The Many May Things

May is such a busy season with so many activities coming to a close but our mantra for May is embrace it rather than buck it and sometimes it means a late dinner or a meltdown or taking off from work but surely we will look back and know that our energy, time and efforts were worthy.

May kicked off bright and early with 

E prepping for FL by swimming at Jordan Lake early early the first day of May

The water was cold enough for a wetsuit so Amazon find to the rescue

It was foggy so the race was delayed 15 minutes. The pointe where the race took place was really pretty

We found her at the finish

And the infamous Kindergarten bug project commenced. 

I think the girls did butterflies and ladybugs but of course A mixed it up and went for a

ROACH! 

So we looked at pictures of roaches and made sure this roach had hairy legs (curiosity of the evergreen needles - from this project) 

Here's to crafting with boys and turning in the project a few days early

The tractor was back in the field and so we HAD to go check it out. I love that we live 3 houses down from the field and so do they

Preschool was closed for two days so we took advantage of a completely free lunch schedule and had lunch with the big school kids. Lady C introduced herself to her teacher and made herself comfortable in her future stomping ground. 

The weeknight soccer games sprinkled the first few weeks of May

Which usually meant later bedtimes and good night sleeps

H has never been the best of nappers because she's still coming to work with me so some afternoons C would play with H during rest time and you never know what big sister might have in store

Quiet afternoons at home were few and far between but they did happen sometimes

Bath time is so much easier when the baby tub is not required!

Mother's Day breakfast at preschool with a fancy dress and purple tennis shoes - of course!

The singers enjoyed the fruits of their efforts after their choir competition in Williamsburg with a trip to Busch Gardens

We rode some rides. I rode Apollo's Chariot just to prove to E and R roller coasters aren't scary - my eyes were closed basically the entire time. Fortunately we hung out with friends who were much more seasoned coaster riders (and better prepared for the chilly weather!) and watched H while R and E and me rode InvadR. 

E decided she liked roller coaster about 15 minutes before we left - after riding Lochness Monster four times in a row and twice without me - which is a terrible time to decide to be adventurous on a day where the ride line were basically none. 

After InvadR, R stuck to the swings 

And H mostly stuck to the stroller except when we rode the SkyRide. 

Lee manned the non singers soccer games and I would send him pics of what he was missing out. R did enjoy listening to the screams of people on Griffon as they hung over the edge for a few seconds before this MASSIVE drop. No Kibbes patronized Griffon : ) 

There were more soccer games

A birthday!

What one is supposed to do with a birthday bow!

Just a little trip down to FL to swim in a lake

C wrapped up her time at preschool with the program

I've found my new favorite seat for preschool programs - second section, first row. 

And all her buddies

And her BFF!

Its off to all day PreK at the big kids school next year 

Then there was the final day class celebration 

Which was the same day as SnoCones at the big kids school

We survived that week!

Friday night was the choir concert. Grammy gave the girls a rose - because well - I don't think of that kind of stuff. I am glad I called in for sitter reinforcements to manage things because Lady C had her last soccer practice and the girls had to get ready. We went out for a late skillet cookie dessert to celebrate!

Saturday was soccer games all around - end the end of the season for A and C - which we are still patiently waiting to wrap up for E and R&M

H is loving all the food these days. Her latest love is sweet potatoes

AHG and TL wrapped up and I could have sworn I had a group pic but I clearly failed in that department. E is happily aging into the Pioneer group. 

The weather was rainier that usual which meant some earlier evening home for Papa. One afternoon I went to do the swim pick up and heard something in the van as I was leaving the neighborhood. Skittles decided to come for a ride. He has since come along to the dump - I knew it that time - but I think he prefers his paws on firm ground. 

My boys plus the girl sandwiched between them live for the outdoors. J was in their 'puddling pool' which had collected rain water before I even got out of the van! Between the puddling pools and the 'crown thorns' they like to play in in the background they are forever filthy. 

I do relish in the moments of doing things with the little ones - like swinging on the swings (during bigs choir rehearsal). Having a wide family and I can get lost in the repetitiveness of the little years and just trying to maintain sanity but swinging giggles and shouts for MORE and HIGHER remind me to live in the happy moments. 

J and C walking around the lake during swim practice brought me back to A and C walking around the lake during swim practice in May of 2020 as the world was learning how to emerge from covid. I don't miss that time but I do wonder if our kids will look back on those weeks in the similar way that I can reflect on it. 

Summertime HAIRCUT!!! I think Grammy asked A if he liked he haircut and he insisted it wasn't short enough!

I promised J a haircut before he goes to the beach but I can't bear to have his toddler mop trimmed. 

The pool opened in the nick of time for heatwave we had over Memorial Day weekend. Popsicles all around!

The last week of school kicked of with rescheduled Field Day which is not a bad way to end the school year

June started with an end of school party, soccer games and a naughty little boy stealing cookies from the dessert table 

Happy Summer Y'all

Post-Lent Lent Post

It has been a while in the posting department so what better to do, then to catch up. Here's how went Lent - even though its Bright Week

Lent kicked off with BIG dessert night the night before. It's become a tradition of cleaning out all the candy and sweets in the house and consuming as many as possible before dessert is nixed for Lent

THE 

ONLY 

RULE 

IS

You can eat as much 

So long as you don't make yourself sick

So we will call it a successfully kick off to Lent 

Not long into Lent the BFFs from waaaaaaaaaay back swam the 500 free at the last meet of the season. They pretty much rocked it and I love that they do all the things together (except they aren't on the same soccer team this season - which they are bummed about!)

Siblings at the swim meets can be tough

But we persevered though with lots of snacks and PBJs and playing on the playground

and taking lots of funny pics

We went out for a end of season swim treat - even though it was Lent - because there were a number of jobs well done. There are some who are hoping for a post meet ice cream trip for the Open Water meet like we did last year

Ukraine has been weighing heavily on my mind and still is

We got real fancy one night and hit the town for a fundraiser. For as much as I didn't want to get dressed up, I had a great time. If I could live, work and play in soccer shorts - I'd be happy as a clam. I suppose it is good I can't so I'm forced out of my shell. 

Hopefully it won't be another 13.5 year before Lee wears a tux : ) 

J loves taking and seeing pics of himself so I have lots of these on my phone

H seems to have finally gotten into the sleeping mode. February and March were ROUGH times in the sleeping department and it felt like we were regressing to newborn sleep patterns between her and sick kids and kids needing things in the middle of the night. 

BEFORE 

AFTER - she took the braces plunge 

A was way proud of his baking creation at Trail Life 

We came cat owners. Some friends had found kittens and we had been looking for some OUTSIDE cats for awhile - since the snake in the bathroom incident. We transitioned them from the garage to the outside and Oreo and Skittles were doing great and then one day Oreo didn't come home. We would like to think she just waltzed into someone's home and hopped on their lap and they kept her. She was a sweet cat. Skittles is too but he is the resident Kitty Cat and we are trying to decide if he needs a friend. Before she departure, Oreo caught a mole so we are hopeful Skittles will follow suit and keep other unwanted animals away. A and C follow him into the tree and brambles behind the house - Lady C has dubbed the Crown of Thorns. 

Soccer has started for everyone and this might be the only pic I have to prove it. 

AHG went camping and to the bird park - E needed a night of camping to advance so she camped and I didn't. 

We met up with the troop after soccer since we had never been. 

And we will definitely go back 

J almost stepping on parakeets was terrifying 

A got the hang of it. C preferred watching from afar

And that's about all there is to report. 

May it set up to be an extremely busy month - as it usually is for us. Lots of fun things, new and old, on tap. 

 

R is double digits

 

Just like that R turned 10. I told her the night before her birthday this was her last night in the single digits for the rest of her life. I think that got her thinking.  

Being the middle child of the three big girls is not an easy position to hold but some way or another R always finds a way to do things her way or on her time or with her passion. She gets totally lost in reading or coloring and can be fiercely competitive especially with her sisters. She’s got a super soft side and I think that’s what makes her the peacekeeper most days. 

For her bday we had pizza and an ice cream bar with lots of toppings which was fun! It is always a time for reflection around her bday because we moved into our house three weeks before she was born so to see how much she has grown and to think about everything that has gone on in our house is truly amazing.

Weekly Wrap - #3

 Since there are no more Quick Takes : ( let's go with a Weekly Wrap of all things... 

~ 1 ~

Christmas Programs...

Neither school had in person Christmas programs this year.

So we got all dressed up for Christmas program taping! It was actually waaaaaay easier than getting dressed and racing to the plays at 5:49!

~ 2 ~

The muppet tree!

We got our tree - it is still happily outside. Lee nixed my muppet tree but I loved it. It is was really cute!

~ 3 ~

The windshield...

A windshield ding turned into a full on windshield crack. That was great. I held my breathe EVERY single time I went over railroad tracks or a bump on the highway. I go over more railroad tracks each day than I imagined. 

~ 4 ~

St Lucy's Day rolls.. 

Good things I got friends who actually do liturgical living and want to share!

~ 5 ~

The big kids (not the preschoolers) helped with a Christmas nativity

H started as baby Jesus in the pic only 

R got to be Mary a bunch of times!

A was a shepherd and a wise man and had lots of hot chocolate. 

~ 6 ~

H has been a bed hog so...

she got sent to the crib and has done quite well!

~ 7 ~

The weather has been great. 

There was a soccer game organized and we went to the field for a stroll

All The Dressing Up - 2021

Seeing that it is nearly Christmas its about time to chat about Halloween... 

We have: The Hulk, The Wicked Witch, H who was too happy in her carseat to put on the pumpkin get-up, a ballerina, a vampire? - maybe, Yoda, St Monica

There happens to be a whole lot of back story to the costumes this year... Sometime in July the bigs were in a bit of a bind because they were supposed to clean up the playroom and they didn't so Lee and I took everything and bagged and boxed it up and told them they had to sort through EVERYTHING before it was put back into the playroom. Trash to the dump. Toys to the playroom. Well it turns out there was only supposed to be one bag of trash and the other black trash bag had ALL the costumes in it. EVERYTHING. Star Wars, Wizard of Oz, saints - everything. It is enrages me to even type it. So I told them they had to buy their costumes this year because I wasn't. I think I would have if there was a theme but some people are too cool for that so they shelled out money and reused what didn't get tossed. 

St Lucy, St Olga, St Monica, St Michael

We got over the not-so-late-night Halloween and put on our game faces for All Saints Day - I think I told Lee he HAS to block off All Saints Day morning to be at the house until we leave because most Catholic school parents will say it is one of the tougher mornings to have costumes the night before and then the next morning!

A was all about St Michael - and has since decided that Kindergarten is angels in the Christmas program that he needs his St. Michael costume for the Christmas play

R's costume required the most hands on work and she made her crown of lights which I think came out great!

E repurposed her royal costume from last year when she got wind of the costume punishment decree so she found another queen saint. 

I've hoarded the costumes in my room so as to help people save their pennies next year.