balrina, lottie arizona and henry everett & great greats (plus books 2 read)

Lottie Sue talks about dancing like a "balrina" a lot the past few days. We don't know why this started but have been enjoying it very much. Today she wanted to wear a tutu to Mother's Day Out and I can't tell you how excited she was - she kept shouting "I A BALRINA! I DANCE!" - it was awesome.

Here are a few shots of her and some dance moves...

yeah, we know how cute she is

Matt's mom sent this photo over last week. I'm not sure if you know, but we got the name Lottie from Matt's great-grandmother, her name was Lottie Arizona (her sister's name was China Bee - I love it). We found out after our Lottie was born that she shares the same birthday as Great Grandmother Lottie - freaky! But neat!

This is a photo of Lottie and her husband Henry Everett (Matt's great-grandparents - I think Matt looks like Everett!).

lottie and henry in their 50th wedding anniversary photo

Matt's mom sent this note over with the photo, it's about Everett:

He was quite a fellow, a big man, very intelligent, taught in a one-room school most of his life, played the banjo, knew an amazing number of folk songs, led singing schools in his area. Then when a college degree was required to teach school, he drove the school bus. He loved to entertain the grandkids by playing the banjo and singing all those oldies. Actually Grandma Lottie taught him to play and sing to begin with. Lottie was the sweetest, kindest woman, and she's the one who was always doing some kind of needlework. They both laughed alot.

This picture is for their 50th wedding anniversary. She was 16 and he was 21 when they married on May 28 in 1918. They had 8 children, 2 boys and 6 girls. All the kids played some sort of stringed instrument so they had some lively singing sessions. My mom, Ima Jean was the 4th child, and the only one who taught in a one-room school. All the children have lived into their 80's--pretty amazing.

Anywho, I love family stuff like that (send more Mom!). Thanks for sharing!

Lottie Sue and I went to see Grandma the other day for lunch, she found this photo of me when I was little.

maybe this is where lottie gets it?

She also had this photo and I asked to scan it in. The woman on the left is my great-grandmother, Grandma Carter (Grandma's mother), and she is with her brother Oscar and their parents, Grandma and Grandpa Rainwater (my great-great grandparents).

hello, family!

I have also had the pleasure of loving several of the books I've recently read. I found three of them in our bookshelf and am pretty sure these are books that Cera left here before she moved - so THANKS CERA!). Anywho, I thought I would share...

• Vinegar Hill by Manette Ansay thumbs up (enjoyed it very much)
  
• Mudbound by Hillary Jordan - thumbs up (I loved this book, wonderful)
  
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett- thumbs up (it's a fast read and I enjoyed it very much)
• Inamorata by Joseph Gangemi - thumbs up (ate it up)
  
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (this book is a graphic novel, I thought it was great)

Alrighty, over and out. Blog for ya later!

lottie sue cooks, then eats crayons

I scanned this photo of me, I have to take it in to have that mark touched up. I am not sure how old I am but I guess maybe 3 1/2 or 4 1/2? I am very bad at guessing ages, I'm good with them Lottie Sue's age or smaller - ha. Anywho, I can't tell if she looks like me although I think in the eyes and mouth area maybe?

i look terrified

Here are few photos of Lottie Sue this morning before heading out to Mother's Day Out. The other day I gave her a few kitchen utensils and told her to cook something and stir the food. She picked up the measuring spoon and went right over to the bowl and started stirring. It's funny the things she knows that we don't teach her about. She's a sponge.

what'll it be?

after you see how cute she is notice her toys,
it looks like this ALL OF THE TIME (i've accepted it)

this was pre-hair fixing
(her hair is wild, it takes all i have to keep it out of her face)

And these photos of this afternoon's coloring session. I honestly went in to the other room for 20 SECONDS. I came back and she was eating the blue crayon. I took it away and she wailed. She was very upset with me.

nice blue teeth
(yep, that's crayon in her mouth)

how could a mommy do this to her little girl?

OK, have a great weekend everyone. My eyes are not great yet so I'm keeping this short. Much love to my homeboyz.

mcnickigoodness is here, get you some & a peek-a-boo overload

I am SO excited, one of my favorite people (in the whole entire world), Kat, created a blog! I can't tell you how it warms my heart when a friend decides to blog (let me take this moment to urge you to start your blog if you've been thinking about it). Now I get to read about things in the McNicholas Casa on a regular basis, let the hilarity ensue! Aside from being entertaining in general, Kat and hubby PJ are remodeling their historic home and the "before & afters" will be awesome (there are some up already). I'm linking them on our blog but please take a moment to check out McNicki Goodness every now and then...you won't be disappointed.

This is Lottie Sue's new favorite blog

Alrighty, let me give you your LS fix. Lottie Sue has been teething and one of the toppers finally broke through. You can barely see it in this photo, so now we're waiting on the other one to drop. She's figured out that she can make noise with them if she bites down real fast over and over again, so she basically does that all day. Well, that and peek-a-boo.

Teeth count: three down with one more on its way

I took lots of photos of the wee babe this afternoon. You'll notice lots of photos of her with her arms up over her head, that is her version of peek-a-boo.

She can see you but you can't see her

Laughing after I yelled PEEEEEEEEEK-A-BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

OK, ready to play again?

Then we moved into the study and I somehow changed the setting on the flash. These are a little overexposed but I'm posting them anyway.

Waving "hi"

And then of course, peek-a-boo

And here are some additional PABs...she's just so cute - I must post.

This baby is the best, she was made happy

Lottie Sue is the name, Peek-A-Boo-n' is my game

Playing with her imaginary friend I suppose

And then I was able to scan in a few old photos. I like to look at the background in these, it's fun to see what we had back in the day.

Looks like I am reading something to Becce here, and that wallpaper is something else (also notice the miniature ironing board in the back behind Becce - I'm getting one of those for LS)

Here we are again in front of the fireplace, I think we are 5 and 8 maybe

Becce striking a pose on Grandma's stoop

Michelle and Matt, circa 1988 - very stylish, these two

I've started reading again, I was unable to read even a magazine for a while but now I'm in the groove with things and have read three books the past two months. That's BIG news...anywho, I thought I'd share what I've read in case you need a book suggestion.

big thumbs up

thumbs up

thumbs up

Signing off - oh yeah, this is what happens when you let Lottie feed herself. She actually did a great job, just a messy one.

PPPPSSSTghetti, I hearts it

Tonight we are having a Mexican stir fry meal (not your typical stir fry we know) - um, we REALLY need to go to the grocery store.

yes, it's a midriff jersey but the gun is the best part & becce is all business up front but partying in the back

Dear Matt and Becce,

I hope you both know how much I love you, but I found these photos and couldn't help myself.

Big hug,
Jen

OK, I think this is the most embarrassing photo of Matt. Ever. I assume that Matt cut the football jersey himself. My favorite part is the gun. I think the first time I saw this photo I didn't think it was real, I thought it was a funny photo but no - this is his official senior year football picture.

Stick em up

I think everyone would agree that Becce is very fashionable...today. Maybe not in the 5th grade. I give you, "Becce with Front Butt-Cut Mullet."

Business up front, party in the back

I'm in the process of scanning in lots of photos. Any that I find embarrassing will have to go up. And don't worry, there are bad ones of me as well. I will share those with you - I can laugh at myself (proof).

Ooh, I just found this one of Sara/Cera*...this is her "Wilson Phillips" hair style. She REALLY wanted to look like one of the singers in that group (the blond one with the super short hair). She was obsessed with the song "Hold On." This photo isn't too embarrassing...

Hold on to your curtain dress

And here are new and old photos I scanned in during Lottie Sue's nap. First, current-day Lottie Sue...

Lottie Sue is now 10 MONTHS OLD!!!

And now a few old photos...

This is a photo of Grandpa and our mom

Me with the tambourine and Becce playing in the driveway

A Halloween photo, I think maybe we are 6 & 8 (I don't know if it transfers, but Becce was so HAPPY to be a bride for Halloween)

This is me at 6 months old

Me again, not sure of the age

A YOUNG Josh and Matt (babies practically!), they bought a car to maneuver around their six-month stint in Europe in 1996

Matt and I are just dating here, on a visit to see Mike and Becce - we are at the horse track

I dream of Jeannie

Here's to a great week! Today is just a GORGEOUS day, makes me happy.

*I've had some of my friends question the spelling of Sara's name, it is actually S-A-R-A. When Cera was little she was obsessed with dinosaurs (this is pre-Wilson Phillips) and a movie came out titled "A Land Before Time." There was a triceratops in it and her name was C-E-R-A, once Sara saw that she wanted our parents to change her name legally to spell it like the dinosaur in the movie. I remember a particular crying episode in the JCPenney parking lot over this topic. Momma refused her plea and she pitched a major fit in the parking lot. This was around the time she was also demanding a rat tail, I think our mom was o-v-e-r her ill-intentioned requests.

Anywho, that's why we write her name as Cera...

lottie sue and harlan meet the easter bunny, i can't say there were impressed

Or at least Lottie Sue wasn't, Harlan looks like he might be enjoying it a hare (hahahahahahaha) more than her.This morning we went to the mall to do the standard "Easter Bunny" photo. Lottie Sue was great, no crying but she wasn't exactly into him.

Lottie Sue preferred watching from afar

I can't tell if he's about to laugh or cry

The photo of Harlan arrived in the mail yesterday - I have looked at it about 100 times. Harlan is growing so FAST, I hate it that we don't live in the same area. The Apples are coming to town in a few days and I am EXCITED!!!

I scanned these Polaroids today, I found them recently when I was going through boxes in the bonus room. These are photos of me on Easter, I am guessing I was two years old or maybe three? This is my mom in the first one, I miss her very much (sigh).

Was I adorable or WHAT?

I put together LS's new stroller today. Any time you bring anything new into this house Kevin and Ernie must investigate. It is their job thankyouverymuch. First, Ernie popped in for an adorable photo op and then Kevin made it his afternoon nap area.

Beautiful, sweet and perfect Ernie

Kevin and his girlfriend, Bandie

Kevin's girlfriend is that red rubber band that's caught next to the tire - he goes nutz for rubber bands. He will take it wherever he goes and if you try to take it from him he will grab it/her in his mouth and take off like his tail's on fire. Nothing stands between him and Bandie, 2-getha 4-eva. Don't you forget it.

Ok, I'm leaving you with a shot of Lottie Sue today after her nap. She loves to play play play, so that's what we do.

So many toys, so little time

Over and out,
Jen