Goal!!!

Katie made her first (and second) goal today in her soccer game!  Of course, I missed this game to play tennis - but I could tell at other games and practice that she was close.  She is quite the little defensive player, but it seems that she might have figured out the offense part of the game, too - yay!  Tyler paid more attention this time (I made it to his game), and got better on defense, and almost made a goal - but he still isn't too sure about the physicality of the game and doesn't like to get in the  group (it is 4 and 5 year olds after all) going after the ball.  He is doing really great at dribbling and controlling the ball - but alas, that doesn't do him much good at this level - it will be a plus when he gets older though when it isn't so much about biggest and toughest!

This was after her goal - she was STILL grinning ear to ear anytime someone mentioned it hours later! 

After both soccer games, we went to Edwin Warner park where they have a "nature play" area - aka the "mud park."  We met up with a friend from preschool and all three of them had so much fun, and despite how dirty they were (nothing to change into to get into my car) I had a lot of fun too - just watching them play in the mud and in the creek, and just having fun like I remember growing up (mud pies and creek playing were on the agenda often for me)!

Mud Mountain!

 Collecting water from the creek, because they needed "more mud."

 Tyler was a mess - but he sure did like the mud slide he created. 

Happy Easter!

We had a great Easter weekend!  We (the kids and I) were off on Friday and we went to lunch with Lance, played outside, and then went to a crawfish boil at a friend's house where the kids got to jump on the trampoline, play in the treehouse, stay up late, and generally think it was the best night ever.  On Saturday we had soccer games (Katie is becoming quite the defensive player, and Tyler is still kind of indifferent about the actual games when there is more physical contact involved), and then dyed and painted our eggs.  They really got into that part of the Easter festivities this year, and had a lot of fun on a beautiful afternoon.

Easter Sunday we woke up (Katie very early in anticipation of the Bunny visit) to check-out what the Easter Bunny brought, and then got ready for church.  We went to the service, which just so happened to be next to Home Depot where we bought mulch and flowers.  We spent a few hours in the yard, and the kids were great helpers.  They weeded the beds and helped spread mulch, and then were "rewarded" with getting to help me with the pots - they loved it!

Tyler got a "fart gun" against my better judgement, but he thought it was hilarious. 

The Frozen soundtrack made Katie very happy!

 Katie did the "daisy pot" almost on her own, and she was so proud of it. 

After our yard work, we went to Ray-Ray and So-So's and had a fabulous meal, a fun Easter egg hunt, and played in the yard for a bit (including bringing out the new golf clubs for Katie to try out), with their new (and oh, so cute) puppy. 

On the way home Tyler said he had "the best day ever," and that he wished "we could all be together every day."  Me too, Tyler, me too!

Ack!

Well, we have been considering selling the house to be closer to the golf course where the kids can use these anytime they want!  They are so excited about their new clubs, and can't wait to try them out.  Tyler has a lefty set (he seems to swing rackets and clubs, and throw balls, etc. better with his left, but writes with his right and a friend passed along a left-handed set that we think will be perfect), and Katie has pink clubs, of course.  We'll probably just go to an open field at first, but I know they are anxious to put their clubs on the back of the cart "like dad," too and if we live on the course like we hope, we can go out late afternoon and play around a bit when nobody is playing.

So, in trying to head off any disasters when we sell our house if we find the perfect one and have to move quickly (which is definitely the case in the market around there these days), we are trying to do some prep work that will have to be done to put ours on the market and decided to have a termite inspection.  Our back door has some water damage, that we were afraid was damage of another kind.  The good news is that the termites were not the culprit for the door, the bad news is that we do have termites.  They are in the mulch surrounding the house and have not invaded the house...yet.  We are getting the whole house treated - those things gross me out, not to mention how destructive they can be.  That is just step one in all of the projects we need to complete - painting, caulking, staining, cleaning out garage and closets, etc., etc., but it really is good news that they aren't as bad as we feared because we definitely wouldn't have been moving if we had to pay for lots of termite damage!

The focus on getting the house in shape to sell has also made me really stressed about how chaotic and cluttered our house is (not to mention the lack of time we have to get anything done), and makes me realize that showing the house for any length of time will be a nightmare.  But, I just so happened to read two articles today that really hit home.  One was by a grandmother who noted things she would do differently if she was able to have a do-over on raising her family.  The other was by a mom who lost one of her five year old twin boys suddenly to cancer.  Both said that they regret being worried about clean rooms (that would sooner than they knew be empty), laundry put away, and keeping the house in order.  While I am not going to live in a pig sty, I am going to grab on to that (it is almost at lifeline status right now with my stress level) and try to let it go a little more often, and spend that time having more fun with the kids (maybe even singing "Let it Go," which Katie loves to do).  I know that their memories of me playing with them will mean a whole lot more than my begging and yelling for them to help me clean.  I worry what people will think, and that is silly - the only people who I really care what they think are my family and I know that they definitely don't mind the school house complete with stuffed animal students, currently set up in our living room.  I love listening to them play and pretend, and I don't want them to be confined to their room away from me having that kind of fun that is so short-lived!

That being said, we really are entering a really difficult month.  Our sitter's last week is next week, and that means 5 weeks of Lance and I trying to figure out how to pick the kids up from school every day at 3:00.  That schedule wrecker coincides with a really busy time at work for me, and lots of things on the calendar otherwise, too.  We'll figure out how to make it work, though (even if I have to quit my job - ha), and it will make our early summer vacation even better!  I still can't believe that Kindergarten is almost over, either!!!

Busy, Fun Day!

Well, it was a gorgeous day today - warm and sunny - good thing because we had lots of outdoor activities to squeeze in!  We had soccer games (still no goals scored, but Katie is oh so close, and Tyler still isn't at the point of caring), soccer pictures and snack duty so our morning and early afternoon meant we were definitely on the go.  Late afternoon we had a neighborhood Easter Egg hunt and cookout.  My contribution to the meal was deviled eggs - I picked something easy but it still meant every spare minute between soccer and the shindig was spent preparing those.  The kids hid our eggs while I was cooking (all of the neighbors put eggs in their front yards for all the kids to find), and when I went out I only saw 3 of 24 of the eggs despite me telling them to hide them easy for the little ones.  We re-hid the eggs (making some really easy for the younger ones to find), and went around the neighborhood collecting shortly after that.  The egg hunt was followed by hot dogs and hamburgers and the kids all playing and having fun on a gorgeous evening to be outside. 

Tyler was really into it, but was good about only getting a few eggs in each yard to leave some for the littler ones (there are only 10 kids in our small neighborhood, but some grandchildren joined in the fun). 

Katie got plenty of eggs, but wasn't quite as aggressive.  I am hoping that I can sneak a few of the eggs collected to give for their school hunt where we have to take a dozen for each, but they have already counted the eggs and sorted the candy, so that might be difficult  :)! 

The most important thing that happened today, though, is that it is my mom's birthday!!!  Happy Birthday, Momma!!! 

Golfers

We are starting back with tennis lessons soon.  I am kind of torn because I feel like the kids are a bit over-scheduled (gymnastics, soccer, and now tennis), but gymnastics ends in May, as does soccer and so there will really only be a month overlap.  They are really excited that tennis is back on, though, so we are going to go for it!  This summer we hope to get the kids into their first golf lesson.  We need to get them some clubs, but in the meantime Lance has been teaching them golf-etiquette, and enjoying both kids being super excited to try to learn the game and how to play.  If we could just find a house on the golf course that we like and can afford, that will accept a sale of home contingency (ha) - then we could have more awesome afternoons like this.  I got back from a very rainy (but fun) weekend with some friends from college, and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with these three - good times! 

No More - Yay!

We went to the doctor today with Tyler for his required every six month "asthma check" and it was determined that asthma will be taken off his record and replaced with "history of wheezing."  That is great news, and what we have been hoping for since he hasn't had to use albuterol or any kind of breathing treatments for more than a year! 

Tyler had a big day, otherwise, too.  He heard his name over the announcements this morning as a winner of his school's art show!  10 kids from his school (2 from each grade) were selected (via vote from everyone who went to the art show) to have their work on display at the Mayor's Art Show at the Frist Center in May.  He was very proud (his class sang a good job chant in his honor), and we were so happy that he got the confidence boost for a job well done.  He has been a little discouraged lately because Katie has been getting lots of accolades in his presence for doing so well with reading, and he is such a perfectionist that he doesn't realize he is doing really great too, so this is a great way to celebrate something he did well at and has a real interest in.  I have always been impressed with the detail in his art, and know that it means a lot to him to be recognized for something that he obviously gives a lot of effort and attention. 

We are supposed to have bad storms tonight and tomorrow and I don't know how that will affect my flight or the kid's soccer games - but the plan right now is for me to leave in the morning and for Katie to have a game on Saturday with Lance at the helm - we'll see how it all shakes out! 

My little artists!

At the kid's school they keep their art portfolios at school until the end of the year, and then you are better able to see their progress from beginning to end.  I have, of course, seen things they have done at home, and that they have brought home from their regular classwork - but haven't seen any of their true art projects, from art class, until today!  They had an art show at school and one piece from each Kindergartener was on display.  Both of the kids did birds - and they are great!  Just had to share:

Tyler's masterpiece!

Katie's beautiful bird!