the big show is almost here!

This afternoon, SweetPea had her first taste of being in the limelight... and she LOVED it! I honestly wasn't sure how she would do being on stage and having an audience and now, I am looking back and wondering why I was worried about it at all. Not only did she remember her dance steps (and proved it by "running through her steps" back stage) but she smiled, had fun and totally ate up the applause and adoration.

I was a little surprised that she was so "willing" to go through everything on her own since I can still remember that moment of fear racing through me before I would get on stage to perform. I loved to dance and loved my classes but getting up in front of a group of people for any reason has always left me anxiety-ridden. Thankfully, SweetPea didn't inherit that from me since she wanted all eyes on her the entire time... even when she wasn't supposed to have them.

My very own little Cinderella, reaching for the prince

It did shock me though how much she didn't enjoy the make-up. After looking forward to that for weeks now, she couldn't wait to take it back off again. Ah yes, there's my girl! I knew that my genes must have entered into her development somewhere.

But the costume? She kept calling today "costume night" and couldn't wait to put her ballet dress on. When tap was over, she refused to allow us to change her back into street clothes. The shoes? She would live in her tap shoes if we let her. Tiaras and bows? Oh yes, the more the better. But make-up? Yeah, she can definitely leave that one alone.

Biggest thrill for today though was receiving her first bouquet from daddy. I am not sure who was closer to tears... daddy handing his little girl her flowers or SweetPea accepting them from him. It was one of those moments that you just know that you will cherish the rest of your life. The look on both their faces at that very moment in time.

Happy Father's Day!

trip to the lake

water was a little cold for Pork

sand fights

relaxing with daddy

and wondering why he is so sweaty :)

Baywatch recreation lol

no age or height restriction? game on!

Yep, that's our little speck

proud daddy moment

Our very own little hurricane

our 27th annual fishing derby

Over and done with for another year. I can't believe that Pork has now competed in his first ever fishing derby. Or that Peanut and SweetPea got to enjoy another year. I would like to say that Pickle enjoyed himself but I think that he spent more time walking around with a buddy than he did fishing (and this was his last year being able to compete). Punk... well, he decided, once again, to remain at his dad's than come and join us. So it was his loss.

No big winners in our house hold this year. Didn't see anyone break Peanut's record from three years ago but they had some nice sized fish on the board. I was a little disappointed to find out AFTER the derby that any fish turned in got an angler certificate. Had I known that, I would have let the girls turn in their small fish.

SweetPea with her hand-caught fish

That's right, both my girls caught a fish! Peanut caught hers with her pole and some bait while SweetPea caught an injured fish with her bare hands lol. Pork tried fishing a bit but found it better to just beat the water with his rod and hope for the best. The best turning out to be hooking his sister (we took off his hook after that and just let him continue to attempt to beat the fish into submission).

Our little friend that came fishing with us, C, didn't managed to hook a fish either but he DID end up winning one of the door prizes. I think that that brightened his day since he was a bit bummed over his streak of luck.

We missed last year's derby due to SweetPea's soccer pictures and boy had things changed! For one, there wasn't a casting challenge anymore. For two, the pond wasn't packed to the gills the way that it normally always was. Our group caught less this year than any other year as well, even though there were less people there. Maybe it was the liverwurst we attempted to use as bait... Going to have to remember to stick with the hot dogs next year.

Buttercup and Wesley

Ever since we went on vacation and SweetPea watched the movie "The Princess Bride", we have been inundated with requests to legally change the names of our two youngest children to Buttercup and Wesley. SweetPea goes through many days where she will only answer to her self-appointed nickname and requests that you call Pork by Wesley. She has gone as far as introducing herself by this new name, attempting to write it on her lessons and scolding me for calling PorkChop by the "wrong" name. To be honest, I find it insufferably cute that she has developed such a liking for a character. At the same time, I get enough weird looks without people wondering why I chose to name my daughter Buttercup.

Dueling to a "draw"

Tonight, while forcing Wesley to carry her baby for her (since Buttercup is a princess and Wesley just says "As you wish" which really means "I love you"), I made him a little cardboard sword so he could be happier. Didn't last long before Buttercup insisted that she needed a sword too but that hers needed to be longer and thinner and not so black in the handle.

The two then raced outside and proceeded to duel. Didn't last too long before Wesley's sword was quite a bit crumpled and Buttercup noticed that her sword was better for drawing pictures in the sand.

I am pretty certain that I am going to have to resign myself to a future of grandkids with names like Indigo, Humperdink, and Wesley. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

My little cold-blooded lover

And my warm-blooded creature snuggler

The hippo was happy to see us :)

A rare shot with mama's favorite flowers (not his favorite scent)

Sloth kisses <3

Pork's favorite exhibit of the zoo

my very special presents :)

change of plans (and scenery)

I am adult enough to understand that sometimes, things change without a moment's notice. Like today for example... Hubby got sent out on the road. With his hours being so short lately, we all need to be grateful for the extra time. Unfortunately, that extra time means that he wasn't here for lunch (or dinner), something that really upsets SweetPea and PorkChop. It also means that Punk's appointment had to be rescheduled until the end of this month. Right after track ends, in fact. Punk is insisting that while he is upset that he has another eleven days in his cast, that he is ok with missing all but the last two soccer games. He is not so cool with not getting to compete in any more track meets though. I wish that I could do something more for him.

New favorite activity... feeding the geese

To make up daddy being gone for lunch with the littles, I organized a trip to the park to feed the wildlife. Pork was REALLY excited and even managed to say "ducks" and "geek" (geese). I am totally enamored with his growing vocabulary. And while its still very lacking, each and every new word is like a song to my soul. It makes my heart grow bigger and a smile just as wide to cross my face. SweetPea enjoyed getting to bring a picnic lunch with us and shared more of her sandwich with the ants than she did with her own stomach.

Another treat since daddy was gone... I hooked up and ran the sprinkler for the first time this year. Last year, Pork was ok with looking at it but this year, he had fun filling his little water can and proceeding to dump it on his unsuspecting siblings. SweetPea and Peanut still lack the finesse of truly playing in the water.... preferring to run along the very edges and barely get their legs wet. Punk even joined in for a bit, complete with a plastic bag over his cast to keep it protected.

Dinner was our third treat. Knowing that meal times are always eaten around the family table, I decided to host a dinner a la fresco style in the backyard. Punk ate at the picnic table, Pickle decided to use the clubhouse and the three youngest ones took to various spots in the yard, moving whenever their "wolf pack" became threatened by a mom with a camera.

It might not have been the way the day had been planned to go, but it was sure a great bit nicer than all of us moping around the house for different reasons.

one more for the road

One last picture, we hope. Tomorrow, Punk goes back to the orthopedic surgeon to see if his wrist is healed enough to take the cast off. I know that he is more than ready and so am I. With soccer and track seasons approaching the midway mark, I know that he is itching to resume play on the fields. Not that I can blame him one bit either. Its been a LONG year of injuries for him and I don't even have to imagine that he is ready for a break (and a chance to see his arm again).

one last picture

If all goes well, tomorrow afternoon, he will be cast free and heading off to his track meet. I really hope that we don't have a repeat of last time. I seriously don't see how we could since this break was an "easier" one than the first and since it took us a week to cast it (and it should only need to be cast two to three weeks).

I miss watching Punk play soccer. I miss watching him participate in track (even if I only got to see the one meet). I know that the warm weather is coming and with that, swimming and beach time. I know that he is ready for that.

I will breathe easier tomorrow after this is over.