And it is enough.

Violet had her 8 week check up.

Being there reminded me that Poppy will soon be heading in for her 2 year check up.  And that Miss Poppy, she was spicy as usual.  The doctor made the mistake of leaving the door cracked open about 8 inches.  Well, she eyed the doctor, she eyed David, and realizing they were both distracted in conversation, bolted towards the door.  She made it about halfway down the loooong hall before a nurse jumped out in linebacker stance to grab her.  All of this reminded me of an experience in a doctors office with another 2 year old firecracker I used to have. I started to tell Dave the story and I was like, wait, wait,  I think I wrote a blog post about it!  Pulled it up on my phone and we laughed like crazy.

Here's the wild thing though.  I remembered the gist of it, but I couldn't recall any of the details from 5 years ago (like what the doctor said, what she said) and those were the best parts!

It made me realize, whether it's blogging, or some other format...I've got to keep writing it down.  That was only 5 years ago, but everything fades so fast.  It's worth the time it takes.  

Last week I read an article by Michael Gerson about parenting, in it he said, 

"Parenthood offers many lessons in patience and sacrifice.  But ultimately, it is a lesson in humility.  The very best thing about your life is a short stage in someone else's story.  And it is enough."

Yes. yessss.

I hope some day David and I are really old together, and we pull out these memories and laugh and say super cliche things like those were the best. years. of. our. lives.

Because, I think they are.

Sometimes, when everyone else is sleeping, we get out the camera.

Oh my baaaaaaaby.
She loves me so much  (it's probably the milk :)
But I love her more.  A thousand times more.

These two...

They don't like each other much...can you tell?  Kidding.  

Best buds these guys.

It's so much easier to send them off into the world

(or maybe just elementary school)

knowing that they have each other. 

And so we begin another year.

3rd grade for Zachary and 1st grade for Lily.

They were soooo excited to start school.

And luckily they both came home saying that it was probably going to be their best year!

They were standing as still as possible because they really wanted me to get a picture of their bus driving away in the background (see it?)  

They thought it was hilarious that they were missing the bus.

Eh, car riders the first day it is!

Moms gotta get those photographs.

I love these crazies.

Violet Leighanna

Violet Leighanna.
(Lee-ah-na)
I have three adorable little flowers!
And I never even intended to have theme names! :)
While I was dreaming about my three sweet girls, and how awesome it is to have sisters,
I decided on a middle name.
Leigh (after my sister Laura - her middle name) and Anna, (after my sister - Anna!)

Violet is such a dream.
Which is good because we're still not actually getting to the dream state of sleep yet.

Her birth was a lot like the others except for two things:

She was not early!  In fact, I was induced two days before her due date.
(Walking around at 5 cm and like 90% effaced for two weeks makes my doctors nervous)

And also, my epidural was a nightmare.  NIGHTMARE.
Really wishing I would have opted out considering that once again, it was like two pushes and out she came!
I was back in the ER the next day after being discharged to have a blood patch due to spinal fluid leaking and causing a spinal headache, and thankfully (ohhhh thankfully!) it was successful.

But that little Violet...she is loved and cuddled constantly.
And somehow, today, she is 6 weeks old! (photos are from 2 weeks)
It's so fast, it just is.
And with every step, I find myself wondering if it will be "the last time".
You know...the last time I check into the hospital to give birth,
the last time we take a newborn home from the hospital,
the last time I use a newborn onesie...

Ahhh, my heart.

Thunder-hawks Spring Soccer: In short...

 A blocked kick, 

 a goal scored, 

 an (inappropriate) celebratory slide,  

first place again this year.

She's huge awesomeness in a tiny package.

Gymnastics Invitational. 

A chance to show her fans what she's been up to.

They competed against each other using the USAG level 4 routines.

And if you're like me (and know nothing about gymnastics) I'm not sure that means much, a video would be more fun.  But all I know is that my body has never (and will never) been able to do what my little 6 year old is doing.  She's got her round-off back-handsprings down and kips/cast/front & back hip circle etc etc etc...

I'm being serious, but I'm being sarcastic because every time she learns something new, I come home and google/youtube it so I know what she is talking about. 

It's exciting, but she spends a lot of time at the gym and honestly, I miss her.

This summer is the first summer she is training with the big girls. 

Today her coach told me on the first day the girls were introducing themselves to each other, and were asked to tell the group one other thing they liked to do besides gymnastics.  The coach said most girls talked about swimming and sleepovers and boys (picture this: there is only one other 6 year old in her class, most girls are 9-12 yrs old...haha) and Lily said:  "I like to help my little sister."

Oh gosh.  Melt my heart.  It's so true too.

And as you can see from above photos, Lily's adoring little sister wants to be just like her.

Take your Child to Work Day

I remember as a teacher that this day always signaled the end of the school year (four weeks left!)
And I am pretty sure at this point my children see "take your child to work day" as one filled with donuts and lunch out.  But when I look at this picture, and those heads fitted with EcoElite hats, I can't help but feel a new and more personal significance to this yearly event.  I think it might always remind me of throwing our proverbial hat (and savings) in the ring...and all the unknowns and uncertainty that came with it.  We had no grand illusions of monetary success,  but more we were just trying to provide for our growing family, and take what felt like the right step (as scary and stress-inducing as it was).  Our children always displayed implicit trust in us.  Of course this shipment of hats (or uniforms or fliers or whatever) just showed up on the doorstep for Dad.  When inside I'm like, "Who the heck are we to be doing this!" as the delivery man walks away.  Perhaps it's just another one of those reversals I seem to constantly run into during this parenting experience. Here we are, supposedly exposing them to career ideas, letting them in on our "adult" day to day, when they have always been, and will always be both the motivation and the encouragement behind the entire operation.