Our Little Ballerina

Ella Ann has been taking ballet on Wednesdays each week at her preschool. She used to absolutely love it but in the last couple of weeks I think she has grown tired of it and is ready to move on to something else. Sniff, sniff. I hope she changes her mind because seeing her today doing her thang on stage at her ballet recital was just too cute for words. I took ballet, tap, jazz and gymnastics all throughout my childhood so it is only natural for me to want Ella Ann to participate in these activities. Knowing my luck she will just love soccer. I'm kidding....sort of! So I had to arrive 30 minutes before the recital started with Ella Ann to help her get ready. It was so much fun to watch her and the other girls put on their adorable costumes (no, we didn't get to keep them) and look so grown up! I turned to one of my mom friends and said, "I love having a girl!" Ella Ann looked so darn cute in her costume and I couldn't wait for Spencer to see her!

She did a great job during the long recital. I didn't realize she knew so much and I was impressed! All the little girls did well and it was fun to watch them up on stage. Rane wandered throughout the room during the recital and at one point I had to remove him from the stage area because he wanted up on it. He is a handful when it comes to things like this. Next time we will get a sitter! The parents couldn't help but ewwww and ahhhhh over their sweet little girls and I know it even melted Spencer's heart to see his little girl up there. It was great!

As soon as she saw the costumes she said to me, "Mommy, Mommy! I love it, I love it!" She really liked the pink gloves!

Man, did I do a good job on that bun, or what? I will be invaluable to her at prom! ha!

Ella Ann and her little friends before the show started.

Ella Ann and one of her best friends from her class and ballet, Mary Francis.

Yes, I know I look horrific but I had a root canal yesterday so don't judge!

Rane working the crowd, as usual.

As they were coming in Ella Ann spotted us and started smiling really big.

Sashaying across the stage to her teacher, Miss Heidi.

Getting her Certificate of Completion from Miss Heidi.

Ella Ann loves Miss Heidi even though she got shy on me when I asked her to stand beside her!

Mom

That's what I am. Ella Ann has her own opinion about my personality, likes and dislikes. She came home with a Mother's Day card that she made at school last week and as soon as I started reading the questions I knew I was in for a big laugh. I enjoyed reading what she thinks I like to do and how she thinks I look. She got several questions "wrong," especially the one about me NOT liking to cook! Hellllllloooo?!?! Her teachers now probably think I feed my family boxed macaroni every single night now! Do I ever complain about cooking? No way! It is my absolutely favorite hobby of mine, that and shopping and since I cannot shop like I want to anymore because we have two mouths to feed instead I put cooking as my favorite hobby. Funny girl. How I love her so.

She was spot on with what I like to do (read books), what I like to watch on tv (morning things, i.e. the Today Show), my favorite food (broccoli...not my favorite but she knows that I eat that nearly every single night for dinner) and that my "favorite" friends are Andria (Diego and Alexia's mom and Jana)! She forgot a few other friends, but at least she got 2 right!

Here, There & Everywhere

We had a very busy travel week last week. The kids and I loaded up and headed to my parent's house on Wednesday after I picked up Ella Ann at ballet at 2 p.m. I do not like getting such a late start to my 5 1/2 hour drive (that's without traffic) but she will not be missing ballet since her recital is this Saturday. Well after Rane was rudely awoken 45 minutes into his nap, before we even got to Dalton, by Ella Ann whisper-yelling at me about her DVD he screamed for 2 solid hours. He wouldn't have anything to do with his books or toys....just screamed. It was torture. We stopped right out side of Nashville and I fed the kids dinner. After that he was happy as a clam the rest of the way. Driving through rush hour, flooded Nashville was terrible as well and put me behind by about 45 minutes. We arrived, though, safe and sound at my parent's house so that's all that matters.

Ella Ann and Rane had a great time visiting them, as did I. Mom blew up the kiddie pool on their deck and if Ella Ann could have spent all 48 hours in the water she would have. They had a blast playing in it. We did our usual thing at their house....out to dinner, run errands, visit Dad at his work, etc. Ella Ann got to have her Grandpa time both evenings we were there....ice cream cones on the deck. Rane was spoiled rotten by Mimi because she picked him up, which he ALWAYS wants, every single time he would raise his arms up to her. They couldn't believe how well he is walking and it's hard to remember to move even more items out of reach because now he is taller! At one point Rane brought us a nice wine glass from the dining room. At least he didn't drop it our try to bite it!

We packed up again and headed to Zach and Mandy's house early Saturday morning to attend Ethan's first birthday party. It was the perfect day for an outdoor party and Mandy had invited a lot of adults and kids so spending the afternoon outside was great! The kids had so much fun with Carter, Seth and Ethan and Ella Ann enjoyed meeting a few of the little girls that came to the party. I spent the night with them on Saturday and then we headed home on Sunday, which by the way, was another awful drive peppered with lots of screaming, whining and little sleep. The kids remained very, very cranky the entire day and at one point Ella Ann told me, "I don't like you Mommy." Happy Mother's Day to me. Thankfully after we put the kids down for bed at 6:30 p.m. Spencer cooked a fantastic, romantic dinner for me! He made pecan-encrusted tilapia, sauteed vegetables, salad and a chocolate cupcake! Well to make sure he doesn't get too full of himself I should mention that he just warmed the dinner.....he bought it at Whole Foods! He knows what I like and it was great!

Wrestling with Mimi.

Visiting with Grandpa before he went back to work.

Dotti!

The desk of my grandmother's (that I used to play school with in her basement) that my Dad had repainted for Ella Ann.

Ella Ann used her pool water to water all the plants for Mimi.Eating ice cream with Grandpa....in a PINK cone!

Ella Ann found my two American Dolls and she loved them!

Rane and Ella Ann both loved my Dad's massager! Rane especially loved putting it on his face!

The cake!

Ella Ann held her own at the boys table! She ate the most and by far sat there the longest eating all of her food!

Rane loved stealing ice out of the coolers when people would open them to get out a drink!

The birthday boy ate his cake!

Ready to steal some cake!

Playing out in the yard after the party.

Ethan opening his gifts.

The Usual....Sort Of

You know, the usual weekend...play outside, play with the neighbors, shop, chase the rooster in our backyard, etc. Ella Ann and Rane enjoyed the last activity the most, since we live on a farm and all in the middle of the city. There is a rooster, oh and a duck and chickens, that live on the other side of our fence. It is just lovely to have a rooster wake you up in the middle of the night crowing to beat the band. I often have to turn on the fan that is beside the bed to drown him out. I h-a-t-e the rooster. This is the second rooster that the neighbors have owned....the first one was eaten by a wild animal (or shot by another neighbor, perhaps). Had Spencer been home (he was in Toccoa all weekend) the rooster would have been in my crock pot for dinner. So the beloved rooster somehow managed to wiggle it's way through a crack in the fence on Saturday afternoon. I thought it sounded really close to my kitchen so when I looked outside I saw it running back and fourth across the yard. Ella Ann and Rane immediately went outside to watch the crazy animal. This rooster is humongous. He must be the granddaddy of all roosters. He could not figure out how to get back over the fence so it was very distraught. Ella Ann would keep her distance but Rane would stand close to it and yell and flap his arms....he was so excited! I texted Spencer to tell him that the rooster was entertaining the kids and he quickly sent me a message telling me to get them inside because the rooster has attacked a kid before! I bolted out the door, yelled at Ella Ann to run inside and grabbed Rane as if he was going to be attacked by a rabid dog. I'm sure I was quite a sight! Anyway, the rooster made it back to his pen, darn it all.

On Friday Ella Ann played with Jordan and Kayla in the backyard. Spencer turned on the sprinkler to water our garden (it's majorly growing!!!) and the kids all put on their bathing suits to play in the water. Ella Ann would not run through the sprinkler because she dislikes getting her face wet so she was afraid. Of course Jordan and Kayla soaked themselves.

Spencer went to Toccoa very early Saturday morning. The kids and I went to the mall to do a little shopping, courtsey of some returns that I needed to make and a gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket. I got a lot of stuff and didn't spend a dime!

Of course being that I am from Kentucky the Derby was going to be a big part of my Saturday afternoon. I dressed Rane in his "horsey" onesie that a friend gave to me and we were ready to watch the races! I had the coverage of the Derby on all day...definitely the first time I willingly watched ESPN without my husband! I actually fed the kids their dinner in front of the television (I know, bad mommy) because I didn't want to miss any of it! Ella Ann was really excited, have no idea why since she has no clue as to what the Derby is, and we really had fun watching it together. Rane would look at the tv, see a horse and say, "naaaaaaayyyy!"

Sunday we went to church and to Trader Joe's in the afternoon. Quite an exciting weekend, wasn't it?

The kids took the umbrella off of the picnic table and would run through the sprinkler with it.

No sprinkler for Ella Ann!
Kayla and Ella Ann colored in Ella Ann's workbook for a while.

It's Derby Day!

Underneath "Horsey" it says "Louisville, Kentucky." Very appropriate for the day!

My nemesis.

Ella Ann took off running because the rooster (see him in the far left corner peeking out between the two tires?) was getting too close! I think this picture is hilarious!

Where can you beat such fantastic entertainment?