4th Grade comes to a close

If there is one thing the kids school likes to do more than anything at the end of the year, it's party hardy.  I think the whole last two weeks were just a free-for-all.  Oh....except those hours and hours Gabe spent after school re-doing class work I thought he could have done better on had he put forth more effort the first time.  OUCH!  At least he got it done and his grades reflected the belated hard work put in.

Anyway....

We were able to enjoy many many fun activities with him.  Including but not exclusive to...

A recorder concert.  That's right...he is now a master at Beethoven on the recorder.

4th Grade Track and Field Day

400m run and the long jump
(other events not captured because of a dead battery)

and

Frog watching
(aka frog pestering)

Our old window well friend survived the winter and is still with us.

and we got a new friend..that ended up leaving us because he is NOT trapped in our window well and was sufficiently spooked by children pocking him with sticks (against strict orders not to).

 All in all a good end to a good year.

I can't count on both fingers and toes how many times this child exclaimed in pure amazement, "WOW!  I can't BELIEVE how FAST this school year has gone."  

To which I add, "or how slow the summer is going to creep by."  

THE END

 

School Daze...I mean days...2012

I used to wonder why I would always hear mothers exclaim in exasperation, "I can't WAIT for school to start." Then I became a mother.

Now I get it.

I'm always happy when summer comes around and more than thankful for a reprieve from "structure" and schedules. I usually carry this on through June and even most of the way through July. Then August hits and I am DYING to say "goodbye freedom" and "hello order".

This year was no exception.

 I must say, however, that having TWO kids in full time school made the commencement of this year even more exciting. (squeal)

I'd like to say we went all out. You know, school shopped until we dropped, made a fancy shmancy dinner to welcome in the school year, gorged our pantry with lots of sack lunch goodies, and even woke up early on the first day to create a culinary masterpiece of wholesome breakfast goodness to get the brain going.

But...we didn't.

Instead we dug through buckets of hand-me-down clothes and found some pants that were in "first day of school shape" (otherwise known as hole-less and stain-less), ordered a few shirts from Target.com (which haven't arrived yet)and pulled dinner together at the last minute with very little thought.  But...we DID go to Burger King for $.50 ice cream cones to "celebrate" the end of summer, I DID get up and make oatmeal for breakfast and I DID put a little extra something in their otherwise boring lunches....a string cheese.  Yeah...I'm the BEST mom. 

Don't be too jealous, though. I made up for my greatness rather quickly. 

Gabe spent most of the morning in tears because I INSISTED on doing a bit of painful "doctoring" that just "couldn't be put off a moment longer".  Yeah.....poor kid.  I should have waited.  Sigh....

I may not make "mom of the year" but the kids got out the door to school on time, with excitement in their eyes and smiles on their faces.  Yeay for school!

"Aw MOM...we're gonna be late."

Gabe- 4th Grade

Cael 1st Grade

 It kills me to know that I could have had three in school this year.  However, we decide to keep Isaac at home until next year (bummer). He didn't turn 5 until early August and my "mommy feelings" tell me he's just not ready yet.  Even bigger sigh...... For now he will stay at home and help me entertain Kian.

There are HUGE benefits in that.

Happy School days everyone.  Enjoy it while it lasts.
 

Time to get serious!?!

For the first time in my life, I have been carrying a bit of extra weight long term (okay, so there what that time after first getting married....).  I don't know whether the three miscarriages in the last year or my nightly indulgence of sweet sugary somethings is more to blame but it's become quite the problem.  The kids are even starting to notice.

The other day I was loading the kids up in the car.  As I strapped Kian in his seat I was taken aback by just how cute his big chubby cheeks were.  I said to him, "Oh Kian....why can't 'chubby' look so cute on everyone."  Gabe, walking up behind me says, "Chubby does look good on everyone."  To which I replied, while grabbing the rolls of fat that have found their home around my middle, "Well, it's not cute on me."  Gabe thinks about this for a second, shrugs his shoulders and says, "But it's not UGLY on you either."  Sweet unobservant boy.

I laughed....hard.  I could have kissed the boy (come to think of it I probably should have).

and... 


Yesterday, as I'm putting Isaac and Cael to bed, Isaac looks at me and says, "Why is your tummy getting bigger?" *OUCH* "Is there a baby in there?"  *Sigh*  "No," I replied, "There is not."  He just looked at me, as though he didn't believe me.  Poor confused kid.  The only time my kids have ever seen me "round" is when there IS a baby in there.


I think it may be time to get serious about eating more healthy and loosing this excess poundage. 

Not that it stops me from doing things (I finally signed up for the Omak Warrior Stampede which will be this Saturday) but it will make me feel more comfortable in my own skin (literally) and that's pretty important to me.

We'll see how it goes.  (I sound TERRIBLY motivated, don't I...he he he).

Makes a mother proud!

There comes a time in a mothers life when she sees a glimpse....just a glimpse, that all of her talking, and yammering, and nagging has finally sunk in....even if it's just the tiniest bit.

This morning I had one of those moments.

While I was sitting here on the computer the boys were behind me playing with the new Batman Batcave Issac got for Christmas.

I hear Gabe say,

"Time for dinner. Go wash your hands."




Makes a mother proud.

Really proud!

Sweet things to hold on to...

A blast from the past...

Gabe (2 years old) worked on this dance routine for months!
He loved to dance. He STILL loves to dance.

Cael at 11 months
(the picture quality on our old camera was horrible)
But...his little head bob was hilarious.

Issac on his first birthday.
(same camera...same poor quality picture)
We still laugh and laugh at this video. He was so silly!

Kian at 3-4 months. HILARIOUS! DON'T SKIP THIS ONE!

Taken today:

I can't believe ALL of my boys have worn this outfit.

It's amazing!

A hot dog for an in-law?

Yesterday we were sitting at Costco eating lunch (pretty fair exchange...they get food, I get little complaining about errand running).

Gabe was snarfing down his Costco hot dog (as usual).

He pauses to breath and says to me,

"Mom...I think I'm falling in love with this hot dog."

(as immature as I am...I was thinking in my head, "Then why don't you marry it." I bit my tongue though.)

What a funny Gabe!

I think I actually laughed out loud...right there in Costco (which is pretty unusual for me because I am usually a way-too-serious-super-frazzled-mom-of-3-crazy-boys-and-one-sweet-baby)


He has some seriously fierce feelings for these Costco hot dogs and he's not afraid to voice them.

MOO!

This morning Gabe told me I am half cow.

His reason?

"Because you squirt milk and cows squirt milk."

"Yep,"I said. "That's true."

In light of the fact that I often feel like one...there was no use denying it.

Mother's Day Funny!

Sitting at the dinner table only a few moments ago Gabe asked:

"Mom...is Dad your slave today?" (He he)

Me (Rob and I giggling): "No...he's my helper."

Gabe (looking perplexed): "Oh."

I'm sure in his very observant, very magnificent brain he is thinking they look to be one and the same.

Awesome! Awesome!