Dance Recital

This past Saturday was Haley and Abby's annual dance recital (their 3rd one) and it was awesome, as usual.  Dance recital day is a thrilling day in our house.  Auntie Laura comes over and helps me put on the girls' "stage make-up".  Probably one of their favorite parts of the dance recital is that they get to wear make-up...and TONS of it.  I actually think it looks pretty weird, but they think it's gorgeous (which is a little concerning)!  It sure does make a difference on stage, though.

Anyway, they both did an amazing job on stage.  It was so fun to watch them up there.  They loved it and I am just so proud of them for getting up on the huge stage in front of SO many people.  This year, being 6 1/2 year olds, they really knew their dances well, and Haley even had a little cartwheel "solo"!

After the recital, we went out for ice cream and then the girls and I stayed downtown to go watch the "big kids" dance recital.  The one they were in is 3-7 year olds and we've never gone to the big kids one.  They LOVED watching the older kids dance, and Haley decided that she really wants to do a solo some day.  So cute!

Let It Go!

As I was putting on a load of laundry just now, I was thinking of what I need to/should do during Seth's nap and the girls' quiet time.  Then I started thinking of the ridiculous number of things that I think I need to/should do each day and it's crazy.  No wonder so many mommies (some days I include myself in this) feel like we are failing!  I consider a day to be from 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (although it usually goes later because of the crazy amount of things on my list), and here are all the things that I put on my list:

• make meals for 4 people twice a day and 5 people once a day (making sure everyone is getting a balanced diet with all the nutrients they need)
• clean up all those meals
• go on a run
• spend a little bit of one on one time with each of the kids
• gather, wash, fold and put away laundry
• take care of the garden
• feed the dog
• play with the dog at least a little
• spend time in my Bible
• spend 15 minutes resting (in the middle of the day)
• keep the house tidy
• shower every couple of days
• brush 4 people's teeth twice a day
• floss all those teeth once a day
• keep in touch with friends (email/cards/texting)
• keep the house stocked with all the necesities
• read at least 20 minutes with the kids
• have the girls each read at least one book to me

I'm sure there are so many more, plus there are the tantrums and fights and spills that take up so many minutes of every day!  Anyway, I am getting much better at "letting things go" since I really can't do all of those things every day and still try and have some time to sleep at night!  Oh ya, and I have a hubby who hardly even made the list, but we all know they have needs too!

Last Day of Kindergarten

Alright, let's see if I can get through this post without crying!  Today was Haley and Abby's last day of kindergarten.  I've said this a hundred times today, but I just can't believe it!  I was just crying about their first day of kindergarten.  This year has FLOWN by (as I was driving to school this morning I was thinking that it won't be long before it's Seth's last day of kinder!).  There is something so special about kindergarten, and both Haley and Abby had wonderful teachers and classmates, making for a great year!

First day of kindergarten.

Last day of kindergarten (Abby is really loving to tuck in her shirts...not my favorite phase!)

Abby and the fabulous Ms. Dorrian

Haley with two of her buddies and her wonderful teacher, Ms. Schewe (Shayvee)

Pete The Pirate

We got a dog.  At this point it's been almost three months, but it's still a little crazy to me.  We've been saying "no dogs 'till no diapers" for quite a few years now, and we finally made it to the "no diapers" part!

Seth potty trained last fall, and the kids were pretty quick to start asking for a dog.  Carey and I decided that we wanted a dog that doesn't shed, is medium sized (not so small that the kids can easily carry it, but not so big it makes our house feel small), and is a rescue or someone's pet that they couldn't keep any more.  I was mostly looking on Craigslist, hoping for a standard poodle that someone had to let go.  I also checked the local animal shelters, but they were basically always 90% chihuahuas!

One day, when I was checking on Craigslist, I saw a cute dog named "Pictor Galaxy" that was in a foster home through a rescue organization in San Fransisco.  He was a schnauzer mix and medium size and really cute, so we made a date to go up and meet him.  When we went to meet him, I made the kids wear all black, and any fleece that they had, because I really wanted to make sure he didn't shed (schnauzers don't, but we didn't know about the "mix" part)!  Anyway, he was a keeper, so we took him home and renamed him Pete the Pirate.

When he first came home, he was kind of shut down.  He just stayed in his bed, not really interested in treats or toys.  It was three days before I heard him bark.  After about a week, though, he was used to us and his new home and now is a super happy puppy.  We just finished training (with THE BEST TRAINER) and he's a great, smart, sweet puppy. 

We all love Pete.  The kids will tell you that he really is a pirate, because he loves to steal their stuffed animals and shoes!

This is when we first meet Pete!