Spring Break

Everyone had spring break the same week this year. Madison and Molly went to my parents house for a few days. We met in Columbus and had dinner together. They got the royal treatment. While they were there the got to go to a museum with Aunt Susan. They also went to see the movie Monsters verses Aliens, had lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Scott and spent an afternoon at the indoor pool at the rec center. It was three days jam packed full of fun. Mallory got to see what it's like to be an only child for the first time in her life. We were back from dropping the girls off with my parents for less than 10 minutes and Mallory wanted to pretend the she and I were Madison and Molly. I thought that was pretty funny. It was amazing how quiet the house was! I took advantage of the time by getting some spring cleaning done. Mallory and I went swimming one afternoon. She is such a little water bug like her sisters. She loves to jump into the the big pool with her vest on now. Duane and I took her out to dinner and went to the same movie with her. It was her first movie. She did fantastic! The day after the girls got home we had a tea party. Duane surprised us all and took the day Friday off. We headed to Cincinnati to have lunch at Johnny Rockets and visit the Newport Aquarium. It was very crowded so we decided to go the the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History. The kids love the children's museum there, especially the tree house area. They had a great time. We all enjoyed the break and were sad to see it end. But now we can start the countdown to summer break. It's just around the corner!

Busy Little Bee

Molly is a busy girl! We decided to take a break from gymnastics so that Molly could play soccer. We had high hopes that she would like soccer as much as Madison. She scored two goals at the first game and we were really proud of how well she kept up. She is so tall for her age. It is going to take some time for her coordination to catch up with her size. She enjoys interacting with the other kids more than actually playing soccer. But at this point at her ripe old age of 5, socialization is the most important thing. I am trying to keep that in mind when I watch her roll around and giggle with another child on the side lines or chase a team mate around the field during practice. I'm also trying to keep in mind that Madison was the same way at that age.

Every Wednesday after preschool, Molly meets with her Godly Play group for a half hour. She enjoys hearing the interactive bible stories and often retells them. We have found that she is a pretty spiritual kid. She talks a lot about the bible and God. We will miss Godly Play next year. It has been a wonderful experience for her.

We went to a spaghetti dinner at Molly's school a few weeks ago. We got to see her perform on stage. Her class sang "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Oh, What a Miracle". They also got to say the blessing before the meal. We were very happy that the Ackleys were able to be there with us on Molly's special night. We are blessed to have them in our lives.

I registered Molly for Kindergarten and in a few weeks she goes for Kindergarten screening. We have been working hard on learning letters and numbers to get her all set for Kindergarten. It's so hard to believe that she is already 5 years old. She is getting more and more independent every day. I have been looking at pictures from when she was a baby and toddler. She has the most angelic face with her blue eyes and toe-head blond hair. She is truly thrilled to be old enough to play with the "big kids" and go to some of the neighbors houses to play. It's going to be a great summer for her this year!

Here Comes Peter Cottentail!

We did a whirlwind tour of northeastern Ohio on Easter Sunday, but it was well worth it. We were happy to wake up to a sunny and mild morning. We got everybody up, dressed and made over, then it was time to hunt for those baskets of goodies. The girls looked so adorable! It was amazing the the Easter Bunny knew to deliver the baskets to Mammaw and Pappaw's house! He's pretty sharp! The girls were thrilled to find arts and craft stuff, a new DVD and loads of candy in their baskets. After that we had to rush off to church. Everything we do involves rushing. It doesn't matter how early you start, there is never enough time! We spent most of the time in the cry room with Mallory and Molly. Mallory is not ready or able to handle sitting in church. Madison sat with my parents and Grandpa Scott. Then her and Molly switched after communion. We missed not having Grandma Scott there with us. She was recovering from a double knee replacement in an extended care facility. That was our next stop after church. It was a quick visit, but we were happy to see her none the less. We dropped off some flowers the day before to help put her in the Easter spirit. Our next stop was at Dale and Janet's for our first Easter dinner. Janet is a fantastic cook. We had a wonderful meal and enjoyed the time with Dale, Janet, Megan, Logan and Grandpa Scott. The kids always love to be together and made the most of their time together. Our last stop was Aunt Susan's house and another delicious meal. We were so stuffed! All the kids had an Easter egg hunt after dinner and were thrilled to get even more treats. They are blessed to have a wonderful family who thinks of them often and does so many things to make them feel loved and special. Easter Sunday is a day to be surrounded by family and love. It is a day to remember the sacrifice that God made in order for us to have all of our blessings and eternal peace.

Many Milestones for Mallory

Mallory continues to change so quickly! Many big things have happened for her lately. In February she was invited to her first birthday party. Her little friend Kennedy had a birthday tea party. She got all dressed up in a pretty dress and had a great time. She looked like such a big girl!

Several months ago we put her potty chair out just to get her familiar with it. Every now and then we would put her on it. A few times she even went to the bathroom and we were thrilled. While Duane and I were in Gaitlynburge, my Aunt Susan spent a lot of time working on potty training with Mallory. When we came home from our trip we were thrilled to find out she was nearly potty trained. She is doing a wonderful job with it! Now that spring is here and she is playing outside more often, she's had a few set backs. But it's just a matter of us reminding her more often to take a break and go to the bathroom when she is so engaged with outdoor play.

A few weeks ago we took down her crib and put up the toddler bed. She never really tried to climb out of her crib. But this summer she is going to bunk with Molly so that Madison can have her own room. So we wanted to give her plenty of time to adjust. When she switches rooms she'll be in a twin bed. It was a bitter sweet day! She took very well to her new bed. She is still great with naps, but often visits our room at night now that she can come and go as she pleases. We finally have Molly trained to stay in her bed for the most part and now we have a little one coming in for a visit.

The kids in the neighborhood have been spending a lot more time in our yard now that the weather is improving. Mallory just fits right into the mix. She is not always directly involved in what they are all playing, but she is totally content to just be in the midst of it all. Al big challenge this summer will be teaching her to stay away from the street. I'll be relieved when she gets that one. The next milestone we are hoping for is to get rid of the paccie this summer. I saved that one for last because it is not going to be easy. But it's time! She is a big girl now!

Princess Molly

Molly is our wonderful middle child. With this status comes many challenges that she didn't necessarily ask for. Especially at the age she is. She is in the shadow of her big sister who gets to do "everything" because she is older. She has to go along to be a spectator to all these great things that her big sister gets to do but she doesn't. She is not sweet, innocent toddler that gets away with things because she is "just learning" anymore. The same toddler that gets so much attention for learning new things at what seems like the speed of sound. It's a tough spot to be in. She doesn't always realize how special she is and that her time will come too. This year on her birthday I decided that she would get the royal treatment! That she would have the most special day ever! And she really did! We had a party at the Princess Tea Room in downtown Centerville. It was truly a little girls dream. What a beautiful place! After everyone arrived the girls went upstairs to choose dress-up clothes and have their make-up done. There was so much to choose from. Tiaras, wands, gloves, fur stoles. You name it! Then they layed out the red carpet and had a fashion show. Next they made picture frames, then it was on to the tea party. The girls enjoyed fruit and veggies and had lemonade and tea using real china. Then came the cupcakes! After the tea party everyone went back up stairs for some presents and dancing. Madison sat next to Molly and helped her read the cards. It was precious! The afternoon was full of bright, happy little faces. I loved seeing Molly have the chance to be the center of attention. It was her special day. But I also enjoyed seeing all of those little girls faces when they got to pick out their dress-up close and when Molly opened each of their special gifts. It was priceless! I am so glad that we could give Molly such a special 5th birthday!

Missing Daddy

Duane had to make another trip to China. It was a sad house of girls here. No one likes it when Daddy is gone. Molly and I shed tears together. My anxiety level was off the charts while he was making the trip there and back. But life has to go on, especially when it is as busy as ours. Several weeks ago Duane and I sat down and looked at the calendar to find the week that would be the most manageable without him. Of coarse after he planned the trip, 5 more things came up. But that would probably have been the case any week that we chose. We stayed very busy and it helped pass the time. We had a girl's night the day Duane left. We ate dinner in living room and watched movies. I let the girls take turns sleeping with me every night. It made the lonely nights a little more bearable having some one to cuddle with. I truly ached being away from Duane. It's like taking half of a whole a way. I tried to console myself by taking comfort in the fact that we love each other so much, it hurts to be apart. I'm so lucky to have that. On Sunday we went to an art show to see two pieces of Madison's art work that were selected to be on display. This was very exciting for all of us! I was so proud of her! She made a Chinese dragon, which was kind of ironic and a drawing of her being a vet when she grows up. Madison went to a cheer leading camp for three evening that week. On the final night they did a performance for the families. She really had fun with it. It was a blast watching her, but it was just as much fun watching Molly trying to do the routines from the stands. Next year she'll be old enough for cheer leading camp. That's going to be the case for a lot of things soon. Molly's growing up! We did all of this in addition to our normal activities and routines. I have so much respect for single parents. I don't know how they do it. I really am trying to appreciate all the things that Duane does to help out. It sure is a lot! By Friday, we were all exhausted and really ready for the man of the house to come home. It was hard to contain our excitement. We made him a welcome home sign and hung it on the front door. I let the girls stay up until he got home around 10:30. They didn't even let him get out of the car before covering him with kisses and hugs. I was so relieved to have Duane safe and sound at home. We were one happy, reunited family. We were complete again! Every time he goes on a trip, Duane brings the girls something special. While in China, he visited a silk factory. He bought all three girls the most adorable pajamas. I got a beautiful silk shirt. Daddy's always thinking of his girls, no matter where he is. We're so glad he's home, sweet home!

Cabin in the Woods

After eight years, Duane and I finally took a trip without the little ones. We are so grateful to my parents and Aunt Susan for taking the time to spend the weekend with the kids. It meant so much to us. We have done some over night get aways. But this time we had three days and two nights alone. I love my children more than life itself. But I truly believe that without a happy, healthy and fulfilling marriage, nothing else in life can be solid. I am so blessed to have that. But it takes dedication and hard work to maintain in our busy lives. Every married couple needs some time alone to have intimate and in depth conversations and to have the chance to rediscover one another and reconnect at a deeper level that we don't always have the time or opportunity to do. That was what our weekend in Gaitlynburg was all about. We were tucked away in an adorable, secluded cabin with the most breathtaking view! It was so quiet and peaceful. I felt like a kid at Christmas when we left on Saturday morning. We talked the entire 5 hour trip. That night we cooked dinner together, listened to music and enjoyed the freedom of not having to answer to anyone or meet numerous demands. On Sunday we decided to go indoor sky diving of all things! I was pretty skeptical about the whole things. But like so many times, Duane talked me into it and we had a blast. There's nothing like flying:) Later in the day the snow started really coming down. So we threw caution to the wind and went for a drive in the mountains. Duane found a great spot for some breathtaking pictures. We parked on the side of the road and heels and I I ventured with him into the woods. It was one of those moments in life that I really felt close to God. I could hear the snow falling and the creek tumbling along and all was calm. There are few too many moments of calm in my life being a working mom. I cherish that moment and was blessed to share it with my husband. That evening we enjoyed a nice dinner and came back to our cabin to find we had lost power. Luckily, we were upgraded to another cabin. Once I got past the few too many stuffed animal heads, we settled in for another relaxing night together. On our final day we went out to breakfast, did a little shopping and road a tram through the mountains. It was a bright sunny day and the snow glistened on the mountains. It was a fantastic end to a such a memorable trip. Although we enjoyed our time alone together, there was nothing like being welcomed home by our three little munchkins. We can't wait to take them there some day!

Madison's 8th Birthday

It's hard to believe that Madison is now 8 years old! I was looking at pictures from when she was a baby and I remember what a special time in our lives it was. We became a family. One of the greatest things we did as new parents I think was to not let having a child stop us from doing the things that we loved. Madison went hiking, biking and boating during her first year of life. And we loved every minute of sharing those experiences with her. The night before her birthday Madison and I were talking. One of the rare moments that I can have a one on one conversation with one of my kids. She asked me if I was going to play her special personalized birthday CD and sing to her when she woke up the next morning on her birthday. I told her she would have to just wait and see. Then she told me that she knows that her life is so special because I did things for her that not all moms do. She said that she knew that not all kids were as lucky as her and that the special things I did for her really meant a lot. I thought I was going to faint! I felt like all of the time and hard work I put into trying to be the best possible mother came down to this one defining moment with my first born. I had hoped that one day she would get it. I never imaged that she would be 8 years old when she did. There are lots of times that Duane probably thinks that I'm going overboard to make certain things extra special. There is a fine line between spoiling your kids and making them feel significant. I know that I can't give them everything. But I want my girls to feel special. I want them to know how important their happiness is to me. Making memories for them is one of the things I live for. It makes them who they are and what I dream they will become some day. The next day on her birthday, she had a skating party with her friends. It was a joy to see her face lit up the whole time. I was out there doing the chicken dance and the hoky poky with a bunch of 8 year olds. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. After the party we went to church as a family and reflected on all our blessings. There are so many. Then we headed downtown the the Spaghetti Warehouse for dinner. It's one of Madison's favorite places. We have our ups and downs just like every mother and daughter. But the love and pride I feel for that beautiful 8 year old girl is overwhelming at times. I am so grateful that God picked me to be her mother.