The Garden Show

AHHHHHHH!!! That's where I've been lately. It's birthday season in our house. It's also birthday party year this year. Could likely be why my neck and shoulder have been strained and refuse to turn or lift without pain for the last four weeks.

The good news is we are almost to the end of birthday season and the back half of the birthdays are way less intense than the first half. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, baby!

And the best news of all? It's Easter weekend! So thankful for time to step away from the busyness and reflect on the significance of Jesus coming to die on a cross for a sinner such as I. A beautiful, stunning truth that brings everything else into perspective and puts it all in its place. Inspired again to focus on the things that really matter for eternity and let go of the rest. And trying to teach that to our kids as well.

Hope your Easter weekend is wonderful.

And now, I must do what I often do here- rewind a bit in the never ending effort of trying to catch up. So you'll see our Easter happenings sometime around Mother's Day. Ha ha.

Allie's class at school had their spring performance called the "The Garden Show", last month just before birthday season hit.

They had two showings, one for the whole school, and one for parents the next day. The parent one tends to be pretty intense with everyone pushing forward to take pictures and videos, so I figured Lauren and Jonah had a better chance of actually seeing the show if we went to both. And since we're there every morning waiting for 45 minutes between the older kids' drop off time and Lauren's class start time, we were the first ones to arrive.

The peanut gallery was getting a little antsy.

Thankfully, it wasn't too long before the show was underway with an alien invasion!

And there's our little flower right in the middle!

"Each of us is a flower, growing in life's garden..."

Guess who was able to join us for the show the next day?

A closer up shot of Allie taken by another parent.

Allie wondered aloud to me before school if her daddy would bring her flowers like he did last year. Wonder indeed, little daughter of his.

Super cute group shot of the flowers taken by another parent.

Ever the big sister as she led little brother to her "cast party" in their classroom. Seriously this boy has a rude awakening in store over what school is really like.

SO thankful for the sweet friends she's made this year. No drama, just good times. It's what second grade should be.

This girl. Love her so.

The Class Parties

And then it was the last day of school before winter break.  Thankfully, Phil's vacation had started that day, so he was able to come see the kids do their class parties, too.

Lauren's class was our first stop.

Then we dropped by Mikey's class as just as they were doing their gift book exchange.  Careful deliberation...

Before settling on the chevron striped one.

And then we popped over to Allie's class just as they were finishing cookie decorating.

Little brother looooves visiting the kids' classrooms.  Why?  Because he only comes to visit on class party days so he thinks this is what they do every day they're at school.  I foresee a bit of a letdown in his future...

Plus he gets all the extra leftover goodies.

Getting ready for their gift book exchange.  (I had run back over to Mikey's class to see him again, but they were watching Charlie Brown's Christmas and he was fine with me leaving again when I asked him).

They played a fun little game first where they had to pass their gift to the left every time the teacher said "Santa" as she read aloud.

Meanwhile, Phil had gone over to see the rest of Lauren's party and bring her and her cute lil reindeer over once her party was done.

From her class book exchange.

She got what ended up being the most wanted book in her class.  Her classmates kept asking her if she wanted to trade but she held on tight to that one.

Oddly enough?  My usually-always-into-crafts-and-making-things girl is not at all interested in making rainbow loom bracelets.  Odder still?  Mikey totally is.  Go figure.  Cuz this one's got me stumped.


And then, VACATION WAS UPON US!  WOO HOO!!!

School Festivities

The morning of Halloween, I woke when it was still very dark outside, took a deep breath, and asked God for the strength to get through this day.

It all began with Lauren's class starting earlier in the day than their normal start time.  And none of the kids could be convinced to buy school lunch that day (am I the only mom trying to coax her kids to buy lunch once in a dang while??).  Add in homework folders and costumes and someone's library book for library day and a carved pumpkin all having to accompany us to school half an hour earlier than our usual mad dash out the door in the mornings.

And that was just the first ninety minutes of the day.

We had to go back to school at the exact time Jonah usually goes down for his nap.  Witness his face.  That face, accompanied by a loudly persistent whine, was his immediate response any time I had to set him down for the whole two and a half hour school "volunteering" I was attempting to do.  But!  We made it to see Lauren walking with her class for their costume parade!  I couldn't miss this.

Then back to her classroom for cupcakes and juice.  Where Jonah loudly whined about not getting one to eat too.

Big sis saved the day though when she gave her Oreo cookie to him and then set him up with some of her lunch.

Made a cracker sandwich for him.  This boy has it good, I tell ya.

And the highlight of his no-nap day was when we got to join bigger sister's class for part of their recess time.

Then we (Lauren whose class had a minimum day, Jonah and I) went to visit Allie's class to see a bit of their classroom party.

Before we had to dash over to Mikey's class to help him get in to his costume and grab a quick picture with his teacher...

Before dashing back over to get a quick picture with her teacher before she left for the day (because I forgot to do it earlier)...

And then returning to Allie's class in time to see their mummy wrapping contest.  And also realizing that in all this running back and forth, I managed to miss both the older kids' costume parades.  Nice.

At least we got to see this part.  The kids loved this activity.

This one kid brought in a unicorn head as his costume and wore it the whole time they were mummyfying him.  Hilarious.

And then this guy began to see the fun there is to be had in a roll of toilet paper.

Oh no.  I am now very, very afraid of his new discovery.

Jumping right in with the big kids.

This group had a couple extra "helpers".

Another highlight of his day.  So thankful for my older kiddos who both understood that Mommy had to go back and forth between their classrooms in order to see everyone and who were just glad I could be there even for parts of it.

And then it was time to collect everyone mid-party so that we could end up...

Here.  At the dentist.  On Halloween.

Mother of the Year, right here.  :p

First Day Favorites

Now seems like the perfect time to post first day of school pictures.  You know, now that we are well into October and school actually started back in August, two days after we got back from camping?

Yup, as good a time as any.

And this year, after praying and discussing and much angst (on my part), we decided to have the older three all try school together.  And every day since school has started, there has continued to be praying and discussing and much angst (on my part).  I'm thinking those three things are going to be continuing for the rest of the school year, too.  Possibly for the rest of their lives, actually.  When all is said and done though, I am continually so thankful to be able to give my worries, concerns, fears, and yes, even my angst, to the Lord who loves us beyond measure and who sees all and knows all and knows my heart and knows the path He has planned for us.  There is great comfort in the knowledge that these three little ones have never left His grip though they leave mine for six hours a day now.

So anyway, back to their first day favorites...

His favorite things going into third grade...
Color:  Blue
Book:  Calvin & Hobbes
Activity:  Building Legos
Sport:  Handball (to play); UCLA Football (to watch)
Toy:  Star Wars action figures
TV show:  Adventures of Clutch Powers
Movie:  Despicable Me

Her favorite things going into second grade...
Color:  Pink
Book:  Princess Happily Ever After Storybook
Activity:  Drawing
Sport:  Dance (to do); Football (to watch)
Toy:  Blankie
TV Show:  Wild Kratts
Movie:  The Little Mermaid

Her favorite things going into Kindergarten...
Color:  Purple
Book:  Ramona
Activity:  Playing with Sugar Rush dolls
Sport:  Riding bikes with my family
Toy:  Pillow
TV Show:  Fresh Beat Band
Movie:  Tangled

First day shoes.

And then this.


And because wonderful husband took the day off in order to help get everyone ready and see them all off to school, I was able to grab a few more shots at school.

My little peanut- the second youngest and the littlest in her class.

Ready to head into the world of third grade.

Ready to roll into second grade.

But not before running over to give her little sister one more hug first.

And because I missed my babies and because the youngest baby and I happened upon the clearance toy aisle at Wal-Mart while they were gone, they all had a surprise waiting for them when they got home from their big first day of school.