Summer- Week 1

I thought I would do my weekly recaps again, this time for summer 2014.  This is technically week 1/2, since I had to work some this week.  But, we'll roll with it. :)

Monday: Today was post-planning day #2.  The kiddos went to daycare.  I was still feeling very crummy.  The weekend had rocked me- we had guests in town and I was a sad, sad hostess.  Sydney had her first day of Vacation Bible Camp at church that night and she had so much fun!

Tuesday: My last day of school!  Woohoo!  We only had to work a half-day, so I got everything wrapped up and I was o.u.t. at 11:30.  Taylor had to come home early from school because she had a fever, but luckily Stephen was home and in town and could get her.  Sydney went to VBC again tonight!

She doesn't look too sick, does she?  Maybe it's a ploy to get to hang out with her daddy.

Daytime entertainment.  Following in her OCD sister's footsteps.

VBC.

Wednesday: My first official day of summer!!!!!  Taylor stayed home today, but Sydney and Parker went to daycare.  Taylor had an ENT appointment to check up on her tubes in her ears.  She may have to get one surgically removed in the next few months.  :(  Not the news I was hoping to hear. I got a lot of stuff done around the house the rest of the day, and Sydney went to VBC again that night!

Selfies at the ENT.

Got our summer list made!

Something we are implementing this summer... it is desperately needed!

Thursday: I had a dentist appointment early in the morning, and then headed to the Mall of GA to meet my mom for lunch.  I get a call from daycare, saying Taylor had a fever... AGAIN.  Darn virus.  It seriously needs to go away.  So, I went and got her, and we went to a plant store, met Sydney on her field trip while getting some frozen yogurt, and then picked up Parker.  All the kids played outside while I planted some flowers, and then we cooked dinner.  I took Sydney to VBC for night 4!

Friday: Today was the kids' last day of daycare for a couple of months!  Taylor couldn't go because of her fever yesterday, but Sydney and Parker went for a while.  Sydney went on a field trip to the library to see a magic show.  I got a lot of stuff done around the house (I was trying to do nit-picky, tedious things this week, while all 3 weren't with me all day long!), Taylor and I both took long naps, and then we ate dinner and took Sydney to her last day of VBC.  We went up to a block party in our neighborhood at 6 PM and hung out, played corn hole, caught up, etc.  I went and got Sydney from VBC and we ended up hanging out until after 9 PM.  The kids were so tired, but were having so much fun!

On stage, singing.

Our first harvest- peas!

Saturday: Today was a fun, but tiring day!  We all slept in a little later than normal (ahem, 7:30) and Sydney and I went to the Home Depot Kid's Workshop at 9 AM.  We built a little toy lawn mower.  We got home, ate lunch, and the maids came knocking at the door around 11:30.  We took the kids to the park to get them out of the house so our house could be cleaned.  We ended up hitting two parks.  At the first one, I went for a jog while Stephen and the kids played on the playground.  However, it was SO HOT that we left after an hour or so and went to the Toddler Park that's a little more shaded.  We played there, then went to DQ to get some ice cream and cool off.  When we got home, Parker crashed hard for a late nap and the rest of us played outside some more.  Needless to say, all kids were asleep by 7 PM.  

Park #1

Park #2

I told them to say "cheese!"  It started off sweet...

...then it went to this...

...then this...

...getting worse...

...yeah, Taylor's not feeling it so much...

Sunday: Today, I woke up early to run before church.  I didn't run for 2 weeks while I was sick, and man, it is so hard to get back into the swing of it!  I was huffing and puffing but ran almost 3 miles.  I'll take it.  Then, we went to church.  Our beloved pastor, Ben, had his last Sunday today.  He was the founding minister of our church, and has been here for 13 years.  That is almost unheard of in the Methodist church!  So, it was his time to be moved.  He's been such a big part of the last almost 6 years for our family.  He's baptized all 3 of my kids... he's led a grow group at our house... he's just a fixture that was there every week for us, and now he'll be moving on to a town a couple hours away.  It was an emotional service.  We sure will miss him!

VBC kiddos got to go up front and sing.

They played a slide show of some of Ben's best moments, and look who made the show... Baby Sydney!

:(

Here's to week 2!

On a happier note...

I am feeling MUCH better... still not 100%, but much better!  I have unfortunately spread germs to the 4 other members of my family, but so far (knock on wood), it doesn't seem to be affecting any of them that badly.

And on the best note yet... it's officially SUMMER for me!  We made it...

Sick.

I.  am.  sick.

I'm talking, I feel like I have the flu.  5 days, so far, of fever, raw/sore throat, sneezing, coughing, aches, stomach pain.  I was given a z-pack and was told I had a virus and an upper-respiratory infection.  But it just keeps getting worse.  Yesterday and today have been the worst.

I missed a fun concert tonight that I was supposed to go to.  Boo.

And now Parker and Sydney have fevers. :(

PLEEEEEEEASE. GO. AWAY.

Catching Up

Here's a brief overview of the month of May... swimming lessons, Derby day, 8th grade dance, birthday parties, church, KG graduation, work, travels, dinner with friends, croup in one, a fever in another, Mother's Day celebrations, 10K races, wedding, rehearsal dinner, graduation parties, tooth fairy visit, church meetings, field day, Honor's Day, Memorial Day Weekend, the mountains, more work, and we still have 4 days left in the month!

Now I see why I slept so much over Memorial Day weekend.

So, along with just normal, everyday life, things have been a bit busy.  But, I don't want to deprive the blog.  Here are some new pics!

Rehearsal Dinner in downtown Athens.

Me and my cute date.

Sara and Daniel!

10K in Winterville.

My 2 BFFS and I are together!  Life is good!

Poor sick Taylor.  (You couldn't tell, huh?)

First and last day of K-5!

Silliness!

The sweetest, most talented student I teach!

Field Day buddies!

June brings the end of school (yayyyyy!), VBS, a trip out of the country, gymnastics, Wednesday night church groups, library visits, and hopefully a lot of wonderful, quality time with my kiddos!

Memorial Day Weekend

Whew, time sure is flying by!  It's almost June!  And I still have kids in my classroom!  Arrgh!  Darn snow days!  Anyways, the time will come soon for summer break... so I will try to be patient.  Try is the key word.

Anyways, we had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!  We went up to the Mountain House Saturday morning.  When we arrived, the kiddos got in their bathing suits and we hit up the lake.  The water was pretty chilly, so we stayed about an hour before heading back home.  Naps followed for Parker, Taylor, AND myself.  We had the annual Memorial Day picnic/square dance that night, and the kiddos danced until almost 9 PM before we took them  up.  Sydney spent the night at my sister's cabin with her cousins.

Parker edu-ma-cating himself in the car.

My favorite view from the highway!  Almost there!

My two boys.

Picnic time!

Taylor and Grace breaking it down.

Madeline and Parker!

Sydney and Uncle "Mashoo"

Sunday morning, Stephen and I went for a run while mom and dad watched and fed the kids for us.  Chapel was next, followed by a huge lunch, followed by naptime- this time, for Parker and me.  Yes, I definitely made up for lost sleep and lost calories this weekend. ;)  The rain (and hail!) came into town that afternoon, so we hung around the cabin the rest of the day.

Some views from our run.  

After the storm!

Dee Dad and Taylor went to the library to get some books to read.

Monday, Taylor, Sydney, and I went for a little walk.  Then we all went to breakfast at a local eatery, then headed to Whitewater Falls in North Carolina.  It was a short enough hike that made it do-able with 5 kids 11 and under (and two senior citizens!), but it was a pretty decent workout.  The falls were beautiful!  Parker enjoyed seeing them, it was his first experience with a big waterfall.  

A view of the lake.

I think they were a bit sleepy...

Then, we headed home (with me taking yet ANOTHER nap on the ride home!), unpacked, got settled and ready for the work week.  Two more days with the kids... I think I can, I think I can...

20 months!

Parker is 20 months old!  Can't believe he'll be 2 in just 4 months!

Accomplishments this month include:

• More new words!  "mine", "DeeDee" and "Katie" (his teachers), "monkey", "boo boo", "eat", "please".  He's starting to put words together, like "Bye Bye, Sydney".  He's talking more but I've been bad about keeping track!
• He really shakes his head "no" now and nods "yes".  I think this just started this month!
• He is good about climbing on and getting off things.  He's getting to the point where I'm starting to be comfortable with him climbing on chairs, up stairs, on the playground by himself.  We are still there to guide him, because I'm not totally 100%... but he's getting there! 
• He's going up and down stairs by crawling, and he walked up and down the short stairs at my parents' cabin a few times.
• He ventured to North and South Carolina this month.
• This boy LOVES fruit.  Strawberries, grapes, blueberries, bananas... I can't cut them fast enough!
• He loves to sleep with his little monkey doll and his blanket.
• He was diagnosed with non-viral croup again!  Looks like he has allergies. :(
• He loves to push anything he can (chairs, things on wheels, tables, laundry baskets) and he still loves brooms or anything that's a long stick.  
• This boy has a temper!  But he'll follow his fit with a big hug.  Don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. ;)
• He got his first real haircut this month.

He loves his monkey and blanket.

Did I mention he loves corn, too?

Walking down the stairs.

Whitewater Falls, NC.

He's freeeeeee!