Fullness of life . . .

I'm coming to terms with the fact that my life is full. I don't quite mean in a "my cup runneth over" sort of way, though I am thankful for the life that I am living. I mean more that I've got about as much going on in my world as there is comfortably room for, and sometimes enough that it is not so comfortable. So I'm coming to terms that I can not do everything as well as I'd like--I have to choose a few things to do well and then let the rest slack a little. I like to think that I have chosen to do the mom/wife thing well, though on some days I wonder. I have a job that I enjoy, and even though I come home exhausted everyday I feel that I am doing my job well. I've also done relatively well at keeping body and spirit in shape. On the flip side of doing those things well, there are other things that I've had to let slack: cleaning, cooking, and blogging. I just can not do it all well. As for cleaning, we actually paid someone this month to come and do a deep cleaning of our house. While I hate paying someone for something that I could do myself, my reality right now is that I can't do everything. (And I will admit that when I came home from work to an immaculate home, it felt worth every penny.) As for cooking, thank goodness I have a man who knows his way around the kitchen--and he doesn't even make me feel bad about it. And blogging . . . well, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

So, here we are. My first real blog in ages.

I have been keenly aware over the last several months that my kids are growing up rather quickly. Everything seems a bit easier now than they were even just months ago. It's bitter sweet really. I am enjoying the ease of morning and bedtime routines, the absence of bathroom accidents, and wonderful conversations with my bright and witty kids. However, I realize that this all comes at the price of not having little babies anymore. Regardless, I love and am so proud of the people that my kids are growing into.

Here's a long overdue update on what each kid is up to:

Grant is in first grade and has settled nicely into his new class. I was a little nervous this year since the demands and structure of first grade are quite a jump from kindergarten. Grant has adjusted nicely though and seems to enjoy the greater independence that first grade brings--even if sometimes this independence leads to lost lunchboxes, jackets, and coats more often that I'd like. We were all a little sad to find that Grant's "best girlfriend" was assigned to a different class, but fortunately Grant has made new friends and still gets to play with his "best girlfriend" at recess. Grant is still enjoying his Karate class. He loves the routines that they learn, and though he is a definitely a lover rather than a fighter, he is beginning to enjoy the fighting element of his class as well. Grant also enjoys drawing, writing, cooking, and working on the computer.

Sophia is now in the Tigger class at her school. This is the oldest class and is run a bit more like an early kindergarten class than the class she was in last year. Sophia is thrilled to finally be a Tigger. She enjoys the routines in her new class such as the signing in, the question of the day, writing in her journal, and the student of the week. Sophia impresses daily with the new things that she is learning. It is hard to believe that next year Sophia will be in kindergarten!! While the thought of her being in elementary school brings a tear to my eye, it will be so nice to have both kids at the same school each day. Sophia is still enjoying her gymnastics class. She also enjoys making crafts, cooking with mom or dad, singing, dancing, and yes, living out her fantasy princess life.

As for Travis and I, school is work, but we are both in buildings that we like and working with good people. We are happy in our jobs and enjoy comparing stories as well as tapping each other for ideas on how to handle student situations each day. I am still enjoying running and have signed up for half marathon number 2. The plan is to do the full marathon next fall. We'll see . . .

Here are just a few pictures of the kids. I plan on posting more soon.

This is Sophia the Musketeer. She's pretty tough.