I Miss Those Girls

The girls have been at Grandma and Grandpa's house for the last few days.  It was a nice break...a chance to get a few projects done, and a chance to do some things that are simpler without the kiddos around (you know, like get a haircut).  

But in those few days, I also really missed them. 
I missed them as I talked to them on the phone and heard this:

Lil' N - "Hey Mom"
Me - "Hey N, how's it going?"
(Giant thunk as the phone hits the ground)
Lil' N, yelling - "MOM!!! I dropped the phone!  HOLD ON MOM!  I'M COMING!"
(followed by hysterical giggling.) 

I missed them when I woke up to complete silence.

And of course, I missed them when I saw this picture on Facebook:

I'm glad those cutie patooties are coming home today.

Land of the Free, Home of the Fearless

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was timid in the water.  She didn't want her face in the water or any drips in her eyes.  

And then one day, that little girl transformed into a water-loving super hero.  

She flies...

She turns...

 

She twists...

 She balances...

She clowns...

Oh, and did I mention...

SWIMS WITHOUT HER FLOATIES!?!?!?

Happy Birthday Lil' N

Pizazz:

 piz·zazz or pi·zazz or piz·zaz

n. Informal

1. Dazzling style; flamboyance; flair.

2. Vigorous spirit; energy or excitement.

That's you, Lil' N! 

From the moment you came into our lives, you've kept us on our toes.

You've brought sparkle and life and energy to our house.

And pizazz.  Lots and lots of pizazz.

Happy 6th Birthday, sweet girl!

Natalie's Last Day of Kindergarten!

Tooth Be Told

We've hit another milestone of child development:

Lil' N lost her first tooth!   

The tooth pretty much went from not loose at all...to sorta loose...to out...in a day.  {Which is good news, since her permanent tooth was already on the way in.} After a day of wiggling, Lil' N ran in from the other room, tooth in hand.  When we asked her how she got it out, she explained,

"I was jumping up on the step-stool when...suddenly... KABLAM!  It was out."  {which really explains nothing.}

When faced with these unclear tooth-loosing circumstances,     Lil' R immediately piped up,
 
"When need a commission to figure this out!"

Really?  A commission?  What three-year-old says that?  I thought Hubby and I were going to pass out from laughing so hard!




And so with the first lost tooth came the first visit from the Tooth Fairy.  The thing that struck me funny was that Lil' N consistently referred to the Tooth Fairy as "HE" or "HIM."   Apparently, she likens the Tooth Fairy to The Rock -- which in this house, really was pretty spot-on.  After a little consulting on the going price for a tooth, Hubby {aka - the Tooth Fairy} made the swap.  And with one exchange of a baby tooth for a $1.50, I am forced yet again to admit that my babies are growing up.

Don't Blink

Tonight the girls started their dance classes at the community center.  They were soooo excited!  And I have to tell you, from this mommy's point of view, I started picturing my little girls in tutus and ballet slippers about the time they started to walk.

TUTU Cute!

 The thing I keep wondering is....how did these girls get so big?  How did that happen?  And where are these minutes going?

How did Lil' N change from this pint-sized three year old ready for her first day of dance...into this five year old dramatic diva?

And how did just one year turn my Lil' R from a toddler...to a lovely preschool lady?

There are times when I think my life needs a soundtrack. Perhaps this explains why I like musicals, but at times, it would just seem easier to explain my thoughts and feelings by bursting into song.  While I won't, the lyrics to the song "Blink" keep running through my head today:   Teach me to number my days...and count every moment before it slips away...take in all the colors before they fade to gray ...I don't want to miss even just a second more of this.

In all honesty, I have to tell you that these thoughts are not coming from a "perfect" day - quite the opposite, in fact.  There have been temper tantrums and bad attitudes and disobedience and tears.  But as I lay in bed tonight, with the words from "Blink" running through my head, I remembered that "this too will pass."  And when it does, I will miss it.

These are the days of our lives...

I am ashamed at the date of my last blog post.  Trust me, it was a while ago...you don't have to look.  But the last few months have been a bit of a transition for our family, and it's taken me a while to find my groove. 

I would describe myself as an unorganized organizer.  Allow me to clarify that statement:  I love it when things are organized.  I desperately want to feel organize.  But sometimes the path to that state of organization is a rather messy one.  See, my firstborn started kindergarten this year.  And my baby started pre-school.  And getting everyone's schedules committed to memory has taken a bit of work.  I had to go out and buy a new calendar with color-coded tabs for each member of the family.  Not sure if it's helping, but at least it makes me feel better.  Day by day, I feel like perhaps I am beginning to hit my stride, and thus...the first blog post in a very, very, very, long time. 

So please forgive me for my absence.  And while you're working on that, feast your eyes on these too-too-cute pictures of Lil' N and Lil' R's first days of school.

Birthday Wishes

My Lil' N, how can you be five?

You changed our lives forever the moment you arrived.

You bring laughter and light to our lives.

You keep us on our toes and ready for anything.

You're our tomboy and our princess.

It is a blessing and a joy to have you in our family.

You are growing up so fast, our lovely lady!

Happy Birthday, Lil' N!

Kindergarten is Closing In...

Last night at supper, Hubby said to Lil' N, "You start kindergarten 5 weeks from today."  Her eyes grew big with excitement.  My heart dropped in my stomach.


 Last night before bed, I read Lil' N the book The Night Before Kindergarten.  She thought it was cool.  I thought it was sad. 



Last night before I went to bed, I prayed that I would soak in these moments during the month of August, because soon my firstborn will be headed to school.