- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XIV -

One evening after she went to bed and Brian and I were having a drink on the back porch:
"It's just not fair for you to be out there and not me, you little taco belly!"

After Brian asked her to turn off the TV one afternoon:
"You are ruining my whole life!" 

On the way to Schnucks:
"Scarlett, hurry and buckle in, we have to wear our seatbelts so the police don't give Mom a ticket!"

After she told me all about grasshoppers and where they live/what they eat/how they sleep:
Me:  "How did you learn that?"
Harper:  "Just from my own brain!"

As Brian was carrying a HUGE rolled up rug to the check out register at At Home:
"Look!  Daddy looks like Jesus carrying the cross!"

While on a [very short/flat] hike in the woods:
"Owww, I just tripped on something and hurted my ankle! Are we almost done yet?"

While driving to Grammy and Papa's house:
"Uncle Blake hasn't seen me for a long time, and I bet he'll see today that I growed up a little!"

Randomly:
"Sissy, you don't need a paci, it makes your front tooth crooked!"

After seeing the neighbors' tree swing:
Harper:  "Mom, can we get a swing and a hammock?"
Me:  "Well, we don't have any trees..."
Harper:  "Well, we can grow a tree with seeds..."

Randomly:
"Mommy, I'm going to be a witch for Halloween, and I want Sissy to be my wand!" 

In reference to her old beta fish [that was buried in our old landscaping approx. 3 years ago]:
"I really hope the people that bought our old house don't dig in the dirt to plant flowers and find Shark there!"

Randomly:
"I wish I lived inside your tummy when I was 5 years old so I could see what it looked like in there..."

After talking about when we think she'd get her first loose tooth:
"I'm thinking that it's kinda disgusting to be the Tooth Fairy, because all the teeth would probably turn moldy if they weren't really brushed every day and taken care of really well..."

While chatting with Grammy during dinner prep:
Grammy Resa:  "Harper, what would you do if your mommy never cooked dinner?"
Harper:  "Well, I'd just go outside and look for apple trees and stuff."

Randomly:
"Mommy and Daddy, does God control us with a remote?"

 

- Kindergarten, HERE SHE COMES! -

Cue the trumpets and trombones and heck, the whole entire band...  

 ...it's back to school time, and our big girl is off to KINDERGARTEN!!!

After the annual Blessings of the Backpacks Mass was cancelled due to COVID, the school alternatively allowed us to sign up in individual 15-minute slots to drop off school supplies and talk with the teacher and see the classroom one last time as a family before the first day of school.   Since this is Harper's first year in "the big school," I am so grateful that we had this opportunity together and could help her put her things away in her cubby, find her desk, talk with Mrs. Wilson, etc.  It's going to be a wonderful year, I just know it!!! :D

Two days after the school supply drop off was the first day of school, and Harper woke up very excited!  After breakfast...

...and pictures on the front porch...

...[even a few with her classmate who also lives in the subdivision!]...

...we loaded up the car and drove her to school!

When we got there, she hopped out of the back seat and didn't even turn around to wave goodbye! :'(  Priests and principal at the door; does she even need her momma anymore??! 

^^ I made it out without any tears [but just wait 'til the last day of school, they'll for sure be rollin' then...], and on the way home, Brian told Scarlett that's she's going to love her new life with Mom and Dad's fulllll attention every day while Harper is at school to which she immediately responded, "WHY?" ...Touche.

Anyway, cheers to the school girl!!! We are so proud of you and love you so much, Harper Cecilia; with the St. B family behind your back, we know that you will do great things this year! :-* :-*

#fabulousandfive #backtoskewl #puttingonthearmorofgod #kindergartengirl #stillmommasbaby

- Bells will be ringinnnn'... -

Nearly two months late...

...but ALWAYS better late than never!!! 

Congratulations to these two beautiful humans who tied the knot back in June!  We have been rooting for the two of you since our double dating days way back when!  Kaitlin:  from community and county fair pageants to both of our wedding days, I love the fact that we have been able to share some of life's most glamorous and glorious moments together!  It's so refreshing to know that the best of friendships last forever.  Despite COVID, you and David threw one heck of a rehearsal dinner and wedding day celebration, and we were so honored to be a part of your special weekend! 

Love you guys so much!!! Cheers to a lifetime of love and happiness! :)

- COVID Diaries: Back to School -

The title ^^ says it all:  we had a great time getting ready for BACK TO SCHOOL [COVID style] like 1...2...3...GO!  

Practicing up on letters/numbers annnnnd kindergarten physical at the pediatrician...check! 

Kindergarten/"older girl" haircut...check!

Shopping for school supplies...check!

Trying on uniforms and making bead lanyards to attach to masks for school...check!

Helping the neighbor [Lil' Rookie Collection!] sell masks and ribbon lanyards at her pop-up tent...check! 

Having a weekend sleepover/celebration at Grammy and Papa's house for juuust the girls...check!

 

 

 

Annnnd squeezing in a few more splash pad trips and "late night" movie nights and pool days as a family...check!

COVID can't keep this kid down... KINDERGARTEN, HERE SHE COMES!!!

- COVID Diaries: Weeks Who Frickin' Knows -

Every day I'm up in hurr, up in hurr like:

Fo' rizzly rizzle, 2020 is gonna be one for the history books.  THESE ARE INSANE TIMES!  If it isn't this, then it's that; and if I wasn't watching the world continue spinning with my very own eyes, I would legit be wondering if it got knocked out of its orbit and was bouncing off to a black abyss in outer space.  Bleh!!!  Amidst the continued chaos here/there/everywhere, we've managed to thrive inside our "social distanced bubble" [of sorts] and are still finding the biggest joys in the smallest things.  School is in full swing now [!!!], and looking back at these photos today makes me really treasure the simple quality time we had as a family this summer! 

While Brian worked remotely from the basement, the kids and I spent a few days just chilling in the common space of the subdivision...

...and also riding scooters on the nature trails in town!  When we head here, H&S always want to take a Walmart bag to collect leaves and sticks and acorns and "things" -- all VERY prized possessions, you know!

Also, BIG NEWS ALERT:  Scarlett finally graduated from her paci [cut off cold turkey by her mean parents, no less!], and I can't believe how much older and cuter she looks without it! It was a rough few days/nights, but soooo worth it -- especially because she's making great strides with her speech + her front teeth are growing together better! Go, Sissy!

While the parks and museums and restaurants and everything else remained closed, we did lots of fort building...

...and baking...

...and learning/reading...

 ...and science experimenting...

...and swimming... 

...and masking...

...AND RELAXING!!!

Chaos or calm, these days are certainly worth treasuring. <3

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XIII -

Some oldies, but all goodies!  Easter and COVID and remote learning and May Crowning and the beginning of summer break...and lots of things in between!  I love this sweet little human and her innocent soul more than life itself! <3

**********

Randomly:
Harper:  "Dad, can I have your phone for a minute?  I need to talk to Siri."
Brian:  "Ok..."
Harper:  "Siri, when's it gonna be Easter Day?  There is a virus going around and we might not be able to have Easter.  What should we do?"
Siri:  .....

 

While driving one afternoon:
Scarlett [pointing out the car window excitedly]: "Eeeee ba-ba [Easter Bunny]!"
Harper:  "Scarlett, I think you mean to say 'RABBIT.'"
Scarlett:  "Oh."
Me:  "Yes, there are lots of little bunny rabbits that live in the grass; is that what you saw, Scarlett?"
Scarlett:  "Yeah."
Harper:  "Yeah, Scarlett, the Easter Bunny only comes at Easter but there are lots of other rabbits.  Even you can catch one and keep it as a pet on a leash!"
Scarlett:  "Oh."

During a rage:
"I feel like everyone has been mean to me for 100 years now, and you just did something that made me really mad again!"

After asking for a snack one evening after I got home from work:
"We are hungry, because we didn't eat anything for lunch; Daddy didn't feed us lunch at all today and that's why we're STARVING now!"


After my Dad came inside the house to use the restroom one day at the beginning of sheltering in:
"But it's ok if the virus is going around and Papa is juuuuust in our house to go pee and wash his hands.  But I'm glad he's not walking ALL around the house, like to my bedroom or your bedroom." 

 

As Scarlett was leaning in for a kiss on the lips:
"Yeah Scar, let's just do it on the cheek since the virus is going around."


Randomly:
Harper:  "Anyway, how do you make a baby start growing in your tummy?
Me:  .....

 

While driving around one evening to get a change of scenery:
"Mom, do we live on the moon?"


Randomly:
Harper:  "Mom, when I'm a grown up, will my name still be Harper?"
Me:  "Yes."
Harper:  "Oh.  Well it's kind of a silly name for a grown-up."

 

While coloring a picture of Mary for the May Crowning:
Me:  "And if you were at school on May 1, you would all take flowers to the statue outside the school."
Harper:  "But Mom, would 'THE REAL' Mary be at school on that day, is the question..."
Me:  "No, she lives in Heaven now with Jesus." 
Harper:  "Ok, can you just type in some 'Mary videos' on YouTube then so I can watch them and see her?"


...and while watching videos of Mary:
Harper:  "Well before these videos, I already knew what she looks like."
Me:  "How?"
Harper:  "Because I have a smart brain!  She has a blue dress with a white cape and another blue cape on her head.  Can Mary see us from Heaven, is the question..."
Me:  "Yes. She lives there with God and Jesus."
Harper:  "Ok.  Does Mary ever take a shower, is the next question..."
Me:  .....

While tidying up the living room:
Me:  "GROSS!  Whose dried up booger is this on the couch?!"
Harper:  "Scarlett's."
Me:  "How do you know?"
Harper:  "Well, all I can say is that I don't do that anymore since you told me not to that one time.  And Scarlett probably learned how to do it after that." 

While eating breakfast:
"Look, Dad, I'm unrolling my cinnamon roll like toilet paper!"

On the way to her teacher's house to drop off a Teacher Appreciation Day gift:
Me:  "I hope Ms. Leah likes what we made for her!"
Harper:  "She will like it, I already know.  She always loves everything I make her in class."

While watching Cinderella for the first time:
"I'm reallllly glad I'm not Cinderella so I don't have to clean every single day!"