A Sassy Little Four-Year Old Named Ainsley

Can you tell, she's been taking ballet lessons? (I'm not sure what position this last one is!)

Macy Joins Camp Mimi

When Macy got back from camp, Ainsley had two days to play with her. The first thing Macy did when she got home from camp was to put on a dress! Enough of shorts and t-shirts!

She picked one of her most dressy dresses, and then Ainsley dressed up as The Little Mermaid with a Mexican head band. Ainsley listened intently as Macy instructed her on the proper way to play with everything!

We had great fun at Magik Theatre on Ainsley's last day here. "Kunffle Bunny" by Mo Willems was an adorable production, as they all are. When it was over, Ainsley was pouting and grumpy. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, "I want to stay and see it again!" She had so much fun with Marshall for a few days, but when Macy came home, they became pretty tight. On our way home, at the end of the day, I looked in the back seat, and Macy and Ainsley were sitting quietly in the car holding hands!

Camp Mimi, 2012...or Making Cousin Memories

Well, Camp Mimi will never quite be the same. Colleen volunteers at the MDA Summer Camp For All every first week of June (her 21st year this summer!), and Julie has to work the first week of June before her vacation starts. I began keeping Ainsley, Macy, and Marshall a few years ago and we planned all kinds of activities during this week, and made lots of great "cousin memories." This year, for the first time, however, Macy left for four days of summer camp, which left me with just Marshall and Ainsley. Macy joined us Wednesday of that week, so we had fun with her also for a few days. Next year, Marshall will join Macy for church camp, so it will just be Ainsley and me for a few days. This year, we did some fun crafts and took in the McKenna Children's Museum in New Braunfels, Landa Park, and the Magik Theatre.

One of our crafts

Ainsley and Marshall both loved making this airplane. It took all day because we had to paint one side of each stick, the let it dry. The end result was fun, however!

Ainsley's plane on the left used mixed colors, blue and green. Marshall left his pure.

Could it be one is right-brained, one is left-brained?

Ainsley later attached her airplane to her headband!

Sweet Marshall taking off Ainsley's green nail polish when she decided she didn't like it.
A girl has a right to change her mind, after all! I hope he doesn't decide to work in a nail salon!

Tuesday morning, we're off to New Braunfels to the Children's Museum.

This pictures needs no words!

They really loved this! They each had a color and as they changed positions, the colors moved and they'd have to jump on them again.

They loved playing in the water area and could have stayed out there all day if Mimi hadn't gotten hot.

The music area was noisy, but fun too!

Always fun to go grocery shopping...Marshall even let her be the cashier sometimes.

Driving the ambulance...

And giving the patient a big shot in the ribcage!

They built a house with magnetic siding...

Drove a spaceship,

Played with gears,

Playing dress-up in "Grandma's Attic" with funny Marshall!

Pretending to be a (sassy) Indian princess.

And then to the neonatal nursery to take care of newborns,

Dr. Metcalf and Dr. Ernst have to consult on the diagnosis...

...and then a second baby is born! Such stress!

Good-bye, McKenna Children's Museum. We will return many more times, I'm pretty sure!

Afterward, we ventured over to Landa Park for a ride on the train. Marshall was very protective of Ainsley, as you can see in this picture, showing her just where to stand.

Something about little boys and trains---Marshall wanted to sit directly behind the engine, even though it wasn't the best view. This marked the end of our day to New Braunfels and we headed  home to a cool, air-conditioned house and some good ole chillin'out!

Marshall Turns Eight

Until last year, Macy and Marshall always had a "joint birthday party." No more. His birthday is in June, but he had a party the day after Macy's, on Memorial Day weekend. He invited a few friends to the Main Event, a video game/bowling alley/laser tag, you-name-it kind of place! After playing a couple of hours, they had pizza and cake and opened presents.

Marshall and his girlfriend (since kindergarten) Sadie!

Happy Birthday to my sweetest grandson. You make my world light up every day! I love you!

Macy Turns NINE!!!

Macy had a doctor's appointment on her birthday, so she talked her mom into taking a day off and making it a Macy/Mom Day. I crashed their party at lunch and took some pictures of her as she and her mom were talking about going to camp this summer.

A few weeks later, on Memorial Day weekend, she invited three friends from school to her house for an American Girl Doll Sleepover. Shelby, however, brought a stuffed alligator! Hannah and Zoe brought their AG dolls.

Marshall's train table was converted into a birthday party stage for the dolls and "Crockie" the alligator!

Notice where his crown is.

Macy and Zoe

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This picture cracks me up! Macy had just opened a present---a gumball machine---and she pretty much went ballistic! It's blurry because she was jumping up and down!

Four live dolls and their dolls!

Happy Birthday, Macy! You have brought me so much joy these past nine years and I loved being a part of your birthday party this year! I love you more than I can say!