Ainsley Jean

 My dear sweet Ainsley Jean turned 6 years old July 17th.  I cannot believe she will be in first grade and gone all day long.  My heart hurts that she won't be here with me. 

I have thought about writing this post for a long time.  Ainsley is so complex.  There is so much emotion in that cute little thing.  She feels things deeply and passionately.  She can be self-assured, but also timid and in need of reassurance.  She loves school and is so good at learning.  But she gets frustrated with herself when she doesn't get something right the first time.  She needs that extra gentleness and patience.  She is nervous about trying new things but once she has tried something a few times and feels comfortable, she comes out of her shell.

 She loves music and learns lyrics quickly.  She loves art and making projects.  She likes to play by herself and makes her own games while playing Legos or Polly Pockets. 

 She loves hats and looks adorable in them. 

 She loves to swim but is still a little nervous when she first gets in the water.  She stays close to the edge digging with spoons.

 She likes to ride her bike with her training wheels on it and she loves her scooter. 

 She loves chocolate and peanut butter.  She prefers apples to oranges.  She doesn't like jelly.  She is a self-proclaimed carnivore.  Her favorite television shows are Fetch, Wild Kratts, and Electric Company, in that order.

 Her favorite color is still blue.  She loves pizza, chicken nuggets, chocolate balls cereal. 

I love this little girl so much!  She has taught me so much already, and I know that she has so much to teach me still.  I am so blessed she is a part of my life!  Love you forever and always Jeanie Beanie!

I'm losing it!

"Your nuts are driving me crazy"
-Ainsley

In the car, directed at Porter.  Chant and I in the front seat laughing hysterically.

Mushroom Hunting

Last night was horrible!  Ainsley and Porter coughed all night long.  I kept them home from church today, but Brinnley went to Church with Grandma.  She had a lot of fun helping getting the Nursery ready for the kids. 

Grandpa was here all morning and he had fun showing the kids different kinds of knots with a rope.  He tied Porter up a few times, which Porter didn't like.  But of course he thought it was funny when Grandpa tied me up.

A little while after lunch we got in the car and took a drive up the Ashton Hill.  Dad pulled off a dirt road and we parked.  All the kids had their buckets and we went mushroom hunting.  There is a certain kind, morelles, that Dad has been a little obsessed with lately.  The kids had a lot of fun tromping throuh the woods.  And their buckets were pretty full too.  But then it started to rain, so Ainsley, Porter, Mom, and I headed back to the car.  Mom used a valet key, which only unlocks the doors but won't start the car.  Because she didn't immediately start the car, the alarm started going off.  Porter freaked out.  "The car won't stop horning!  He didn't want to take a walk!"  Mom and I could not stop laughing as Porter kept saying, "Make it stop horning!"  Finally Grandpa came with the key and it stopped. 

We got back in the car and drove to another little road.  Brinnley and Ainsley led the way all the way to the bottom of the hill down the path and then back up.  They each picked up walking sticks and had a great time.  It was a pretty fun afternoon.

Birthday Boy

June 6 Porter turned 4.  We took his presents with us to Bullfrog so he could open them while Chant was there and so he could play with them.  (After we left Bullfrog on the 5th the kids and I came back to Ashton with my parents.)  So we didn't have much of a party planned.  Grandma gave us a few dollars to go to the Flea Market and see if we could find a present there.  All 3 kids found a little toy. 

We made a cake after Mom got home from work.  We did a chocolate cake in a bundt pan.  Then I frosted it and put little candies in the shape of butterflies, frogs, and caterpillars on it.  After dinner and after Grandpa got home, we were ready for the cake.  Porter asked Grandma if she had candles, so the two of them searched the cupboards and they were in luck to find 4 pink ones.  Then he said, "Don't forget the fire so I can blow it out!"  So cute!  We all gathered around him at the kitchen counter and I lit the candles and slid the cake toward him.  I had my camera ready to take pictures of him while we sang.  Good thing I was ready because we didn't get the chance to sing.  He blew the candles out the second the cake was in front of him.  We laughed and then sang to him. 

After cake I got out the presents I'd given to him in Bullfrog.  I gave him 3 packages of action heros but we only opened 2 of them.  So I got out the opened ones and then opened the last.  And my sweet little boy was perfectly happy with that.  I was worried he'd ask if there were more presents, but he didn't say a word.  He got all excited as I opened the last package and then he was off to play.  And Brinnley has worked really hard coloring him pictures of a frog and a horse.  She cut them out and put them on "sticks" of paper.  It was so sweet and Porter loved them.  I am glad he had a good day and felt special.  All day long he said, "I'm the birthday boy!"  Happy birthday my sweet little man!

P.S.
A quick Porter update.  He is so expressive with his hands when he speaks.  Chant laughs and says he could be the male Vanna White becuase he uses his hands for everything.  He is also very conversational.  Yesterday Mom had the Boy Scouts on an activity and we went with her to take them home.  Porter was in the middle with a boy on each side of him.  And Porter was just chatty, asking questions and talking.  It was so cute.  He just sounds so big! And he's developed a funny habit when telling stories.  For example, last night they went next door to see the neighbor's new puppies, their goose, and duck.  When Porter got back he said, "The daddy dog was so big and I was like ahhh when I saw it."  He always says that "I was like" or "she was like."  I don't know where he got it but it's kind of funny.  He's also very affectionate, loves hugs and kisses.  And I love him!

Romance

Last night Ainsley and I were watching a Disney Channel movie.  It was called Geek Charming.  I came in late and Ainsley told me what was going on.  Then I sat down beside her to watch.  The geek boy was making a documentary about the most popular girl in school to uncover the truth about the popular crowd.  But of course they started to like each other.  But then something happened and they got mad at each other.  Ainsley turned to me and said, "Well this isn't much of a romance!"  I thought that was so funny!  During the commercial we talked about how we thought the movie would end.  She nailed it, including the fact that the girl would were her dead mother's pink dress to the dance.  Smart, attentive girl!

Bullfrog

We spent June 1-5 at Bullfrog on the houseboat with Mom, Dad, and Uncle Layn.  It was the best trip!  We has so much fun swimming on the beach and taking rides in the speed boat.  Grandpa played aligator with the kids.  They screamed and ran and always got caught.  And they loved it.  I so enjoyed this time with the kids.  They were so pleasant, for the most part.  Every time we were on the speed boat Brinnley seemed to fall right to sleep.  Not Ainsley,  her sweet little mouth was constantly moving.  She wasn't talking to anyone but herself.  And she was having quite the conversation.  So cute to watch.  Poor Porter Boy was stressed out because he was worried the wind was going to blow everything away.  Anytime a gust of wind came up he ran around gathering everything up and putting it back on the houseboat.  Brinnley was a little fish.  She discovered how fun it was to keep her lifevest on because then she could go deep and still swim.  She was everywhere!  Ainsley had fun digging in the sand and making castles and motes.  She too eventually let Daddy take her out to the deeper parts.  Porter didn't like it so much, so we took him out deeper once and then that was it.  He wanted to stay where he could touch. 

We came back in to Layn and Anne's on the late afternoon of the 4th.  We spent the evening riding 4-wheelers.  The kids loved taking rides.  We took turns taking them out and then Chant and I were able to go on a longer ride. 

Every night Chant and I slept under the stars on the deck of the boat.  It was quite the view with a full moon.  It was surprisingly warm.  I only got cold the last night when we were at Layn and Anne's. 

We needed this trip away frrom everything to reconnect and slow down.  It was definately a memory maker and a trip I will always remember! 

Smother's Day

Mother's Day has been pretty fabulous so far.  I got breakfast in bed modified (I was getting ready for Church so they brought it to me in the bathroom).  The kids made me some beautiful cards and I got an I-Tunes gift card.  Yay!  I've been smiling all day long, especially when I hear Porter say, "Happy Smother's Day!"  Is he trying to tell me something?