this week....a day at a time

 At the end of each week, I look back and it often seems like every day is the same--too much time in the car, not enough time to get everything done, all the while being so very sleep deprived.   I laugh when I look back to when  the kids were young and  I was constantly searching for field trips and fun activities  to fill our day with.  Nowadays, I yearn for as little adventure as possible and more time to just all be home together.  This week, like most, was as crazy as they come, but then for as much as I hate to admit it, I know that these days with all the kids at home are fleeting and I long not to forget any of them--the good, the bad, and the boring.  

Here's a glimpse at our not-so-average week: 

Sunday:  Saint Patrick's Day dawned with lots of big brotherly pinching for those forgetful enough not to have worn green pajamas to bed the night before.  The girls, not willing to be pinched another second,  immediately remedied the situation and bedecked themselves in the greenest clothes they could find.  They were as cute and Irish looking as non-Irish people can be!

 In the end, Spence was the least Irish looking of the bunch with his barely green tie tucked into his blue sweater...  I guess that's why he opted for a good leprechaun hairdo instead.


Monday:  I had one of the kids stay home who clearly didn't really need to stay home.  I tried to be good and savor the time together, but I'm sad to say that at the end of the day I felt a little frustrated at all that I did not accomplish.

Tuesday:  Spencer passed his 9-month check up with flying colors and afterward we celebrated with lunch and treats out on the town.

Wednesday:  I tempered chocolate for the first time ever and Emma, Cami, and I made the shiniest, prettiest chocolate bonbons ever.  Emma ended up winning the day though and she won the grand prize among a bunch of grown women for her Crispy Caramel Bites.

While the girls and I were eating goodies all evening, Glen was at Spence's lacrosse game with Ellie and Adam.  Spence played well, but unfortunately his team lost again.   Upon our simultaneous arrival home at 10:00pm, Cami informed us that she still had an essay to write, which meant that every person in the family went to bed a good 2-3 hours past their bedtime.

Thursday:  After coating our kitchen in chocolate the day before, Thursday was spent coating it in powdered sugar.  I made 5 dozen cupcakes--two for the teacher appreciation luncheon, one for YW, and two for Ellie to share with her class for her birthday.  They definitely didn't turn out as pretty or as tasty as Cami's, but watching Cami has definitely improved my skills greatly  and I don't think they turned out too bad for a non-cake person like me.

After baking all day, visiting the school two separate times, and taking a quick trip to the electronics store, we went to the second grade musical called,  "Pass It On."  It was a  very darling performance and Ellie was pleased as punch about her solo part.  Although she had been practicing it excitedly for weeks,  when her teacher learned that the music teachers had given her a solo, he was so worried about her having a seizure during the performance that he almost gave the part to someone else. I begged him not to and thankfully she ended up not having any issues.  Check her out in all of her sparkly glory (in the outfit that Grandma Sandy had sent) at the :40 second mark.


  Friday:  Spence and I woke up at the crack of dawn and jumped on an airplane to Utah!  I dropped him off at BYU this afternoon for a weekend of campus touring and fun with his friends.  He just learned that he was also accepted to James Madison University (JMU), so we will also be taking a trip there in the next couple of weeks while he ponders this big decision he has to make.   In the meantime, I am enjoying a few days in Utah without the kids and trying to adjust to the fact that Spencer is really leaving us in a few months.  I am clearly having kid withdrawals though and I felt a little dumb when I realized that I've called home no less than a dozen times already.  Thank you to Glen who is holding down the fort at home and last I heard  was eating dinner with the kids at  IHOP at 9:00pm.