Start of Summer.

Only 8 more get-ups until summer vacation. (Well, technically only 7 for me since I’m already up.)

But 8 more “getting the girls up and out the door.” Eight more days of packing lunchboxes. EIGHT more days til we are off of the “have to dos” and on to the “want to dos.”

May has been craaaaazy. As I’m sure you can deduce from the lack of posts over here, and the abundance of snapshots and status updates over on Facebook. It is easier to snap a photo with my phone and Instagram it, than it is to actually sit down at my computer, download real photos and write. I just can’t seem to string three free minutes together to do anything, much less to try and sort out the chaos over here.

But, let’s try. What has been happening…

Well, baby Amelia finally made her appearance. And although we haven’t seen as much of her as Emma would like, that was an exciting start to May.

We moved our school Carnival from October to May this year, which at the time seemed like a great move, and we raised LOTS of money so I suppose it was, but it just added to the craziness of the end of the year. It was lots of work, lots of fun.

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We finished up the Girl Scout year with two field trips. (Yes, both in May because we are masochistic like that.) One to the LA Zoo to work on the World Scout Patch…

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And one to our local Wilderness Center where the girls are doing their Service Project in the fall. Oh, and we had a combined recycling drive and food drive in there somewhere, too. It’s all so hazy.

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Two Birdies have been really, really busy. Besides stadium chairs and glassware wedding gifts, we made one of our favorite friends some rocking Roller Derby tees for her birthday. (And then we all went rollerskating for the first time – it was easily the first time I’d been on skates in 25 years. Funny how it is kind of like riding a bike – you don’t really forget how. Thankfully.)

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We finished our living room project! I’m going to devote a whole post to that because the transformation is kind of amazing, at least to all in our household. I’ll try to take some photos of it today. But it took, of course, longer than expected and was difficult to coordinate in the midst of everything else going on. When will I learn?

So now we are in the last two-week crunch. I can’t look at my calendar without having full on anxiety. So I look at what needs to be done today, make sure I get some good workouts in, and just power on. It is all going to get done.

Up this week…we have the Variety Show on Friday evening. My co-chair and I are trying to move it outdoors in the field for the first time. So this is presenting all kinds of new complications. Em’s crew is dancing again…

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And Addie’s crew from last year (Lollipop Girls) have morphed into the Happy Girls and are doing the sweetest little song/dance number, EVER. She is also in another act with her friend EJ. (Which doesn’t at all make it more crazy.)

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So that is Friday night. And Saturday afternoon they are in the musical at church. Em is actually playing one of the Josephs (there are 3!) in a show about Joseph and his life. I’m trying to sew some amazing technicolor coats for that right now.

And we have end-of-year parties, each of them are in a class play/production (Gah, must make a covered wagon today, too!) and then…THEN, it will all be over.

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Summer can’t come soon enough.

 

Yes.

We are still here. Just sort of “floundering” a little. I can’t believe how much I owe you all…I don’t even know where to begin with the updates. But I promise over the long weekend I will catch you all up to speed and explain why we have been pretty much non-existent around these parts.

I just had to post this one photo I just downloaded off the camera. I love it so.

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Best volleyball day ever – last week at Regionals. Em had some serious playing time, serves, scored points, 3-for-3 on wins. Excitement with a capital E…and you can see it on her and Coach Laura’s faces.

 

 

Love at first snuggle.

Our new little cousin/niece is finally here and we are all simply smitten with her.

Amelia Hope arrived on MY birthday (I guess it is now OUR birthday), cinco de Mayo, just under the wire at eight minutes before midnight.

We all trekked up to the hospital to officially welcome her yesterday, and Em got to hold a not-even-24-hour-old baby for the first time. I think she kinda liked it.

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What am I saying? I know she LOVED it. In fact, she is bordering on infatuation with the new baby. She wants to know when Amelia will be home, when we will get to go see her again, when can she help babysit!

I have to say I was pretty impressed on how natural Em was with the baby, she was completely unfazed as she reached to take Amelia out of Uncle Jeff’s hands. I had to intervene and make sure she sat down first before holding the baby, but then she settled in and both girls were completely content and happy to meet each other.

For me it was incredibly surreal to see MY baby, holding a baby like she was just born to do it. I had a weird little minute where I sort of flash forwarded and imagined 20 years from now and Em holding her own baby.”  (Not that I’m in ANY hurry at all…20 years ought to be good!)
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I think it is safe to say we all think Baby Amelia is practically perfect in every way. Welcome to the world, sweet baby. We love you already.

And congrats Aunt JB and Uncle Jeff! We couldn’t be happier that you get to experience parenthood and am most certain you are going to be terrific parents! Just remember the old saying “the days are long, but the years are short.” I know that it already feels overwhelming and a pretty big hill to climb, but before you know it, Amelia will be 10 years old and figuring out how old she has to before she can babysit, too. So as much as you can – enjoy the journey. And for goodness sake…sleep when the baby sleeps!  xoxo