Together Again!

Even though it was a working weekend for the Mama's . . .

 Aren't they pretty?  Of course, I think so!!

The Cousins were together again!!

And just look at the off-spring!!  Perfect Models!

Mimi's Fabulous Five!

You see, Mama of the A girls has another new job ~~

She's now a Matilda Jane Clothing Trunkkeeper and Mama of the C girls hosted a party for her.  It was a very eventful ride up on Friday night (2 quick pitstops on the side of the road and a roundabout detour) but there was a great turnout for the party and, of course, the giggles and games made it all worthwhile.

Busy weekend for everyone:  Daddy of the C girls had a 3-day golf tournament and was home only for the night we arrived; CJ had fall Flight basketball tryouts on Saturday morning; Mama B dashed home from tryouts, changed clothes and was ready to party;  while AC was determined to learn to ride CE's bike without training wheels.

Still dressed in your pj's, you all hurried outside after breakfast for CE to give a little bike-riding expedition before coaching AC as Granddaddy helped her steady the bike.

Just look at you go!!

Way to ride, Ailee; Great coaching, Cybil!!

Love the contrast in these two pics ~

in the top one complete concentration as she's trying to get her balance; then, a smile of accomplishment in the bottom one showing she's got it under control!

AG was not going to be outdone--she found her a new car!

Unfortunately, Cybil and Adelynn weren't still long enough for pictures.  Mimi's going to have to do something about this outside pj wearing, I guess.  I think I hear Gran fussing at me, something about being little Southern ladies.

Quick baths and ya'll were ready to be MJ models . . . well, when you weren't playing "Life" and eating all the party snacks!

Thanks for having us for a quick visit, C girls and family!!  We had a great time as usual but it will be a long dry spell on the Acre until Thanksgiving without a house full of giggles!

Mimi's silly Monkeys!!

I love all of you all the muches, even with gum hanging out of your mouth!!

The Visitors . . .

. . . came again this morning as I was "piddling" in the backyard.  It's so hot Mimi can only work outside a little while before noon ~ this morning's chore was cutting down those tall yellow iris Granddaddy hates.  I decided to take a break and started to the house when a movement toward the vegetable garden caught my eye.

They were here!!

At first I only saw Mama looking at me as if to ask permission to eat.  I quickly told her to go ahead and I would go in and not bother her.  I hurried up the stairs to get Granddaddy to look out our bedroom window and, low and behold, there were more!

There were 4 of them ~ a mama, last year's baby, and this year's twins ~ they were eating the left-over beans from where Granddaddy had taken up the stakes and let them fall on the ground. On most of their earlier visits, they had eatten okra leaves completely off the stalks, leaving just bare sticks standing.  Granddaddy took a picture with his camera but it wasn't close enough so Mimi found this one on the web.  With a mama and twins, it could have been them except the area of the yard where they were isn't this green now.  Just picture another one slightly shorter than mama and the picture would be complete.

Aren't they beautiful?

Don't you like my Friday morning visitors?

Mimi's just so excited to have them visit because at our country area we would have as many as 15 in the yard at one time.

Something spooked them  . . . Granddaddy called, "Hurry, they're in the front yard."   Mama, older sister, and one of the twins had dashed quickly to cover.  When I got there, all I saw was the last baby skipping along to find mama.  She reminded me so much of you, Ailee, always doing your own thing and getting left far behind.  As she skipped away, I dashed to Adelynn's room, but all I saw out the window was little "ailee" crossing the ditch and back again looking for the others.  I sure hope she finds her mama and siblings soon.

Goodbye, Friday Visitors!  Ya'll hurry back now, ya hear!!

A Ballerina

(photo borrowed from web)

Congratulations on being selected for the Timothy I Company, AG!!!

That's quite an accomplishment  for a 2nd grader but you're quite an accomplished ballerina, too!

Now you'll begin living at the studio . . . and Mama will get a taste of Mimi's life a few years ago!  It's fun but will pass much too quickly.  So enjoy every second, Mama!!

Mimi can't wait until Christmas to watch you in The Nativity.

sorry the pic was blurry ~ I guess I cropped too much!!

XOXOXOXOXO ~ MIMI ~

PS:  Mimi will try to get Mr. Ronnie on the ball for that mirror for your ballet room, too, since Daddy has already gotten the bar made for ya'll.   Love ya muches!!

Not to be Outdone

by her sister's weekend sports success, Little C says Monday night after dinner that she's going to ride her bike without training wheels . . . and guess what?

SHE DID JUST THAT!!

Daddy giving a little help at the beginning . . .

After just a few minutes of holding her up, Daddy let go and she kept peddling

 and peddling, and peddling
whizing in and out, around and around

Sissy practicing to be a fast-pitch pitcher.

I guess performing your tricks on your scooter helped with your balance.

Way to go, Cybie!!!

We're proud of you for riding like a big girl when you're only 4!

They're Moving Closer!!!

The newlyweds, my handsome nephew and his beautiful wife, are moving closer to home.

YEAH, precious couple!!

After living and working for a year in Charlotte, NC, they are moving closer . . . not all the way home, but closer, at least!!

Uncle Man and Aunt Sissy are so glad we had the opportunity to visit ya'll in Charlotte last fall.  Oh no, D . . . I just realized we won't get to have breakfast at that great little shop anymore.  Well, I'll certainly give up those delicious pancakes and yummy syrup just to have ya'll closer!  It'll be like a family reunion every time the Dawgs play this fall!

WELCOME "almost" HOME and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVID!!

Aunt Sissy loves you all the muches, sweet boy!!

Between Innings

August means Fall League Travel Softball for Son and his family.  CJ and her Daddy, the coach, hit the road every weekend along with the rest of the family for a little round-ball activity.

But this weekend also held an extra little ball activity right smack in the middle of the softball tournament ~ ~

The Annual Father/Child Golf Tournament

Lucky for Daddy and CJ, the softball tournament was only 10 minutes away from the golf tournament--good planning, Daddy!!  So . . .

. . .  between games, we all hurried to the country club, ate lunch, changed clothes (CJ and Daddy for golf, CE and Mommy for the pool, Mimi and G-Dawg didn't change) practiced swinging down instead of level, then jumped in the cart and took off to play a little golf.

Mimi was about as nervous as when she watched your Daddy and his friend compete in a big tournament last year.  You did great on the 4 holes Mimi got to watch and Mommy said you did terrific on the other 5 she watched.  G-Dawg was a great chauffeur for us, but Mimi wished she had remembered her swim suit when it was my turn to watch CE at the pool.

Congratulations for a great finish in the golf tournament!

then

back to swinging the bat for the final game of the night

Hope your wrist isn't too sore where you got hit by the pitcher.  Way to take one for the team and move the runners around!

2 wins, 1 loss on Saturday . . . Way to Go, sluggger!!

Sunday morning brought another 40 minute drive and 2 more games

1 win and 1 loss after a barn-burner, extra-inning game!

Cooling off after the games ~ Bet this felt good!!

Mimi and Granddaddy thinks your team is doing great especially since this is the first year all you girls have been together.  Glad we got to watch a few games and a golf tournament on Saturday! We're so proud of you, CJ!!

XOXOXOXOXO ~~ MIMI

The Final Showing of CCIII

Day 3 didn't turn out at all like Mimi had planned months ago.  The "Plan" . . . all day in the mountains at the State Park hiking, canoeing, minature golf, swimming in the lake and playing on the 'beach.'  The "Reality" . . . Mimi was still too much under the weather to tackle that so . . .

We had our own games after breakfast ~ yes, ya'll slept in your camp shirts and dashed out to play after adding shorts under your shirts.  Oh, the joys of Green Acre Camp!

No trip to the acre is ever complete without your works of art decorating the front walk.  With no rain, the beautiful work stayed for weeks.

After getting hot, sweaty, and dirty from all the play and bug catching, what better way to cool off . . .

than swimming at Miss Sheila's! She and Mr. Jim are so sweet to let us use their pool during camp.  Isn't the water beautiful?

Then on our last night because the "bigs" wanted it so badly, we put out the Glam Camp Out decorations on the bottom patio (between the sprinkle showers) and had our own private little party ~ not nearly as much fun as when all Mimi's friends and their granddaughters join us for "Mimi and Me" play date; but it worked -- ya'll got to dress for the occasion and Mimi's weeks of work didn't go completely to waste.

Aren't ya'll just gorgeous??!!

(never mind that Mimi didn't get the backdrop wide enough.)

Instead of the hotdogs and s'mores we were supposed to cook over the open fire, we had Zaxby's chicken and cupcakes ~ we did get to drink our "Star Spangled" punch from our little fruit jars, though.

Isn't there a little fable about "the best laid plans" . . .

Mimi's certainly went by the wayside, but you sweet girls didn't mind.  We improvised and had a great time!

The other parts of the Glam Camp Out

The Scavenger Hunt and the "Hayride"

took place bright and early the last morning

 The Red Team

The Blue Team

Great job on finding everything on your lists ~ thanks to Granddaddy for finding the bird feather!

 Our "hayride" around the neighborhood ~ wish we'd gotten the hay after all the bumps in the road!  Thanks, Granddaddy for a great ride!!

Then after lunch and a good bath, it was "So Long" to Green Acre Camp for Girls for this year!

We love you all the muches and can't wait til Cousins Camp IV!

~ Mimi ~

Just have to share this little side note . . . the other day I was visiting one of my friends who always come to our Mimi and Me party . . . the granddaughter answered the door and ran to get my friend . . . with this explanation of who was at the door . . . "Grandmother, the Mimi who does our Cousins Camp Party is here."

So, yes girls, we'll be hosting "Mimi and Me" at CCIV, if, as Gran would say, the Lord's willing!

Have You Seen It?

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, Mr. Popper's Penquins, The Smurfs . . . all movies Mimi has seen this summer.

With the Fabulous Five, of course.

But

tonight
 

Mimi and Friends saw

As children of the 60's, we were carried back in time and remembered with laughter the hair, clothes, and Bridge games (especially those all-night games in the dorm when we were supposed to be studying for finals)

What we weren't expecting were the tears we shed.

Now to read the book . . .

I know, that should have been first

Don't we wish we were all more like Skeeter?

such a moving story of compassion and determination

Hope you all get the chance to see it soon!

It's Now Official . . . Summer's Over!!

Yep, the Fabulous Five Stairsteps are now all back in school.

The older A girls started way back on August 3rd ~ AG is now a 2nd grader while AC is in Kindergarten.  Hope this year goes really s.l.o.w.!

Little AM started 2 year old preschool today while Mommy hit the classroom again as a 4 year old preschool teacher.  Bet the memories of past years in the classroom came flooding back as your were cleaning up the first "upchuck" of the year ~ what a way to begin your first day!  "TA-DA, Adelynn!"

As the oldest, CJ started 3rd grade in her new school today. Can you just slow down a little?

Little CE has been in "school" most of the summer while Mommy was working.  But, as she told me earlier when I had asked what she learned that day, "Mimi, it's summer; we don't learn anything now, we just play."  Guess you can start learning again since you're in 4 year old preschool with Miss Dot!

Where did the summer go?

The temperatures are still here but the lazy, hazy days of doing nothing are now gone.  With school comes ballet classes, violin lessons, fall league travel softball, fall Flight basketball, soccer plus a host of other activities Mimi can't even remember now.  Busy, busy, busy are the lives of parents with young children. That's why Mimi's doing alot of praying for safe travel, peaceful nights, injury free activities; but, especially . . .

the prayer on the plaque that was my Mother's Day present from all of my babies, bigs and littles. I pray this not only for the littles but for the bigs, too.

Mimi hopes your new school year is the best one yet, girls ~ have fun and make lots of new friends.  Oh yes, you might want to do your homework and learn a little, too!

Love you all the muches!!