Wedding and a Train

This past weekend we had the privilege of attending the wedding of some long time friends.  It was not just any wedding, this was a wedding at Roaring Camp in the Santa Cruz mountains.  Everyone rode the train up to the top of the mountain and Jordan and Anna got married up there in the redwoods.  Then, we rode the train back down and enjoyed a fun and beautiful reception.  We had such a fun time as a family.  At one point I looked over at the dance floor and Abby was dancing with a man that we'd never met before.  A couple minutes later she ran over to me and said, "did you see me dancing with that man?  He's nice.  And funny."

The first thing we saw when we came into the parking lot was Thomas (on a truck ready to move on to a new town).

The kids didn't really care to sit through the ceremony, so they just climbed trees and got really dusty and dirty!

On the train with the flower girl, their friend Ruby!

Back at the reception the kids found a duck pond, and a woman brought them a bucket of duck food.  Abby even fed them out of her hand!

Oh, and one of my favorite quotes of the day was when Abby said "I see the bride, but where is the prince?"

Goodbye Tonsils

Yesterday morning Haley said goodbye to her tonsils, and she was a champ!  Auntie Laura spent the night the night before, so she could be at home with Seth and Abby (until Abby got picked up by a neighbor to go to school) while Carey and I were with Haley.

The staff at Central Coast Surgery Center were SO KIND.  What nice, welcoming people:)  They helped Haley get all ready in the pre-op room, then wheeled her off to surgery.  I felt like Carey and I had hardly sat down in the waiting room when one of the nurses came out to tell us that she was already asleep!  A half an hour later the doctor came out and told us the surgery was done and had gone perfectly.  About 15 minutes later they took us back to see her in the recovery room.  Now, this time, after having almost passed out in the recovery room when Abby had her surgery, I made sure to ask for a chair and sit down right away.  I don't know what it is that makes me feel so faint.  I guess just seeing my sweet daughter so out of it as she was coming off the anesthesia.  Anyway, Haley did a really good job and was quickly asking to go home. 

Her recovery has been really easy so far.  She's been a good little patient, drinking lots of fluid and taking all her medicine.  Oh, and enjoying lots of ice cream and popsicles!  Praise God for a successful surgery!

Going into the surgery center

Watching a DVD as they were prepping everything for the surgery.

All ready to go off to surgery, with two of the sweetest nurses ever!

Ready to go home:)

The best part of getting her tonsils out; chocolate ice cream and movies!

New Season

I've been wanting to blog about how it's been for me having my wonderful baby girls in kindergarten, but by the end of the day, my energy is zapped.  Right now, I have a quiet moment, so I using it up on blogging!

The first couple weeks of kinder has been GREAT for Haley and Abby.  Haley's made some really good buddies, and Abby is loving being such a big girl, with a backpack and lunch box and having recess on the playground!  On Sunday morning of their first weekend Abby asked me if they got to go to school that day, and the tone she used made it sound like it had been f o r e v e r since she had been there!  I am treasuring the mornings of them loving to go to school, since I know that, more than likely, they will not last forever!  I am enjoying getting to know the other parents, as well as Ms. Dorrian and Ms. Shewe, and trying to figure out what ways I can volunteer at the school.  The sense of community there is really incredible, as I had heard it is.  I'm glad my daughters will have all that extra support.

Before kinder started, I was really struggling, feeling like it wasn't fair that Seth got to stay with me all day while my daughters had to be away from me.  I know, that sounds ridiculously prideful, like I am so fabulous to be with, but I really was feeling like that.  I think because I wasn't their mommy for their first year and a half of life, I feel like we all missed out.  Well, we did all miss out, but I hadn't really spent much time thinking about that.  I felt like they really need to be with me.  Then, one day it dawned on me that they are ready for this.  They are ready to not be with me.  They are ready to go be with friends and teachers.  They are ready to start having their own life, apart from mommy and daddy and Seth.  That seems really sad, but it's also so exciting.  Now I get to see who they are come out and develop more and more.  I love my daughters so much, and I do miss them through the day, but I know that this is good.  Our morning have been really pleasant (for the most part) and the afternoons have been great too!

Yesterday we rode bikes to and from school successfully!  That was exciting.  It feels so wasteful to me to drive to the school and back twice a day, but I wasn't sure if they would be able to ride home (it's basically up hill the whole way) after being at school for 6 hours.  They did it, though, and we got a fun surprise when Abby's teacher, Ms. Dorrian, drove by and said hello out her window!  When we got home we had popsicles out in the front yard, and they told me about the funniest parts of their days.  It was one of my favorite life moments; the four of us, sitting in the sun, eating cold treats and chatting nicely.  Treasure:)

As the year goes on, I'm getting more and more excited about this new season of life.  I can help at the school.  I can spend time with Seth.  I can sit quietly and blog while the girls are at school and Seth naps!  I get a joyful reunion with my sweet five year olds every afternoon (well, we're learning how to make it more joyful.  Haley always struggles when transitioning back to mommy.  It happened with preschool.  It happens on Sundays at church.  It's happening at kinder.)  Plus, I really like filling out forms, and so far, there have been a lot of those!

Kindergarteners!

Today, Haley and Abby officially became kindergarteners.  They are with their teachers and their classes right now, as I type this!  Last Friday at 5 pm the class lists were posted and we found out that Abby is in Ms. Dorrian's class with a lot of kids from Rocking Horse Ranch, and that Haley is in Ms. Schewe's (I know it's crazy but you pronounce it Shavey) class, which is a K-1 combo class.  We walked over to see where their classrooms are and as I looked at Haley's classroom door I was suddenly in tears.  Thinking of my sweet Haley Joy and Abby Faith walking through those doors into their new, big girl lives made me super teary!

Yesterday the school had a kindergarten potluck, at which we got to meet the teachers and lots of other kinder families.  I think that really helped Haley and Abby get excited because they got to play with friends from preschool and dance class and see their cubbies and hear a little bit about what the first day would be like.

This morning was the big morning and both girls looked so grown-up all decked out in their new school clothes (thank you Grandma Jackie for taking them shopping) and with their new back-packs.  Grandma Jackie and Auntie Melissa came over to see them, and they got a phone call from Auntie Laura to wish them a wonderful day (too bad they were watching Shaun The Sheep and Auntie Laura couldn't quite compete!).  We made it to school on time and excited but nervous.  As we were walking up to the school they asked me if I was going to cry, and Abby said "just pretend you're just dropping us off at the park, mom."!  Once she was in her classroom, Abby was good to go.  I said goodbye and she hardly acknowledged me!  No long hugs or sweet kisses from her!  Haley looked pretty close to tears, but she didn't cry, and when it was time for parents to leave she walked over to the rug and sat with a friend from her dance class.

So far, I haven't cried.  It feels unreal.  I can't wait to pick them up and hopefully hear at least some things about their day.  I told them that when I ask them to tell me about their day, they better not say "it was good."  Haley said "Okay, mom.  But I might only tell you have because I might be pretty tired"!  I guess I'll have to settle for half!

Abby was tired of taking pictures but we told her that EVERYONE has to take a picture by the front door on the first day of school!

Yikes!

Two weeks from today, my sweet, baby girls are starting kindergarten.  As desperate as I feel for a break from my kids, I don't feel ready for them to be gone from 8:15-2:00 all week long.  I know they are going to love it, and I'm sure I will grow to love it as well, but it's a big change.  It's the end of our lives as we know it; of the only season of parenting that I know.  The pre-school season, when my kids have been with me basically all day, every day, or at least for the vast majority of the time.  It's the beginning of the rest of our lives.  From here on out, school will be a HUGE part of our days.  I will be in the dark about what's happening during the majority of my daughters' days. 

I think the best way to describe how it feels is bittersweet.  I feel like that's the way watching my kids grow up always feels.  Its so sad to see the baby-ness being left behind, but it's exciting and even pride inducing to see them grow and master new things.  Bittersweet.  That's definitely what my heart feels right now.

Summer Fun

Goodness, it's been a long time since I've posted!  The kids have been going to bed later, so, by the time I'm done picking up from the day and doing a little laundry, I'm ready to go to bed.  No night-time blogging!  It's been fun having them up a little later, though (later being like, 7:30!) because we can actually play after dinner.  We usually just play in the backyard, but a couple times we've all gone on bike rides!

I know some people might disagree (teachers, mostly) but this summer has felt REALLY long!  Having Abby and Haley out of preschool and together all day, every day has proven VERY challenging!  We have had some fun times this summer, even with all the sibling rivalry!

We got to go up to Camp Hammer and visit.  It was a highlight of my summer.  It was so great to be there, and the kids absolutely LOVED it (which made me so happy)!

All three kiddos have done swim lessons all summer long.  Haley and Abby have done really well learning freestyle and backstroke.  Abby really seems to be a swimmer, and is always really calm and well-behaved after swim lessons.  Seth, on the other hand, is now convinced that he can swim, so we're not so sure swim lessons have been the best for him!

We've had lots of fun beach days.

There is a Quickstop kind of across the street from our house, and the driveway to it has a huge blackberry bush.  We love to go over there and pick some yummy treats!

We've done some gardening.  What I love about this picture is the outfits; naked with rainboots, a dance costume, and a super warm fleece dress (on a super warm evening)!

We've done miscellaneous projects, like the peanut butter playdough in this picture.

Mostly, we've just played in the backyard.  In the "pool", on the trampoline, in the sprinkler, picking strawberries, doing bubbles and sidewalk chalk, and even some painting.

Haley's Sleep Study

Last night Haley and I spent the night at the sleep center so Haley could have a sleep study done.  We did it about a year ago with Abby and it showed that she had sleep apnea, which was taken care of by having her tonsils out.  Lately, Haley has been looking super tired and been a bit irritable throughout the day even though she's been sleeping more than enough hours.  So, a sleep study it was. 

The questionnaire that I had to fill out had lots of questions that I didn't know the answer to (since I don't stand and watch my children sleep), but, after sleeping in the same room as her, I can say that, yes, she does stop breathing every so often, she tosses and turns like a maniac, and she snores quite a bit! 

Anyway, Haley was super excited to do the sleep study (since Abby already got to do one), and our neighbor's sweet daughter in law was our sleep technician (she hooked all the electrode things on Haley) which was a fun bonus!  We go back on August 1st to find out the results.

So excited to go sleep at the sleep center!

I took this picture so she could see what she looked like.  She just stared and stared at it:)

All ready to have her sleep studied!