WATER BALLOONS....

We've had some wonderful hot weather lately; so I thought it would be a good time to introduce Bailey to the world of water balloons. I purchased some, filled them up and then took my unknowing 4 year old out into the front yard to...soak her.

Well...it didn't quite go as planned. Because of my strange sense of humor (you can thank my father for this), I had Bailey stand back several feet and I told her she was to catch the water balloon. Yes...I knew she would probably miss and it would fall to the cement, breaking, soaking her....that was the point.

So, my sweet/innocent little girl stands back arms wide open ready to receive the prize and...she misses and...it hits the cement and....it does NOT break! That silly water balloon actually bounced like a ball! When I explained to Boo how it was suppose to work, she thought that was silly so she picked up the balloon and threw it and...again, it bounces! Needless to say, it took us quite a bit of time to go through 20 "bouncy" water balloons but, when they broke, Bailey was not only quite proud of herself but, she also thought it was great fun :)

YEAR END PERFORMANCE...

Bailey's school had their year end performance last night. It was really, really cute. Boo did a wonderful job. This time around she seemed a bit more shy (and distracted) on stage but... I think that might have been because I was sitting in the front row with the video camera :) After the performance, the children went back to their classrooms to say goodbye to their teacher and to pick up their diplomas...it was bittersweet. Time goes by so quickly, it really does amaze me that her first time in school, this first year of preschool, is already over. Lucky for us, next year she'll have a couple of her friends from this year, plus a boy from church in her class so...I think the transition will be fairly easy.

So...onto summer and Georgia's heat! Bring on the swimsuits!! :)

ZOO AND...SECOND TRIMESTER!

Saturday, we spent the day at the zoo. It was a lot of fun and we had a GREAT time! Bailey is 4 years old; when she was 2 we had a season pass however, we have not been back since then. It was amazing to see just how much more she could do/understand during this last visit. We could really see what a big girl she's becoming. The zoo had added a couple of new exhibits, which was really nice, and while it was pretty warm (close to 90 I think) by the time we left around 2:30p, for the most part...it was really comfortable.

I'm now 13 weeks and the second trimester officially begins on Tuesday. Here is some amazing information I came across:

Your baby is actually quite large by now, a whopping 3 inches long in some cases and weighs in at roughly .7 ounces. By 13 weeks pregnant your baby's intestines are working on maturing and your baby's tiny pancreas is working hard to produce insulin. This will help your baby regulate her blood sugar levels in the months and years following delivery.

Your baby's eyes also start to move closer to the center of your baby's head. The head can move easily from side to side and up and down, and the facial features are starting to form. Your baby's arms have almost reached final proportion and length, though the legs are still quite short relative to the baby's body. At 13 weeks pregnant, your baby can now probably flex its arms and kick its legs. He or she may also be able to put a thumb in his or her mouth, although the sucking muscles are not yet completely developed.

The sockets for all twenty teeth are formed in the gums, and vocal cords are beginning to form. Other things happening at this time are the appearance of fingernails, the beginnings of fingerprints and footprints, the start of vocal cord formation, the appearance of visible ribs. The trachea, lungs, stomach, liver, pancreas, and intestines are developing into their final functioning form.

It's that amazing?!







As you can tell...Mommy took all the photos this trip :)

IT'S ALMOST OVER!

Monday is Bailey's last day of school (she currently attends Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings). Her first year of preschool is over...I can't believe it! I cried the first day I dropped her off and I have to say...I still get a little sad each time I drop her off. It's been really good for her though and I know she's looking forward to next year. She's grown so much over this past year....definitely not a baby anymore. This makes me sad but...it's also very exciting to watch.

Her year end program is Tuesday night...we're so excited!

The picture is small (sorry...it scanned small), but if you double click on it, it should pull up a larger version.

END OF A SEASON...

Tball season ended yesterday. Boo had her final game and then there was an awards ceremony later that night where each player received a trophy. It's pretty cute actually....on the top there is a girl softball player and on the bottom the year and name of her team.

Over the past couple of weeks, Bailey has come to enjoy the game. She's been more involved during the games (even running for a ball here and there) and has made 3 or 4 hits with the coach pitching to her (instead of hitting off the stand). She asked me yesterday if she would play again, to which of course I said YES :) So...we're excited and looking forward to next year!

Great job baby girl!

SUNSHINE+WATER+BFF= PERFECTION!

Yesterday, Glenna and I took the girls to the Silver Comet fountain. They had a blast! We were there for 2 hours and I'm pretty sure they would have stayed longer if given the chance. There was lots of running, splashing and laughing. The weather was warm and the water cool...it was a great combination :)






I never get tired of these smiles!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

It's true what they say...being a parent is the toughest job you'll ever do. You've never known exhaustion, frustration or a complete lack of any sense or wisdom...until you become a parent. But's what's even more true is...until you become a parent, you'll never know just how deeply you can love. How the simple act of watching your child read a book, interact with a friend, play in the sprinkler or even just sleep...how those things can fill you with more joy than you've ever felt...then you ever thought possible really. I truly believe, that Christ gives us the opportunity to become parents, so that we can begin to fully understand His love for us.

Happy Mother's Day to those special women in my life. I love each and everyone of you.

ART SHOW...

Last week, Bailey's school had an art show where they displayed several pieces that the kids had done over the school year. They lined the halls with different pieces so you had to walk through the corridors looking for your child's pieces. It was kind-of fun for Boo to search for her art but, truth be told, I think she was more interested in the refreshments table with the juice, fish crackers and cookies :) Below are a couple of pieces that she did.

PICTURE DAY...SMALL TOWN IN A BIG CITY.

This weekend they had picture day for Bailey's tball team. She's still not thrilled with tball, but she doesn't fight going so, on some level, I have to believe she likes some part of it :) When we signed up, the registration included a uniform; that uniform included these socks that (let's just say) come up way past the top of Boo's thighs (the uniforms are obviously made for older kids). This being said, I haven't had her wear them but I noticed (of course of picture day) that some of the parents got around this by folding the socks down. Such a simple solution! Can you tell that I wasn't very athletic growing up?? :)

The game was good, it was a warm day. What I was struck by most yesterday (emotional pregnancy hormones kicking in I guess) was the "small town" feeling of the game. Atlanta is a large city with millions of people. And even though Smyrna is one of the many suburbs (in a city where the suburbs seem to melt together), yesterday's game felt very small town. We sat with other parents on a small set of bleachers with only our two teams on this small field, we stood as the Star Spangled Banner was played and we at burgers and hot dogs cooked of a BBQ at the small church-ran concession stand. It had a really nice feel to it. It's the one reason I may have Bailey try tball again next year...simply because I think this organization does it so well.

After the game, we went to the Smryna square and walked around the Jonquil Festival (something the city of Smryna throws every year). We ate...and ate...and ate. It was great! :) The square has this wonderful pond with lots of trees (shade) and benches; so we sat for what must have been an hour just enjoying the weather and allowing Boo to watch the large Koi fish, turtles and ducks (including a mama duck with her ducklings).

It was a very sweet day....