Round 2

Round 2 of Standardized testing starts today for my big girls. I'm so over them already. The only good thing about these tests is that Hannah and Mally don't have homework on any of the nights after the tests so they get to play outside til dark which we all love. I keep losing track of time because it's still so light at 8pm and by the time I notice it's time to rush to get showered, read and go to sleep. I'm so anal about them going to bed by 9 on a school night. They get mad at me and say that some of the kids get to go to bed at 10, but dang-it, I need that quiet time!!

It's starting to get warm around here. It's hitting the 80's, the bugs are EVERYWHERE and achoocoughcough, I am sounding like a sick person all of a sudden. I thought maybe it was a cold, but with the pollen covering every inch of everything outside, it might be a case of allergies. Seriously, I don't remember ever noticing layers of pollen on every surface outside, but obviously it happens every year I just was never bothered by it.

Miss Ava is loving the outside playtime. We're headed to the store today to find her some cute shoes for her Easter outfit and buy some color safe bleach because apparently when you are two using markers on your clothes equals fun! I'm not kidding, every single one of her "nice" outfits I have bought her lately have some sort of stain. I blame her love of ChawMill (or chocolate milk) and a secret stash of markers I found last night in Hannah and Mallorie's bathroom cabinet. She's completely potty trained now with little to no accidents and I couldn't be happier. Rusty keeps getting all sentimental about her being so big, but I am not missing all the diaper changing! *sidenote* I just told her "Hi" when she walked down the stairs this morning, she gave me the serious eyebrows and said, "No hi". I guess she needs her chawmill first thing in the morning like Mommy needs her coffee. Grouchy little toot.

After our adventure for shoes and bleach we're headed to sign up her sisters for summer camps. They are so excited and so am I, with a side of hope that the camps they want aren't already full. So here is the lineup after many hours of deliberation and mind changes: Hannah is taking drama camp and art camp. Mallorie is going to horse camp. Hannah refused horse camp because she said then she would want a horse and it would be better for her to resist the temptation...I just stood there looking at her when she said it and nodded my head trying not to giggle at such a big proclamation. All the while Mallorie was jumping up and down with giddy excitement! Judging by Hannah's choice you can see that she is exactly 50% Rusty and 50% me. I would NEVER in a million years have had the confidence needed to get on stage and participate in drama, that would be her father. I pushed the art camp because she wouldn't make up her mind between jazz and tap or art...who is this kid?? She can't wait, and honestly I'm glad they're doing these camps on their own. They'll hopefully have a wonderful time!

We've got our schedule all set up so that we can take some time to travel and see all of our family. I can't wait! I'm missing seeing everyone and I can't wait to get my niece and nephew together with my kiddos and let them play. I need to go visit my Nanny and see my cousins shop that she opened, just so much stuff that I feel like I've been missing because of being so busy with moving and getting settled in the last year. I'm also trying to find a long weekend where I can go visit some friends in California (all by myself, alone, solo) so I can recharge my Mommy and Wife battery.

*warning: not for the squeamish*
Speaking of family, please keep my nearly two year old nephew, Tyler, in your prayers for continued healing. A couple of days ago he was playing near a dishwasher rack and fell on it. It impailed his eye socket, missing his eyeball (thank God) and fractured his skull entering his brain. Amazingly there was not major vessel damage. They put him in the ICU in Dallas and treated him, he is now in a regular room, the bleeding has stopped and now he is just being monitored and I'm imagining he's probably pretty sore. It looks as though he might stay in the hospital there for several more days, so just keep that part in your prayers as well. I can imagine it's pretty tiring emotionally and physically for his parents and the grandparents that are there with him. There are so many people praying already and I know his mommy and dad are feeling the blessings of his healing. This is such a happy, fun and energy filled little boy and I am so happy that he won't remember a bit of this when he is older. I cannot get him off of my mind and am just in constant praise for his ability to bounce back and seeing his smiling face on a text last night was like a huge relief for us. I cannot imagine how his mom and dad are feeling, but I do know that smile had to give them a jolt of needed energy!

Well, Ava and I are about ready to go run our errands and she's sick of waiting on me to finish writing this post, so I'll try to post again soon. Oh and there are no pictures because our Mac decided it didn't want to accept discs anymore so we took it back to the store for what we were told should be a quick fix, but is infact going to take two weeks *tear* so I don't have any new pictures on this laptop...they slow this computer down even more than normal, if that's even possible. Gah, anyway, I hope you are having a wonderful week!