Gymnastics

Pumpkin Pie and Princess sure love their gymnastics classes. Every week, on Saturday morning, we leave our house early enough to arrive by 10. We spend nearly 2 hours at the gym so that each girl can have her class. I've never had the persuade them to go into the gym or to stay. In fact, it's sometimes quite difficult to get them to leave when it's time. If they weren't hungry after class, we'd probably never leave!

Last night, we had a makeup gymnastics session because we had missed a couple Saturdays. I love that it is an option for us, but I think in the future, if Saturday doesn't work we may skip it. By the time we buy food and meals, it can be quite expensive to make the trip. Add to that the fact that we get home late and the gym is busier so the girls are more easily distracted. It just isn't as productive. As the girls get better, the option of Saturday class will go away unless there is a demand for it. By that time, the girls will be older and more focused - I hope!

Still here

Survived Christmas...
Pumpkin Pie survived first semester of preschool...
Princess survived potty training
Sweet Pea survived first solid food and first Christmas

Starting graduate work and a little overwhelmed. That is all.

Last day of Freedom ;)

Tomorrow morning, after my doctor appointment, I report to school for the first teacher workday of the school year. In many ways, I'm ready to get back into the routine that school provides, but I am also not looking forward to leaving my 3 babies at home while I am gone for 8 hours. My hubby does a wonderful job raising our children while I am away, and I never make it through a school day without talking about them with my students - but I miss them just the same.

Today is being spent doing a little prep work at home. I have a few new resources that are being integrated this year so I'm continuing to peruse those. Right now the two big girls are napping (I think - hubby is monitoring that) while Sweet Pea is laying on her playmat using my finger as a pacifier and I am typing one handed. We are listening to lullabies in the hopes she goes back to sleep. It is quite peaceful here now.

More on Me

Since Sweet Pea's birth I've had a few painful moments that I've attributed to backaches related to the birth of 3 kids in just over 4 years. Last Sunday, while my parents were visiting, I had another attack immediately following a delicious supper of pan-fried chicken breasts and homegrown corn on the cob. Just as our dessert of ice cream was being served, my back and belly began to ache. I tried a heating pad and backrubs which were no help. My parents convinced me to go to the ER and my dad drove me. On the way, I continued to be sick to my stomach, but once my stomach was empty, the pain went away. ER doc thought it could be gall bladder related due to recent pregnancy and the amount of fat in my meal. Today I underwent some testing (ultrasound and HIDA scan) to determine if it truly was the gall bladder or if further testing must be done. The testing was unpleasant, but not unbearable - mostly due to the fact that I needed to eat fat free for the 24 hours prior to the test and could have nothing to eat or drink for the 8 hours prior to the test. I was dehydrated enough to make the necessary IV very difficult to place. After 4 attempts by two separate individuals, we had success. Then I simply laid mostly still for over an hour while the medication did its thing and the machine took all of the necessary pictures. Now I wait for results on Monday.

Back to School - already?

Loved Back to School shopping with my girls! I always loved back-to-school shopping and enjoy shopping for office supplies in general. It made my years working at an office supply store very enjoyable, and being a teacher ensured that I would always get to do office supply shopping at BTS time :) even if it is just for myself.

Because Pumpkin Pie's preschool provides breakfast and lunch at no extra charge, a lunchbox is not needed, and we had a small backpack on hand that will be the perfect size for a change of clothes - just in case of accidents - and any notes home. That just left shopping for school clothes and shoes. I went to my favorite local department stores on two Saturdays to find the best deals. We were able find some cute short sleeved shirts, skirts, and capris on clearance as well as long sleeved shirts and longer pants on sale. We added in a new pair of shoes are are set. If we find that eating school lunch is not an option, we'll purchase a lunchbox of Pumpkin Pie's choosing and start packing a lunch instead. We're hoping that she'll eat a variety of foods well due to the peer pressure and encouragement of someone other than Mommy and Daddy.

We have a back to school picnic for my school this evening and then teachers have workdays Monday and Tuesday with students at school for a short day on Wednesday. I am amazed that the last 7 weeks have gone so quickly with the Sweet Pea. She is eating well straight from the tap and tolerant enough of bottle feeding that I think she'll be ok :) She had a nasty diaper rash a couple weeks ago, but that has cleared up as well. She woke me 2 times last night, which is a schedule I can live with for now since she's getting so well at sleeping in her bed.

3 Girls For Me

It's been ages since I blogged, and a lot has changed.

Pumpkin Pie is now 4 and independent as can be. She'll be headed to preschool in the fall 4 mornings a week. We'll get to do our first back-to-school shopping, and I'm so looking forward to it - finally an excuse to go shopping!

The Princess will be 2 in a little over a week and is gaining independence as well. We officially started the potty training process yesterday with her picking out her new panties (Tinker Bell) and wore the first pair today after a little pee in the potty. She is now back in a diaper for a nap, but enjoyed the M&M reward for pee.

Our newest addition is our Sweet Pea born June 24. Her older sisters adore her and we are enjoying life as the parents of 3 girls. Summer vacation is treating me well, and I am dreading leaving my girls to go back to school in the fall.

The Pumpkin Pie Posing for Pics

Last week when I took the Princess's 1 year pics I took some more pictures of Pumpkin Pie just for fun. Here she is.