It was good to be home and to introduce my girls to the dusty, flat Delta (although I think Evie probably remembered it from last year). It didn't take long before Evie was telling Millie "That's corn, Millie." She's got farming in her blood!But she was not so enthusiastic about the honey bees milling around and the next walk ended in hysterics:
Luckily, there were more good times ahead. Millie and Cora sported their twin outfits for the occasion and whenever we went out people actually asked if they were twins. There is six months difference, but because Cora is so little and Millie is an Amazon Woman in the making, they are pretty much the same size. And CUTE!
Ever the big sister/cousin, Evie made sure to keep her little cousin and little sister in line. Here she is confirming that there is "no poo poo, Cora!"
To that assertion, Millie said, "Pooh, Pooh!"
We were lucky to see so much family while we were home and Shug and Tim were the first big arrivals! They drove all the way from New Orleans just to have dinner with us and then drove all the way back. And, as usual, there was seriously delicious food provided by Mom and Dad, the details of which I have forgotten (there was so much food that it all has become a blur of deliciousness).
Tim and Cora rekindled the love affair they began on their visit to New Orleans! Evie also was thrilled that Tim would play soccer with her and proceeded to drag Tim AND Shug all over the place until she had an unfortunate encounter with the driveway via her knee (the first of many, unfortunately. At one point recently I asked her if she remembered picking up sticks with Peepaw and she said, "I fell down and got two bo-bos!").
Peepaw also proved not to be too shabby with the babies and Evie actually listened to him, too. He's the only one who can get her to do what he says on the first try. Millie just liked to snuggle him:
Yet another dusty turn row walk with Aunt Kate and Cora (and Dually the Doublewide dog, off screen):
Uncle Andy showed up just in time for the pre-Cora birthday bash Easter Egg dying!
There was much rejoicing:
Then Aunt Sue and Uncle George arrived! George proved to be another baby whisperer AND another great soccer player, despite being in a wheelchair. Although Evie looked a little puzzled at first by his rapid speed, she soon embraced their game. I was impressed!
Then came the arrival of Uncle Will, who showered his adoring nieces with some really nice presents. We missed Hope, who was unfortunately stuck at work.
It's never too early to start celebrating your birthday, so while we were all together, we celebrated Cora's! She turned one on April 21st--the Queen's birthday, too!
Uncle Andy taught Evie some new skills--wheelbarrow! And all the kids had fun hunting eggs, although Evie was a little confused when she couldn't open them.
There was much celebrating, princess style:
And later everyone got geared up for a crawfish boil. Will decided it was only fair that one crawfish should get a break, so after he introduced Evie to said crawfish...
they set him free in the bayou:
Cora got so hungry that she ate a lemon:
And Evie proved to be unfazed by the fact that she had, only hours earlier, spared the life of a crawfish. She actually ATE and ENJOYED EATING crawfish (I was shocked. She likes shrimp, too. Who knew?!).
Kate made Cora a beautiful cake, which Cora refused to eat, but which the rest of us enjoyed thoroughly.
Aunt Sue at the crawfish boil. She also helped with the egg dying eggstravaganza (har har):
Millie, to her increasing alarm, got passed around. Here she is with Debbie, looking a little anxious:
And with Cousin Suzanne, looking a little more anxious (now that she is older and wiser, she knows there was no reason to be anxious at all with so many loving friends and relatives around)!
On the day of everyone's departure, Will, Kate and I decided to dress up and look pretty:
Kate actually did look pretty...and so did Evie, sporting her new shades!
And Millie says Uncle Will is a handsome devil...and snuggly!
After the masses left, we broke out the baby pool and Evie had some freezing cold fun times:
Millie stuck her toes in and was NOT amused:
Mom, Evie, Millie and I took a long walk in the military park, which was beautiful and hard work while pushing a double stroller up all those hills. As usual, Mom and Evie had more energy than I had, so they burned it by running up the Illinois monument and then running down the road.
Millie and I hung out down below, taking in all the action. Millie is watching and learning, I think:
Even though they don't want people climbing on the civil war canons, Mom, as you may have noticed, will go to any length to satisfy the curiosity of Evie. So Evie rode a canon and I almost felt down a steep hill trying to take a picture:
One day I decided to go running and left both girls with Dad. After an initial slight panic about it, he embraced the opportunity and started training Evie to be the next Stefi Graf:
Or maybe they'll be the next Williams sisters!
Millie is already planning her best pose for her senior picture:
And a sulky Evie sat by the pool, only to be cheered up by Lala!
Dually the Double-wide Wonder Dog cured Evie if her fear of dogs by the end of our visit. She would pat him and then say, loudly, "GO AWAY! GO AWAY!" Despite this treatment, he still loved her...especially when she was eating.
Another milestone: The tractor! After a little cajoling, the city girl was convinced to get on the tractor. What a thrill!
Millie, smashed between us, was less enthusiastic:
Cousin Caroline popped by for a visit and brought all kinds of goodies with her. Evie uses her "frog" injury icepack almost on a daily basis,which is a great distraction from whatever bump or bruise she's suffering from. The best present ever!
Dad cooked some really yummy salmon twice while we were home:
And Millie and Earlene got along famously (of course)!
Another highlight of the trip was visiting Debbie's chickens. You might remember from previous blogs that Evie thought chickens were extremely scary....but Debbie's beautiful chickens cured her of that fear, too!
She gave them corn, "like Cinderella!"
Millie also got into the chicken action, giving a friendly chicken a little stroke:
The Krewe De Cluck!
And the most awesome playhouse ever!
Madame Rose:
On our last day, we went to Rocky Springs, MS, where we used to camp as a family and hang out as teenagers. Not much has changed!
No picnic is authentic if you don't have dessert first (at least when Lala is concerned). Evie ate about five cookies before she had her sandwich:
And after uprooting a baby oak tree, Evie was given a small lecture about acorns and oak trees. She was really paying attention (to the cookie in her hand):
Peepaw got a little more of a reaction from Millie:
Maybe Evie and MIllie have inherited Lala's four leaf clover radar senses...I didn't! I have never found a four leaf clover in my life.
Water proof shoes are essential in Rocky Springs. Dad had to hike through the brush in his non-water proofs (mom sacrificed her Birks to the water) and got ticks.
We had a WONDERFUL visit and felt so lucky to have been able to see so much of our family. And so lucky to have more family in Houston to look forward to!
