soccer

This just goes to show you how busy and crazy it is for us right now..... spring soccer is almost over (thankfully the season ends before school is over.) All four kids have improved their skills this season. It is the first time for the girls to play organized soccer.

The girls enjoy watching their brothers play.

Tate is turning out to be an incredible goalie. He's only been scored on two or three times!

Lake is playing defender but has been able to score a few goals. He is number 10, in the orange on the far right.

Rosie has scored four goals and blocked several of the opposing teams attempts at goals.

Daisy is the youngest on the team and she has gone from sitting on the sidelines to running her entire time on the field. She actually kicks the ball every once in awhile!

pedicures by Trixie

Earlier this month we visited Trixie and the rest of the family. When we arrived, pedicures were discussed. My boys were very interested and of course, the girls were, too! So, Trixie gathered the supplies and the pedicures began! (With four kids we found that doing pedicures in 'stations' worked quite well.)

Rosie at the foot soak station.


Daisy at the foot soak station.

When the boys are older, they will probably not be happy about this ~ but boys need nice feet too, right?

favorite memory

We took a family trip to Disney World during spring break (yes, I know it was several weeks ago but I am still sorting through the photos!) Each time I see this picture of Daisy holding Chip and Dale during the parade it just makes me smile. We had gone to the Disney store earlier that morning and everyone had picked out one souvenir. Rosie picked out a stuffed Pluto and Daisy picked Chip and Dale (they came as a set.) During the afternoon parade as Chip and Dale made their way around the route, Daisy held up her stuffed Chip and Dale so that they could see better. How cute is that? These two brought her much joy and comfort during the whole trip. They dined with us, slept with her and Rosie and still claim the prime location among her other stuffed animals at bedtime.

Squeals of delight

I have a good reason for not posting since last week. On Friday we took Annie to my mom's house for the weekend while we went to Atlanta. Evidently the gate to the back yard was not latched completely and she escaped. We have had Annie since 1995 - we picked her up along with her five litter mates. Someone had apparently dropped off a box of puppies in the country. We found homes for the others and kept her. We took one back a few years later (Gracie) and just recently lost her. We have been lost without Annie, especially me since John Henry has been in Texas since Monday. We spent quite some time Sunday looking for her and talking with my mom's neighbors to see if they had seen her. I went back to look again Monday after I took John Henry to the airport and then on Tuesday afternoon after I picked up the kids from school. On Wednesday John Henry's mom and aunt looked for her and then yesterday my good friend from high school looked for her. My mom had placed fliers around the neighborhood and went to the dog shelter everyday to see if anyone had brought her in.

This morning John Henry received a phone call. The woman on the other end said, "You don't know me, but I think I have your dog." She described her very well - so well that John Henry felt it was really Annie. Daisy and I were so excited that we went right away to see if it was indeed our Annie. I kept telling myself that it may not be Annie, after all she was very far away from my mom's house and our house.

When I pulled into the driveway I could see this sweet face and then I heard her bark - the sweetest sound I've heard all day. Indeed, it was Annie. I broke down, cried tears of joy to have this precious girl back.

How did the woman track us down? By the rabies tag on her collar. If you have any pets, please make sure they have this tag on them. This woman's house is MILES from us and my mom's house. She called the number on the tag and the vet gave our information (we had given him permission to do so if anyone said they had found her.)

Sleepy birthday wishes

Last night as I was tucking all of the little ones in to bed, I had to keep asking Rosie to turn her light off.

That should have been the first clue.

This morning when I woke her up, she hugged me before she even got out of bed. Then she reached under her blankets for the card she had made me. Last night whe was putting the 'finishing touches' on this card. (I can't post a picture because her name is on it in big letters.) It came complete with a birthday banner.

I think I got the best gift a mom could ask for on her birthday: the kids decided collectively to behave for the entire day - no arguing with each other and they would do what I asked, the first time rather than the fifth or sixth time!

So far, so good!