Siri is my buddy. We spend many hours together during the day. We have all grown to love her sweet and loyal nature.
She is a creature of habit and has learned the rhythms of our family. When I put my sneakers on, she goes to get in her house because she knows I am leaving to the gym. As I make lunches, she sits by my side patiently waiing for the crust off the kids' sandwiches. At breakfast she eagerly awaits an egg yolk from one of Max's omelets. When I take the kids to the bus, she sits at the door and waits for my return, often running to the nearest trash can and tearing up all the snot rags she can before I get back. She quickly goes to her spot before I come in the door and plays dumb about the tissues all over the house. But Siri's most precious routine involves her beloved Hailey. Siri and Hailey have a special bond. Sometimes like litter mates and other times like a loyal dog and her girl.
At 3:00 pm most days, this is where you will find Siri. Working on her beauty rest.
The bus rolls by our house at 3:01.
The roar of the bus instantly alerts Siri.
Time to spring to action!
She runs to the front window.
She peeks out the dinning room window and eagerly waits for her girl.
But it can take a while.
The bus rolls by leaving our neighborhood after dropping the kids off down the street.
So she waits.
And waits...
Waits some more.
Sometimes as long as 5 agonizing minutes she stares steadily out the window looking for any sign of Hailey.
She is home!!! Our loyal puppy does this every day without fail, no matter where in the house she is when she hears the bus, she loyally runs to the door to wait and greet Hailey. :)
Last night we attended Hailey's Choir Concert. The middle school orchestra and choir performed in the high school auditorium. Hailey was selected to sing a solo from Man in the Mirror. She sang in front of over 1000 people!
I was so proud of her as she got up to the microphone and sang her heart out.
I still can't believe we have a singer! Out of a school of over 700 kids, our kid gets a solo!? But not only can she sing, she has the courage to do it too. Amazing!
Max stopped and got her a dozen roses. While she doesn't need flowers to know how special she is to us, we want her to know she is an very beautiful and cherished flower in our lives. We can't wait to see what you do next with all your talents!
Yesterday Hank had his Preschool Graduation. We are so thankful he was able to attend such a great school. His teachers have a combine 24 years of teaching and have taught together for 9 years at his school. Hank can be a handful and they just laughed when I tried to warn them. They loved Hank and taught him so much this year. These ladies have a special gift with children and we have seen so much of their work in Hank as he has grown this year. Due to falling enrollment, his school is closing it's doors this week. :( It was an emotional graduation as it was the schools last graduating class.
Hank was very excited about his big day and his special graduation hat. He wanted to wear a tie just like Daddy.
They each took the "stage" for a round of applause, pictures and to receive their diplomas.
Our little buddy ready for Kindergarten!
High five!
Hank with his best friend. They share a passion for all things Batman!
Mrs. Peter and Mrs. Fleres.
We are happy, proud and a little sad. We have been doing preschool for 8 years. Before you know it they will be graduating high school.
Congratulations Hank! You are such a wondrous little boy. You are going to love Kindergarten but boy will I miss our special days together.
Today Hank learned to ride his bike without any training wheels! This is always one of those big milestones. No diapers, no naps, no training wheels... A big boy for sure. :(
The saying is 3 times the charm, but for the slow folks, it is 4 times. Hank got a Strider bike when he was two. It is a balance bike and it teaches them to balance from the beginning. They just run their feet while straddling the bike instead of pedaling. At four years old, Hank got a bike with training wheels and learned all about pedaling and brakes. Today I decided to take off the training wheels. It is starting to get pretty hot here, so I figured our outdoor bike days are numbered and decided he had to learn before fall. While Max was doing the yard I took Hank out for his first try with two wheels. Max taught Hailey, I taught Karlie, my Mom taught Kaitlin, and I taught Hank. However, I hardly taught him. He had it from the minute we started, he just needed confidence. I ran behind him a few times and he was off! So it begins, all my babies ready to fly.
While I feel I am adjusting to the desert, there are some parts that I am not sure I am ever going to be OK with. I have acclimated and will wear jeans even when it is 95 degrees outside. We now consider the house cool with the AC set at 80 degrees and even scorpions don't bother me the way they use to. But snakes... They completely freak me out!
I was taking Hank to school one morning and saw this snake slithering off our property into the street. I went into Mama Bear mode and thought it might be a rattle snake. I couldn't see its tail. So I made a deliberate decision to run over it. But I was a chicken about it and just clipped him. It is the first thing besides bugs that I have ever purposely killed. I felt really awful for the rest of the day. I tried to convince myself that I was killing it to protect my babies but without knowing if it was a rattler or not I felt guilty.
When Max got home everybody wanted to take a closer look, even Siri wanted in on the action. Since i barely hit him, he was in near perfect condition. The kids asked if they could dissect it. Max was beaming with pride. :) He decided to give a little anatomy lesson and skin the snake. Yuck!
Don't try this at home unless you are under the supervision of a pathologist...
The kids were fascinated with seeing the snakes vertebrae, guts and chest cavity.
Max mounted the skin as my first hunt trophy. LOL We learned it was a Gophersnake and is harmless. But I am still not sure I am ok with a "good" snake slithering around my front yard. In less than 2 weeks we have had 4 snakes. A few days ago a really creepy red and black one was dead by our mailbox and then today we found a real rattle snake that had been run over in front of our neighbors house across the street. He was huge!
On our property we have had a California Kingsnake.
A Sonoran Gophersnake that I murdered, which are "commonly mistaken for rattlesnakes due to a very good impersonation, which includes flattening the head, loud hissing, striking and even a rattling tail!"
A Longnose Snake
And worst of all, we had a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake across the street.
I may never let the kids outside again. Snakes beware of the big, black MKHKKH bus. I am looking to add to my snake skin trophies and next time I am not going to feel bad about it.
I had a mighty fine Mother's Day! Max and the kids made me feel like royalty when really it's me that should be celebrating them for allowing me to be who I always wanted to be.
Max brought me coffee in bed and then we all got ready for church. Church was one of those times that you could really feel the spirit moving you. Lots of tears. Darn, messed up my mascara!
Once we got home, my prince charming cooked my favorite breakfast: eggs benedict and hash browns. He surprised me with mimosas and espressos.
I have a passion for tropical plants. Max always aims to please so he bought me a Pygmy Palm and 3 hibiscus plants to add to our garden. He worked hard on Saturday to make sure they were all in by Mother's Day. :)
It was my day to choose what to do, so I requested a family bike ride! It was Kaitlin's first time off road with her new mountain bike and Hank's first time out of the buggy and on the tag along. I think I had a stupid grin on my face the whole ride. Well, except for when Kaitlin wiped out. She was trying so hard for me, after some hugs she brushed it off and got right back on and kept going.
When it is near 100 degrees during a desert bike ride, the only appropriate way to cool down is jumping in the pool! We spent a lovely afternoon swimming and relaxing. Max made sure I was queen of the pool and got to float and tan. He even made all the refreshments pool side.
It was awesome.
Redneck cowboy in the making! :)
Before dinner I took Hailey to get her hair cut! Bangs are all the rage! Where did my baby go? Who is this teen?!?!?
Dinner was my favorite: steak tacos with avocado salsa and margaritas! I didn't do a single dish, a load of laundry or cook a single meal all day. My husband has to be one of the best in history. He and the kids made me feel so appreciated. Mighty fine Mother's Day if I do say so myself.
Happy Mother's Day! I have so many wonderful mothers in my life. My mom has been such a wonderful example of unconditional love. No matter what, she loves us with all her soul. I try hard to duplicate that love with my own children but seem to fall short of her unending, understanding, and persevering love. I was blessed to have Max's mom become my second mom in my early teens. She has undoubtedly shaped me into the woman I am today. I am grateful for her love, patience and teachings over the years. Not many girls can say they have three sisters to turn to during the trials and tribulations of motherhood. My sisters all lover their children more than anything and have been inspirations, guideposts and coaches as we have all went from daughters to mothers.
After working for years as a labor and delivery nurse I know all too well the the heartache many mothers endure trying to become mothers or the unimaginable loss some have faced. I am humbled that God has given me four healthy and beautiful children. They are my undoing and it is on this day that I give thanks that I am lucky enough to be called mom.
The kids have showered me with sweet and thoughtful gifts. Hank's school had a mother's day tea with rose petals and a lovely hat Hank made for me. Of course he wanted to try it on too. :) I could have used this hat for Derby Day!
His things about mom were so funny.
My Mom's name is Katie.
My mom is 46 years old. (I told you I got old at 36 but jeez he is already giving me 10 more years!)
My mom's favorite food is chicken. (Not so much.)
My mom can do many things! I think she's best at helping me to do things. (I will take that one)
My mom likes to watch the TV show baseball games. (I don't watch TV but I sure like watching Hank play baseball!)
My mom looks pretty when she wears her red dress and red high heels. (Don't have a red dress or red high heels. But I do have red flip flops)
My mom is smart! She even knows how to write about me and my sisters. (I do blog!)
I love my mom very much because she takes care of me and our dog. She loves me a lot and sings a lot. (I do take care of Hank and the dog, but I don't sing for fear I will make someones ears bleed.)
Karlie also had a mother's day performance. They recited poems and told funny things about their moms. Karlie's question was, what does your mom do while you are at school? She replied, "clean the house and take care of my brother." :)
The kids got me my favorite flower, orchids and wrote me hilarious and sweet poems.
HI! We are Max, Katie, Hailey, Karlie, Kaitlin, and Hank. We hope to share a lot of the wonder that our kids bring to our lives and a little about the rest of our lives.
