Family Update

Archer is home!!!  He spent the past week at scout camp.  I missed him a lot!  The house just doesn't feel right when one of the kids is missing.  The kids and I kept busy during the week with bowling, movies, grandma's house, and a Rapids game.  We had a really good time, but everything felt slightly off.  Picasso had a sleepover in the girls room, they set up the rollaway bed for him and had movie nights every night.  Of course Archer got home two hours early.  I was at a photo shoot and my sweetheart was with the other kids at Picasso's baseball game.  Instead of heading to the baseball game I went home to get my boy.  One of the first things that needed to be  done was get that boy a shower!  He had a fantastic time at camp, but came home smelling a bit rank.  His younger siblings were so excited that he was home!  That evening I took him out on a mother-son date to see Red 2 and dinner at the Alamo Drafthouse.  We had a great time and both laughed a lot during the movie.  I love that he is old enough to be a movie buddy for me!  All the kids love seeing movies, but Archer is old enough to see more grown-up type movies.  Now that he is home he is back to pet sitting, baby sitting, and working on his rank advancement for scouts.

Princess had been saving up her money all year to buy  an American Girl doll.  Let's just say those suckers are pricey!  Angel has one that she got for Christmas a couple years ago.  Santa almost cried that year.  Not really, but Santa was counting pennies to see if he could pay the elves!  A friend of mine was selling a brand new, still in box, American Girl doll for $70.  Thirty dollars off in store price!  My friend agreed to hold onto the doll for a couple weeks so Princess could get enough money together.  Princess didn't quite have enough money, but another friend hired her as a "mommy's helper" to come play with her kids so she could get some things done at home.  She finally had enough money, so the time had come.  She took her money and purchased her doll.  She named her Comet.  I am Comet's grandma or so I've been told.  I'm way too young to be a grandma.  Every night since when Princess gets hugs and kisses for bed, so does Comet.  Comet came to church with us too.  I am glad that she loves her doll so much.  She worked hard to get her!

Picasso has his last baseball game this week.  It has been a fun, but rough season for him.  He has never played before, but I think he has the makings of being a really good player.  We just need to get past the flinching when a pitch is coming.  He'll get there though.  He's worked really hard to be the best that he can be for his first season.  I hope he gives it another go next season!  I'm not sure if he will.  If he chooses not to, that is okay too.  He is a great kid no matter what.  He can keep drawing and being artistic instead if that is what he chooses to do.  As long as he keeps making me laugh, we are all good. 

Angel has been loving her kindle.  That girl is engrossed in it most days.  I worry that she spends too much time listening to her books and not reading them, but I know she does still read.  Her daddy loves his audiobooks, so that obviously has rubbed off.  We are going to be looking into surgery on her eye.  With her amblyopia she still gets a lot of eye turn when she is tired.  The surgery would tighten that up and help a lot with the eye turn and hopefully make it easier on her so she doesn't have to work quite so hard to keep that eye in place.  She amazes me every day with how hard she works at fighting her disability.  I only hope that someday I can be as strong as she is!

So that's us in a nutshell for now.  We are moving along, a day at a time.  Some days are crazy, some are "boring", some are busy, but they are always full of love.

End of the School Year

We're coming to the end of the school year and things are getting hectic.  Archer is still struggling with getting things turned in on time.  We have been staying on him about it pretty hard and I am sure he just wishes we would back off.  He has to learn that it is not acceptable to fall behind.  He could easily be a straight A student if he would just turn things in on time.  Over the summer I am planning on sitting down with him and coming up with consequences for grades.  Bad grades he will owe us money.  Good grades, not sure yet.  Maybe dinner and a movie out with mom or dad, maybe going out to an activity of his choice with a friend.  Not sure yet, but we'll come up with something.  I just do not want him to feel like he is only being punished.  We all work better with something good to work for, why not try it with his grades.  Many of his teachers have been emailing me thanks for supporting them and him in his studies.  I cannot imagine not!  He will get there, I know he will.  He is a great kid, this has just been a tough learning curve for him.


Angel just started an endangered animal project.  Of course it is due the Tuesday after we go out of town.  Another email to a teacher asking if my child can do a project early.  I did tell her today that I wanted her to try and have it done over the weekend so she has plenty of time to prepare.  She is doing her project on sand cats.  The kittens are SO cute!  I finally got the approval from the school to put her on a 504 plan next year.  Finally!  It took a couple years to get the approval, but I am looking forward to getting it in place so that she can get all the support she needs in the years to come.


Picasso is about 1/3 of the way done with his report on Scotland.  Through the spouses group with my sweet husbands work I was able to get a few recipes to choose from to make a treat for his project.  He is getting really excited and has learned a lot about the country.  He had his first baseball practice yesterday.  He has been anxiously awaiting it for months.  This is his first year playing and the teams first year with kids pitching.  Turns out he was in the top three kids for pitching!  I was surprised as we haven't really worked with him.  I am sure he will do great!  He will miss two practices while we are gone and then have his first game the week we get back.  I am looking forward to cheering him on!

Princess had a popsicle party today at school for her reading group.  It was their last time meeting for the year, so they had a fun hour.  She says it is okay, as she still gets to see that teacher for math.  She has loved being in both of her classes this year.  She and I will be attending her classes field trip next week.  I love being able to attend field trips with the kids! 

I am also finishing up preparations for the elementary school's yearbook signing party.  The kids always have an amazing time and I am glad I get to be a part of it.  I do love the school my younger kids attend.  The teachers and staff are all just amazing!  The middle school I am still up in the air about.  Archer is learning and advancing, for the most part the teachers seem great, it is just the ones that do not seem to know how to communicate that are driving me crazy.  At the end of the day it is my job as the parent to make sure the kids get done what they need to.  The teachers will do what they can, but the buck stops here.

After all that we will climb in the car and head out for our family vacation!  I am looking forward to that more than I can say.  It should be a fabulous trip.  I am looking forward to being able to spend all that time together.  So thankful to have family close enough by to have a built in house/pet sitter thanks to my awesome brother in law. 

Now to find the motivation to take care of everything that needs to be done.  I know it is hiding in their somewhere.