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A Midsummer Mother's Day

 Wow, wow, wow! It has been a very stressful and busy few weeks, but I have to say Mother's Day couldn't have been any more perfect. Tim and Connor woke me up with my presents and the rest of the day was just as special. All Grandma Glenda and I wanted was a little bit of rest in an otherwise crazy week. After church we had brunch complete with pancakes at a local waffle shop, and the rest of the day was devoted to being outside in the pool.

 Though it was slightly chilly in the pool from all of the rain we have had recently, everyone had so much fun! Connor took right back to the pool with no problem, and even knew how to manipulate the float and kick his little legs to propel himself. Tim and Aunt Kaitlyn had a lot of fun filling up water balloons and bombing each other, and Connor benefited by getting his very own balloon to throw around.

 We grilled up some hamburgers and hot dogs to complete such a special day. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend Mother's Day. A relaxed fun day, focused only on the things that matter; our loved ones.

 After Mother's Day our rehearsal schedule only became more intense. Daddy was picking up Connor from Grandma Glenda's house because I wasn't leaving the school until after 6pm. Connor adjusted well, and it only made me cherish my little time with him in the evenings even more. I can't believe how much he is changing, and how he is developing words daily. As we neared opening night Connor started participating in our rehearsals because Grandma Glenda was running my sound. He has no stage fright that is for sure! He doesn't mind putting himself right in the middle of the stage while actors are rehearsing around him. Give him a microphone and he is set to go. He is a ham, and I love it! I cannot wait to see what he develops into!

 Opening and Closing night came and went. It is a little bittersweet because of how much time we put into it, how much I enjoyed my time with these special students, and how quickly it has come to an end. I am so proud of them, and I am in awe of what a wonderful job they did. We had pretty good sized audiences each night, and with our ticket sales we will only grow our department. Everyone who came to see our production was so impressed, and I am honored to be a little part in these students' theatre experience. Hopefully we have opened up a passion for them that they can pursue as they grow. There is a magic that takes place when you take the stage for the first time, and my actor's felt it. More than half of my cast had never performed on stage before in their lives. What a privilege it is to give them this experience!

Words

We are beside ourselves with the amount of knowledge that Connor gains daily. There are so many moments where Tim and I look at each other in shock with what Connor says and does. Our little boy has very clear words and other times it is the most adorable babble that includes snippets of intelligible language. Of course he still signs please and thank you, but I'm loving hearing his voice. It is the sweetest sound in the word. I giggle when he says "Hi kitty-cat" when we get to Grandma Glenda's house every morning. We're working on the sounds that animals make, and his "woof woof" is too precious for words. "Quack quack" is another favorite. He called himself "Onnor" this past weekend when Great Grandma Harriet pointed to a  picture of him and asked who it was. Self awareness...check!

We have so much going on around our home right now. I'm so glad summer is right around the corner, I can see some down time in my near future. Though with the rate Connor is growing and exploring, I might have trouble keeping up with him. We took a trip this past weekend to the University of Florida to watch cousin Dale graduate. We are all so proud of him, and it's always touching to watch the joy on students faces as they are about to embark on the rest of their lives. The expectations and dreams they want to achieve are right there. It gave me time to reflect upon how fast time goes by, and how important each moment I have with Connor is. We captured his 18 month phase of life a few weeks ago, and below are some of my favorites from the shoot. It's a moment to pause and enjoy how incredible he is. Savoring the moment....check!

Here is one of the reason's life has been so crazy. My spring play is right around the corner and we are up to rehearsing every single day. There have been countless brick walls we've come up against, but hopefully we are at the home stretch. I am so proud of my students, and am so thankful to Mr. Brown and Grandma Glenda for all of their hard work as well. A show is always a group effort, and that is very true with this one. I will never forget painting sets with G.G. while Aunt Kaitlyn and Connor run around the stage to keep themselves busy. Now if all of the students remember their lines I will be thrilled! Stressed out director...check! (but so proud!)