much. 

And she doesn't take herself seriously so, you kind of have to laugh at her too!

Perdy Nerdy

These are from the other night at Awana's, it was nerd night.  Some of the cutest little nerds I have ever seen.  The second one is my absolute favorite.