The Drive

The kids and I are started our annual summer trek to Minnesota. We covered 400 miles today...in 11 hours. Oops. We are going to have to pick up the pace tomorrow. But we were just having too much fun - playing along the way. We hit up a playground in one town, a splash pad in the next and our last stop was McDonalds. 

And since we had been having such a great travel day and the kids were being such great travelers I decided to splurge and buy Happy Meals for the girls. Upon the discovery of these...

...instead of the advertised Beanie Boos (stuffed animals) the tears flowed. Those were the least happy Happy Meals I've ever witnessed. Overall though this trip is going well. We've had a few minor mishaps...sunglasses in a (used) toilet, another pair of sunglasses broken, one cut chin at the playground and a few sibling squabbles. But really we are all healthy and mostly happy travelers. I couldn't ask for more. 

400 miles down. 1,000 to go!

10

Double DIGITS. 

As a child I can remember how exciting it was turning 10. I mean double digits! How cool was that?!  Now as the parent of a soon-to-be 10 year old double digits doesn't sound quite so cool. In fact I can't stop crying because ten YEARS has absolutely flown by. All those people that said "don't blink" and "they grow up so fast"...they were right. Darn it. I blinked and he's more than half grown. 

How did we go from the mom + baby on the left to the kid + mom on the right so quickly? I'll never understand it. Don't get me wrong I'm incredibly proud of the kid Isaiah is today. He's smart and funny and creative. He's an amazing big brother. This kid is the definition of a book worm and his use of language cracks me up. Just tonight he was pushing the coffee table out of the way so "we would have adequate floor space" (for our family dance party). But he will always be my baby. The one who made me a mom. The one who made me love so deeply it feels like my heart might just burst at times. The one who has taught me how to be a mother. (Sorry kid I really don't know what I'm doing but you've been a great experiment!) Being his mother has been one of my greatest joys and accomplishments. 

Sweetest Seven

Tomorrow morning this girl will wake up a SEVEN year old! 

And just like I've said every year...I'm not sure how that happened. Because seven years ago tonight I was nine days past my due date and HUGE and 100% convinced I would be pregnant forrrevvvverrrrrr:) 

And now she is seven. And I'm very much not pregnant;-) I loved looking back at these birthday celebration pictures but more than that I really enjoyed celebrating Charlotte today as a family. 

Because of Joe's trauma schedule we did not have a party but instead chose to have a family fun day! It started with donuts for breakfast followed by gift opening and an hour of jumping at an indoor trampoline place. Which Charlotte deemed "the best birthday ever - even without friends". Then we had pizza and ended our day at the beach with our residency family. 

P.S. After every last morsel of those birthday donuts were consumed Charlotte decided to inform that she doesn't like sprinkles on her donuts! Say what?!? That information would have been hugely useful years ago considering 3 of her 7 birthdays have included SPRINKLE donuts. 

We did. We finished the 2016-2017 school year!!! One in public school. Two in homeschool. And one just causing trouble. It was quite the year. 

I'd be lying if I wrote we ended strong. We limped and puttered to a crashing stop. But we made it! And to be completely honest the girls' homeschool ended weeks ago but today was the end of year party for our co-op. So I'm calling today the last day;-) 

Next year school will look different once again. (Three in public school...I think.)  But I'm so glad we had this year. We were stretched and learned and grew together. It was a good year. I gained confidence in deciding what is best for my children and taking action regardless of what others thought. And my children - ALL of my children thrived this year. 

I know I'm going to look back on this year fondly for years to come! Plus it was (supposedly the hardest year of residency or so we've been told) and we are a month away from finishing that too!!! 

P.S. While I was taking these last day of school pictures Levi was playing quietly in the other room...

I should have known he was being TOO quiet! This doll got her teeth and hands and feet thoroughly brushed with an entire tube of paste! That stinker.