Taste of Harding

Tonight, we experienced Taste of Harding, a benefit of my alma mater, at the AgriCenter’s famers’ market. With the daytime temps being so high, I was worried because it was basically an outside event, but some clouds rolled in to give us some shade and the breeze was strong and constant.

Helen Grace didn’t take a nap after we got home from Ann Maxwell’s birthday party, and she finally gave in to sleep a few minutes into our drive to Taste of Harding. When we got there, she begrudgingly got out of the car and drifted off again on my shoulder. After making our way through the food vendors, we headed toward the music we were hearing. I love that my little girl gravitates to music of any kind, and even when she was exhausted and grumpy, the sound of brass got her attention and opened her heavy eyes. She finally climbed out of my arms and stood in amazement in front of Harding’s jazz band. She wouldn’t leave; she wanted to be right there in front of them. And when the chorus started up, she wanted to hear them too. And when the Motown band cranked up on the big stage outside, she dragged us up front to see them too. She danced and danced…and obviously went to sleep pretty quickly tonight!

Waiting on Mama to get readyJamming outCan’t get enough of the music- listening to the chorus Brandy and I enjoying the sunset and time to chat (while Daddy chased HG)

Happy Birthday, AMC!

Today, we celebrated Ann Maxwell’s third birthday with a princess-themed paint and bounce party. This couldn’t have been any more up HG’s alley. Since the party was during her naptime, I told her all morning that if she fell asleep after lunch, she’d miss the party. On our way home from lunch, every time I glanced back at her, she would tell me, “My eyes are still open, Mommy.” She made it to the party, bouncing with excitement, and we played until we dropped in the 80-something degree heat.

Helping out the windmill Princess pirates “I’ll help you, Maxwell!” Happy birthday, AMC!

Unfortunately, we were double booked today- Elliott Kate (Rebecca’s youngest) celebrated her first birthday party today too but in Madison. We only wish we could have been in two places at once. Hope you had a great day, Thomas family, and we look forward to hugging that little Kake very soon!

Cousin Party

On Friday, my Aunt Gloria, Uncle Lary, and the Flowers came up for Hayes and Hastings’ Grandparents’ Day at their school. Uncle Lary wanted to see our house, so he came over before we met the rest of the crowd for lunch, and Helen Grace gave him the grand tour. Here, she’s in my office showing him our ‘neighborhood’ out the window.While Cam and Hanley were still stuck at school (apparently teachers don’t get checked out of school along with students on Grandparents’ Day), the rest of us met for lunch at Memphis Pizza Cafe. HG was terrified for some reason and spent most of the first 20 minutes like this…Pizza finally got her to come out, and then she warmed up chatting with Hastings and Hayes.

Afterward, we went back to their house, and HG fell in love with the girls’ Barbie playhouse. I see one of those in our near future. Also, Hayes and Hastings (on the banjo) put on a musical show for all of us, accompanied by Glo (on flute) and Bob (soloist). There is a video out there, but I fear for my life if I share it. Just know that it is proof that grandparents will do anything for their grandbabies!

First Mani

After her bath tonight, I was trying to get Helen Grace to let me trim her toenails. (I have to sneak into her room after she’s asleep to trim them, and that is getting REALLY old.) She put up quite the protest, but I offered to paint them for her if she let me clip them. That caused her to pause and then ask if I’d paint her fingernails. Well, for a mom that has been waiting almost two YEARS for her little girl to ask that question, I was up off the couch like a firework and running for the polish! She was as giddy as a school girl as I showed her how to lay her hands out flat and shook the polish bottle. She behaved very well and let me paint away, watching my every move. She even stayed still and let them dry, and then we headed upstairs to show Daddy. Somewhere along the way, she decided she wanted the polish OFF and OFF N-O-W. I went scrambling for the polish remover, but once she saw the cotton ball, she retracted her demand. So we headed upstairs to Daddy and bed again, and she loved showing them off to John; however, when we got to her room, she started freaking out again. At that point, I chalked it up to a stall technique and pushed through it. She is sleeping with pale pink fingernails tonight and seems to be alright with it at the moment! Geez!

Flowers for Mama

Look what was waiting on me when I picked up HG at Grandma’s on Monday! Hand picked by my baby girl…

And I made such a big fuss about Monday’s gift, that this is what I found when I got to Grandma’s on Tuesday. Her face just glows with pride, and her smile couldn’t be any bigger. I am tickled pink, and I know that GG is smiling down on us. Pansies were her favorite.

Peabody Ducks

My {crazy} cousin, William, is like my twin brother. We were born three months apart and have grown up together, sharing almost every Sunday lunch at Bubba’s and essentially all big moments in life. We used to be mistaken for twins, and sometimes we still are!

 

William has lived in downtown Memphis for at least five years, and we’ve never taken Helen Grace to have lunch in his part of town. Saturday was a beautiful day, so we made a trip out of it and met him at the Peabody to see the DUCKS. Apparently, getting there 15 minutes early was NOT enough time to beat the crowd. It was PACKED. We squeezed our way in and if we stood really still with our heads close together, we could see the red carpet. We waited and waited and finally the doors opened, and the ducks busted a move down the carpet and splashed into the fountain. Helen Grace thought that was cute and funny, but about a minute later, she was asking to go get a kite again. (She’s been on a kite kick lately, thanks to Mary Poppins.)

We found William in the madness and headed up to the rooftop to show HG where the ducks lived. Along the way, we met a group of Japanese visitors who bombarded Helen Grace like she was Lady Gaga. It was like paparazzi, no kidding. Not sure if it was the blonde hair or the Hello Kitty heart shaped glasses, but HG did NOT like it. She did like the view of the river though, once we shook off her stalkers.

We headed across the street for lunch at Flying Fish, and HG finally started warming up to William. They bonded over the little fishing boat her lunch arrived in, and she told him all about the circus. Afterward, we walked down to the river, checked out the riverboats, and strolled along the water in Tom Lee Park. Such a beautiful day!

If you squint, you can see the ducks running on the carpet over our heads!Our little celebrity Talking to the kids in the window Not warmed up to William yetToo big! Finally warming up Big river, little girl