Like a whirling dervish, as my mom would say...

That's what I've felt like lately.  We have always been pretty protective of our family time and our schedule, but all of a sudden, each of my three children were 1-2 activities.  All of a sudden, we are breaking down the calendar into hours and trying to avoid both Eric and me having to be in two places at one time.  All of a sudden, Rylie is quadruple booked one Friday evening.  I know this is a way of life for many families, but I am looking forward to things slowing down again.

 

Rylie finished up gymnastics in March, hoping to go back after her birthday.  She decided to participate in our church's Amazing Grace Race play (in which I agreed to be on the "props committee" and help back stage) and did a cute dueling duet with a little boy to kick off the show.  In addition, she fractured her wrist during her last gymnastics class, at the same spot and same degree as Madelyn's fracture in Aug. 2013.  So, bifocal glasses, braces and a cast--I don't think we could add another apparatus to this little body if we tried!

Madelyn took an 8-week ice skating class; she loved it and wants to do another 8-week session in Oct.  She also decided to participate in the school's Seussical, Jr. play.  We are so fortunate to have a 5th grade teacher with drama experience who directs two plays a year for these little ones to experience the stage!  She was a "who from whoville" and a "clover" and I spent several hours decorating costumes, painting sets and keeping thirty 1st and 2nd graders under control during practices.



Our pretty Maddie Lou Who



Mad and her friend, Maya

Kai started t-ball with games every Sat. and a practice during the week.  If you've ever seen a t-ball game, you know that some kids are more interested in throwing their mitt in the air and playing in the dirt.  Kai is seriously into this game.  So fun to watch!  I even got a pink trimmed baseball mitt for Mother's Day so I can play catch with him more--his throws are getting hard and accurate!  And, we now watch lots of MLB at home.  That takes me back to my days of being an '80s latch-key kid watching the Chicago Cubs after school!



He's so proud to be a Washington National!

Hitting off the T



Kai and his friend, Cooper.  Cooper's parents are both tall!  :)

 

During Spring Break, we went in a few different directions.  The kids went to Charlotte and spent the week with Jan and Leon fishing, watching movies and passing around a stomach bug.  I drove to N. Indiana and spent the week with my new great-nephew, baby Sullivan, and his parents.  What a treasured experience that was!  Not the part where I made that 12 hour drive for the third time in 8 months, but the part where I got to snuggle that sweet thing and help my niece and her husband transition into this new life!  I did sneak in a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on the way home: highly recommend!!  Sadly for Eric, he stayed in Richmond and worked.

 



Sweet Sully during his first professional photo shoot



Me with the new mama



I got to be his 1st babysitter while Matt and Emmy went to the doctor

We have also squeezed in some hiking and geocaching along the James River, Eric's and my birthdays and anniversary, a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) retreat, a Flying Squirrels baseball game, a trip to the Chesterfield County airport to see rescue/medic helicopters and Kai's preschool graduation.  We also found a new house in the 'burbs (moving at the end of June for better schools and a little more space).  I am going to miss this awesome urban neighborhood with old homes, loving community and cool character, but it's the right decision for the family.



My three monkeys.  You can see Ry's cast in this photo (still climbing trees with a cast)



Our 13th anniversary



His new dream: to be a rescue pilot

Awesome tour!  We even got to see this helicopter leave on a mission right before we left.

Now, you might be asking, what have you been up to April?  Well, after not playing tennis for 18 months due to an ankle injury, I joined a 3.5 tennis league where I routinely get my butt kicked.  I love being on the courts again, but my ego is hurting right now.  And, with all three kids in school this fall (boo hoo!  I can't believe the time has already come!), it is time for me to go back to work.  I systematically set up my LinkedIn profile, started getting my feelers out, blah blah blah.  All the while, dreading the thought of entering the corporate world again.  Thankfully, the Lord made it clear to me that he has already delivered me that and it is time for a new thing...I have decided to become a birthing and postpartum doula.  This is something that's been a quiet dream of mine since I had Rylie almost 11 years ago so I am so excited to start this new journey!!  I am working on the postpartum certification process currently, with the plan to be working by this fall.  I have a 27-hour training class next weekend, I have completed a 7-hour online breastfeeding class, and read a few required books thus far on becoming a mother and newborn sensory development.  I joke that with that much training on breastfeeding, I feel like I might start lactating any moment!  I am going to work on the birthing doula certification process during 2015.  Keep me in your prayers--this is important and life-giving work and I want to do it well!