The Violin

For Christmas 2010, AG really wanted a violin.  Of course, because she had been such a very good girl, Santa brought her one just her size.  What a happy little girl!

She began lessons in January and has been an excellent student ~ maybe not always practicing as much as her Mommy and Daddy thinks she should but enough for her teacher, Mr. Brian.

And last night . . .

for Mimi's birthday, of course . . .

she played Amazing Grace for the 2nd grade talent show at her school!

Perfection to say the least!!

With a few tears sprinkling down my cheeks, Mimi just knew that your Great Gran was watching down on you and was so very proud!  You know that was her favorite song, too, and was sung at the funeral services for both she and Pop.

Great job, AG!!

Best friends with the best talents!!

Your violin performance and Miss K's acapella "God Bless the USA" were definitely Mimi's favorites of the night.  One day you and Taylor will have to perform a duet at one of our family get-togethers.  Mimi is certainly proud of you for being brave enough to perform in front of so many people.  YOU were AMAZING!!

Mimi and Granddaddy sure do have some talented grandbabies!!!

Today, CJ is trading her big orange round ball for a smaller white or yellow hard ball and bat.  Cybie has her 2nd soccer game with HipHop recital in 2 months.  Ailee is practicing the songs she's learned during her guitar lessons so that she'll be ready in 2 years for the 2nd grade talent show or maybe she'll perform a lyrical ballet routine.  Oh, I almost forgot . . . AG had tryouts for the next position in the ballet company this week.  And, of course, Sweet Baby A  . . . well, she's just being her cute little self  "playing" hard in her ballet classes.

Congratulations again, AG, for a job well done!!

Good luck, CJ and CE, in your games today!!

Now, Mimi's supposed to go somewhere and watch somebody do something . . . wonder which one it is and where I'm supposed to go?

Whew, hope I make it!!

Back to Back

Birthdays, that is . . .

With my birthday on March 29 and Matt's on March 30, we have blown out a lot of candles together over these last few years.

You're One!!

You were born one week before Easter; then your 1st birthday was on Easter Sunday.

Pop always got Gran and I corsages for Easter and Mother's Day.  Such a sweet, thoughtful man, that Pop of yours.

Mommy blinked and you were Two!

Granny's cakes didn't always look so perfect but they were the most delicious cakes ever!!

Now you're helping Mommy blow out the candles on her 30th birthday cake.

You were celebrating turning 4 the next day with a cowboy party of your very own.  Yep, this was the year you were Matt Dillion and your baby sister (who was arriving in 3 months) was going to be named "Festus."  Notice we celebrated at Easter again.

Skipping a few years and a few cakes, now you're a senior in high school.

Aunt Lynn cooked dinner for us in 1997 and baked the most delicious pound cake.

Usually the pictures with no heads are always blamed on Mimi, but couldn't have been me this time since I'm in the picture.  Sorry about that; but I LOVE our hands!!  Ummmm, wonder why you weren't blowing?

And here we are this year, 38 years later, celebrating a week early.

How could time pass so quickly?  How could we have gone from this . . .

to this . . .

to this . . .

to this handsome young business man . . . 

to a wonderful Daddy of two precious little girls . . .

just over night while Mimi was sleeping?

Looking back at all these pictures sure does make Mimi feel old ~ but as CJ told me this morning, "Mimi, you're not old.  90 is old."

So, here's to growing old!!

(sorry but I couldn't resist and I for sure didn't want you
to ever forget about "the" haircut)

Happy 38th Birthday, MT!!

We love you to the moon and back!

A Weekend of B's

On Friday, the Bookfair . . .

Granddaddy and the A girls picking out special books

AG got smart this year and had them hold her books so they wouldn't get gone ~ guess being 2 grades ahead has its advantages!  Finally, Ailee picked something besides sticker books!  Mimi even got a book for the Nest.  Can't wait until you're all here so we can read it!

Then, Saturday morning brought the first Ballgame . . . 

Cybil's first soccer game of the season!

Would you believe you and A are the same age?

 This year you were much more agressive and really knew what you were doing ~ well, except you wouldn't wear your shinguards under your socks like normal.  But that didn't slow you down.  You and Brody make quite a team ~ maybe next week you'll have all your players there.

2 red players ~ 4 white players

doesn't seem equal but ya'll proved quality definitely outranks quantity

Now I wonder if these chuckles from the 2 Daddys were when Claire made her comment about "a family all together going on vacation" when she saw the plane overhead?  This said as she chased after the ball.  Or when Cybil slipped on the wet grass and busted her bottom?  Funny girls!

Next up was another basketball tournament for CJ . . .

Champions once again!!!!

2 out of 3 isn't a bad start!

Keep this up and you'll get to visit Mickey in Orlando for Nationals

After the ballgames, a little early Birthday celebration for MT and Mimi . . .

Thank goodness we only had a few candles!

And we ended the weekend on Sunday morning with a little Bear breakfast . . .

Not only was he cute, he was Yummy!!

Thanks to all Mimi's Monkeys for letting us visit with you this weekend.  We had a blast at all of our "B" activities and especially getting all the hugs and kisses from all of you.

Mimi's just wondering how much longer we'll get to travel north and south to visit our babies with gas prices going up and up and up some more.  Maybe I should have kept my "valuables" to yard sale and made some gas money!  Anyway, we're sure to find a way ~ we couldn't make it without our sweet visits!

Hope ya'll have a great week!!!

Not long now until spring break and the Easter Bunny!!

Biting the Bullet

For three years Mimi has been "collecting" from around the house for the neighborhood yard sales.  Yep, a whole lot of valuables stored in tubs under the pool table, on every square inch in the attic, in every closet and in the garage.  But every time the yard sales were scheduled in May and September, Mimi seemed to be busy visiting my little monkeys.  And, you just know, Mimi had much rather play with ya'll than yard sale!!

(picture from the web although it does look like our entrance and one of Ms. D's signs)

But yesterday, Mimi decided enough was enough.  Granddaddy said the house was going to collapse from so much "garbage" ~ yes, he did!  Can you believe he would actually call my valuables garbage?  So, trying hard to forget about the $75 I would make sweating all day peddling my wares, I looked up the number, dialed the phone and asked sweetly when the B.I.G truck from Providence Ministries could come carry away the things I found I could live without ~ you know, those things that had been in the boxes so long I couldn't even remember what they were.

And guess what!!  They could come today!!  YEAH!! . . . or not so yeah . . . couldn't I really use that extra money and especially if I made $500 like some people in the neighborhood do . . . I know that's very unlikely for some reason . . . keep it or let them come . . . empty it out or save it in hopes I could make the sale this time . . .

One look at Granddaddy's eyes staring hard at me gave me the answer I needed.  "Well, yes sir, I'll be at home between 1 and 4:30 on Thursday."  It was decided . . .  Mimi bit the bullet!

So today about 2:30 this pulled in the driveway . . .

and before long, sweet, strong boys like these had all of Mimi's valuables loaded in the big white truck . . .

(pictures from the Providence website ~ Mimi was too busy making sure they got everything to take pictures today)

and now . . . Mimi and Granddaddy are breathing some sighs of relief.  Mimi actually feels like a ton of bricks has been lifted off my shoulders.  For some reason, Mimi has been struggling with the fact that your Mommys and Daddys would have to sort through all that "stuff" one day if I didn't do something . . . I know, I do worry way too much about silly things; but, anyway, now I won't have to worry.  But I do have to continue to clean and pack up more and more things I'm finding I really can live without.   New philosophy around the Acre ~ Less is Best ~ if it hasn't been used or worn in a year, then bye, bye.

Providence Ministries really is a wonderful organization that uses all "donations to help rescue homeless children, feed the poor, provide refuge for homeless men and women, and rescue those suffering from addiction."  They always came at the end of every yard sale and picked up whatever didn't sale from the homes that participated in our sales; so Mimi just saved a few steps and a lot of sweat and let them get it all at the beginning.  Maybe they can get the $500!

So that's it for this week's work . . . oh, I forgot . . . I also painted the upstairs deck furniture so it would be new and fresh for all the pollen to fall on.  Yep, that pretty shiny, black wrought iron furniture is now a very dull yellow. (Just listen to this . . . Granddaddy let me put out the plastic and paint the furniture in the kitchen so I wouldn't be out in all that pollen ~ he really can be such a sweetie sometimes . . . if he had been really sweet, he would have volunteered to paint it so I wouldn't have to breath the paint fumes either . . . but we all know that wouldn't happen, didn't we!)

So now that the ceiling won't collapse, Mimi's ready for my Monkey Fun to start tomorrow!  Rest up tonight cause Mimi and Granddaddy are on their way!  See you soon, girls!!

Weekend Rewind

Wow!!  Granddaddy and I just realized this was our F.I.R.S.T weekend at home since the middle of February.  And guess what we did?

With everything already blooming so early in this summer-like weather we're having, we decided a little yard work was a MUST ~ Mimi decided and Granddaddy did help some until Mr. Wendell's old truck started calling his name.  And you know, that ended his gardening.

Look again at my beautiful flowers . . . OOOOOhhh my, now just why didn't Mimi plant those Leyland Cypress the rest of the way across the ditch?  Oh yea, I remember . . . there wasn't a house there then . . . only beautiful woods!!  I really do love my "backyard" neighbors; I mean, the Mister is a high school friend (and ya'll know how long that friendship has been) but see how their house "blurs" the view of my beautiful flower garden; well, at least you can be distracted by the house and miss all those weeds!  Guess I'll just have to finish the Leyland row and wait 6 more years for them to grow tall enough to help.  But then again, I would miss all my talks with the Mister and his sweet mother-in-law across the ditch.  What's a gardener to do???

But back to this weekend . . .

a little weed pulling, pine straw adding, shrub trimming, snake killing, and lower patio cleaning left Mimi just a little bit sore today.  And guess what, we're no where near through!! Yard work and laundry . . .2 things Mimi can never get caught up with!!  Oh, thought I better tell you . . . Mimi didn't kill a snake ~~ Mr. Jackie did when he came by to help Mimi a couple of hours on Friday.  Guess we won't be having another scavenger hunt in the upper yard during cousin's camp this year!!  And Mimi's thinking that part of the yard is off limits for me, too!!



That was Mimi's weekend ~ what about you girls??  Well, AG made the cut for the 2nd grade talent show and will be playing "Amazing Grace" on her violin on Mimi's Birthday while their whole family enjoyed St. Patty's Day at the CCC festivities on Saturday.  CJ's team didn't finish quite as well in this weekend's BB tournament but, hey, 2nd place still sounds pretty good to Mimi!! CONGRATULATIONS, MONKEYS!!  Mimi and Granddaddy are beyond proud of our two biggest littles!!

 

Now, Mimi's got to rub down her sore muscles and get some rest because another busy week is about to begin ~~ Monday with the A girls and the weekend brings travelling to Cybie's first spring soccer game and watching another of CJ's BB tournaments . . . no yard work in sight for this week . . . guess the weeds will have time to grow really tall.  Oh well . . .

The Tournament . . .

. . . this past weekend was for basketball.  The oldest little played in the first 8 and under AAU tournament of the season and what a tournament it was!!

These pictures were taken in warm-up because the games move way too fast for Mimi and her trusty little camera.  Wish I knew how to get more light so the pictures wouldn't be so grainy but you know Mimi and machinery . . .

Mimi wasn't sure at times her heart would keep beating, especially when my baby's head collided with the gym floor.  But, after 2 days of hard-fought games, the Flight Team came out victorious!  It's amazing to me that you little 8 year olds know how to play like you do.  One thing I do know for sure, your great Gran and Pop would be so proud of you and would love to watch you carry on your Gran's sport.

Do you think you're just a tad happy?

Getting your first-place medal!

WAY TO GO, GIRLS!!!!!

Just keep up the good work this weekend as you take on your 2nd group of opponents.  Mimi and Granddaddy will miss the excitement but maybe Mommy and Daddy can keep us updated.  And it's a good thing the softball tournament is cancelled this weekend so you don't have to make a choice again.

Hope you're getting lots of rest on those little legs in between practices and school!!

Monkey #1, we love you to the moon and back and are so proud of you!!

Jingle Bells and Cartwheels

Baby A got a new Baby Huggums last week

and quickly named her . . .

"Jingle Bells."

Jingle Bells was supposed to have been a baby gift for Miss M's new baby girl but you decided you "just needed her" even though you have the Baby Huggums that is Mimi's traditional first-Christmas gift to all the monkeys.  So, she became your's and Mommy finally found another on the back shelf at Tuesday Mornings for the new baby.

Now little Jingle Bells goes everywhere with you ~ even to cheer on Daddy's basketball team.

AND . . .

Little Cybie taught herself to do a one-handed cartwheel!

The beginning pose . . .

"Are you ready, Mimi?"

Boy, did Mimi have a hard time getting this on camera!!

You've almost got that split perfected, too.

Next trip up, you'll probably be landing that one-handed cartwheel into the split!

One thing's for sure, you practice them enough!  According to Mommy and Daddy, if you do one a day, you do at least 150.  Mimi does agree ~ I was exhausted just watching!!

Mimi sure does love you 2 precious little monkeys all the way to the moon and back!!



She's Lost Something

Yes, dear Middle Little, you certainly did loose something while ya'll were visiting the Acre over winter break in February.

 Can the rest of Mimi's Monkeys see what she lost?

Yes, AC, you lost your first baby tooth just before Mimi's famous pancake breakfast!  You were so excited to finally loose that tooth ~ loosing it officially makes you a 6 year old!!

WOW!!  Mimi still can't believe you're six already!

And just look at these "Goofy Cousins"

What fun ya'll had when K and J visited and were so excited that Sweet Baby J spent the night with you snuggled up in the Nest! Kaleb was upset that he'd already finished his winter break and had school the next day.  One boy with all those girls . . . you'd think he wouldn't want to stay!

Mimi's trying her best to get caught up with the rest of our fun so keep checking back!  Hope you're all already in bed dreaming sweet dreams because the school bell rings early in the morning since we had to "spring forward" this weekend!!

Good Night ~ Love you muches!!!!!

Slightly Strange

As I was sewing away last night about 10:30, my phone alerted me to a text message from the Daughter.  This is what I saw . . .

A BROOM STANDING BY ITSELF!!!

According to the text, it had been standing for about 15 minutes as Jon blew on it.  STRANGE, yes!!!!  I immediately responded with a "WHAT????" before she called me explaining that something about gravity last night made it stand but only if it were facing from north to south, sweeping east to west.

Of course, Mimi had to try it, too!  I didn't know how to use the compass on my phone like Jon and Mande but trial and error worked.  See . . .

Feeling a little like I was on "Bewitched"

Granddaddy was sound asleep by this time but Jon said I should stand the broom by the bed, wake up Granddaddy and then run.  Mimi was afraid Granddaddy would use the broom on me so I just waited until morning to show him the pictures.

M & J also sent the text to brother, Matt, but Mimi won't repeat his response because it might hurt Aunt B's feelings ~ it was something about another kind of miracle, though.  I'm sure he was just kidding, Beth!!

Anyway, it was a little STRANGE on the Acre last night.  Wonder what magic those 2 will come up with tonight?

Hope your Thursday is wonderful little monkeys ~~

at least today is FREE day for both sets of you!!

March Madness

Not the College Basketball kind of March Madness

but . . .

the Green Acre kind of March Madness

which is . . .

*  the unveiling of the new March line of Matilda Jane Clothing

which translates to Mimi got to spend almost a week with the A girls while Mommy was carrying around her "trunk" load of the most beautiful little girl and big girl clothes and helping Mommy with computer entries and anything else she or the family needed like chaffeauer to ballet & violin, cook, and storyteller; also meant sitting all huddled together  in the fartherest corner of the basement during the tornado alerts on Friday night.

*  the first softball tournament of the season

which translates to driving almost an hour & sitting under 3 blankets on a windy, cold Saturday to watch the oldest play in her first softball tournment and cheering the Mo Jo's to a 2nd place finish.

*   the first AAU basketball tournament of the season

which means Granddaddy and I will be taking another road trip but at least this time it will be 75 and no wind in the basketball gym and this time we get to see little Cybie, too!!

*  another CT scan

this I could have done without (but am praying everything is still as it was in September) because it wasn't nearly as much fun as the other March Madness.

Oh yes, there's been a lot of Madness going on so far in these first few days of March ~ March definitely came in like a lion on the Acre . . . roaring with all kinds of activities.

But would Mimi have it any other way?  Of course not!!!!

Especially when all the madness involves these 5 beauties!!

(and, of course, their mommies and daddies)

now just look at this other "madness" Mimi found when she came home on Saturday . . .

Isn't this almost as beautiful as Mimi's 5 Little Monkeys?

The mad part of this beauty is that it's blooming now in March ~ this is Granny's cactus that always bloomed a very pale shade of orange around Mother's Day when it was in her house.  Since it has been here, the color just keeps getting deeper but it still bloomed around Mother's Day . . . until this year.  Guess it thought if the jonquils could be blooming now, it could as well.  Anyway, it was a very welcome sight when Mimi walked into the kitchen Saturday morning!

Whatever other Madness March holds, it will be a blast

because it all will mean more time with Mimi's most prized possesions.

Good Night my precious Little Monkeys!!