The extraordinary ordinary...

One day passes, then another.  We go about our regular activities.  We play this game, write this paper, have this thought, take this picture.  Some things we post on a blog, some on Facebook, some we write about in a journal or in an email.   And some things just happen and don't really get remembered.  They were just ordinary things that happen everyday that really don't make us think twice.  I mean it's really the more extraordinary moments that we tend to preserve in some way- scrapbooks, blogs, and now Facebook timelines.   I thought about all of this as I scrolled through the pictures that I just downloaded to the computer and didn't really come up with anything that I thought was "blogworthy".  And then I thought, wait...  These are the things that are blogworthy!  These are the little bits of life that I want to cherish and remember because they aren't the big things that I might TRY and remember, they are the little things.  They sweet precious marrow of life that make ordinary days extraordinary.  So take a walk through a few moments of our last week and have a glimpse of some ordinary moments that make my heart sing as a mommy...  (these are a little heavy on the Anabelle side simply because she is in that stage of life that changes oh so quickly...)

Sweet girl- so proud sitting in her chair.  Her hair has just gotten long enough to show over her ears.  Precious the way it curls out..

The beautiful "baby blues" that I get to look in at least 4 times a day for another month or so as my days as a nursing mommy come to an end.  Those moments are oh so precious and I love the way those sweet angel eyes stare up at me!

Hunger Games has been the favorite topic in our house lately.  I love this picture because Maddie is always begging Abbey to let her fix her hair and Abbey NEVER lets her- ever.   But, when Maddie offered to fix her hair like Katniss she said YES in a heartbeat!  I guess you can't really tell but it was a really pretty french braid that wrapped all around her head.

Naomi and her sweet friend hanging out while big sisters and brothers played baseball.  Naomi also had her first t-ball game this morning and loved every minute.  She was a bit frustrated that nobody seemed to know who won (no score kept in t-ball!) and she was not going along with the whole "we're all winners" bit.  She got distracted by playing with friends though.  In the picture below, they were using the disassembled playground equipment to climb into the window sill and then jumping down into the sand- there are no rules over here! (when it comes to public playground stuff I mean...  we have our own family rules but even those get a little lax at times due to cultural influence...)

Maddie loves to cook and create in the kitchen.  She used her cupcake cookbook and made these puppies all by herself.  

Abbey could care less about cooking but she loves to sample whatever Maddie makes...

(and much to her chagrin she is learning to cook- she made taco soup last week almost completely by herself..)

Fridays are going to be ballpark days between now and June.  It's still REALLY chilly and quite dusty.  Here's our view from the bleachers for the next 2 months.  AJ and Moo both really wanted to play even though they are the only 2 girls on their team of kid pitch baseball (NOT softball).  They are hanging with the boys really well.  Abbey got a triple and a single today.  Maddie didn't get on base- she is a bit more cautious at the plate and let's just say it's a good thing my dad wasn't there when the ump called her out twice after a full count cuz I'm 99% sure those last pitches were balls, not strikes...   She had a great attitude though and had a great time which is most important anyway..

Anabelle was much more interested in reading than in the baseball game.  She loves books so much and she makes the cutest noises when she's reading!

Anabelle's little personality is really coming out.  She loves people and is so much fun.  If someone new comes into the room she loves to try and get their attention and "talk" to them.  If she is being held by Maddie she usually refuses to go to anyone else, even if it's time to eat.  She knows she's being coy too, because she'll laugh and pat Maddie on the back.  She knows what the fish, lizard, tiger and puppy say although lizard is by far her favorite, followed probably by the tiger.  She'll wave bye bye, give kisses (occasionally a last minute raspberry), and she's learning the sign language for all done, more, please and thank you.  Here's a video of some of her latest tricks.