BEST WEEKEND EVER

Dearest Abigail,

I told you it was going to be a busy week, and an awesome weekend, and I didn't disappoint! Okay, so where to start...I guess at the beginning...

Well, we did not make it to Carnton on Sunday - we were all WAY too exhausted to go, not to mention it was 213 degrees outside, or close enough. And, we had a hectic week ahead of us, so we took advantage of Sunday afternoon/evening.

On Monday night, Daddy got to watch you all night while Mommy volunteered and then on Tuesday, you went to Aunt Steph's house because Daddy and Mommy had places to be. Aunt Steph said you were really good, but you asked "Where'd Daddy go?" about 213 times! Also, we were a little nervous about your sleeping arrangements since you are a non-pak-n-player these days. We decided to set the twin air mattress up in the guest bedroom for you and see what happens. Well... Aunt Steph said the second she walked out of the room, you went straight to the light switch, turned it on, and crawled right up in the big girl (Queen) bed where you fell fast asleep! And, princess, this is where you slept all night. Mommy got there pretty late, and instead of packing things up, I decided to sleep over, too, right beside you! The 2 of us slept in the bed all night, and it actually wasn't that bad! I've decided your cuddlebuggness comes out at night! You don't like to cuddle/hug/show any sort of affection at all during the day, but at night time, you want to be right up on me! And I don't care!!! Bring it on!!!

Wednesday was fairly tame, but then Thursday came around... Daddy and Mommy had a wedding to go to that night so Miss Lee came to babysit!!!! That's right, Miss Lee, who used to take care of you, and who we've missed tremendously over the last couple of months!! At first, you were a little shy around her, or well, you didn't run up to her as we expected, like Mommy and Daddy did! But in no time at all, you, out of no where, just ran up to her and gave her a hug. Miss Lee said it was like a light bulb had gone off in your head and you all of a sudden remembered who she was! Also, Miss Lee brought Rebecca! Remember how much fun you 2 used to have playing together? Well, nothing has changed! Miss Lee said the 3 of you had so much fun playing and singing and reading books. You got to eat pizza and even got to share peaches, like old times! Miss Lee promised as soon as it cools off that she will be taking you to the zoo, just like old time, too!

Well, just as soon as you went down to sleep, guess who showed up?! Your BFF!!!! Sarah came to visit!!! YEAH!!!!! You, of course, didn't get to see her until Friday morning, and while you were a bit confused at first, asking "Where'd Miss Lee go?", you quickly decided Sarah was super cool, and you'd keep her around. After waking up super early (yes, you have started a terrible terrible trend of getting up at 5:30/6 and crawling in the bed with us...), and after breakfast, me and you and your BFF went to, wait for it.... PUMP IT UP!!! Oh my, you were sooooo excited! We got there before the doors were even unlocked, but thankfully the people let us in and you had the whole place to yourself! You took off running screaming "JUMPY HOUSE"!!!!!! at the top of your lungs and Mommy had to beg you to come take your shoes off! You played and played and played in every one of the jumpy houses, but we could NOT get you to go down a slide. Sarah even crawled up in the jumpy houses showing you how to climb up but for some reason, if you saw a 'rock climbing' type thing, you would go the other way! Oh, but you loved the thing where you run up the wall and try to put the tags on the velcro. You were hilarious, and Mommy got a pretty bad burn on her knee trying to show you how to do it. Thankfully, a little boy we called Spiderman was nice enough to show us 213 times how to do it! He was pretty good and you tried and tried again. Finally, you gave up on trying to stick them and instead began to rip his off every time he put one up there! He didn't care though - that just meant he got to do it again! We jumped and jumped and jumped and played "King of the Hill" and even shot a couple hoops, and finally we, I mean you of course, were exhausted and hungry....

After the jumpy house, we HAD to go eat pizza, so off to Pie in the Sky we went! You were pretty good (it's been tough with you lately at restaurants), but I think that had a lot to do with your BFF entertaining you, oh, and the pizza dough they gave you that you kept teasing me by acting like you were going to eat it and then you'd say "Don't eat?". Once the pizza came, we were VERY content, and happily filled our empty bellies up!

You can only image what happened next... (hint, this is sarcasm) - of course we headed home for a nap! Sarah had to sing to you to keep you awake, but we made it home and off to bed we all went!!! You had to rest up because you had even more company popping in soon enough!

When you got up for your nap, guess who was there?! Mammaw and Pawpaw!!! They were on their way back from North Carolina so they popped in for a quick visit! It took you no time at all to adjust to the additional company, especially when Mammaw broke out the Cheetos! PS - that is the only picture I have ALL weekend, the one of you eating Cheetos with Mammaw, and I can't post it right now.... Boo on me - BOOOO. Anyway, Mammaw and Pawpaw hung out with us, and we showed them around the new house and we begged you to sing your ABC's to them, and you just laughed in my face! Then I had to get you ready because guess what happened next! You went to your first baseball game!!!! Daddy had a work thing at the baseball game, and since Mommy already had dinner plans with your BFF, he decided to just take you! It was the Nashville Sounds game, which I think is triple A for the Milwaukee Brewers MLB team (PS - Mommy SOOO had to look up how to spell Milwaukee! I rock at many things, love, but spelling is not one of them and that one was hard!! - anyway...) So off you and Daddy went while Mommy and Sarah and Mammaw and Pawpaw went to dinner (at the best restaurant ever, The Red Pony). While we missed you greatly, this is the restaurant that Daddy and I took you to for our anniversary one time and that was also the same night we decided never to take you to a nice restaurant again (or at least for awhile) even if it was at 5:30 in the afternoon on a Tuesday... To say the least, you were better off running around the stadium with Daddy. Daddy did send me a picture (which is the picture at the top of the post and i can't seem to figure out how to get it down here for some reason...) and it looks like you are thoroughly enjoying the baseball game! Daddy said you almost made it through the entire first inning!! He also said you REALLY loved watching the mascot, Ozzie, but did NOT like getting close to it. Oh, and he said that a baseball player for the Sounds threw you his batting glove - yes, the sweaty, smelly glove he uses each time he's up to bat. Daddy politely threw it back at him saying he (the baseball player) probably should give it to one of the little boys screaming at the top of his lungs instead of this little princess who will be scrubbed down after this game, or something like that... Anyway, you loved the baseball game, even though you keep saying you went to the basketball game with Daddy. Also, you got a baseball card of Ozzie and are practically sleeping with it. You love carrying it around! It makes me laugh how you have a baseball card in one hand and a baby doll in the other!

You were back at home and asleep by the time Mommy and Sarah got back, and sure enough bright and early on Saturday morning you were up at at them, but this time you went into Mammaw's room first (probably looking for Sarah)!!! Mommy was happy for about 2 seconds, then I realized I probably should let them sleep a little, so I went and put you in our bed, which didn't do much good and so Daddy was happy (hee hee) to get up with you! Mammaw and Pawpaw weren't too far behind you, though and after Mommy made a fabulous french toast breakfast (another hee, hee is due...) we were ready for another day! I am posting this a few days after the fact (mainly b/c i was SO exhausted from the previous week) so I am having a bit of trouble remember what actually went down on Saturday, but I asked your BFF and this is what she said we did. She said we did all kinds of fun stuff. We went to the zoo, and got to feed the animals, and even got picked to ride an elephant. Then, all 3 of us entered a beauty contest AND, we all 3 won! I'm assuming we were in different age groups, since Sarah's so old and you are so young, you know... Then she said we went to the library and you read us books because you are so smart. She later reminded me about digging for diamonds and finding a 10 ct or something, but I only remember a costco trip and then eating another good lunch, but if that's what Sarah says we did, that's what we did!! Clearly we had a busy day, and we made it back home just in time to send you off to yet another babysitter! I know, it was a bad week - we had way too many things going on, but it was just bad timing, i promise! What am I saying - you loved being babysat!

On Saturday afternoon/night, Mommy and Daddy and your BFF had a festival we had to attend; therefore Aunt Steph volunteered to keep you, again! Well, Aunt Steph, Uncle Jaybee and Miss Leigh kept you - it was a collaborate effort, not that you need that much help, but it sure doesn't help! It was Mr. Lee's birthday (YES, I have mentioned 3 "Lee's" in this email and all 3 are different people and all 3 are very close and special to us, and it is SUPER insane trying to keep up with who I am referring to, but if you pay close attention to the spelling and the gender, it's not that bad). ANYWAY - it was Mr. Lee's birthday, and the gang (minus your parents) were cooking out so I just dropped you off over there and everyone helped keep you safe! Everyone said you were good, minus one kind of big incident... Apparently Uncle Jaybee took you upstairs to change you out of your bathing suit (and swim diaper) and well, let's jsut say he wasn't as prepared as he should have been - BUT, before he yells at me, it wasn't his fault. Miss Leigh told him everything he needed was in the bag, but it wasn't, and I had told Miss Leigh that it wasn't, so in Uncle Jaybee's defense, it wasn't his fault! although it was still pretty funny! So, he didn't know you could rip swim diapers off, so when he tried to pull your diaper off, well, let's just say something fell out of it, onto the playroom floor, to which he did not have wipes or a diaper or anything to which he was upstairs while everyone else was downstairs at which point he screamed adn screamed, apparently scaring you, who doesn't have anything on, but needs wiping up. Anyway, maybe TMI, but finally Aunt Steph heard him and was able to help get things cleaned up... Yowzas!!! Other than that, I think things went smoothly! You went to bed no problem and Mommy and Daddy and Sarah ended up coming over and spending some time with the gang after the festival! Sunday was fairly tame, with just some chillin' at home with your BFF. You two had so much fun. You sang your ABC's to Sarah and played on the bed and Sarah even helped Mommy get you dressed about 213 times, cause that's what happens when you have 213 different places to go!

Overall, busy busy busy, but FUN FUN FUN! I'm pretty sure I heard you say to your BFF as she was leaving "Miss you already..."

xxxooo