The One Where I Brag on Norah's Batting

Norah's admitted favorite part of playing t-ball has been batting.  She is currently 6 for 7 at hitting coach's pitches in games.  (With just one game left to go) Here are 2 of her successful at-bats (courtesy of Mom R, videographer and Eli-watching= multi-tasking extraordinaire).  Note: The giggle at the end of the first clip is Jason (he was realizing that N was 5 for 5 after that hit and pretty proud of his little girl)

The second clip is Norah's best hit of the season, thus-far.  Sadly, she ended her perfect hitting streak (ie--had to hit off the tee) after this one...but on the bright side, she was able to walk away from the game more proud of the hit than she was disappointed of the miss.  We'll see if she can get back into the groove for her last game of the season tonight!

Spring Training

Spring has sprung in Robinson County, which means that we have been doing a little bit of this...

And a little bit of this...

And a WHOLE,

Lot

Of this!

I never realized how much patience my parents must have expended in teaching me to ride a bike with no training wheels (and I hope the same holds true for our kids some day when they look back on this time of learning)...but I have grown to appreciate it now, as an adult!  (Someone, please tell me teaching her to drive a car will be easier)

But in the end, seeing that smile

And hearing her proudly proclaim, "I can ride a bike with TWO wheels!"to nearly everyone we meet (whether we know them or not) makes it worth every second.

 

Although, I will also admit, finally seeing her riding away, so innocent, independent and care-free, was amazingly bittersweet.

(Cue the internal Abba soundtrack...and the waterworks--at least for me.)

"I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness and then I have to sit down for a while.
The feeling that I'm losing her forever--
and without really entering her world.
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter--that funny little girl!


Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute--the feeling in it--slipping through my fingers all the time.  Do I really see what's in her mind each time I think I'm close to knowing? She keeps on growing, slipping through my fingers all the time..."

R.I.P. Mango

As I've mentioned before, the sole pet the past 3 years in Robinson County has been Norah's beloved fish friend, Mango.

 Sadly, as of April 4th, Mango is  no longer with us in body, but I'm confident his memory will be well preserved for many years to come in the mind of the family members here who loved him.

I worried that Norah would have a hard time coping with the loss of her first pet.  (Yes, as melodramatic as that may sound, to be nervous at the seemingly insignificant loss of a $5 beta fish, he had resided here for 3/5 of Norah's life, and she was very attached) So, I suggested that she memorialize him in art. (You can tell she was still broken up, emotionally at the time of this photo)

As usual, I was taken aback by her attention to detail.  She got the shape of his bowl down perfectly, he was a peach fish, and had turquoise and pink glass rocks in the bottom of his bowl. The bright colored patchwork in the upper right corner is a nearly perfect depiction of her curtains. The "rainbow" that he is sitting over is her bookcase, where he lived (her books are still arranged in color order).  Note the alarm clock to the left of the bowl.  It reads "5:00"...Norah explained to me this is because that's her favorite time of day because, "that's when Daddy comes home from work!"

This is still one of my favorite photos of N with Mango.  I can't count how many times I would find her in her room, gazing into his bowl.  She loved to watch him swim. Sometimes she told him about her day.  And best of all, she loved feeding him before she went to bed at night.

All loyalties aside though, she almost immediately began asking if she could get another pet fish...and (being the suckers  caring parents that we are) we quickly consented.  Enter "Figgy".  Norah chose him for his flashy purple color, and decided that she should keep with the exotic fruit category for his name.  (It took us a while to find a suitable purple fruit which met her approval).  Sadly, Figgy didn't fare as well as our old friend, Mango.  He only lasted about a month.  Which brings us back to square one...petless in Robinson County.  And (at least for now), we think we'll keep it that way for a little while.  

Go Iron Pigs!

Norah surprised us when she informed us this spring that she'd like to put gymnastics on hold (we currently have a "1-extra curricular activity per kid" rule in our house) and try her hand at softball. Knowing that our life-long good friend (and father of one of Norah's buddies, Kambrie), Brent was coaching, we decided to go all-in and get the full "t-ball family" experience. 

It took some major convincing to get Norah to like her team name (Seriously, who thought it would be a good idea to dub them the Iron Pigs?  I don't care if it IS a legit minor league team...why would anyone want to be referred to as a pig?!) Thankfully, by the time the uniforms came in, she was the second most enthusiastic Iron Pig I've ever met.  (Eli takes first prize, as he started practicing his "Go Iron Pigs!" chant almost immediately after he learned it was N's team name.  He proudly wears his hat almost everyday, regardless of whether or not it's a game day)

He has be the most supportive little brother a sister could ask for.  He loves to help me line up the helmets in dugout, readying them for the players coming in from the field.  And he loves to pick up any wayward bats, placing them neatly on the rack.  He knows the names of most of N's teammates, and routinely will cheer for them when he deems it necessary.  I think his favorite player, besides his sister, of course, is a little boy named "Diego".  (I think he gets a kick out of shouting, "Go! Diego, Go!")

Brent quickly recruited Jason to assist in coaching.  (Maybe I'm partial, but I think he is an awfully handsome coach!) Now that it is toward the end of the season, he is responsible for pitching to the kids  (I had no clue they got to hit without the tee!) and most of them are doing really well with the transition to hitting pitched balls (our daughter, included, who is currently 2 for 2--guess those whiffle ball drills on the camping trip really did pay off!)

Brent's wife, Jamie, and I are also sharing the team mom duties.  That basically means we're the dugout maids.  We keep the kids in batting order, make sure they have on the appropriate headgear (hats for fielding, helmets when batting) and keep up with the gloves and bats.  It sounds pretty mundane, but it's a lot more stressful than I would have guessed it would be.  (Still, it is fun being close to the team and getting to know all of the players.)

I present to you, the 2011 Iron Pigs.  (And one, wayward Mudcat) Aren't they a good looking bunch?  One of the other moms made each player a bucket with his/her name on it.  Before each game, we attach the buckets in their batting order (which changes weekly), so the players know where to sit, and have a place to put their discarded hats and gloves when they are batting.  It has been a HUGE help!  (Our dugout runs like a well-oiled machine!)

Norah's first trip to the plate, pictured left. Yeah, she shanked it...the bat, I mean.  On her very first swing.  Thankfully, no one was standing behind her!  And she didn't give any repeat performances...I think it was just first-time jitters.

First time fielding.  The coaches
 told her to play third base.  (She took them very literally.)

Patient Eli's inaugural post-game snow cone of the season.  He pretty much loved it.

Norah with her prized snow cone.  We are

 starting to wonder if the tee ball board members are financial geniuses.  I think about 75% of our team (our daughter included) signed up to play based on the promise of free snow cones after each game.

Norah's 5th Birthday/Party

Norah's 5th birthday started off with our traditional birthday pancakes.  This year she requested "Butterfly pancakes", complete with a brown m&m body, whipped cream wings, dotted with sprinkles and cherries.  Yeah, we're all about kicking off the day with a healthy breakfast around here.  (On a side note, I wonder how many years before she'll die of embarrassment of my posting genuine "bed head" photos...)

Next, we headed over to U-Paint it, to pick up the plate that Norah had painted the week prior.  (It is a self portrait, and includes her 5 year old signature at the bottom...I will love it forever!) I am secretly hoping that we'll end up with one for every member of our family...wouldn't that make a cute set?

Next we headed over to McDonald's for a play date with Grandma, Grandmother, and Aunt Paige. N requested I take a photo of the birthday shirt I made for her (the hand on the front is traced from her actual handprint...I thought it would be fun to capture it's size and memorialize it on the shirt)  Too bad I cut off her head...it would have been a cute photo!  I love how she is thrusting out her chest, about to explode with all her 5-year-old pride.

Later that week, N helped me bake and decorate cupcakes for her party.  (She requested strawberry butterfly cupcakes)

Some of the finished products...(I piped the butterfly wings onto wax paper, covered them with white sprinkles, and held them together with a chocolate icing body)

They were a big hit at her party...and so much easier to serve than cake!

Speaking of the party...this year, we had her birthday party Michael's (yes, as in the arts and crafts store).  They have a classroom off to the left of the store, that was just the right size for a birthday party.  I LOVED the freedom of being able to do a semi-messy craft, and not have to worry about my carpet!  As soon as her guests arrived, I got them started painting wooden tiles in the color of their choice. 

The week before the party, I whipped up some art smocks for each child, using checkered tablecloth fabric, of all things...the kind with the vinyl surface that wipes clean, and embroidered their names on them, so they could take them home and hopefully reuse them) Even the little guys got in on the action!

I was amazed at how well everyone stayed on task....maybe they were just shocked we were letting them do such a potentially messy project?  But really, even with all that paint, there wasn't much to clean up at the end of the day.

Michael's put brown craft paper down on all of the tables, which made cleaning up a piece of cake.

After all of the painting was done, the kids modge podged scrap book paper to the other side of their wooden tiles, making sure to do a pair of each design.

Which left them with their own, personally crafted Memory tile game.

...Complete with a nifty carrying bag!

Norah was excessively spoiled by her generous friends and family, including a pair of "Twinkle Toes" and a "Unicorn Pillow Pet" (who has been dubbed "Cornelia"), both which she had been BEGGING for for a couple of months prior to her birthday, and an assortment of other fantastical gifts.

Another favorite gift was a homemade, blue satin "Princess" (aka--floor length) night gown from Gramps.  She LIVED in this night gown, day and night for at LEAST a week after her birthday.  It was all I could do to get her to change clothes to leave the house.  And she still favors it over all her other pajamas.

The Twinkle Toes shoes (by Sketchers) are officially the first brand-name purchase request that she has made (and made, and made, and made...to be sure we got the point).  Who knew it would start at 5?  We have always been blessed with amazing, quality, hand-me-downs, so I haven't had much experience in shopping for new clothes/shoes (unless you count my semi-annual stock-up at Target/Walmart for $3 play clothes).  I was taken aback at how much these shoes cost (yes, I know, I'm cheap...but it did make me so much more thankful for the bounty of hand-me-down treasures that sweet Jenny has shared with us these past 5 years)....but I am thankful that Norah loves them and wears them almost every day...and that her feet grow at an alarmingly slow rate in comparison to most kids (including your brother, who now wears just one size smaller than you)...so hopefully they'll last a while!

Sweet Norah, at five years of age, you are such a joy.  You have a tender, compassionate heart for everyone around you.  You wear your heart on your sleeve, but this also allows for you to be sensitive to the needs of others. Your sincere prayers for people you encounter throughout our days (sometimes at the grocery store, other times friends and family) are an encouragement and constant reminder for me to keep my eyes open for others who are hurting or in need.

You still love to cuddle.  

You are a precious, sweet sister to your brother.  You love to tell him he's "so cute", and are always happy to play "princesses and cars" with him (Complete with Lighting McQueen waking Sleeping Beauty with a kiss, at times).  Your favorite color is pink.  Always.  

Your favorite food is "Mommy's Pepperoni Pizza" and your favorite drinks are "Blue Poweraid" and "Milk", but "not together".  

You love art of any kind, but painting is your favorite.  Y

ou can't wait to start kindergarten in the fall, and you love telling everyone we meet that you are "a five year-old." 

You are reading some on your own now, but are still happy to be read to (which, makes mommy happy, because I love reading to you).  

This year you learned how to swing all by yourself (Hallelujah!), and surprised us all with your impressive hula hooping skills (no doubt inherited from your mother, who tied for 1st place Hula Hoop Champion of her 3rd Grade class, which, incidentally, your daddy was there to witness).  

You tried gymnastics for the first time, and loved it.  The night Daddy taught you how to do a cartwheel you would run and hug his neck each time you completed what you deemed to be a "good one". You LOVE to perform, and routinely break into spontaneous performances--everything from dance, to songs (both those you've heard on the radio and hilarious originals that you make up as you go along).  You know all the books of the Old and New Testament (and have sung solos of them in Children's Church, Bible class, CBS class, and any other setting where you are given a "stage"), and continue to excel at memorizing scripture.  

You claim to have conquered your long-standing fear of the dark, but still sleep with a small night light (and prefer us to leave the bathroom light on, too).  

You refer to any weed flowers in our yard as your "garden" and take it personally when Daddy runs over them with the lawn mower or weed eater. 

 You are beautiful, through and through, from the inside out, and I am so proud to be your Mommy.  I can't wait to see the great things that God has in store for you as you continue to grow.  Your Daddy and I love you, dearly.

My Daughter, the Flutist

 For dinner Wednesday night, I had planned to make one of the kids favorites (which is why it's a good go-to Wednesday night meal...no time wasted on fussy eaters when we have to rush to get ready for church), "Eggy Pie", aka quiche.

Norah asked if she could help cook, as usual.  But this time, she requested to flute the crust.  I thought to myself, "Sure, why not. It's just for us.  What does it matter if it looks a little funny?"

 Little did I know, my N has been watching very closely all these times we've made eggy pie together...I didn't even have to show her what to do...and she had perfect fluting technique!

 

Her crust edges looked better than mine usually do.  No wonder she was beaming with pride when she finished!  That'll teach me to doubt my four year-old's culinary skills!  Hmmm...I wonder if she would be interested in taking on the turkey this Thanksgiving...

The Big Reveal 2010

Step 1: Get a couple of cardboard boxes. Cut out some "windows" and glue on the "engine".

Step 2: cut out some "wheels" and give them a good painting.  Cut out and paint a "slow moving vehicle" sign while you're at it.

Step 3: Acquire some John Deere green paint.  Helpful hint: Lowe's can color-match your son's prized toy tractor.  (Don't disclose how ridiculously overpriced said paint was)

Step 4: Add a bright yellow pinstripe, a John Deere logo, set of straps, black-painted paper towel roll smoke stack, a couple of dollar store tap (head) lights.  Glue on the aforementioned wheels and slow-moving vehicle sign...

Step 5: Insert one very happy little boy, and you just might have the cutest little tractor driver in the state of Texas.

When Eli started (at random) telling people that he wanted to be a "tractor driver" for Halloween a couple months back, my wheels started spinning.  If you know me well, then you know I LOVE coming up with fun, creative costumes for my kids, so deep down, I'll admit, I was stoked at him for thinking outside of the box (little did he know the box would BE the costume)

Truth be told, the REAL step one of this operation was "Get husband on board with the idea".  Jason procured the boxes and did most of the work for Eli's costume.  He even cut a hole in the top of the engine, just under the smoke stack so that people could drop candy down it, and it would fill up the box below.  Eli LOVED showing that feature off at our church's Trunk or Treat! His cute smile and unique costume got him tractor loads of attention (and photo ops).

Norah, on the other hand, went with a more cliche costume request.  And, if I'm still being honest, I cringed when (after flip-flopping between a good 15 ideas) she finally landed on "Tinkerbell".  I decided if I didn't want her to get lost in the sea of other Tinkerbells out there, I'd just have to do my best to make her stand out :)

 I couldn't find any Tinkerbell patterns that I liked, so Gramps and I found a shirt pattern that fit her, and made the rest up as we went along.  (Although I will admit, I nearly pulled out my hair figuring out how to make her shoes!)

Still, I think it turned out pretty great, and Norah made a particularly pretty pixie.  And most importantly, she LOVES her costume.  She has worn it some nearly every day since I finished it a couple of weeks ago.  (I had to wash it TWICE before she even wore it to Trunk or Treat!)

Her favorite features were her shoes (whew!  It was worth it!) and her wings (which she LOVED pointing out to everyone, were painted with glitter glue, so they would sparkle)

Thanks to a donation of left-over fabric from a friend (who was Tinkerbell last year), her costume was almost completely free.  (Briarcrest Cleaners donated the hangers for her wings...I didn't have any wire ones on-hand) and I had to buy a pair of .50 knee-highs, also for the wings, so thankfully, that helped balance our Halloween budget after Eli's green paint almost broke the bank.

One other fun surprise for Norah, was when she reached Trunk or Treat, one of her favorite friends, "Mr. Foree" (our preacher) was dressed as Captain Hook. She was so proud to take her picture with him in their "coordinating costumes".  It was a fun year.  And, believe it or not, Norah has already decided what she AND Eli will be next year--and I LOVE her idea...and Eli even says he's gung-ho!  (I'm still trying to decide if I should go ahead and get started now while the fabric is all clearanced out, after Halloween, or if it's too much of a gamble to think that they'd not change their minds 20 times by this time next year!) Time will tell!