Half and another Half

Let me start out by saying last week was Maddi's half birthday. We had a very busy Sunday and I honestly forgot it was her half birthday until Sunday night. We celebrated her half birthday Monday after school with vanilla ice cream and Oreos. Somehow she has turned into an Oreo loving girl. I don't have any pictures of Miss Maddi on her half birthday, but it's official, she's 11 1/2. Yikes! How did that happen? She had step up to Plank day last week and I had parent step up night where we learned all about our next adventure....junior high. Maddi is so excited about it and I am excited for her. I am scared and nervous for her too, and I think she's a little bit of those as well, but we are focusing on the excitement. I am so proud of the young lady she is becoming and although it makes me sad that she's growing up, I cherish our time together. She is still as sweet as can be and she's pretty funny too. To go along with her growing up before our eyes, she had the puberty talk at school last week. Oiy! Little Maddison Shea is creeping closer and closer to a teenager! This Sunday was little Emalyn's half birthday. We almost forgot her half birthday too (bad mommy), but we remembered about half way through the day. We were at Cade's baseball game in the morning when a nasty storm rolled in and the game was cancelled when the lightning began, after only 30 minutes of play. We ordered lunch to go and had a nice lazy Sunday afternoon. When we realized it was Em's half bday, we decided to taker her our for a treat. She didn't want ice cream or cake, she wanted a donut! So we went to the grocery store to get her donut (because she's 2 1/2 and doesn't know any different) and to get ice cream for the kids and Brett. (I had a sherbert float earlier in the day). Even though Emma had taken a few bites of her donut in the store, we put some candles in the partially eaten donut when we got home and sang Happy Birthday to her. We told her not to touch the candles because they were hot, and then she refused to eat any donut after that. She is stubborn and sensitive. When she thinks she's in trouble, she shuts down, and I can't tell if it's because her feelings are hurt or she's just being stubborn. Maybe both.

Here's the half birthday girl with some crazy bed head wearing one of her leotards. I've never had a 2 1/2 year like you Miss Emalyn...as stubborn and independent as they come :)

Sissy helped blow out the candles. My favorite 11 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old girls!

Since Emalyn didn't want to eat her donut, she decided to have Cheetos. She's proud of her cheezy fingers! I remember the first time she had cheetos and freaked out and had us wipe her hands over and over because they kept getting cheezy. lol

Later in the day, when Daddy had his ice cream cone, Emma wanted some ice cream too. You can see she has changed into another outfit, now it's a swimsuit. Goof ball!

mmmmmm....soon after these pictures, she was done with her ice cream cone. It wasn't all gone, she had had enough. I wish I ate sweets like her, a few bites and done.

Emma's hair was especially curly this day because of the humidity and rain. Although two can be challenging, Emma really is a sweet girl and is really getting a great imagination and is funny and enjoys humor. I hate comparing her to Maddi and Cade because she is her own person, but it's fun to see the little ways that she reminds Brett and I of Maddi and Cade at her age. The latest thing is that she will tell us "I'm too little" when we ask her to do something. Cade used this saying all the time and he actually said it for many years. Ha! Brett and I are both so thankful for each one of our little blessings.