Walnuts, windows and fudge

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After a long – long – long day of driving home from Delaware, we bring the big kids over to Julie’s. Julie bought Thai food for all of us to share.

Exhausted, grateful and full, you and I say thank you and start to leave the backyard.

As we are doing so, I look up at just the moment your brother decides to launch something from his lacrosse stick in the general direction of the backyard neighbor’s house. To everyone’s shock and horror, the next thing we hear is a window crashing.

Dan shares in the shock and turns away from the house abruptly, explaining that it was a walnut. (I don’t think he thought it would go that far.)

I take you over to the house where no one appears to be home to see if we can patch up the window to keep bugs out while Julie monitors Dan’s writing of an apology note.

As you and I get out of our car to walk up to the house, you say, “Mama, should we bring the fudge? It might help.” I smile. You wanted to give the owners the fudge you have been eating on for 3 days from Delaware.

After we meet the owners, apologize, trade numbers, etc., you quietly said, “Should I get the fudge now?” You did and Ron gratefully took a chunk, ate it and expressed sincere gratitude.

You are a treasure.


Ikebana – first school project

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Today you are presenting your findings from your first research project for school. You were assigned Japanese art – your second choice (food was your first choice). You were very sad and frustrated, because you really wanted to study food. I suggested that we look into what you were assigned a bit more to see if you might have some interest in that. “What is Ikebana?” Neither of us knew.

We googled it and guess what we found – Ikebana is JAPANESE FLOWER ARRANGING!!!

We laughed and celebrated!! Holy cow, there could NOT have been a better fit for our flower girl!!! You are outside almost every morning in spring (and have been for YEARS) picking flowers and making arrangements – for me, for your teacher, for whomever you could think of!

After weeks of research, writing, practicing, and revising, here we are. The day of the project presentation.

I just dropped you off with all of your supplies, your arrangement and the trifold you made with Daddy last night. I will join you for lunch and your presentation later today.

Here are some pictures from this morning:

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Ikebana

Introduction

Information

Conclusion

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you LOVE to pick flowers

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One of your TRUE and consistent joys is exploring nature and collecting it. Now that spring is here, you SO LOVE picking and smelling flowers!!

Here are some of the beauties in our front yard. We planted these as a family (all five of us) last fall! So very wonderful! Thanks God!!

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God is so good!


making collages

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siobhan

Last Sunday, you spent quite a long time making a beautiful collage for your friend Siobhan!! She loved it!!

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Later that day you made one for Daddy Jim, and we mailed it to him at his conference in CA:
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mama says…

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You giggle every time you tell the story –

“Mama says she doesn’t want me to grow up. She wants me to stay her little girl. But I’m not! I’m being a BIG GIRL!!”

And you GRIN the biggest grin at me every time you tell it.

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Tonight we giggled and giggled and giggled over dinner… as we listened to our cooked cherry tomatoes pop and feel the burst between our teeth, one by one, until we had consumed about a pint and a half! You bring so much JOY to my life, Peanut Butter!


trail blazer

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We took Macy to the park yesterday, and you were different than you have ever been…noticing new things, pulling us in all kinds of unexpected directions, and chatting it up with Macy. 🙂 I don’t think you even SEE the trails… you have no need to stay on the beaten path… You are ALL about carving your own trail regardless of how muddy, full of sticks and bushes, or steep.

What an amazing little person you are!

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Never stop blazing your own trails, Baby Girl!!



sill have a bit of making up to do…

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But before more time goes by, I just want to say how awesome it is to be near you these days, and how even MORE awesome it is to be your Mom! You have a million words! And most of them PACKED with personality… Let’s see, here are some of the more common or more recent phrases:

“I am NOT happy.” (imagine your fists on each hip)
“I’ll be right back.” (imagine your list 2.5 year old self holding up you whole hand toward Mom or Dad as you walk away… sometimes right out the front door!)
“I’m SO proud of you Mom” (imagine you holding both of my cheeks in your little hands)
“I’m going to go WIFF you!”
“Dad, where’s the remote?”
“I’m going to work now”

In general, you’re putting longer sentences together now… yesterday I counted a nine-word sentence.

Here are a bunch of pictures that show different aspects of your personality. You’re such an AWESOME kid!!

What a loaded smile…
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You were the first to see (and chase) a little chipmunk… do you see it here?)
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Climbing (which you do on EVERYTHING!)
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My beautiful girl…
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And some with our neighbors and friends…

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more picts from the neighborhood

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helping neighbor

We have such a wonderful time running around the neighborhood after dinner most nights. On this night, you first helped Joe and Martha water their plants.

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While you were at it, you “watered” our neighbor Alan after his run in the hot sun.

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Then we played a bit with Hannah and Timmy before heading to bed.

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Check out the videos from these events: watering help and watering Alan and rolling with Hannah and rolling, rolling, rolling.

Life is good. Thank you God!


a wedding, a playdate and a dance

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We had a VERY busy day today!

First, I sang at our friends’ Jen & Cory’s wedding with the Gospel choir. While I was there, you and Daddy went to Gymboree and the playground!
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I came home after the wedding to pick up Daddy for the reception. Aunti Judi came over to play with you a bit and put you down for your nap. Here are a couple pictures from Jen and Cory’s reception:
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After a THREE & A HALF hour nap (at which time I woke you up… maybe it was a growth spurt), you and I headed out to meet our friends Marlie and her Mom for a playdate at the playground:
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Daddy met us all for a picnic in the park before he headed off to work for the night.
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Then you and I went to Jimmiqua’s 8th grade formal to take a few pictures for her. While we waited for her to arrive, you danced in the middle of the floor to the music the DJ was playing. Jimmiqua looked absolutley BEAUTIFUL!! Can you believe she is 14 already?!?! She really enjoyed introducing you to all of her friends as her niece!
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Highlights of the day for me?
* Using my new camera (Daddy bought me a new camera, becuase my old one broke last Friday… I’ve had to use my cell phone camera in the meantime.)
* Watching you share your strawberries so generously with Marlie. Listening to you help her use her “please” and “thank you’s” cracked me up!
* Watching you dance.
* Giggling with you before bed.
* Watching you sleep during your 3.5 hour nap!
* Being part of Jen and Cory’s very special day!
* Pushing you on the swing.
* Knowing you and Judi had time to play together.
* Watching you hang out with neighbors Joe and Martha on their front porch.
* Having a date with Daddy – We met new friends at the reception- Su & Justin. They might come have ice cream with us in a couple weeks.
* Getting to start and end my day with you.

*whew* After reading all of this, I am ready for bed! : ) Thank you, Peanut, for an awesome day!! I love you to pieces, and I am so proud of you!
*Mommi