Mimi's visit

We are always excited when our family comes to visit.  So, we were thrilled that Mimi decided to come in town this weekend for a visit.  The kids LOVE spending the one on one time with her.  Matt and I love seeing them making such great memories with their grandparents.  We both have such fond memories of our times spent with our grandparents and we very much want our children to have that same experience. 

Mimi was able to watch Ella Catherine at gymnastics Saturday morning and then Saturday afternoon she spent the day with them outside.  They played on the swingset, played T ball and she even loaded them up in the car to take them to the front of our neighborhood where it is flat to ride their bikes.  Saturday night they had movie night in the playroom.  Mimi had brought some new movies with her and they were thrilled.

It was a great weekend and we look forward to seeing Mimi again soon.

PLaying on the playset

Mimi pushing Carter

Ella Catherine climbing her climb ropes for Mimi.  I think this gives Mimi a little bit of a heart attack but she never let's on and cheers Ella Catherine the whole way.

Playing T-ball

Carter and Mimi ready to field the ball

Tooth Fairies first visit

Ella Catherine lost her first tooth

Ella Catherine has had a wiggly bottom tooth for several weeks.  She has been moving it back and forth with her tongue.  The last few days she has asked me to stop sending apple slices because they were too hard to eat.  So, Matt and I knew it was close.  Well, tonight was the night.  Matt and I were watching college football and the kids were playing in the playroom.  All of a sudden Ella Catherine comes in and says, " I think we might be getting a visit from the tooth fairy tonight."  When Matt and I looked over at her, her mouth was full of blood.  She had pushed on her tooth and it was hanging by a thread.  So, we stripped off her shirt and brought her into the bathroom.  We made sure to put the plug in the sick and we gave her some water to swish and spit with.  Then a few tugs by her and Matt and the tooth was out.  As you can see in the photo above, her big girl tooth was already coming in and finally needed the extra room.

So, she wrapped up her tooth and put it in her tooth fairy pillow.  That evening the tooth fairy did visit and sprinkled tooth fairy dust all over Ella Catherine's room and bed.  She took Ella Catherine's tooth and in the tooth pocket she left her a dollar bill.  She was so very excited and couldn't wait to go to Sunday school and kindergarten and show all her friends.

Ella Catherine's tooth Fairy Pillow all ready for the tooth fairy

The tooth fairy took her tooth and left her a dollar



P.S. about 2 weeks after she lost her first tooth, her other bottom tooth came out.  This time the tooth fairy brought her a dollar and a new tube of tooth paste.  And of course, she left her fairy dust EVERYWHERE again.

Gymnastics

Ella Catherine decided that dance wasn't for her and she wanted to try gymnastics.  When  we walked in the gym for the first time, she was definitely nervous and would have left right away had I ler her.  Instead, we talked about it and I told her to give it a try for 1 class and if she didn't like it that we wouldn't sign up and she wouldn't have to come back.  About 15 minutes into that first class and I knew that we would be signing up.  She had a ball!  She LOVES it and looks forward to Saturday mornings.  So much so that she dresses for gymnastics right when she wakes up Saturday mornings.  It has been fun to watch her progress with her skills every week.  Going to be a fun year!

Meeting at the beginning of class with Coach Anthony

Balance beam

Dismount

Practicing cartwheels

Cartwheel

Practicing hanging on bars

Practicing our bar form and extensions

 

My big backyard

We went to Memphis this past weekend for the annual Father/Son Golf tournament.  This is a golf toitournament that Mat and his friends and all their fathers have played in for years.  Well before we met, married and had children.  It is a fun weekend for all the guys and their dads.  The kids and I usually go along.  This year Grams and I decided that we would take the kids out for a little fun while the guys were playing golf.  We initially had plans for the zoo but the day got away from us and before we knew it we really didn't have enough time to go and fully enjoy the zoo.  On to plan B, my big backyard.  I have so many friends in Memphis who rave about My big Backyard and take their kids all the time.  So, we decided it was time to check it out.  I completely understand what all the raving is about.  Such a cute place for the kids to run around and explore.  We had a great time.

And as for the guys, Matt and Grandpa came in 3rd.  Not too shabby!

Playing in the music house

 



Found a Pinecone

Me and my girl swinging on the double swing

Fun garden swing

Xylophone

Tunnel Slide

Carter's turn on the tunnel slide

Rock slide

Kids in the Dog house. :)

Running and having fun being kids

Swinging

Hungry Fish

Carter feeding the fish

Ella Catherine feeding the fish

Swim School

Ella Catherine and Carter have been loving our neighborhood pool this summer.  Ella Catherine is finally getting more comfortable in the water.  As long as she can touch she will swim and jump in etc.  Carter has never had a fear of the water.  So, to get Ella Catherine more comfortable and independent in the water and Carter more skilled so he doesn't drwon we decided to enroll them in swim school.  Classes lasted 2 weeks and both children LOVED them.  We weren't allowed to watch the lessons until the final day when they could show off their skills.  As expected, Ella Catherine was SUPER excited to show Matt and I what she had learned.  As for Carter, also not a surprise that he was very shy and reserved in front of all the other children's parents.  However, since then he has demonstrated both in the pool and in the tub what he learned.  I think both kids will be heading back again next year for more lessons.

Carter playing with his rubber ducky.  They used these as tools to get the kids to do different skills

Ella Catherine and her certificate that says she has completed Level 1 and 2 and is ready for Level 3.  In order to move to level 3 she had to be able to jump in the deep water and float on her stomach for 5 seconds, flip over and float on her back for 5 seconds and then swim off to the shallow end of the pool.

First Day of Kindergarten

 

To say Ella Catherine was excited about starting kindergarten is an understatement.  She was completely ecstatic about starting kindergarten.  The only time I saw a bit of nerves was when we were waiting in the gym for the bell to ring so we could go back to her room. 

I’ve been asked a lot how I held up and to be honest it is hard to be sad when your child is so over the moon happy.  That being said, at the Coffee and Kleenex the PTO held that morning they handed out the sweetest poem.  I’ll admit that I did get a little teary eyed reading it.  I’ve typed it below.

Wonder

 

I wonder what you're doing right now and

if everyone is treating you kind.

I hope there is a special person,

a nice friend you can find.

 

I wonder if the teacher knows

Just how special you are to me.

And if the brightness of your

heart is something they can see.

 

I wonder if you are thinking about me

and if you need a hug.

I already miss the sound of your voice

 and how you give my leg a tug.

 

I wonder if you could possibly understand

how hard it is for me to let you grow.

On this day know that my heart breaks.

For this is the first step in letting my baby go.

 

Big Girl excited about her first day of Kindergarten

Showing off her Hello Kitty backpack

Daddy and his little girl on her big day

Mommy and Ella Catherine

Daddy giving her kisses goodbye

So BIG!!!

Ella Catherine and her kindergarten teacher Ms. Matthews

Sitting at her spot

Her cubby

Mommy saying goodbye

Picking her up after her first day

Williamson County Fair

We met our friends, the Donahoes, at the Williamson County fair Friday night.  Their daughter, Taylor, is Ella Catherine’s best friend.  Her last day at Preschool was the last week in June.  Ella Catherine has missed her and was overjoyed to see her again.  The girls had a grand time giggling and running from ride to ride.  Carter was his usual shy self at first but then he set his sights on the bumper cars.  He talked only about them for about 20 minutes and so we all stood in line for the bumper cars.  Taylor and Ella Catherine were going to ride together and Matt was going to ride with Carter.  Well, we waited for about 15 minutes in line and when we reached the front, poor Carter wasn’t tall enough to ride.  He didn’t pitch a fit or cry but he was definitely upset.  The Donahoes stayed and watched the girls while Matt and I took him to go ride on the airplane ride.  He didn’t protest riding the ride but he didn’t really enjoy himself either.  His facial expression the whole ride was as if he had lost his best friend.

His mood changed drastically when we went to see the live stock.  He is such an animal lover.  He and the girls loved petting and seeing all the animals.  A little boy even let Carter hold a chicken.  They had an exhibit set up where you could be a farmer for the day by growing, harvesting and selling your products.  The kids loved it!  At the end you could trade your money you earned at the general store for animal cookies, an apple or an ice cream sandwich.  Needless to say, no one in our group opted for the apple. J

The girls ended the night on two BIG kid rides, the swings and the Ferris wheel.  The Donahoes graciously agreed to take the girls on the swings while Matt, Carter and I looked on anxiously.  Our sweet little baby girl being flung around so high in the air, it was nerve racking to say the least.  She looked so small up there.  She came off the ride just beaming with pride that she had done it and saying she loved it.  Next up was the Ferris wheel.  Poor Carter was yet again too small to ride.  So to avoid any scenes as it was getting late and he was tired, Matt took him to play a fair game.  Meanwhile,  the rest of us road the Ferris wheel.  It was a great way to end the evening.  Walking out the fire work display started and so we had a beautiful walk to our cars.  Taylor came home with us and spent the night.  It was a Great night with Great friends.  Unfortunately, We didn't get too many photos as both our phones died about half way through the evening.

Best Friends reunited and ready to ride the Dumbo ride.  First ride of the evening

Bumper cars.  Tayor at the wheel.

Looking over at the bumper cars that he was too small to ride

So Sad

Petting the goats

MUCH happier!!!!

Petting the chicken

Holding the chicken