Reese's 5th Birthday (a month late)

When Reese turned 4, she wanted to take Addie to the movies to see Dolphin Tale 2. From then on, Reese said she wanted a Dolphin Tale birthday party when she turned 5. Do you know how hard it is to find Dolphin Tale decor? Impossible. It was more like under the sea decor. 

Saturday, her last day as a 4 year old, was a rough day. Reese and Elynn both acted TERRIBLE all day long. (Also first thing Saturday morning she came and asked me "is today my birthday?" I love the innocents of her needed us to tell her which day is her birthday.) At bedtime Adam pretended to call the people who were bringing her water slide and told them to cancel. He said he deserved an Emmy for his superb acting. Apparently he was right. Sunday morning I told Reese to go tell daddy that the water slide would be at our house around 8:30. She came to the kitchen where I was and  with the saddest face told me, "No, momma. Daddy cancelled my water slide. They aren't bringing it." Broke my heart. Adam talked to her and told her that he called them back and told them that she was going to do better, and to go ahead and deliver the slide. 

When she got up that morning she said, "I don't feel 5. I still feel like I'm 4." 

She asked for a jewelry box this year, not a toy. I think that's a sign of the times. She's not a baby anymore. She's a little girl, and we couldn't be more proud of her (even when she has days like Saturday when she caused her momma to need a nerve pill). She opened all of her presents from us that morning. She danced to the song that the jewelry box plays. 

And then it arrived. This was her first trip down it. 

This was Elynn's first and only trip down the slide. She's much more aware of things that have the potential to be dangerous than Reese ever has been. 

We've watched Tangled several times lately. Reese loves the lanterns, so Adam wanted me to order some to send off on her birthday. She was SO excited about it. We lit 5 of them. 

 Her daddy told her to make a birthday wish when the last one was gone.

I'm not gonna lie. I loved 4. Four was so much easier and more enjoyable than 3. I feel like it will probably continue down this easier path until somewhere around 13... Maybe I'm wrong. Reese is full of energy. She cannot be worn down, she hasn't needed a nap in 2 years (I have needed a nap every day), and she is never ready to go to bed. She is so flippin' precious I could just pinch her little face. She and Elynn start off in Reese's bed, but end up in ours (usually before midnight). When she was a little baby, sleeping with us was not enough. She wanted our faces to be touching. She's graduated a little bit from that, but she still wants to be in close proximity. She gets very upset when we talk about kindergarten. She loves "Mrs. A-Liz" and wants to be her helper forever. When she grows up, she wants to be "Mrs. A-Liz" and she has even picked out an abandoned building close to our house that she wants her daycare to be in. 

Happy birthday Big Sis!

Tailgating

Nothing made me happier than this trip to Auburn to meet up with our friends. Samantha so graciously invited us to come tailgate, and because God is good and he still performs miracles, almost everyone was able to make it. 

Reese LOVES, and I do mean LOVES, this dress. She was so excited when there was one in my size. I figure this dressing like momma phase will be short lived. 

We had to park somewhere around Montgomery and walk the rest of the way. Adam could have dropped us off at the tailgate spot, but I hated for him to have to walk alone so I declined his offer. It didn't take me but about 10 minutes of uphill walking to regret that decision. The girls had it made in the red wagon shade.  

We took the girls to their first Tiger Walk. It was so fun. Except there was a man next to us that kept hollering at the players, "why don'tcha block somebody this week" and "I wish yall would hit somebody!"

The daddy/daugher club. And each of these girls have little sisters.

It saddens me that we don't get to see all of our people more often, but I am so glad we had a chance to hang out and to get this very rare group photo. 

Bulgaria

Adam's been in Bulgaria for the last 2 weeks. That's right. Bulargia. As in the OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, 8 hours ahead of us Bulgaria. I had to get my act together and play single momma, and hats off to those of you who do that regularly.

I have to do a little comparison. This was when Reese was about Elynn's age now. Adam went to St. Louis for a 2 week training.

We dropped Adam off in ATL the Saturday before Labor Day. Who goes to an airport with 2 small kids and no stroller? Us. Amateurs. We had to be innovative. We used Adam's luggage until he boarded the plane. After that I found an airport wheel chair and pushed them in it. 

We got gate passes and were able to go through security and stay with him until he boarded the plane.

There were a couple of days that things got kinda rough. They both cried for an extensive amount of time one night because they missed him. 

He spent most of the 2 weeks at the Kronospan location in Bulgaria, but he also went to Romania for a few days. 

Every meal Reese would say the blessing and end it with "and keep our daddy safe on his trip." So sweet. The time difference made it hard for the girls to talk to him, but he stayed up late most nights to be able to face time with them. 

One night Reese started crying because she missed him and she said, "I feel like my daddy is far far away. Like not in Atlanta anymore." Oh baby. You are so right. Daddy ain't in Atlanta anymore. 

But it was a happy happy day when we picked him up. 

Mini Vacay

 First, let me tell you about turning 30. It's very glamorous. It's also very flattering and a big ego booster because your daughter believes with all of her little precious heart that you need a foot sander. But mostly importantly, she thinks she needs to be the one to operate it.

  Y'all. By the time Labor Day rolls around, I am in NEED of a getaway.So this year we got away to the Opelika Marriott. We've been to Ross Bridge, and the building there is gorg, but the pool at Opelika is much better! The girls had a blast. Elynn went down the tunnel slide twice and cried both times.

 She much prefers sitting by the pool being cute.

 I took backup on the trip. Jolie is my A #1 helper. Except....she let Reese get loose one time. The security guy took care of her down by the pool when she arrived alone. Reese thought I had gone to the pool with her. (because y'all know I am bad about abandoning her) When she got to the pool and I wasn't there, she panicked. The security guy saw it all go down, and he stayed with her until we got there.

This one had it just like she likes it. Observing her sister. Nobody bothering her. She's gotten far too good at defending herself. Pinching, slapping, biting. On a regular basis.

They played Shrek out by the pool one night. The girls loved that.

And they slept all the way home.

My motherhood hit an all time low when we got home and all I could force myself to prepare for dinner was bananas and milk.

P.S. Last night when we were at church it started flooding. After I got the girls in the car, Reese declared, "Momma do you know how much I looovveee being at home when it's raining?" I just closed my eyes and took a deep breath. If you only knew how many times I've said that to her daddy. I love to be home when it's wet and messy outside, but Lord have mercy. Hearing myself come straight out of her mouth....shocks me every time. 

But let me tell you what shocks me even more. Elynn scratched Reese across the face (self-defense) a few weeks ago. Reese was hysterically crying. I asked her what was wrong and I was told by my precious little 4 year old princess "Damn that hurt." What????!!!!! So I asked 2 more times just to be sure. Yep. She said it. And what's worse is that she used it correctly. It took us a few weeks, but she had been watching the new Annie while we were in the car. I clearly should preview these movies before she watches them, because I'm pretty sure that's where she got it. Not from her momma. No way. If I use that word it is done silently, in my head, while I try to slow my heart rate with deep breaths and convince myself that whatever just happened isn't worthy of such profanities. ;)

Okaloosa Island 2015

We spend the 4th of July at the beach. Other than Elynn hating the sand until the last day, we had so much fun. Since that's been well over a month ago, I'm just posting the pictures because Lord knows I can't remember the details. I'm lucky to remember where I laid my keys down last.