June , June - you are gone too soon

I like the way our  Minister of Children has a retreat for the upper-elementary children . It is so much fun to watch these sweet children play and worship together. This is the monkey's last year to go - he moves up to Jr. High MYF in August [ oh, can you believe it?!]. The Ladybug is still not old enough for the retreats , but she goes with us each year. This year, we had two other friends her age with us, so she had a great time playing with them. Of course, she still spent a lot of time being carried and babied by the older girls - such a tough life, I can tell you.
The baseball season ended this week, and we found out at the last game that Monkey's All-Stat team did not make . Just not enough in his age group this go around. I am not that sad about it - those games are played at the HOTTEST time of the year, and it is miserable.
Now we are getting ready for our exchange student - he will be here in about a month. I hope we don't scare him away !

Look at the potential !

Out of school ! What a wonderful feeling ! So many days with so few plans - I love it ! We actually have a nice amount of activities lined up this summer - baseball, baseball camp, All-Star team , swimming lessons for the ladybug and then the VBS retreat. Not to mention the art camp and the list of summer plans for the four of us to accomplish at home! What fun !
The Texas two just left - we had a nice weekend visit - and we miss them already.

In case you are wondering, this is what the last day of school looks like

Three - it's a magic number

Three weeks of school left. That is it for the year. How exciting. We are starting our list of summer goals - getting rid of lots of things is first. I really have the fear that the "Hoarders" television crew will be pulling up to our house one of these days. I have to let go of things we do not need anymore - like the old comforters and bedspreads we have not used in years. [ but I LOVE that Laura Ashley stuff !!!]

Baseball has started, and the monkey is playing short stop. He just looks so tiny out there - I am having a hard time accepting that he is going in to junior high. The ladybug is going to a four year old program next year, and we are all fired up about it - she thinks she is Big Time now.

I would love to say that state tests are over, but they are starting Tuesday. We are ready to get those done, I can tell you.

Have a good week -

The Princess is four

I don't think there was ever a child who had a better time at her birthday party. We ran, we jumped, we put on pink eyeshadow, we had cupcakes and castle suckers with visiting Princesses, and we ALL behaved! Amazing !

Peter Cottontail, I love you

Easter ! Such a wonderful holiday ! I love singing the hymns each year - they touch me in a new way , every single time. I put the ladybug's hair in sponge rollers the night before (even though she thought it would hurt) and she had the cutest head of curls. Some one (not naming names, but it was the monkey) called her "Oprah" for some reason, and that just hurt her feelings. God love them ......
We went to church with Meme - and all three of my sisters were there. I wish our brother had been able to make it, but they had a family vacation, and I am sure they were having a wonderful time.
Now the countdown is on - Ladybug's Princess Party is this weekend, we only have 29 days of school left, and we have already started planning the Monkey's birthday function - gonna be a big deal !

the older I get , the harder it is

Back from Spring Break. We have been back since Monday morning, and I finally unpacked today. Wow. How did it happen that we had something to do every single night this week? Every. Single. Night. And tonight we have to attend the prom. Big fun.
I have been trying to think of the best parts of our trip, and I still keep going back to our visit to Dachau . Ever since reading "The Hiding Place" as a young girl, I have always wanted to visit a concentration camp, to see it for myself. I think what amazed me the most was the size of the camp - it was so small, and yet, so many people were hurt there. I guess I was expecting it to be a huge place , even though I knew that people were crammed in there. I was also stunned to see that , right behind the wall, there is a subdivision . Who would EVER want to live that close to a place like that? Not the same as living by a cemetery , not even the same as living close to a prison. Okay, enough about that.
Ladybug's birthday party is coming up - we have finally narrowed down the theme. It is officially a Princess Party. [if she had her way, it would be a 'HellokittyUmiZoomieBarbieDisneyPrincess Party' and I just could not do that]
Easter is around the corner, and only eight more weeks of school - I am ready for a summer of fun !

happy balentime's day

so - it was as crazy as you would expect at the high school today - with students toting all the gifts they were given and with all the kiss-a-grams being sent out, we were doing good to get any work done.
The Monkey and the Ladybug almost behaved at dinner - but that's a story for another day. Right now, I am just going to focus on the good times, the hot tea in my pink tea pot, and some felt that I am sewing into little owl barrettes for my sweetest Adrienne Merritt.
Happy Day, happy night.