Spring Fun

Spring....brrr...if you can even call it Spring. The temps last weekend were well below freezing. Tea's soccer game was insane, complete with snow flurries. She was no worse for the wear though.
He she is taking it to the goal. She is very fast and doesn't tire easily.

She's definitely smart enough to keep her little hands warm.

We also had a visit this week from my friend Tracy who is living in Georgia while her husband is serving in Iraq. Her and her new baby were able to celebrate Easter with us. It was a short visit, but we enjoyed our time together and we especially enjoyed meeting the baby!

Easter

It's technically not my fault this is bordering on a week late. I tried to upload several pictures on Easter and in the days following and kept having technical difficulties. So, better late than never. We had a great Easter this year. He is Risen!

Easter Party

Some friends of ours invited us to an Easter party and the girls have been diligently counting down the days. Lucky for them today was the day. We slept in a bit this morning, we didn't have to be up until 8! It felt really good to sleep just a bit longer. The party was at 10 and the weather was really great for the first half. Buster had no problem getting right in there and hunting him some eggs.

There were all kinds of Easter themed treats to eat.

The kids had a really great time. We would have loved to stay at the park longer and play some more, but the weather took a turn and it got pretty chilly!

Case Solved

Last Monday night Tea came downstairs with the bad news that she could not find her Nintendo DS. I helped her look for a bit, then reassured her that would look harder then next day, and sent her to bed. The next day came and I tore the house apart looking for it. I even called Midge's Karate Sensei to see if it had gotten left there. We searched the vehicles and I made her retrace her steps over and over and over....Both girls (Tea and Chiggie) stood firm that she had been playing it, in bed, the night before it went missing. I even looked under the mattress in a desperate attempt to close the case. Finally I gave up. She was devastated. It is her most prized possession, but I simply could not think of anywhere else to look. Fast forward a week to tonight. I was making the beds, Mondays are clean sheet days, and Chiggie was helping. We were actually talking about the DS when suddenly she leapt across the bed and lifted up the blinds. There chilling peacefully on the windowsill was the DS. I can't believe I missed that! We are all very thankful it has been found, Tea most of all. Well, Chiggie is pretty happy about the $10 reward.

Praises and Prayers

Both at church and at home we have been encouraging the girls to remember to praise Jesus and pray often. With it being the Easter season I thought I would do the same right here. This weeks Praises:

• Buster is doing so much better. He is eating more, sleeping better, and just overall a much happier boy.


• My friend Tracy and her new baby boy are flying in on Friday to celebrate Easter with us. Her husband is in Iraq.


• The King gets a 4 day weekend for the Holiday.


• Chiggie is finished with "school" and beginning her new journey.

This weeks prayers:

• My Papa (my Mom's dad) is not doing well at all. He is in the hospital and has been on and off for quite some time.


• Chiggie is having sinus/throat problems and has for two months. Her throat hurts almost constantly. She will be going to the Docs again this week to see if we can get this figured out.

Brownies and Chocolate

Today Chiggie made her first batch of brownies.....all by herself. It's fabulous that she is growing up and really able to do so much more. Even better is that she begs to help. We'll be enjoying those babies after dinner tonight. I can't wait. Yummy!!Boo was so proud of her chocolate bunny that she got at church today. Needless to say it didn't last long!

Less is More

I know it's a strong word, but I absolutely hated my last blog design. I left it that way for so long because I just got busy. Every time I logged on I would think about changing it, but it was just never a good time. Today I finally got around to it. I'm hoping it will inspire to blog more often. It's not like I never do, just not nearly as much as I used to and I miss it. I also love going through my archives and I know in the future I will regret my posting drought. I also decided to go with a much simpler header this time. Less is more right? So here's to a fresh start!

Little Boy

While Buster is still very much my baby (I have a feeling he always will be) he is turning into a little boy right before my eyes. Most of the time this is my view. I am always chasing him. Occasionally he'll peek back at me grin and pick up his pace. It's exhausting, but I know from experience just how short lived it is.

He says several words now, including but not limited to, Mama, Dada, TT, boo (as in peek a boo), bye bye and nigh night. He doesn't take that last one very seriously though.

I think we've finally kicked those pesky ear infections to the curb. He is sleeping peacefully again and overall a much happier boy.

We love him to bits. I can't wait to see how much fun he has this summer with all of our outdoor activities. One things for sure, I better have my running shoes ready!

Breaking Free

Winter is over. It may rain, it may even snow, but winter is over. Yay. We are breaking free. While I really have enjoyed them, gone are the days of snuggling under quilts with the wood stove burning. I am so ready for a change! Today was busy with karate and a soccer game for Tea. It's so nice to be out and about after so long. Midge is loving her karate class and here she is sporting her white belt.

Tea took these pictures and about 100 others so of course when it came time for the soccer game my camera battery was dead. Ugh. I really need to get rechargeable batteries. The game was great though. Tea is so easy going she's fun to watch!

Craziness

The last time the King worked out of town, I don't remember things being quite this crazy. I think I assumed that as the kids got older things would just get easier. In a way they have, but for everything that got easier something else got harder. Bottom line I can't clone myself and be at two activities at once. I often times find myself struggling to fit everything in. We're in a good place though, despite the craziness. Tonight was Midge's belt test in Karate. She knew all the moves she needed to know to earn her white belt. She is so focused and attentive and if she continues to want this I think she will achieve great things. Chiggie also had an Honor Choir performance tonight. The kids and the teacher really did a fantastic job. She has enjoyed this experience and it was a great finale. While I am on the topic of achievements, I must report that Tea is reading. Not just "Hop on Pop," either, not that there is anything wrong with that, but she is really reading. It's amazing to hear her. She has also mastered the names of all 50 states and is almost able to show all of them on a map. She will keep me on my toes. She is hungry for knowledge and asks a lot of questions. She is also changing so much lately. She has grown so tall, her bangs have grown out, and she has her adult teeth. Boo is still just a sweet, funny, little thing. Most of the time she is so easy to please. I love, love, love, her adoration of her siblings. She would pick them over myself or the King any day and I am perfectly fine with that. She loves for Tea to read to her and Midge to teach her Karate. She is a great example of the many advantages to coming from a large family. Buster. What can I say. He's feeling better and boy do I know it. I can't keep him still for 5 seconds. He is running, saying many words, and his hobbies alternate between dumping out the trash and throwing valuables in the toilet. He too loves his sisters and enjoys being a part of their silly games. He is sleeping so much better and I've gained a little bit of my sanity back. So there you have it. Things are busy, as always, but good. I really need to take more pictures. Maybe tomorrow!

Jumping In

This year has been such an experience. That's really the only way that I can describe it. So many time along the way I felt like an outsider looking in, watching what seemed like chaos so much of the time. Perspective is interesting. I certainly have mine, but I'm sure there are others. Since this is a public blog, to protect the privacy of the innocent, I won't go into all the details, but the King and I have decided to withdraw the kids from the public school they are attending. Tea will finish out the year (kindergarten) but Chiggie will not. It's a decision I have agonized over and was not made lightly. Through much prayer, research, and experience the answer came and we are confident that we have taken a step in the right direction. I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and am slowly watching our stress level out. There is definitely going to be an adjustment period, but such is life, things are always changing. So there you have it. We are homeschoolers.

Spaghetti for Dinner

Saturday

The weather today was beautiful. Perfect for opening day for spring soccer. Tea had a game at 10 and it was already almost 80 degrees. Nevermind the fact that is supposed to be 39 and snowing by Monday, we're enjoying it while it lasts. She won her game and the other kids had a really good time too. The park where they play is new and they have really done a lot of improvements since I was last out there. The girls really liked playing on the new playground. Midge also had Karate this morning. I can't believe how much she is liking it. When she first brought it up, I wasn't really sure. I think it will be so good for her. We're taking it one kid at a time but a couple of the others are already wanting in on the action. The only downfall today is the fact that poor Buster is still not feeling well. He is waking in the night and having terrible fits. It really seems like something is wrong and causes me tremendous anxiety. During the day it's touch and go. One minute he's happy and the next he's fevered and screaming. He is on his 3rd antibiotic in less than two months. I just don't know what to think. We both need to sleep through the night very badly. With the upcoming weather changes I'm afraid this could just cycle over and over. I can't stress enough how ready for summer I am.