Hello, Summer!

As I type, I hear the mower in the backyard, the perfect backdrop for this post!  As of Thursday, we are on summer break!

I was able to help with Toby's field day at school...as it rained, we only managed a half day, but it was fun while it lasted!  I was working the soccer bowling station, which was fun but exhausting!  I am still sore from it!  The kids watched a movie in the afternoon - which was controlled chaos at best.

On Friday (our first day of break) we managed errands, the library, and the park.  It was also our last day of evening practice for swim team, THANK GOODNESS.  Those 5:30 practices were killing dinner time - I had to have Lucy eating by 4:15 to get her done, and couldn't feed Jay that early or he would be up hungry at 6am the next morning.  We move to morning practices this week, and while they will interfere with nap, at least they don't interfere with food!

Lucy is loving swim though - it sure looks exhausting, but she has a great time!

Both kids have been busy reading for the library reading club - I don't think they will have any trouble finishing 30 hours at this rate.  This thing gets so much easier when the kids can read to themselves!

Jay is showing no interest in walking right now - I thought for sure he'd be walking before his birthday, but I don't think it has really occurred to him yet that he could walk - he's not trying, though I'm pretty sure with a little effort he would be able to.  While my back is looking forward to his walking, it's nice to see him happy to stay a baby for me!

Lucy and I had our hair cut this morning - will have to get a picture of her! 

10 Years

In honor of our 10th anniversary yesterday I thought I'd take a trip in the Delorian and revisit our wedding - it seems so long ago, and at the same time like it was yesterday. A lot has changed in 10 years - 2 houses, 3 cars, added 4 to our family (yes, Lex counts!), 3 job changes...10 years holds a lot of memories!

Can't wait to see where the next 10 years takes us!

Of Gardening and Graduations

Okay, this is our garden, um, last month.It is very full now, I ought to post an update picture!  Everything is planted, except the bunny ate our broccoli - bought new plants today and need to get them in.  But this gives you an idea of our raised beds.

We started the kids "Fairy gardens" today - we bought the pots for cheap at Meijer - it took a long time to find the right thing, but I think they are the perfect size!  Toby didn't want a fairy garden, but he loved the idea of a dinosaur garden!

Lucy's is a more traditional fairy garden, though there is lots more in the works (gotta leave something for this summer!)

A picture of Jay just because :)  He passed his 11 month birthday last week, but I, ahem, haven't taken the picture yet.  I will.  I promise.

Lucy's last day of preschool was this week, she is so excited to be a big kid at kindergarten next year!  I am still a bit sad that she is growing up so quickly!

We are enjoying the cooler weather - lots of running, planting, riding bikes (Toby's cast is off!), riding scooters, and just...doing! 

A happy mother's day!

Okay, Mother's Day has typically been a day where we do something I plan (I get to pick, but its pretty much my plan) and it's up to Curtis to execute.  But as the kids get older, and get to do projects at school, it's taking on a whole new meaning and I LOVE it.  Toby wrote an essay at school:

"My Mommy is the best Mom becus she makes clos for me and makes yarn for other pepl.  My Mom is the best beekus win I am hrt she sees if I am ok or hrt.  She givs brefskis, lunsh, snak and dinr.  On my mirthday she orders a cake.  My Mom is osum."

Seriously, how does it get any better than that?  It just doesn't.

Lucy made me a beautiful flower at school, and she was so excited to give it to me - it is really lovely, and her excitement was more a gift than the gift itself!

And Curtis did well too :)  He and the kids picked out two stopper beads for my charm bracelet so I can put it on without all the beads sliding right off!  And he made breakfast, and when we went to the yarn store that day he sat out with the kids in the car so I could think :D

It's also getting awfully close to a big birthday in this house.  This is the only big first birthday party I can  throw (we were too far away with the other kids), so I'm having a lot of fun planning, but it's scary too - it's the first big party I've thrown!

How about a little preview?

I'm still peeved the thunderbirds had to cancel their appearance at the air show (which coordinated with birthday weekend beautifully!), but we can still have an airplane theme and if we're lucky we'll get a few flyovers, anyway.  The Thunderbirds always put on such a good show over our house though!  Super bummer.

Lucy's last week of preschool is next week.  Dance and Martial Arts are done for the year, so that's one thing off the schedule.  Of course, next week swim starts every evening, but it's only 3 weeks. 
Only three weeks.  Just have to keep repeating that one to myself.

Toby has another 2 weeks after Lucy, but there will be a lot of "fun days" in there I think.  And the cast comes off Monday, HOORAY!  He can't wait! 

10 Months

Okay, ahem, he's been 10 months for, oh, 2 weeks now.  But he hasn't hit 3 months yet, so this post is still considered timely.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The little booger turned 10 months, and the pictures suck because he's learned that stickers are optional.

I love his grin!

Not to be outdone by recent firsts in the baby deparetment, Miss Lucy lost her first tooth this week!  Interestingly enough, she and Toby both lost their first tooth at 5 years, 5 months old.    Toby lost his 7th tooth on Thursday, so the tooth fairy has been quite busy around here this week!

Today was the dance recital - Toby's martial arts class is run through the dance studio, and the younger kids got to participate in the show as well - Toby was so excited to be a panda and show off all he's learned!  He did a great job, and did his best front flips ever!

Lucy's class was kangaroos, and she did an amazing job - she was right on the mark for the whole show, and did a beautiful job!

I love that their dance studio does a recital just for the little kids separate from the older kids' show - it meant their show was shorter and much less stressful for all involved!  It was a great day, and a nice intro into Mother's Day!

We're gearing up for the end of school = Lucy has 2 more weeks, Toby has 5.  Summer vacation will be here before we know it, and while I'm looking forward to a break from the schedule I know it's going to be busy from the start - Lucy will be doing swim team and Toby is looking forward to tennis.  I'm looking forward to slower paced mornings!

Happy Spring!

I am so happy that spring is finally here!

To be fair, the first picture is not spring related in the least (and in fact looks suspiciously winter-ish), but I had finished knitting this gorgeous new hat for myself (you can't see the sparkles in this picture, but I assure you, the yarn SPARKLES), but alas it is just a tad too small for myself.

Guess who it does fit?  She wears it all the time too, which makes her assuredly knitworthy.

Jay is loving being outside now that the weather is warming up!  He's not willing to crawl through the grass yet, but he likes sitting in it and pulling at it.  Crawling is a whole other venture though.

Lex is extrememly happy with the change in weather.  He's not much for cold winters.

We have a couple busy weeks coming up - Curtis and Toby will be camping one weekend, we have Pig weekend in Cincy coming up, dance recital weekend, and then before you know it school will be out for Lucy!  Hard to believe that the school years will be wrapping up so soon!  I'm ready for a break from the schedule though - however, with swim team this summer, there will be a whole new schedule to learn!

Happy Easter!

It was sort of an insane weekend, but we managed to squeeze in all the essentials!  We dyed eggs on Saturday morning -

The Easter bunny came between church and leaving for Easter dinner

I think all 3 kids had a nice Easter!

Toby has decided he should start wearing more ties to school so he can be more like Daddy - after all, school is his "job"!  LOL!  Love it!  Toby and Lucy are both on Spring Break this week, and Curtis took the whole week off, so we are having a Stay-cation and getting some things done around the house - as soon as we've recovered from the weekend! 

Up this week: Housecleaning, building a raised bed garden (and getting dirt, and hopefully planting peas!), catching up on some runs, and hopefully welcoming spring!