Walk the Line

Last Saturday, NanaB and Granddaddy joined us for Simon's graduation ceremony. While Simon and several others have one more year before starting kindergarten, his whole class got to participate by singing songs (one in Spanish!), as well as accepting a special flower and certificate for successfully completing the school year.

Below, Simon and his classmates recite the pledge to the earth.














Naomi especially enjoyed the songs. And no, we did not plan for the sparkly gloves to be part of her outfit.














Simon, accepting his flower from Miss Michele.














Happy graduation!



















Simon, with his classmate and friend, William.














It was a big day, topped off with lunch and a visit to Stakz. Happy graduation to you, Simon!

The Continent Song (Reprise)

When Simon first started preschool, some may recall that he learned "The Continent Song." This is an annual lesson at his school. Apparently, he now knows the song in English ... and Spanish.



Note: Naomi is singing backup. :)

Naomi -- 2 Year Stats

As we shared before, Naomi turned 2 years old last Sunday (May 15). She went to see Dr. Fraser for her checkup.

Stats:
Weight -- 30 lbs 5 oz
Height -- 36 1/4 inches
Head -- off-the-charts big :)














Our household will now say goodbye to whole milk -- we are now officially a 2% family!


















Coming soon: Simon's graduation ceremony!

Hey Naomi, It's Your Birthday!

Where has the time gone? Our baby girl turned 2 this past Sunday! On Saturday, we started the morning off with homemade chocolate chip banana muffins and a special song by Captain Zoom. Later in the day, our families came to help us celebrate with food, homemade cake, Chaney's ice cream, and gifts!

Naomi, with her eyes on the prize. And yes, Simon suggested her birthday cake design. :)














Simon, "helping" Naomi open her gifts.














Armed with baby dolls, her own rocking chair, and a Dora backpack, she is ready to go.














NanaB wanted to capture a moment with all four of her grandchildren. From L to R, cousin Henry, Naomi, NanaB, cousin Ada, Simon.














The Bashams attempted a group shot. Front row: Uncle Dooney, cousin Celia, Aunt Nikki, Cort, Laurie, Naomi, YaYa. Back row: Papaw Basham, Mamaw Basham, Mamaw Preston, Simon, Papa.














We are so thankful that our families could join us in the celebration. Happy birthday, Naomi!

Goodbye Bluegrass

Tonight, after visiting the AT&T store with both kids in tow, we emerged a changed family. We are now both smart phone carriers and text-friendly.


















Upon our arrival at home, an exhausted Simon shows Naomi his skills in blowing bubbles.














Our peonies!

Little Dipper

As some of you know, Simon is taking swimming lessons. He is currently on week 5 of 6, and he has made great strides. The boy who had a meltdown when water got on his face in the bathtub now makes big jumps into the pool, and goes all the way to the bottom before coming back up!

Here are some pics from one of his first lessons.

Simon, all goggled up and ready to go.


















Simon, with his swimming group. His teacher, Ms. Caroline, helps him adjust his goggles.














And here he goes!














Blowing bubbles in the water.














Simon with his group, each waiting for their turn.














Again, he has come a long way. Jumping in, going under, floating on his back, using a kick board ... now we just need a pool at home so he can keep practicing all summer. On second thought, are there any friends out there with a pool who need us to come for a visit? :)

A Day at the Market

On Saturday morning, we went to the local farmer's market! We started off our visit with a hot breakfast on site. Simon and Laurie had homemade gravy and biscuits while Cort and Naomi had whole grain pancakes. As a bonus, Laurie and Simon enjoyed some chocolate milk from some local farmers!














After breakfast, Simon decided to get his face painted by a local artist. He chose a blue butterfly.














Naomi wanted to participate -- we were shocked to see how still she was during the application of her body art. And yes, that's a yellow ladybug.














Next, we got to pet some baby animals. We fed a baby cow ...














...a baby horse ...














(Naomi's "excited face" she learned from Granddaddy)














...and some baby pigs!














We had a fun morning, which was followed by a Sunday and Monday of sickness. After a Monday spent at several doctors' offices, we're hoping we're all on our way to recovery.

New Friend

Congratulations to our friends, Julie and Brice Boyer, on their newest addition! Their third child, Zachary Brice Boyer, was born on Monday, May 2. Simon was very excited to meet this little guy, and there was the added bonus of riding the elevator at the hospital. :)














Below are a couple of random shots of the kids, seeing as how it's been so long since we've posted. This is S's new "face" when we ask him to pose for a picture.














Naomi, on the way home from the babysitter one day. Her hair was WILD, seeing as how she had just woken up from a nap and we were being "windy" in our non-air-conditioned car.

Art Show(s)

Simon's end-of-year art show fundraiser benefiting Plumtree Montessori was a success. Here is one of his paintings. He called it "Sunset."
















Simon and Naomi have MUCH in common, but this is one serious contrast: Naomi happily writes/marks/paints all over her clothes, hands, and skin. Here, she colors her nails with a (washable!) marker. Interesting, since her mom is definitely NOT a nail-painter!

















Finally, dad and mom shunned the water colors and markers for a tastier medium: homemade biscuit dough fashioned into "bunny biscuits" on Easter weekend. A tiny hand (this time with UNCOLORED nails!) approves.