Visitors

Last week was a blast for Ella Ann. My friend, Andria, is expecting her third child next month and was really needing to organize and clean her house before the baby arrived so I kept Diego and Alexia Tuesday morning/early afternoon. Ella Ann was thrilled to have two of her buddies at her house! The three big kids played exceptionally well together and I didn't have one single issue with any of them. Poor little Rane, though, he wanted to be in on the action so badly but he couldn't keep up and would just end up attached to my leg, as usual. I fed the kids lunch and they took forever to eat because all they wanted to do was be silly at the table! It was really fun to have them and I told Andria we will have to do it again this summer.

On Saturday after Ella Ann's ballet recital I told her that after Rane woke up from his nap we were going to go get Mara Kate so she could spend the night with us. I really thought Ella Ann was going to burst out of her skin....she was so excited! Jana and I had been planning it for a few weeks but I couldn't tell Ella Ann because she would drive me crazy with the questions! Last week when I took the kids to the mall Ella Ann threw a penny into a fountain and afterwards she told me she made a wish and her wish was to see Mara Kate. I nearly teared up because of the sweetness! It was fun to know that her wish would come true in a few days!

It was a busy Saturday because after Ella Ann's recital I had to drop Spencer off at the MARTA station so that he could ride the train down to the airport because he was headed to New Orleans (for work). Once Rane woke up we hit the road and met Kane and Jana halfway for both of us and picked up Mara Kate. The girls sat together in the back of the van and were chatty, giggly and goofy the entire way home. I looked back at Rane at one point and he had his hands on his ears and was moaning....poor thing, he was closer to the noise than I was! As soon as they walked in the door they holed themselves up in Ella Ann's room and immediately dressed up in costumes. I didn't take any pictures of them dressed up because they were half-dressed 90% of the time in old costumes that didn't fit anymore and were not appropriate for the blog!

After dinner I let them play for quite a while and put them down close to 8 p.m. They took a little while to calm down and fall asleep but it didn't take as long as I had expected. They both slept just fine and were raring to go at 6:40 a.m. Sunday. After breakfast I got everyone ready for church and off we went. Several people stared at me with the girls walking in because Mara Kate wanted to hold my hand and Ella Ann held hers so it was just too cute to not make you smile. They had fun in the nursery and several people were happy to see Mara Kate.

After we got home the girls ate lunch and played and played and played! While Rane was sleeping I took them outside and they played with Kayla and Jordan for a while. Ella Ann was in heaven with all her little buddies running around in the backyard! After Rane woke up we hopped back in the car and drove halfway again to meet Kane and Jana. Ella Ann did not want to see Mara Kate go and she cried on the way home. When Ella Ann has to say goodbye to her friends she gets quite angry and it is difficult to deal with her. She was angry the entire way home and I threatened putting her on the roof if she didn't find her happy place. I think a lot of it had to do with being so tired. The girls were go, go, go all waking hours so Ella Ann was exhausted. I promised Ella Ann we would do it again this summer because having Mara Kate spend the night is better than anything to her.

Ella Ann doctoring Alexia and her baby doll.

Alexia was sweet and would come play with Rane for a little bit throughout the morning.

Now it was Diego's turn to get a shot from the good doctor.

They spied something in the ivy.

The girls were wiped out and in some crazy sleeping positions!

This is why I still haven't removed Ella Ann's bed rail! Maybe when she's 16!

Playing after breakfast Sunday morning.

They allowed Rane to play with them for a bit but mostly I heard, "Rane! Go away!" ha!

I gave them popsicles after lunch.

They played a little while in the fort I set up for them.

So happy to be together!