RAIN!!!

Hooray for rain! Folks, there is something you need to know about the Hills, and that is we LOVE rain.

Recently, we've had some soggy weeks here in MD and it wasn't until today that we had the "perfect rainstorm". What makes the "perfect rainstorm", you may ask? Well, you need a LOT of rain, no lightening, no wind and a nice warm temperature. All of the elements combined to make the "perfect rainstorm". We get one of two of these a year and when we can, we take advantage of them.

I picked O up from school and I had to ford a stream and wade through a small lake in the parking lot just to reach the door. On the drive home my wipers were on the "super fast" speed and I still had a tough time seeing out of the window. We were both giddy with excitement. We couldn't wait to get home because I told O it was the "perfect rainstorm".

We splashed, ran in the gutters, floated grass and leaves and sticks in the water. O brought out her tricycle and tried to make huge waves with her wheels. After 30 minutes we were soggy and happy.

It may not look very deep, but it was. By the time I got my camera out, the rain had died down.

Very happy girl

Weeeeee!!

So serious

Can you see her ring? So fun.

Going for a big splash.

Getting ready to jump.

The landing, you can see some of the splash. I was a bit slow in catching this one.

Happy rain girls

I felt so rejuvenated afterwards. There's just a special energy that comes with the "perfect rainstorm". There was this one in TX that I will never forget. I had arrived home from work and had about 20 minutes before it was time to pick up O from the babysitter. The rain had started falling on my drive home and by the time I got there it was a heavy downpour. I stood barefoot in my backyard and let it rain down on me. All of the worries and weight that I felt washed away. While roads were being washed out, cars were being swept away, businesses were being closed, I stood there as if I was in my shower. Lost to time. The warm TX rain pouring over my head, running down my spine, spilling over my waistband, and water flowing over my ankles was a birth of some sort. I'll never forget it. It's one of those moments in life you hope everyone gets to experience because it is so profound.

Finally 5

(Warning, this post is a bit scattered)

I can't believe it, O is finally 5!!!

O has been planning her 5 year old birthday party since the day after she turned 4. If one thing can be said about this little girl, it is, she loves parties. We had a really fun time planning her Star Wars themed party this year. We made invitations that required her to write, color and use lots of glitter.

(Glitter makes me giggle. A friend of mine refers to it as the herpes of the craft world, but I really don't mind it. True, it gets everywhere and it takes forever for it to be truly cleaned up. But there is just something so cheery about it and I'll take it any day over playdoh. )

She wanted to deliver the invitations to her friends all by herself, because she is getting older. So, once I could see the front door, I hung back or stayed in the car and watched. She was so proud of herself and so was I. I loved seeing her grin from ear to ear and giving me a double thumbs up.

O had a week of birthday celebrations. Her daddy came home from FL the day before she turned 5 and we went to a Baysox game. On Sunday, we celebrated her birthday as a family and she opened her really cool Star Wars and princess toys. Wednesday, the first day of NB pre school, they celebrated her birthday. On Thursday her Nana and Grandpa came into town and on Saturday was her long awaited party.

O wanted a pinata, so she helped daddy make one. LT did an awesome job on it.

Here is the star of the day all dressed up in her Jedi garb. There was an

unfortunate incident during lunch that required a wardrobe change.

Checking out the hair. I was relieved it received Jedi approval.

The Star Wars cake.

I had tried to make black icing earlier on in the week and it failed, so we went with pink.

Luke and Vadar didn't mind, and most importantly, neither did O.

It was a huge brownie and not a cake.

We bombed Darth Vadar with water balloons.

O in action.

And for something completely unrelated, I love her mouse shoes.

Trying to knock the tie fighter out of the sky.

O received this poster as one of her gifts. We had to put it up right away

AND she wanted Judy, her doll, in the picture.

Dear O,

Here is a list of some of my favorite things I love about you.

*Laughter has always been your first emotion. You are always ready with a smile and a laugh.

* I love your fake laugh, and I love even more that you actually have a fake laugh.

*You are very kind and concerned about others. Miss Krista told me that just the other day.

*You are very good with babies.

*I love your sense of humor and I love that you can tease your parents back.

*You are really keen on who is connected to whom and how. For example, when you talk about me to Nana, you don't always say "mommy", you'll say, "your daughter." And you put together the connections of cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Your little brain is always thinking about connections.

* You are an oldest and only child to a tee. (Read the Birth Order book and you'll understand)

* I love that you worked so hard at learning to swim this year. You went from being afraid to get into the water to jumping in all by yourself.

* I love that you did something that was scary and hard for you. You climbed all the way up and down the spiral stairs at the Pensacola lighthouse. I was so proud of you for doing it.

* I love that you are a talker.

* I love that you like to sing and dance.

* I love that you ask lots of questions.

* You are a good listener.

* I love that you tell me you are allergic to anything you don't want to eat or do, it makes me grin. Yesterday, you even when so far as to cough to make your point. "I'm allergic to quiche" cough cough.

*I love your deep belly laugh. I know you are truly enjoying yourself when I hear you bust that out.