She's a Grand Ol' Park

These pics are old...from Election Day (notice our patriotic colors) ...but ones that are too cute to not remember forever.

And it was on a day that our country will remember forever so I want pictures to show the girls someday. Plus, as we close in on our move date (although it keeps changing and is now 5 months later than we once thought it would be) I am growing increasingly sentimental about all our favorite places. The Park is certainly one of them. And since this was one of the last perfect fall days, cool but sunny, this day will always be one of my favorites too.

Sneaky lil sis

E: Arrrr!

How come she gets to eat all the good stuff! I want some...NOW.

E: Hmmm....

I've got the perfect plan.

E: Oh look Lillianna....Dora is talking to the Grumpy Old Troll.

E: Ha ha! Success!

Birthday Boy

These pictures are a little belated but still so very cute.

My sweet nephew Bentley turned 2 recently!

We went to celebrate with him and were so glad we did.

We had no idea we were going to be a part of our first Pirate Princess Luau Birthday Party!

It was so special and so much fun!

The Birthday Boy



Ellenie practicing her Hula dance

Bis Sis Ella flashing her biggest Princess smile

Leah pointing out her award winning Cheese

Daisy and her crazy face

Cousins are the best huh Ellenie?

Boo or Moo

Back in August when people started asking Lillianna what she was going to be for Halloween, the first answer she gave was, "A pig."

That simple.

And that was it.

She never waivered, never debated, never regretted.

A pig.

Sounded simple to me to...a pink pair of pants, pink shirt, a tail, a snout, some ears...viola! A pig.
But it ended up a little trickier to make her NOT look like a rabbit, a cat, a pink poodle.

Added the hoof cuffs on the shirt...the little Pig in "slop bucket"

...hmmm still looks a little like the Easter Bunny to me.

The Pig Nose Necklace. That's what she called it and only wore it that way.

So then Ginny gave us a sheep costume which was perfect for Ellenie who couldn't decide what she wanted to be anyway.
So the Parsons Farm theme was on its way.
I dug out my Chicken Hat and told Brad to pull out a plaid shirt as the Farmer. (no pics for here...just use your imagination)
Lillianna wanted Boone, our lab, to be a cow. But I ran out of time to make that one.


L: Ellenie, what are you? Casper the Ghost?
E: Very funny sis. Look who's talking...Crazy Pink Cat girl.


Little Maggie was SO excited to be a Bumble Bee!

Maggie the Bee, Abby the Auburn Cheerleader, and Lillianna the pig/cat/bunny were precious trick or treating and had so much fun!
It was a happy, funny halloween!

How much fun!

Lillianna and I received a very sweet, very fun gift recently....

tickets to Disney on Ice!

Bibby's grandparents, the Pylants, sent us with Ginny and Bibby on a fun day!

Before the show, the girls picked out the same souvenir (of course!) and were already so excited.

Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Goofy...the gang was all there!

The Lion King was next.

Look at the these faces...Bibby's jaw open wide and Lillianna's eyes in a trance.

The Little Mermaid - the girls favorite!

Such a sweet treat all around!

Thank you so much!

Sharing

L: Look Mom, I've been feeding Ellenie these tiny seeds that I found outside. She loves them!

Don't you sis?

E: Hee hee, they arn't as good as the magazine subscription card I just ate but still tasty.

Autumn

Autumn

I love the Autumn,

And yet I cannot say

All the thoughts and things

That make me feel this way.

I love walking on the angry shore,

To watch the angry sea;

Where summer people were before,

But now there's only me.

I love wood fires at night

that have a ruddy glow.

I stare at the flames

And think of long ago.

I love the feeling down inside me

That says to run away

To come and be a gypsy

And laugh the gypsy way.

The tangy tast of apples,

the snowy mist at morn,

The wandelust inside you

When you hear the huntsman's horn.

Nostalgia-that's the Autumn,
Dreaming through Soptember
Just a million lovely things
I will always remember.

-Jacqueline Kennedy Bouvier

Out of the blue in her bedtime prayer

Lillianna: Thank you God that we live in a house.....and not in the forest with dragons and bears.

(Then we discussed how dragons are pretend and bears live far, far away.)

Just another walk around the block

Notice:

The very attentive, caring mother look on Lillianna's face

Her seven "Little Ones" as she calls them: Mickey, Minnie, Baby Boone, Lumpy, Elmo, & Teetsy

Ellenie is still chewing on a plastic wrapped straw (perhaps her mother show be more attentive)

Ellenie's flexed toes...i love those toes

Time flies...when you're having fun

Ellenie and Virginia are nine months old.

Nine light years old I think.

It feels like it has sped by at the speed of light. I hear that all the time from other Moms and it always makes me sad...

to know how fast this precious time is going by and I can't slow it down at all.

I remember Lillianna & Mary Bibb at 9 months. Nine months was a break-through time for me with Lillianna. I finally felt like I had begun to adapt...surrender to being a Mom. This time around with Ellenie I felt different from the beginning. And now I can't believe nine months have gone by.

And just recently I've been realizing how many things I do differently this time around. I didn't mean to..I didn't even think about the little choices that I made. What she eats (or doesn't)...what she plays with (or doesn't)...etc. And most of them have been for the better...because I'm a more relaxed Mom over all.

It does, however, lead me to think about the effect all these little differences will have on their little personalities.

I was thinking about this on the day these pictures were taken.
On the day that, because their older siblings were having so much fun running around, our nine month old little girls had to make their own fun crawling around a Putt-Putt course.

Lillianna & Mary Bibb never did that at their age.

Cousin Kylen

Ellenie: Huh? What?

Oh, we were just seeing who could keep the best straight face while being tickled.

Kylen is winning.

Big Wheels Keep On Turnin'

Thank you Donna & Mike for the coolest "Motorcycle" ever!

The Sunday Paper

E: Can you pass the Comics section?

Boone: I don't think so. You just eat the paper, not read it.

E: Oh come one...just this once.

Boone: Mmmm...nope.

E: Well, I never. I thought we were best friends.

Boone: We are. How 'bout I trade you the paper for a big wet one?

E: Deal.

Hopscotch 101

L: Ellenie you have to start like this...bending your legs to maximize your vertical potential.

E: Yeah Sis, I got it. In two seconds I'm going to spring up and jump higher than you.

L: Okay, but you really need to work on your technique. Try doing something fancy with your arms like me.
E: Seriously dude, I already got that down too.

L: Ellenie, you will be so thankful one day that I taught you all these important things.

E: Whatever.

Fishing for compliments

Lillianna has a most vivid imagination. She always has and I hope she always will. She has entered a phase recently where she can play and talk to "her friends" (her stuffed animals) for a very long time. She plays their Mother, something she can turn on and off like a switch. "I'm Curly's mother now and you are Grandmother." or "No, I'm not Curly's Mother. I'm just Lillianna, Mom."

So I was watching her be Curly's Mother yesterday.

She was so sweet, so attentive, so loving, so understanding, so gracious, so perfect as a Mom.

Me: Lillianna, you are such a wonderful Mommy. Who taught you how to be such a good Mommy?

{Not even a pause}

Lillianna: Curly.

I should have seen that coming.