Molly had award day at school. She cleaned up, getting a math, reading, and the highly coveted principal's award for being an all around special kid. Proud of our little achiever!
Maggie came and cheered for her sis. Maggie is kind of obsessed with Molly's class. All of the kids and even the parents are celebrities to her. We'll be walking in to pick up Molly and she be whispering to me "that's _____'s mom!" "Molly said (s)he...(insert crazy kid story here)".
Walking to dinner the other night, Molly was pointing out the stained glass at church.
We went to J.I.'s Star Wars birthday party last week so we were inspired to dust off the DVDs and see if Molly would like them. She loves them. She even likes episodes 4-6 better-just like you're supposed to. She did watch 1-3 too just to round out the story-but she loves Leia. I wish I had a video of when she found out that Vader is Luke's father as well as when she found out Leia and Luke we're siblings. It was hilariously perfect.
After watching her first movie she had to go a draw a picture of Leia.
Papa had some painting to do, so he enlisted his little helpers. They were a catastrophe afterwards.
We went to Bryn's birthday this past weekend. The girls had a blast running around acting crazy. Molly got to see her future roommate Grayson. She told me the other day that she wishes she could just move into a house with Grayson so they could do whatever they want without anyone telling them what to do. It's just like that Beach Boys song except instead of holding "each other close the whole night through" She's envisioning eating junk food and not having to pick up after herself or brush her teeth or go to bed.
baby frito bandito?
...or maybe, The most interesting baby in the world.
She can be such a stubborn little punk, but she cracks us up daily with her antics.
Here's a sampling of conversations you might have with her:
Me to Maggie: "Pluto is not a planet"
Maggie: "Oh-yeah. Pluto is a dog on Mickey Mouse"
Or how she can't play Monopoly nicely. She freaks out when she has to pay for anything. "I WANT MY MONEY BACK!"
It gets kind of scary.
Catching some rays. It's basically summer already here.
Spring Break is wrapping up, so I thought I should post some of our spring activities.
Jonny is the best sport and frequently takes the girls golfing while I stay at home. I did join them the other day. The whole process does seem to be more tolerable than the last time I went with them. I may join them more often.
Helping daddy find his golf balls.
Molly was supposed to go with her class to see a local ballet production of Hansel and Gretel. There was a mix up and they didn't get to go-she burst into tears when I told her. I luckily was able to take the gilrs myself. It was really a fun show so I was glad I was able to go too. Don't worry, Maggie did wear shoes when we were inside. We're not that hillbilly.
We went to a birthday party beforehand and Maggie just couldn't make it through the whole thing. I felt bad because the Hansel and Gretel part was after intermission and she had been looking forward to it. After the show she woke up and thought it was intermission and was bummed it was over. Poor thing.
They worked hard at Maggie's school to get her to at least attempt a smile.
Over spring break we went to Sea World again. They love getting their faces painted.
Blue Steel.
Molly was sad she didn't get to go to the fair this year. She's been sick for half the week. I thought we might be able to drag her there today, but it just wasn't going to happen. Maggie and I did get to go and hang out with Molly's friend Bryn.
Of course Maggie wouldn't go on rides so she probably wasn't a very fun fair friend for Bryn.
More face painting fun.
Happy Easter! We survived another holiday!
Checking out their country club haul.
Here we are trying to take a nice picture of all of us while Maggie protests. Thanks to Mere for capturing this precious moment.
Maggie cooperating on her own terms.
Taking this picture was their idea, so I don't know why they look like I'm making them do it.
The fun didn't stop after her birthday party. Molly had a good time on the 11th too. Gran and I took cupcakes to her class, which is just so much fun when you're in kindergarten! Maggie even got to join the class party. She was cracking us up. She was sitting by Molly, and when Mrs. Warren was quieting them down to line up for art, she did all the little prompts, just as directed. "Mouths closed, bubbles in. Zip it up, tape it up" she even went and lined up quietly with them. I was tempted to just send her ass to art with them. She's little, but there are so many of them, she could probably pass!
Her official birthday cupcake with 6 candles!
Maggie loves tape. Here she had decided she would make a cast out of tape. It was actually a huge pain to take it off.
Molly and sweet Pea fell asleep holding hands.
Costume day! Unfortunately, I don't think Maggie is going to be going back to dance. She was doing well for awhile, but the past month she has regressed and won't go in. It drives me crazy, because she loves to talk about dance class and how much she loves it, but when it's actually time to go in, she's not having it.
Playing on Mere's saddle. I told her to open her eyes😳
On St. Patty's Day I hadn't remembered what day it was and so this is what I threw on. Maggie saw me getting dressed and said "oh! I have those shorts! I can wear them!" And off she went to get herself dressed. I thought it was so funny that she wanted to match me, I didn't bother changing when I remembered it was St. Patrick's Day.
I will call her Minime
Here's another awesome outfit put together by Maggie. For the most part, my kids dress themselves and I don't argue.
What? Maggie smiling at school?!? Impossible! Judging from her reaction when I drop her off, I would have never thought it was possible.
Molly has wanted to have a lemonade stand forever! She's had a few little compound ones before, but she wanted more customers! Ones who weren't obligated to buy from her. We had some extra lemonade from her party, so we went to the paint store and set up shop.
They did pretty well! $10 profit!...if you assume you're 6 and your parents still pay for everything.
I love her sign with her lemon drawings and the stickers that Maggie fought hard for.
Strangly enough, Maggie was actually the more gregarious of the two. Once when a customer walked in, she very loudly in a dramatic voice said "Hewo! Would you like to buy some Wemonade!". Molly was kind of embarrassed. I think she took her business more seriously. Still, they both had fun and even sold out.
For her birthday, Gran got Molly an American Girl Molly McIntire doll. She had thought ahead and bought it for her back when they were retiring her. She's pretty much in love with it and has dressed her in her night clothes and then back into real clothes for two nights in a row now. She came with the Meet Molly book which we have already read. When we finished the book, we talked about the moral of the story, which is basically two wrongs, don't make a right. A bit later, she was curled up in bed with her doll and she says "two Molly's make a right" Awe, so cute! Right?
Boxed up and ready for shipment.
Her birthday party was this past weekend. She had a blast with all her buddies.
Posing with her Elsa cake. After we sang, and she had blown out the candles, she staked her claim on the candles (licking them), saying "I want the candles!" Not missing a beat, Maggie said "I want the cake!".
Waiting for piñata candy. Thanks to Jessica for snapping this picture.
Some parents who are good at parties know where to get fancy piñatas (Elsa effigies). We don't plan ahead like that, so Molly got a donkey from Food City. She warmed up to it.
Hanging out with Lorelei
I've actually been pretty social lately! We went out for Ramsey's birthday...to Red's...an actual bar. Friends for 25 years! No way is that possible!
Together for 16 years, married for 12 next month! No way is that possible!
Last week Allysia, Ramsey and I went to a BYOB painting class. It was really fun!
Check it out! Hahaha
We also went to lettuce days. Molly got a pony ride.
Have you met Maggie's evil twin?
Molly's actual birthday is Wednesday! 6 years old! No way is that possible!
Finally! Something happened that prompted me to get going and write a post! It's not that nothing has happened in the past few months, but nothing this good. It was completely random and unexpected too, so it makes it that much better. Today my dad came over with a treat for the girls. Salt and vinegar CRICKETS! so exciting! When he brought them out, Molly seemed disgusted (who can blame her?)and I was definitely not going to be the trailblazing good example of trying new things. Plus, I don't like vinegar. Molly then completely surprised me by popping one in her mouth with very little fanfare. I was unprepared for this, so here is the video of Molly's 2nd cricket. It's a shame I didn't record the first one since it was more fully formed.
Maggie came around eventually with a little persuading.
We're super lucky that we get to go to my childhood home 2 times a week almost every week. I'm there so much, I honestly don't even really feel nostalgic about it or anything. Here's Maggie helping in the Jordan garden, standing in front of my former playhouse.
Maggie is such a funny little thing. Her favorite song to sing, she has made up herself. It's call "Fastest Baby" It goes "I'm the fastest baby!" repeated over and over and over. The other night, Jonny says to me "Maggie really takes that fastest baby shit seriously" and he's right, she does. If they are racing to the bedroom and Molly beats her in there, she bursts into tears and screams "NO! You're not the fastest baby! I am! You're the SLOWEST baby." So hilarious.
Here she is with the muse for her fastest baby song, her tricycle.
Awe.
Don't let Gran see this picture
I'm pretty sure Ramsey is the inspiration for Molly's look.
It was kind of unexpected, but I love this cat. She's seriously awesome.
Wrapping up a package
Trying to move it.
It's contents
She's seriously awesome.
Isn't it fun to have kids help in the kitchen? This is one of those things where fantasy doesn't mesh with the reality. It's going to be 100 times messier and take twice as long and there's the possibility that at any moment they can completely destroy the recipe by dumping a whole package of salt into it. I'm hoping it gets better.
Molly got her ears pierced! She's wanted to for a long time and I have put her off. One weekend she was particularly forceful and I think Jonny just got sick of listening to her. So Jonny took her to Claire's and let her do it. My mom told us of the doom and gloom that awaited us (In fairness to her, Mere's ear piercing story is pretty icky), but it's almost been 6 weeks now and we haven't had any problems. She of course got the Elsa's. Fair warning, Molly breaks a commandment in the video-Looking at you Bryn! hahaha.
Looking good!
I asked Maggie if she wanted hers done too, She's a definite "No!". It's funny though because she LOVES watching the video over and over. I hate to say it but I think she's entertained by Molly's pain.
Jonny's such a good dad. They all fell asleep watching a movie the other night. The movie was likely terrible, so her really is a good sport.
Naps can strike at anytime.
Since the beginning of these posts almost 6 (yikes!) years ago, I have brought up our children's various terrible sleep habits at their various ages. They are still not great sleepers and it has gotten to the point where Jonny just leaves our bed when one of them shows up. Sometimes he goes to their room, but lately he's been trying out the guest cottage. I should probably fix this mess, but I'm usually asleep, so it's difficult. I mention all this because the other night, I woke up and Jonny was standing and Maggie was in bed with me. I hadn't placed everyone yet, so I was asking him what he was doing, where he was planning on going. He says to me that he's going to go over to the cottage and Maggie (seemingly completely asleep next to me) says "It's okay Daddy, I still love you." I don't know if she was really awake or just has some great sleep talk timing, but I was cracking up. Such little punks!
Papa had some painting to do, so he enlisted his little helpers. They were a catastrophe afterwards.
We went to Bryn's birthday this past weekend. The girls had a blast running around acting crazy. Molly got to see her future roommate Grayson. She told me the other day that she wishes she could just move into a house with Grayson so they could do whatever they want without anyone telling them what to do. It's just like that Beach Boys song except instead of holding "each other close the whole night through" She's envisioning eating junk food and not having to pick up after herself or brush her teeth or go to bed. 
