DANCE RECITAL NIGHT TWO

So Saturday night was the second recital performance and now I wasn't worried about hair and makeup and how she would do.  I was just worried that she would be worn out from the night before. I made her lay in our bed and watch a movie to rest and thenI gave a coke.  Terrible I know but she never drinks anything with caffeine so I thought it might help.  She didn't really drink much of it though.  On the way to the recital she got quiet in the car and I know she does that when she is about to fall asleep so I was steadily talking to her to keep her awake. Then once we got there she was good to go.

She was super pumped that everyone had come to watch her performance.  My mom, my sister and both of Kenny's parents  and of course Kenny and I were all there.  Kenny and I were looking forward to seeing it again. She did amazing on this nights performance to and I was able to get so many sweet pictures with our family and Elle and her friends. After the recital we waited to see how Elle's energy level was.  She was just fine and we let her choose where she wanted to go to dinner to celebrate and of course she chose hibachi! She loves to watch the man cook. We enjoyed a fun dinner and then headed home to go to bed after the big day!

So here are some pictures from the second recital! So glad it is all behind us.  Elle has asked several times when her next recital will be.  She liked being on stage!  

My sister brought these precious and delicious cookies for Elle.  She loved them!

Cece, Elle and Nanee

PopPop Elle and Gramma

Elle and her sweet friend Annie who was in the other ballet class for her age group.

Elle and Abigail coming out for her curtsy

So proud of my girl!

Elle and her friend Miriam.

Elle, Abby (Miriam's older sister) and Miriam

Elle with her two twin friends Ella and Audrey.

Elle with her Cece and Gramma

Elle with Mommy and Nanee

And Walker hung with the grandparents on Friday night and with a sitter on Saturday afternoon.  He still enjoyed all the family time though and was such a good baby.  He grabs more and more of my heart every day.

DANCE RECITAL NIGHT ONE

Well a monumental occasion had arrived.  When we found out we are having a little girl, ballet class and dance recitals were definitely some of the things that I looked forward to.Friday and Saturday were Elle's first recital performances.  I was a nervous wreck about the whole thing.  I was worried about doing the very specific bun.  I was worried that Elle would scream when I had to do the bun.  I was worried that she wouldn't wear the itchy costume.  I was worried she wouldn't go out on stage.  I was worried she would be too tired after the late Friday performance to do the Saturday performance when all of our family was coming to see her.  I was a ball of anxiety.  And it was totally all for nothing. 

I played up the fun hair and a little makeup and she gladly let me do it all.  I managed a pretty awesome bun.  Elle was thrilled to put on her pretty sequin dress and go backstage with all her friends and she did so amazing on stage.  I was so proud of her.  It truly was a magical weekend.  A milestone for sure.

Originally there was only supposed to be one performance on Saturday night but all the tickets sold out so they ended up tacking on another performance on Friday night after the dress rehearsal that afternoon.  Elle was tired when it was all over but like I said I could not of wished for it to go any better.

So here we are with some pictures from Friday.  I will do another post tomorrow with all the pictures from the Saturday performance when our family was in town.  I know Elle felt so loved and supported.

At Mommy's beauty parlor getting her hair and makeup done.  I really played up getting to sit on my stool in my bathroom and the make up.  She was loving every minute of it.

Once she was ready she was so funny about being extra careful so not to mess up her hair and make up.  And this is the pose that I got when I asked for a picture.

Elle came out to sit with us for a little bit in between her rehearsal 

and the recital so of course we had to take some selfies!

Elle and Abigail 

Elle's class was smaller.  We were just missing one little girl in this picture.  Sweet girls.

Elle and Cate showing us their moves

Family picture before the show started.

Daddy and Elle after the recital.  We were so proud of her.

It was late but we were all hungry so we ran through the Jimmy Johns drive through to get some dinner.  When we came home I attempted to get some of Elle's make up off and took her hair down.  This was the result.  Kenny couldn't even look at her because she looked like a teenager who just got home from a party.  So funny! I don't think he wants her to grow up.

MAY FAMILY WEEKEND

We had a wonderful weekend in Starkville.  School has let out and that always means things slow down a little bit which is nice. On Friday the town had a crawfish boil in the Cotton District that we met some friends for. We got a babysitter for Walker so not to mess his sleep up. The boys bought tickets which was supposed to entitle you to unlimited draft beer and a alb bucket of crawfish.  But the event planners did not plan well and they did not have nearly enough crawfish and Kenny didn't like the draft beer.  But they had a blue grass band that Elle enjoyed dancing too and she had fun playing with the other kids and we had fun being outside and visiting with everyone.  We did end up hungry so we went for a late dinner at Bin 612 and had a great time.

Friends and babies

Saturday morning we decided to go to Starkville's little farmers market.  We figured we wake up so early that we would have time to get to the Farmer's Market at 7:30, do a little shopping and grab some breakfast before we had to get home for Walker's nap.We were pretty much correct in that assumption but Walker got pretty tired and fell asleep in the car for a second and then when we tried to put him down for his nap he was not having it. So then he was a tired mess when we got him up from that nap and so he was not really a happy baby the rest of the day.  If there is one thing we learned from that whole day is that we need to be pretty strict with his naps.  But we had a wonderful morning getting some homegrown strawberries, squash, boiled peanuts, tomatoes and fresh baked bread. Then we walked across the street to the Mennonite bakery for sticky buns.

Checking out the spiders and cockroaches at the honey stand.  Elle touched that cock roach!!

They had a working hive and the queen bee had a dot on her so you could point her out through the glass and we thought it was so neat.

Enjoying some breakfast at Aunt Marty's bakery.

Orange juice cheers.

The farmer's market haul.  Those strawberries are so divine.  

They actually have a taste.  We love them!

On Sunday I traveled to Jackson, Tennessee with just me myself and I.  I was making the three hour drive to see Tracy and her brand new baby girl, Leighton Mae.  And of course Mack and Joe too. Tracy did not find out what she was having for this pregnancy and had her hopes pinned on a girl and sweet baby Mae surprised us by really being a girl!  We are all so thrilled.  She is just so so cute and somehow I even managed to get a little baby fever from the snuggles. Tracy and I also planned this visit so that we could go out and have a margarita and go see the new Pitch Perfect 2 movie.  We saw the first one together many years ago. It was such a great night and a great visit.  I cannot wait to see them again soon!

WALKER EATS

We had an amazing little weekend spent together and  I even got a quick overnight trip to visit one of my best friends and meet her new baby girl so post to come on that soon.  But first I wanted to throw this milestone post in the mix.  In very focused efforts to get Walker to sleep more at night we decided to go ahead and start some solids.  I started Elle on cereal at four months but just didn't feel like adding it to the mix with Walker just yet.  I also wanted to wait until after our beach trip. But since we have gotten on a more concrete nap schedule we could accommodate an afternoon meal. So to the store I went to get some veggie mixes and fruit mixes.  I always start with veggies.  Fruits won't be far behind.

Since I wasn't planning on doing this I don't have a good high chair yet.  Still trying to figure out what I want to get.  I know what I want but just not sure I want to pay the price.  So we winged it and used our little Fisher Price chair thing.  It was fine.  Walker wasn't totally into the spoon.  It will take a little more work to get the opening the mouth part but he did okay the last couple times we have tried.  After the first time I put a little oatmeal cereal in the baby food to thicken it up and help him swallow it and he seemed to eat more then! Sweet boy is growing up!

GRAMMA CAMP 2015

Last Spring we started an annual tradition of Gramma Camp.  It was a huge hit last year and Elle was so excited to go again this year.  Elle's preschool lets out at the end of April and then they don't go back until June so we are always trying to fill our days and Mrs. Ann is so wonderful to host Elle for an entire week!

Before I get any further into it I have to include this little story.  When I started talking to Elle about Gramma Camp a month or so before she would go she would get so excited and ask questions like "Will we roast marshmallows?  Are we going to sleep in a tent? Are we going to sleep on the ground?"  I think on an episode of Max and Ruby Ruby went camping so she thought Gramma camp was actual camping! All in good time.  But for now I think she is pretty content to sleep in her very pink Sofia bed inside in her own room at Gramma's house and get spoiled absolutely rotten!

We dropped her off on a Sunday and I was a little worried that when she realized that Mommy and Daddy were leaving and with Walker that she would freak out a little. Nope.  Complete opposite! She pretty much pushed us out the door within an hour of arriving.  She was ready to have Gramma and PopPop all to herself!

Over the week they did so many fun things! They went to two different splash pads, a super fun park, shopping for toys, a movie, Chick Fil A, lots of ice cream trips and tons and tons of undivided attention just playing!  Mrs. Ann was a trooper and got up with Elle at 6 AM when she normally sleeps a little later, they would have a little snack of apples and cheese and then later they would cook a big breakfast.  Elle probably ate bacon every morning! Her favorite!

Kenny, Walker and I came back on Friday to stay the weekend and celebrate Mrs. Ann's birthday and Mother's Day.  We had missed our girl.  On Sunday we headed home and I do think Elle was ready to be home but she is missing her Gramma now and has told everyone she sees about Gramma Camp!  She can't wait to go again.  And one day Walker will be old enough to go too!  

So here we go with a few pictures from the week of Gramma Camp!

This was immediately after we left.  She was enjoying a little snack and cartoon on Gramma's bed and this picture made me miss her so much as soon as we left.

When we left Fairhope, Kenny and I headed to Biloxi to stay at a hotel while Kenny did some work there Monday morning.  Walker was pretty pleased with all the attention and being an only child for a week!

Walker needed a bath so a little hotel sink bath was in order.

Looking pleased as punch with her full breakfast! I do make her breakfast every morning but we normally do eggs and bacon and stuff on the weekends.  She was loving it!

On her way to the splash pad with Gramma and PopPop.  Weaaring Gramma's sunglasses!

That is a happy little girl there! Worn out from playing all day and some 

chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone!

PopPop and Elle with a  chocolate mustache.

And one with Gramma!

Gramma got creative to try and keep that hair from getting all kinds of stuff in it  

Chick Fil A lunch date!

Lunch with Gramma before a movie.  Hit up the salad bar.

Gramma with Walker and Elle on Mother's Day before we left.

We also stopped in Hattiesburg on the way home to see CeCe for Mother's Day.  We enjoyed some lunch at her house while Elle played. It was good to see all of the grandparents in one weekend!