I cannot believe we are already entering October!! It has been such a busy busy month since Lilly has started school. I don't know why I was thinking it was going to be breezy. LOL Lilly started school and things just started whizzing by us.
She is doing absolutely wonderful in her class. She loves going to school so much that she dreads the weekends coming. I am guessing that will change as she gets older but for now, you better believe I am encouraging that mindset. She is making lots of friends and seems to be very happy there. I have taken a very active role in her class as "room mom." Her class or school doesn't really have "room moms" persa but I have volunteered my time and efforts anyhow her teacher chooses to utilize me. I would just like to lighten her teacher's load as much as possible so that she can focus most of her time on actually teaching and not scheduling field trips, clubs, activities etc. So that's what I am doing. I send out reminders to the parents, schedule and book field trips, make all the phone calls for those trips, schedule and plan activities for them on Fridays(Kindergarten club they call it), set up parent volunteer schedules for lunch duty, create "special helpers" calendars for the class etc. So I have had a really, really busy first month. I also go in almost everyday to help with her lunch as well as every Thursday to help with computer class. IT sure has been great having my mom living here this month because most of this I did without having to drag Van all over. She has been such a blessing for that!! And aside from volunteering at the schools events, we are just all over the place here. But we wouldn't have it any other way, because we feel just blessed to have one another.
Lilly has started her 3rd year in ballet and is loving it. This year she will be performing in another recital in May and cannot wait to get her costume! LOL Typical girl :) We really enjoy her being involved in that organization. It is a christian based dance company called Studio 149 here in Fort Wayne and it is just a great place where she can interact with other kids and still glorify the Lord through her dancing.
I have stated to see a whole new "LILLY" since school has started and I am not sure what to make of it. I can look back at the past 5 years and know that we have done everything possible to teach her and mold her to live a life for our Lord. But some days I swear, I think WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER? I knew there would be many changes as we started the beginning of the next 13 years and more in school, but I had NOT anticipated some of these changes. She has always been very very smart, and has had a vocabulary of a grown adult on her...but never too much of an "attitude" and now with being around 17 other kids plus watching and listening to many more kids in school let's just say her sweet little girl days seem to be ending. And I don't mean she is not sweet anymore, I am just saying she is beginning to show how others are influencing her. Sometimes good, and other times bad. I wish I could keep her in a little bottle forever! It scares me, as her mom, to think of what and who is influencing her 7 hours a day all week long! But then I remember that we raised her right and just when I think there is no end to her "attitude" she will correct it herself or apologize on her own. Those moments I keep close to my heart. But I can most definitely see that her discipline here at home needs to be a bit more strict, which is never fun for anyone. She most certainly is growing up too fast right before my very eyes, and I wish I had all the time in the world to keep her little and tucked away safe in my arms. She will be 6 at the end of this month!!!! It just seems impossible. She is becoming more independent as the hours seem to fade in a day.
I am recuperating from a major surgery I had done on September 7th, to help relieve and alleviate my back pain. I am doing great so far and feel wonderful! So September was insanely crazy with all this going on!!
Van is Van!!! HE is 18 months now and I think starting his terrible 2's early. He is really starting to throw some serious fits when we don't jump when he says JUMP! He is really getting his "running" down good. Those little arms just go a swingin' and pumpin and his little toosh and hips going from side to side. It is the cutest thing ever!! He has really started to talk quite a bit. He knows probably over 40 words and has just recently started saying 2 sometimes 3 word sentences. My favorite words to hear him say right now are "yes" and "please" ..when he says yes, it is with a pretty good lisp because of how he pronounces his "S" so it's absolutely adorable. And when he says "please" he draws it out really long..."pppppeeeaaasssss" lol I wish I could figure out how to upload video cuz I would try to get it on here! But that would mean more time to sit down and dabble at the computer and quite honestly even now as I am writing this I am thinking about all the other things I HAVE to get done and should be getting done this very second!!! He has been pretty healthy for about 4 weeks now, and if you know anything about us when it comes to him that is a true miracle! We took him in to our Pastors to be anointed and prayed over in the end of August because we just felt like our family was under some serious attack. Van was sick for almost the entire month of August and before that well he has been sick every month sometimes 3 weeks at a time each month ever since he was born. It has been a very hard and draining first year with him. But I am so happy to say that aside from a tiny cold, which use to then amount for a long battle with fevers coughs ear aches etc, he has been healthy ever since we took him in and prayed over him with all our pastors surrounding our family. I feel very blessed to be a part of our church. It is an amazing palce where God is doing some serious work there. I love it!!!
We just got back from visiting Boston for a few days. My mom, myself, Lilly and Van surprised my brother and sister for a quick visit! It was wonderful o see them! They had no idea we were coming and were shocked to see us standing at the door. LOL Sam, my nephew, literally picked Lilly up and spun around in a circle lifting her off the ground! It took us about 13 hours to get there, by car. Van did absolutely wonderful in the car. But from the moment we got there and got out of the car, he never stopped crying/whining. I don't know what his deal was, but it was not fun with him like that. I think it was just pure overwhelming for him. The kids were always running around, playing..we were sitting around talking, laughing etc. So I think it was just too much. So I can say he was a great traveler, but not a good companion once we reached dour destination! LOL
Apple Face on ride to Boston
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Happy as a clam to have whole back seat alone!
The kids really did do awesome in the car! We were able to take my Aunt's minivan and that was a huge blessing! They had room to spread their stuff out, and Lilly could move around, lay down whatever. Probably safe to say the day for minivan mom is nearing!!
This was about 10 minutes before we got there...apparently he was tired of being in his pjs and ready to get them off! LOL
Ben, Van, Sam and Lilly- 4 out of 5 grand kids
Lilly, Ben and Van playing sandwich shop
Now we are home and detoxing Van from his whining days and getting back on track with two naps a day! Thank the Lord for naps!!!!!!!
Anthony is still with Comcast and living the dream!!!!!! :) And now with my Dad working there as well it is quite funny to hear them talk about all that stuff at night. I am sure Antho is loving it, cuz its not like I knew or understood much that he said when it came to that stuff. He has been a huge help around the house this past month since I had surgery and all, now I don't know what happened...j/k! LOL
Mom and Dad found a house about 1 mile from us and are very very anxious to get in!! As are we! just kidding!!!! But it will be kinda sad when they do move out cuz the kids won't know what to do without waking up and going to bed with Papa and Mamaw not here. These few months that they have been here have actually gone surprisingly well considering. lol I mean let's face it, a woman almost 60 years old is pretty set in her ways on how she lives and does say to day activities...so to move in with her 30 yo daughter with 2 young kids is a HUGE change!!! There could have been some blood shed, but luckily there wasn't! lol
So it seems, things might actually be starting to slow down a bit around here....all though I think that, my calendar says otherwise. Apple picking, pumpkin picking, birthdays to plan, bible studies to attend, ballet, possible cheerleading adding in there, field trips, school fundraisers...thanksgiving then AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I better stop while I am ahead.
Maybe my next post I will just do some updated pics! (and more news to come!! ;) )
