May Day, May Day!

I'm BACK! Did you miss me?? Just kidding, haha! May is our familys' busiest month ever (well, same with December) but we are 3/4 of the way through it and I still haven't taken a breath!  This blog post is looong because I'm trying to catch-up with the last 6 weeks of life. 

First off, April was not very fun... First, I threw out my back and haven't been able to do much of ANYTHING for weeks now.  I've gained so much weight from practically being an invalid for a month and we decided I just can't do "Insanity" anymore.  I was trying to hard to get in better shape for Summer so I was fully committed to a hard-core workout regime.  I started doing Insanity because I have had great results in the past from that, but each time I did it, my back would be so sore for a few days.... not just muscle sore, but like "injured" sore.  But I kept pushing through it because I wanted to lose weight.....until one day I pushed too hard and really messed it up.  BAD. I've never felt so much pain in my back ever.  I have cried myself to sleep over the pain more than once but the past couple of days it has started to feel better- FINALLY..... Anyway, April also brought on another stressor: Shawn totaled our car when a huge deer ran out in front of him on a 2 lane highway one night.  He was on his way to a funeral in Louisiana for one of his dear friends who died in a car accident when he hit that deer.  Both very sad circumstances.  My cute little Yaris was deemed a "total-loss" and just like that it was gone... 8 years and many memories in that car had me really emotional when the towing company came and took it away.  I actually cried a lot over it. I was attached to it. It was my first big purchase in life. I financed it all by myself and was so proud of myself. We brought both Lucy and Piper home in it and drove to the hospital in it with Sully (I thought I would deliver him in that car if you remember that birth story, haha!). And the gas mileage is amazing. I was sad to see it go. Want to see the car we had to buy to take it's place? Without any money to put towards a new car (other than the amount insurance paid us) it was extremely slim pickin's.  We had to get this older Chrysler Sebring and my heart broke when I thought about the fact that we were buying anything other than a Toyota (I'm a loyal Toyota fan for life)! But, it just needs to get Shawn from point A to point B for the next 4 years and then he can get a new one.  The girls think it is THE COOLEST car ever because it's a convertible.  They beg him to take them to school in it with the top down. It looks so funny with their booster seats in it while they think they're stylin'!

Anyway, back to May. It was busy enough before my kids started school (with Lucy's birthday, Mother's Day, our Anniversary, Memorial Day, etc.).  But school makes it TOTALLY INSANE! They have a 26 day ABC countdown and every day is something that goes with the letter.... Like, A was for Animals so they had to bring their favorite stuffed animal to school.  B was for Book so they had to bring their favorite books to school, G will be "gum" day and they get to chew gum all day, P will be Pajama Day, etc... You get the idea. Every day. For 26 days. It just makes things crazier!

There is Field Day for both kids.  There are end-of-the-year "Celebrations of Success" for the kids, there are many Field Trips, there are end-of-the-year musical performances, there are Awards Nights for their Bible club, there are dress rehearsals for Dance and dance class pictures and Teacher Appreciation week and Cheerleading Registration and doctor appointments.... and the list goes on and on and on.....  May. is. nuts. 

Speaking of musical performances, Lucy had one that was a circus theme. It. Was. ADORABLE.  Gosh, 1st graders are just so enthusiastic and no one is embarrassed to dress goofy.  There were lions,  gymnasts,  "strong men," clowns (Lucy was one of them- you'll see her in the rainbow wig!), and various other circus "performers."  They sang songs, they entertained, and it was fabulous from start to finish! Lucy's role was a stilt-walker because she said she "tried out" for the role of a gymnast and didn't make the cut, hahaha! (to say she is uncoordinated is an understatement *wink, wink*).

Piper's class had 3 field trips in May and I was only able to go to one of them.  But it was fun! I love seeing her interact with her friends at school any chance I get.  She is still such a cute little social butterfly.

Mother's Day passed by in a blur. Mother's Day is a nice day to be thought of by your family (and even the community) but what I like to do on Mother's Day is just kinda nothing at all... relax with my family.  So that's what we did :)  It was much too hot to do anything outside unless you were in water, and our pool isn't open yet but Shawn knows that my favorite place to be is outside.  So he ran to Walmart and bought an inflatable pool for the kiddos so that I could relax with my feet in the ice cold water while they splashed around and he grilled us steaks and corn.  Then he had the girls help with the rest.  Lucy was a chef and made the macaroni and cheese (for the kids) and Piper took my order and wrote it all down perfectly.  She even wrote that I wanted my steak "well-done."  Isn't that just the cutest thing ever? It was an absolutely perfect Mother's Day.

All 3 babies are looking at the camera at the same time! It was a Mother's Day miracle!

Shawn, Lucy, Piper and Sully all wrote 10 things they love about me and presented them to me during Breakfast in Bed.  This was the most special gift ever. 

Sorry, had to add these sweet cheeks to the post! I will never forget all of Piper's wedgies :)

Piper's list of what I asked for for my dinner when she was my waiter:) 

Lucy's 7th birthday came and went and so did her birthday party. WOW. What a BUSY 48 hours we have had!

We started the day with Breakfast in Bed, let her open 1 gift before school, brought treats to her class,  picked her up from school a little bit early and finished the day with her dinner of choice (Pizza) and Cupcakes.  She spent the whole night singing and dancing to "The Greatest Showman" (her and Pi's current obsession and a birthday gift of hers) and went to bed happy. 

This was my favorite gift to give her.  She found this doll in the clearance section of TJ Maxx months ago and when she set her sights on it it was ALLLLLL she could talk about.  For some reason, that doll was something she felt in her little heart that she just HAD to have! It was only $9 but man, it will be treasured!  We were running errands that day and I was a sneaky little Mama because I told the cashier to slip it in a secret bag while I was getting everything else rung up- thankfully it was winter so I threw my coat on top of everything in my cart so that she wouldn't see me carrying it.  At first it was really hard NOT to give it to her the very day she found it because she was heartbroken that we weren't taking it home with us. The 30 minutes she had her in her arms in the store while I shopped were the happiest 30 minutes of her day! But she didn't have any of her own money and I try not to buy my kids gifts "just because." They have to earn them.  Anyway, I almost caved so many times that day because when we left and she thought she'd never see the doll again she got really melancholy and quiet the rest of the afternoon.  My heart hurt for her but I knew if I held out it would be the best reward ever and BOY was I RIGHT!  It was the BEST reaction ever!  She screamed when she pulled it out of the bag!  She was SOOOO excited and surprised and hugged and kissed her all over! Immediately she named her Layla. 

Thank you to everyone who helped her get every single thing on her birthday list! She was so spoiled!  The best part was, all the stuff she asked for this year was cheap so it seemed like she got much more than normal.  It was such a fun day.

Today was her party! 

My Lucy girl asked for a Princess Themed birthday party and I couldn't have been happier.  She is at the brink of becoming a "big kid" who is outgrowing those types of "little girl" themes but she held out for one extra year.  Not many kids above the age of 5 still want Princess Parties.  But she did.  Not Disney princess though.  No, she was very specific about that.  We had it at her Dance studio and it was easy-peasy!  I am not big into planning parties so it was fun to find out that the girls' Dance Studio provides the decorations and paper supplies, drinks and games and does all the set-up and take-down.  All I had to do was bring cake, snacks and a piñata! Not doing set-up or take-down at a party is seriously THE BEST THING EVER. And all those cute 7 year olds had so much fun! They did 20 minutes of hip-hop and learned a dance to "Shake It Off" by T-Swfit, then they did 20 minutes of ballet and learned a dance to one of the slow songs in "The Greatest Showman" and then 20 minutes of tumbling.  They were the cutest little dancers ever! I made her cake myself {but I was SO sad because the "front" of the cake shown in the pictures below was actually supposed to be the back of the cake! It was the ugliest side of the cake, but while I was driving to the dance studio, the cake slid and the real front of it got smashed. I almost cried... it took me hours to bake/frost!  At least it wasn't completely ruined!} Other than that, the party was a total success!!!

(pictures are a little out of order because that's how they uploaded and i'm too impatient to fix them! sorry!)

After this monster saw me taking pictures with Lucy, he wiggled his way in to take one with me too. He is such a sour-patch kid! Love him!

 

Lucy is officially 7 and that seems really old to me.... She is registered for 2nd grade too and for some reason, this age and grade seem BIG.  Maybe not for others, but for me it does.  She's also my oldest so obviously I've never had a 7 year old.  I just feel like 1st grade is still little and innocent.  But 2nd grade... I don't know what to think!

She has grown by leaps and bounds this year (both physically and academically!) and I couldn't be more proud of her!  She was blessed with the world's greatest teacher (Mrs. French) who advocated for her and supported her and loved her and I know that made a world of a difference.  Last year was tough for us.  But first grade was SOOOO much better.  And the past 4 months with her have been really good. No, not easy (will days ever really be easy?!) but good.  My Lucy Lu came back to me a bit.  She is on different medications and different supplements and I finally saw the light in her again.  She was kind to me again.  She was loving towards me again.  She was less defiant, less argumentative and more willing to do things we asked her to do.  She was back to wanting to play with her brother and sister. She was BACK. Not everyday was perfect, but most days have been pretty great.  For almost 2 years I felt like I had lost the sweet little Lucy that she was as a toddler.  She was SO hard.  So angry and we butted heads EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  It took almost 2 years to find what worked for her, but we finally found something and out of the dark emerged my precious baby girl.  Obviously, she's not a baby in terms of age.  But she will always be my baby.... 

She's still very petite and the size of a 5 year old but she gained 4 pounds this year and grew an inch. She is reading SO well and is amazing at memorizing her Bible verses.  She can do her addition and subtraction so quickly and she is a wonderful artist! She still isn't embarrassed by things quite yet but don't the self-esteem issues usually start to surface in the 2nd/3rd grade?  I'm holding onto her pride in herself and bravery over speaking out and being silly for as long as I can....I will cry the day she tells me someone teased her for something.  I will be heartbroken when her peers are mean to her.  I will be angry if someone puts her down over something she was never embarrassed about until they pointed it out.  But for now she doesn't have any of those negative factors in her life so we are right in the middle of a really sweet spot.  I wish it didn't ever have to end!  She is a silly, thoughtful, compassionate, curious little girl with a mind (and a mouth) that moves a mile a minute and I am SO happy she is mine!  She is so beautiful with her big blue eyes, her porcelain skin and her beautiful smile.  She is my firstborn so there's always that special bond that will never be broken. The toughest days are not behind us, but I am SO happy with where we are right now.  I'm thankful for the little girl she is and I can't tell you how deeply I love her.  Happy 7th Birthday Lucy Lu.  You are my everything. 

Next week we have only 4 days of school and then WE ARE DONE! Summer is SO CLOSE! We are almost there.....

Happy May everyone!

P.S. Are they not the most beautiful ballerinas you ever did see???? This was dance picture day. Our rectal is in 2 weeks! Eeek! I can't wait!