Memorial Day Weekend

I think one word could describe our weekend - LAZY. Usually this weekend is my official fun in the sun, party up, sun tan kick off. However, I think because we have been so on the go, we just took it easy.

Saturday Bo had a race early in the morning while the girls and I slept until 9:30. Our electrician family friend came over and installed our new light fixtures and fixed our outlets. So, I can finally say the kitchen is D-O-N-E! He also put in a new bathroom light in the girls' bathroom.  Bo went to the grocery store and  I went to the pool while the girls took a nap. I learned then that the pool was just too chilly to enjoy. There was no need to take the girls there because all they would want to do is be in the water, and it was just too cold, although it was stifling outside. We made a yummy dessert that Bo's mom makes. That night I went out with my friends from Georgetown. We went to Olive Garden and then to the mall for a bit. Bo took the girls to a Tides baseball game for a date night. The girls had a blast with him. They got free bats for being some of the first fans there. Hannah loved the dancing "animal" - Riptide, the mascot. Emma loved seeing Sarah - and Brandon too! They both LOVED getting their cotton candy. I think they had a great night with Bo and I surely enjoyed some time with friends.

Sunday - mmmmmm, slept until 9:30. Bo did go to Sunday School because he had to teach. I think the girls and I had breakfast around 10:00. It was a clean up, organize, collect yard sale items kind of day. I did manage to get our beach things out and organize our beach bag necessities in my new 31 utility tote. I believe I read the whole rest of the day. My sister came over with Andy and she went through my maternity clothes that she wants. They stayed for dinner and the girls and Andy played for awhile.

Monday - pretty much a repeat of Sunday. Bo had a race, the girls and I slept until 9:30!  I read all day long and then we managed to get out of the house for a little cookout at mom and dads. It sure was good - you do have to have some good grilled food on Memorial Day weekend.

So.....to be honest, I was super lazy because all I wanted to do was finish the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. I read, and read, and read - and the books were REEEEEEALLL good!

This week at work has flown by. Testing is still going on and I have inventoried around 4,000 books already. We are moving right along! We also found out that my sister is going to have a GIRL yesterday!!!! We are really excited about that!

Bo and I have been watching Hatfields and McCoys too. All in all - nothing too exciting around here!


Bo posted these pics of the girls at the baseball game.

Just For Fun

So, I have about 700 pictures on my I phone and as I was going through them to purge some, I could not help but laugh at some of the pictures the girls have taken with my phone. They both know how to take pictures along with playing their apps, and sometimes they take pictures that I do not know about and sometimes I am prepared for a picture. Either way, they are pretty funny!

Pop Pop

Me watching Beauty and the Beast show at Disney

Emma taking pictures at the show

Hannah took a picture of her boo boo

an up close of cousin Brandon

random night at mom and dads

playing with Andy

this is my favorite - telling Emma to NOT take a pic of me (she listened so well)

LOL

pretty flowers

 cheese face!

 because Dora needed her picture taken

 crazy girl

 Mary Poppins photo shoot curtesy of Emma I'm sure

 they love taking pictures of themselves

 I believe Hannah took a picture of her medicine bag

even Lilly was targeted 

Too funny!

Emma's End of Year Preschool Events

It has been another packed week. Although the library is closed, I am in full swing with testing. Third, fourth and fifth grade have started SOL's. Fourth and Fifth are testing all electronically this year so I am running around the building taking care of laptop issues. I think we have figured out that the testing program may be a little too advanced for some of our laptops to handle. Laptops that work perfectly one day have issues the next day. We have had several laptops with charging shortages. When so many kids are testing there are bound to be problems, but I am busy, busy. Then, kids who are not finished by 11:45 come to the library for extended testing time and I am in there with them. Today we had kids testing until after 3:00. It is just that time of year.

Tuesday was Emma's last official day of preschool.

Wednesday was her school carnival. Bo took the morning off to attend this event since I am so swamped with testing at work. Hannah was to go to the babysitter on Wednesday so Bo and Emma could have some fun time together - however, when Bo went to drop off Hannah, Mrs. Beth said that her daughter had just been sick to her stomach. Lucky for Hannah - she got to go to the carnival too. Emma's teachers call Hannah the class mascot and wanted her to be there so she participated just as if she were part of the class. Bo said the carnival was so cute. They had games, tattoos, water activities, a trike a thon and lots of snacks. They both came home with a lot of stuff and Emma had some cute presents from her teachers. They made each child a photo album filled with pictures from their school year. It is adorable !That night Emma and I went shopping for her teachers and Emma said she wanted Outback for dinner so we had a nice dinner with just me and Emma and we talked about her school year and how she is almost on summer vacation.

Here are some pictures Bo took at the carnival.

 Hannah said she wanted a REALLY big balloon!

Today, I took off work in the morning to go to her moving up ceremony. Since she is part of the youngest class, they opened the program. They said the pledge of allegiance (Emma started randomly saying the pledge one night in the kitchen and Bo and I just looked at each other - we had no idea she knew that). They sang two patriotic songs and then received their moving up certificate. It was very sweet and she did a fantastic job. I cannot believe how fast the school year has gone!

 Emma with her wonderful teachers - Ms. Piper and Mrs. Grippo

 she's moved up!

 Emma's spring photo

Spring class picture

this was the end of year class shirt - the tree is Emma's hand - the monkey hanging from the tree is her thumbprint and then the turtles on the bottom are all of her classmates' thumbprints - love it!

So, now dance and preschool are over for the year.  I am so proud of the progress Emma has made. She is a witty little girl and we could not be happier parents. The compliments I have had from her teachers give us a great feeling - we must be doing something right! Watch out St. Andrew Preschool- Hannah will be there in the fall!

Well, it has been another packed week. The girls are in bed and it is time to get to my reading - Fifty Shades!

Dance Recital

Friday was Emma's first dance recital. We were all very excited about the night and Bo's parents even came from Raleigh for the big event. Emma and her little friends were just adorable all dressed up with their costumes, makeup and hair done. Emma and Hannah just love makeup these days and want me to put lip gloss on them all the time. While getting ready at the performance Emma did not want to take a sip of drink because she did not want to mess up her lipstick - haha. I think the moms were more nervous than the kids. I knew she did great on rehearsal day, but you just never know what kids will do when all of the lights are on them and so many people in the audience.

I spent the entire night reminicing about my days of dance at the same studio, the same teachers, the same music, most of the same routines and the same stage. The dance studio is not a very modern studio. The owner/instructor has always been pretty old fashioned, but teaches technique, ballet history, musicals/broadway and proper ballet/tap movement names. In a way I like how there is no hiphop/booty shaking music and I remember being in the studio and wanting so badly to learn the main "big girl" dances like "Hello Dolly," "All that Jazz" and of course "The Chorus Line."

So, to see my little girl on the stage, not only looking like me, but having the same mannerisms was just a proud moment. She did her routines PERFECTLY. I saw her even look down at one point just to make sure she was standing on her spot - something I remember being very conscientious of.

Hannah had some Hannah moments during the show where she could just not be still or kept talking too much. She wasn't being bad, just Hannah! We all had to take turns and take her to the back of the auditorium so she could walk around a little. She thought that she should be on the stage too. We keep telling her she can do it next year.

After the show the first thing Emma said to me was, "mama, my feet hurt!" It was also 10:30 at night and I knew she was just exhausted! Emma got some pretty flowers and presents from all of her family. My parents gave her a ballet doll, Bo and I gave her a ballet book, a Dora toy she had been wanting and the statuate of her dance picture. Mammie gave her a ballet picture frame and Lindsay gave her a little dance stuffed dog. Bo's parents had given her crayons, color books, stickers and a princess pool twirler before we left that night. They also gave her flowers after the performance. All in all I would say she racked up pretty good in the present/flower department. 

 Emma's best dance friends - Audry and Lauren

dance moms and the dancers

 the girls, moms and Mrs. Nancy (their dance teacher)

 Gaga and Emma before the show

ballet

 ballet

 tap routine

 tap routine

 tap

 tap

 exiting the tap routine

 finale routine

here she comes!

 all her flowers and balloons

 doll from Gaga and PopPop

picture dance statue from mommy and daddy

 proud parents

 proud Gaga and PopPop

 Emma with the Hamricks

 Emma with Mammie

 Emma with Aunt Lindsay

 Emma and daddy

Emma at home with all of her flowers and gifts

I loved seeing her shine that night and although Hannah was not too happy about her sister getting so much attention, she surely deserved it. I think she only missed two dance classes the entire year. She has loved it and progressed and retained so much. She was also the youngest in her class, which would make the youngest in the entire show. For being three years old, remembering all of her steps and being so brave on stage, we just could not be happier. We are SO PROUD of you Emma and you were a BEAUTIFUL little dancer!