Bye Beatiful

This morning I took Chant to work and Porter stayed with him so I could go volunteer at the school.  When I got Porter out of the car, I gave him a hug and said, "Bye Handsome!"  Porter started walking away and yelled over his shoulder, "Bye Beautiful!"  Melt my heart!

Porter Funnies

Wednesday Margi came to watch the kids while Chant and I went out.  When we got home she told us a funny story.  She accidentally poked him in the eye and she apologized and asked if he was okay.  He told her, "Yeah, my eyelashes are just a little mixed up."  Funny kid!

Tonight at dinner Chant and Porter were talking and Chant said, "Do you feel me?"  AKA "do you understand."  Porter looks at Chant and said, "You're on the other side of the table.  I'm not touching you so I can't feel you."

At bedtime, Chant and Porter were playing and Porter got a little out of breath.  Chant told him it would take a minute for him to catch his breath.  Porter said, "I'll catch it tomorrow at Grandma and Grandpa's because that's where my breath went."  Oh, we were laughing.  I love this little man!

Crushes

Yesterday I was sitting at the table eating lunch with the kids (Chant was at the office) and the conversation around the table was cracking me up.

Ainsley:  Remember how I had that crush on Justin Bieber?  But not anymore, that was a long time ago when I was younger.

Brinnley:  Yeah, I told Kelsey all about it.  (Kelsey is Brinn's really good friend this year at school.)

Ainsley:  Brinn!  Why did you do that?  Promise me you won't remind her.

Brinnley:  I think she remembers.

Ainsley:  Promise you won't remind her at the end of the school year.

Brinnley:  Okay.  Remember when I had that secret crush on Ethan Williams that I didn't tell you about?  (That last bit was directed at me.)

Ainsley:  Yeah, I remember.

Brinnley:  But that was last year and I don't have a crush anymore.

Me:  Just smiling and listening as the conversation quickly moves on to something else.

Miss Sassifras

I was asking the girls the other day how school was and who they played with today.  Ainsley played with a girl in our ward named Amber and Brinnley played with a girl in her class named Kelsey.  I asked Brinnley if she still plays with Ellie, her best friend from last year.  She said yes, but she plays with Kelsey too.  Ainsley said with a flip of her wrist and a tilt of her head, "I assume Ellie was her best friend last year and this year Kelsey is her best friend."  Love that girl.  So sassy.

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.