Ready for spring!

I know I'm not alone when I say that I am READY FOR SPRING! Our household has had quite enough these last 4-5 weeks. Without going into all the details, our kids have been through so much. Jillian has been sick 3 different times since the last week of January, missing 2 days of school one week, one day the next week, and most recently missed the entire week. Last week, she had a fever for an entire week (Sat - Sat) and YES, I brought her to the clinic -- TWICE! Finally, she's back in school this week and we're hoping it's the last of it for her. Delaney and Elliott have each been sick on two separate occasions, ending when Delaney had influenza B and Elliott was treated for an ear infection. Ugh. It's certainly a good thing I'm a stay at home mom because I would surely have been fired from any job, as I was home with a sick kid for three weeks straight. And just when we thought we'd made it through this terrible month, I found lice (shudder, shiver, cringe) on Saturday morning in one girl's hair. Maybe she just wanted equal time with me! After all the treatment, laundry, vacuuming, bagging of stuffed animal, etc. I felt good about getting through that issue as well. Until I woke up the next morning with a terrible headache that progressed to a migraine putting me out of commission for the entire day. It's really, really, really enough already. Bring on Spring!!!

Go back a few weeks to when the weather was gorgeous and the snow was melting. Jillian (on a rare day she wasn't sick) and I took the dogs for a walk. Actually, that was a day Elliott and Delaney were both sick. Anyway . . . the pups had a ball splashing in puddles and racing around in the fresh air. Until we got home and they both needed a bath because they were full of dirt and grime! It was decided then that Harper would need a spring haircut because I would not be giving her 3 baths a day!!! As cute as she was with all her shiny hair, she's quite adorable now! Even if she is embarrassed by it and currently hiding in shame in her kennel.

This is 'everyday' Harper. She had her cuter moments when I would spend the time brushing her and putting a pony tail or bows in to keep the hair out of her eyes. But that is just too much to do on a daily basis with three kids! So she was a ragamuffin most of the time. And she's a terrible wiggler, so trimming up that hair between her eyes is completely out of the question. That's why there are dog groomers!!!

Still cute, even though her coloring underneath is totally different than when she was a pup. She's now white and apricot with only the dark on the tips of her ears and one side of her 'mustache.' And I no longer have to spend 1/2 an hour every night brushing out her coat!

rambling thoughts

Just found this draft of a post I wrote way back last February! I'm posting it as is . . . thanks for the memories Grandma Marie! For some reason, I can't copy and paste this into a new post . . . and it's posting with the date I first wrote it, which, like I said, was last February. So click on this link if you want to read it!

"4"

It's hard to believe, but our 'little man' is now 4 years old! For the 2nd year in a row, Elliott chose to celebrate his birthday with bowling! And once again, we shared the party with his good friend Emmerson who's birthday is just one day before Elliott's. They are in the same preschool class and her mom and I are very close friends, so this works great for us! I managed to wrangle the group of preschoolers after we got them into their super-cool bowling shoes and before we started knocking down pins! Aren't they adorable???

(back row) Emmerson, Ava & Liam (front row) Ashlyn, Cambelle, Elliott & Aphia

FOUR YEAR OLDS!

Aphia - her giggle made me smile through all the chaos!

Ashlyn - it was her 1st time bowling!

Liam - this kid was a pro. He has me lining up the ramp for the perfect shot!

Cambelle - check out that grin. We were guaranteed fun with her around!

One night after dinner, I found Delaney in her room doing this . . .

I asked what she was doing, and she explained that they were working on essays in school and she was just "writing down her thoughts." She had borrowed books from a neighbor girl and was preparing for her assignment. This struck me for some reason. She's growing up! All of her homework to this point has been reading time or math worksheets - never taking notes from sources to write a paper! I believe Delaney was just so excited to have another opportunity for writing that she couldn't wait until school to get started! I couldn't resist grabbing my camera to document this step in her education.

Recital

Jillian and Delaney took part in their very first piano recital. We were so proud of each of them as the worked to perfect their Christmas songs for this event. Delaney played "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and Jillian performed "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".

Today . . .

We are all still in our pajamas, even though it is a school day.


All three bathrooms will be cleaned. The dogs will get baths.


No Christmas presents are wrapped, but many have been purchased. I tend to procrastinate and am worried the young pup will chew on them as she tends to chew on everything now.

The young pup will not get anything to eat after 6 tonight. She's having surgery tomorrow and will be greatly spoiled upon return to our home.

The kids are all eating dry Cheerios and drinking gatorade, while watching cartoons.

I am drinking a 2nd cup of coffee and will likely have a 3rd. It's been a long week with little sleep.

I miss my sister.

My eldest informed me yesterday that she wishes her Grandma Charlene would 'visit more often'. So do I.

There are many things I wish I'd stuck with or learned as a kid - piano and sewing to name just 2.

My current crochet project is a good way to avoid all other tasks. It's going slow and I'm not sure I like it, but I will finish it anyway.

I'm grateful for my "sister-friends" who willingly fill-in the role of family. You know who you are and you are much loved!

I've had a baby gift sitting on the office table since October. I will add a Christmas gift for the big sister and finally send it this week. Good thing it was purchased for baby to wear in the spring. Did I mention that I tend to procrastinate?

Usually Elliott and I have a Wednesday post-gymnastics coffee date at Coffee Connection. I'm craving the raspberry white chocolate scone and latte I missed today.

The middle child cried last night when she learned that she wouldn't be going to school today. I discovered it was because she'd be missing out on the ice cream sandwich treat at the end of rehearsal for the church Christmas program. I'll be buying ice cream sandwiches.

The oldest gets very loving while sick with the stomach flu. It's challenging to hold someone who smells so badly that close! But I'm a mom and so I do it anyway.

The youngest has six girlfriends. One is actually a real person, the rest are fictional characters. Well, except Taylor Swift but I'm not sure he realizes that she's real.

And the Oscar goes to . . .

There are two aspiring actresses in our home. Delaney and Jillian take part in any opportunity they can to be on stage. Most recently, the acted in Prairie Fire Theater's "Cinderella." Prairie Fire sends 2 adults to the school to put together a show in one week's time. Auditions are held on Monday (all kids are cast in the show). The students rehearse after school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 8 pm. On Friday, they have a dress rehearsal afer school followed by the performance that evening. It's an amazing and fun (and exhausting!) experience! They are already looking forward to the next show! Delaney was cast as one of Cinderelly's mice, complete with a speaking part. Jillian's character was described as the 'cutest, sweetest, most adorable' of the entire show - a pumpkin! I recorded most of the performance, and if I ever manage to figure out my editing software (help Adam!) maybe I'll share it with you! For now, here are a few snapshots from after the show. Look at those gigantic smiles - think they had any fun???

Delaney is the far left, bottom row