Week Twenty-Four

This week was Father's Day. We celebrated by having lunch at Dede and Grandpa's like we usually do on Sunday. We had a pretty big crowd today, including Elisabeth, Patrick, and Naomi, Bo, Lea, and Mary, Bill and Hannah, Bill and Penny, and Rachel Hambright.

I wish I had thought to get a picture of the whole group, but I got caught up taking pictures down by the pool of my two favorite people in the whole world who had WAY too much fun playing together today.

Nora mostly wanted to stay near the edge where she could stand or sit on some steps and easily climb in and out, but as you can see, there were a couple of times when she let Brad venture out with her into the deeper part of the pool. She even blew some bubbles in the water and kicked her feet while Brad held her. She definitely  made progress today.

After drying off and heading home, we enjoyed a quiet and relaxing rest of the day.  It wasn't a fancy day, but I'm hoping Brad felt loved by me and Nora who do love him more than words can say.

Weeks Twenty-Two and Twenty-Three

The past two weeks, we've seen many summer-like temperatures. Last week, we were invited to Amelia's pool to play, and after that, Nora decided that pool season was officially in-session.

Here she and Amelia are having a blast playing in Amelia's pool.

After they splashed and slid and "swam", they ran around the yard a bit before enjoying a pizza picnic lunch.

So later in the week, Nora noticed her old baby pool in our yard, and begged to be allowed to "swim" in it. She also had the genius idea to include her old sliding board in the mix, and what was born was what Nora referred to as "amazing" and "the best day ever". You can't argue with that kind of fun!

Finally, this past weekend, we celebrated Amelia's 3rd birthday at a children's museum. Nora had so much fun playing at the different imaginative stations, watching a movie in the planetarium, and of course, eating cake.

Once we got home from the big party, we spent some time playing in our own back yard before calling it a day.

On the family front, our house has been on the market now for 3.5 months. We've had some interest but no offers yet. It would be ideal if we could move sometime before school starts back in August, but I'm afraid it isn't going to be in the cards seeing as how it is already mid-June.

Also, with it being June, I'm smack dab in the middle of summer school. 13 days to go!

Week Twenty-One

Early this week, Nora got to visit with her friend Kaitlyn when we had her come over for dinner and to play while her Mom was working late. Kaitlyn came straight from dance class, as you can see from her sweet outfit. Nora was excited all day about her play date, and the only thing that would have made it better for her would have been if Kaitlyn slept over.

Bubbles and smiles! 

This week at the gym, we wrapped up the season with a little award presentation. Nora had so much fun playing.

Running with the parachute

Hands up to get ready for her forward roll

Balance beam

<3

Nora kept telling Brad she could do it herself, but he wouldn't let go.

Getting her medal

Running off the podium, refusing to smile for the camera

Near the end of the class, she turned into a grumpy pants. She refused to pose with her medal, and she refused to sit with her classmates for a group picture.

Her mood perked up afterwards, though, when we headed with Allison and Amelia to Penelope's birthday party at Ijams. I was surprised that Nora was really into the animals and creatures-- she got just close enough to admire them, but not close enough to touch.

She made up for her lack of smiles at her awards ceremony with plenty of silly smiles while we were on our nature hike.

Nora chatting with the birthday girl, Penelope, in the purple skirt

Nora and Amelia enjoying the trail, hand-in-hand

Sweet friends

Striking a pose

Silly, silly girls

Today, after lunch at Dede and Grandpa's, we visited the grave site of Lt. Benjamin Spottswood Preston, also known as "Uncle Spott", with a flag to honor him this Memorial Day weekend. This is something that Brad did with his mother as a child, and it is a tradition that he continues now. It is both a privilege and a responsibility that may someday be passed on to Nora.

Week Twenty

This week, Nora got her first real hair cut. I think I've said that before, but this one was for real and not just a trim. Her long, wild curls? Gone. I'm hoping that her hair maintains some wave as it grows back, but I'm not holding my breath.

Here she is just after getting it cut. She wanted me to play with her princess castle and was telling me, "No pictures!"

It's cute. I'm not sure if I love it yet, but she needed something shorter and neater since she absolutely refuses to let me do anything with her hair other than brush it and pop a headband on her head.

This week was high school graduation week. I attended Austin-East's grad, obviously. Then I stuck around for Fulton's ceremony since I taught many of those graduating senioros. Most important, though, we celebrated Brad's niece Mary's high school graduation.

Bo and Lea hosted a party at their house, and family traveled in from out of town and out of state! I took a ton of pictures of all of the little kids playing together at the party, but I actually walked out the door without taking a picture of Mary! I managed to find one of the graduate and the whole Bo Lyle family (minus Matt) on their way to her graduation. Here is the fine looking crew.

And here she is at her actual graduation.

When I first moved to Tennessee, Mary was about 7 years old. I asked her recently, and she says she doesn't remember meeting me for the first time, nor does she really remember Brad without me. That's hard for me to believe! She's grown into a lovely young woman that her little cousin Nora can look up to. We're pretty proud of her as she starts her college career.

While at the party, the little kids (Nora, Adelle, Matthew, and Jack) had fun playing together both inside and out.

Two monkeys up in a tree.

Got the ball!

The brothers were too busy "being boys" to play catch with Nora.

Nora took a break from playing dollhouse with Adelle to smile for the camera.

Nora and Adelle admiring Naomi.

Now, while Nora and Naomi are first cousins, Nora and Adelle are "first cousins once removed" meaning Adelle's mother, Katy, and Nora are first cousins, even though Katy is 25ish years older than Nora while Adelle and Nora are just 5 months apart.  We love to get pictures of Grandpa holding Nora, his grand daughter and Adelle, his great-grand daughter at the same time.

Mark this in the record books. For the first time in my almost 11 years as a member of the Lyle family, I got a picture of Sam cheesin' for the camera. I mean, how could you not smile with these 2 silly little girls on your lap?

And speaking of the wide gap between first cousins, Nora is no longer the baby, so here I present you the oldest and youngest of the Lyle first cousins to date!

Katy age 28ish (?) and Naomi almost 9 months

Other highlights of the evening?

Cupcakes.

Bonding time between the littlest of the cousins.

I thought for sure Nora would crash early last night after all of the festivities, but she didn't. And then today she was a-rarin' to go. This resulted in her crashing at 5 p.m. and sleeping for 4 hours. I tried to wake her multiple times, but when this kid sleeps, she sleeps.

It is now almost 10 p.m. and she is sitting next to me on the couch not sure what she wants to do with herself. I'm going to try to get her back into bed very soon so hopefully her schedule tomorrow isn't too off kilter.

Speaking of tomorrow, tomorrow is the first day of my last week of the 2013-2014 school year! I can't believe another one is in the books.