Just Plain Silly

Wow!  The first week of school was an incredibly easy transition for the kiddos.  I was a bit stressed out because my part time teaching gig started the same week.  But the kiddos - they did great!  This week.... well that is another story.  A bit more drama on the kiddos' side and Disco and I are still crazy busy just trying to keep up.  It really should slow down after this week is over.  So we are in "survival mode" for just a few more days. 

The good thing is that even with the busy weeks and transitions around here the kiddos still know how to have fun!  Disco deserves a dad of the year award for his patience as big sis' dance student.  And we have a grand time playing a household-wide game of hide and seek.  We laugh and laugh - especially because Disco is very creative and stumps us each time with his hiding places.  :)

Below you will find pictures of one of the silly things the kiddos dream up around our house.  And yes, they think these things up all by themselves... Love these kids!

Big Kid School 2012

Tonight we got everyone ready to return to school.  Forms are signed, bags are packed, lunches prepared, clothes set out, and kids in bed.  Little man fell right to sleep.  Big sis is a bit too excited and took longer to settle.  I have no doubt this week will be a little stressful as we all adjust to the new schedule.  But for now the house is quiet and we all anticipate a wonderful school year!  Little man has asked us all week "Is tomorrow a school day?" and he told me "I'm not even going to cry on my first day."  Can't say the same for his mommy....

Here are the kiddos in Disco's white shirt - we plan to take a picture each year to show how much they have grown.  Big sis has one from the night before Kindergarten and now 1st grade.  Little man's picture from the night before Pre-K is his first one.  Off we go!

The Night Before Kindergarten 2011

The Night Before 1st Grade 2012

The Night Before Pre-K 2012

Summer 2012

I didn't really intend to take another blogging break.  But it happened anyway.  Although I think it was for a really good reason - taking time for FUN!  This summer I was still facing a limited amount of vacation time after changing jobs in the spring.  So my supervisor was kind enough to let me work an adjusted work week for the majority of the summer - 4 long days at work with 3 day weekends.  It was a little tiring but worth the extra time with the kids and the ability to take weekend "mini-vacations."  So I went to Boston to visit my BFF from college, we took a trip to Dallas to visit friends, and then we took a trip to a condo at the lake.  We also had Uncle Scott visit us for a weekend.  And many "staycations" where all we did was lounge around the house or go swimming. 

This fall will be busy again because I agreed to teach another semester in addition to working the new job.  But I am going to take time to blog at least once a week.  Maybe I will try out a new format for my posts....At the very least I am not going to worry about "catching up" anymore.  The kiddos have plenty of memories documented on this blog.  And there will be more to come.  :)

Mother's Day

Mother's day (May 13) was special around our house because of the excitement from big sis!  She had secret gifts and plans that she just couldn't wait to tell me.  It was quite cute!  Little man and big sis lavished me with an abundance of homemade gifts and a great gift card.  I have a feeling Disco helped a bit with the decision for the gift card :)

For the 2-3 weeks big sis was making her Mother's day plans, we all got to watch robins build a nest and raise 3 young robins right on our porch.  Momma robin was the most prominent member but once the babies hatched we saw daddy robin quite a bit too.  Our kiddos enjoyed learning about the birds and watching the baby robins eat worms - we heard a lot of "ewww" and "yuck" followed by giggles.  Not long after our own Mother's Day past all the baby robins left the nest.  We didn't get to see them take off from the nest and I know that can be tricky at times.  But I choose to believe they all safely made it during their first flight. 

The whole process was another gentle reminder to slow down a bit and enjoy our own "babies" at home while we can!

Best After School Activity . . . Ever!

I volunteered/worked at Camp Aldersgate from junior high through college.  Aldersgate runs several summer camps for children with special needs. I have to say I might have been "leading" groups of youngsters while I was there but they taught me more about life than any other experience.  Another great thing about working there was that I met so many future health care workers, teachers, and community leaders - some of whom I still call friends.  :)

It was one of those friends who hooked us up with a tour of Angel One, the med-flight helicopter for our local children's hospital.  It all started when I randomly posted on Facebook that little man wanted to ride on a helicopter because he thought they were cool.  One of the Aldersgate alums is a nurse that works on Angel One and he set up a time the NEXT DAY for the kiddos to check it out!  I was thrilled!  The kiddos were thrilled!  And it was the best after school activity . . . ever!

Easter 2012

Easter fell on April 8th this year.  Since it is mid-May and I am just now getting back to blogging I don't remember many of the details from our Easter weekend.  We did attend our church's EGGstravaganza the Saturday before Easter.  As well as a much smaller egg-dying event at catlady's house.  On Easter day we attended church and loaded up for our family egg hunt at Aunt K's house.  Of course the egg hunt at Aunt K's house was my absolute favorite because it was my grandparent's old place.  So it was where I spent my childhood searching for eggs as well.  Yup.  That pretty much sums up what I can remember about Easter.  Pics from my sister's house below:

Lack of Blogging

Oh how this spring is flying by!!!  I have a list of blogs posts near the computer that keeps on growing.  It will all be out of order at this point but I am guessing that I will just need to post what I have and include the dates so that I don't drive myself crazy getting in "correctly."  That is the problem with being a perfectionist - sometimes I won't even start a project if I know it won't be perfect.  So the next few weeks of catching up will be a therapy of sorts. ;)
 
Still enjoying my new job.  And realizing how much the change in jobs was needed.  I have to admit I still struggle with doubts about whether I am doing a "good job."  But everyone tells me that is normal when starting a new position.  So I am just riding the wave at the moment and seeing where I land.  Day by day.

Lots of pictures of recent kiddo activity to come.  More soon!

Transitions

So . . .  our house has been in full on "transition mode" as we ALL adjust to mommy's new job.  I'm feeling much better at this point and the constant worry and tears (mostly after hours) have subsided.  I don't think I was prepared for the "culture shock" I would experience.  Uprooting after 14 years really was a bigger change than I anticipated.  But I love the new folks I work with and I am starting to enjoy some of the work I do.  Progress :)

People ask me all the time "how do you do it?"  Either in regards to trying to balance school/work/family or more recently in my current work/part time work/family.  I don't have a good explanation.  Because a lot of times it is difficult and I have to accept not being able to do everything to the best of my ability.  Which is actually pretty hard for me because I like to do my best.  When it boils down to it I don't do this alone - I have a GREAT support system.  Disco has really been a BIG support and taken on extra household duties and roles with the kiddos to make this work.  And of course our family has stepped up time and time again to listen, support, and truly be the extended family our kiddos need right now. 

One positive out of all of this transition is that I have stepped back and watched Disco be the sweetest dad.  He has taken on the responsibility of picking up little man for soccer - we all go to the practice/games but Disco has the tedious job of getting those darn soccer socks on little man!  Disco also took some very special pictures for big sis' room.  She is going to LOVE these when we print them for her walls.  So I'm feeling pretty lucky these days to have a partner and best friend like Disco to be there during the ups and downs of job transitions and family life!  :)

Disco's pictures for big sis' room:

Pretty Yellow Flowers

We took our annual trip out to the daffodil fields on Saturday, March 10th.  The weather was beautiful and the place was packed with people!  As usual we met some of our buddies out there.  I would say it is a completely lovely experience but more often than not we end up shouting "don't step on the flowers, watch where you are going, be careful, please step out of their shot."  ;)  We actually do have some fun, though!  I thought there were fewer flowers in bloom this time compared to years past but I would guess our odd winter/spring weather may have contributed to that issue. 

Our kiddos enjoyed playing around the few trees/stumps that are scattered throughout the field more than the maze of flowers this year.  Usually we have more pictures but since they mostly want to run around these days there are fewer photo ops.  But here are some favs:

Birthday Fairy

In our house we are visited by the birthday fairy each year.  She does a great job decorating the birthday girl's or boy's seat at the dining room table.  This year she even treated big sis to a bit of pixie dust. ;)

Fancy Nancy

Big sis celebrated her 6th birthday with a Fancy Nancy party at our house on March 3rd.  Her birthday isn't until March 6th so she thought it was a real treat to celebrate early!

This year we only invited kindergarten girls (and their siblings).  Even when limited the crowd a bit we still ended up with 20 kiddos in our house!  It was organized chaos for sure but they really had FUN! 

Fancy attire was requested but not required.  The party was a spa theme and they had their toe nails painted, fingernail stickers, a foot bath, and aunt K and her best bud did make-up for the girls.  The plan had been to have them out in the yard but it was so windy and a little cool outside.  So we decided to stay on the back porch and inside the house.  Before we got started the girls got to do their own decorating - which was basically a free-for-all of streamers and rose petals.

It was another low-cost party.  Big sis, Disco, and I baked and decorated the cupcakes ourselves.  I picked up most of the supplies at the dollar store or collected them from the random assortment we had stashed from previous parties and projects.  We ended up with a lot of help from family and friends before and after the party - which was greatly appreciated!

Big sis had a blast!  I'm so glad we got to do the Fancy Nancy party before she grows out of the "dress up" phase.  I can't believe she is already 6 years old - as usual time keeps flying by!

Home-made cupcakes

The decorations and supplies before the guests arrive

Banner

Make-up time!

The Fancy Crew

Pinata!!!!

Waiting for pens with plumes

Make a wish!

The aftermath

Fancy Family (sans little man who wasn't
interested in getting fancy for the party)

Door banner - Happy 6th B-day Big Sis!!!

Turning 6

And here is the obligatory look back at birthdays as big sis turns 6 on March 6th:

3-6-06

4th Birthday

5th Birthday

6th Birthday