Lessons learned at the park tonight

1). Texas grass in March is full of treacherous land mines just waiting to swallow a toddler into a muddy pit and ruin her tutu.
2). Muddy, wet tutus make sliding down the slide a painfully difficult affair. I think the top layer of Mooseys backside is still on the slide.
3). Cartwheels and sidewalk don't mix.
4). Cartwheels and wood chips don't mix.
5). The fireman pole is best left to firemen. And big kids.
6). Put your phone down and play with your kids.
7). Put your phone down and say hello to the other mom.

I did #7 (and #6!) and made a new friend from South Korea. She moved into a house down the street 2 weeks ago with her 2 little boys and her American husband. She has suddenly found herself in a strange country, in a big house, far, far away from her mom and her sister and all her friends. This, I believe, is Gods way of reminding me not to take familiar things and people I love and see everyday for granted. And to put away distractions and try to do the thing you are doing really well, instead of trying to do 6 things half- tushed.

I'm glad I smiled at Yoon today. I think I'll bake her some brownies tomorrow. I do that thing really well.

Pictures are from my nephew's birthday party. Happy 6th James!! Auntie loves you.

sugar and spice until..

You try to shoot on her goal.  

It always amazes me to watch my girls play soccer.

They become these foreign, competitive, rough tomboys.

Mini athletes with little french braids flying as they enter a dog-fight and emerge with the ball.

Little girls unfazed by the fact that most of the opposing team is nearly a foot taller and 50 lbs heavier.

They become strong and brave and confident.

It breaks my heart to see my baby take a hard ball to the belly

 and double over as the wind is knocked from her lungs,

 but then my heart swells with pride as her teammates

 get up off their knees and clap and cheer her on as she juts her chin out and shakes it off.

I see the determination and perseverance this sport is bringing out in her character.

And I see how much she loves it.

 I will be on the sidelines cheering my girls on -

proudly being their Soccer Mom

for as long as they love playing.

I BELONG!!!

I am on the WEBSITE!

I have officially been made a part of Inanna Birth & Women's Care.  

This has been my goal for the last 3 years.  

I think I'll pop a bottle of bubbly now. 

Going to the Lodge...

(insert wolf howl here)

Mia turned 6 years old yesterday at Great Wolf Lodge.

Her birthday was on a Friday this year

which also just happened to be a half day of school.

All the stars lined up and made it seem like the perfect opportunity to surprise Mia this year.

She was surprised, although her reaction was less than I expected when we broke the news to her in the car. 

The real whooping started when we told her that her friend Emma got to come along.

A friend makes everything better.

 We had a "kids cabin".  The room was pretty large - the kids had their own sleeping area that looked like a cabin, with wooden bunk beds on one side and a little daybed on the other side.  Eva got the pull out sofa bed next to mom and dad.  The girls loved the room.  

 Wave pools are always a huge hit for the girls.

 Princess Evelyn.  

 Great group picture.  The whole party.

 The birthday girl reluctantly poses for a picture.  She was too cold to stand still!

 Brief time out for a warm up!

 Birthday girl and friend with matching mini pillow pets.

 We had pizza in our room after swimming and since we didn't have birthday cake, 

I took all 4 munchkins down to the Great Wolf Sweet Shop to pick out a snack. 

 Of course they picked the biggest thing they could find. 

 Huge cupcake!

 Another Krispy.

 Chocolate fudge for the girl with more mature tastes...

 She just dropped!  Not that unusual except that she was in the middle of the cabin room with sisters playing over the top of her while she watched Dora on daddy's iPhone. 

 In the evening, the kids all go to the lobby for story time.  The hotel was packed this weekend. 

 Breakfast buffet!

 Delicious!

 Not photographed with Violet the Wolf:  Eva.  She had the best intentions, but when she actually got up to Violet, she shouted something along the lines of

 "The big bad wolf tryin' to GET me!" and she ran away, shaking.