(My back was achy and my feet were still swollen after spending seven-ish hours at a gorgeous wedding and reception the night before, so the littlest ladies and I spent part of the day moving from bench to bench in the exhibit halls where people "admired" our large stroller, our larger family, and my ever-expanding girth. As an aside, only one person actually nudged his companions and pointed our direction.)
With our Playgroup Valentine's Day party just around the corner, the little ladies and I put together some simple valentines for friends. Brystol chose to decorate some giant lollipops we picked up very inexpensively at a local discount store. We used our search engine to find a ready-made sheet of hearts, then printed them on light-colored card stock. She colored the hearts, then attached a little punched circle that read, "I'm a SUCKER for you, Valentine."
We easily could have taken things a step further by busting out the stickers and glitter, but since Brystol was content with simplicity, I saw no need to complicate things. My sweet girl was super excited to share these easy-to-make treats with all her "best friends."
On Saturday, our family attended the quarterly "waiting family" support group weekend at our adoption agency. We've been active with our agency, waiting to adopt again, since the summertime. We were matched with a birthmom in December, but before we could take custody of the baby, she was pressured by her family to relinquish to a distant cousin. CPS got involved as our agency was pushed away, and ultimately, that little girl wasn't meant to be ours. Our social worker felt awful about the failed match, but we know God has a greater plan and we had peace. The social worker joked that maybe this loss meant there was a little boy in our future, but we'll see. We'd be blessed by a new little family member, regardless of gender. In the meantime, we wait -- and attend support group meetings.
Because we had to make an out-of-town trip for the meeting, we opted to make the whole weekend one of getaways. James took the day off work on Friday, and he and Bub spent the day in Houston at a baseball card convention. They added a few cards to their collections before enjoying a night in a hotel room, then we all drove in from different directions to attend the meeting.
After support group, James took Bub and the two littlest ladies home while Gracie, Brystol, and I drove to Austin. Because we were coming in in the evening, we drove straight to South Congress Avenue to browse the cool shops and hit up the food trucks. We dined on Thai food, bought sweets at Big Top Candy Shop, and tried on sunglasses and vintage clothes at a few of the shops. We picked up a couple of new Barbie dolls before heading back to the hotel room (where two happy girls played together for a couple of hours before sleeping). The next day, we enjoyed the hotel pool and hot tub before hitting up the Round Rock outlet mall on the way home. It's always so special to have some alone time with one or two kiddos. We all enjoy the individual attention and time to reconnect.
We celebrated our Fourth on the third. The little ladies are scared of big noises, and my mom is growing increasingly weaker, so I wasn't planning to go anywhere. However, James got off work early and graciously offered to stay home so I could take the big kids out to watch fireworks. "You need a night out," he said. Sweet man. While Daddy endured a Yo Gabba Gabba marathon, the big kids and I went to a nearby town for dinner and dessert, then caught up with friends to watch the fireworks show.
The big kids are away at summer camp, so the little girls and I met playgroup friends at a nearby fountain for some wet summer fun. We arrived early and had the whole place to ourselves.
My sweet big kids have finished their fifth grade year, and both are officially "middle schoolers." I really have no idea where the time has gone. They completed the last of the computer work for their math curriculum this morning bringing the school year to an official close. After finalizing the gradebook, I dished out ice cream sundaes to celebrate. We then had a homeschool awards ceremony where I hummed "Pomp and Circumstance" while the kiddos (still in their pajamas) received homemade certificates decorated with stickers by their toddler sister. It was such good fun, and now our much needed break ensues.
In addition to working on the Bible Bee, the kids will continue taking in-home piano lessons through most of the summer. They're also ready to begin working on the French and Spanish language programs we ordered from Bilingual Books at the Arlington Homeschool Book Fair. By the time the Texas heat is too much to bear (early July), I think we'll be back in full swing. My mom will be moving in with us by June 23rd, and the three littlest ladies are still on a fairly regular nap rotation, which means we will spend much of our summer right here at home. We might as well be productive, right? Plus, when extra math lessons are assigned at each "I'm bored," I think the kids will be quick to entertain themselves.
Source: dukesandduchesses.com via Amanda on Pinterest
Source: dukesandduchesses.com via Amanda on Pinterest
The kids and I purchased season passes for a local waterpark this year. This particular waterpark chain is Christian in nature, and their objective is to bring families closer together. There are scriptures posted throughout the park, and the lifeguards are dressed modestly. The parks are smaller in size, so they feel safe. All around, it's an environment I feel comfortable taking my children to.
We purchased our passes in advance of this pregnancy and Elleigh joining our family, so we thought our excursions would be easy. When summer arrived, we had to decide how we'd swing park visits. Only once have we left Elleigh with a sitter, otherwise she joins us each and every time we go. I pack her in an otherwise unused Infantino baby carrier and wade around with Brystol in the shallow end of the wave pool. Bub and Grace head off together to the kid climbing structure and waterslide within eyesight, checking in in person every few minutes. Together, we go to the "lazy river" where I walk alongside kids in rafts and Brystol in her baby float. Admittedly, our waterpark visits are not always easy, but they're not impossible, and they're always lots of fun!
My mom came over to spend Mother's Day weekend with us. Since she now has terminal cancer, she's being very intentional about spending time with friends and loved ones, and spending Mother's Day weekend with me and with a large portion of her grandkids just fit. We went to church and dinner on Saturday night, then had a lazy Sunday morning opening gifts and going out for breakfast. I had flowers delivered to Mom's house before her weekend with us, and James and the big kids put together the "Grandma & Me" Hallmark Conversation Book for her to open on Sunday. Hearing the kids share special memories about their Nanny was precious, and Mom really treasured the gift.
James and the kids showered me with gifts and goodies, and Mom gave me the "Close to Me" Willow Tree figurine. The card insert read, "Let us always remain close. These figures stand for the bond that no distance can tear apart." She said when she saw it in the store, she just sat and cried, and when she gave it to me, I did the same. My relationship with my Mom hasn't always been perfect, but we've always been together, and the fact that she'll die sooner than any of us expected breaks my heart. I will miss her more than anyone in the world, and she insists that she'll miss me even when she's in Heaven -- though I seriously doubt that. Having Mom here to make Mother's Day memories with us was very special, but I sure wish things were different and we were together this year because we love to celebrate together, not because it might be our last opportunity.
Making Mother's Day Memories
The sun was out on Saturday morning and the snow began to melt away. Before it was all gone, the kids spent a few more hours out in it. Gracie built a little snowman, and she and Bub helped the neighbor children build an igloo. Though we'd grown sick of the mess it made, the totally disrupted schedule it caused, and how trapped it made us feel, we were honestly a bit sad to see the snow go.
Late last night, a fresh batch of snow fell on Texas. The old stuff hadn't melted, but it had iced over and was neither pleasant to look at, nor fun to play in. This new batch is powdery and perfect, and the kids have had a blast out in it. (Mom likes to watch from the window, running out only for photos.)
We're on day two of snow here in Texas. Because we're (1) unprepared and (2) stuck at home, we're making do on a lot of things. We're making do on the menu because Brystol was sick and vomiting on Monday -- my normal grocery day -- so I missed out on shopping. We have all the basic necessities, but we were running low on some things, and though the storm was eminent, I didn't go out for a last minute grocery run. I think it's silly to go into crisis mode before an inch of precipitation, but we have way more than an inch of snow and I cannot get out of my neighborhood. I forgot how much people eat when they're here all day and all night and there's snow on the ground, and that's a problem when the pantry is already slightly understocked. We have chips with no dip, and other similar issues, so nothing serious.
Really frustrating, though, when you could really go for some dip.
We're also making do with our warm winter gear. Despite the fact that we've consistently had snowy days the last several years, it's hot in Texas about 88% of the year and I've just not gotten into the habit of buying snow clothes and winter boots. I just don't think about them until it's too late. Fortunately, the kids don't mind. They've been playing out in the snow because they're kids and they don't care about frostbite, but I'm all about warmth and safety and keeping fingers in their proper places. How thankful I was, then, when a friend shared an unusual winter tip on Facebook that we tried with success -- put a pair of plastic gloves on between two pair of non-waterproof fabric gloves.
Texas was showered with snow today. What a beautiful winter treat! The kids loved gazing at it from the warmth of the house and discussing whether or not school would be canceled on Monday. (The snow's melting, so I doubt it...) They went outside in it for a while, but spend more time putting on and taking off their warm winter gear than they did actually playing in the precipitation.
We rang in the new year in Oklahoma with our friends Marcie and Tobey. We spent a couple of days together watching movies, shopping after-Christmas sales, playing dominoes, and just hanging out, laughing over decades-old jokes. For New Year's Eve proper, Marcie hosted a small gathering of friends from church and served up all the delicious fare she's known for (while I contributed to the spread with the store-bought fare I'm known for. Plus some cake balls. I did make cake balls... and peppermint bark... and the cheeseball Marcie made was my recipe. Hey, maybe I'm not such a culinary loser after all!) Some board games were played while everyone was around, but I had to steal away to quiet an over-tired baby. When I returned, the other couples -- also with over-tired young children -- had to leave. At the end of the night, we four friends watched the ball drop and welcomed the new year with our children. The kids were sent to bed, another couple of adults dropped in, and the game playing resumed. In all, we had a great time. I can't think of a better way to ring in a new year or a better family to share it with.
Between Christmas and the New Year, we traveled to Oklahoma for a family dinner and game night. My brother Russell came from Missouri with my niece Kate and her boyfriend Jeremiah. Christy and James, my sister and brother-in-law, hosted us. Their children Chelsea and Ethan were also there. It was great to see everyone and to enjoy a casual evening together after the craziness of the holidays. We caught up over a lasagna and a couple of pizzas, then we all crowded around the table to play Farkle and Taboo (except for Bub who watched movies and took over the Wii).
If I had my way, my kids would stay little forever, or at the very least, for a good while longer. Time is flying way too fast around here, which is why I was so pleased to see a camouflaged cowboy spy come barreling down the stairs as stealthily as a very loud little boy could. Following closely behind was a bouffant-haired blondie with a New Jersey accent. "This cowboy spy is my bwahs," she said.
