Birthday Celebrations

Way back in February, we celebrated a bunch of birthdays! My dad, niece, mom, and Mae Caroline all have early year birthdays (two January, one February, one March). My brother's gang came up in February for a weekend and I had cakes made for each of them. Too cute! If you are local the Southern Gourmet always does the best job.

My dad is a retired builder, so he got the builder cake...

My mom is retired CSI... so she got the police cake...

Mae Mae is peppa obsessed.....

And Grayson loves Ever After High...

A fun time for sure! The cousins had fun spending the night together in the same room, staying up way too late giggling and talking, and little sleep... but sometimes weekends like this are just what the doctor ordered. Memories that last forever!

I can't believe how fast time has flown since then. I have been meaning to sit down and write Mae Mae a birthday letter, and just haven't done it yet. Oops. Maybe this week I can get all caught up :)

Dear Evans (5!)

Dear Evans,

WOW! You turned FIVE today. How five years have gone by I do not know. Some days it feels like 15 years, other days 5 minutes. All the while, time has gone by and you are a year older. No longer a toddler, but now a little girl. You keep saying you will just stay at five and don't need to get older or move out, or go to college. You want to stay here at home with Mama and Daddy. You say you won't get married, but that if you should one day, don't worry- it'll be to Daddy and we can all just share a room. You'll even help with dishes! Now of course I know that won't be the case. Each day your curiosity and awareness of the big world grows (just like your shoe size. How DO I keep up with your shoe size, girl. I should own stock in Keds at this point). I'm excited to see what this new year brings for you.

You'll be starting KINDERGARTEN this year! This year in your 4k class it's all about getting you "Kindergarten Ready".  Kindergarten Ready? For me, all I can think is kindergarten- already? I know there are five candles on your birthday cake, I know that, but weren't there just a minute ago only 1 or 2?

How are we here?

What happened?

Kindergarten Ready.

I have to give credit to the teachers at your school, because you are definitely ready. You've learned how to identify all of your letters, you can write most of them now, and you've even started reading and spotting words! Incredible. You love to draw. You've memorized your birthday of course, which you've been asking about since back in July - is it December 13th yet?? You know your address, your parents' names, your numbers, and you now count up to 30. Wow. You are definitely ready, my girl.

Yet, I can't help but wonder... who is preparing the mamas for this big change? Who is making sure mama is ready to share you with the world? That mama is ready to give up playing hooky just because we feel like having a day at the park, or a late breakfast? That mama is prepared for the bus riding, and the car pooling, and the school projecting, and the home working, and all the things?
(And God, forbid, the bullying. I hope and pray everyday that you would have a kind heart towards others and others towards you).

 Who makes sure Mama is Kindergarten Ready?

I don't have that answer. But, I'll tell you, I don't feel ready. In my mind I still see you as a baby in that swing, hollering your head off and not sleeping. Just wanting your mama. And isn't it funny to be longing for those days now? Those days I thought I'd never survive.

I asked you today if you wanted me to pick you up early so that we could have some one on one time and do something fun for your birthday. Your response- "no, I think I want to celebrate with my friends". I laughed, but at the same time I thought "and so it begins".

You really are growing up. Whether I'm ready, or not.  

Love you always,

Mama.

Dear Mae Caroline (2)

Dear Mae Caroline,

Happy second birthday to our Mae-Mae. Sweet Baby Mae, a name so fitting of your smiley personality. What a year you have had! Last year this time you weren't quite walking ye, and you were mostly just babbling rather than talking. Now you run full speed ahead and know so many words. You've recently tried to string together small sentences. Your favorite is "chew it up" and "eat eat please" and "go outside please" and "me too" (because you have to do EVERYTHING big sister Evans does)   :)

This year has brought on changes for all of us. Moving cities, yet again, and getting to be back at home. You started going to 2 year old preschool! I'm so glad you love it the way that you do. No tears at drop offs, no clinging to my leg, no separate anxiety. You love life and everyone in it. I'm so proud of you!

I've had a hard time admitting to myself that you are my last baby. The last chubby hands I'll hold, the last baby I'll rock, the last sweet curls I'll twirl through my fingers. Maybe it's because you've been such an easy baby that makes it that much harder. I know that our family is complete, and I know I definitely could not handle the logistics, the time, the total chaos that a third would bring, and yet my heart still aches knowing that you are turning 2. We'll be saying goodbye to diapers, goodbye to the crib, and goodbye to all things baby this year.

I'll have to say goodbye to a part of myself this year as well. For the last 5 years, I've been carrying a growing child or caring for a little one. I've been pregnant or had a baby on my hip all that time. I'm surprised at how hard this stage is to let go.

When I was pregnant, I was counting down the days. When I had a newborn at home, I was counting down the days. When you were crawling, I was counting down the days. Before you started preschool, I was counting down the days.

During one of our many games of hide and seek, Evans is always telling me "Mama, count slower, count slower!" so that she can find you girls the perfect hiding spot to where I won't find you. A place you girls can hunker down and giggle to yourselves, trying hopelessly to remain quiet as the numbers wind down "5-4-3-2..."  

"Mama, count slower!!"

And now, somehow my counting through this busy and difficult baby phase of life is complete.

And I feel like I counted too fast.

I wish so much that I could find a hiding spot to put you and your sister's childhood. A spot to keep your precious giggles. All of your smiles. The moment you were placed on my chest. The moment I heard your first coo. Your first hiccup. Your first yawn. All of it.

I'd count as slow as I possibly could.

And while it's bittersweet, there is something that will never change. You will always be the baby. My baby. Sweet Baby Mae-Mae.

Happy birthday, Mae Caroline!

Mama loves you.

Our Weekend

Saturday we went to the zoo for some family fun to celebrate Mae Caroline's birthday (which is on Tuesday)! I cannot believe that she turns two tomorrow. My last baby turning two. I don't know whether to cry in a pillow or shout for joy that we are nearing the end of diapers and cribs forever. Eek. So many emotions!

The zoo was so great but it was packed! An 80 degree day in February, of course it was slammed. But the kids had a great time. Papa, Dma and Granddaddy came with us. The girls had a great time, MC LOVES animals. We had to leave before seeing everything though, the girls were DONE. Evans was getting tired and grumpy and MC was beginning to get overheated and tired as well. When we got back home, both girls napped until almost 5:00, ha!

Sunday was church and lunch at Papa and Dma's. Then a lazy, rainy day of naps (and fort building) for everyone!

My kind of Sunday!

Thanksgiving, Birthday, AKA Catching Up

Thanksgiving..... finally getting around to catching up on the end of the year. We had a hard Thanksgiving this year with the sudden passing of a close friend. The girls spent time in Savannah with my family. We were in Fort Mill most of that week. My parents brought the girls up from Savannah to Columbia to meet us halfway and we stayed the weekend of Clemson/Carolina in Columbia. We took Evans to Riverbanks Zoo and she had so much fun! She's finally at an age to appreciate that sort of thing. Before she would just kind of stroll and not pay much attention to the animals. This time she loved it and even fed the farm animals (BIG step for her!). Her favorite part was the sea lion exhibit, of course. It's pretty awesome!

A week later, I invited over Evans's classmates for her 3rd birthday. It was so last minute as we'd been out of town and Hubs was traveling. I figured not many would come but it would be fun for Evans, and it was! I put invites in the classroom cubbies on Wednesday and the party was Saturday, ha. Maybe next year we'll plan it out a little bit better! Her closest little buddies did come and she had a great time. We had hula hoops, bubbles, shovels, Chick-fil-A, balloons and cake. What could be better to a 3 year old? It was a cold day, but the kids didn't care!

Later that night, we had an impromptu oyster roast with neighbors and friends. We were exhausted by the end of that day! But it sure was fun. The kids had a blast playing and stayed up way past bedtime. 

On Evans's actual birthday, I brought cupcakes to her class. Cutie pies!

Emma is her BFF, and she'll tell you so. 

Her other BFF, Ellie :)

And her boyfriend, Hunter :)

Can't believe she's already THREE!!!!! Tear.