May

Whew!  Its hard to find time to blog regularly.  I often tell Mike that I find myself feeling like I can't do both my agenda and the kids.  I had been hard core kids for the first few months of the year but then after vacation, I realized that I just wanted to do house stuff/ my projects and then I realized 'oh yeah', I can't really be so purposeful with the kids when I am just trying to do my agenda.  And hello, that is what we are working on here... getting a boy ready for school.  But usually if I can get engaged with them, I end up enjoying it a ton too.  As I write this, I just told them to stay upstairs after naps and read books in their room.... keeping it real. ;)  

So here are some May happenings lumped together since it seems too much to separate them.

*FRIDAYS

I've been taking a sewing class with neighborhood friends on Friday mornings this "semester" and love, love, love it.  (I made Lily a pillowcase dress!  I'll post a pic next time she wears it.)

  But Fridays often have lots of possibilities (like field trips & yard sale prep) so I can't go as regularly as I'd like.  And then I sort for the Clothes Closet once a month on Fridays.  So I got the kids to come with me a day early to get it done so I'd be free to go to sewing.  They were surprisingly helpful in loading up the bags of "bad" stuff that goes to goodwill.  But then it all went south and there was crying and fighting and extreme doneness.  So went went straight to CookOut for milkshakes.

 *FRIDAY EVE FRIEND DINNERS

Some of our neighbors are moving (sad!!) so we've had neighborhood families over twice recently to squeeze out all we can of this season of being neighbors.  The kids have had a blast together and its just been SO nice to be outside after a long winter & cool spring.

Boys, oh boys.

*CELEBRATING!

I told Lily that she needed to give up her dogs.  She was surprisingly motivated.  Mike told her that if she slept without them for a week then she could have a treat.  She wanted a cake.  Girl after my own heart.

She did it!  And we had cake!  She added sprinkles.

And of course, you need candles!

*PAINTING

I painted the bottom of my dining room table with Annie Sloan chalk paint.  I'd love a "new" table but I'll have to wait.  This is the table Mike got after college with his bachelor friends.  It was unfinished and they stained and polyurethaned it.  Now its partially painted.  :)  It does help to break up the brown in the dining room.

*SPRING FLING

We went to spring fling at Peter's new elementary school.  Fun times to come!

 We picked up about 16 new books for $4!  They didn't even make it into the house b/c the kids just wanted to sit and read.  Love it.  They did NOT inherit this from me.  So thankful.

*GENERAL SILLINESS

Legos at breakfast, or any.time.  This boy loves legos.  Sometimes too much so.

 stamps all over

 learning to write short words.

*PRESCHOOL YARD SALE

One of the things we LOVE about our church and our preschool is that it is smack dab in the middle of a big refugee population in our city.  So our preschool is blessed to have many of those sweet kids in our midst.  And each year the preschool raises money to offer scholarships.  One of the main ways we do that is through the yard sale.  Families from the whole church donate.  I've helped work it for at least the last 2 years.  This year I had a more central role in organizing the logistics of it.  It was a little intimidating and daunting.  But then at the end, it was sorta satisfying to have planned and pulled off such an event.  I sent lots of pesky emails to recruit, recruit, recruit.  Thanks to some strong men for loading the trucks!

 ...And thanks to LOTS of people for unloading, organizing and working it on Saturday morning!

This picture is only half of what we had and it was half way through the morning.

My parents had generously taken our kids for the weekend (see Paw and Lily pics) so Mike and I headed out for lunch afterwards.  Mexican and Margaritas?  Yes, please!

*PRESCHOOL CUTENESS

Joy S, Lily is wearing the tassel skirt on her head.  She thinks its hair.

*YAY!  We've FINALLY had some warm days!!

Milkshakes at the park after preschool

 exploring!

 handsome, big boy!

*DRAWING!

Peter has just gotten into drawing, all on his own initiative!  "New" developmental milestones still nearly take my breath away at the gift of learning these skills.  I can clearly remember testing to see if he had similar but more basic skills at younger ages... visual motor skills, I think?

*SWIMMING

Peter has continued with this lessons at Aqua Tots.  We've just finished up this week and are signing up for swim team.  I have no idea if he is really ready but I decided the risk was worth it.  Oh, I have no idea what I am getting myself into.  There are so many possibilities of how this could go...  

His daddy was a swimmer so I am hoping he has some genetic potential.

 Sweet Lily just stands on the sidelines for all of this activities and looks cute.

 exhibit #2 of cutely waiting for brother

 We did buy her goggles and sign her up for swim lessons at the pool.  :)

Tomorrow is our LAST DAY OF PRESCHOOL... EVER for my sweet boy!  Part of me is THRILLED.  I am so so very ready for summer.  But the fact that I will no longer get full days with him after this school year is almost too much and sorta welcome at the same time... I hope he will flourish.  But he's my little boy and how did he get so big?!?!