It's Fall, Y'all!

Our week in pictures

I keep thinking that one day I'm going to get in the swing of things and actually post every day...ya know...like the title suggests. But very obviously it is not going to be this week.

Our week started with Homecoming services at church. Good food, old friends and new, and a new dress. OK, so not actually new, but new to us. Consignment find--$5.50 and too cute.

But cuter still were these shoes/socks. They are actually socks that look like shoes! They are made by Trumpette and they have so many cute styles. However, at $26.50 a pair,

this will most likely be the only pair she ever has (and yes...they were a gift!)
Here's Hannah being a turtle. She actually thought of this all by herself! Gotta love this "smile"--her new pose for pictures.

And yes, another cheerleader bites the dust. While practicing her back handspring on the wet grass at church (Taking all my self control not to say "I told you so!"), she injured her finger. Said she heard a "pop," but we don't think it is broken, but she is definitely not doing back handsprings any time soon!

Hannah doing her "rate,"--pronounced rah-tee. When I picked the girls up from Kay's tonight, she was excited to show me her moves. She really is quite good and intense about it all.

And a little bit of baby sweetness. She has started smiling occasionally, tho Kay swears she smiles at her all day (putting my fingers in my ears and chanting, "I'm not listening to you!") Tried to get the elusive, but oh so sweet, smile on camera, but this is as good as it got. Not quite a smile, but so darn cute!

And introducing Mr. ELCA himself, my sweet baby boy in ...yes, you got it, PINK. He and Maranda were voted Mr. and Ms. ELCA in the senior superlatives for the yearbook. They have to get their picture taken tomorrow, and so she took him shopping today. He looks so handsome and so very very grown.
Didn't help this momma's heart when he said, "Don't I look like a college student?"

Hopefully I will get some more pictures posted this weekend, tho there is nary a place in my house where the background of the pictures would not show the sheer disorder, chaos, and mess!

OK, so it's not Monday...

But I find myself childless right now (as in there are no children in my lap or needing me to do anything...they are mostly home) and thought I would post to make up for my total and complete lack of motivation to do so during the week!

So here is just a bit of what I did today. I have already filled up the table once and then put it away. AND this is just towels, mine and Daryl's, the little girl's, and what was on the bathroom floors. Tomorrow I will utter the words that strike terror and dread in my heart--"Bring down your dirty clothes."

Why do my little girls need so many clothes? you may ask. Good question! Their beloved Kay Kay, their eccentric but wonderful babysitter, gives them a bath and changes their clothes every time they poop. For Hannah, no big deal. Two outfits due to that and then another two or so due to potty training jealousy related regression and being a sweatball due to the fact that it is October and STILL 90 here. For Charlotte, who poops every time she eats...and eats every 2-3 hours...OK, do you get it? Add to that the sleeper that she wears to bed and the one I have to change her into before she goes to Kay Kay's because she dribbles when she drinks and then she smells bad. And while I may have good intentions of washing every night, the truth is that I will stick it all in the washing machine and then forget about it until days later when it stinks. It's so much easier to just wash it all, pack it all for the sitter and repeat every weekend.

Anyways...a lot of verbage about my least favorite subject in the world. On to more pleasant things....like my sweet big girl, Hannah, who started Cubbies this week. Cubbies is the program our church has for the preschool children on Wednesday nights. She will learn Bible truths, hear stories, do crafts, eat snacks. Oh! And have a cute little red vest and cubby bag. This week she learned "God is love." And ate chips (because she didn't like the cookies, and so they dug up something else for her)

Here she is with her friend, Wilberta, all ready for opening ceremonies! Look how happy!!!

And here she is once it started--notice that other kids are here now...which "scared" her. It was Janice to the rescue...the lady that has watched her in the nursery every Wednesday and Sunday night for 2 years...and is moving up to Cubbies with her! Momma bear in me wanted to just scoop her up in my arms and tell her she didn't really have to go, that she and Janice could go play in the nursery just like they always did, but I didn't.
And here she is saying the pledges, sitting on Janice's lap.

And here is Charlotte, at her first Wednesday night AWANA's. I also wanted to scoop her up in my arms and hold her all evening, but realized I probably couldn't be a real effective leader that way, and besides, Ms. Angie had come especially to watch her. Big news this week was that she smiled!!! Like for real...at me..on purpose, not because she was about to toot! And she did it Sunday night, for me, before she had a chance to do it for Kay Kay. I haven't managed to catch it on film yet, but trust me...it will melt your heart!!

And here is my sweet Sarah, in the wheel chair she uses at school. Trekking(sp?) across the school 5 times a day was not easy, so she uses it just at school. She actually has been able to take baby steps without the crutches this weekend, so hopefully, she will be walking with the immobilizer on soon!

Besides the feeling of accomplishment of doing 8 loads of laundry today and the smiley Charlotte, the highlight of my week happened today. Sarah went with the cheer squad to their competition and then I went to pick her up when it was over. She called me when they had finished competing (she says I told her to do so, I think not) and told me to head that way. So I did, and had to sit in the parking lot for about an hour and READ. It felt so good just to relax, forget everything, and lose myself in a book. I must try to do that more often!

Off to bed now. I am tired, have a cold, and it is my night to get up with Charlotte.

Night all.

Overwhelmed

I've had three children in 5 years. In that time, I got up every single night with them. I changed every single diaper. Fixed every single meal and gave every bath. Then, when they were 6, 3, and 18 months, I became a single mom. I worked full time and had two additional part time jobs. When they were 9, 6, and 4, I was working full time and going to school. And yet, never do I remember feeling this overwhelmed. Maybe it was because I knew I had no choice but to be strong and get it done. Maybe it was because my mom came two times a week and helped with the kids. Maybe it was because I was younger.

I just don't get it. It's just one more. I had four already. One more should not make that much of a difference. But oh, how it does. There are never enough hours in the day. Never enough time or opportunity to spend with the kids. Never enough energy to get the house clean, or the laundry done, or a decent meal cooked, or the papers graded, or for exercise. Or to play explorers or to sit on the couch and hold Charlotte. Never enough sleep. When I do sleep, I wake up and then my mind thinks of all I must do, should do, and I wonder how I am going to get it all done. I haven't read a book, or any part of one, in seven weeks.

At school, it is no better. There is always something to do, something I am supposed to be doing that I am not, something that should have been turned in that wasn't, or updated and wasn't. I take it home with me and it sits on the counter, forgotten amidst the chaos, the busyness, the mess. Meetings and help sessions after school and seemingly during every planning period proclude finishing at school, and after the meetings are over? I WANT TO GO HOME. To my babies, to sit on the couch and snuggle and laugh and sing and play. For exactly five minutes until all of the other things that need to be done win out...the dinner, the dishes, the bottles, the laundry, the dogs.

This weekend, my goal is to regain some order. To do some laundry. To clean. And yes, the elusive lesson plans and ungraded papers. to be able to walk into a bathroom without stepping on dirty clothes or seeing an overflowing trash can. To have everyone's clothes at least in their own room and out of the huge pile on my bedroom floor. To vacuum, mop, scrub showers.

Or maybe...I'll sleep in, blow raspberries, read boooks, and kiss baby toes....

Update and pictures on Monday.

Sarah's First Varsity Cheer Competition

This past Saturday was Sarah's first varsity cheer competition. She was nervous and incredibly excited, and we all (plus Maranda) piled in the Expedition and headed for Warner Robbins. The Chargers were scheduled to compete at 1:45, which would give us plenty of time to get back home for the Georgia game after she performed. She would ride the bus back. That was our plan.

Here they are, about to take the mat. Sarah is second row, second from the front.

I am not sure if this is even her stunt group, but I think it must be since Daryl took the picture. They nailed each and every one of the stunts!
Part of the cute dance part.

And here is Sarah after competing. And this is where our plan went awry. Right after this picture is when Sarah told us that no one else was riding the bus home. And that her knee had popped out of place (really her knee cap) right before they performed. She was a little teary, but alright. Daryl decided that we would stay, so Sarah wouldn't have to ride the bus home alone. (I must give him HUGE kudos to doing this so cheerfully, fully knowing that he would miss his Dawgs playing!)

So we traipsed back to our seats...car seat, diaper bag, toy/snack bag, purse, toddler and all. Yes, much to Josh's chagrin...we were that family.

Charlotte seemed unfazed by the cheering, the loud music, the fans stomping on the bleachers. She was awake for most of the competition, and even managed to sleep amidst the noise.

Hannah was Hannah. Very active. Very vocal. Always moving. Always eating. To her credit, though, she wasn't scared of the loud noises either, something we had feared. She wanted to climb, so Josh obliged. Here she is doing a cheer.

And...they won first place!!! Here is the happy team after awards were announced. You notice that Sarah's smile is there...but looking a bit forced...

Because...her knee that had popped out of place? It didn't just hurt a little bit. It hurt ALOT. And was swollen. And...she couldn't walk.

So we carried her to the car, loaded everyone back up and headed back to Lake City. All of that cheering must have worn everyone out, because all of the sudden, I look back and everyone is sleeping.

Sarah spent a fitful, painful night last night, and instead of church this morning, we went to the urgent care center. The doctor there confirmed what we already knew, that she had patella tracking problems on her knees. Which means...her knee caps slide to the side, injuring the tendons around them. Which coincidentally...or probably not so coincidentally...I had surgery for when I was 16 years old. She's on crutches, ordered to see an orthopedist next week, out of cheer until the ortho clears her, and heartbroken. And...in a lot of pain.

And just because she is so darn cute....a picture of my "princess-pirate-mermaid-ballet school girl." She got this too cute tu-tu and wand from Grandma, and she has yet to take it off without being forced to. She has pretended to be all sorts of things. In this picture, she is pretending to be a "mermate."

So what a way to end a very hectic week. Along with getting back to work, we've had Josh feeling bad, Sarah hurting her back then her knee in cheer, Hannah got a cold, and Daryl had a stomach bug. Add to that 5 days of undone laundry, countless meetings and parent conferences, a jealous/overtired/cranky 3 year old, and TONS of school work to do, and I have been thisclose to a nervous breakdown!

Here's to a calmer, more organized, healthier week in the Stone household!

things that've made me smile this week

Reflections on my first week back ...

Stick a school bag under one arm and this is how I feel!

Enough said!