Her First First Day of School

Oh, wow! I can't believe it! My sweet little grandbaby started school yesterday! Pre-K. She is not old enough to go to Kindergarten but she did qualify for Pre-K. We were so excited! She LOVES all her teachers/caregivers at day care, but she was ready for the classroom. Unlike her momma, I believe this child will love school. So through the tears and tissue, we made it through!

At first, she didn't want to get out of bed, but when we reminded her what day it was,

she was up and smiling, ready to go!

She usually just has a "snack" at home and eats breakfast at daycare.
No more of that! Breakfast before school starts now!

After breakfast, she got dressed, we fixed her hair (in her signature dog ears no less!), brushed teeth and ready to start the day.

I love the "Elvis" smile in this one!

Buckled in the car. Her last ride as a preschooler.

Poor Grumpy was always at work when her mommy started school, but he got to enjoy his Mattiebugs first day.

The obligatory pose at the door step picture!

"Lolo! Wait! I have to bow."

Mommy filling out last minute paperwork, but Mattie May just can't wait to get started.

Officially a school girl!

Showing her teacher and teachers aide her "flashy" backpack.
(it really does have lights that flash in it!)

Getting started. Writing her name on the top of the page.

Her Teachers
Mrs. Torres and Ms Sarah (in green).
She looks happy to me!

You say to me "But you mentioned tears and tissue. We don't see either!"
I never said Mattie May shed a single tear!
Mom on the other hand had a hard time.
She didn't want any proof, but I tried!

I know every one's first days (M & K) weren't quite what they were hoping for, but I know things will get better. Here's to this school year being the best ever!

All is well

Today Frank went in for his one week check up from his surgery. Good news and bad of course. Good news is he is healing very well. He is still not having any pain. The doctor told him to stay home another week then three weeks of light duty when he goes back to work.

And that is also the bad news. Another week off for him and I think I may have to take him to the funny farm! He is not one for sitting around and doing nothing. It is driving him crazy that he can't do more. Even with satellite TV he is at his wits end. Even the fishing channel is getting boring to him! Since this day is almost over, I reminded him he is now only looking at four more days!

Today Mattie May went for her first ever Meet the Teacher. She was so excited. She is ready to start school (Pre-K, but she doesn't want to go to day care! LOL). I just love the honesty of children but we really need to work with her on her manners! She told one mom, who is pregnant, that she is fat! Oh My! I think we will have to have a brush up on our manners tonight over dinner!

I am expecting tears in the morning, but I am prepared! I bought a brand new box of tissue... for Katie! Yes, she will be the one shedding tears in the morning, not Mattie May!

Frank and I will get to be in on all the 1st day activities so I hope to post some pictures tomorrow after my mom's eye surgery! So for today - Happy first day of school to you!

Mattie May's Merry Musings - Summer Swim Addition

I know! I have been away from this blog for far to long. I get in my head that no one but me wants to hear the cute and funny things that Mattie May does so I don't post. Then I get mad at myself because I forget one very important thing - this is my blog to document the cute and funny things Mattie May says as she is growing up and I want to remember them even if no one else does. So I hope to keep that in mind next time. So bear with me for the next 20 or 30 years as I continue to keep up with my growing grand daughter.

This past Monday, Katie and I decided it would be fun to have a picnic at the pool with Mattie May. Frank was out of town and even though he has been going to the pool with us more often, he is not real fond of sandwiches for supper because he has one for lunch almost every day. Katie and I met at the house to fix the sandwiches, pack them all up and get our swim suits. Then off we went.

Mattie May is just a little fish and although we haven't put her in formal lessons as of yet, is learning to swim underwater on her own. Just last week, she popped her head out right in front of Frank and yelled "I saw where you were Grumpy!" That's right, she learned on her own that she could open her eyes underwater and still see!

On Monday, she was swimming around as usual and bumped into a little girl about her age that she hadn't met before. They ended up having a great time together. But all of the sudden the little girl disappeared. About the time Mattie May asked us where she had gone, we spotted her. She was running out of the restroom towards her mom with her swimsuit around her knees! Bless her heart! As we all know, a wet swimsuit is very difficult to get back in place after you go to...well, you know. We were talking to her mom and giggling when Katie looked over at Mattie May. She had seen what her friend did, and she had her suit down to her waist trying to get it the rest of the way down while she was still in the water. Of course Lolo (me) got tickled and this just made it harder for Katie to get the suit back up where it belonged. She would get one strap in place as Mattie May was taking the other off! Finally, Katie just turned Mattie May toward her and explained that we were at a public pool and we couldn't go around in our birthday suits.

And Mattie May? Well her response was "But Mommie! I am just trying to create myself!"

That's when everyone around us really started laughing. Katie just pulled Mattie May closer giving her a great big hug and laughing as she made her get dressed!

Gotta love that kid!

Matttie May, What is that on Your Head?

Sadly, we only have one more night to travel through Egypt. This is our last night for SBA and we have been having a great time. I hope to have more pictures tomorrow night. It is taking me a while because we get home so late from SBA, and Mattie May has to have a bath afterward. Furry animals and sweating kiddos make for some really funky smells! I just wanted to tell a funny on Mattie May.

It was dusky dark on our way home last night, but I could see something on Mattie May's forehead when I looked in the rear view mirror. I asked her "Mattie May, what is that on your head? Did you get mud on it when you were making bricks?"

MM - "I don't know, maybe."

And that was the end, I thought.

Just seconds later she started screaming "Lolo! There is a bee in here! Get it out! Get it out!"

I couldn't see it or hear it and where I was, I certainly couldn't pull over to check her out. I told her to put her blanket over her head and we would stop just as soon as I could.

" But Lolo, don't you hear it?! I can still hear it!" She had her blanket on her head like I told her.

When we reached the next stop light, I turned to check on her. She was still covered up and seemed to be calm. When I turned back around, I saw the "bee" on my windshield. It was a huge, Texas size mosquito! I told Mattie May that it was OK, that it was just a mosquito and she could take the blanket off her head. In this short time, I did manage to rid my car of this gigantic pest.

We got home and I got her in the bath tub. I started getting her hair wet to wash it and that is when I saw the bumps. What I thought was mud on her head was the cotton pickin' mosquito, and he had evidently found she was a delicious meal! I didn't want her to freak out over the bumps so I didn't take any pictures but they where really big!

I guess next time I see something on her head, I'll check it out a little better!

Summer Bible Adventure

Oh, the fun this week! Mattie May has been going to Summer Bible Adventure (SBA) this week and loving it! They are traveling through Egypt, following Joseph's journey from prison to the palace. Sunday night they visited with Joseph while he was in prison and last night they got to visit him in the palace where he has been interpreting dreams. They also visit the market place each night. Sunday, Mattie May made a sail boat at the wood workers shop. Last night she made a beautiful bracelet at the jewelers, danced like an Egyptian at the music shop and made a stop at the barber shop/spa where she had her hair and make up done! See her Egyptian eyes. She is working on her head piece to wear after she gets her hair done. The biggest thrill she had last night was getting to see the camels. Of the ones in her "family", she and Gracie just had no fear! They walked right up to those great big camels and gave them hugs, then got in a bit of trouble because they tried to feed them! After visiting the animals provided by Brenda May from May's Farm, they just didn't understand why they couldn't feed them.

I have many more pictures that I am trying to get edited. My camera is giving me a bit of trouble this week. It doesn't want to focus on the auto setting and is taking a bit longer focusing when on other settings.

I would like to tell Mr. Donnie and all the MANY volunteers what a great job they are doing at SBA this year! It is always great and this year's trip through Egypt is no exception! Thanks to all of you!!!

Things I have learned while vacationing at the beach -
1. No matter how many clothes and towels you pack, you will spend at least one evening in the hotel guest laundry room trying to get the sand out of all your clothes and towels.
2. You think you can go to the beach and not get covered in sand and only get wet up to your ankles but you will get soaked completely head to toe, and you will find sand in places you didn't even know you could get sand!
3. Even if you think you have covered you and your lived ones in enough sun screen, you haven't.
4. There are not enough washers and dryers in the hotel guest laundry room.
5. It's hot in hotel guest laundry rooms, and their pretty lonely places.
I'm sure I will think of more life lessons that I learn at the beach, and I will share them with you as I learn them.
TTFN! I've got laundry to fold!

Oh My! It's Been Almost a Month

I can't believe that it has been almost a month since I posted to this dear little blog of mine! Where has the time gone? Well, I guess we have been busy!

We have been doing a bit of this,

some of this,

quite a bit of this,

and not nearly enough of this.
We've caught a few of these,
and had another one of these

that got us this.
We have spent a lot of time with these people
(but not enough for me!),
and she caught one of these!
We taught Mattie May to do this,

and have started doing some of this.
So, I'm sorry if I haven't had a lot of time to keep up this blog, but I'm still visiting all of yours and I promise to post again when we get back from this!

Vacation 2009