Preschool Graduation

Jane is the frightened looking one in the pink ruffle dress.

Her best friend Carys (like Paris) is over one in the pink jacket and white dress.


Jack and Jane performing the Nursery Rhyme Jack and Jill.
She adores Jack and the often have play dates together.


Jane and her teacher Elizabeth

Preschool Graduating Class of 2011

Jane and Brigid

one of her student teachers

Elizabeth (other student teacher)

Jane was sad to say goodbye.

The preschool was wonderful and they put on a nice program that had the big and little students in tears.

They will all miss each other.

A Real Boy

You know the Pinocchio story. Well with stitches last month and a broken arm two weeks ago... Charlie is now a real boy.He tripped his coach at soccer practice and his coach fell on him.

He broke both bones in his arm. The brake was clean and should heal nicely.

As I was helping him get dressed this morning he said,
"I really like this broken arm thing."
It's true, he loves the attention and help that he is getting at home and school.

That's All Folks

Maybe it's a sign.

My fathers initials are MJC.

My husbands initials are MJC

Maggie, Jane and Charlie are my own MJC.

All of our children have come with the help of Doctors and Nurses. After figuring out what we needed, they all came on the first or second try. I guess that gave me a false sense of security. We've tried for months to have another child. Each month taking a step further then before. More time consuming, more money, mores procedures, more pills, more shots, more pounds, more ultra sounds, more shuffling of my children and schedule and a lot more driving. It's been exhausting. Nothing worked.

I wanted a couple more.

I'm sad about it.

So the bright side is that I have three kids that we love. We are going to look forward to a lot of great memory making.

Spring Break

About six months ago our friends sent out an email to all of their friends. Inviting us on a number of "mini vacations" they would be taking this year. We put our names in to head to Hershey, Pennsylvania with them for our Spring Break. We had a lot of fun and made many memories. Here is our recap.Hershey's Chocolate World
Mr. Mike, Charlie, Maggie, Jane, Josephine, Chloe, Miss Emily, Mr. Brad & London
(click on any picture to enlarge)

Josephine & Jane
We waited forever for some premade desserts. It was painfully long but we kept ourselves entertained by painting on the paper tables with brushes and Hershey Syrup.

Miss Emily. Her son London gave her a real Hershey Kiss.

Maggie found it delightful to color her lips and then lick it all off.

Charlie

Our first night at the Hotel swimming pool Charlie slipped and split his chin. Five stitches. He's pretty proud.



Easter Sunday before the big hunt.

Miss Emily made each child their own bag and they had to search for them in the Lobby.

Charlie, JoJo & Mags

The craziest part is that we took a little side lot of the hotel to plant eggs and candy. We were robbed. You got it. Robbed! The kids found their bags and then we took them out to the side lot where we hid the goods. I could tell before approaching that things had been taken. Someone went in and swooped it up. Rude right? Good thing we had put a few things in their bags or that would have been the biggest fail ever.

We had two great days at Hershey Park. Riding roller coasters and entertaining ourselves. All in all, great trip.

The Worst One

I asked Charlie to go to his room and get his pajamas on at least six times. The seventh time I said it loudly and with great force. He went. He put on his pj's and returned with a list. Then he says this..

"Mom, you're the worst one."

"What?"

"Your the meanest person on my list. There's you and Dad and Mr. D. But your the worst one."

"What list? You've been keeping a list?"

"Yes, and you have gotten to three. You can try to get numbers taken off by being nice but so far you haven't gotten any taken off."

Charlie and Bernice

Here's the list. Mom 1, 2, 3 Dad 1, 2 Mr. D 1 (one day Mr. D, our neighbor, sent Charlie home after the boys had been fighting.) See, he's learned something in kindergarten. Counting, reading, writing, chances and consequences. He already knew about trouble.

Soccer

I love soccer. It's a sport kids feel they can do. I like that.

Jane is in an instructional group. Our league hires entertaining Brits to teach and inspire the kids. (Mal, they have a tall Scottish guy that probably needs to meet you.) They learn all of the fundamental footwork needed to become good players. So far this year Jane is participating (big improvement from last year). I think she gets it and it is so fun to watch. We are super pleased with Charlie this year. This is his first year on a real team and I thought it would be a laughing adventure.

Turns out that he really knows what he is doing. He didn't follow the herd and when the other team got the ball he would get in the defensive mode and go to cut them off instead of just "chase".

He also managed to score his first goal. And the teams first goal.

This is his look to us to make sure we got it. Yep we got it.

Way to go bud!

Visitors

Visitors. Oh how I love them. I talked my sister into coming to Virginia instead of Florida for their Spring Break. I loved it. Can't really say if they did. The weather here was cold with a nice bite to the air. ooopsie.Brady and Colby know how to build wicked forts. They don't even ask me to help. It was awesome. Charlie, Mags, Jane

Brady

Uncle Steve

They also spent time catching turtles. The boys caught two while they were here but of course we had to release them back to their homes.

Colby and prize turtle. I like to call Colby "Bieber". Not so sure if he loves it.

Thank you for the great visit. We loved it.

Swimming Lessons

Most of my pictures of Charlie are of him underwater. He's our seal and has really improved in his swimming this year. Jane Charlie

Jane

She frustrated the teacher with all of her excuses. She didn't want to blow bubbles and didn't want to get her ears wet etc.. Then after her swim lessons were finished she was able to swim and put her face in.

Jane

Maggie took swim lessons with her little neighbor/friend.

Never quite able to relax. She spent her swim lessons giggling.

Swim lessons are finished and we will be starting soccer this week. More pictures to come of that.

Sinking Ship

Jane is doing reading lessons with Dad. It's going slow, really slow. She's a drifter of thoughts. She has always been on her own time schedule. She is often in her head and doing her own imaginary playing. Sometimes we are invited and sometimes we are not. She has a "special room". Everything great happens there. It sounds like a wonderful place. We hear stories about this place all of the time. She tortures her best friend with it. Often she will remind her best friend about her "special room" and how she is the only one who can go there. It works. This statement drives Carys crazy and she often whines to her mother about wanting a special room too.

Charlie has more energy then he ever knows what to do with. Luckily soccer starts up soon.

Maggie uses the Lords name in vain. When I correct her by saying, "we say oh my goodness" she will then respond with, "but some people say oh my g--". She's also very good at identifying her genders and will let all of us know what people have a penis or a pagina. All neighbors and friends have been identified correctly. We are just so proud of her. She is so bright.

Summer camps? Anyone offering really cheap summer camps at their homes?

Sunday Post

Maggie, got to love her but she is driving me crazy. She talks, all of the time, all day long. She follows me everywhere holding my leg and telling me how much she loves me. Yes, it's sweet and one day I'll wish she were still doing it. But not now. Now it's.... really draining. I just like this profile.

We had a super duper rainfall last Sunday. It was awesome and sent a little stream right through our back yard.


We can't resist a hard rainfall. It must be played in.