A Full Day of Fun

I am writing this in a half comatose state this evening. The girls and I had a very fun-filled day, with the emphasis on FILLED. We started off with a commissary run this morning. We came home just long enough to put all of the food away before loading up again for some fun at Chuck E. Cheese with some friends. We spent a few hours playing games, eating disgustingly amazing pizza, and leaving happy with mini candy prizes. We came home and had about 30 minutes to veg before our neighbors came over for me to watch while their mom went to a doctor's appointment. She returned and they left with just enough time for us to load back into the car to take Ava to dance class. Ben met us at the studio to grab Jocelyn and take her to her jiu jitsu class. A few minutes later, Molly and I left to meet them at Jocie's gym to watch the end of her class. When it finished, Molly and I returned home to make dinner while Ben and Jocelyn went to pick Ava up from her classes. They got home around 7:45pm, giving us just enough time to eat and bathe before heading to bed. There wasn't much time to relax today, but we ended our day with happy, non-whiny children. I will be always be grateful for a day with such results.

A New Friend

We have had new neighbors move in across the street. I had heard that it was another military family with three "older" girls. While I am overjoyed at the prospect of having babysitters so close, I have tried to let them get settled in before going over and overwhelming them with our circus.

Ava, as always, has plans of her own. The youngest girl to move in is Sophia, who is 10 years old. I guess she had seen the other kids on the street, decided they were a lot younger than her, and decided to keep to herself. Ava saw her one day and (I have a feeling) dragged her out of her house and brought her into whatever games she and the other neighbor kids were playing. That was on Sunday, and Ava and Jocie have spent much of their time every day since then with their new friend. Having moved when I was 10, I can say with absolute certainty that I would have NEVER made friends so quickly with anyone, and at no time in my life did I initiate a friendship with anyone. I am an extreme introvert when it comes to new situations. I thank God that my children did not inherit those genes, but rather their father's genes to make friends immediately with just about anyone they meet. It's great to have another new friend on our street to share our many adventures with.

A Great Molly-day

I have said it before but I feel it bears repeating: I love all my children equally and do not in any way have a favorite. However, as is human nature, there are some days when one child has an exceptional day and so I appreciate that child all the more. Today that child was Molly. After her fantastic fever recovery yesterday, she decided to start the day off right by sleeping until 7:45am, almost an entire HOUR later than usual. During our Target run this morning she sat in the cart without a single complaint, helped put our purchases on the conveyer belt without being asked, and never ONCE asked for anything for herself. (Be very sure she was the only one NOT begging for something at least once every other minute.) This evening we were walking up and down our street, where many of the neighbors still have American flags standing next to their mailboxes from Independence Day. Every flag Molly saw she wanted to grab; every time I told her no. And every time she would respond by leaning over and kissing the flag. It was a silly act but sweet in a way as well.

Finally and most hilarious, I had popped in to my neighbor's house to chat for a few minutes. I had told Ava I would peek out the window every now and then, but to keep an eye on Molly. At one point I looked out and didn't see Molly. I went outside to ask where she was, and Ava responded with, "In our house, going to the bathroom!" Semi-scolding Ava for not having come to tell me, I walked back home. About 25 feet from my front door, I hear, "MOOOOOOMMMMMMMAAAA!" Not in a panic or angry, it just sounded like Molly had been calling for me for a few minutes. When I walked in the house, there she was, sitting on her princess potty with dry underpants having gone to the potty all on her own. To add perspective, this time last week Molly had gone back to being in diapers full time because she was not ever making it to the potty. For her to have been outside our house and gotten to the potty in time is a pretty big deal. Today was a pretty spectacular day for my youngest daughter, and that made it a pretty great day for me as well.

Success!! (sort of)

Today I felt blessed in a very roundabout way. Yesterday morning Molly woke up with yet another of her fevers. This is the first fever episode she's had since she was diagnosed with the mysterious Periodic Fever Syndrome. So as much as I never want my child to be sick, I was kind of interested to see if the treatment we had been prescribed would really make the fever magically disappear as it was supposed to.

This morning Molly woke up with a fever of 105. I gave her the dose of steroid she'd been prescribed, followed shortly afterward with some Motrin. Within a single hour, she was a completely different child. She went from feverish and puny to spunky and chatty. She was still warm, but I could feel the fever was going down. The difference in her behavior and mood was just astonishing. However, I was cautious with my judgement, thinking the ibuprophen could just be kicking in and her fever might return in a few hours. It never did. I am still confused by this whole diagnosis, but for Molly to have only had to suffer through 24 hours of a horrid fever rather than 5 or 6 days is a huge step in the right direction. I am grateful for knowledgable doctors and for what seems to be great progress for my youngest daughter's health.

Silly Faces

This evening was one of those evenings when everyone was acting a little loony, but staying on the side of cute and not obnoxious. First, Molly came walking into the kitchen looking like this:

In the meantime, Ava had been trying to eat an apple with her molars to as not to disturb her slightly wiggly front teeth. I told her to stop being silly and just eat normally. A few minutes later, after running back and forth to the bathroom a few times, Ava returned looking like this:

Finally, not wanting to be left out of the picture taking, Jocelyn and her friend Isaac wanted a picture taken of them as well. Of course, this was to be a "silly picture" (which Ava even managed to photo bomb):

I tell you what, most days I live in a zoo. Today was one of the days I would not have traded a second of the mayhem and silliness of these crazy kids.

Library Time

This morning we took a trip to the library. Our libraries here have a great summer reading incentive program. Jocelyn and Ava had to record 15 books they have read, and when they turned it in to the library they got to put their name up on a wall in the children's section and receive a booklet full of coupons to use for the rest of the summer and fall.

Of course we couldn't go to the library without getting some new books. Even though it had been less than a week since the last time we were there the girls were ready for some new books. I love that my children enjoy books and reading as much as they do. Yes it's good for them, but it's great to see they have at least some of the same passion for reading that I had as a child.

Molly found a new buddy

She did actually read some books too ;)

Ava reading to Jocelyn

Ava was reading "If You're Happy and You Know It" and Jocelyn was doing the actions (and see: Molly is in the back doing a puzzle... under Elmo's supervision)

A Better Spouse

It has been a fairly unremarkable day today that has come with some pretty remarkable revelations. I have been hearing the same thing over and over again, but for the first time today I really opened my mind and heart and took a good look inside.

I am not a great wife. While this is a huge oversimplification it is in fact the truth. Over the past several years I have become so consumed with the role of mother that I have set the role of wife way down the priority list. When Ben and I first got married, the Navy took Ben away from home a lot. My role as a military spouse was to keep the house and later our children in order while he was gone. When he came home, it was often only for a short time so rather than make any drastic changes Ben would go along with the routine I had already established and fit his way in as best he could.

Whether it was due to this less-than-ideal pattern or not, I have at times complained that Ben has felt more like another dependent than a partner. I now see that much of that was my own creation. I have inadvertently given him the role of the oldest child. When I was younger, I understood that my siblings often had to be attended to before me; it wasn't a matter of feeling neglected or pushed aside, but a two-year-old's need to be fed or changed is more immediate than an eleven-year-old's need to talk or go somewhere. I never had a problem with this order of things because that was my role. Likewise, I have had a mentality that Ben is an adult so he can wait while I tend to the kids' more basic needs. But he is not on the same level as them - he is in a category of his own, and I need to regard him as such.

Taking care of my kids is simple. They want to be fed. They want to be entertained. They occasionally want a hug or snuggle. Meeting their needs and consequently earning their love is not very hard. So I've retreated to giving that my all, because I know I am a successful mom. Being a successful wife is not quite so simple. There are the basic needs, but there are the more complex adult emotional and mental needs that must be attended to as well. When Ben and I were in college, it was easy to have things to talk about: we shared many of the same friends, worked in the same office, attended the same events. Now, I can relate to his interest MMA and foreign affairs about as much as he enjoys talking about dance classes and preschool. It takes more effort - sometimes very forced effort - and even that is not always enough.

I had up until now in a large way given up. I would do small things for Ben to "fill his love tank," as the Five Love Languages analogy goes. But ultimately I felt like no matter what I did it wouldn't be enough, so why bother? I got lazy, doing enough to say I was trying but no more than that. I would hug my kids during the day, grateful that they loved me for who I was and never asking more of me than I could give them.

I've had this mindset that my young children need my focus and attention, that I could concentrate more on my relationship with my husband in a few years when my children are older. Yes my kids will need me, but once they're a bit older and therefore more independent I can focus back on my marriage. I now see how wrong that is. These revelations have not been easy to come by or accept, nor will working to change the habits and patterns I have created over several years. But I share this as a means of accountability for myself to get off my butt and start really working on my role as Ben's wife. He is my life partner, and I will spend every day of the rest of my life trying to be the best spouse to him that I can be. Some days will be easier than others, some days I'm sure I will still not succeed. But I am going to give it my all, and with a little help from God and our family and friends I like my chances for overall success.

Dance for Fun

This afternoon a handful of the dancers from Ava's dance studio performed for some kids attending a camp at a local elementary school. It was a stark contrast from last week's competition. Only 4 of the 11 dancers from Ava's group could make the performance today. The routines were nowhere near perfection, as the girls kept looking at each other trying to figure out how to dance with so many people missing. Two of the older girls' groups only had 3 dancers come. And yet, they danced beautifully for their audience. They were performing solely to entertain. The audience loved it, and the dancers did as well. Our dance studio is very big on the priority being to have a good time and not what awards we win, but it's automatic at competitions to strive for perfection. This performance today was purely for the joy of dancing, and I genuinely enjoyed seeing these dancers share their passions and talents with others.

Survival of the Sanity

Today was one of those days. For some unexplained reason, all three girls woke up in an antagonistic mood. Jocelyn was pushing buttons at every opportunity. Molly would whine and be on the verge of tears if she was looked at the wrong way. Ava was the least nutso, but her attitude made her less than pleasant to be around as well. By 9am I was ready to send them all to their rooms to remain in solitary confinement for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, we were low on food, so a commissary run had to be made. Against my better judgement, I loaded all three girls into the car and headed to the store. Within the first 5 minutes, I was ready to dump the cart and go straight back home. I pulled my cart over into the closest aisle and picked up Jocelyn so she was at the same level as the other two who were sitting in the cart. In my calmest but firmest voice, I said to all of them that we needed to buy food and I needed to keep my sanity, so they were to snap out of their funks and get through our commissary trip without any major issues. If we had to leave before I was finished shopping, all three of them would go to time out for an hour when we got home.

My "pep talk" was more or less effective. We got through our grocery shopping with only a few bumps along the way. I encountered many a customer who looked at me with sympathy or empathy or gratefulness that they were no longer in my shoes. Sometimes surviving is the mark of success. It is the end of the day and everyone in our house is still in one piece and no worse off after such a rough day. We survived the day... hopefully tomorrow will be even easier.

Fine(ish) Cuisine

This evening I ran into a situation I find myself in about once a week: in need of a commissary run and few options for dinner. I had pasta, but I know Ben gets tired of having noodles and tomato sauce (the girls and I could probably eat it three or four times a week). I had a bunch of shredded cheddar cheese, so I decided to make a go at some "homemade" macaroni and cheese. Shell pasta, milk, butter, and cheese... it was a simple meal. And yet, everyone ATE IT! And they didn't even complain about it. I am about as far from a chef as can be, so I was nervous that even this simple dish wouldn't come out well. To have had even this minor success in cooking was a big deal for me.

A Good Walk

This evening my dad asked if I would like to go on a short walk with him. I said yes, and Molly and Ava piped in that they wanted to go, too. When we got outside a few neighbors were playing around, so Ava bailed on our walk to play with her friends, but Molly hopped in the stroller and came on our little walk. We probably only walked a mile or so total. There were no deep conversations or heartfelt revelations shared. Dad, Molly and I just walked around and enjoyed each other's company. The weather was very nice, having cooled down a bit thanks to some afternoon storms. It was a very pleasant way to end another quiet but wonderful day.

Home Sweet HOME

This morning, for the first time since Tuesday, I was here to greet my two younger daughters as they woke up. I went in and took Molly out of her crib at 7am, and she immediately began to tell me about all of the adventures she has had over the past few days. After a few minutes we went downstairs and turned on the television; shortly thereafter Jocelyn came down to join us. I snuggled with the two of them for a good half hour before their rumbling bellies got the better of them.

The rest of the day was just spent recovering as much as I could. I cleaned out the car and put most everything back where it belongs. I tried to take a nap, although Molly was up WAY before I was ready to be. There was a baby shower for one of my neighbors I was supposed to attend this afternoon, and I bailed. It was selfish, but I just couldn't get motivated to do any more than the absolute minimum today. Today I was just glad to be back in my own home, sleeping in my own bed and spending time with my husband and kids who I missed so much.

** The hotel we stayed at didn't have wifi (CRAZY!!) so I know I am a few days behind and need to find some time to catch up. Hopefully I'll have you all caught up on the blessings of this past week over the next few days**

The Last (LONG) Dance Day

Today marked the final day of our nationals dance competition adventure. And as I should expect by now, it was a bit longer than I had expected it to be. Ava performed in one routine, her ballet production Disney Dreams. They did a great job, the perfect ending to an amazing competition season... or so I thought. Turned out that number was invited to participate in the competition's Ultimate Challenge that afternoon, an event in which the best in each category reperformed their routines in a battle of the best of the best. This of course meant that instead of heading home just after 1pm we were staying until at least 5pm. Add in my dance-obsessed daughter wanting to watch EVERY number again, and we finally pulled out of Atlantic City just after 9pm.

The key moment of the day for me happened as Ava came off the stage following the first awards ceremony. I'm not even going to lie, I screamed primarily out of frustration when I heard Disney Dreams get invited to the Ultimate Challenge. (I was proud of myself for not swearing out loud.) I had enjoyed my time at this competition, but after three and a half days I was very ready to go home. However, when Ava came off the stage and ran to me, the first words out of her mouth were, "Mom, we get to dance again!!" The sheer joy she wore on her face made it all worthwhile. The nights of being kicked by Ava while sharing a bed, the endless hours watching dances, the days of eating microwaved macaroni and cheese and raman noodles - I would do it all again in a heartbeat for Ava to dance one more time. This may not always be her passion, but while it is I will do all I can to support her and help her grow.

one last early morning (this picture was slightly staged)

ready to dance, watching others perform

done dancing! (Or so we thought)

Ava accepted the plaque for Disney Dreams scoring 6th highest in the 13-15yr production division - it was funny to see her up there, totally unfazed by being surrounded by kids twice her size and age

Awesome Dancers

This morning we headed to the auditorium to cheer on Molly's big sister Natalie and her group as they performed their tap number. Ava also had with her an Awesome Dancer button to give to a dancer from another studio who she felt deserved to be recognized. It didn't take long to find such a person. We were watching a tap routine, and in the last 20 or so seconds of the routine one of the girl's costumes came undone at the top. The costume didn't fall down completely - it only fell off of her neck and was flopping in her face and around her chest - but she finished the routine without missing a step. Ava immediately said to me, "Mom, I want to give her my Awesome Dancer button." So we race to find this girl - my biggest fear is always that we will not be able to find the person Ava has chosen when they leave the stage due to the crowds of people.

After a few minutes we did find her. She was standing around in the auditorium talking with her mom and others from her studio. Ava walked up to her and gave her the button, telling her she did a great job. (I am embarrassed to say that I never did get the dancer's name.) I then explained quickly to the girl's mom what was going on. Ava and I were both trying to be quiet and discreet so as not to disturb any of the other people trying to watch the competition. These other people, however, did not seem as concerned. They were from New York (I think the Bronx but I'm not positive) and were VERY loud in their appreciation of Ava's sweet gesture. The mom and dancer both gave Ava huge hugs, and the mom took a picture of her daughter and Ava. We got a few annoyed looks from people so we stayed only a moment longer before heading back to our own seats.

We had the good fortune of running into this girl and her mother later in the day near the dressing room. As we could speak without annoying anyone else, this girl's mom shared with me that her daughter had just been raving all day about how special it had been to be recognized by Ava. This girl's mom said that she isn't the strongest dancer in her group, and therefore she doesn't get the attention some of the more talented girls do. To have been noticed and appreciated by Ava, someone who didn't know or have any personal interest in her child, had meant more than any trophy or award she might get the rest of the week.

Encounters like these are what the Awesome Dancer buttons are all about. Ava was rather overwhelmed and embarrassed by all the attention she was getting for this good deed; I was so grateful she was getting a sense of just how much one small kind act can impact another person. She had no idea she would get the response she did when she chose this dancer to get her button. According to her mom, this dancer will take away today's memory and cherish it the most from her time at nationals. For Ava to have made that kind of impact makes me unbelievably proud.

Rising Stars

Today was Ava's main competition day. This afternoon and evening her group, the Rising Stars, performed their ballet, tap, and jazz routines. I'm not going to lie, they started off a little rough. A few of the girls arrived a little late to the dressing room (our studio asks the dancers to be dressed and ready to go at least an hour before they are scheduled to perform), so they were a little stressed and hurried to begin with. Ballet was their first dance, and it has given the group the most trouble all year. They were not feeling their best afterward, but did a little better in tap and were feeling good going into jazz.

The jazz routine had me the most worried. In the original routine, Ava's friend Riley had a little spotlight part in which she did a "scoop," which is this move where she clasps her hands under one of her legs and lifts said leg up next to her ear. Oh, and holds it there for a few seconds. Riley didn't go come to Atlantic City for nationals, so Ava had been chosen to take Riley's place for this part. This wouldn't be a problem, except that every time I asked Ava to practice at our house she could barely get her leg extended before falling to the ground. While I know the focus is to have fun and do their best, I also didn't want Ava letting her group down by not being able to do what was asked of her.

Ever the professional, as soon as Ava's jazz costume was on she began to practice her scoop. Suddenly she was holding her position for HOURS. Okay, not that long obviously, but all of her wobbles were gone and she was rock solid in her move. Onstage, she did come out of it a hair early but improved some little hip-shaking sassy nonsense that looked like it was intended to be there. Not a sliver of nerves could be found anywhere in Ava's body language; that girl was up there to have fun and she did just that.

By the end of the night the Rising Stars came away with High Golds for all three routines (not the highest medal but not the lowest either), a costume award for their tap routine - gotta love Dorothy's ruby red tap shoes - and the fifth highest score overall in their age category for their jazz routine. These girls really are rising stars who have grown so much this year. I adore this little group and can't wait to see how they grow even more in the years to come.

Atlantic City or Bust

This afternoon Ava and I set out for our adventure to Atlantic City. Ava's dance company is competing in a national dance competition being held there, so we loaded up costumes, swimsuits, and (hopefully) enough food for the next several days.

I had a very sweet moment with Jocelyn as we got ready this morning. We had to make one last Target run to pick a few last things for the trip. Included on our list was a gift for one of the girls we will be staying with. Molly Allan's birthday is today, so we thought it would be nice to pick up a few things in the dollar section to bring for her. Molly has a twin sister Caroline, but as she wasn't going to be on the trip with us I hadn't planned to get anything for her. But Jocelyn was adamant - "Momma, I have to buy something for Caroline too!" So while Ava picked out Molly's gifts, Jocelyn found a few things for Caroline as well. Jocie and Caroline are not especially close, but I was very proud that she was being so thoughtful of another person.

This afternoon was much more difficult on me than my kids. All morning as I was packing up I kept feeling like I was forgetting something. Eventually I realized I felt I was forgetting my younger two daughters. While intellectually I know they would have been bored out of their skulls had they come with us, it was still hard to leave them - I've never left either for this long. But when I left them at our neighbors' house to play until Ben came home from work, they gave me quick hugs and ran off to play with their friends. They will be fine and have a fun week, and while I will still miss them like crazy it is such a blessing to not have them clinging and sobbing when I have to leave them.

The drive into Jersey gave me a sneak peek into the fun I am going to have with Ava this week. I drove and Ava watched movies. Every now and then I would point out something we were driving past, and Ava asked for a snack once or twice, but overall we just sat quietly. I forget sometimes how much Ava has grown and how independent she is becoming. On such a long car trip it was so nice to have a travel companion that wasn't whiny or needy.

It was a long day, but we ended in a nice hotel with our wonderful friends and roommates for the next few days. The girls all squealed and ran around, excited to be together; Heather and I had what I am sure will be the first of many nice conversations as the girls entertained themselves. It will be a great next few days, and I can't wait to see what happens.

this week's roomies - Natalie, Abigail, Molly, and Ava

Getting Ready

This time tomorrow Ava and I will be in Atlantic City for the Beyond the Stars National dance competition our dance studio is competing at. I spent most of today getting ready - triple checking the costumes, hair, and make up, packing the suitcase, making sure everything is set for Ben and the girls who are staying home. There have been a few moments of excitement but mainly bouts of absolute panic - what if I forget something? Will Molly get sick while I'm gone? What about the million other things that could POSSIBLY go wrong?

This afternoon I went food shopping with Heather Allan. Ava and I are staying with her, her two daughters, and one other dancer whose parents can't make it. We purchased what I am sure will be more than enough food for the next few days, and talked out a lot of our concerns and worries. It is so nice to be sharing this experience with someone else, especially someone who views so many things, from finances to morals, as I do. I will probably still get a horrible night's sleep due to the nervousness surrounding this trip, but once we get there I will have a great time with some incredible people.

Special Moments

I have to begin by apologizing. This post is going to be frustratingly vague, because there are still a few things that are private to me that I selfishly don't want to share with the world. This morning I had an incredible experience that was quiet and understated and yet blew me away. Even if I did want to explain, a written description would not come close to doing justice to the emotions I felt. It is a memory I will carry with me forever, and today I felt beyond blessed to have been touched by God in a subtle but very real way.

ANOTHER dinner party

This afternoon we had a family from the dance studio over for dinner. Ava and Riley are in the same dance group and are best friends. Ben and Riley's dad, Jon, have become partners in crime and enjoy hanging out and being absolutely ridiculous together. Kristy and I enjoy gabbing about the studio and anything else we think to talk about, and Riley's sister Lexi and brother Myles are always game to come along and find some way to entertain themselves. The kids ran outside while the adults talked and cooked an elegant dinner of hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, watermelon, and brownies. It was another social and fun evening spent with good people we are blessed to call friends.

Moms (and Ellie) Night Out

Tonight I went to dinner with Amanda and Sharon. We could have been celebrating Amanda's upcoming birthday, or getting out one last time before Sharon's husband leaves for a while making an adult night out impossible. But really, we just used those reasons as excuses to get out together for the first time in FOREVER sans kids. (Well, a nursing Ellie did tag along, but she was an excellent guest.) I don't remember the last time we got to go out the three of us, which means it has been far too long, but I was reminded of how much I consider these ladies family to me. Even though I don't see them nearly as often as we used to, we got together and talked about anything and everything for a solid four hours. I'm sure our waiter hated us, and we certainly got a few looks from others around us when someone got overly loud or animated in a story, but we could not have cared less. It was a great night out, and I feel blessed that even if we go months between such outings we are able to pick up right where we left off the last time and have a blast as fellow moms, wives, and friends.

Fun with Friends

Today we had our friend Jaelyn spend most of the day with us. Jaelyn will be in 6th grade in the fall at Ava's school, and as she attends our same dance studio we spent most of last year carpooling with Jaelyn on dance days. Today we were taking her to the studio as well and it was easier to just have her spend the day with us rather than have to pick her up from her camp. I always am nervous that our older friends have fun with my girls in small spurts, but that having to spend several hours with these crazy kiddos will be too much for them.

As usual I was completely wrong. Jaelyn was dropped off, the girls went downstairs, and with the exception of lunch and a few snacks that was the last I saw of any of them. They were dancing, playing in our castle, and who knows what other fun they were having that I could not hear. They never argued or got upset with each other. I kept an ear out to make sure Jaelyn wasn't feeling annoyed or overwhelmed, and it at least sounded like she had a blast from the moment she got here to the moment she left. The best part for me? I was SUPER productive with all of my children so entertained. The great irony of course is that having had visitors only a few days ago, the house is still in pretty good shape so there wasn't as much for me to do as I would have liked. But I managed, and truly enjoyed having Jaelyn in our home for the day. I hope she comes back again very soon (and on a day when I have more to get done around the house).

Jocelyn's Gift

This morning Jocelyn was sent to her room to "take a break." I can't even remember what exactly she did, but I'm pretty sure it somehow involved her bothering her sisters. Jocelyn loves so fiercely, but sometimes that translates to her literally smothering others with love, which is not always appreciated. Anyway, I sent her to her room to cool off for a few minutes. When I went upstairs to tell her she could come out of her room again, I found she had spread her comforter across her room and anchored the ends on her and Ava's beds, creating a makeshift tent. Bad mood gone, she told me she wanted to show her sisters the "club" she had made. Back in the living room, I could hear Jocie upstairs telling Ava to close her eyes and walk into the bedroom. Ava made the appropriate "OOH!!" response upon opening her eyes, and as Molly joined in the girls spent the next hour making several clubs/tents. It was great to see a situation that started fairly negative end up so positive, and to see Jocelyn's love for her sisters channeled in the perfect way.

Recovery Mode

We dropped off Ben's parents and grandmother at the airport this morning. It was a pleasant good-bye - we were all sad, but the only real tears shed were Molly, who was crying out of anger that she didn't get to go on an airplane too. On the way home I looked in the rearview mirror at my children: all three of them were semi-slumped in their seats with spacey looks on their faces. We were having so much fun the last few days that it took until now to realize just how much we were all worn down. So we returned home, watched a TV show or two, ate some lunch, and napped. ALL four of us. And for a good long while, too. It's amazing how we didn't have any idea just how tired we all were until our source of excitement left us. I was very glad to have a little time to recover today and ease ourselves back into our normal routines.

Movie Night

Tonight was our last night with our out-of-town guests. We had a pretty quiet day, and decided to end it watching the movie Brave. The funniest part of this was that it was Jocelyn's suggestion to watch this particular movie, even though every time we finish watching Brave Jocelyn swears she never wants to watch it again. (The final scene is pretty intense and stresses her out.) It was a great end to a terrific visit. This was by far the best visit we have had with Ben's family. The others weren't bad - this one was simply the most fun. It was a great balance of going out exploring and doing things and relaxing while enjoying each other's company. I hope our guests had half as much fun as we did. It has been a wonderful five days, and while we will be sad to see everyone head off to the airport in the morning, we know it's not good-bye but until we meet again.

Family Bowling!

This evening, after an eventful day of attending church, visiting the WWII Memorial, and going out for dinner, we opted to head to the bowling alley for a little friendly game. It was a BLAST. Ava started off and showed her sisters how it was all done. Whether she knocked down three pins or all ten, Jocelyn let out the LOUDEST squeal and jumped up and down after each roll. If anyone else had a good roll, Jocelyn was the loudest cheerleader of us all. Molly, as usual, had fun in her own way. First she was quite obsessed with her new shoes (they actually had some small enough for her size six feet - SO cute!). She had fun bowling for 3 or 4 frames, but after that she would push the ball off the ramp we had, watch the ball knock down however many pins, then just look at me and say, "Momma, where my ball go?" She picked up a spare at some point and didn't care in the slightest because her ball was once again gone ;) The adults had just as much fun. Lew, who had not been super excited about going in the first place, ended up beating us all. Ben had great fun rubbing it in my face that he beat me. We were all feeling our ages as our muscles were pretty sore as we left, but everyone had smiles on their faces as we ended another great day.

Family Gathering

This afternoon we hosted a few extra guests to visit with our Texas guests. Carol's sister Cathy and her family came up from Richmond and down from Columbia, MD to spend the evening with us. Add a few of Bev's friends, and in total we had 15 humans and 2 dogs hanging out at our house. It was loud, crazy, and an absolute blast. Even though we don't live very far it's not too often we get to see Ben's aunt and uncle, so it was great to have an excuse to drag them up here and spend some time with us. I hope it's not another two years before we have another gathering like this.

Game Day

To pass the time waiting for Molly to wake up from her nap, Ava was playing a game of checkers with her Nonnie. When they were finished, they decided to play a game of chinese checkers and asked everyone else to join in. In the end Molly woke up as well and the entire family was circled around a rousing game of chinese checkers. It disintegrated quickly, with the three girls just moving marbles around with no rhyme or reason. But it was fun watching everyone playing together, even for those few minutes before chaos once again reigned supreme.

A Very Happy Fourth

Today is the Fourth of July - Independence Day. Our day was destined to be great from the start, because we welcomed some very special visitors: Ben's parents and grandmother, Nonnie, Pappy, and Great-Grandma to the girls, came to visit us from Texas. The girls have been beyond excited for their visit (as have Ben and I - we just don't express ourselves quite like the kids do). We spent a few hours letting our guests stretch out after a long plane ride before heading outside for some good ol' July 4th fun.

My neighbor and I had been talking for the last week or so about having a little block party on our street to celebrate the Fourth. Let people eat, let the kids run around and play, and have a few sparklers and fountains to cap off the night. Several of the fireworks shows in our area were cancelled due to budget cuts, so I didn't really want to try to fight all of the crowds cramming themselves into the few shows that were left.

I couldn't imagine the evening could have been any better. The kids ran around SO much and played together (I have no idea how they didn't collapse from exhaustion). We set everything up in our driveway because it was already shaded, so while it was still hot it was pretty comfortable. Each kid got to do at least five or six sparklers as the sun started to set. Then Ben and our neighbor Darren impressed everyone with their fountain fireworks. There were none of the big (read: illegal) fireworks at our event, but none of the kids cared. They all sat and watched in awe of what there was. Everyone had a great time. I am blessed to have a wonderful and fun family, to live on such a fantastic street, and to be an American.

the one picture I could get of the girls in their Americana attire

cooling off with some water play

LOVE this picture (they really were laughing and having fun)

Nonnie and Ava

Molly enjoying a pig-in-a-blanket

Jocie putting a mini flag in Pappy's buttonhole 

It is SO hard to get Jocelyn to look at the camera!

Mr. Grillmaster

the view from the top of our driveway

the side view

Molly standing in the wading pool eating corn on the cob (why not?)

Sparkler time!

they thought the sparklers were pretty fun

It was an adventure making sure all the kids avoided each other with their sparklers

Ben went from griller to sparkler lighter

again, unable to keep her eyes on the camera

Ava got brave and went without the Solo cup

everyone sitting on the sidewalk waiting for the fountain show

some of our fireworks

Happy Fourth of July!

A Good Talk

This evening I went to the dance studio to pick Ava up from her classes - pretty standard. When I arrived there I greeted the other 10 or so parents in the lobby also waiting to pick up their children - also standard. A minute or so in I got to talking to one of the dads that I am good friends with. We didn't talk for very long - maybe 10 minutes or so - but it was just a really nice conversation. Not too serious, not totally dumb, but a nice few minutes of quality adult conversation with someone I respect and enjoy talking to. I left the studio in a better mood than when I had entered. Sometimes it's those brief encounters that are not life-changing in substance, but that make my day just a little bit brighter.

Baby Fever-less

This afternoon Jocelyn and Molly helped me babysit Jaxon, the son of one of our dance teacher friends. In the beginning the girls had a BLAST - I had to constantly remind Jocelyn to back off a bit and let Jaxon get tired of the toy he was holding before shoving another one in his face, and while I kept trying to convince Molly that Jaxon didn't really NEED to wear the bib she had uncovered in our kitchen, she wasn't buying it. Jaxon of course was mesmerized with a room full of new toys and two big(ger) girls who gave him their undivided attention.

Then the newness wore off. After a few hours the girls were ready to get back to playing with their own big kid toys, and Jaxon realized he really should have taken that nap I was trying to give him earlier. As we drove to the dance studio to bring Jaxon back to his Momma, he was overtired and out of sorts... which of course means he was crying about 85% of the drive. Molly kept trying to gently "shhh" Jaxon, then would get annoyed because it wasn't working. Jocelyn said over and over, "My ears hurt from Jaxon's crying!"

I had realized just before Jaxon came to us today that the age difference between he and Molly is almost the exact same as between Molly and Jocelyn. I CANNOT imagine having a six- or seven-month-old on top of the (albeit wonderful) chaos my current children already provide. We may or may not have more kids in the future, but for now I am more than content with what I have. I love taking care of friends' babies and then promptly returning them. It was both amusing and comforting to know that after a few hours with one of our favorite little people, my daughters feel the same way that I do.

Jocelyn thought it was absolutely HYSTERICAL that every time she put a toy in front of Jaxon he would immediately put it in his mouth

checking each other out

Molly showing Jaxon how the toy worked... she was all about demonstrating, not so thrilled with having to share (and notice she was wearing a bib of her own as an example for her little friend)

Evening Silliness

Tonight Ava and Jocelyn had what will for the rest of the summer be their Thursday night classes. (This Thursday being Independence Day they held the classes today as a make-up day.) Jocelyn finished at 7:15, but Ava was in class until 8:15. So this one week I stayed with Jocie until Ava was finished. It worked out well - there were a few other younger kids hanging around the studio, so they entertained each other. But by about 8pm - Jocelyn's usual bedtime - Jocie started getting a bit loopy. She didn't throw a tantrum or cry or scream, but she was definitely tired and acting extra crazy and silly as a result. I tend to be pretty scheduled with my kids, so I am always nervous when we have to break our routine. Tonight I was glad Jocelyn was silly rather than screaming from being tired. It was a small victory at the end of a long but good day.