While the cat's away...

The husband will work out all the quirks in our computer system.  We have pictures!  I know you all have been dying to see more photos of the girls.  So here they are.  I'll post a bunch because I haven't in a while.  What a fantastic weekend though.  

Doing a Happy Carpool Dance

We've hooked up with another family that lives nearby to carpool to school. Woohoo!  Yes, I'm happier that we're now a little greener.  But actually, I just love the free time in the morning.  So does Ladybug.  Right now she's dancing to Sesame Street.  We never get to watch Sesame Street.  We've danced, read countless books, enjoyed a hot cup of tea together, gotten dressed in a leisurely fashion, and done two loads of laundry.  All in the hour we save by not driving Sunshine to school in the morning.  It's the little things.  

Preparations

So I'm getting ready to go away this weekend.  Without my husband.  Without my children.  I am amazed at the sheer amount of things I need to do in order for the weekend to proceed smoothly for my husband.  If he had it his way all outfits would be laid out in the order in which they should be worn, down to the shoes and hair bows.  Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners would be cooked and neatly portioned into labeled tupperware containers.  Frankly, I'm not nearly so organized.  I feel like I'll be lucky just to get the girls' clothes washed.  (So Sunshine has a clean soccer uniform on Saturday morning, of course.)   

Seriously though, I think they're going to have a blast.  The chryalids are nearly ready to hatch. The weather is beautiful.  There are passes to the zoo.  The only thing that would make the weekend better is a refrigerator full of junk food.  I'll work on that on Friday.  

I'm going to miss them so much.   

The People I Left Behind...

So most of you know that I moved from Virginia several months ago.  In moving to Atlanta, I left my two wonderful sisters and brother back up in Virginia.  There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss them terribly.  

I used to talk to Sharon at least 5 times a day.  Even when we lived in the same state.  Our conversations might not last for more than a couple of moments, but she's always one of those people that I want to talk to on a semi-hourly basis.  We have children that are just two months apart, so most of the time we're going through the same things. She has this amazing way of making me see things from another perspective, and I am eternally grateful for having her for a sister.  Sharon decided to go back to teaching this year.  Special Ed.  God has a special place for people who can do what my sister does every day.  She works so hard for her family.  It means that now I only get to talk to her once every couple of days versus every couple of hours.  It's been hard.  I've literally picked up my phone no fewer than 6 times today just thinking about calling her.  Sharon...if you're reading this.  I PROMISE I'm not trying to make you feel guilty.  I just wanted to say that I miss you!

I can't even begin to say how proud I am of my sister Ashley.  I missed most of her growing up years.  I've gotten to see a lot of her these last few years, to get to know her all over again.  Ashley's another on of those people that God has a special place for.  She's working her way through grad school to become a social worker.  She's tremendous with kids.  My kids, other people's kids.  A bit like a Guardian Angel.  I get to talk to Ashley a little more than Sharon.  But it still never seems like enough.  

My brother Christopher is still a bit of a mystery to me.  There's such a large difference in our ages, and I'd already left home by the time he started school.  I was just getting to know him again when I left.  He is the epitome of hard work.  He had it toughest of all of us, and he's amazing.  He works so very hard.  Two jobs and a full load of classes at college.  I wasn't strong enough to do that.  I don't get to tell him how proud of him I am nearly enough.  

It's sad.  When I left we talked about how we'd see each other more than just once or twice a year.  With school and jobs, we're going to be lucky to see each other that often.  I'm going to see two of the three this upcoming weekend, and I'm ecstatic.  It will be far too short a weekend, and I'll be left craving more time.  But it will have to do.    

The Soccer Chronicles, Week 2

I think it was the bindi that did it.  Sunshine received several sheets of bindis for her birthday, and she's been wearing them ever since.  So when I suggested she might like to wear a bindi to play soccer today, she jumped at the chance.  She put on her soccer uniform without even having to be asked.  She ran out onto the field with her Daddy.  She practiced with her team.  She played, excitedly running onto the field when her coach called her.  It was such a dramatic transformation that I think I have to attribute it to the bindi.  

The way 3 and 4-year olds play soccer is to essentially take turn scoring goals.  One kid from one team runs up the field with the ball and scores a goal.  The opposing team then repeats the process.  We kept telling the kids to try to take the ball away from the kid running with it.  At one point, after calling to Sunshine to take the ball, she stopped running and looked at us as if we were crazy.  And I came to a startling realization.  I've been teaching my kid for the last four years that you don't take things away from other people.  At least not without asking first.  And now I expect her to take a ball from someone who is obviously playing with it and play with it herself.  It seriously goes against everything I've been teaching her.  I'm so proud of my kiddo for looking at me like I was crazy!  

How You Know Your Little One Is Growing Up...

When she tells you for the first time that kissing her boo boo won't make it stop hurting.  Just about broke my heart.  

Out of the Closet

So my blog is out of the closet.  Congrats to Aunt Kirha for finding it.  That took patience!  I started it not too long ago after listening to two of my favorite bloggers, Kristen and Mir, extol the virtues of keeping this legacy for their children.  I was inspired.  Doesn't happen often, and I wasn't sure where it would go.  You know, there are a lot of things I start but tire of after a while.  I'm hoping that this isn't one of them as it has now become my dream to support my family via blogging like this fine lady.  Just kidding.  Kind of.

Truthfully, I'm really enjoying this, and I'm thrilled that you all want to hear about the girls.    I'll post more pictures, but I'm dealing with some computer issues that has resulted in the complete destruction of the door to my hard drive.  I'm working on rebuilding it and, as the apple tech explained it, moving each piece back where it belongs.  The pictures haven't been moved yet.  

So, if you all are out there, leave a comment.  Tell me what you think.  Say hi.  I love it.  Mom, it's super easy.  Just click "comments" at the bottom of each post.  Type in your comment.  You can click "anonymous" because that's easier, and then publish.  I'd love it.  The girls (well Sunshine) would too as I read everything to them.  Well, I might modify them a bit.  

So, busy weekend ahead of us.  Sunshine has a soccer game tomorrow.  Last week the only thing we could do was convince her to put on the jersey.  Hopefully this week we'll graduate to actually standing on the sidelines and cheering for her team.  Baby steps, right?  After that Notre Dame plays.  Go Fighting Irish!  Here's hoping they win, because if not the world as we know it will cease to exist.  At least according to my husband.  Sunday brings Sunshine's Fall Potluck.  I signed Daddy up to help organize the kids games.  Come to think of it, I'm not sure I told him that yet.  First things first, though, the start to the weekend.  Hopefully it begins with me not having to cook and someone else cleaning up.  Honey, did you catch that?

Love you all!