{Emily's} Got Talent

Friday night was Emily's night to shine! 

She came home from school a few weeks ago with a paper in her hand so excited to tell me she wanted to be in the Talent Show!  My first reaction was to be enthusiastic right along with her...but then I started to feel anxiety because I didn't think she really had a talent!  She said she was just going to dance...and as she started to show me her dancing...I got even more nervous...ha!  As bad as it sounds...I even tried to talk her out of it...I know...I'm a terrible mom!  But I was so nervous that she'd get up there and not know what to do!

Obviously...I don't know my own Emily very well!

She had no worries whatsoever!  She was thrilled to get up on stage and do her own ballet! 

{I'll admit...I was still nervous up until the very second she performed...I couldn't help it!}

Grandma and Grandpa came to show their support too!

{When is it Emily's turn?}

She was great...of course!  The first time she stepped out on stage...her music wasn't ready...so she just smiled at the crowd...she had to come off stage for a minute until the technical problem was fixed...

...then she was more than ready!

I love Emily's personality...she really teaches me to just go with the flow...and enjoy it all along the way!  She truly doesn't let anything worry her...and I so admire that about her...she's fearless!

And all the kids in the Talent Show were amazing...it's not necessarily about having talent...but more about having fun and confidence!

We're so proud of you Emily!  Keep doing what your doing...and don't let anything stop you! 

{including your unnecessarily nervous mother...sometimes!}

Never {Finished}

If there's one thing that's never the same around here...

...it's the furniture arrangement...

...or the pillows...

...or something got added...

...or taken away...

The sun room is one of those rooms that's never finished!

It's never a big, dramatic change...but the chairs that I dragged in from outside...that I had in the kitchen...are now in here...

...plus I added a soft, creamy rug to cover up the drab dirty carpet soften the space!

It's kind of shag...and I hesitated about getting it...but I really love it!  I remember our lovely yellow shag carpet from my childhood in our pink house!  ha!  {Yes...I really lived in a pink house...just like John Mellencamp sings of!}

{My toesies are happy here!}

I'm diggin' it...for now...I'm sure it will change again!  {maybe if we ever get rid of our decade-old couches and put the outdoor furniture...back outdoors!  oh well...}

And the chairs that used to be in the sunroom...that used to be outside...have made it into the kitchen...

I'm happy that all the chairs are the same color...but it still doesn't seem finished to me...yet!

{until next time...}

I do know of one thing that is finally finished...

{hey Alex...did you get that done yet?}

Alex completed his Science Fair project and is turning it in today...two weeks early!  Hoo-to-the-ray!

He's pretty darn proud of it too!  The little plastic egg is attached to floss and the salt shaker is attached with a brad...so he can shake the salt and pull the floss from behind to make the egg float...ha!

Good luck Alex!  Way to finish!

{Now to finish Emily's...sigh...}

Wordless Wednesday {Celebrate...}

{...every. single. day...}

{no matter what...}

{because these four are always gonna be a part of it!}

{Walk} It Off

Today is a gorgeous day!  And I got to spend it with this gorgeous girl...

Well...she should be in school...but the infamous fever has struck again.  It got Alex last week...and it came back for Emily.  She went to the doctor this morning...but he said it's probably just a virus.  She has the terrible barking cough again, but the fever seems better.  So we decided to just go out and take a walk and get some fresh air...and blow those stinkin' germs away! 

{the crew}

It's great what the sunshine and a nice brisk walk can do!

As soon as we were off...Dan pulled up with some trees to plant!  {he loves his trees!}

{a little help after our walk}

{Skipper is always on alert when someone gets too close!  he's barking at Dan before he even realizes who it is!}

{and Elizabeth is all smiles to see her Daddy!}

I don't ever wish for them to be sick...but I secretly loved having Emily home today!  I miss the days last year when she'd be home in the afternoon from Kindergarten. 

If it were up to me...I'd keep them home.every day.all to myself.and keep them little

...if only that were possible...sigh...

So I will enjoy any second I can...

...whenever I can get it...

{even Skipper...he's getting to be such an old boy...he has been with us from the beginning...and is always close by...he's practically my shadow all day when I am home...

{do you see him?  that's his nose in the lower left corner...ha!}

{such a good dog!}

Yes...if it were up to me...I'd keep them all to myself...

...but it's not...

so I'll cherish our walks...{even with a virus}...

if it means more time with my little ones!

Wordless Wednesday {Homework Helper}

{It's Science Fair time...x 2!  Elizabeth wanted to offer her 2 cents!}

{When Elizabeth is sitting here in about 8 years doing her own Science Fair project...Alex will be working on his college applications!  Yikes!}

She's Got {Pear}sonality!

I hope these two are always the best of sisters...

I thought I'd try Elizabeth with some rice cereal and baby food this week...

Emily loved feeding her {pears} for the very first time...

...I think Elizabeth loved it too!

...but after about 10 seconds...Emily dropped the spoon and said she wanted to go play!  ha! 

It's hard to believe that she's getting so big and already trying new food {we've got to get her on a bottle though...she is literally attached to me all day...and is starting to miss me too much when I'm not there.  I know...I don't ever want to let her go...but a mama's gotta get some time to herself!}

Even when I'm not feeding her...she's still attached to me!

Friday night the kids had a Going Green fair at their school which included pizza, games, crafts and a magic show!  Alex was not able to go because he woke up with a fever and missed school...shoot...he was pretty upset that he didn't get to go...but we brought him back some goodies...a frisbee, pencils and a magic wand from the magic show!

{Can you ever get enough of Emily's fashion?!  Gotta love her!}

{Emily and some friends getting ready for the magic show...she didn't even save me and Elizabeth a seat!}

{making a recycled paper flower}

{learning oragami to raise money for relief in Japan}

{Emily pedaling to light up the light bulbs!}

It was a fun night and a dad even came up to me to tell me that I had the cutest little girl...um...thank you?  But he was telling me how sweet Emily was during her Talent Show Auditon this week!  That's right...as if Emily doesn't already have enough on her plate {ice-skating, gymnastics, tennis...and baseball is gearing up to start soon!}, she came home last week and said she wants to be in the school Talent Show!  I tried to talk her out of it because I was a nervous wreck trying to figure out what in the world her talent was going to be.  And...bless her heart...she has absolutely no fear and said she was just going to dance!  To relieve my anxiety...I had her practice something so she had an idea of what to do...and she made up her own ballet dance to Taylor Swift's Love Story!  I can't wait to see her perform in a couple of weeks!  

{all dolled up for Spring pictures!}

I love my girls and Alex too, of course...but I can't ever get a picture of him to save my life!

It's a joy to see their personalities come out...Alex told Emily he wouldn't be in the Talent Show if he was her!  ha!  But Emily seems to thrive on that!  Not me! 

It's so fun to watch them grow and learn...and how amazing it will be to see where Elizabeth fits in!