Elijah demonstrates the way NOT to catch a t- ball

With your face!
Elijah started playing t-ball this year. He loved it! I thought that love would be incredibly short lived. While I was waiting in the car for him to get through with practice, I looked up and he and a coach were walking to me. Elijah was bawling.  While practicing throwing and catching, another little boy threw the ball and Elijah didn't catch it, instead it hit him above his eye.

By the time he got to me there was a golf ball sized goose egg on his eyebrow. With ice, it came down a little and looked like this.

The next morning it was completely shut.

For the next week, he had quite a shiner!

We all thought for sure Elijah, who is a very fearful little one, would certainly be done with T-ball. But, we were very wrong. Every time we asked, he quickly, without even thinking, said he wanted to continue to play. That first practice afterward, I watched him. When it came time for catching and throwing practice, I heard him tell his partner, "Let's just roll it, ok?"

Despite his injury, he really enjoyed playing during the game.

Layne was staying with us during one game.

I don't think she was too impressed by this game.

I'm proud that my buddy didn't let an accident keep him from enjoying T ball.

                              His eye was still a little bruised when they took team pictures.

Easter

This year for Easter breakfast,  I resurrected, (pun intended), the tradition of "Resurrection or Easter Biscuits". I used to make these every year for the kids I taught in Children's Church. I had a couple of helpers working with me.

First, you put a marshmallow into the center of a refrigerator biscuit.

Then you wrap the biscuit around the marshmallow

dip it into melted butter

roll the marshmallow/biscuit in sugar and cinnamon mixture

Bake it and then, while enjoying the taste, discuss why it reminds us of Easter? (it's hollow)
I asked the kids to try to figure out why they were called "Easter or Resurrection" cookies. Neither of them, at first, could correctly tell me that the cookie symbolizes the empty tomb. Their guesses ran the gamut, from, "It's sweet and Jesus is sweet." to "It looks like the rock in front of the tomb." With lots of leading, they finally figured it out.

After church, we had an Easter egg hunt in our front yard.

The yard was in full bloom, and very pretty.

Layne came over to join the fun!

With her bucket, ready to go

Hmm, very curious…a plastic egg in the grass?

A little help from big bro

Pretty good, paper and all!

Daniel is upset that he didn't find any eggs for himself.

After the eggs were all found, Daniel joined them on the trampoline

It was a beautiful day, a perfect day to celebrate the reason for our faith. The day our Lord conquered death!

Old Mc~Layne visited the farm

For the past few years, I've taken the kids to NC State's Farm days. This year, we had the privilege of introducing Layne to Farm Days.

Abbey and Elijah were glad to show their little niece the farm day's ropes.

They were ever ready to help her see the animals.

Being that her mom is, and has always been an Ellie-May Clampet wanna be, I knew she would enjoy the animals.

She didn't shy away from petting the bunnies

Or holding the baby chicks

Meanwhile, the farm veterans enjoyed their usual attractions.

I enjoyed introducing our little Ellie-May to the farm!

A Mimi makes a great nanny!

When we were visiting Beth and Greg in NY, she mentioned that her nanny was going to be taking a week long vacation and she didn't know what she was going to do for childcare for Miss Evie Claire. I had to think about it for about 2 seconds before begging her to come to the south and let me be her nanny for a week. After considering whether I was qualified or not, she decided to take a chance, and bought a ticket to good "ole" NC.

We spent the first few days at the beach.

Nana and Grandaddy came to the beach to visit with the girls.

Papa got to love on the little one when he came home from work.

Aunt Abbey loved being with Evie Claire

I learned some of the ins and outs of my youngest granddaughter's personality.

I learned she loves being outdoors. If she was fussy, all I had to do was go outside, and it was if she had immediately taken a tranquilizer. She'd calm right down.

I learned that she has those irresistibly soft baby cheeks, that just beg to be kissed again and again!

I learned that she likes to bury her face into a soft blanket when she's tired.

I learned that when the car stops going and Evie is in the car seat, you'll want to get out your ear plugs, because she will loudly express her displeasure!

I learned that a toothless smile can cause my heart to gush with joy and make me do anything to see it again!

I learned that this little blue eyed beauty has her Mimi's heart!!

(I wonder if I could pay her nanny to go on vacation again?)