We're Goin' Back, Back, Back to School

Today is here, and after the Summer we've had, I haven't prepared myself at all.

With Makenna I constantly role played and talked to her about every aspect of Kindergarten. She knew how to speak up if she had to go to the bathroom, go ask a friend that is alone if they want to play, eat her lunch in the right order and quickly so she would finish on time...the list goes on. Poor Tracen just got a quick, "Raise your hand if you have to pee, listen to Aunt Bunny, don't call her Aunt Bunny at school, eat fast at lunch, and Mak will come get you at the end of the day. Love you, bye!" How sad is that?? I guess by the time Mailey goes we will just throw her in the door with a quick, "See ya!" Man, I hope not! :)

Makenna was excited, though she does not have any girls in her class that she knows. I just keep telling her that God knows exactly where she needs to be. Her sweet teacher lost her husband in May(she is younger than me), so I told Mak that Mrs. C might just need a Makenna in her class this year.

Tracen was just going with the flow this morning. He is my sleeper, and when we were walking to school(which is such an amazing thing to be able to do!!!!) he had already declared that he was ready to go back to bed. This will be a change for him! A wonderful God thing is the fact that a boy named Blaine is in his class. Blaine was in the class across the hall when Tracen was in 3 yr old Pre-K. His teacher always told me that though Tracen was quiet and content to play by himself, on the days the classes combined he and Blaine played and talked non-stop. This was huge for him. How cool is it that Blaine would end up in his Kinder class?? He also has two friends from last year's Pre-K in his class, and his teacher is our friends' Aunt Bunny! We are so excited about all of it!

Mailey was dead asleep when I went in, took her baby away, changed her diaper, got her dressed, stuck her in her highchair, shoved food into her mouth, put her in her stroller, rolled her all the way to and all over the inside of school, went on a long walk home, and then was plopped back into bed for a nap. She might not be as excited as the other two, huh? I'm afraid, just like my little Scott before her, that this is to be her life from now on.

Here are some pics of their first day. I really cannot believe that my little man isn't here. I'm going to be missing all his sweet hugs and legos and paintings and smiles forever. Same as my Makenna baby girl with her help and projects. Why is it so hard to be a mom sometimes, yet you would never change it for the world?

Landing

I know I won't have any time to blog for awhile...ummm, kinda like lately...so here is a quick synopsis.

We have landed.

I think.

1. Tyson got a job that he really likes for a company in the flatlands, of all places.
2. We had to leave family and friends in Hewitt, which was harder than I wanted it to be.
3. Here in the flatlands many things were brought to light about our old company, so plans for housing have had to change.
4. We have decided to never own our own business again. ever. ever. Just not for us.
5. We lived in a hotel for a week.
6. I have driven miles and miles on every street possible in our elementary school zone.
7. I have driven miles and miles on every street...oh, did I already say that?
8. We finally found a place to stay today that we are very thankful to have.
9. We have to paint and clean and be out of here and in the new place by Thursday.
10.That is all.

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts and places to stay and laundry done and help over this crazy Summer of Suitcases. The new place will be #10. Whew.

A new journey begins.

13 months

I would love to be posting some amazing portraits of Mailey at one...but due to dog bites, mosquitoes, and falling down allll day long, we haven't been able to go get pictures yet.

The main thing that has changed with her is her vocabulary. She is saying so many words now and tries to copy what we say, which is hilarious.

Words:
Mamma!!! yay for finally saying my name! she calls it out from her bed when she wakes up in the morning if "Dadooo" doesn't work.
bow
ball
puppahh
dehr it is
bud
nigh-nigh
bahyeee(bye)
hiheee(hi)
luh luh luh(love)
eat
dink(drink)
shhhhh(be quiet)
shuh(shoe)
nanana(banana)
uh oh
go
dadoo go
neh neh(makenna)
biper
mmimmmm
pop
maybabeh(what's your name, mailey baby)
behbeh(baby)
cahcah(erica)
bubba
heh-o(hello on the phone)
mmmmmm-mmmmmmmm(singsongy voice when she is about to drop food or her milk off her tray)

She is so full of personality and busy all day long playing with anything but toys. She loves getting into everything, opening every cabinet door, pulling out every bit of decor, chunking her milk over the edge, and wanting whatever we have.
Maybe one day we can get her pictures taken for real!

Somewhere in between

Have you ever felt like your life was in limbo? Like completely at a standstill? As if the slightest breeze could send you tumbling over the edge of the cliff you seem to be standing on top of?

Part of you wonders what on earth you are doing up here, anyways. You strain your neck trying to look over your shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of where you used to be. The safe, solid ground just has to be back there somewhere...but where? Why has all this dust and wind and murk replaced what you used to be able to see so clearly? Sometimes the crick in your neck is worth the possibility of seeing that place again. Maybe you can feel normal again if you just see it. Or maybe if you just get the heck down from this cliff you can go back and none of this would really be happening.

Every now and then some bird flies by with a message from that far away place on firm ground. You hear whispers of things going on that keep you updated, but you can't ever get down and join in on what is happening, so you grasp at any news you hear from the haze. You feel guilty for not being there, sad that life has to go on without you, grateful for all the friendships and life-walkers you had there, and unsure of what you are supposed to do now. If I scream down there, will they hear it? Could I send a message back down with the birds, and hope they know how much I love and miss them from only words? Is it just easier to be quiet? Maybe...

When you turn your head back to facing the front again, the problem has yet to resolve itself. There is still this issue of standing at the edge of the cliff, and you just know that the winds are about to pick up. What will you do? What is there to hold on to? Who will catch us if we fall off?

Yeah, I said 'we.' There are 3 little people up here with me, which makes everything all the more urgent. They stare at me with big eyes or yell at me with big mouths, because they are so scared of the edge and just want to go back down to the solid ground they remember. Oftentimes they completely change and want to just get a running start and fly off the cliff, not caring about the consequences, in pure unabashed, childlike freedom.

Our faith in what is over the edge fluctuates all the time. How can you be so impatiently patient and so untrustingly trusting? We are both somehow.

So you wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Wait for an answer, or a strong breeze, or a huge gust, or a floating cloud to tell you what to do.

Sometimes you think it would be easier to be pushed off by hurricane force winds. At least you would know for sure there were no other options.

Sometimes you want some gear to fall from the sky so you can repel back down to where you came from, shaking the dust off your feet and muttering a sigh of relief that whatever that detour was is finally over at the bottom.

Yet sometimes, you just decide you can surely live up here forever, somewhere in between an old life and a new life, because there is almost enough room for everyone. We can make it work. We can live with this. We can be ok here.

But what about that cliff? There is an edge, you know.

So maybe we are just supposed to close our eyes, count to three,
one...
two...
three...
and find ourselves safe, wherever we land.

It's a Jungle Out There

I was so blown away by the fact that the Dallas World Aquarium was in West End. What a fun (and pricey) place to go explore in the middle of the city. We loved it!


Did anyone know an anteater's tail is like 4 feet long?? Weird!


It's a long way down to the bottom of the rain forest.


I can feed a toucan, can you?


I eat birds. Yikes.


Are there some river otters in here?


There is a manatee behind us.


Hello sea turtle!


Should I be scared of you?


Penguins really stink. Really.


We're glad they already fed this guy.


But flamingos stink the worst of all!

4th of July

ONE Baby Girl's Par-tay!

I looove having a baby stroller to push around. I also love throwing the baby out and shoving pacifiers into her, too!


Thanks, Mim, for my birthday dress! I'm a pretty cute 1 year old, huh?


My cake! I wanted to eat the whole thing, but Mom took it away for some reason.


For one year of living, I've got some pretty amazing friends!!