Sweets for a Sweetie

It just can't be possible, but our baby was F.I.V.E. on Sunday!

and she wanted to celebrate with . . .

SWEETS!

and a little gymnastics fun with her little friends!

The party was at the gymnastics center on Saturday with 15 of her dearest friends.  Of course, Mommy had the place looking more like a Sweet Shoppe than a sports center!  Large suckers made out of paper plates with glitter #5's greeted the guests as they came down the sidewalk while the table held a gum ball topiary, a dumdum styrofoam sucker with a #5 in the center, more paper suckers, and paper lanter candies wrapped in cellophane. Delicious cupcakes with tons of candy helped restore all the sugar the little ones lost while doing their tricks.

A Perfect Party for our Sweet Baby A!!

 

She even looks like a delicious piece of candy in her adorable outfit!!

Note to self:  While we were eating out that night she asked her Mommy if  "since I had my party, am I just a little bit bigger?"  Don't grow up too fast, sweet baby!

She wanted to decorate her cake with "lots and lots" of candy so she and Mommy made the cake and Baby A decorated it all by herself (Mommy tied the bow)! Yummy!!!

On Sunday for her "real" birthday, she wanted to get her face painted at the local arts and crafts festival and eat at Steak and Shake.

Couldn't you just eat her up?!?!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby A!!

Traveling a Different Road . . .

Monkey #3 decided at the beginning of summer that she was finished with ballet and wanted to commit full time to gymnastics.  Mommy was a little skeptical but "A" insisted.  Not only did she do well, she made the Level 2 competition team!  Competition began the 3rd weekend in August with a mock competition on Friday at her gym.  She was first place overall in that and we were beyond excited!

Saturday found Mimi and Granddaddy biting our fingernails as we watched each and every move.  There's just so much going on at one time ~ that alone is nerve racking! 

The closest feeling I have to compare watching this to is how I felt when I watched Matt wrestle when he was in middle school.  Just like then, I found myself trying to help them in the stands . . . stretching my legs, pointing my toes, holding my breath!  And the scoring and trying to keep up with it all in the booklet!!  Glad her Daddy was there!!

She was the first in her local group to get this move (which is a Level 3 move) {no, Mimi has no clue what it's called, every time I try to say it, it's wrong} and got to ring the bell while everyone stopped what they were doing that day in class and yelled and clapped for her.  Very exciting for her!!  So, of course, we were on pins and needles holding our breaths when she was one the bar at competition.  BUT SHE DID IT ALL BY HERSELF ~ no help from "Coach" needed!!

Her ballet training really helps with her floor routine! So those 4 years of money spent on that isn't going to waste!

Just look at that pose!

And she left the competition with a 1st place in bar and vault, a 2nd place in beam and floor and FIRST place overall against 6 other teams!!! WAY TO GO, Ailee!!!!!  There's her teammate in 3rd place overall with a bunch of metals around her neck as well.  The entire team did great and we're looking forward to the next competition in September.  Glad we had a little time for my nerves to unwind!

With five little girls who were into everything, it's almost a given that we'll be traveling lots of paths as we watch them grow.  As they mature, they will decide on what makes them most happy.  For now, 3 monkeys  have chosen a path . . . #1 is concentrating on basketball and golf, #2 is strictly ballet after trying her hand foot at tap, and now #3 has taken a different road from her big sister ~ she's a gymnast all the way!!  The two little ones are still trying it all . . . even added gymnastics to their own agendas . . but are still a little young to decide on which road they will travel.  Only one thing is certain . . . that whatever road they are traveling, Mimi and Granddaddy will be walking with them supporting them all the way!! 

*******

Mimi knows I'm wayyyyyy past due for the Cousins Camp post but I can't seem to know how to load the software for my new cameral correctly.  Guess I'm going to have to call in help so I can get this up and your books ordered.  Maybe soon!!

A Very Scary Sunday

On Sunday, April 21, I was calmly driving home by myself from a weekend visit with the C girls when I got a text.  Well, Mimi can barely drive much less try to read a text and drive especially on the interstate.  So I just called and couldn't believe what I was hearing . . .

While on the playground during church, a boy's head collided with Ailee's nose.  It began to swell immediately but bled very little.  After church, while eating with friends, Ailee began to fall asleep, lose color, and start vomiting.

Luckily they were eating with the doctor friends who told them to take her immediately to Children's Hospital which they did.  Once there, nurses immediately started an IV before sending them by ambulance to Scottish Rite in Atlanta.

How helpless does a Grandmother feel when she's 3 hours away!

At Scottish Rite they were told by a "doctor" that Ailee didn't have a concussion and probably had a stomach virus which was the reason for the vomiting.  This person who was supposed to be a trained, licensed doctor wouldn't do a CT scan because he didn't think there was reason enough.  So they left and started home.  By this time I was about 10 minutes away from home and planned to pick up Granddaddy and head south.  But Mande said there was no use since they were on their way home.  They only made it back to Children's because she started throwing up more and started to lose color again.  They were sent back to Scottish Rite and we flew south to pick up the other A girls.

After a phone call from Children's to Scottish Rite, they saw a different doctor who did confirm Ailee had a concussion and wanted to do a CT scan to make sure there was no bleeding or swelling on the brain and also to check for any fragments of bone that could have been shattered into the brain.  They also gave her something for the vomiting so they could do the scan.

The Lord was so good and all reports came back fine ~ no bleeding, no swelling and no shattered fragments . . . just a broken nose and concussion.  They finally got home around midnight and our baby slept most all the next day.  But when she was awake, she was our sweet Ailee Bug, full of smiles and funny stories!

We are so thankful for all the prayers that went up that day and for the many wonderful friends we know we can rely on in scary times.  We also praise God for His wonderful blessings on Ailee and for the doctors He blesses with skills to heal.

Mimi loves that new hole in your mouth and I love you to the Heavens and back!!

Playing Catch Up

September went by in a blur . . . so many trips

(great stop, goalie!)

to

watch

the C girls

play soccer!

Yes, we have 2 soccer players now!!

~ and ~

see Little C loose both her TWO front teeth on the day of her FIRST soccer match.

and hear her sing "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth" the rest of the weekend.

~ we also traveled to Fall Festivals ~

to

watch AG perform with the SOF company 2 different weekends

and AC hand out SOF balloons while Mommy worked  the booth.

AC is trying out a new activity this year --gymnastics-- since watching the Olympics and is really quite good at it! But Mimi's very glad you're still taking ballet, too!

AG, Mimi is so excited about the Big Sister/Little Sister Program that SOF started this fall!  Looks like you have a wonderful Big Sis!!

~ then ~

we traveled deep under the sea to celebrate our favorite little Mermaid turning 4!

Mimi finally got all the mermaid tail towels finished just in time.

Didn't Mommy do a great job on the table!!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby A ~ Mimi's Sweet Doughnut!!

~

Mimi also did a little sewing in between all those trips . . .

3 sets of these

except 2 sets had trick and treat in orange with black or

and 3 of these

(took this pic before the stuffing was complete and bottoms sewn up because I couldn't wait to show the girls)

Hummmm, and since we're already moving right along in October, looks like it's going to be a whirlwind, too!!  But Mimi is loving every minute of this busyness!

The Conversation . . .

while waiting in pick-up line for the other 2 . . .

"The teacher wasn't mad, Mommy."

"She just said, 'Adelynn, get down out of that tree.'"

"I was just up there singing This is the day the Lord has Made."

 

Oh my, Sweet Baby A!

How I would love to be a little birdie watching you in pre-school!



Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

For 2 glorious weeks . . .

I've been on the beach

First, Gulf Shores with this sweet family

celebrating the 4th of July

 and then . . .

a week on the beautiful Emerald Coast at Watersound

with Mimi's Monkeys

and the "Bigs"

Wow!

What a breathtaking resort!

From Seaside to Rosemary Beach, we did it all . . .

swimming, eating, shopping, biking, running

and even a little fishing!

Thanks to my wonderful family for taking the time to gather

Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

with Mimi and Granddaddy on our annual Family Vacation!

Blowing Out Five Candles

Monkey #4 is blowing out 5 candles today!!

and she even lost her first tooth on Tuesday

in true Cybil form . . .

just flipped it out of her mouth in the aisle at Kroger and had all the other shoppers helping her look for it.  But her first lost tooth couldn't be found anywhere!  Mommy did write a note so the tooth fairy would know what happened.  And to top it off, Mommy and Daddy didn't even know the tooth was loose.  That's our Cybilishious!!

Happy 5th Birthday, Cybil!!!

Mimi and Granddaddy love you to the moon and back!

Monday Update

on my Five Little Monkeys

The oldest . . .

played in a basketball tournament in Atlanta this weekend

and this is who she had to guard in Saturday's game

just a little uneven Mimi's thinking!

but you played great, CJ

this one went in and so did the next one!

the next in line . . .

got braces

love the pink, AG!!

Mimi's so glad they are feeling better!!

and caught a fish while fishing with her daddy

Way to Go!!

the middle monkey . . .

was sick with strep

Poor Baby, Mimi's hoping you are feeling better and taking your medicine like a good little patient!

Monkey #4 .  .  .

played another soccer game this weekend

& took care of Mommy while Daddy and Sissy were away playing ball.

and the littlest Monkey . . .

is such a mess!!

(We should have been warned from these earlier pictures)

Quotes from Sweet Baby A:

While at the store this weekend with her Daddy:  "Why can't you just be a Mimi cause she always lets me get 2 things?"  He was letting them pick out one 'prize' each.  She already had hers but obviously felt the need for a second one.  And I guess I'm guilty as charged!

Then tonight while trying to get out of eating her pizza when the family was eating dinner out:  "I just heard God tell me . . . Adelynn, you feel like you should have dessert.  Then he died and fell off the cross and got back up."  This said as she looked straight at her daddy without so much as a grin.  The positive side . . . she is listening in her little Sunday School class.  Oh, the mind of a 3 year old, especially Baby A!