Days to Cherish

My little girl turned six last week...she will start first grade in a few weeks. Kindergarten was only half-days last year, so we will be apart for most of the day this year. When I ask her if she is excited about first grade, she tells me, "Yes. Kind of. I don't want a yelling teacher. And I want to have lunch at home with you, Mama." (Yes, I melt!)
Well, she's been enjoying a 4-evening synchronized swimming "try it out" camp this week. It's been a FABULOUS class and she is loving every minute of it. I have enjoyed it as well - watching her smile as she learns a new skill, listening to her sing along with a CD in the van on our way to and from class. While she was singing tonight, I noted the lyrics and decided to write them down and save them. I plan to send them to her when she is in college one day...I hope we will both remember this special time. How I cherish these days!

"The stars are out, the moon is up
It’s time to go to bed
I’m so glad you have a place
To lay your little head

Have a deep and peaceful sleep
Dream away the hours
When you wake, the sun will come
To smile upon the flowers

Go to sleep, my little friend
Beneath the evening star
You will always have a friend
No matter where you are"

Great Day (OH-YEAH!)

Today was full of fun!
Here's how it all went down -
8:57 dropped off CAH at Cheerleading Camp
9:04 dropped off NCH at Town Camp
headed back home to empty dishwasher, vacuum, etc.
10:15 last day of swim lessons for KBH (today was "Fun Friday", during which the kids get to play/go off diving boards, etc.) KBH was all excited to be going off the high dive, but (surprisingly) changed her mind halfway up the ladder...she did the "medium board" instead and then enjoyed her last day with her 3 favorite teachers.



11:00 headed over to CAH's Cheerleading Camp for her Cheer Show
She did a super job smiling, remembering all those cheers, and having a great time! I was so pleased that she enjoyed the camp as much as she did, and then I thought, "Of course she loves it - her 'role' in our family is cheerleader. She is always encouraging others!" During the week, she got to make her own t-shirt and pom-poms. Her coaches said they loved having her there, and that she was a great fit in the cheerleading world (so cute!!)




12:00 headed home for lunch and to get ready for an afternoon of swimming with friends
1:00 several friends arrived with their children in tow...it was a beautiful sunny but not at all humid afternoon, and the four ladies enjoyed chatting as the thirteen children swam and played together. I feel incredibly blessed to have friends who know me - the good, the bad and the ugly - and still love me! The fact that I can just "be me" with these ladies makes me feel so at ease.
4:00 our friends headed home and my older three kiddos disappeared upstairs. I heard NCH organizing a "dance show rehearsal" so NJH and I headed out back. NJH taught himself how to climb on KBH's Dora two-wheeler (with training wheels), and rode it all over the back patio!!
4:45 we piled in the van to take NCH to his friend's birthday party at the town pool.
5:15 came back home and vegged on the couch to The Wiggles until hubby came home, had dinner
6:30 I headed out to pick up NCH
7:30 It was Dance Show Time!!! NCH planned the event. Earlier in the week, he had selected his own music, made a play list and burned his own CD! "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas is evidently his favorite song, as he has about 10 versions of it! Anyway, it was showtime, and hubby, NJH and I gathered to watch. There was singing, air guitar, choreography and gymnastics! Even special bows at the end...great stuff!
Soon afterwards, it was bedtime for the herd.
In the words of my little cheerleader, today was a great day - "Oh Yeah!!"

Summer Camp

I just caught my kiddos having fun...NCH made his own "sign in" sheets, and he had his younger siblings up in his room playing "Summer Camp." He went out to the van and got a CD for sing-along music time. They traced their hands and feet for craft time. I'm not sure what other activities they did, but I heard them giggling away up there...
I love times like this!!!

One of THOSE Days!

Warning: this post will contain whining and complaining, as well as way, way TMI!!!!!
Monday evening, I had a lovely girls-night-out/farewell dinner for a friend. We sipped yummy beverages in a coffee shop until it was closing time. Unfortunately, my decaf hazelnut latte was likely NOT decaf, I discovered at 2am, still WIDE awake!
So when Tuesday morning rolled around and I headed out on my daily taxi route (see below), I was SLIGHTLY tired.
Here's the route:
7:30 - hubby drops older 2 to swim team
8:45 - I bring the younger 2 and pick up the older 2 from swim team
9:00 - drop the older 2 to VBS
Hurried across town (with cooler and ice packs) to Aldi to get groceries.
10:15 - KBH to town pool for swim lesson/entertain NJH
11:00 - drop off form/check to sign CAH up for synchronized swim trial lessons at YMCA,
hurry across town to drop off forms at preschool
12:00 - pick up older 2 from VBS
hurry home to unload groceries, hang towels, rinse and hang suits, make lunch, etc.
1:15 hurry across town to drop NCH off for tennis lesson
It was then that I decided to be a "fun mom" and let the younger 3 play at a nearby park (there wasn't time to go home before we had to pick NCH back up)...I sipped my diet peach Snapple and watched the younger ones play.
Suddenly my phone rang...it was hubby, who had questions about the schedule...along came one of the kids, who had to go potty, so I had her go in the van and use the piddle-pot...I continued my conversation on the phone when I terrible odor wafted my way...the child using the piddle-pot did a lot more than piddle! Oh no!!! I had ONE napkin to clean her with!! As I was assisting her, another one of my children ran over with a call of nature...tears began to well up in my eyes. I told them all to get in the van - "fun mom" at the park was gone! We were off to the library bathroom...with the stenchy piddle-pot wrapped in a plastic bag! When everyone finished potty duty at the library, it was time to get NCH from tennis camp. He gagged when he got in the van (which made me laugh - I know, how mean!!)
By the time we got home, it was 3pm and I was in DESPERATE need of QUIET TIME! I had 3 kids lay down for rests, gave NCH a workbook, poured myself an icy lemonade and sat in my antigravity lounge chair on the deck. Ahhhhhhhhhh! After an hour, I felt MUCH better! The kids got up and played in the pool for hours (even finding a dead frog, CAH named "Allie"...they proceeded to give the dead frog rides on a pool float until I said enough!)
The kids polished off a ton of food for dinner, and then I was off for a meeting with a friend from church (but not before I took a layer of skin off my bottom lip...I will give $10 to anyone who can guess how that happened!! I don't think anyone could ever guess!)


Oh, and one more thing: Midol Complete contains CAFFEINE and a diuretic...so if you take 2 in the morning and drink 2 cups of coffee, you will have a serious caffeine buzz and you will nearly wet your pants!!!!!

Crazy People

We were on our way to musical camp the other morning...
CAH suddenly exclaimed, "Those people must be CRAZY!!!!!!"
She paused and I looked around to see what she was talking about.
She pointed to the school bus traveling near us and continued,
"Sending their children to SCHOOL in the S U M M E R?!!!!!!!!!!"

Baby Birds & Berries

Two kids dropped off to musical camp,
Two kids quietly playing,
It was my moment...
I slowly poured the tantalizing raspberries into the strainer and rinsed them gently.
I placed a berry on my tongue and savored the tangy sweetness...
Bam! A blond little boy bumped into my thigh!
My two-year-old son...
And then another Bump! And there was my four-year-old daughter...
Both children stood there looking up at me,
Mouths wide open,
Like baby birds,
Waiting for me to place raspberries in their mouths,
One by one,
And within a minute,
The raspberries were gone.

Bad Blogger!

I have been terrible about updating my poor blog!! But I have some good reasons...
it's summer!
we're super busy...having fun!
three weeks of swim lessons for the older 3 kiddos!
swim team practice for the older 2 kiddos!
a week of afternoon art camp for CAH!
swim meets!
gymnastics class for KBH!
new summer school class at church for the older 2!
musical practice for the older 2!
lots of swimming and playing!
bday party (postponed from March) for NCH!
baby niece was born (and we are SO in love with her!!)
and still to come - musical camp, more swim lessons, more swim team, more swim meets, more gymnastics, more summer school at church, cheer leading camp, tennis camp, VBS, and lots more swimming and fun!
Hope to update soon - but not likely :)
Check facebook for pictures...