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!!

Part II . . .

The arrival!

Everyone remembered your registration forms!

Mimi traded the registration forms for a list of camp rules, camp agendas, and camp t-shirts.  After a short meeting to go over the rules, we were ready for the fun to begin!

First on the agenda was opening the present Mrs. Charlotte and Emily brought by for us.  Isn't the patriotic wind decoration so pretty?  Ya'll couldn't wait to hang it up outside! 

Thanks so much Mrs. Charlotte and Emily!!!

Because Mimi and Granddaddy didn't get to see the parade, ya'll felt sorry for us and decided to have one of your own.  Great job, girls!!!  I'm sure no parade could have ever been better! 

The final pose!



The parade quickly turned into a beauty pageant complete with talent competition and question/answer sessions.  Boy, ya'll are good!!  I know you didn't like the decision that everyone was a "Miss Something" winner; but you were all so wonderful we couldn't pick just one!

After dinner we had to have our 4th of July fireworks show ~ only the sparklers must have gotten wet before Mimi bought them because they didn't work so great.  They were supposed to change colors and burn for a long time.  Sorry girls . . . next year Mimi will have to do better.

 Day 2 ~ Riding Dooley

Since this year's camp was designed around a true "camp" theme, horsebacking riding just had to be on the agenda.  Bright and early Tuesday morning we traveled to Mr. Waymon's to see the horses and ride Dooley.  Ya'll looked like you had been on a horse all your lives.  Just take a look!

Then later that afternoon . . .

 All cleaned and dressed in your camp t-shirts, ready for . . .

Dinner and A Movie!

(yes, we had to trade our "Mimi and Me" Glam Camp Out Party for the movies and dinner because Mimi just wasn't up to partying with our big crowd . . . maybe next year!!)

There's tons more pictures of all our fun but Mimi's saving those for your scrapbook, okay?

2 more days to go . . . stay tuned!

Only a Month Late . . .

plus a few days; but, finally . . .

CCIII pictures are now showing!!

CCIII ~ Part I

Mimi wasn't so sure Cousins Camp was going to become a reality this year; but, after lots of praying and a round of steriods, it did! Yay!!!

First on the agenda ~~ a few days with the A Girls enjoying the sights and sounds of the 4th of July at their country club on Saturday night. This was Cybil's first time to experience the fireworks, skydivers, and blowups and I believe she loved them as much as the rest of you did. Mimi was so sorry she had to miss all the fun . . . remember I was a little under the weather that night.

Looks like ya'll are really enjoying those snow cones! Just wondering whose got spilled first, Adelynn's or Cybil's? Love all those patriotic outfits!!

Then there was floating down the river . . .

How much fun was that!!!

Followed by ice cream sandwiches on the deck ~~ and, yes,

Adelynn is doing her favorite thing . . . "takin' naked!"

Last on the July 4th agenda with the A girls was the city parade with lots of their friends. Another group of cute little patriots!! After the parade, ya'll met Granddaddy for lunch and the bus ride back to "Green Acre Camp for Girls" where Mimi was waiting by the registration table for all the little campers to arrive.

Part II tomorrow! See you then . . . Mimi loves ya'll all the muches!!

Mimi's Surprise

While Granddaddy was enjoying his last day at work, Mimi was sprucing up the front porch with a little red, white, and blue. I brought everything out, hung the flag bucket on the front door, then decided I needed to take out the winter wreaths that were still around the topiarys . . .

I took the first one out with no problems . . . then, Mimi got quite a surprise, when along with the wreath, came the topiary and lots of little flying creatures . . . could these be flies?

From the mess scattered all over the steps, you can probably guess they weren't just flies ~ oh no, they were yellow jackets . . . hundred of them . . . from nests built in the little bit of dirt left from when Mimi planted flowers in the pots. Did you hear Mimi screaming? I'm surprise the police didn't come to see if someone was being murdered!

Miss Gigi decided she would see if I had killed them all with the spray . . . after 5 stings and running down to the garage entrace (all other doors except the front door were locked, naturally!) with several chasing me, I got the spray and opened the door slightly and sprayed away ~ not sure what I hit but at least some were dead when much, much later I ventured around the house with my little camera on as much zoom as it had to snap these pictures. What she's staring out so intently are the nests--2 of them. Ouch!! And, yes, I do recycle my plastic bags--just not the appropriate way!

See my coffee cup on the table . . . it stayed there until after dark and Mimi stayed in the house the entire rest of the day. Later that night I began to have a hacking little cough and low-grade fever with aching all over. Wasn't sure if it was a reaction from the jackets or all the benedryl I had consumed during the day. This morning I called the doctor and luckily they could work me in . . . diagnosis -- reaction to jackets; treatment -- keep taking benedryl with a prescription of steriod if I wasn't better by Sunday. AND you know Mimi has to be better by tomorrow because . . . it's finally here!!

Don't forget to bring your registration form!

Hope everyone else has a wonderful 4th of July with lots of celebrating for America's Birthday! Mimi and Granddaddy are going to have a fantastic week with our Fabulous Five . . . yes, all 5 of them will be here this year for Cousins Camp . . . are we ready? Of course! Hope ya'll are as excited as Mimi and Granddaddy.

Mimi needs to run jump in bed because the "bus" heads out early in the morning for camper pickups!

An Empty Jar

Granddaddy made his decision . . . the date was set . . . we kept it a secret from everyone except the children . . . but . . .

sometimes, though, things don't always work out as planned; so, a new plan was laid, a new date set, a secret still to be kept, & finally, the countdown began! (cute idea here that was ready and waiting) The jar was filled with one of Granddaddy's favorite candies ~ Three Musketeers ~ so that he could take one with him each morning to help dream away the days as he counted down.

This morning Granddaddy took the L.A.S.T. one with him to work; so what does that mean?

Happy Retirement, Granddaddy

Finally, a little happiness to mix with alot of sadness on this last day of the month . . . after all these years, we still miss you so much, Gran and Pop!!!

One Week = Two Birthdays

Can you guess whose they were? Yes . . . my baby girl's birthday was Thursday, June 23. Mimi was spending a few days since Daddy was traveling ~ we started the day off watching 2 of the A girls in their cheerleading camp exhibition. Great job, little ones!! And ended the day with dinner and a brownie cake complete with whipped cream and candles. We had fun searching for the perfect present from you girls, didn't we?

Happy Birthday, Mande

Then Friday, Mimi journeyed north to celebrate Campbell's 8th birthday with a swim party. The sky looked dark and gloomy all the way there; but, by the time Mimi arrived, the sun was shining bright . . . perfect swim party weather!

Just look at the cake!

Of course, if there's a ball around, CJ is batting or throwing it . . . Mimi's little athlete!

The cousins minus the A girls ~ they were so sad they couldn't make this trip with Mimi.

The present from Mama and Daddy ~ Granddaddy is worried, so please be careful and always wear your helmet!

Happy 8th Birthday, Campbell Jane, today, June 25!

A Little Secret

Hope my sons had a great Father's Day weekend ~ with theme parks, fishing, family reunions and floating down the river on the agenda for ya'll, sounds like you did. So glad!!

Granddaddy did his usual Saturday morning routine with the Gordon Group but on Saturday afternoon the sky burst open and we had a little windstorm along with lightening and rain . . . enough to knock out a lot of power and put enough trees on the ground to close the golf course for Sunday . . . guess you know Granddaddy was lost!

Oh, what would he do? He finally decided, after calling over to talk to the pro, that he would just go check out the damage and maybe practice a little . . . yea, he needs that I'm thinking! So off he went for about 2 hours . . . then, as I'm working away on my computer on things for Y.O.U.K.N.O.W.W.H.A.T, the phone rings and it's Granddaddy ~ right away I could tell there was trouble . . .

shh . . . don't let him know I told you . . . but Mr. Always Right On Top of Everything had locked his keys in the car!! YES, he did!! Never in our 41 years together has he done that . . . me now, well that's a different story, of course.

He had the bright idea that if I would put my phone on speaker and click the extra key, the doors would magically open . . . well, in case you lock your keys in the car ever, don't waste your time trying that . . . it doesn't work!!

How did Granddaddy get home, you ask? Well, since it was Father's Day and all, his sweet, loving wife drove all the way over to the golf course and took him the extra set of keys! Yes, I did!! And I didn't even complain . . . just marked it down in my little pink "getting even" book.

Here he is coming out of the pro shop to get his extra keys ~ look at that face . . . priceless!! I didn't hear him telling any of ya'll about his little incident last night . . .

so . . . shh!! . . . remember, it's our little secret, girls!