April 2016

April is always such a fun, exciting, but extremely busy month for us. While looking at our calendar I realized that we had something going on every single day, and often times more than one activity going on. I already wrote about the kids in the county talent show and the girls in their dance recital, but we also had Jackson's banjo practices and baseball and t-ball practices and games began this month, too! Add in school, school activities and the end of the year test, and it only added to the excitement of our month. 

Ansley started out her first Saturday of April the same way she has the last few years, by going fishing with Papaw. Eric was out of town at his parents for the weekend, and Jackson, Elsie and Vada Belle were still sick with the flu and Felix had a terrible cough, so I stayed at home with the other 4 sick ones. She caught a pretty good size one and she made sure to tell me first thing that she caught more than papaw. 

Enjoying the warmer days with Vada Belle and Felix while the big kids are at school:

One very cold Saturday, we went to the Playhouse Fun Fest at the high school.  The kids loved all of the neat hands on activities they had there:

The second graders presented their study on plants one night at the PTA meeting. Ansley loved showing us her projects. Here she is with two of her sweet teachers, Mrs. Henson and Ms. Zukowski, and showing me which egg was hers:

Vada Belle reading at the PTA meeting & Eric eating lunch with the girls at school.

For Christmas Eric's parents gave us some money to do something fun with our family to make a memory.  We were able to find a great deal to see Disney on Ice when they came close by, and that is what we decided to spend our money on. It was a fantastic show!

Just a normal Saturday night at our house. If you get headaches easily from loud noises, you might want to stay away from our house. :)

April is the start of baseball season for us. This year Jackson and Ansley are on the same team playing coach pitch, and Elsie is playing her very first season of t-ball.

Opening day parade:

Felix cheering on his big brother and sisters:

I ended up having to leave opening day early with the girls so they could run (literally run to the car because we were running late) to dance rehearsal for their upcoming ballet:

We always try to go to Grandfather Mountain in April for dollar days. One Sunday after church we met up with a bunch of our family at Price Park for a picnic and then went to the mountain. The weather was perfect:

Elsie is doing great and absolutely loves t-ball. She didn't want to play last year because she was too busy socializing with her friends in the stands, but this year she found out that several of her classmates were playing so she thought she would give it a try. Three of her friends from her class are on the same team as her, so she loves going to practice and to games to see them and she is learning the basics of the game, too:

Jackson is in his second year of coach pitch, and Ansley is in her first. They have a great team with some sweet kids. I love watching them play ball!

*The girls and their dolls with their new dresses from Mamaw Dianne
*Felix talking to the cat (he loves cats!)
*Our baby chicks at a week old
*Me and my babies after surviving a weekend without Eric and three of them having the flu and Felix with a terrible cough and cold
*All three girls snuggled up in a toddler bed

Vada Belle always keeps me smiling and laughing. I love this little girl so much!

Warmer days means getting to go to the park with sweet friends. Vada Belle loves hanging out with her buddy, Henry, and Felix loves swinging and watching the kids playing.

Some outtakes of Felix's 9 month pictures:

Felix turned 9 months on April 29th.  At 9 months Felix loves to crawl, put tiny objects in his mouth (to scare his mama), dance when he hears music, and his favorite time of day is when his big brother and sisters get off the bus. He can pull up on things and do this funny move where he gets on all fours like he's about to stand up (but he can't do that just yet!). He is still toothless but is always gnawing away at his hands, feet, anything he can get in his mouth, constantly. Whenever he wakes up or wants to be picked up, when I pick him up he will just put his arms around me and squeeze and bury his head into my neck, like he is hugging me. I absolutely love it.

Spring Dance Recital and Ballet

On Saturday the girls had their tap and jazz recital in the morning, and then their ballet that night. It was a FULL day of dance, and then after the two recitals in the morning and before the ballet we had to rush to Ansley and Jackson's ball game (where she scored her first run for the season!).  Here are some highlights of our beautiful dancers:

Vada Belle's Dance Class

 Elsie's Dance Class

Ansley's Dance Class

Dress Rehearsal and rushing from rehearsal to Jackson's banjo practice:

Ready for their tap recital:

Vada Belle's Tap Dance

(Everyday Princess)

Elsie's Tap Dance

(Honeybun)

Ansley's Tap Dance

(Friend Like Me)

Ansley's Jazz Dance
(Red Balloon)

Jackson said he had enough of watching his sisters dance, so he asked Mamaw Ollie if she would stay home so he could go hang out with her. I have a feeling he is going to spend several more years going to dance rehearsals and recitals!
Mamaw Pearl, Papaw Nulan and Aunt Thelma all surprised us when we saw them after the girls recital:

After both tap recitals we rushed to pick up Jackson from Mamaw Ollie's (where she thankfully had lunch ready for us to eat quickly) and then headed to Jackson and Ansley's ball game (which their team won!). All the girls took a nap in the van, which was obviously very much needed.

After the ball game we came home to grab a sandwich, put back on their ballet clothes, and throw their hair in a bun, and of course take a few pictures:

 All three girls were in the ballet, Cinderella, and their studio did an amazing job with the show!

 Ansley's Ballet Dance

(Spring Fairy)

 Elsie's Ballet Dance- she LOVED this dance!

Vada Belle's Ballet Dance
(Mouse Friend)

Having fun at the ballet:

 So proud of our beautiful little dancers:

Talent Show

A couple of weeks ago the school called on a Sunday afternoon to say the school talent show would be the next day.  Jackson, Ansley and Elsie were insistent that they were going to do something.  I tried to get them to just sing a song from church since it was so short notice, but they said no- they wanted to do a skit.  Jackson said he was going to be a ventriloquist, Elsie could be his puppet and Ansley is the questioning sister (I have no clue where they came up with this idea!).  They helped us write something out real quick (to satisfy their "idea") and they made it through the school competition! The teacher that was over the talent show told them to make sure to speak louder and to memorize their parts.  Last night was the county wide talent show and they got 2nd out of their age division! They had the audience laughing and they were excited that second place won them some money (that was already spent today on some Shopkins and Mixels).  Here they are with their "Ventriloquist Comedy Skit":

Getting their awards and Vada's selfies during the middle of the talent show:

 We are so proud of their self confidence and how well they did!

March 2016

March was another busy month that also included quite a few trips to the doctors office. All of our kids except for Felix ended up with the flu, but he had a terrible cold and viral infection, and then ended up with a nasty ear infection, too. We had plenty of fun moments in between all the sickness, and here are some of those fun moments from March:

Ansley and Elsie in their sweet little dresses. They are always wanting to dress up:

 Swinging on their great-grandparents swing

My guys: Eric with our turkey, Tony; 

Jackson helping out with all of the animals; 

Jackson with his "snack" he fixed himself one day and Felix with his three... THREE... things of baby food he ate at one meal. I'm not sure how we are going to afford feeding these boys when they get to be teenagers!
Sleepy baby Felix 

 The kids on St. Patrick's Day:

 Felix on his 1st St. Patrick's Day

Easter parties and the egg hunt for the kinders at school:

 The town Easter egg hunt- I think they said they had over 5,000 eggs hidden.

 Easter party at church:

 Easter morning! The Easter Bunny left the kids another scavenger hunt like usual, but Felix missed out on that since he didn't sleep hardly any the night before and was still asleep with the others got up to do the hunt.

Although Elsie and Felix are all dressed up, they ended up staying at home since they were both pretty sick (it was the next day that Elsie tested positive for the flu). Eric took the other kids to church for the early breakfast and Sunday School, and then I did run Elsie there just for a minute to say her part for the Easter program, but then Eric left with her so we wouldn't spread sick germs to everyone.

 Easter Sunday:

 Vada Belle's facial expressions are hilarious!

 Dying Easter Eggs:

Vada Belle went on a daddy/daughter day one day, and she had some money to spend so she asked Eric to take her to Target so she could buy her some new Shopkins. She loved spending one on one time with her daddy.
Baby Felix is now pulling up and trying to stand while holding onto stuff- he is growing so fast!

 Vada Belle and Felix;
Jackson, Ansley and Elsie at the talent show at their school. They made it through to the county level!
Elsie with her jello egg
Elsie working on her make-up work while waiting for her sisters at dance and brother at banjo. Missing a whole week of school because of the flu is tough for a kinder.

We put some of our eggs in our incubator and ended up hatching out 15 baby chicks! One ended up dying a few days later, but the other 14 are still doing great.

 Felix turned 8 months on March 29th. He is starting to pull himself up a little, loves to army crawl and has almost mastered crawling (which means he is into everything!). His favorite part of the day is when his older brother and big sisters get home from school, and he loves to dance whenever he hears music.  He is way too busy living life that he thinks he doesn't have time to ever sleep.