Yesterday, I came home from a long day to some very exciting mail. We found out that Eden was accepted to the school we were really hoping to get her in. See, we’d gone through a fairly involved application process to find that out of 100 or so applicants, only 22 would be accepted. And this was happening by lottery.

It wasn’t until that final meeting where we really learned more about the school, that I decided that she HAD to go there. In the whole elementary school, there are only 130 kids. It’s the only all day kindergarden in the district and she will have Fridays off. Honor will automatically make it in when he’s ready for school too. Because it’s sort of an experimental type school that’s out of our area, I’ll have to drive her every day, but I think it will be well worth it.

This comes as SUCH a relief. I was so worried about sending her to the school in our area. And I didn’t feel like any of the private schools provided a good alternative for us. Now the only thing that I have to freak out about is that she’s actually GOING TO SCHOOL. GAH!!

(Because I forgot to do this for her b-day, I uploaded a whole bunch of pics of Eden and created a new set. Click below to see the set.)

(just so you know, I do not drive a mini van)

Eden’s first game is tomorrow. I’m not sure what they think a bunch of 5 year old girls will know after two practices, but it will be hilarious anyway. (And don’t get me started on the COST of a mere 7 games.)

Here are some pics from Eden’s soccer practice. Click any to see the whole set (that I’m sure will expand as the weeks go by.)

“Mom, in the morning can I have a juice box and a pop tart? And after that can I have cereal? And after that can I have oatmeal?”

Every so often, I let the kids take a bath with me. We’re nearing the end of this because Honor is starting to become aware of boobs. I swear, it’s hard wired into them.

Case in point: While in the bath the other day, Eden mentioned something about the fact that she has boobs. Honor told her, “Eden you don’t have boobs, you just have nickels.”

He also gave us a taste of what it’s really going to be like living with a little boy. He started leaning WAY over the tub and I thought he was picking something up that fell out. But he just stayed there, hands on the floor and butt up in the air. I finally started to ask him what he was doing when a 3 year old sized toot escaped his buns, followed closely by hilarious giggles. Yep, this boy thing is going to be fun.

I’ve been trying all week to post these photos! Eden turned 5 on Monday. And in true my-daughter form she had a whole birthday celebration. Saturday we had a little party with her friends, Sunday we went swimming at the hot springs in Ouray, Colorado and Monday we had lunch with her grandpa and his wife. All along the way she opened lots and lots of Hello Kitty-themed presents.

I tried to take a couple minutes during all the activities to think about how much she has changed in the last year. All I really had time to think about is how mature she seems. She can be so responsible – makes me wonder who the adult is sometimes. She is most definitely five.

Click the photos below to see the few pictures I uploaded of her birthday. (The only thing I regret about these photos is that they don’t capture how pretty blue-blue her eyes are.)

notice her haircut?

better pics to come

I finished this last week, but I just haven’t found Honor, the sweater and the camera in the same room together.

I’m really happy with how this sweater turned out. Although, I did have a few issues with carrying the yarn (really, who wants to weave in all those ends?), I seem to have pulled it off. My favorite part was making the skull applique. I’m not convinced that the cheap-o felt will hold up, but I figure that at 20 cents a sheet I can just make him a new one when it wears out. I’m also toying with the idea of ironing interfacing to the back of tee shirt material and making an applique from that.

Stats:
Yarn: GGH Samoa – 2 balls of brown (I think?) and 3 balls of blue
Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple Child’s Pullover
Needles: US size 9 denise and addi turbos

I talked awhile back about some changes we are making in our lives. One of the things I started really thinking about was the kid’s toys. Compared to some, they may not have a ton of toys, but in my mind they have way. too. many. When I started to realize that they weren’t playing with the toys they had, I determined that I was, in fact, right. They have so many that their play room doesn’t stay clean and then they can’t find the pieces of what they want to play with. And they have so many that they don’t know what to play with.

Generally, I go through their play room about once a month and re-organize all the toys, putting all the blocks together, all the polly pockets together, all the little plastic bugs together, etc. So, after a big re-organization, I decided to transfer about 3/4 of the toys to the basement, all sealed up and properly divided. Now the playroom stays basically clean and they actually go in there and PLAY with what they have. In a month or so, I’ll swap some of they toys in the basement for what they have now. It will be like getting new toys!

But I think the biggest reason I’m thinking about all this has to do with their attitude. I’ve noticed that they are just as happy with one My Little Pony as they are 10. Honor is perfectly happy to have four matchbox cars as he is to have 50. I was thinking about an attitude of thankfulness. Do my kids need to expect to have one in every color, or should they be happy with one or two?

I think of the toys that I had when I was little. I remember being SO happy to get ONE barbie for my birthday or ONE cabbage patch doll for Christmas. And, maybe because I only had one cabbage patch when my friends had five, I want to buy things for my kids. I can afford to buy Eden a new polly pocket and Honor a new set of legos, so I do. But I’m starting to first think about if I should, not if I CAN. My end goal for my children is to have kids who are grateful for what they have and who don’t expect to get a toy every time we take a trip to the store. And I hope that attitude will transfer into adulthood and they will learn to save for what they want rather than whip out a credit card and get it RIGHT NOW. It’s a lesson that so many of us have learned the hard way and I hope that I can spare my children that one lesson by teaching them to be thankful for what they have now.

beep, beep, beep

beep, beep, beep

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

“Mom, the food needs you.”

On the way to old navy:
“Mom, I need more purses and shoes, I don’t have enough purses and shoes.”