First Days of Jobs, Last Days of School, and Everything in Between

Dear M ~

With the arrival of May also comes the arrival of flower planting and potting. I stink at gardening but I love getting more color in our yard and around our decks and patio. I also was so thankful for a little helper who was magic with the hose, even if it got away from her at one point and completely soaked her head. Oops! Ha ha.

flowers planted outside, but I don't remember buying these

new decorative pillows for the bed...oh, wait...

Since Daddy was going out of town this month (for 2 whole weeks!) to begin training for his new job, we spent the last weekend that he was home celebrating Mother's Day. We had a cookout and bonfire for the moms and enjoyed each other's company.

Daddy taking a picture of Papaw sleeping

I loved my gifts from you...a homemade painting and box of

gourmet, poop-shaped chocolates...perfection!

Audrey joined us too and of course,

silliness ensued

you also made me an absolutely beautiful

handmade note pad at school and it reads,

"Mom, I love you because you stick up for me,

you help me with my problems"

I. LOVE. IT. SO. MUCH.

then, before bed, you soaked up some final snuggle time

in the hammock before Daddy left for FL in the morning

With Daddy in Florida for a while, you and I had to find some fun stuff to occupy our time. Luckily, it's been nice enough to officially feel like ice cream weather again. Here you are enjoying your first cone of the season. Yum!

Also, we are extremely lucky to have a Lao Lao who was willing to step up and stay with us each night so that she could take you to school in the mornings for me. An added bonus to our sleepovers with her was bedtime stories on the porch together. We definitely don't take this woman for granted...so fortunate to call her ours.

As we made our way through the two weeks apart from Daddy, you got more in need of closeness and snuggles. Here I am attempting to do bills on the laptop, except it's a little hard when there's a 9 year old on my lap too.

here's the picture we sent to Daddy

You also started voice therapy this month as a way to help learn to use your voice in such a way as to be gentler on your vocal cords. We hope it will reduce or even remove the nodes you currently have on your vocal cords from years of having slammed them together to make up for your speech difficulties. You have come such a long way and worked so hard on your speech skills, this is just the next step for you. I am so proud of how hard you have worked. I know you can do this too! You even made a little educational booklet when you got home to help teach others about what you are dealing with as well as remind yourself how important it is to be kind to your voice. So smart!

With the final days of school upon us, we decided it would be fun to try out some new hair colors. Here you are showing off a new 'do. Too cool for school, kiddo!

Did I mention how much more you want to cuddle lately? So much so that I even caught you snuggling Suzy's butt one morning. Ha ha. (Actually, you are sleeping and have no idea how close you are to "the danger zone" of Suzy's poop chute, but still...very funny stuff!)

Finally, after an entire school year, the day had arrived...your last day of 3rd grade! While it was an exciting day, it was also an emotional day. You love school and your teacher(s) so much that you shared with me after school that you had to hold back tears by the end of the day. My sensitive little soul of a child. You may feel embarrassed sometimes but I adore that quality about you. Your tender heart is more of a strength than a weakness, in my opinion. Truly!

Anyway, back to the beginning of the day. I just can't believe I actually have a 4th grader now! Unfortunately, it was a really rainy and grey day (so I couldn't see you off to school outside like we normally do). Plus, you were not feeling the most cooperative in my taking of the usual "last day of school pictures" so here was the best I could get, (as you can see below).

My silly, ornery, newly minted 4th grader!

we missed having Daddy in these pictures with us...and I couldn't

get you to stand up with me and do the usual "timer shots", so here

was what I got. if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! right?!

you made me pose with your sign too, ha!

As if the last day of school wasn't exciting enough...the very next day was when Daddy came home to us! Pretty awesome, right?! He wasted no time in taking you out for a Daddy/Mali day that started out with breakfast at your favorite (Gena's) and wound up with putt-putt and creeking. It was much needed, one on one time with your dad. You missed him so much!

the old straw wrapper in the ear trick ~ nice shot, M!

I must say, I missed Daddy quite a bit too. Exhibit A, below.

On Memorial Day weekend, we also found ourselves at the Asian Festival which is always a nice time. Uncle Flint, Monica and their friends also met us down there for a brief time.

bubble tea!

want some chicken on a chopstick?

building a stick and grass structure while we watched

some amazing performances by acrobats and dancers

bracelet buddies

practicing your characters

I mentioned it was getting nicer and feeling like ice cream weather, right? It's also getting nice enough to really enjoy morning coffee on the deck in the sunshine. Well, I think I need to work with GG on his table manners. What do you think?

yikes, buddy! legs closed!

ahh...much better!

even Suzy was enjoying the morning sun

Later that day (after enjoying my morning coffee with my crotch-licking cat), we all took a bike ride together. Have I mentioned how absolutely fabulous it is to have Daddy home again?!

At some point, Daddy had brought you home a bike lock which you clearly adore. In fact, you insisted on locking your bike up right at the base of our front steps for the rest of the weekend. Watch your step, everyone!

Daddy and I also decided to take you and Anabelle to the pool together as well. With his new schedule, Daddy is home with us a heck of a lot more, even during the week, so fortunately we can do fun stuff like this now. Yay!

We got Happy Meals on the way home from the pool and I decided to join you kids too. After a nice time at the pool, I just didn't want to go back to adulting just yet. Ha.

if this smile doesn't express how much you love

having Daddy home, I don't know what does

we decided that this is the absolute best bathroom sign, ever!

And as usual, here are some random things I captured from the month and wanted to share with the world. You are such an interesting and funny little person.

And that, my dear, wraps up May. Onward and upward to our summer of fun next!

Love,
Mama

Easter Bunnies and Science Marches

M ~

Hi, Boo! So...April started with you and Daddy stopping after your 9 year pictures for a date with some pasta. Yum!

In keeping with that food theme, we also got to all spend a morning making lunches for the homeless community in Columbus with Hashtag Lunchbag. It was you and Daddy's second time but my first time. We made over a thousand lunches and you and Daddy even got to deliver a batch. It was a great way to spend time together as a family while trying to help our local community as well.

our friends that we met to help out...
Kelley, Michael, Jay, and Katie  

That same night, we even got to try out Daddy's new church. You helped out at the welcome tent with Daddy's buddy, Shannon, and were a huge asset with that awesome smile of yours.

The week before Easter was St. Phillip's traditional Easter egg hunt. Memaw and Papaw (and of course your cousins) were so happy to see you. Papaw also resumed his role as the Easter Bunny again. Such a good sport!

Uncle Kevin, Papaw, and Daddy

this is the basket you won ~
you were very excited!

you with your cousins, aunt, uncle, and
Papaw the Easter Bunny

Later that same day you had a play-date with your buddy, Jalysa (and her twin brother Jeffrey). What a spectacular day, right?!

Suzy finally got the all clear (yay!) and I think she is really enjoying her time back outside in the grass and feeling that warm sunshine where she no longer has to worry about me yelling at her to slow down, don't jump, or calm herself. Thank goodness for a smooth recovery.

And then...oh crap. Look who found my Monster (energy beverage). Late bedtime tonight, I guess!

And speaking of friends getting into things together, Easter Sunday was getting closer and closer so I decided to help you, Darion, and Anabelle color Easter eggs together. When finished, you all got the bright idea to sell them to the neighbors for $2 or $3 each. I didn't think you'd make any money but sure enough you made $15 total ($5 each)! Wow. I learned two things that day...1) our neighbors are very sweet and 2) being cute helps make sales!

Easter finally came and the following bunch of pictures are from all of our festivities. Enjoy! (because we sure did!)

early surprise from Lao Lao
(TMNT basket)!

You wanted to leave a carrot juice smoothie for the Easter Bunny the night before Easter, (It smelled like a garden).

We had your usual Easter egg hunt as soon as you woke up and the finale was this scooter in the bathroom.

I think you like it!

And the big booty of eggs that were full of candy and gold coins!

And airplane cookies! (you fell in love with these ginger snap type cookies when we went to Atlanta recently...how did the EB know?!)

Test drive.

Lao Lao also made birds' nests for us to eat for breakfast...little hash brown cups with bacon and eggs in the middle. They were fun and delicious! Leave it to Lao Lao to come up with a quirky and fun recipe.

Each of us got to take turns on your new Y flyer scooter. For once, one of your fun toys has a weight limit that supports the kids and the grown ups. Yay!

Then Courtney came over and we gave her the Easter basket we made for her and you also helped her find a bunch of eggs that you and Anabelle had hidden. It was nice to have her join us for our festivities and she even got to come to Pat and Connie's with us too!

the kiddos with their Easter baskets

We had our annual Easter lunch with the Wilkinsons at Pat and Connie's, then enjoyed watching you kids spread out through the yard for the traditional egg hunt. Below, you are (im)patiently waiting with your cousins for the adults to say you can go find Pat and Connie's eggs.

The following two pictures are Papaw getting busted helping you find an egg.

On the hunt.

Found all the eggs and got all your candy, now you are sugar-buzzing with Sam.

And of course, the obligatory Wilkinson Easter family picture. Everyone bitches and moans about taking these particular group shots (except for Memaw and me) but I know they secretly appreciate having these timeless keepsakes of memories.

And we even got a picture with just our little family...including Courtney. It's been great to have her here and in our family over the last year and a half while she's in school. She's such a good egg. We will miss her this summer, for sure.

Once Easter was in the bag, it was back to business as usual. One morning I took a half day off work so I could take you to a doctor's appointment. We got done super early and so instead of taking you to school and heading off to work, we stopped at IHOP for pancakes with our extra time. Best decision ever!

And speaking of business as usual, you have had to buckle down even more with homework toward the end of this year. Luckily (?), GG enjoyed "helping" you with homework this month too. Ha!

And a big craze from out of nowhere in April was Starbuck's Unicorn Frappucino. They only sold these concoctions for a week. Why? Who knows. Evidently, they changed colors and flavors (supposedly) as you drank it. Everyone and their brother was freaking out about it so of course we had to try it too. I had you and Darion split one and Daddy, Audrey, and I split another one. They were jam-packed with sugar but for under $5, totally worth it to see what all the fuss was about. Sometimes you just have to try the gimmicks for yourself.

That same night, you and Audrey were watching silly videos together. Not sure if the videos were all that funny or if you were both on a sugar high, but I love watching the two of you giggling together.

                     

While we had a lot of fun this month, we also participated in some activism at the Columbus' March for Science on Earth Day weekend. Not only was there a rally and a march, but there was a big event at the Commons with all kinds of local organizations that promote caring for our environment. It was a great event. I am always reminded of what a good little city we live in on days like this. Yay, science!

Lao Lao let you borrow her phone so you could take some pictures of the marchers from your vantage point, which the next pictures all show. Pretty great shots, kid!

my shot of you snapping shots

capturing Lao Lao's signs

The picture below shows not even a fraction of the marchers...there were SO many!

Lao Lao even made us our own lab coats to wear
for the march...pretty awesome, yeah!?!

Here you are contributing some of your own artwork (an Earth with a heart around it) for one of the local vendors. Nicely done, M!

Look, it's a scientist hula hooping!

These were some of my absolute favorite signs at the march!

Then, once home, we decided to enjoy our environment even more first hand as we took Suzy for a walk to begin strengthening her leg again. This was her first walk on the trail since her surgery. She did great.

you, me, Lao Lao, Anabelle, and Suzy
in the trail mirror for bike traffic

Later in the week we noticed that the woods behind our house are blooming like crazy and so you, Darion and Anabelle decided to start carving a fort out of the overgrown honeysuckle in the back yard. Technically, this is a totally invasive weed so I definitely don't mind that you are using it for something fun (and it smells great too)!

Since we are spending more time outdoors, GG let us know he does not like being stuck inside when we are all hanging out outside. Look at his pissed off face. Ha ha!

And then...3 kids, 1 dog, and 2 grown ups (who were just trying to watch tv) in 1 big bed...why, you might ask? One word ~ thunderstorm.

Finally, your Meddy Teddy arrived (a Christmas present from Audrey that has been on back order since forever)! You were so thrilled and it is adorable. It's a pose-able teddy bear that can do yoga with you. Super cute!

After doing several walks with us, I figured Suzy was finally ready to try running with me again. We both were so psyched to be back on the trail together, as you can see below. Exhibit A. Sun's out, tongue's out!

The following picture is basically just for my own posterity, so humor your old mama. Lao Lao bought tickets for us to go see Trae Crowder (The Liberal Redneck) and his comedian friends at The Funny Bone for an early Mother's Day gift. It was nice to have a night out with her and these guys are so kind, smart, well-spoken, and witty as hell! Trae is on the far left, and his buddies Drew and Corey are from left to right. Big thanks to Mom (Lao Lao) for doing this and big thanks to people like these guys for doing what they do. Political and social commentary within comedy...my favorite.

On one particularly gorgeous (even if a little chilly) day, we decided to swoop the dogs up in the car and take the family (plus Anabelle) to Hoover.

Suzy insisted on sitting on my lap in the front seat
(can you see me in the picture?)

I was so worried Daddy was going to fall in in his clothes.

That tongue is my favorite.

Sweet old lady, Almost 14 but still likes to get out and enjoy it all.

Slightly late but better late than never...we finally got your 9 year old pictures back! Daddy took you to get these done and I think they turned out great! My big kid!

And to round things out...here are some of the random screenshots I grabbed of various moments in April.

snapchat from Courtney when she
surprised you at school

running out to get dinner with Courtney

on a bike ride with Courtney, showing her the trail and
demonstrating your awesome navigational skills

And finally...a text from Daddy after we went for a walk. Poor Suzy hates being left behind.

So, baby...thank you for being our amazing kid for another fun month. Daddy and I are such lucky people.

Love,
Mama