HGH

Elli has been doping. There is no other possible explanation. 

I marked the growth chart with her 3.5 year old height because tomorrow she officially three and a half. That mark went right beside Brady's. Except one difference, it was Brady's FOUR and a half year old height. Elli has four inches on 3.5 yo Brady!!!!  That is crazy talk y'all. 

My baby is no baby. 

On the stage

I really think my girls' happy place is on the stage. The older girls both had a chance recently to perform at school. And with both girls, they were chosen to have a special part in the performance.

For Reese, all the first grade had a resident artist come in and teach African Dance. They performed what they learned for the whole school. The first video is the part where the class danced as a whole. The second video is the part where kids got to dance in small groups and do dances they made up themselves. Reese was chosen to be the soloist. She took her choreography seriously. I was a proud momma in the back row that day!

 The girls are really at an amazing school this year. They are doing so many neat events. Recently, they had international day where each cluster of classrooms transformed into a country then students flew around the world (or school) and experienced the culture. Brady's area was Russia. Her class learned a dance and performed it for the students. My little babushka made me so proud!

Orthnernisms from a higher power

Elli comes running into the room that her mom and dad are in. Grabbing her bottom she says "Ouch it hurts."

I say "it hurts?".  Her response is "yea, because Jesus made it too much!"As I hold back my giggles, "Jesus made too much?". Very seriously, Elli looks at me and states "Yes, Jesus made me too much bottom!"

There you have it folks! I couldn't make this stuff up!

That's Why We have Kids...

No, this isn't going to be some soupy post about how great motherhood is, but motherhood is my everything. This is about getting to experience something new to me by joining my child on her preschool field trip.


St. Mary's County, Maryland has a large Amish community. We regularly pass horse and buggies on the main roads when we are driving west. I always am so thrilled to witness such a different culture right in my own county. So, when Elli's preschool asked for chaperones to the Amish Farm, you best believe I was first to volunteer.

The first part of our farm tour included the kids getting to each throw a fist full of chicken feed into the pen.

 This inspired Elli to start dancing like a chicken!

Next stop, the barn. There were cows, calves, goats and HUGE work horses. While the kids  observed the farm animals, I couldn't help but watch the beautiful Amish children as they shadow their daddy. I heard (but can't be held to) that often Amish children don't learn English until about 6 years old. 

 I don't know what kind of horse this is but it is easily the largest horse I have ever seen. The cows next to it were half its size. I would say its hind legs alone were six feet tall.

Next stop, horse drawn hay ride. Elli was one of the first to hop on and was very eager. I love that her hair and the horse tail and indistinguishable. 

 I stayed behind with a child that was too nervous to ride, so I witnessed the horses getting stuck in the mud from afar. All adults had to get off to lighten the load and they gave the horses a little extra push from behind.

There was pumpkin selection and snack, which inherently lead to Elli needing to use the restroom. Yes, this Amish farm has no electricity and running water. Yes, Elli got to use the outhouse. She wanted to know where her pee pee disappeared to. I was surprised how much nicer the out house was than a port-a-potty. 

 As we were wrapping things up, the Amish mother and her three children were off to run errands. I had to snap these next two pictures (even though I probably shouldn't have). The young (most likely one year old) girl was in a five point harness carseat installed into the carriage.

 But then the older two kids (likely 4 and 6) were free to move around in the back.

I could have stayed all day on the farm, observing and learning. I love having kids so that I can keep learning with them. 

Crazy Cousins Congregate

Guess who drove up to Maryland to visit!!!!

Let's just say the crazy cousins congregated in California (the city in Maryland that is) and cheerful chaos commenced. Here is what this crazy chaos included....

high fives

flying like a birds

Yet another rendition of "Let It Go"

Eating Yogurt by hand

Cousins loving each other, well, like family

A little cheerleading

UnC-Kle Karl and his best nephew, Will loves him some Unc-kle Karl

toe-grabbing, Christy loves her some squishy Elba

fence climbing

HUS-a little but louder-TLE

ah-oo-ga

squeaky clean duckys

eyelash admiring

sibling dress-up/ dollhouse session

cousin rock out session at which Elli specializes in the Moccasin

Biggest and Littlest Cousin Reading Time

more cheering

barrel rides

hay pile jumping

little bunny fo-fo petting

more barrel riding

pig pen climbing

Elba's game of peek-a-boo

CUPCAKES!

Will's excitement for pending firetruck ride

those eyes

stuffing of corn kernels in all nooks and crannies

but most importantly there was bonding... lots of cousin bonding!

Show and Tell

Do you remember what you brought to show and tell in First Grade? I do!

I brought my GRANNY! 

I thought she was special and I wanted the class to know about her. Well, today I am choosing to show you pictures and tell you about her. 

My Granny, Dora, saw a lot in her lifetime. She lived for 96 years! 96 years people! I am pretty sure I will not be able to say the same. She claimed on her death bed to never remember having a headache even. Nor did she ever have prescription medicine. I know I can't say the same. Heck I took prescription medicine for years because of the chronic headaches I had.  She was a teenager in the Great Depression and raised her five babies during the Second World War with a husband that was off to sea. That alone amazes me. What a strong woman!

Therefore you won't be surprised that Granny was a pistol. A trait I believe was so lovingly passed to my mom and then passed to me. She was a lady who confidently knew how she felt about a topic and then made sure everyone in the room knew her opinion. You knew as a kid when you visited her house, there were off limits areas: namely her piano. She didn't spoil me in the way you traditionally think of grandparents spoiling their grand babies these days, but she did spoil me with love. I don't remember a single material gift she gave me (even though I am sure there were some), but I remember her making her love clear to me. 

As a kid, I loved her cooking (chicken and dumplings....yummy) and her singing as she worked. As an adult, I loved watching her love on babies, especially my babies. Granny loved her babies. 

Last month we laid Granny to rest in the mountains of Tennessee. Granny loved family, babies, butterflies, purple and lilies. There was all of this at her funeral. 

Granny's pallbearers were her GREAT grandsons. Seven handsome grown men to carry her to her final resting place. She was surrounded by family. 

 Elli released 50 butterflies along side everyone that have single butterflies.

 The butterflies flocked to Granny's spread of lilies on her casket.

 This is a small group of Granny's girls. Granny had lots of family and they came from all over to say farewell.

 Then family gathered to tell stories at the one of the homes where Granny raised her children. This is the rock at which my mom played house and school on with the house in the background.

 The mountain home may be quant but the land it lay on is expansive! There is a bubbling creek and its branches, open fields and trees galore.

 Granny, as I mentioned before, was blessed with five lovely children. Top row: Peggy, Bobby, John Bottom row: Barbara and Donald.  What a lovely crew. I am so glad they were all there to lay Granny to rest.

Granny I love you! I will forever think of you every time I see lilies growing or butterflies flitting. You are forever in my heart!