First Sting

Elijah got stung by a bee for the first time ever tonight. Poor thing. He just started crying and then screaming. He got stung on his finger and right by his ear. First he was screaming about his finger and then he was holding his head saying how badly it hurt.

Thankfully, it didn't swell up too badly, and one of the dad's at the picnic we were at had an insect sting wipe in the car. But, Elijah was so bummed. He had been running and playing happily with all the other TKA students who were there, but that bee took whatever fun he had been having away from him tonight.

He did calm down after a bit. It helped that Dan took over. We told him he joined the ranks now that he had been stung. For some reason it seems that the bees are especially bad this year. They seem to be EVERYWHERE! I couldn't even sit outside today with my coffee without being swarmed by bees! It was crazy.

Anyway, Elijah did say that he thought maybe he got stung because he wasn't supposed to be climbing on top of the tunnel slide. I told him he might be right. It makes me so nervous when kids climb on top of the jungle gym play things instead of on them or through them. Thankfully it was a really small jungle gym so if he had fallen it wasn't very high up.

The Back to School Picnic for TKA is always fun though, and the kids love seeing all of there friends from last year. They run around like crazy and we get whatever new info there is about the school.

Madelyn didn't even know that Elijah got stung. She was having so much fun she didn't hear the screams. When we got home I saw that she had dirt all up and down her shins. A true sign of a fun evening.

I do have to say though that this has been one of the best summers for us. I seriously hate to see it go. We have had so much fun with friends and family. I'm really bummed that all the kids have to go back to school and can't just keep coming over and doing water slides and slip 'n slides in the back yard, not to mention picnics on their towels. Harumph. I guess I just need to look out for fun things to do during the Fall and Winter.

Transformer Elijah

Elijah is obsessed with Transformers. He said yesterday, "What if transformers were really in the city and they saw me and I said, 'Hi. I'm Elijah?'" I said, "I know! Then what do you think you would do, go have lunch with them?" He said, "Yeah, but they only like to drink motor oil." It is so fun to run with your children's imagination. I love to day dream with them.

Well, today we went to the school so Elijah could see his classroom, know where the bathroom is, etc. We bumped into a few other girls whose parents work at the school and immediately Elijah was on the floor balled up in his transformer position. The girls just giggled.

If he's not doing a spiderman, wolverine, captain america, or iron man move, he is a transformer. He loves being a hero, and sometimes a villain.

Chatting with Friends

I love girls, especially almost 7 year olds. Madelyn had a Birthday party to go to on Saturday for a friend from school. We took Madelyn's friend Isabelle with us. We love Isabelle. She is so cute, and she is close to Madelyn's age. They are the two youngest in their class. Isabelle turns 7 in November.

Anyway, I had them in the car and they were talking as if I was no where around. The conversations went something like this ...

I: I have only told 1 lie.
M: I have told 2.
I: Yeah, I have told 2 also.

I was really curious what those lies were, but I didn't ask. I didn't want them to know I could hear them.

They got a lot of candy from the party so on the way home they were eating some. They pulled out the cinnamon hard candies and each ate one.

I: This is REALLY cinnamony.
M: I know!
I: I am going to spit mine out.
M: I don't want to waste mine because it's candy, and candy is just SO good.
I: Well, I am going to put mine back in the wrapper so that I can eat it later because sometimes you just want that sweet taste!

They just sounded so grown up, but still so cute!

Babies

I have spent quite a bit of time with babies lately which has been super fun. Baby Daisy is just deliciously fun, and the fact that she resembles Madelyn so much really brings back some fun memories. How many times can I use the word fun in this post?

The crazy thing is that Daisy looks like her dad a lot, but then really resembles Madelyn. Figure that one out. Really it's the dark hair and blue eyes that remind me of Madelyn. Babies change so much as they grow so I can't wait to see how she develops and her looks change.

Jess' babies are super fun to have around because she has 2 so chances are one needs to be held. Having twins and one being a boy and one a girl just brings along so many delightful things to observe and ponder. They were so squeezable. Both slept on me at different times and that is the best when you can just hold them and snuggle them.

So, do I want another baby? Not really. I joke that my chihuahua is my baby. I especially tease Susan about raising our babies together and compare Daisy to Molly. Poor Susan. I never had a younger sibling to grow up with so she has sort of filled that role now. I probably drive her crazy so it's may be a good thing that we don't see each other all the time. Although, I think we could manage.

I think Dan would love another baby, but I'm just not feeling it. I will always be curious what a 3rd one would look like, etc., but I am enjoying the stage we are in now. It's a lot of work having a baby, and we just came through 3 REALLY stressful years of our lives with Dan's health issues. I am enjoying the peace right now. God may have other plans for us regarding children and that would be fine, but when it's left up to me I am opting out for now. Plus, I am loving squeezing other peoples' babies, and still getting sleep at night.

Is September really almost here?

My boy is starting K-4 this year. Hard to believe. I keep telling him things that he can and can't do in school trying to prepare him for the classroom setting. For instance, he kissed a kid on the shoulder at swimming lessons the other night. I called him over and explained to him that he just can't kiss his classmates and that the same rule applies to K-4. He said okay and as he was walking back to the pool he turned around, put his arms in the air, smiled big and said, "But they can kiss me!!" Oh boy.

He just loves to hug and kiss people. He loves to sit on people and talk to them, sometimes taking their face in his hands while he is talking to them or asking them a question. It's very sweet, but the older he gets I am trying to teach him about personal space. He is catching on, but last weekend at Dan's parents' church he was greeting the pastor after church. He went to hug the pastor and said, "I can't stop hugging!" I love his personality and his love of life and people. Plus, I can always count on him for a laugh.

So, school should be interesting for my little boy. I am excited for him and for all that he will learn. I know his teacher is wonderful and she absolutely loves her job so I know he will be well-cared for and loved. It is also comforting to know that Dan will be right upstairs. That is a huge blessing. I am really spoiled with our schooling situation, to be less than ten minutes away and have Dan there is just a wonderful thing.

On a related note ...

Madelyn is going to be a 2nd Grader! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How did this happen?? I filled out the re-enrollment forms I had a mini-heart attack. I handed them in to the school and one night Dan came home and said, "So, I saw Madelyn's form and when I saw the 2 for her grade I had to do a double take." So, we both shared a "holy crap our life is passing us by like the speed of light" moment. Granted, we started the girl in school early so it's our fault, but still! She's in second grade!! I'm sure I will freak out every year over this type of thing probably for the rest of her life, but don't we all?

I have been trying to convince her to drop out of school and just do what I like to call Snuggle School at home. Basically we sit on the couch and snuggle all day pretending life isn't passing us by and maybe watch a video here and there. She's not going for it, not even with the lure of a video.

She is a brave girl though. She is going to ride the bus home from school this year. This is huge for Madelyn. I have driven her the past two years, but with Elijah being half day, that's 3 separate trips there and back that I will have to make to the school. And, this year I will have one of Elijah's classmates with me in the afternoons twice a week. So, it will just be nice to not have to make that extra trip. She is fine with it though. She knows some of the kids who will be on the bus, and it is a less than 15 minute ride. I, or Dan, will still drive them to school because the bus doesn't take K-4 students so it's all good.

All in all, it's a big year for us on the school front. EEK!

Feels Like Home

My laptop went bonkers on me and had to pay a visit to Dell to be fixed. I stopped keeping track, but it's been almost a month since I've been able to use it ... give me a minute (sniffle) ... okay, I'm better. It's just ... it's been hard.

Honestly, we've been busy and traveling so it hasn't been that big of a deal, but I did miss it at times. It was weird to be stuck in one spot sitting at a desk and trying to do my normal things on the computer. I find snuggling into my big green comfy chair and reading up on my usual computer things is much nicer than being stuck at a desk. So, here I am, snuggled up again. Ahhh, feels good.

It's funny because I didn't even want to read my normal blogs and things because it just didn't feel right on the other computer. That computer just isn't mine anymore and it does crazy things because it's almost out of memory and it's getting old.

But, my computer is back now! We are so happy to be reunited. I am hoping to blog more now too. There have been a lot of things I've wanted to blog about, but haven't. I need to get caught up.

In the meantime I will be snuggling with my computer on my breaks from cleaning out our basement storage room, the pantry, and our office. Happy Day!! I love purging :)