I could write the usual - Where did the month go - but the reality is I know right where it went! With 4 kids - one a 12 week old, a husband, planning a crab feed & auction, homework, art club, ballet for both girls, preschool, church, basketball for Charlie & John, homework club, boy scouts, Girl scouts, Pinewood derby, selling girl scout cookies, House guests for a weekend, valentines day, Valentine class parties, PTA meetings, play dates, painting & decorating the play room, dr's appointments, having Linus the 2nd grade guinea pig for a weekend, both cars in the shop, repair appointments for the dryer & microwave, working in both classrooms each week, babysitting swaps so I can work in classrooms, sleepovers, 2 school holidays, a week of minimum days for Charlie and oh yeah not to mention cooking, cleaning, laundry and driving the kids to all those things! That is where the month went!!!
Now some of those highlights ~ Charlie had his pinewood derby earlier this month and he came in 2nd in his pack! We are so proud of him and his enthusiasm. He was just as excited for all the other boys as he was for himself. Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Courtney came over for dinner and to cheer him on with us. He and John had a great time building his car! They designed it and John got a new work bench so they had a great time working together!
Annie has been selling girl scout cookies this month and was so cute in front of our little market with her troop! How cute are those little daisy girls! She and I have a new little tradition, while Audrey is at ballet each Wednesday morning we go next door to the little coffee shop and get hot chocolate and muffins and sit and visit. She is so cute and seems to treasure these times with me still. She is growing up into such a sweet little girl!
Audrey has been loving preschool. All the kids in her class are three and it has been so good for her. She comes home and talks about all her friends and Ms. Carrie. She has just blossomed in the last 2 months it seems from a little toddler to a big girl! She has started the funniest habit ever - when ever we go somewhere she packs a purse. Who knows what you are going to find in it. Last week at Johns basketball game all of a sudden I realize all the kids (I mean like 8 kids - not just mine) have string cheese. I look into her purse and there must have been 4 granola bars, 4 or 5 gogurts, half a pack of sliced American cheese, 2 refrigerator magnets, a chip clip bag and my favorite a check book (one from my purse)! She was prepared for everything - how can you not adore her!
We had a low key valentines at home! I made heart shaped french toast and then later that afternoon my good friend Cindy and her family came and stayed for a few days. We had heart shaped Pizza and pink cupcakes. Then we got to do our favorite thing and sit and talk for 2 days! The following day was holiday and it was BEAUTIFUL outside. Charlie played outside on his bike from 9 in the morning until 5 when I made him come in for dinner! Cindy and I took all the kids to the park at lunch time for picnic and we went on a long walk along the river with all the kids.
Charlie has been playing basketball again this year and LOVES it. I think it is his favorite sport and he is so good at it! He makes tons of baskets and he is really good about passing to his teammates as well. And on defense he is a little stud! He has this yell he does as he is trying to block shots that makes me laugh. We were at Walmart after one of his games and a dad and son on the other team walks by and I hear the dad say to the son, that is the kid on the other team who had 20 points! We are so proud of him.
We have had TONS of rain this month but we have also had some beautiful days as well. We have tried to spend those sunny days at park. It is the perfect time of year for our park because the snakes aren't out yet so the kids can play in the tree forts and bushes. The kids love being outside with all their friends and I love that I have so many great girl friends out here that have kids and we can get together and visit and let our kids run free at the park.
I wouldn't normally put up that both cars were in the shop but my van has been great! The check engine light came on for the first time in almost 3 years with a minor problem and then John on the other hand was coming back from a date with Annie and had a minor fender bender with a piece of re-bar on the side of the road. The picture below is of him removing it from the undercarriage of his car - I didn't get a picture of the 20 feet of barbed wire attached to it as well. Luckily no one was hurt other than the truck (it took over 2 weeks to fix and has to go back in next week after a few more parts come in!)
Emily is still an amazing baby! I feel so blessed with her sweet little personality. She sleeps all night still and even naps great during the day! She is at that smiley stage where anytime you interact with her she is all smiles. She may have the cutest smile ever - she scrunches up her little hands to her chin and tilts her head and then gives you the most beautiful little toothless grin you could imagine. She is starting to recognize her sisters and Charlie and will smile when she hears and sees them. I love that as her mom all I have to do is smile or pick her up and she is happy and content. I am still amazed that she is a red head! I was shocked when we had Annie and she had red hair - Emily is going to have hair just as red if not redder! Right now she is just curled up asleep in my arms as I type. John and Charlie are off playing basketball & the older girls are playing with some friends. We started a babysitting co-op on Saturday nights with some friends, we each take turns having the kids at our house on Saturday night and then other weeks we drop of our kids and get an adult evening. See how lucky I am!
As I look ahead to March I want to bury my head in the sand already, it may be busier than February. Baseball practice starts Monday - Charlie has 2 practices a week and Annie 1. The crab feed/Auction I am chairing is April 9th so we are at the countdown for that, John is gone for 4 or 5 days early this month, and we still have everything else going on!
(here are some pictures from the month no particular order and there are a lot of them - Audrey dropped our camera and it isn't working so that is on the to do list for the month too!)
Charlie's Class Valentines Day Party
Smiley Emily
Charlie at the pinewood derby & getting his tropy!
Annie's Valentines day party
Emily ready for Church
Audrey & Emily at Charlie's Basket ball game!
Charlie Playing ball - he was awarded MVP for his Team!!!!
Annie & Charlie with Linus (no we are not getting a guinea pig!!!)
Audrey talking to Uncle Brett on the phone (she wants to call him everyday)
Audrey with her Valentines Lollipop!
The kids got mousetrap as a valentines present!
Could she be any cuter?
Working on the pinewood derby car
John's Truck!
