School is in! and halfway done!

Wow. There are no words for my inadequate blogging. So...school started again obviously and they're already halfway through the year now.

We took some amazing summer 2017 vacations to Washington, D.C., NYC for the Statue of Liberty and then Yellowstone with a short stop at Mount Rushmore again on the way home.

Sophia has her learner's permit and she's turned 15 already and we're trying to find time to get her driving so she's ready for drivers' education and an actual license when she's 16. She's not ready at all. She's smart and fun and has a really great group of friends at school. She's a great flute player and looking forward to marching band next fall.

Alexis is finishing fourth grade, turned 10 in the fall and is way too smart. She's a master negotiator and has a great group of friends as well.

Let's pretend I'm going to update again soon.

The girls at Spook Cave in Oct. 2017

School is out!

The last day of school was yesterday - May 31st. No snow days this year, no late starts, no interruptions besides the normal days off (professional learning and clerical days). So the year ended before June, which is rare and awesome.

They are both wonderful girls - growing up so fast. Sophia has become a really great flute player, and she has a great small group of friends that care for each other so well. She's got her drivers' permit as well. Lexi has become a great softball player - playing for the CRPrairie LadyHawks again this year - on the 10U team. She's had some really great hits and you can see them on my facebook posts if we're friends. She's made great friends in school and is ready for 4th grade.

It's been a great and very fast year. Next up is a summer with some more softball, a couple camping vacations and then I guess we'll be back to school - I have a feeling it'll fly by.

Worst Blogger Ever. aaaaaannndd Updates.

Seriously, I am the worst blogger ever.  I read a pretty good list of blogs regularly, multiple times per week (or when my twitter feed tells me someone has posted something new). I am and will forever be amazed by those of you that blog regularly along with full time jobs, multiple children and everything else. I feel like to even consider blogging regularly would require some sort of outside hired help...an assistant, a nanny, a chef, ghost blogger, something. So, I guess I just accept that I am terrible at this.

So...since last time...school has started back up again. Yay! The last couple years were a little rough for the youngest, she just wasn't prepared to be away from me for long days and she's not a fan of the unknown. This year, second grade, she's a pro. She rides the bus, has joined running club and has a nice set of friends with party invites on the regular. She's really grown into her second grade self and it's super fantastic. No one cries when they get on the bus. It's so awesome. I am still giving her one half of a children's dramamine in the morning to combat bus motion sickness, but I feel like she'll eventually grow out of that as well. She's just gotten back some testing scores and she's also/still doing really well academically, so that's also fantastic. She's still catching all the colds, but her little body is doing better at fighting them each time, so her immune system is helping and also thanks to children's nyquil (dries her up, so cold doesn't automatically mean vomit anymore).

The oldest is now in seventh grade.  This is the first year she's changing classes each period and managing dressing for gym. So far it's been really great. Each kid also 'checks out' a Chromebook for the school year, to do their homework etc (who are they kidding, all they do is watch Minecraft Youtube videos) and that's working pretty well. She takes her responsibility for it pretty seriously, keeps it charged, and tries not to forget it. Before school started, she mentioned that one of her friends had pointed out her hairy legs, so I made it a point to show her how to shave her legs, etc...and the other day I reached out and tested a leg. It was not smooth. She said 'Yeah, I got lazy. It's just a lot of work...so...' which I find to be super hilarious. Peer pressure got her to shave and now she just isn't going to worry about it as much. I love it. She's still doing really well in classes (as far as I know, who comes up with these grading systems) and still enjoys playing flute in the band (even though she complains always about lessons and practicing). She's joined Art Club and loves that as well.

I am really really enjoying being able to put each kid on her bus each morning, and get to work right away, without worries about an upset kid or what might come up during the day. They've both just grown so much, and it's really just wonderful. Yay for happy smart kids.

Awhile back we started talking about camping. The husband used to go camping all the time with his family as a kid, in popups and travel trailers. The in-laws now have a 2 bathroom RV which the girls love to camp in. They usually get a few local trips in during the summer, between the in-laws trips to other places.  The husband remembers it so fondly, we've decided we think it's something we should do over the next few years. Before the oldest gets too old to go (has to work, thinks we're uncool, etc) and try to get some travel in, and some monument/national park experience. So, in order to do that, we had to consider trading in the 2009 Chevy Colorado. Originally we traded a Nissan Titan for the Colorado, to save on gas, awhile back, but now we need a full size truck again if we're going to pull anything. So the plan was to get something used/older, that would work, while we paid off my car. So the husband went looking. He found a really super nice - NEW - Chevy Silverado High Country (with a towing package) at a local dealer, and the deal paid my car off, so we get a new truck that can pull anything, pay off my car and still only have the one vehicle payment (until we buy that camper of course).  Not quite the plan I counted on, but I think it's going to work out beautifully. So now...to find the perfect camper. Our plan is to go to a couple local RV shows over the winter and figure out exactly which models and floorplans we like and then make a buying decision towards the end of winter so we can hit the ground camping in the spring.  We want bunks for the girls, and at least a partially separated bedroom area for us, so we're considering travel trailers and fifth wheels with those options. It's been fun searching and we're looking forward to the in-person shows and finally picking one to buy. We'd like to go to Mt. Rushmore, Canada (to see sister in law), Disney (we have 3 free 2-day tickets) this year. So anyone with opinions on campers and/or campgrounds for us - feel free to email me or find me on twitter.

I wanted to do something crazy but not insane with my hair, and I've seen a lot of twitter ladies doing some undercoloring or highlighting with bright colors. So I opted for a vibrant purple, on the underneath half of my hair. I love it. I wish I could see it without using a mirror, and I sort of maybe wish i'd done a little more, or a streak on the top part, or something just a little more noticeable. Next time maybe. It's still cool and I love it.

This morning, I keep hearing this super annoying beep. I thought for sure there was a meter maid or something outside reading hte water or electic meter or something. Beep Beep. Beep.  Beep Beep. Beep. Over and over and over. Nope. It's our cordless phone. It's no longer able to sit correctly in its cradle for whatever reason, so it's connected to charge, then disconnected, then connected...then ahhhhhh stop. So my solution was to use a coaster and the wall to make it stop. I had to prop the phone up somehow so it could 1) charge and 2) STOP BEEPING. Why does it lose its ability to sit correctly in the cradle? I do not understand that.


Ok, that's it for me for now. Obviously for awhile probably since I'm so terrible at this. I shall continue to read ya'll and every few months, remember to do it myself.

Last day of school

Truly I am the worst blogger. I haven't posted here since November. November! It's not even like I don' t have things to say or share. I just don't have time to get them into writing. Today is the last day of school. It's not even a day really, they get out four hours early, so it's more like 2.5 hours of school - enough time to collect school supplies, have a small party with the class and get back on the bus. Kid#1 will be home in an hour, #2 an hour after that. I took the afternoon off, so we can maybe go out to a celebratory lunch or something. I am now in possession of a second grader and a seventh grader. They have really got to slow down already.

This one left at 710am as a 6th grader.

This one left at 810 as a 1st grader.

And now to figure out chore charts and a summer plan so we don't all go insane.

School photos

Fall school picture days have come and gone. I thought for sure I blogged about it, but alas, I have not. The 6th grader had picture day the 2nd week of school, the 1st grader, the next week...not even into the groove of things and pictures are taken. They'll take spring pictures again in March or April of course, and i'll have to get a few of those also.

The oldest. Almost 12. New Glasses.

The youngest. Just turned 7. Shy with the photog.

Summer, School and a Smart Kid

So, summer is over. We've been on vacation, it's been a difficult summer. I don't really want to talk about it right now. Maybe when it's a distant memory and we've overcome some of the hurdles in our way right now..maybe then I'll talk about it. Anyway, we went on vacation to the Iowa State Fair and Adventureland...it was mostly fun. The first grader had a really great time.

We went to Adventureland first and the first grader rode two roller coasters pretty much all day. Until the adults with her could no longer stomach another lurching ride. She's just brave and grown up, in a flash.

Of course there's face painting at the fair, which I promised we could go straight to so they'd have paint all day long. They loved it.

We also discovered the oldest needed glasses. I took her to the eye doctor and while we were waiting she was looking at the letters on the mirror/screen and reading them oh so very wrong. I was surprised...and I guess I'm really glad that flute lessons showed us she needed glasses. The left lens is prescription, the right is not, but I imagine as she ages her bad left eye will bring down her good right eye. Heh. She looks great in them.

She couldn't stop grinning when she got the glasses.

It's been a long summer. It's been beautiful weather, but not really great for swimming, until today, when it's super super hot. Today 91F, tomorrow 72F...honestly I'm glad they're back in school and learning and scheduled and in a routine. Next summer will be better.

And this first grader of mine, is smart as a whip. Obviously all parents think that of their children, but I got confirmation today from her teacher. They've done reading assessments and she came home to say she read at a 2nd grade level, which I wasn't surprised to hear. She's been reading Junie B Jones   over the summer...but it turns out she's actually PASSED the 2nd grade assessment, so she's really closer to 3rd grade reading skills. So she'll be taken out of her class four times per week for 20 minutes with a special teacher that will challenge her in reading. I couldn't be more proud.

 

Face painting at the state fair. Elsa of course.

To be fair, the 11yo is also very smart and a really great reader, she just wasn't this far ahead at this age.

Don't Stop Believin'

We've just had a general music concert and a band concert for the oldest. She is not a fan of the singing class, but loves playing the flute.  Feel free to watch the other videos in the channel. I've done some catching up today...

Abduction

I am fairly sure...let's say 80%...that my 6yo has been abducted and replaced by a completed different child. Starting in late September and up until last week, I was driving her to school. She had motion sickness and was throwing up on the bus, she even threw up in my car a couple times when I started driving her. This week, I kept her home sick on Monday - we were both sick really - so she could fight her cold just one more day. Tuesday it was super windy and cold, so the roads got a little slick. So there was a two hour delay for school. I suggested maybe she wanted to try the bus, since she slept in and had plenty of time to be ready. She agreed.

She has ridden the bus every day since.

EVERY DAY.

This morning, I took her to the stop (it's four houses down the street, which is awesome) and when we got there her neighbor friend came as well. The 6yo turns to me and says "you can go now".

See, clearly she's been replaced.

I have no words. I am both super excited that I don't have to drive her, super excited that she's growing and learning and comfortable with her friends, the bus (her Grandpa drives it), and school...and I'm also sad, just a teeny tiny bit..that she doesn't need me quite as much anymore.

Terrible Blogger

I am really terrible at this. Most of the time I feel like whatever I might have to say isn't worth saying out loud, or in writing, because no one cares about it but me. So then I talk myself into not writing anything and end up with a blog that hasn't been updated since November. Well. Sorry. How about a general catchup...

We smoked two turkeys for both sides of the family on Thanksgiving which was delicious and fun. I went out that night with my aunt-in-law and mother-in-law for some black friday..or brown thursday as I prefer to call it..shopping. I bought a couple small gifts but didn't find much and fighting the people was not worth it. I did find the perfect comforter set for my bed though, on sale, at JCPenney. I love it. It's the Galaxy 10-pc Comforter Set and I did NOT pay that price for it. It looks fantastic on my bed because the walls are the cream color and my curtains are the brown..and green is my favorite color, so it's perfect. I almost didn't buy it, but my cohorts convinced me I could always return it if it didn't work vs not buying it and it going out of stock or something. So they were right. I love it.

Christmas was crazy. We planned to smoke about 16 pounds of pork shoulder for a large husband-side dinner/birthday/Christmas but the weather cancelled those plans. So we still smoked some pork, the gathering was just smaller. Still delicious. The husband's sister and her husband and toddler came up from GA to visit and it was really great. To see them and see how big she's getting. I got a Hoodie Footie from the husband and some really nice silver hoop earrings. The girls got me more socks (I love socks for some reason) and bath&body soaps. The girls got what they've always wanted, Deluxe Webkinz accounts and stuffed Boo animals, among other things. It was a great week.

New Years was uneventful, the kids spent the night with the grandparents, and we played Final Fantasy XIV most of the night. On New Years day we headed over to the in-laws to watch a bowl game (Go Hawkeyes! they lost.) and do some puzzles. I love doing puzzles, I just never make the time to do it.

School break started a day early due to snow..and was extended by two days due to super super super freezing temperatures. It was -40F here at some point with the windchill, -27 without...it was a little crazy. So the kids stayed home, the rest of us worked and they finally went back to school last Wednesday.

We tried a new restaurant with some friends recently - saturday night - which was really great fun. However, I woke up at 230am on Sunday with what I think was food poisoning. I don't know whether to blame the pork belly from the restaurant or the frozen yogurt from the dessert place. Either way, I'll be avoiding both for awhile. After three days of queasyness - which feels disturbingly like morning sickness - today my stomach seems much better. So Monday I stayed home sick, and I kept the 6yo home as well because she's working on a cough/cold. Tuesday it was super super windy here, which was freezing some roadways, so school was delayed by 2 hours. So the 6yo agreed to ride the bus, since she had plenty of time to get ready and read and play beforehand. So loved it and Grandpa loved getting her hug when she got off. So this morning, she wanted to ride the bus again...and she did. So it's possible (shhh don't jinx it) she might be fully ok with school now. I'll still drive her anytime she feels like sleeping in a little, but it was really great to see her ready and happy to ride the bus with her friends. Now if she could just stop catching colds from all of them.

Growing so fast

We had church directory photos taken a few weeks ago. I intended to buy nothing...and bought everything. It's a racket for sure, but the photos were good and we hadn't had any family pictures in awhile. The girls are growing too fast..they should stop that.

We also got photos of them individually which are so good. The 6yo is always suspicious and the 11yo is always posing. It's a funny and adorable combination.

The 6yo is also doing much better with Kindergarten. I've been driving her to school for a little over a week now so she's getting a little more rest and she's avoiding the carsickness of the bus. She's fine on the way home because it's a shorter ride. She's the 2nd stop, so in the morning she has to ride an extra 30 minutes after she gets on, but on the way home, she's still the 2nd stop so she's off pretty early on.

Also, a word of warning. I've been giving her children's claritin while she's had a cold, to keep the snot that ends up in her stomach overnight to a minimum. So I give it to her at bedtime, it keeps her from puking first thing in the morning. After a few days,t he claritin kicks into her system and she...was...active. Let's say that..Active. So I put her to bed on Sunday night at 8pm because they take a little bit to fall asleep and they have to get up at 645/730 to catch the bus/get to school on time. at 825 we hear thumping upstairs...what the...she's standing in my room.

Me: "What are you doing? "
6yo: "I'm not tired."
Me: "Ok, but what are you doing in my room?"
6yo: "Staying up."

She'd also gone into her sister's room and climbed up her loft bed ladder, shaking the bed a bit, as it does...and freaked her out as she tried to fall alseep. So...no more claritin for a bit. The cold has mostly subsided so she can fight the rest. I'll not give it to her so many days in a row next time, giving it time to build in her system, hops her up.  The next morning she said she had been under my bed...I cannot even fathom why. She was hopped up :)

Birthday girl.

The five year old turned six a couple weeks ago. I know that I "should" have planned and thrown her a party with her friends, but it's just so much work. I'd rather wait until she's got a good group of friends and just invite them. Next year. Maybe. We had family come over of course, and everyone brought gifts which is really all she wants anyway.

Six

She got clip on puppy earrings, lip gloss and nail polish, a new Lite Brix set, a new webkinz pegasus and some things I can't remember. She came with me to pick out a cake and get some balloons and I think she had a great day.

Hello Kitty lip gloss and purse, puppy clip on earrings

She still doesn't want to go to school. She still throws up before she gets on the bus nearly every morning. So this morning I drove her myself. She still threw up before we left, but at least the bouncy bus didn't make her throw up again. She'll ride home on the bus like normal (she never gets sick on the way home) so she'll still get to see grandpa (he drives it). And maybe someday she'll get used to this whole going-to-school-without-mom thing. I'll drive her as long as she needs me to.

I lied. School sucks.

I spoke too soon. It hasn't passed. She's puked probably 15 out of the 20+ days she's been going to kindergarten. I know its nerves because she's not sick and she only throws up before she goes to school. I put her on the bus, she's fine maybe 50% of the time, the other 50% she is weepy and sad. Sometimes she even throws up a tiny bit on the bus. This morning I tried children's dramamine, but it doesn't seem to be enough or in her system enough to get her on the bus. I'll try again tonight by giving it to her before bed and again when she wakes, maybe i can get it into her system enough to prevent the puke. Even if I can't prevent the nerves.

I'm 90% sure she has a good day when she goes. She plays and has friends and sees her cousin every so often. She comes home and says things were awesome. But every morning she doesn't want to go again.

Gah. It sucks. I hate it.  I really hope this doesn't last all year...but I have no indication that anything is going to change anytime soon. What would make it better? According to her, if i go to school to be a helper or something, that would help. Ugh.

This too shall pass

And it has! I think. I hope..I forcefully WILL it to be so. I put her on the bus this morning with no tears and no sadness, just a big hug and a wave. She was chatting up her neighbor friend before they got on and it was fantastic. I could tell she was starting to come around after school on Friday. She was saying things like 'I don't want to go to school...but I have to.' and then she'd talk about her classmates and she's remembered more names than I ever will. This morning was fantastic.

I also acquired some echinacea drops to give her periodically to help build her immune system as well as some organic vitamins with extra C and Zinc to help her fight whatever she does catch. Let's hope we can stay ahead of all the colds those kids like to pass around.

So. YAY for Kindergarten now. I am so relieved after that bus load...my entire day is going to be fantastic. I can work alone, which I always knew I'd love when I got back to it, but I can also really focus because I'm not worried about how my baby is doing. She's great!

Thanks for all the lovely comments on the last one. That was a rough week.

School is IN!

Hooray for the first day of school! I have been waiting for this day for about three years now. I work from home which is awesome, but it's a little bit difficult sometimes to balance the kids with my work schedule. Today is the first day in five years that I won't be fetching someone juice or yelling at anyone to stop fighting. My oldest is now a fifth grader and she got on the bus this morning at 7:15 without any problems, she was pumped and ready for it. The Kindergartener was a little more hesitant, processing things as she goes, but her grandpa drives her bus so that was comforting for her and he called to let me know she got off with no problems. She climbed on at 8:05 with a weepy face, but no crying. Her cousin also goes to her school now, and so her uncle saw her get off the bus all smiles. So I feel like this is a beautiful beginning.

It's Official

I now own a fifth grader. Fourth grade promotion day today.

Fourth Grade

I have another post about our vacation in the works with a ton of pictures etc, but I just can't get to it yet. So instead, today is the first day of school for our district. I now have a fourth grader. FOURTH GRADE!

So big and smart and beautiful

So...hey.

Um. I don't have much tonight I guess. A few things happened today I suppose.

Today was Science Day at the 9yo's school. I had planned to drop over there around 1:30..and right when I was ready to go, I got an email that the school was on lockdown because of a shooting. Not as alarming as it sounds, they're very cautious and super protective of the kids, which I love. The shooting was at some local college apartments, where things tend to happen from time to time. Lockdown was less than an hour and I was able to get to Science Day after all. If I weren't so lazy, I'd put a picture here. She was re-exhibiting her Earthquakes research from an earlier earth sciences project. She didn't want to do a new experiment or project..because it was just 'too big' to do. Heh, I hear that.

We're prepping to entertain some family this weekend, so I may be unable to post tomorrow night, depending on how things go and where we are exactly. But I will try. I'm throwing a baby shower for my sister-in-law. Tonight we went around town picking up some last minute things. I found the most adorable Hawkeye dress at Target tonight. We went all the way across town to Von Maur to look for something, but they had nothing, not a single hawkeye thing. Target..came through. It's so adorable, I kind of want to buy it in a bunch of sizes so I can just send them periodically for the baby to wear all the time. I'll have to take a picture of it next time I'm there...I've already bagged it up for her so...yes, I'm lazy. Anyway, I'm excited for her baby, and her shower, and for the people that are driving quite a ways to come to it. It's fun, and exciting and I hope it goes well.

We took the girls for a SURPRISE tonight after all our shopping and dinner. Took them to Orange Leaf for the first time. They liked it, but they weren't as excited as maybe I thought they'd be. The 9yo had a pain in her leg, so I think that was really distracting her, and the 4yo..is particular about things. She really just wanted the toppings, which was fine, but they were touching the yogurt she didn't love, so I helped her eat some of that. The pineapple froyo is so good, I could eat a whole bowl, and the toppings bar is really a test of my willpower. So..many..good...things.

I should be able to post again on Sunday, if I can't tomorrow. I will try though of course.

School stuff

Whew. Tonight was a bit of a marathon. Tonight was Sophie's school musical program. She's been working on it for awhile now and tonight was the night. We got to also check out the school's new Concert Hall which was really nice and had comfy chairs. In years past we've had to sit in the elementary school gym on bleachers...not so comfy. The musical was "A Kid's Life" and it was really cute. She had a great time and Lexi enjoyed watching it. Grandpa came too (the girlfriend is out of town or I'm sure she would have been there, too). The best part is that this school knows what it's doing. Everything about it is run smoothly including the musical programs. They're always on a Thursday night, so there's very little reason for any student not to be able to make it. And they're short. Thirty to forty-five minutes at most. It's pretty awesome. I'll have videos to post tomorrow, it's too late tonight to convert and wait..so, tomorrow.

Theme song: A Kid's Life


Let The Games Begin


Ghost Story

Jump Rope Rock

So we went to McDonald's immediately after the husband got home from work so we could eat and then off to the program and then we headed to DQ afterwards for some 'hey, good job' ice cream.

I didn't have any.

I'm back to tracking my calories. I clearly have no self control.

Darn. They grow up.

Remember when you were in school, and time dragged on and on. And then in high school, and you thought you'd never be done and never escape the rules and study. It seemed to take forever for me, and I didn't mind school. I wasn't in any hurry for it to be over really. But it dragged on.

Why is it that the time with my children isn't dragging on as well? How did I get to already have a third grader? She's halfway through the year, we're almost into fourth grade...and then middle school..and wtf slow down! And the little one..preschool this year and next and then she's into it also. Why is it going so fast when I'm not the one in school.

Damn. They grow up. And so fast is not even accurate..they grow up at the speed of a blink. In the blink of an eye. Before you know it. Right in front of you. All the clichés.