Anna's Latest Activities

In the fall, Anna made the big decision to do dance instead of gymnastics.  I was able to find a ballet and tap class with tumbling along with it.  At first she liked it, but then got tired of doing the same thing every class.  Now that it's almost recital time and we're trying on costumes, she's a little more excited, but still agrees she has found something she likes better: soccer!

Dancing Queen

She started Kiddie Kickers at the Y this spring.  It is designed for those kids who have had no exposure just to get them use to the game.  She even got to be on the same team with her good friend, Charlie.  The moms and dads are out on the field helping to "coach" and her daddy is all over that.  It is kind of nostalgic to think about how we both played as kids and teenagers.  I guess we need to get used to the whole soccer lifestyle--she loves it and has really picked up some skills and is quite good.  Will loves it because she schools the boys often!  Coach Kishon and Coach Russell are fantastic and know the perfect amount of instruction versus fun.  I have a feeling we will be doing this again in the fall!

Charlie and Anna

At the end of each preschool year, the school has a huge hat parade and each class makes a different hat to parade around the school.  Anna's class made bear hats to go with their "BEARY Special Class" theme.  Anna was excited because Mimi and Caroline were there to watch along with Nannie and Pops!

Anna's class with Mrs. Sawyer

First time around

Pops and Jack waiting for the second round.

Jack and Caroline waiting patiently.

Hey Jack!

I see you!!

She even made the local paper along with friend Mia!

Anna's Sign for Jack

Jack's new favorite accomplishment is the ability to open the pantry doors and get to all of the exciting things in there.  His top two favorite things are the Costco box of Nilla wafers that is as big as he is and the brooms.  Inevitably, he will come out with one of those two.  Unfortunately, he doesn't quite understand that he can't always have Nilla wafers very time he pulls out the box.  Or he will whack everything in sight with the broom handle and get the broom taken away.  Either scenario often ends with an unhappy Jack.  I made the remark that I was going to have to start putting a rubber band around the pantry door handles.  Then, in came Sissy the Savior!  Anna had the idea that if we just put a sign on the door, then maybe Jack would stop going into the pantry.  I just couldn't dash her idea, so I went along with it and pulled out the paper and markers for her to make her sign.  Of course, she then looked at me and said, "Mommy, you're going to have to help me because I can't write words yet."  Again, I couldn't tell her that Jack couldn't read the words yet, so I just went along.  This is what was relayed to me:

So, that sign went on the door, high enough so Jack wouldn't rip it down which also meant he couldn't really see it, but alas.  Anna couldn't understand why Jack kept going into the pantry anyway.  I explained that Jack couldn't read yet, so a sign with words probably wasn't going to work.  After some thought, she then came up with this:

Pretty good thinking!  Unfortunately, this did not halt Jack's pantry endeavors, so the rubber band was instituted.  I just had to have photographic evidence of all the involved issues.  You just never know what's going to happen with these two!

Easter 2012

Easter weekend was started with an egg hunt at the McCann's home...

Getting instruction from Mrs. Julie

Found one!

Look Jack, there's one!

There's something in here...

Look at all of my eggs!

Sweet siblings

The whole kid clan 

The Easter Bunny came on Easter morning!

Anna was so excited about her Peeps!

Anna helping Jack with his race cars.

We dressed up for church and never got a picture!!  We took our camera to Nana's where we ate lunch with the family and fully planned on taking some, but then Nana made a comment about us taking pictures every time we're with her, so we just layed off.  But that meant we got zero dressy pictures--bummer!  The more important thing is that we were able to remember the unbelievable sacrifice and the hope that Jesus' resurrection brings to each one of us.  Happy Easter!

Our Life in Pictures

I am so behind with this blog!!!  In an effort to save time, I thought I would just show our life in pictures over the last 6 weeks or so.  Some were taken with cell phones, so some of them aren't the greatest quality, but enjoy!

The morning full of errands just wore them out!

Life with a boy...

...is messy...

...and contains quite a few boo-boos,
like this scab that resulted from Jack
trying to walk down our sloped front sidewalk.

We love cookies and ice cream!

Mimi came up for her spring break...

...and helped Anna dye Easter eggs.

Fun with Mimi!

Jack the stud

One beautiful Saturday we all walked to
Tanglewood for a picnic and some soccer practice.

Even Jack wanted play.

Relaxing at Cracker Barrel

Thomas!  Jack saw Thomas' face at the bottom
of the bowl and started moving the grits
 out of the way with his hands.  Then he had
to give him a kiss, thus the
grits all over the face!  So cute!

Anna climbing the wall at the local community festival.

Weekend in Wilmington

I stumbled upon a conference for nursing CE's that took place in Wilmington on a Friday morning at the end of April.  Will and I thought it was a perfect excuse to spend the weekend in Wilmington so we headed east on Thursday afternoon.  It was the weekend before our 8th anniversary, so Mimi and Papa offered to keep the kids Friday night so that we could go celebrate.  The second night, all four kids were in town (Sarah had a wedding shower for one of her friends from high school).  We had a fun reunion dinner together with the whole family.

Papa and Will teaching the kids the game of golf
with Anna's new golf clubs.

See, Jack, I can do this too!

And she just kept on going all the way down the driveway!

Chillaxin in the swing!

Aunt Michelle with Caroline

Swing it, Jack!

The Collins Men

The babies in the bath water!

Anna loved showing Nia and Nellie her "magic computer".

Cousin fun

We tried to get a photo of all the kiddos,
but Nellie wasn't too keen on that idea...

...even when Mimi made everyone else laugh (minus Jack).

The four of us back together again!

Nellie making faces in the computer--so cute!

Big girls

Computer babies love Sesame Street!

Thanks for an awesome time Mimi and Papa!

Sarah had a baby shower Sunday afternoon, so Will and I offered to bring Caroline back with us.  The first leg of the trip was interesting with three kiddos awake and I'm sure the people at McD's thought we were crazy.  Luckily, everyone slept on the second leg until we were almost home.  Fun times!