Happy Mother’s Day, Grandma!  This says it all:
WE LOVE YOU!!!

Love, Charlie

This morning I got to have muffins at Carter’s desk in her classroom, for Mother’s Day!  Awesome!  She made me Mother’s Day flowers she’d colored, cut and pasted, and an “All About Mom” book (“my mom likes chocolate, but no selery!”  She knows me too well!).  Then she shared her number scroll, where she’d written numbers 0 – 1392!  What a great Friday morning!

Such a Smart Cookie!

Guess who found puddles while en route to Target?!

Splish, splash!

How do you tell him NO when he’s THIS happy?!

Carter’s first attempts at baseball begin today, with the world’s best coach on her side!  Overall, she did a pretty good job.  She never got upset or frustrated, but she did begin to lose focus when fielding (sound like anyone you know and love?!).  And boy can she hit!

The World’s Best Coach helping one awesome little batter!

BOOM!  There it goes, and she’s off to first!

Beauty and the Base

He just couldn’t help but come ONTO the field to play in the dirt!

Fielding (notice all the action heading towards the ball, while Carter’s kicking at the dirt?!)

Drawing – Hey, you can’t win ‘em all!

Coaching moment of the day: “It’s like herding cats!”

She’ll never sit on the bench alone!  Who says Little Brothers don’t do everything their Older Sisters do?!

At bat #2: I LOVE the look on her face!  Even SHE was surprised she hit it!

Score!  High five from Coach Daddy!

Orange Team’s Biggest Fan!

The grass needed watered.  It was about 65 degrees, tops, today.  Solution: SPRINKLER!

Our new “Geyser Ball” sprinkler that they LOVE!

Miss I’m In Change, handing out watering orders

Dirty belly.  Sticky hands.  Happy Charlie!

After a long day, nothing beats the swings!

Swinging with Daddy

Nearly over the bars!

Happy as can be <3

Carter, and her Troop of Girl Scouts, are now Brownies!  We participated in the bridging ceremony, and it’s official!  She’s had a great year of Scouts, and she’s looking forward to continuing with her troop.  She’s pretty excited to be able to help with “the doggies and kitties at the Animal Rescue League.”  Senior project?!!

Our goofy, silly Scouts

Bridging ceremony

She was so thrilled to get a hand-written note from her leaders!  How awesome!

Patches and pins

Charlie’s favorite book is “Chicky Chicky Chook Chook,” a riveting read, might I add!, and his favorite part is the above: Crash!  Bang!  Wallop!  What on Earth was that?!!

Carter had her professional dance pictures this morning.  It was a little hectic and chaotic, having pictures at 9:35, 9:45 and 9:55, complete with entire outfit changes and some tears, but in the end, she looked beautiful and her smile was radiant!  Next up: Recital 2012, coming in June!

It appears that bright red lipstick makes her bananas! 

Rachel, dance tutor, role model and amazing dancer!  We love her!

Her first one!  All of the Ashland Ridge kiddos, grades 1st – 5th, took “shifts” for an evening of music and cuteness.  The first graders went first, all four sections lining the stage.  Each class got to perform a spot-light song.  Carter’s class was last (best for last??!), and of course, she took it upon herself to spice things up (“Mrs. Verstag <her teacher> said it’d be cute if one of us dropped the ball.  So I did!”  Of course she did!).

Very proud of you, Carter Kay!  You shined like the brilliant star you are tonight!

It took him about three seconds to find her amid all of the other 1st graders, then another two seconds to start waving and yelling for her!  Proudest little brother ever!

That’s our little Cheeser, ready to sing her heart out!

Ashland Ridge’s beautiful first graders

Mrs. Burk’s class gets ready to sing their song, front and center

Outside, after the concert, Carter found her best friend and neighbor, Elisa

And she got some love from her biggest fan!

Carter’s first music concert

Carter and her 1st grade class performing their song