Big Girl!

My littlest love had her first day of preschool today. Lily is officially a big girl! She has been super excited about going to school like her big sister and brother. She will go 3 days a week.

The day couldn't have gone better. Lily walked right in like she owned the place. Her teacher was amazed. The preschool is part of a Catholic grade school, and we are very happy we got her in there. It is also almost next door to my work, so I can hop right over and pick her up after work (I get off earlier than most people), then swing by to pick up the other kids from their school.

I guess my baby isn't a baby anymore. I just need a little time for that to sink in. So hard to believe how fast these kids grow and change. It's a joy to watch.

Enjoy the pictures!

Fun at the Fair

I have returned. Aren't you excited? I know I am. I DO NOT like being away from my family. There has been a bit of travel involved with my new job in the beginning, but I shouldn't have to go anywhere else for a long time.

After I got home, we decided another trip on Saturday was not a great idea, and the kids actually preferred to go to the state fair instead of Balloonfest. Also, Abbie had another volleyball game Saturday that she didn't want to miss.

We had so much fun at the fair! We saw an acrobat show and a dog show that weren't very impressive, but the kids liked them. They got to sit in some military vehicles, as you see below. We might have some soldiers in the making!

The rides were fun!

To finish the day, we attended a Jeremy Camp concert. He's one of our favorite singers. The praise band from our church was the opening act.

You will never guess who was sitting across the aisle from us, so I shall tell you. Larry Birkhead. Doesn't ring a bell? He's the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby! Weird, huh? At first, lots of people thought he was Jeremy Camp. I knew he looked familiar, but thought, "I guess he's Jeremy Camp. Everybody's taking his picture." I coaxed Abbie down in front of him (Lily followed) and took some shots with him sitting up behind the girls. See him?

I was just about to take Abbie over and introduce ourselves when Kenny told me who the guy was! Then I decided I'd rather not. Abbie and I giggled all night about how I took her picture with him. I am a dork!

I'll leave you with one last glimpse into our day at the fair. When we were leaving after the concert, we walked by the "Mules & Jacks" exhibit. The kids wanted to see, so we stopped in, even though it had closed a half hour earlier. There was a guy standing at the entrance wearing a cowboy shirt, hat, and boots, and a gold chain (yes, a long gold chain). When we walked up, he said, "That's the best part of the fahr, right thar," and pointed to the mules. Kenny asked which one was his, thinking this fella was proud of his animal. Pseudo-cowboy said, "Naw, I don't have one. I jist like 'em." He was hanging out with the mules by himself after closing time. Makes one wonder. Welcome to the po-dunk fair! Heeeee hawwww!

Shoogalin

OK, I just had to post one more thing before leaving tomorrow. I went to take my shower, and Lily was begging to get in with me. After I got in, she was standing in the bathroom and said, "Mom, I'm dirty." So I couldn't resist.

After our shower, I wrapped her in a towel and told her to stay wrapped up until I got dried off and could help her. She opened her towel and said, "I'm not shoogalin!" Me: "What?" Lily: "I'm not cold. See, I'm not shoogalin!" And she did the cutest little shiver. So she was trying to say she wasn't shivering. I cracked up for about the 20th time today at something one of those kids said.

Kids are wonderful.

No boys allowed!

Lily has been using this cabinet in our kitchen as a hiding place for quite some time. A couple of weeks ago, she and Abbie decided it would make a good clubhouse. Never mind the fact that we have about a 1000 square foot basement the kids use as a playroom. I guess this was a bit cozier. Abbie made a sign to put on the clubhouse, so that the boys would be sure to stay out (like one more person could fit). After the picture below was taken, the girls put pillows in the clubhouse to make it more comfortable for sitting. It is a deluxe clubhouse now.

I don't think the sign was necessary. Jack has no interest in being crammed in a cabinet with the girlies. He's got his own posse to hang with. I had to snap this shot one day when the boys were lined up on the porch step taking a water break from their adventures. They were all joking and laughing, having the best time.

On another note, Lily had her first school physical yesterday. She's doing great. She weighed a mere 25 pounds, 2 ounces with her clothes on. She is 35 1/2 inches tall. Come on, baby -- you're gonna make it to 3 feet one of these days! Dinky doo. I know of some other girls from the same region of China as Lily, and they are all tiny too. I didn't see one Chinese lady that was as big as me when we were there. And I only measured 5 ft. 3 in. at my last doctor appointment (I've gotten old enough now that the shrinking has begun). But Lily has been eating like a little piglet lately, and is very healthy. I thank God for allowing my munchkins to be healthy!

Jack has also been eating like crazy. He and Abbie have grown so much this summer. His hands and feet are huge. Kenny says Jack is like a great dane puppy, long and lanky with big paws to grow into. Speaking of big feet, Abbie now wears a size 8 1/2 shoe. I wear 7 1/2. Yikes!

I sometimes feel like a midget around Kenny's family. He's just shy of 6 ft. 6, and his family members are all taller than me. But when I get together with my side of the family, it's a different story. My sister, sister-in-law, and neice are all shorties. Thanks Melissa, Trish, and Marylee! You make me feel like big stuff.

Another bit of news is that Abbie had her first volleyball game yesterday! They won! Kenny and I are so proud of her for getting out there. She's never had much of an interest in any sport. She's always done things like dance, piano, and pee-wee cheerleading. She loves volleyball now, and actually has discovered some untapped athletic ability! Lily was in the stands yelling, "Go Abbie, go!" Jack was busy eating sour straws and asking when his basketball season starts.

I have to go out of town for the week, so unless Kenny can fix our old laptop, I won't be posting again for a while. But the next time should be good, with lots of pictures of balloonfest. Please check back in about a week or so.

Smudgies!

If you have kids in your home but no smudgies on your glass, I want to know your secret. Unless it involves cleaning your glass more than once a month. Ohhhh -- maybe that's my problem. I think I need a maid.

Our new home

Our old house

Our new house

Can you tell we like white farmhouses?

I guess I should update some of you about our recent move. I have recently returned to work after being an at-home mom for 10 years (well, doing very little contract work here and there). We moved from the cornfields to a suburb in another state in January, and I started work in February. It has been a big adjustment for all of us, but we're all doing great.

We love the area where we live, but we do miss our gigantic yard, the golf course, and the lake where me moved from. We also miss family and friends, but are making new friends here. We moved from a 4.6 acre lot to a .27 acre lot, so we're still trying to get used to being so close to our neighbors. Fortunately, we have great neighbors! There are about 35 kids on our cul-de-sac. For real. The kids love that, and made buddies very quickly. Jack has teamed up with a group of 3 red-headed brothers. They are always running around with their shirts off and their white skin glaring. They use the trees in our back yard as urinals. I thought Jack might not do that once we had neighbors, but it doesn't phase him at all. Lovely.

We joined a very active, HUGE church soon after moving. Jack played in the church baseball league this summer. We tried the public school for a semester, but really missed having the kids in a Christian school. We have them enrolled in a Christian school for this year. It's very tough academically. They start teaching Latin in first grade! I'm sure our kids can handle it. They are geniuses, like their mother. Abbie is playing on the volleyball team and is taking a summer prep class this week. She's making friends from the school already. Jack knows a boy in his grade, because the boy used to live in our house! We have come to know that family, as the dad is our new pediatrician. They're very nice people, and recommended this school.

Lily will start going to preschool 3 days a week this year. She is so excited, and ready to be like the big kids. She has 3 little boys her age in our cul-de-sac to play with, and a 3 year old little girl just moved in down the street. You might be able to see the cars and trucks on our front porch in the picture. All the boys know they are welcome there any time, so we often walk out the door to find a demolition derby in progress.

Kenny is still self-employed and working from home. So that works out great for the kids. He has been a trooper. He's been unbelievably supportive of my returning to work, and of us moving away from his family. Luckily, we are only a little over 3 hours from them, and 2 hours from my parents, and about 1 1/2 hours from my sister, brother, and their families.

Well, there's a little bit about what's been going on with us. Now let me hear from you!

Fun with friends

I have my kids back! So happy for us all to be together again. I think they could have stayed a while longer, but Mom couldn't take it. Thanks, Grandma, Grandpa, and the rest of the family for showing them such a great time!

While we were in town to pick up the kids, Abbie, Lily, and I went to lunch with some sweet friends whom we have missed since moving. That's my Abigail above, third from the left, with 3 of her very best friends, Sicily, Dawn, and Natalie. We were sorry Katlyn was on vacation.

The below picture is of Lily, me, Sharon, Sara, and Celeste. It was so nice to visit with our friends. We love you all!

We'll be going back for the big hot air balloon festival our hometown hosts every year. I'll take lots of pictures to share in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

My Achy-Breaky Heart

Woe is me. My in-laws came to visit this past weekend (that is not the "woe" part - I adore them) and took our sugar babies back home with them. The kids are visiting cousins and friends in our old hometown until we go this weekend to get them. So my heart is all torn up. Can't believe how much I miss them!

Kenny said this will be a good time for us to find out if we have anything in common anymore other than the kids. He's harrassing me. Again. Smart aleck. Sunday night after the kids left we got a bottle of wine (split one glass between us -- PAAAR-TAY) and had cheese and crackers with summer sausage, or "meat log" as the kids call it. Kenny said that sounded like a fruity way to spend the evening. But he regained his masculinity last night when he bought a miter saw -- urgh, urgh, urgh. Those are supposed to be manly grunting noises like Tim the Tool Man Taylor makes. If you are too young to remember "Home Improvement," please don't ask me who Tim is. I feel old enough already.

At least I know the kids are having fun. They've been swimming at the lake, at Aunt Pam and Uncle Dee's pond, and the pool. And it's only day 2. They spent Sunday night with Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Gary and their kids. Abbie sent me a text at 2:58 am with a picture of Jack snoozing with his face covered in makeup. Abbie and her cousin, Sophia, painted that poor boy up in his sleep. When I told Kenny, he said, "That's not right! He's gonna be SO MAD when he wakes up!" I was laughing and he said something to the effect of, "You don't understand! You're not a boy! That is just mean!" You have to know here that Kenny has issues with this kind of thing. He grew up with 3 sisters. Once when he was asleep, one or all (not sure who exactly) of them painted his toenails. So he has issues.

I told Kenny I was sure Jack would get Abbie back, and he said he would help. When I talked to Abbie that morning, she said Jack woke her and Sophia up by throwing frozen broccoli at them and that he rubbed it all over her face and put it down her shirt. The girls had demonstrated their artistic talents on Sophia's brother, Sam, as well. So the boys got their sweet revenge in the morning. I'm sure Kenny thinks it wasn't enough, and will be scheming for another little treat for Abbie.

Lily hasn't had near the drama. Every time I talk to her she says, "I'm being good girl." I guess she thinks we're worried about her raising a stink, screaming, spitting, etc. Why on Earth would she think that????? Oh yeah, I remember now. But seriously, she has gotten sooooo much better and really is a sweetheart! She just sometimes forgets that she is not the boss of the entire world.

I had a little comfort food and retail therapy last night to cheer me up. We ate the most gigantic burritos ever, then Kenny took me to get a purse and a pair of shoes (after the miter saw -- but that's my toy too). Having the kids away is expensive. But hey, we did eat pancakes at home tonight. I think I'll wash that gray right out of my hair tomorrow night. Crazy times, crazy times . . . .