Hot Air Balloon Classic

To me, it's always been the "hot air balloon festival", but I stand corrected.  Apparently it's a classic and not a festival, however, the terminology is a moot point. Memorial Day weekend is always one of our favorites.  We've always stayed close to home to enjoy the hot air balloons at Pt. Mallard.  J's good friend and his family invited us to go to the beach with them this time around and we fully planned to go, but our wires got crossed on the dates so we ended up staying here.  Truth be told, when the girls found out we were missing the balloons they weren't happy about it - even if it meant missing them for a beach trip.  So they were excited our plans fell through.  However, I think Bethany would have gone on without us if she could have.  That girl won't pass up a trip to the beach!

Back in 2005, shortly after Towns was born, Bethany was with us for Memorial Day.  We were at the neighborhood park and spotted a hot air balloon.  We saw one, then another, and so on.  As newcomers to the area, we had no idea where they were coming from or where they were going but decided to hop in the car and follow them.  They led us to Pt. Mallard.  The bumper to bumper traffic should have tipped us off that there was something major happening.  I'll never forget it.  After we found a parking spot and walked a little ways down the street, there was a clearing in the trees that opened up to a field of hot air balloons for as far as we could see.  It was unbelievable.  We've been regulars every year since, and obviously it's become a habit we can't break.  Not even for a weekend at the coast!  Our favorite part is the balloon glow at dusk on Saturday night.  That along with a mini carnival and funnel cakes seals the deal every time.  Grandmommy and Pop joined us for the big event which made it all even more fun.  Usually we get there just in time to see the balloons and then hit the bouncies and such afterwards.  This year we did it backwards which worked out much better.  The girls weren't nearly as worn out and we were all in bed at a somewhat reasonable hour!

We found out the hard way that there was nothing but concrete to break your fall if you came down this slide too fast...

Don't be fooled...it was much higher than it looks!

The fear in their eyes says it all...

Thank goodness for a skort! Ha!

Towns got really brave and almost attempted a front flip from the top...

But that asphalt must have been in the back of her mind because she never followed through with it.

This little sissy wasn't even thinking about showing out.  She wanted her Bebby to catch her at the bottom...

Somewhere in the middle of it all, I took this picture which is currently my favorite of all time...

I could eat them alive.  Seriously.

I can't really explain how much I enjoy this chick...

She talked my ears off that night about everything under the sun.  She's something else, and I love that about her!  I also think this guy is pretty great...

Especially since he puts up with me and my blasted camera even when he'd much rather shove it (and maybe me too) in the nearest trash can.

Grandmommy and Pop with their girls...

!

When it was almost dark, we found a perfect spot in the grass and wondered why on earth we let J talk us out of bringing chairs...

B and I were twins in white skirts which doesn't mix well with planting yourself in the grass, but that's another story.  Look closely at that picture and you might just spot two clowns.  Or monkeys.  Whichever you prefer.

The view was pretty amazing...

It was even better when the balloons started "glowing"...

Pop spotted a huge dinosaur he wanted us to check out...

Huge is an understatement when you're standing right underneath it!

Cate very much preferred seeing the dinosaur from the comfort of Pop's arms...

Can't say that I blame her!

After a funnel cake or two we were ready to call it a night.  The next morning, all three girls headed south with J's parents.  When I said they're fantastic I wasn't kidding.  J and I enjoyed a relaxing rest of the long weekend with dinner, a movie, and the peacefulness of a quiet house.  It's nice for a day or two, but any longer than that and we're walking around in circles not knowing what to do with ourselves.  What can I say?  We function better as a whole.  And I don't think we'd have it any other way!

The Last of the Lasts

This is officially the last post of all the lasts...last days of school, last hoorahs, and what have you.  Hallelujah! We haven't slowed down much since last week. We're a few days into summer vacation, and I'm wondering why "vacation" is even part of that phrase  It doesn't make a bit of sense, but we'll roll with it. The good news is that we made it though last week without tons of tears and mourning. Ha! In all seriousness, all the "lasts" that go along with the end of the school year do make me sad that Towns is growing up so fast, however it also makes me that much more excited about what's to come. I loved elementary school, and being that Towny is my carbon copy I think she'll love it too. She already gets all giggly at the thought of eating in the cafeteria, having homework, school supply shopping, etc. that comes with going to "big school". Oh, and let's not forget about the mucho importante first day of school outfit that she's already started discussing. She is her mother's child. After all, there's something to be said for planning ahead...right?!

But let's not put the cart before the horse. There's still several things about kindergarten I've yet to cover. Like the last day of school last Friday...

We had to get the infamous picture made in front of the FBC sign like we have every first and last day of school for the last 5 years...

I'm not sure she'd have room for one more thing dangling from her backpack. She's got Minnie, polka dot chap stick, hand sanitizer and the heart I gave her on the first day of school. I think I'll leave it just like it is when I put her backpack away for good.

Cate didn't want to be left out even though technically it wasn't her last day of school (Monday was)...
In a perfect world, they'd be that sweet to each other every second of the day at least two minutes out of the day. Like that would actually happen!!
We were early birds Friday, and so was Conner which made for a perfect opportunity for a snapshot...
I love that kid for a lot of reasons. They just don't come much sweeter than him. But perhaps one of my most favorite things about him is that he's fiercely protective of my girl.

Of course, we had to have one last picture of Mrs. Lindsay and Towns in the classroom...
And one last one of her sitting at her table working...
If only you could have seen the face she gave me after that. If it was translated into words it would read: get the camera out of my face and go about your merry way.
So I did.
Just like the first day of kindergarten, the last one seemed to go on forever. I kept watching the clock and trying to find things to do to keep me busy. Finally it was time to pick her up in carpool line one last time...
I had to compare that picture to this one from the first day of school...
Talk about night and day! Friday she couldn't have been more footloose and fancy free. She casually strolled to the car - barefoot with a sucker in her mouth - carrying a paper bag filled with everything of hers from her classroom (that I still can't bring myself to look at). Such a difference from the wide-eyed 5 year old who couldn't help but run to the car on the first day of school. Goodness.

The day before that, we went to Towns' friend Briar's birthday party at the park. It was a gorgeous afternoon, and the cherry on top was a goldfish as a party favor.
The girls hit this thing immediately every time we're there.  They must find it funny to give me heart palpitations...
Cate wanted to give it a go...
But the thing about Cate-Cate is that underneath that tough exterior, she's such a wimp. And I love that about her! She got a few feet off the ground and then hit panic mode.
That's when big sister tried to get behind her and give her a little pep talk...
It didn't work. She was ready to get down. And she was perfectly fine with being a sissy!

After a weekend full of cheer practice, stunt clinic, and a impromptu spend the night session with Grandmommy and Pop, it was time for the Kindergarten Rocks party and Cate's last day of school on Monday.  Towns' party didn't start until 9 o'clock, so she was pretty excited that she got to go with me to drop Buggy off.  What was not so exciting was more pictures...

 We've worn that FBC sign out lately! :)

The sun and clouds chased each other all morning which made for a nice, breezy day.  When the kids got too hot on the zip line, they'd get in the sprinkler or on the water slide.  Somewhere in the mix they all got to ride horses.  They topped it off with a picnic lunch, said their goodbyes, and that was all she wrote!
Sweet girls waiting their turn for the zip line...

Most everyone preferred to take it easy on the zip line, but Blondie here begged to get a really fast push from Mrs. Lindsay...


Emma and Towns were pretty pumped about the horses...

They waited a while to get a go at it, and almost decided that the wait wasn't worth it.  But then that all changed, naturally...


She enjoyed the horses, but she was most excited about get soaked...

Any time you mix water with grass, you get mud and nastiness.  But Towns thought it was hilarious to make herself go past the end of the slide and right onto the grass to see just how dirty she could get...

She was covered in grass from head to toe and didn't care a bit!

After a couple of hours of playing hard, the kiddos were hungry.  We spread out our wet towels and had lunch...

J called somewhere in the mix and told us he'd gotten Bethany and Cate from school and that they were headed to the Mex for lunch.  Nevermind the fact that Towns had already eaten...it's her all time favorite place, so she was all about it.  I don't think it hit her that when we hurried out we wouldn't be going back.  It was the last time she'd be with her class.  Tuesday night Towns was sitting at the counter while I was making dinner looking a picture of her class from Dr. Seuss week.  The poor baby burst into tears all of a sudden.  When I got her calmed down she told me she was sad because she missed her class.  I assured her we'd make sure they all saw each other again soon...

And with that, you have my word that I'll never blog about kindergarten again...until it's Buggy's turn in a few years!  Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Finale Rally

Finale. Final. The end. Those words sting a little bit tonight. We just got home from Towns' Finale Rally for school. For an hour we were entertained with everything the kindergartners learned all year. For an hour I sat there trying to hold it together so I wouldn't miss a thing. For an hour I had flashbacks of the first time we ever walked through those church doors when she was 6 months old...and she's been there almost every day since. She's got three more days of school and a big party on Monday and then she'll head down a new path to a totally different place. No more comfy, cozy church atmosphere (don't get me wrong - I couldn't be more thrilled about the school she'll be in next year). It's all she's known and all she's cared to know so far for the last 5 1/2 years. But now she's completely fine with being done with kindergarten and going to 1st grade. Me, not so much. It's been my security blanket knowing she was two minutes down the road and that come 12:30 she was mine for the rest of the day. I'm that mom. The one that could break out in the ugly cry at the drop of a hat. And I almost did when the program came to an end tonight with a slideshow. It was set to this music which did me in from the get go. The first thing that flashed on the screen was a picture of the children on the first day of school and beside it was a picture of them from Monday. It was amazing to see the difference. They looked like babies! I was a mess from then on. Should I tell you that the program started at 6 p.m. and I was sitting in the front row at 4:45? Probably not. I walked into the chapel and that's all it took...

I had a "moment" sitting right by myself staring at the chair that she'd sit in on the stage during the Finale Rally.
Oh. My. Heart.

I managed to pull myself together and pass a little time before it started with a few pictures outside...
Talk about a flashback - the dress Cate is wearing is one my sweet friend Jess gave Towns for her 2nd birthday. It's also the same dress she wore the day Cate was born. Why do I do this to myself?! Ha!

Jonathan and Bethany got there right before it started. The kindergartners came in, took their places, and then we said the pledges to the American flag, the Bible, and to the Christian flag. Towns led the pledge to the Bible and then told everyone we could be seated. They put on the show of shows. They sang songs about the days of the week, the months of the year, the 12 disciples, the books of the Bible, the layers of the rainforest, and the oceans. They said their Bible verses from A-Z, the ten commandments, recited poems, and showed off some math skills. They said a few things in Spanish, including their given Spanish names (Towns' is Isabel), and then sang a song in Spanish about colors...
They also sang a song to the tune of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" about the continents...
Their art teacher, Mrs. Mosley, presented us with their art work from the year in a portfolio...
Most of it went along with books she shared with them that they created illustrations for...
I smiled when I saw this next one. I'd forgotten about the battle to get Towns to write her S the correct way. I just knew she'd be going to college writing them backwards...
Funny how I wish she was still young enough not to know the difference.

Then the music teacher, Mrs. Smith, had them perform some songs while playing instruments. My favorite was 5 Little Monkeys...

At one point in the program, a family member was asked to come up to the stage. Mrs. Pace played it off like they had a gift for each family and needed someone to come accept it. Bethany went up for us...
She was horrified when Mrs. Pace announced that it was a trick. They were actually about to perform the Tootie Ta song in front of everyone! B was such a good sport and told me that I better not show a soul the pictures...
She'll kill me for it, but I couldn't resist! Towns knew the whole time and thought it was hysterical that they pulled it off. What was really funny was seeing grown men getting into it. You might recognize a few. Priceless!

Much to my dismay, it wasn't long before the Finale Rally was over. But all good things must come to end, and we couldn't be more thankful that Towns has had such a godly, loving teacher this year...
Everyone thinks their child's teacher is the best, and this is no exception. She was everything we could have hoped for and more. She was so tolerant of this sentimental, sappy mama. She even made Towns a new report card and filled everything in for the second time when some of the words got smudged from water on our kitchen counter. I didn't have to say a word about it, she just knew. If that's not the sign of a special woman, I don't know what is! She's made this transition so easy and seamless for us. I don't think she could ever know how grateful I am for her or how much I appreciate all she's done.

These two have been inseparable their entire lives, and we're so excited that they'll be at Ben Davis together next year...

I recorded the entire program with my video camera, but got some video with my camera as well. This was one of them. The kids were channeling their inner Ferris Bueller which was beyond hilarious...

Maybe it was one of those "you had to be there" things and that it came out of nowhere because it was unexpected, but it had us all laughing like crazy!

The three amigos (Or is it amigas? Maybe I should have a Spanish lesson!) in their shades...
This picture is blurry, but it makes me smile...
And just like that, it was over. Time to move on to bigger and better things I suppose. But part of me will always remember her like this from the first day of kindergarten...
And here I go again. Kleenex, please!

Bebby said even she almost cried tonight. I wanted to all over again after seeing those sweet things walking out hand in hand...
I'll be perfectly happy if Towns grows up to be just like her big sister.

This concludes the ridiculously overboard sentimental re-cap. Bless your heart if you're still reading. I've still got to make it through the last day of school (Friday) and the Splish Splash Bash at Mallard Farms (Monday) and then we'll be back to regularly scheduled programming!