Spring Sports Starting

After the floods of the past 2 days, swim team finally started this afternoon! Mary Clare was so excited and did a wonderful job! I think she'll be moving out of the swim-lesson-type class to her age group sooner than later!


Ellie on the other hand started crying and came over to me (they kept all the parents way away from the pool). I told her she could just go and watch. So that's what she did for a few minutes...


until they convinced her to go sit on the steps with the other little bitties who are still learning to swim. She's never taken lessons before so hopefully that's what it will be for her this year--daily swim lessons!


My two swimmers after their workout!


I just heard that they've canceled all UIL sports in Texas until mid-May. I hope ballet and swim team will still continue for my little athletes!

Mommy here has also started some spring activities of my own. I've been taking 2-3 classes at the Y each week...yoga, pilates, latin dance, etc. This morning I went to "Ballet Workout" which was a really good workout and the first time I'd done a dance class since college. I danced my entire childhood, so that's one thing I've really missed during adulthood. I'm hoping to take classes at their dance studio, one day when I'm back in shape!

My hands and feet still do remember what to do, at least!


It's been a great way to relieve some of the stress we've encountered in the past months. The floods and storms of the past couple weeks haven't helped. I'm ready for a sunny spring and summer filled with joy and hope! I know that rainbow is right around the corner, and hopeful that we'll see it very soon. Thanks for your continued prayers for our family at this time!

Barbie Cake

Turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself!

The happy 4 year-old! I threw together a last-minute celebration with family and a few friends. We even had to change the location about a half hour before it started. We are all about last-minute and flexible activities over here!


The triplets actually made it out to the "woods"!


I cut wraps for the girls and their dolls


Daddy and Ellie both enjoyed the swings :)


Now we're resting all afternoon....her cake was completed at 2:30am....yawn....
Happy Birthday, sweet Ellie!

7 Quick Takes Friday

I love 7 quick takes. I can share all the random pics of the week!

~~1~~
SJ enjoying a favorite toy--toilet paper!


~~2~~
Baby brigade at our homeschool group bbq


~~3~~
Steven Sr. leading the pack in some sort of ball-throwing game with Steven Jr watching intently. I won't say whether or not S Sr. started this party leading a golf club activity and hit a ball into someone's back yard...


~~4~~
Ellie on her birthday opening her new mermaid doll, Emma


and being a little shy when the Red Robin employees sang to her

funny she was shy then, because the rest of the day she was telling everyone that it was her birthday!

~~5~~
One of our favorite places right now, the physical therapy waiting room! The kids are always showered with treats and love from the staff and other patients, being the only kids around (they mostly work with elderly patients). They were given cookies in this picture; yesterday it was cheese and grapes!


~~6~~
What my kitchen sink always seems to look like. Is it just me?

My goal is to have another picture of this before bed tonight for #7!!!


edited at 1:00am to add:
~~7~~
My clean kitchen sink. Flylady is right about how a clean sink makes you feel! Although it sure looks lonely compared to the bright afternoon picture!

You'll notice that I added a couple items on the counter to share some good finds today at the "99 Cents Only" store. Strawberries and sunglasses, both at 99 cents only! We've already eaten one carton of strawberries and Steven and I both got a much needed pair of sunglasses (mine were originally priced at $26.99 at K-Mart! And they also had some from Kohl's). I know where I'll be buying my sunglasses from now on. I always get the $1 ones, but this place had the best selection ever!

And I won't say whether or not I pushed a few (well 3 exactly) things out of the way to take this picture...

Happy 4th Birthday, Ellie!

One little thing just doesn't belong here

can you see it?
i don't know why ellie brought this to the dinner table
i assume she was using it as a microphone
we have so much baby gear and supplies
i hardly know what we have in that non-used nursery.
did you find it?
there by the texas toast? (do they sell texas toast in other states?)
mary clare couldn't figure out why steven and i started laughing hysterically
in the middle of saying grace
and why i ran for the camera



yeah, it's part of a breastpump.
at the dinner table.
yeah.

7 Quick Takes Friday

~~1~~
Is there a child who doesn't love the red and yellow Little Tykes car?


~~2~~
Heart update:

Got a phone call today--the surgeon looked over his records and tests and wants him to be bigger before surgery. We made an appointment in December with the cardiologist where we will do all the tests again, schedule an MRI, and then proceed to meet with the surgeon to possibly schedule the surgery in early to mid-2010 when he's over 2 yrs old. The nurse said that his ASD was too large to spontaneously close, but we can always pray for a miracle, right? So we will just hold tight until December; thankful that this isn't an urgent condition. Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers as we adjust to this news.

~~3~~
One of Ellie's two blankeys. I'm not sure how much longer these will last!

She turns 4 in five days! Wow!

Tonight I was saying something about "father" and Steven asked if she knew who her father was. "Enrique," she answered (her godfather). "PaPa," her 2nd try (my dad). "Give me a hint!"...we just laughed.

Her funny Ellie-ism right now is the name she likes to be called, "Emma Emily Sarah Alana Alana Alana," sometimes with varying numbers of Sarahs and Alanas!


~~4~~
A sweet pic from the neighborhood Easter Egg hunt. I don't think I ever posted it here.


~~5~~
This was the biggest plane anyone had seen at a small town airport a few weeks ago. We were all patiently waiting to see who would board it, maybe a famous politician with his entourage or a big wig business man and crew...


That big plane for one old man (the one on the left). Anyone know who he is? We don't.


~~6~~

And for fun...a picture from exactly one year ago on April 17th! SJ and his best bud, J, in their matching outfits. They were born one week apart. Look at my baldy boy!


~~7~~
Today was a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese for a ballet friend. The kids had a blast; the perfect activity for a rainy day, and it's so much calmer on a weekday afternoon! Here were the highlights:




He was totally obsessed with this ball game. It was the only thing he wanted to do, the only place he wanted to be the whole time we were there!


Have a great weekend, all!

Changing it up

My new post on the Home Schoolin' Mamas blog about the ways that I "change things up" throughout the year with Mary Clare's lessons. Hopefully I'll get around to posting some more about homeschooling now that we're getting back into the groove again after our difficult Lenten season.

Happy Easter!

The day in pictures...

Sunday morning mass


Dolls and baskets ready for waiting kids!


Spending lots of time in the car
Wow, they did actually eat something healthy yesterday!


Smiling gal in her cowmoo booster


A typical "Car-Ellie" with blankey


Egg hunt at Aunt Mary's


He figured it all out this year!


Cousins minus the napping triplets


His first golf clubs from PaPa


A new badminton game


My sweet ball boy


And a good night's sleep for all,
including the dolls in their new beds from NeNe!


Hope your Easter was truly blessed! May this new season bring JOY and HOPE to all of you!
If you could, please say a quick "Ave" for a very special intention.
Thanks!

Vote for your favorite

sibling picture in our (maybe) last bluebonnet photo attempt! I'm not sure how anyone gets a decent picture of 3 or more kids. Taking group shots is so hard! Here are the best of the bunch...

#1


#2


#3


#4


#5


#6


#7


#8


Thanks for voting!








My new profile pic thanks to MC!

Have a wonderful Monday! I'm going to try to make myself scarce this Holy Week, focusing on homeschooling and dealing with our medical drama. 3 PT appts for MC this week will keep us busy! Take care and may you feel ever close to the suffering Christ this week...