The Beginning Of The End

I can hardly believe it is May already.  For one, it has been way too chilly for my taste the last few days.  The temps are not proving to be a good indication that summer is sneaking up on us.

But, the end of school days and extracurricular activities are here to remind me that, yes, it is indeed May.  And this is the beginning of the end.

We participated in a few "End" celebrations this past week and have many more ahead of us over the next week.

I swear I was just walking a little chubby cheeked blondie into her 3 year old classroom for the first time yesterday.  And now, here I am helping her say goodbye to the end of a wonderful school year, great friends, and amazing teachers.  I am a firm believer that it really does go by way too fast, take the time to enjoy these precious little ones.

Even with the cooler temps, Maggie's class enjoyed an outdoor party.  She chose not to wear her sweater for fear it would cover up her favorite dress.  I couldn't find a way to argue with that, nor did I have the energy to do so.

In true Maggie fashion, she watched from the sidelines as her friends enjoyed a sack race and a ball game.  But, when it was bubble time she was all about it.

And, by the way, that is the wind giving her that way too cute hair do.

Maggie managed to make a new best friend this year in this little one.  I heard more "S" stories than anything else all year long.  I knew what she wore everyday, what she ate, her cat's name, her favorite color, and on and on.  I managed to organize a playdate for these girls next week.  I imagine Maggie will be having withdrawals by then.

We said our goodbyes to two incredibly intuitive and loving women.  I really walked away with new knowledge about Maggie in a classroom setting because of these amazing teachers.  I gained a lot and Maggie felt loved, and even became a year smarter.  It was the perfect recipe.

We ended our school days with goodie bags and bubbles.  Maggie was beside her self that it all matched her dress so perfectly.  I guess it was a good thing she didn't wear that sweater after all.

We followed a busy morning with a busy evening.  

Jack celebrated his end of year baseball season at a local clubhouse.  Some of those kids were crazy enough to get in the frigid pool.  I mean it was chilly.  Because I did not bring suits {on purpose}, my kids had a grand time on the playsets and running on the fields playing who knows what.  All I know is I saw Jack involved in some serious tumbling matches and rough housing.  He was loving it.  And why wouldn't he...poor guy is surrounded by girls at home.

However, the best part was the trophy ceremony.  We truly could not have had a more giving, positive, and all around good guy coach.  He was fabulous with the kids.  

I was sincerely touched when he spoke about Jack before giving him his trophy.  So much so, I had Clay on camera duty with his phone.  {remind me not to do that again}

Okay...so that's the beginning of our end.  We have lots more of "ends" to come.  And then it's time to start the summer fun!

Mother's Day

I spent another glorious Mother's Day being the mommy of this stunning trio.

Daddy let me snooze in for a bit while he had breakfast duties, one of my favorite gifts.  But, seeing how it was Mother's Day and the whole point is to celebrate being a mother, I couldn't stay away too long.

How could I?  Look what I had waiting for me...

I was generously greeted with shouts of "Happy Mother's Day", loving hugs and kisses, all followed by my motherly duties.  Hair to fix, bows to tie, snacks to make, shoes to put on, and a car to be loaded up.

I couldn't let my sweet things escape an annual Mother's Day photo op though.  In truth, they are the real reason I get to celebrate today.

To my lovely Lucy,  you are the sunshine in my every day.  You are funny, happy, and always on the go.  You bring so much laughter and smiles to our family.  There is no doubt in my mind, that three is truly the charm.

To my Maggie, my Maggie, you made me a girl mommy for the first time and I have loved every diva-ish minute of it.  You are full of love, snuggles, and pure sweetness.  I know just where to go when I need some lovin'. 

And to my Monkey Jack,  you have lived up to your name in every way.  You are smart, kind, and my right hand man.  Everyday you do something to make me proud that you are my son.  Thank you for making me a Mommy for the first time. 

After I finished doting all over my sweet kids, we met Grandma at Mass and followed it with an absolutely delish brunch.  I had to smile when Maggie told us all, "I don't want to go to brunch, I don't like my breakfast and lunch mixed together".  Oh, my sweet Maggie.

As you can imagine, Maggie recovered just fine when she saw the food wasn't actually mixed together".  But, even more so when she saw the delectable dessert bar.

Nothing was more rewarding than sitting across from this cute thing.  Watching her in pure bliss with her ice cream was a gift in itself.

We showered grandma with her Mother's Day gifts, because she is an amazing Grandma after all.  She happily, had three little helpers by her side.

Then it was my turn.  I too was doused with help...

...and the sweetest homemade gifts.  This one has already made the playroom wall.

These are the things that take my breath away and melt my heart.  I love being your Mommy, Jack, Maggie, and Lucy.  xoxo

And I would be remiss if I didn't share a few of Jack's outtakes.  He loves to get his hands on my camera.  And when he does, somehow he always captures something that I can't resist {in between my pleading with him to not drop the camera}.  So here are a few of Jack's outtakes, from the eyes of my favorite 7 year old...

Happy Mother's Day to all you marvelous Momma's out there!  The hardest and most rewarding job in the world.  There is nothing else I'd rather call myself.

A Wood Chip and a Shoe

I normally don't report in on my children's injuries, but I find this one to be noteworthy.

In all my nearly 17 years of kids and playgrounds {that includes teaching years and my own kiddos}, I have never seen the likes of this.

Jack got a wood chip lodged in his shoe....

Not only lodged, but piercing straight through the sole into the heel of his foot.  Ouch.

When I got the call from Jack's school clinic today to say a wood chip came through his shoe and pierced through to his heel, I had to take a moment to check my calendar and make sure it wasn't April 1st.  Really?  That seems utterly impossible.  This I had to see to believe.

The nurse went on to tell me all about the excessive bleeding, the pain he was in, and the measures that were taken.  And I must proudly add, she noted not a tear drop or scream from by brave boy.

He took the rest of the day off from school and sadly will be missing his baseball playoff game tomorrow night.  As of right now, we are just doing our best to keep it clean and bandaged.  Not much you can do for a severely bruised and punctured heel, except for rest.

Freak incident at it's finest.

Oh, and Jack refuses to wear those tennis shoes again for fear "another wood chip may come in through that same hole".  Can't say I blame him.  

Maggie's Ballet Recital

We had Maggie's much anticipated Ballet Recital this weekend.  Anticipation...maybe that was Maggie's problem.  Something certainly was.

But, let's rewind.  You may recall back at her Spring Sing when Maggie declared she wasn't going to sing and then followed it with, and I quote, "but I'm going to dance at my ballet recital".  Somewhere between then and now, Maggie must have recanted on her promise.

So here it is...the before, the ugly, and the after.

The morning of the recital, my Maggie declared she didn't want her hair in a bun, she wanted it "just like this" as she stroked her beautiful blonde bob.  So I agreed and let the ballet teacher know that we wouldn't be pushing any of Maggie's buttons before show time.  Not to mention, how was I going to get that do up in a bun?

I dressed her all up in her beloved ballerina tutu, tights, and shoes.  And even doused on a little make up, much to her dismay.  She looked stunning.

She smiled for pictures in the front yard.  Twirled her sweet little ballerina self and hopped in the car for call time.  Trust me, I was praying the entire way there {in between giving her loving words of encouragement}.

When I dropped her off in the waiting room, I could sense her anxiety.  But she walked in and took her place.  The family and I grabbed a seat in the audience and hoped for the best.  Clay said it best with, "our odds are 50/50". 

Apparently, we got the bum half of those odds, because this is basically what our little ballerina did the entire dance.

I would be lying if I didn't say I was disappointed.  Oh, how I wanted to see that sweet girl twirl and spin just like she had been practicing for.  Practicing for months I tell you!  And she even performed flawlessly at her dress rehearsal.

But, we took the hand that was dealt to us.  Inhaled a deep breathe and gave her a loving hug and kiss when show time was over {sans any compliments}.

It took her no time at all to recover when she was back in my arms.  Maggie was flooded with bouquets of flowers and ate up every minute of it.  You would have thought she just had the performance of a lifetime.

After the recital, Maggie graciously took her place on stage and posed for picture after picture.  She was loving every minute of the after show glory.

We took our beautiful ballerina outside to gather around her for some family love and more pictures.  She was over the moon with the pink flowers her big brother picked out just especially for her.  So much so that she only wanted to hold those for the pictures.

Somehow and in some way, she felt like a ballerina super star.  Dancing or no dancing we sure do love our Magpie.

However, I vow to sneak into dress rehearsal next year and actually see her dance.  And yes, it looks like there will be a next year.  Because, even after all that, our sweet Mags, said, "I think my Ballerina costume will be pink next year!".

It was as if nothing ever even happened. {sigh}