Summer Vacation - Day 3

Here I am, writing the first post on the third day of vacation. To say this is hard to manage is an understatement, but I know how important it is. And how rich it will be in the future. So here we are, in New Braunfels for the family reunion. Last year, we skipped the reunion on account of Michelle and Damon's wedding. It's nice to have the two of them - as the Knights - here with us this year.

Right now, it's 12:18 and we haven't done much of anything today. I enacted Operation Toy Hunt earlier this morning to get some things for the kids to keep them busy today. The boys' first guns.

Gracie got a Ken doll. For her Barbie Pool that Nana gave her earlier in the week for her birthday. 

Operation was a success. They've been occupied all morning. But I think we're all getting cabin fever. I know I am.

Now, the kids are outside getting their faces painted. Butterflys, Rainbows, and hopefully something manly like Superman. Or something.

That's pretty cool. They look tough and full of personality. All bad and stuff.

Nick needs to go potty. Now. Bye.

Gracie's Graduation

And Gracie has graduated kindergarten. I just can't believe it.

Last Thursday night. 6:30 PM. It lasted about an hour. Kyle and mom came in for the occassion. YiaYia wanted to, but she's travelling in Paris. My dad couldn't come either. His last day of school was Friday.

I volunteered to do the slideshow for the entire class. It ended up being frustrating at times. Especially with everything else that is/was going on at work. It's just been crazy with new business pitches and doing just about everything under the sun. It didn't help that I was in NYC Monday - Wednesday before the graduation. In the end, though, it was a special task to undertake. I was able to see 29 kids' lives from birth to graduation kindergarten. It's such an important milestone and I'm just grateful that I was able to document it for all of the children and parents. I got very sentimental a few times with Gracie.

Gracie said a bible verse and actually sang on stage this time. Not by herself, but with all the others, which is a departure of her just looking around and acting shy on stage while everyone else sings - that's seemed to the habit up until now. She also won the Little Miss Sunshine Award which is awarded to the person who is gifted at cheering people up and always having a smile on her face.

She walked in by herself, all the way up to the stage, in her cap and gown and got her diploma.

I just can't believe that this time is here. The sobering realization that we can't any of the time - captured by 8 pictures of Gracie in the slideshow - before Thursday night back. It's a reminder to do whatever I can to be present while I'm with the family. Because I just can't get the time back. And it's just too precious.

I just can't believe it.

Gracie's Sunday

Goodness gracious Gracie. That girl and her clothes. She got new pink flower sandals yesterday. We told her that she couldn't wear them to church this morning because it was cold and rainy. So, she didn't wear them. Until we got into the van where she had stashed them in her purse. We look down in church and see that she had changed into them. And there, in her purse were her mary janes. Oy vei.

After church, she said that she would get a sticker if she was able to recite the Lord's Prayer next Sunday. So we asked her if she knew it. And she started reciting it. She recited the whole thing with a little help from me and Steph. Already.

And then at dinner tonight, she started saying it, but left quite a bit out. We'll work on it.

Great Wolf Lodge

We did the Lodge! Last Tuesday, we met Andrea,YiaYia and the cousins at GWL and spent a couple of days with them. It was such a great break. The highlights:

1. On Monday night when I told the kids I had a surprise for them, they waited with baited breath (Stephanie screaming from the other room, "Don't say it!!!). I wasn't going to. I told them, "Daddy's going to pick you up from school tomorrow." And they all screamed with joy and rolled on the bed together! It was an awesome moment.
2. They didn't know where we were going until we picked them up from school on Tuesday. Eventually, Gracie guessed it. She's a detective. Got her dad in her that way. I love it.
3. Gracie and Nick love the water and waterparks. Max not so much.
4. Gracie went down every single slide that she could, without fear. There were only two that she couldn't go down and she really wanted to. Nick went down all of them he could, which were only a couple. We basically threw Max down the same ones. He didn't voluntarily go on them again. He was just fine floating around the little kiddie area and climbing on and off the jetskis.
5. We didn't play the wand game and thank goodness (although I was fascinated w/ the technology). Kids were running up and down the different floors of the hotel doing this thing and I can't imagine what it would have been like wrangling our 3 doing that thing.
6. One night, two half days there is the perfect time. And it was great only having to drive 1 hour back home.
7. Downtown Grapevine is charming. Alot like downtown Wylie. We ate at Napolis. Great canolis. Everything else was just OK.

And we probably won't go back anytime soon. We came, we saw, we kicked it's butt.

Sigh

Max punches.

Nick fusses.

Boys.

Big deal at the Dr.

The boys peed in their cup today at the dr. office. No dripping. No mess. No nothing. All in a cup. 1st time they were ever asked to do that. Big deal.

Max weighs 33 lbs., 37 inches tall. Nick weighs 27 lbs, 36 inches tall.

Max is Bob W. Nick is Joe C.

The boys best phrase 2

Max - "Look, I show you."

Nick - "I'm midah In-kwe-bul." (translation - "I'm Mr. Incredible.")

The boys best phrase 1

Sitting in the car seat, buckled in, ready to get out:

"Buckle me out."

Typical Gracie

Gracie:  "Momma, um, I have something to tell you."
Steph:  "Yes?"
Gracie:  "I have so many nice things to wear in my closet that I don't even know what to pick out for tomorrow."
Steph:  "Don't worry. I'll pick it out for you."
Gracie:  "OK. Just don't pick out anything cute."
Steph:  "?"
Gracie:  "FANCY."

Happy #3

My oh my. Just like that, February has come and gone and here we are at birthday #3 for the boys. It's difficult to believe that they are 3, but at the same time, they are so grown up that they ought to be 3. Our boys. Growing up. They are on the tail-end of potty training, they got big boy beds (bunk beds unbunked right now), they're becoming more and more independent each day. Even Nick.

This has all happened so quickly. It's what you hear when you have kids - they grow up quick and when you're living it every day, it feels anything but quick. However, the overall time goes by in a flash.

Today, on their 3rd birthday, we went to Heritage Farms in Plano, this little museum, outdoor area with animals and old houses. Gracie loved it. The boys were interested in it for about an hour. Then, I took Gracie to pick out presents for her brothers. She got each of them an apron (fitting because everyone except the boys have aprons), whiffletree ball baseball bats and balls, a precious book, some gummie worms and a balloon. Perfection.

Steph made them a sweet little chocolate cake that was a street/racetrack thing and they thought it was the best thing ever. Besides Gracie's presents, of course. We went outside and I taught them all how to swing a baseball bat. Awesome moment. Gracie and Max actually did really well for their first time. Nick wanted to swing on the swing more than anything.

It was a fun day.

You guys mean everything to us, you should know.

I love you with every bit of my being.

Happy birthday.