May Moments From My Phone

Slash the Turtle

Geico Gecko?

Wrapping up Kindergarten

Wrapping up 2nd Grade

Wrapping up 8th and 3rd Grade

First Swing Since Quarantine

Chocolate Fondue Night

Cold Day in May

May Kid Quotes

Addie- I know a way to make a healthy popsicle that will keep you hydrated. Just put some water in the freezer.

*Addie bumped her head on the cabinet door and got a goose egg*
"Mama, I got a bump on my head. It really hurts. I think I've got a concussion!

Addie- Mama, remember the 'larry dogs'?
Me- The what?
Addie- The 'larry dogs', that we saw in the field.
Me- Oh, the prairie dogs!
Addie- Oh, yeah. Pennie called them that.
Pennie- No, I didn't!

Nathaniel- I don't feel very good. I have a headache and I feel dizzy.
Me- I'm sorry, Bud. Have a snack.
Later...
Nathaniel- I think I know what was wrong with me earlier. I was driving a really small car earlier (on his video game) and doing a bunch of turns.
Me- ...
Nathaniel- I think it made me dizzy. I'm not even kidding!

Addie- Julie can stand by herself! I'm about to have happy tears.

Me- What happened to your leg?
Pennie- I dunno, something.
Me- What happened, Pennie? Does it hurt?
Pennie- It's a long story...

Me- Are you okay, Lillie?
Lillie- Yeah.
Me- What are you doing? (she was staring into space)
Lillie- Thinking.
Me- Thinking about what?
Lillie- School.
Me- What about school?
Lillie- Math. I need to get faster.

*Justin helped Pennie fix her bandaids on her leg*
Pennie- Hmmm. Not too shabby.

Nathaniel- You know what the biggest news in hockey is right now?
Me- What?
Nathaniel- Joe Thorton shaved his beard. The biggest news in hockey is that a 41 year old SHAVED HIS BEARD! (Outraged because he misses real hockey news)
Me- Haha, okay.
Nathaniel- It is pretty shocking though. (normal voice)

*Gabrie fell out of a tree and got the wind knocked out of her*
Addie, telling us what happened- She got knocked out of the wind!

Gabrie- Not having lunch messes up my schedule.
Me- Your schedule for what?
Gabrie- My eating schedule.

Lillie, writing the date on her schoolwork- It's the 18th right?
Me- Yes.
Lillie- And is it still the 2020?
Me- Yes.
Lillie- Geez, when is the 2020 gonna be done?! (I think we're all wondering that.)

Me- Will you get Julie a onesie, please?
Lillie- Yeah.
Addie- Why?! IS SHE ONE NOW??

Pennie- I don't get why Julie is sucking on me.

Pennie, crying about not getting to watch TV.
Justin- You should just have your own show. Call it "The Pennie Jean Show".
Pennie stops crying and says- How about "The Snack Show"?

Pennie- Mama, can you tuck me in?
Me- Daddy just tucked you. How many tucks do you need?
Pennie- ummmm... 60?

Pennie says "nikedown" instead of "Nightgown" and "usic" instead of "music".

*One morning the girls played outside right after breakfast. It was beautiful out, sunny and only 68 degrees. The girls though it was freezing and dressed in full winter gear*
Pennie- It feels like snow out here! Cold is not my best. Warm is my best!

Pennie- I'm not a killer, I'm a toddler!

*Headed out of Midland to visit family in Arkansas, stopped at a red light*
Pennie- Oh no! We're in traffic!

*Driving through Wichita Falls, I'm guessing she saw a billboard*
Lillie- I just saw George Washington! He was orange.
Gabrie- That was President Trump.

Addie- Daddy, you have to choose. Would you rather be eaten by an alligator? OR be eaten by a bear?
Justin- Are those my only options??

The Side Table

When you left us, you left behind an apartment full of things. Useful things that you could no longer use anymore. I can still see small glimpses of your apartment. I remember the way the summer sun crept in through one of the living room windows. New things, old things, special things. There was a small desk in the living room where you kept all of our cards we'd sent. I have all of yours too. The taco card was always a favorite. All of your things. 

Eight months after, I got married. Pa and Ma didn't want to waste any of your things. They gave me your toaster, some pots and pans, cooking utensils, an iron and ironing board, two small tables and a matching coffee table. A wedding gift from you. I gladly accepted.

Things start to break. The toaster quit working. A leg to one of the tables became loose. A plastic stirring spoon was accidentally melted on an electric stove top. I started feeling upset that I couldn't keep your things forever. I couldn't understand at first, or put it into words, why these things breaking could upset me so much. I told Justin once, "I know it's so silly. I can't throw away his things even when they don't work anymore." He replied, "It's not silly. They're the only tangible things you have left of his life. They show that he existed." After that, I decided to pack away some of your things so that I wouldn't ruin them anymore. 

The iron broke a couple years ago, but I still have it. It's stored in a box in my closet with some old pans and a melted spoon. The ironing board lets out the most teeth gritting creak you can imagine--luckily, I don't iron often--but I'll use your ironing board until it wont unfold anymore. 

Our new couch will be delivered today. It's a large sectional, and will accommodate our ever growing family, but it won't leave room for your side table. The other side table and coffee table have been retired for some time now, but this last one is still going pretty strong. (It's worn, but still use-able). Kind of amazing after eleven years. I will keep it tucked away though, for as long as I can. I love you, Shew-shew. 

 

Lillie Turns Eight

Late posting, but our sweet Lillianna turned eight on April 19th. We celebrated with a big breakfast at home, and a walk around the nature trails at Sibley Nature Center. After our walk, we stopped by Sonic for a slushie before heading home to open presents.

 Normally, the birthday kid and I make a cake together and they get to choose what we make for dinner (she chose red velvet cake and tater tot casserole), but my oven broke the weekend before (while I was in the middle of a huge pot roast dinner for Easter), so we had to change things up a bit. Justin went to HEB before breakfast in hopes of a red velvet cake from their bakery, but had to settle for some mini red velvet cupcakes and a big chocolate cake. Lillie requested Raising Cane's for dinner and we ate in the living room with a movie. 

April Kid Quotes

Lillie- I can hear my brain moving!

Gabrie- I love Texas Roadhouse because of the ultimate rolls. (She meant unlimited).

Lillie- Mama, how does God make people have the same things on their face but all of us look different?
Pennie- Yeah, but you look different with no makeup, Mama. (Not much makeup being worn during quarantine).

Pennie, eating a pickle and string cheese- Mmmm. That's the stuff.

Addie- Me and the girls have decided we're gonna all have our own YouTube channel. Also, we're moving to Arkansas. We're gonna walk there. Well, actually I can run pretty fast.

Addie- Julie is eating chicken, which is made out of fish.
Me- It's not made out of fish.
Addie- What's it made out of then? Protein?

Addie, playing the "jeep game" (like slug bug, but with jeeps)- I was born for this!

Addie- Mama, why does Chick-fil-a have so many cows?
Me- Cause the cows want you to eat chicken instead of burgers.
Addie- Wait, what?
Me- The cows don't want you to eat burgers, cause burgers are made from cows.
Addie- Hmm. I don't get it.

Juliette- Mama.


Gabrie- Your eyes are really dark.
Me- Really? Dark how?
Gabrie- Like dark tired.

Pennie- It's to keep the pickle juice out of my eyes!

Addie- Can't we just go to Ma's? We can wear protection!

I bought a new sprayer for the water hose, and Nathaniel was checking it out.
Nathaniel- This thing has blue tooth!
Me- Does it really?
Nathaniel- No... are you serious?
Justin- She was serious!
Nathaniel- Mama, how would that even work?
Later...Nathaniel telling the girls about a blue tooth sprayer- You don't even have to hook it up to a hose. It just connects to blue tooth and sprays water.
Me- That would be cool. Somebody should invent that. (jokingly, of course)
Nathaniel- Pretty sure that'll never happen. Think about it, all the stuff that's gonna change, hoses will always be here.

Lillie- Is that car winking? (Turn signal 😁)

Me- Hurry Pennie! Why are you so slow?
Pennie- Because ducks are slow.

Pennie- Daddy, do we have a balcony?
Justin- No...
Pennie- Uh huh. You said! Out in the garage.
Justin- That's the attic!
Pennie- Oh.

Nathaniel- Mama, my sneezes feel weird. (He came to tell me this after midnight, right when I was just falling asleep)
Me- What do you mean? Do you feel like you're getting sick?
Nathaniel- I don't know, it just feels weird in my throat when I sneeze.
Me- Welllll, I don't know what to tell you. I can't really do anything about that.
Nathaniel- You're supposed to fix things.
Me- Goodnight Bud, I love you.

Lillie- Look! I found a little baby centimeter!
Nathaniel- That's a measurement.
(she found a centipede in the garden 😁)

Girls- We've never played with Bubba's hair before!
Nathaniel- Annnnnd you never will again.

Pennie- Why this doesn't have blood veins but it has eyes? (her vacuum)

Pennie, arguing about who gets to pick the tv show- The June 7th girl gets to pick the show!