Another Summer, Another T-Ball Season...

With this weekend, came Ivie's last t-ball game of the summer. I will tell you that she made significant strides over the last year! Her daddy has taught her how to "attack" ground balls, and, while she still didn't bang down the door on Saturday mornings to go to her games, she seemed to enjoy it when she arrived.

Dale was there to help with Macie, so I was able to bring along my camera (and I even remembered my zoom lens!) to get a few action shots of her last game.

The Walk to the Field

Still Her Favorite Part (Aside from the After-Game Snack)

Attacking and Catching (Well, Mostly!) Ground Balls





Talking to Her Coaches




Hitting (Eyes Shut, Eyes Open!)



Just Some Ball/Hat in the Air Shots I Like!




Wondering When Snack Time Would Arrive


And One of Macie, Looking Thrilled

This fall, we plan to give Gymnastics a go. So far, Ivie's mostly just excited to wear a leotard! More to come on that front, I'm sure...

Show-and-Tell, Round 56: The Bear with a Pillow

Yeah, this sweet bear doesn't have a name. In fact, I don't think Ivie even remembered it existed it until she asked to go searching through the stuffed animal bin in search of something to take for Show-and-Tell last week!

So, here you go. I've got nothing for you in terms of a story, since I can't remember where this came from, either!!!

On the Rocks

If I drank, this phrase might sound pretty good to me. But I don't. So it doesn't.

Instead, we'll talk about a different sort of "rock".

Today after Ivie's last t-ball game, as we walked back to the parking lot, the girls stopped to climb on a big rock that sits just off of the sidewalk. So I got out to camera, thinking to myself that I needed a new picture of the two of them together for my blog header. And what better spot to get such a picture than with them sitting on a big rock that both of them are scared to move around on (lest they fall off)? Right?

Well, as you'll see, they weren't in much of a mood to cooperate. Or at least not to look at me and smile at the same moment... Oh well, I'll take what I can get, I guess!

Wordless Wednesday (#26): Down. By. The River

Uncle Doug

It's interesting to me how some kids seem to be naturally comfortable with certain people. Macie is this way with Dale's brother, Doug. It doesn't matter how much time passes without us seeing him, Macie always runs right up to him and gives him a big bear hug. Yesterday was no different, when we ventured to Boone to spend a few hours at Doug's family's river property.

After spending some time wading in the river (including a short upstream jaunt to the bridge pulling the girls in the float which, sadly, gave me the best workout I'd had in a while), we were relaxing in lawn chairs watching folks float down the river. Macie climbed up into Doug's lap, and I grabbed the camera...

First, despite Doug's efforts, her attention was stolen by the floaters-by.




But it didn't take long for silly Uncle Doug to elicit a grin.







And then, almost as quickly as it began, it was time to move on to something else (like bothering her cousin in the hammock), and down Doug's lap she slid.


Sweet family moments...

Wordless Wednesday (#25): Trying On Ivie's New Shoes

(Yes, it was almost bath time.)

Chocolate Milk

Tonight, as I was cleaning up after dinner, I heard Macie playing in the refrigerator. Still one of her favorite pastimes (see here and here).

Next thing I knew, she was standing behind me, inquiring, "Mommy? Mommy?".

When I turned around and saw what she was holding, I had to go get the camera. By the time I was in position to take her picture, though, she'd had just about enough of having to follow me around. So while I didn't get a shot of her initial inquisitive face, these are pretty funny, too...



After drinking her chocolate milk, she settled down and started playing. And apparently decided to put the chocolate syrup back in the fridge...


Then, since I still had the camera out, I took a few more pictures. Just because she was being so cute...

Reasons 4 and 5...

Two more reasons why I love being a mommy. And short stories to support them.

4. Discovering a new tickle spot.

Last night at bedtime, I put Macie in her crib and she began her nightly routine of sitting upright, drinking out of her water bottle, and simultaneously patting her lap to get me to cover her up with her blanket. As she tilted her bottle up for a drink, I randomly reached over the crib rail and tickled her under her chin.

Macie erupted in laughter, almost choking on the water (whoops!). It was so funny that I couldn't help but continue the tickling. I wish I could have caught it on video. What is it about hysterical laughing that causes kids to get the hiccups?!? I'm just glad hiccups don't appear to be as annoying to toddlers as they are to adults. Or I'd have felt guilty.

5. Laughing at the random things that your children learn from you (without you intending to teach them).

Or, in this example, what Ivie has learned from Dale. And it doesn't take much of an explanation to get the picture.

You can always tell when Ivie walks into the bathroom if she has to go potty or poopy. Wanna know how?

If she's going poopy, she turns on the fan. NICE.

Pack a Pack!

Last Sunday at church, we learned of a World Relief effort for refugee children in the United States as the beginning of the school year draws near. It's called Back-2-School, and it involves buying supplies that these children need, but can't afford themselves.

Since today marked the start of our tax-free weekend in North Carolina, the girls and I headed to Target after dinner to stock a backpack to help a little girl (Ivie's choice) on her way to elementary school. While we ate dinner, I explained to Ivie what we would be doing. And, by the time we got to Target, she was ultra-excited. In fact, while we shopped, she told 3 or 4 strangers that we were "buying things for a little girl to take to school."

As we looked at the backpack selection, Ivie and I were in disagreement. She wanted to get a Dora backpack, and I wanted to get one a little less "character-y". I tried explaining to her that we didn't know how old the little girl was that would be getting this backpack, so it was hard to know if she would still like Dora. Ivie, of course, who thinks that everyone likes Dora, didn't take too kindly to that reasoning. As we talked, a young woman passed by, laughing, and said, "It sounds like you're doing the same thing as me...", and showed me her flyer for Back-2-School, as well! I finally convinced Ivie that when it came time for HER to go to Kindergarten, she could get a Dora backpack. But, for now, she needed to relent and go with the pink plaid one. Miraculously, she agreed!

Although we stretched bedtime out for this outing (and Macie made me pay for it by the time we got home), it was well worth it.

Another reason I love being a mommy?

3. Watching your child take pride in helping others and happily share her excitement with whomever will listen.


National Collection Week for the Back-2-School program is August 16-22, 2010. Check out this link to find out how you can "pack a pack", yourself!