Update

We have had an event filled few weeks. Lots of activities and recitals and wrapping up the school year. It is all very interesting. It makes me feel the entire range of emotions. I'm happy and sad it's over. I'm nervous and excited for the summer. I need to focus on the positive. It makes me feel like I need to have my game face on for not going insane with no structure, which is what I planned and what I wanted. I am doubting that decision now. It will be great.

Ashley is just a stellar girl all around. She did awesome in the first grade and is just amazing. She is so smart and has such an amazing memory and gift for learning. She created all sorts of projects this year and we were able to sort through all of these as well as her kindergarten and pre-K projects into well labeled file folders in boxes. A large task that was so fun to accomplish. We loved watching her abilities grow over the 3 years, as well as see her interests change. She made so many beautiful cards and projects this year. She learned about electricity, the westward expansion, the human body, and made animal habitats, and many other things. She grew so much this year. She looks like a grown up girl, which is so strange. She is almost 7. She got her ears pierced, which was very exciting and scary. She handles stress like I do. She grits her teeth and takes it and then was shaking afterwards. She was very proud. She does a great job taking care of her ears alone and I have no involvement. What a great age to have ears pierced. She finished ballet and soccer, which I have pictures of somewhere, and is taking off for the summer.

Katelyn is Katelyn. It just sums her up. She is a total energetic joyful person one moment and in tears screaming the next. And then bounces right back. She never dwells on anything or holds a grudge. I love that about her. She had a great pre-school end of year program where she sang songs and acted in a play. She was very brave. She still won't look Miss Amy in the eyes. She loves Miss Amy. She wrote that I love to shop for salad and that I watch Oprah on TV. Her favorite thing to do is garden with me. She had a fantastic time planting our flowers out front and in getting the garden ready and planting seeds. She and Ashley earned lots of money picking up the dirt from the aerator (spelling?). I gave them a penny for each one. Katelyn earned almost 4 dollars and Ashley earned 7. They promptly spent it. Katelyn is finishing ballet this weekend with her recital and had her last gymnastics class today. She will start team again in the fall, but this was the last summer of her life she can take off, assuming she becomes an elite olympian at 12 like they want her to:) Not holding our breath on that one. She has come such a long way though, it's been fun to see. She was the only one in class to accomplish a handstand press up and she landed her cartwheel on the high skinny beam today so she gets to have her ears pierced tonight. She is excited and scared. See the theme?

Justin is growing into such a big boy. He is by far my most challenging child right now, but just so darn cute too. He just needs my attention at all times and finds ways to get it if I am not giving it to him, and in inappropriate ways. He goes to the pediatric dentist tomorrow for sedation and to get his mouth fixed. He's excited. He might not be so excited when he realizes he can't eat breakfast in the morning. He is awesome at riding on his Thomas two wheeler with training wheels. He rides to the park and back, which is a full mile. He loved music time with Miss Betsy and is anxious to see Miss Amy next year for pre-school. He is DYING to have his ears pierced. Should I let him?

Mia is 19 months and I am no longer concerned about her speech. She says all sorts of things like screaming "wait" at me anytime I get too far ahead. She says hold me, bubbles, binky, baby, vroom (for the motorcycle), ear, eye, nose, button, head, pancake, cookie, candy, fish, bird, dog, out, and plenty more. She is just fine. She has a need for candy only I can understand. She pesters me all day long for cookies and candy. She loves to ride bikes, play trains, and be included in whatever the big kids are doing. She dances to do as I'm doing and loves to swing and jump (two more words she says). She is fun.

Hans and I are well. I had a little bit of a health scare last week, but it's resolving. These kind of things remind me of what incredible friends and family I have. So many people were willing to help me out. I had people cleaning my bathroom (gross), bringing me dinner, and Melanie kept my kids and Jeff even came over at 1 in the morning. I got some sort of intestinal virus that reduced me to blood from both ends (too much info?) and an ER visit. They rehydrated me and admitted me (all Hans could see were $$ signs at this point) and ran some tests. Then I was sent home and had a colonoscopy two days later. I didn't eat for four full days and most of the fifth. I looked pathetic. So far they think I have an autoimmune thing called celiac disease which means I can't eat anything with gluten in it. I find out next week if I need to have the scope down my stomach to small intestine to confirm. It's all very exciting and I am trying the gluten diet to see if it helps my troubled tummy. I am 4 days trying it, but I accidentally ate some gluten in a box of crispix, which I don't even like. I only bought them because I thought they were gluten free, but after I ate them and my stomach hurt, as always, I discovered they have malt flavoring, which is made from barley. I would have rather had gluten in chocolate chip cookies. It left me feeling like gluten is more likely my problem, since I was skeptical to this point, and anxious to find out.

Hans is his usual supportive self. He's training for a triathlon in denver on June 6th. And by training I mean he swam twice, biked twice, and ran once or twice. He calls himself a triathlete now but it is mainly because it bugs me:) I was debating doing the olympic tri in August, but I'm not so sure now. I have been hiking the incline, which I love, and running with a friend three days a week, so that may be enough for my little, tired body!

So that is my lengthy update. Pictures to follow~

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