Memorial Day

We spent Memorial Day at the pool with Nana and Grandpa. Meg still is not loving the water, but she was able to find other ways to amuse herself, including throwing Daddy's shoes in the water. Meg definitely has a mischievous side. Charlie enjoyed playing catch with Daddy and Grandpa and made a new friend, Lucy Elfert. Lucy was adorable and followed Charlie around all over the pool. Jane Gray also had a buddy, Elizabeth Brantley, and they had a great time swimming and playing on Elizabeth's raft. After swimming, we headed to Nana and Grandpa's and ate yummy BBQ. It was a great Memorial Day!

Thankful

Today, on Memorial Day, we are thankful for our troops and the safety they provide. The children love any man or woman in uniform, especially camoflauge. Charlie saw a member of our Armed Forces in a restaurant a couple of months ago, and he approached the man, shook his hand, and thanked him for his service. The man was so touched, he bought Charlie and his sisters dessert. I wish I had my camera with me. The two of them were so funny - Charlie gawking at the man's fatigues while the man beamed with pride at Charlie's interest in him. It was a sweet moment.

Cookout at Austin and Deidre's house

Austin and Deidre had us over for their last cookout before they have to move out of their house in a couple of weeks. They also invited one of their neighbors and Robert and Amanda and their boys. Bo had his slip and slide out, and the boys had so much fun sliding all over it. They also enjoyed playing football with Cousin Austin. Jane Gray didn't have a buddy her age, but she was very sweet to play with Meg and Ebbie. Meg and Ebbie were very cute together - Meg even shared "her" Cheetos with Ebbie.

Running errands

Daddy has been working in the backyard at Pop's house in Jackson. Today, he was running an errand to Home Depot, and Charlie wanted to tag along. This was what Charlie wore - an Indian headdress he made with feathers he found in Yazoo City.

Fishing with the Murphys

We invited the Murphys to fish with us in Yazoo City. Jamie and Mills love to fish, and they hit the pond immediately. Mills caught lots of fish, but Jamie caught the biggest - a five-pounder. Daddy and Charlie caught several, too, and we all had fun together. Cousin Laurie was in Yazoo City with Uncle Will and Aunt Nicki, and she and Meg were so cute fishing together. However, they weren't quite as successful as the rest of the group. We cooked hamburgers for lunch and cut into the first watermelon of the summer. We also rode Mo Glo and swang on the swing in the backyard. It was a fun day!

Traveling with Daddy

One of the many perks of summer is that we get to travel with Daddy around Mississippi. Today, Daddy had a hearing in Laurel, so we all tagged along. During the hearing, we played on the church playground across the street from the Laurel courthouse. Here we are swinging and playing on the monkey bars.

First week of summer

This is our first week of summer. We have already been swimming, played at the park, and attended several birthday parties. Today, we went to story time at the Willie Morris library. The librarian read The Keeping Quilt. After the story, the children made their own quilts. Charlie's was all about animals - he drew our pets, the frogs and Emma, and a shark and T Rex. Jane Gray drew Emma, pizza (her favorite food), baby Meg, and our family.

Charlie's last T-ball game

Charlie played his last t-ball game this morning after a season of too many rainouts. He started the day at pitcher and rotated around the infield as usual. His first at bat may have been his best as he crushed one up the middle that almost made it to the fence. Later in the game, on one of the last batters, Charlie snagged a burner at shortstop and came up firing for quite possibly the defensive play of the year. Best of all, there were a ticket, cookies and a trophy after the game to finish the year. (If you are wondering why some of the defensive pictures are not centered, the cameraman was playing first, trying to catch the throw and take the picture at the same time.)

Jane Gray's last day of first grade

Today was Jane Gray's last day in Mrs. McIntosh's class. She told me that it was the "best day ever." The class had a party and they ate lots of cupcakes and candy. They also made pillowcases, which everyone signed. After the party, we picked Daddy up from work and ate Chick-fil-a in the park.

Jane Gray's un-birthday

In two months, Jane Gray will be seven, but because school gets out tomorrow, her class is celebrating her birthday today. Jane Gray and Mommy went to McDade's last night to pick out some icing and sprinkles for her cupcakes. We initially thought pink, of course, but we thought the boys might not like that, so we went with white. White cupcakes with star sprinkles - yummy!

Blue Dolphins pizza party

The Blue Dolphins celebrated a successful season with a pizza and ice cream party at Sal and Mookies. The head coach (Daddy) handed out trophies and said something sweet about each team member. To his favorite all-star, Daddy said that she might be one of the smallest on the team, but she had the biggest swing around; that though her secret weapon of smiling at the plate may have been hindered due to the loss of her two front teeth, she was not deterred; and that she was one of the best defensive players on the team. It was a great season, and Daddy loved coaching his baby girl.

TOT Shine Time Celebration

This afternoon, we went to the Heidelberg Gymnasium at Belhaven College for Charlie's TOT Shine Time Celebration. For forty-five minutes, Charlie and his TOTS buddies entertained us with their amazing ball-handling skills. We were all very impressed! They also said their vowels and counted to ten in Spanish and French. After the show, Charlie received his trophy. He was so proud and held it high about his head to show the crowd. It's been a great TOT year!