Sayings to remember

The other day we were riding in the car home from a long trip. To take a break from movies, I gave the girls some paper and told them to work on their writing. Sophie told us she was going to write sentences about her favorite parts of our trip. Harper wanted to write our names. She told me,"mommy, how do you spell your name? I want to write your name first, because I love you the most.". Lee and I just laughed it off, knowing that's just Harper. Sophie, however, needed to say something. "Harper, you can't mean that. You need to love daddy just as much....he gets us money to do stuff!"

Party Time!

 Saturday was a big day in our house... Our little Camille turned one!  Now if you have kids, or are close to any kids, you always say "Oh I can't believe they are one!"  I have said it too.  But THIS time, I really mean it.  I can't believe that little caboose is one!  Not only is she petite, but she will forever be our baby (unless something CRAZY happens).  She should be small forever.  But alas, she must grow up, so we must celebrate in style!

We had a watermelon bash, complete with seed spitting, watermelon eating, and relay games.  We only had cousins and one close family there, but it was a house full of fun.  Camille enjoyed the attention I think... who wouldn't?

And typical of one of my children, they did something unforgettable on their big day.  Sophie split her head on her birthday; Harper ate the WHOLE cake she was given like it was her job; and Camille nailed me in the face with a hand full of cake during family picture time. 

 
This is now my new favorite family picture.  Not because we paid a photographer to follow us around, or we all coordinate (which we do...gotta give props to a dad of three girls to breakdown and wear the pink), but this is totally our family.  A couple are always happy and doing the right thing, one is usually upset about something, and one has to be a showoff. 


As far as Camille being one, she is tiny.  We go for our check up next week, but if she weighs more than 19 lbs I will be shocked.  Still little to no hair, but it will be blonde.  Blue eyes, loves to dance, likes to go to church nursery, the tackier the toy the more she likes it.  She is an adventurous food eater, loves mommy, and worships her sisters.....

I think her sisters feel likewise....

After Camille's party we took off for our week at Blue Ridge.  So in effect we are at camp all week with our friends with three boys.  When we get home I am sure we will find some leftover watermelon licorice and maybe a gumball that fell out of favors. 

My little fish

We are in the midst of toddler Hell... otherwise known as swimming lesson month.  Seriously, it's awful.  We went through it with Sophie when she was three.  That first time you are forced to make a fun past time a learning experience, and you have to trust some lady with bad hair with your life as you hold your breath and try to learn a stroke.   Sophie used to hide in the bathroom at the Bell Road YMCA, just to avoid her turn at jumping in the training pool.  Well, that was a breeze compared to Harper.  

We started Monday with the official lessons.  Although we swam practically every day the week before with no fear, Monday there was fear.  She did a great job of watching her sister as she is now learning to swim with correct form. She watched her friend Darby jump in, although scared, and kick her feet.  Harper did just as the teacher asked Monday.  Lee and I both heaved a huge sigh of relief, knowing Harper's attitude, that if she wanted to do something she would.  Tuesday, she did not want to swim.  Or Wednesday.  Or Wednesday night when I took her to a friend's pool to practice.  

Thursday morning Lee was back in town from a trip and I strongly encouraged( actually begged) him to take them one morning.  I don't want to force anyone to swim if they were scared.  I got a call after her lesson that she can swim.  I tried to upload our video, but it won't.  But she swam the width of the pool, perfect kicks, and screaming every third breath.  She only screamed every third because she has figured out that that is the only feasible time for her to breathe, because she has to have air to go under water.  I can't WAIT to see how she swims with that extra air when she quits screaming!

When not screaming at swimming, we have had a busy few weeks!  We had a friend invite us to a painting/pool party date.  The girls got to paint mermaids and swim, and had such a great time!

We have been dying to introduce the kids to our new laser tag place in town, and after swim one day we met my sister and our buddies Charlie and Gus.  The Laser tag man let us walk in the arena with the kids before and during our play time.   Words cannot describe how hilarious it is watching kids ages 3-8 run around an arena with fog, black lights, and laser guns.  They all picked up the game very quickly, and had some high scores!  I cannot wait to go back when I can play!

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A Not-So-Bummer one

With Sophie finishing school Friday, and Harper the previous week, we are well on our way to relaxation.  Friday Harper, Camille, and I joined Sophie and her class for one last lunch in school, gave hugs to our favoirite SFES friends, and drove to The Little Gym for a last day of school party.   That started our summer off with a bang!  When we got home we grabbed our summer notebooks and wrote down some things we MUST do this summer.  Here is our list of things to keep our summer fun:

-  SWIM!
-  Sleep on the floor in Camille's room.  (Harper swears this will make her have the best summer)
-  Have a lazy day
-  Head to the Cabin for our yearly tubing trip in North Georgia
-  Go to Bible School
- Eat candy
-  Read books


I think we can handle this summer!

Recital Time

 Post number two for the night!

The girls have been busy dancing the past two Saturdays.  The way our ballet studio works is they really concentrate on technique for the younger girls, not so much a dance, so they don't participate in a big showcase until they are in first grade.  Instead, we get to sit through an entire dance class, watch them do their everyday things, and do a small dance at the end.  It is so fun to watch them dance, even if they aren't perfect or fabulous.   But they try so hard, and smile the whole time!

Harper went first with her recital.  She is hilarious to watch.  She is in lala land half the time,  but when she listens, her form is usually spot-on.  She has AMAZING flexibility.  Splits, bends, leg lifts are all so easy to her.  If she keeps this up we will have a talented dancer or gymnast on our hands!  Her teacher this year was Ms. Zoe.  Sophie had her last year and we love her patience, ability to teach the girls correct terms, and her recaps of Harper's funnier classes.

Sophie had her last year of in-house showcase.  Next year she will be in the big recital.  So, it was fun to get one last chance to watch her up close.  Sophie, being a major people pleaser,  does great with her form and tries so hard to complete each movement.  Her toe-pointing ability makes her a pretty ballerina to watch!  Her teacher this year was Miss Raley.  We LOVED having her, because she is a Rockette during the holiday season!  That is now Sophie's career dream!

Back with a biggie!

So, I am sure no one reads this anymore, but since I started this blog to keep track of our family events, I am going to try to do a better job of recording our history!  So here is my first attempt at doing that... and what a BIG event it was!

Sophie graduated Kindergarten!  As you can tell by the picture below, she was in good hands this year with a teacher that truly loved her and her classmates.

This year she has learned to read, subtract, eat snowcones without spilling much on her, run fast in PE, eat cafeteria food, ride a bus, play on the computer, and many other useful life skills.  She has figured out that if you keep your shirt tucked in and your bow straight and are polite teachers really like you.  She has had a great experience with sweet, normal kids in her class.  She has a few she talks about more than others, but for the most part she genuinely likes and plays with all the kids in her class.

I will probably tear up next year when we walk past all the other first kid in school parents as they meet the sweet, sweet kindergarten teachers our school has, and we turn left on the primary hall towards the first grade classrooms.  But THIS year, we have had a ball!

Why I have girls

So today Sophie asked could I help her find bugs.  Uh, new question for me.  I often look for butterflies, but she has a new love for bugs.  Apparently her unit of learning on bugs has got her with a new hobby.  We gathered aphids(sp), which are the white parts of grass.  Bugs like them best.  Then we grabbed our nets and tromped through our woods.  We got 8 spittle bugs, one little fly and a bonus FROG.  Yes, FROG.  And I encouraged it.  I saw it on the tree, helped stalk it, and ran inside for an extra container for him. 

All was fine for a while.  I mean I will never discourage an interest, even if it grosses me out.  She may the next scientist in the family.  However, a few moments ago I noticed all our animals were still on the kitchen bar and I asked her to let them go.  She quickly got up and let them go.  In the house.  I didn't stay around long enough to see where everything went.  My voice hurts from the screaming.  As of now only one spittle bug is unaccounted for.  And Harper keeps asking if there is a bug on her head!  Ugh.  I really hope the next learning unit is back to rocks, or flowers or something.