Ainsley's Day

Last weekend was a big weekend, especially for Ains. She and Hawthorne celebrated their reading accomplishments at their school's "Night at the Library" event. Then Ainsley got to show off a little at her piano and ballet recitals on Saturday. We're so proud of her. She was so tiny and sweet and special up on those stages. I just wanted to gobble her up. Instead, I just clapped as loudly as I could and beamed with pride.

She had lots of fun, but she was especially thrilled about getting ribbons for each performance—her first big awards. I think she's still a little jealous of Hawthorne's trophy for the most reading points in his class, but she's probably comforted by the fact that she can actually wear her awards when she goes out to dinner.

Ainsley's the (tallest!) dancer on the right.

Sir Hawthorne

Here's a little laugh at Hawthorne's expense. I was laughing too damn hard to have the presence of mind to start videotaping the first time he did it. Sorry you don't get the whole side-splitting experience and that the light is really bad, but playing it a couple times should be good for at least a smile.

 

P.S. That's a tree branch he's using as a sword. I'm not sure he was envisioning slaying dragons, but I couldn't get Don Quixote out of my head.

Summer Reading

Carter and I are (were) reading the same book this week. I needed a page turner for the gym because I have to do at least two other things while I'm on a cardio machine or I'll die of boredom. So, I snagged his new Randy Wayne White book Deep Shadow. Consistent with our personalities, he's on page 138, and I'm done. I even did an extra cardio machine yesterday because I couldn't put it down. I like to know how things are going to end, even when it's something as boilerplate and predictable as Disney's Lemonade Mouth, which I had to watch with Ainsley when she was home with a cold earlier this week. Yes, had to, all the way to the very painful end.

Anyway, if you need a page turner for the beach, pool, lazy summer days around the corner, start the Randy Wayne White Doc Ford series. (I think it starts with Sanibel Flats.) Yep, it's a Florida thriller. It's entertaining—and not always predictable. And do me a solid and send me some recommendations too. I need something to get me through the next several weeks of cardio machines before I get over my boredom of the aerobics room and return there.

Oh, speaking of reading, Hawthorne and Ainsley both get to go to their school's reading awards "Night at the Library" next Friday for getting a crazy number of reading points this year. I didn't think there was any way in hell either of them would make it, but goes to show what I know. They were determined—and successful. Yea, free babysitting!

Awww.Couldn't resist.

Again.

There's a cardinal sitting on our bird feeder calling for his mate—who he won't find because Lucy killed her this afternoon. I think what bothers me the most—besides the sad and confused boy cardinal who has lost his mate—is that she does this for sport. The only wild thing I've ever seen her eat is a skink (which is so gross btw). I just needed you to share the sadness with me for a moment. Now, here's a picture of the snake that was curled up two yards from the bird when I walked in from running errands. She managed to bring in both during the hour between when Carter left the house and when I got home! The snake, fortunately, was alive and well and has been returned to the yard.

Don't worry, Lucy wasn't bothering him anymore. He was being still, and well, that's not any fun for her.

Happy Birthday, Ains.

Our baby girl is 7! She really is growing up way, way to quickly. I remember wanting so badly for her to be able to talk and tell me what's on her mind. Now, I just want to slow it all down.

She had a birthday party last week that was all Ainsley. Her dance teacher came over to teach her and her friends a new dance that they performed for the parents. We served black bean nachos and petit fours with a colorful "A" on each of them, and the girls made Mexican bead bracelets to take home as a reminder of all the fun. Even the decorations were Ainsleyish: giant orange and hot pink tissue paper flowers hanging everywhere. On her actual birthday, she had a mani/pedi and we all went out for Moes's nachos. What else?!

I love having a little girl to be all girly with, and boy is she girly. She's all about dancing and dresses, and drinking fizzy fruit drinks, and having pretty toenails to show off in her pretty shoes. She was even chosen to be a starfish in the 1st grade play because what else would she be; the starfish wore sparkly costumes and boas and pranced around on stage acting like divas. Sounds like Ainsley to me. She's definitely sugar and spice and everything nice, but don't let that fool you. That girl has fire—and that's really my favorite thing about her.

Love the cat. Hate the presents.

Lucy is an awesome cat. She's loving and loyal and amazingly tolerant of Gumbo chasing her and Ainsley carrying her around like a baby doll, but I hate, hate, hate her love of hunting. The long spring days and warm weather keep her busy hunting dawn to dusk. Just this afternoon I was scrubbing mole guts (as in real intestines) off the kitchen floor while Hawthorne was chasing a lizard through the room trying to herd it out the door. (He finally just pounced on it himself!) I'm glad she's so damn cute and unbelievably sweet and ridiculously charming because I'm damn tired of all the critters! I even jumped back and screamed when one of Hawthorne's make-shift sock balls rolled by me in the kitchen because I thought it was a frog running for its life. Though now I'm not sure why a frog is so scary.

See. How cute is that?!

Rescued Southern Leopard Frog. This is a tiny one. Lucy really likes bringing in ones that are big enough to totally freak me out. I sent Carter to rescue one in the living room that was upside down and stretched out and totally creepy, and by the time he got there, the frog had disappeared. Who knows how many frogs, snakes, and lizards are roaming our house!

Rescued tree frog. How can she torture such cute little guys! At least they can climb walls to get away. The snakes and moles don't stand a chance unless she just gets bored!