Bethany's Ballet Camp

Naomi's Ballet Camp

Naomi did a great job at ballet camp this summer! 

She's a beautiful ballerina!

What's next for the prima ballerina? She's trying out for the Nutcracker in September. Details on that to come soon.

Naomi

Naomi

You're my first, my fashionista, my inspiration.

You're the leader, the planner, the innovative one.

You love, love, love books and reading--to snuggle in your bed with a good long mystery is a perfect treat.

You love to go out, to be with friends, to see and do new things.

You are a collector: from bugs to bunnies, you love to count, arrange, and organize.

You will tell it like it is and you adore being first and right.

You chafe at not being finished, dear daughter.

You have a radiant, confident beauty from within that attracts many friends. 

Girl after girl chooses you (and you alone) when she can only have one friend over.

This you take in stride without pride.

You have always been of teenage temperament--easy going and happy one minute, moody and downtrodden the next. It is a challenge (that I love) to get close to you.

You love to cook, and when I suggest that you cook a meal by yourself, you beam.

You encourage me to make every day special from flowers on the table to written agendas to ice cream ideas. 

You dance.

You dream.

You write.

You sell lemonade with a passion and donate the money to children in Haiti.

You say things like,

"Daddy and Jacob haven't had a boy outing in a while. I think Daddy should take Jacob to a race or something this Saturday while the girls stay home and watch Anne of Green Gables."

You are infinitely girly and yet you have plenty of time left over to dig in the dirt, find worms, chase spiders, set up cages for neighborhood rabbits, and plant a garden.

You come up with outfits and ask me to take pictures to post on the blog. 

You are happy, you are peacemaker, you make us all better.

I love you, sweet oldest one, my goose.

Bethany

Bethany

You're my snuggly one. You're the third, the easy baby, the one who taught us how to really love.

You're the red-headed personality. You love to say really sweet, wonderful things and you love to scream with a blast that can make us all want to run and hide.

Your happy place is in my lap.

You adore your brother and sister with a love that demands full attention.

You are the sensitive one who understands feelings. You can sense that someone needs encouragement or a smile or a wave. You turn heads and cause smiles to appear at the grocery store.

You are a silly one. You love to laugh and will copy the antics of your brother and sister with gales of giggles. 

You love shoes with a passion and try them on liberally throughout the day.

You choose your own clothes and can almost dress yourself already.

You are potty trained and delight in the fact that you can do it by yourself. 

You don't let your own imperfections worry you in the least. 

You are the opposite of uptight, and you seem to know that is what we all need in a little sister.

You love to swim and play with water

and serve us tea.

You love to have your nails painted and your hair fixed and you

 toss your hair with your little hand.

Swirling skirts are very important to you and ballet is your ultimate dream.

(And next week you'll have ballet camp for the first time and make some of those dreams come true!)

You love princesses; you love them because they sing and wear pretty dresses and have long hair. 

You love books and dolls (all with names) and your pink blanket.

Your blue eyes and coy smile can charm the uncharmable.

You love to take your daddy's face in your hands and give him a big smack. 

If Momma's not pleasing you, you might decide to scream very loudly for Daddy, as if he can hear you from work.

You are my armful of  hugs and kisses, my sunshine.

Jacob

Jacob

You're my boy, my bundle energy, my tender hearted strong man.

You're the one who opens doors for your sisters both literally and figuratively.

You stretch us.

You love speed and cars and legos and dressing like your daddy.

You are good at all sports--throwing a football with a perfect spiral, hitting balls farther than we thought possible, loving the sandlot games, kicking goals.

You are so strong and heavy and solid.

You love to snack. You'll eat carrots by the bushel and peanuts by the can, and granola bars by the box if we let you.

You love all things art. When you hold a crayon or a pencil or a marker, it becomes a tool for beauty.

You swim.

You run.

You bike.

You ride the four wheeler.

You forget to complain.

And when you're hungry or tired your distress comes out through out-of-control emotion.

You wake up happy most days. You go to bed easily most days. 

You read with an intensity that causes your brow to furrow.

You play the silly man to make your sisters and their friends laugh.

You are always hungry. You love your best buds and continue to love them even when they move away. You love for me to scratch your back at bedtime, and you're favorite song is one I made up about Jacob being a wee little man.

I love you, my buddy, my Jacob man!

I'm Linking Up With...

Monday
Menu Plan Monday, On the Menu Monday, and MMMmonday. Motivate Me Monday and Makes My Monday.
Tuesday
Linked to Top Ten Tuesdayand Lucky Linky Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tuesday Twister, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Anything Related, Delicious Dishes,  Hearth and Soul Hop, Don't Waste Your Homemaking, Graceful Abandon's Blog Hop, Creative Bloggers, Tuesday Tastes, and Tasty Tuesdays over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Shades of Green. Sweet Shot Tuesday
Wednesday
What's Cooking Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom,  Parenting by Dummies,Go, Graham, Go,Jolly Mom, A Lot of Loves, Live and Love Out Loud, Hobo Mama, Momspective,Momma to 4Blessings, Slice o' Heaven, Ramblings, A Mom's Choice, Shibley Smiles, Natural Parents, Life Down Our Lane, Better in Bulk, Dagmar's Momsense, Marni's Organized Mess, Not Quite Susie, Grampy's World, Frugality is Free, To Be Thode, Here and There, Green Momma,Joy of Desserts, Bethere2day, Baby Baby Lemon, Happily Blended, Supermom, I Thought I Knew Mama, Experimental Mommy, My Thoughts, Mrs. Marine, A Beautiful Mess, Seven Clown Circus, Miss Mommy, and Goodbye Disposable. Works for Me Wednesday.  
Thursday
Thrilling Thursday,Thursday Pink and Green,Transformation Thursday,Cheap Thrills Thursday, It's a Keeper, Taking Time Out, Things I Love Thursday.
Friday

Linked with Frugal Friday at Life As Mom and The Shabby Nest. Also linked with 

Finer Things Friday, Show Off Your Stuff, , Hookin' Up with HOH, Strut Your Stuff, Get Your Craft On, Nifty and Thrifty, Tot Tuesdays, Foodie Friday, Friday Potluck, Toot Your Horn, DIY Wednesday, Look What I Made, 

Friday Favorites, Feature Yourself Friday, Frugalicious Friday I'm Loving It, Friday Foods, Finer Things Friday, 

Also linked with Fun Mom Friday over at Please Pass the Salt, Party Mindie Style 

Fun Summer Challenge, 

Sunday

Relax and Surf Sunday, Party Mindie Style, Say Hi Sunday, Let's Get Social Sunday, Super Stalker Sunday