Softball 2008

Another season of girls softball has come and gone. The only difference between this year and the past three seasons is that we had two children playing instead of just one. This makes for quite a busy spring! Alyssa moved up to 8 and under where the kids begin to pitch. I was a little worried at first about her adjusting but she did great! She's not the fastest kid but she hits pretty consistently. Her team finished first place for the season! Way to go Sluggers! Anniston's team was coached by her dear Daddy. We weren't sure how she would do either but she pulled through and is quite a natural! Maybe it comes from watching her sister play for the first three years of her life before giving it a shot herself. We have had some little ones run from first to third, at least Anniston has seen it enough that she knew how to run the bases! She usually got bored before the game was up, 75 minutes is a long time when you are 4. Her team finished 4th out of 5 teams, what can I say, they were definitely the youngest team! They had the most four year olds; Annistons best friend was on her team, Jerrica and she is just 3! So congrats to the Road Runners on learning a lot this season and having fun! Anniston does say, however, she wants to play again next year, that is of course, if Jerrica can be on her team!

I Hope You Dance....

Alyssa and Anniston both took dance at Mann Dance in Prattville this year. Well, Alyssa took baton and gymnastics while Anniston took tap, ballet, and gymnastics. So its been recital time the past two weeks around here. That means costumes, makeup, dress rehearsals, hair, ribbons, bobbie pins and safety pins, flowers, and MONEY! :) It was worth all the time and moola spent though to see our beautiful girls on stage performing (albeit was only about 2 minutes each performance). I couldn't have been prouder of them. You wouldn't have caught me on a stage in front of that many people ever- not even to this day. Anniston loved the limelight while Alyssa had a little stagefright although she did both of her routines without skipping a beat- something else I couldn't do! They each enjoyed their special nights!

Best Speller

School is winding down and as the year comes to an end, so comes the annual event every parent looks forward to- Awards Day! The day to see your child handed a certificate of some type which you take lots of pictures of and then neatly file away (or scrapbook if you're in to that) so your child will always have it in years to come. Friday was Awards Day at Alyssa's school for her Pod. I had bought the cutest blue (her favorite color) dress with matching blue glittery flip flops and I could see her in it as the guy at Gap Kids was ringing me up! We were ready. Fast forward to Thursday afternoon (the day before Awards Day!) and she brings home a note that reads...."We have decided to wear our t-shirts we made on Awards Day so please send your child in jeans or a skirt.".... JEANS and a T-SHIRT!!! For Awards Day??? I am crushed! There goes the perfect blue dress hanging in the closet. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all about Alyssa's artistic side and showing off her work, but on a Hanes 3 pack t-shirt on Awards Day? No, and certainly not in jeans! So off we head to Target to at least find a skirt so I'm not completely scarred at having to send Alyssa in jeans. So Friday morning comes and I get her ready for the Big Day. Nanny, Jill and Josh, me and her daddy and sisters are all going to be there for her 12 seconds of fame! :) They go by classes and hers is the second class to be awarded individually. They get to her friend Brian Jones and she is next, Alyssa Kelley.... "All A Honor Roll (thats my girl!), 50 point club (the Accelerated Reader program), and Best Speller Award" We clap like she's won an oscar and is accepting it in a Target skirt and handmade t-shirt! Yep, that is our Alyssa. While she may never win an athletic scholarship, she is very studious! And, her t-shirt she made....well, I don't think she could have looked cuter- even in the perfect blue dress!

Preschool Promotion

Today was Anniston's Preschool Promotion Ceremony. She started going to Wee CBC (Coosada Baptist Church) in January. We didn't start her in August because I was expecting Ayden Claire in September and I just felt like it would be too much. I wanted to adjust to having three before we put anything else on our plate, like preschool! And, honestly, Anniston was still my "baby" and I wasn't in a rush to send her off three mornings a week. But then Ayden Claire came and I realized my "baby" was not such a baby anymore. It hit me how much of a big girl she had become and no one bothered to tell me she wasn't a "baby" anymore! So by December I knew it was time to let Anniston spread her wings and go to "school" so I enrolled her at Wee CBC and she was set to start after the Christmas break. Never has she been so excited! She almost didn't make it the 3 weeks until time to start. We went on a Disney Princess backpack hunt. December is not exactly the time stores have lots of backpacks to choose from but we finally found one at Rack Room Shoes (thank goodness!). So off she went, Disney Princess accessorized and ready to conquer the world of 3 year old preschool. She put on her brave face for day one and hugged me good-bye and my "baby" made it through her first day! Not that I doubted she would, Anniston however, has always been my little sidekick. Whereas Alyssa was born with wings and ready to fly the coop, Anniston is a little less enthusiastic about the great big world outside of her comfort zone. Yes, there have been mornings Ms. Angie had to pry her off my legs and I've left her in tears a few times. I think the show is more for me than her true desire to not be left! She has loved school and made lots of new friends. Jerrica is her best friend! I think she was just as proud as her teacher when a little boy in her class, Hayden, went potty by himself! She talks about going to music and art and playing outside. We went on a field trip to fish at Lanark (and had a blast!). She has learned a lot and although its been hard for us to part at times, I think we made the right decision and sent her at the right time! We will miss Ms. Angie next year, but I know she will have a great teacher. I can't wait to see what excitement 4 year old preschool brings....I can already see her in her cap and gown graduating....okay, I'll slow down. I'm not quite ready for my "baby" to be there yet!

Happy Mothers Day!

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Build your own Blingee


Tomorrow is Mothers Day! I can't believe I have been a mommy for 8 years now, plus the year I was pregnant for the first time. I love being my childrens mother more than anything else in this world. They drive me nuts at times but I wouldn't trade these busy, crazy, hectic, messy days for anything. I know they will all too soon be turning into young women and having families of their own. So I am trying to cherish all the moments with them now, while they are little girls. I love you girls, oh so much! And I must also thank my wonderful husband for giving me our three precious daughters.

"Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted."

To A Daughter...
If I kept you too close, it was because you were such a joy to be near.
If I embarrassed you by bragging about you too much, it was because I was so proud of the person you are.
If I pushed too hard or expected too much, it was because I knew you were capable of great things.
If I didn't give you as much freedom as I should have, it was because I wanted to protect you from those whom your innocent heart didn't realize would harm you.
If I didn't let you be "you", then that was just plain wrong because "you" are a "masterpiece."
And if I'm stil holding on too tightly, it is because letting you go is so hard.
Tonna Canfield

UPS Drivers Rock...

In the car the other day, Alyssa informed me she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. Hmmmm....I'm thinking she's about to say a vet or dentist, the two she usually mentions. "I want to be a UPS driver!" she tells me excitedly. "Okay...." I respond. I'm just wondering where in the world the child came up with that as what she wants to do! She doesn't make me wait very long to find out her reason behind this chosen career, "Well, they get to ride in the big truck all day without any doors. I think that would be cool to ride without doors!" I'm chuckling to myself, fortunately she's on row three and can't see me. "Thats right," I tell her, "and you get to deliver packages to people all day and you know how exciting it is to get a package, so you would get to make people happy all day!" She's already back to fighting with Anniston over something else, I'm not sure she hears me. It doesn't matter to her, she was just intrigued by the prospect of riding in a vehicle without doors. Who knows what she'll be when she's an adult, I hope it makes her happy though, and if she does go the UPS route, I hope she buckles up and doesn't make any sharp left turns!
Now for the latest on my middle child, Anniston, who was just evaluated for speech therapy at her school a few months back. She didn't quite make it for needing therapy, she said to many letters. However, she has a handful that she can't say and this makes her hard for others to understand at times. One of those is L. So at our house, we know what "Awyssa", "I wove you", and "I don't like those cwothes" all mean. Well, all of a sudden the other day I notice that when Anniston talks it sounds strangley different to me. It took me a few hours before I finally realized what it was, she was actually pronouncing the letter "L". I couldnt' believe how different her saying that one letter correctly made her entire speech. Every time I hear her say "Alyssa" I do a double take! I'm glad she won't forever be saying "W"'s for "L"'s but I will never forget the days when her sissy was "A-wyssa!"
Little Ayden Claire is trying to crawl now! She gets where she wants by dragging herself and rolling. We were at the park several days ago and I noticed a little boy about 2 or so staring at Ayden Claire. Finally he looked up at his mommy and pointed to her and, sounding a little confused, said "Look at that brown baby...." I just laughed. If you have seen my children, they definitely take after their dad with their olive skin tone. I am the whitest chick in the house! I think the little boy was wondering why she was so "brown" and with such a "white" woman. His mother looked a little embarrassed by her son's comment. I have gotten many laughs about it though and now we call her, jokingly, "brown baby" because, well, she really is brown!