The first lasts and many more to come

I told Drew last week that Elena's preschool graduation was May 22nd.  After I made sure it was on his calendar and our big one in the kitchen, I had to cry just a little.  

On Tuesday Elena lost her first tooth at dinner.  I was so sure that it wouldn't come out for a few weeks yet.  It fell out while she was talking.  Go figure.  I might have wanted to cry a little. 

Then on Tuesday after dinner Elena rode her bike without training wheels.  I may have wanted to curl up in a ball on the spot.  It was too much happiness and sadness filling my heart in less than an hour.  Elena....stop growing up so dang fast!  This momma is barely hanging on!

When all these events happened in Emma, Jonah, and Samuel's little lives I was so happy for them.  Don't get me wrong.  I am a crier so tears were shed for the really big things.  But, it was really just happy tears.  I was also so thankful they were growing up.  Being a momma to four little ones is tiring and I was glad some of my kiddos were entering more grown up/independent phases.  But, this isn't so much the case with Elena.  I want her to stop and just be little for a while longer, but she does not.  Elena is so so so ready for Kindergarten. She has been asking almost weekly to go to Kindergarten because she is five.  I mistakenly told her she had to be five to go to Haude and ever since her birthday she wants to go to Haude.  Totally my fault for not more thoroughly explaining I meant be five and it had to be the end of August.  Silly me!  

I love spending my days with Elena doing nothing, something, and everything.  We have fun and she is a good little side kick.

My life is going to change so drastically come August 24th.  She is ready and I have the summer to get ready....or more likely most of September and then some to get used to my new momma phase.  It will be me putting on my big girl pants as my littlest goes off to elementary school with what I know is going to be the biggest smile ever to walk through the front doors at Haude. Thankfully I have five more weeks to treasure my time with just Elena.

Bike Riding

Drew has given up many bike rides because of my marathon training.  I am very grateful.  It really does take a team to train for a marathon.  Today Drew had the opportunity to ride and four little people wanted to go on a bike ride as well. 

So, being the awesome daddy that he is, Drew took three bike rides.  Elena rode in the pull behind cart on two of the rides.  What a great daddy!  I did what I do best....take pictures!

Why can't I ride my tricycle?

Emma patiently waited for the last ride of the day.

Come on dad, let's go!

Jonah is very proud of his camel back!

So, those were my pictures of the day.

Today I am thankful for:
1.  Our church....we have a wonderful, loving staff that preaches a wonderful message each Sunday.  Today's message to love your neighbor as yourself was especially time because of the election and the aftermath of Sandy.

2.  Drew---he is such an amazing daddy.  How great that he gave up his bike ride to share that time with Emma, Jonah, Samuel, and Elena.  What a gift!  I picked a good one!

3.  I went to the grocery store all by myself and that is always a gift.  It rarely happens.

4.  My bloggy friend Susan ran a marathon today.  She was supposed to run the NYC marathon and we all know what happened with that.  Since she was already in NYC she and her friend ran the 26.2 anyway.  Totally awesome and I love it!  So proud of her!  I am very thankful for her inspiration!!!

5.  I am thankful for fun treats on Sunday night.  We made homemade blizzards with leftover Halloween candy for dessert.  YUM!  I love that Drew bought a milkshake machine over 15 years ago because he thought it was cool.  We still have it and still use it to make fun treats. 

Sunday Afternoon in the Park

Today we decided to have a family fun day.  Drew was gone for most of Saturday at a choir retreat and we wanted today to be memory-filled and not just football-filled!  I convinced Drew that we should go to Sunday Afternoon in the Park at Burroughs Park.  It is a free event sponsored by Harris County Parks and it was lots of fun.  Burroughs Park is one of my favorites in this area and I am often too lazy to go there with the kids.  The 30 minute drive is a drag when there a so many parks within 10 minutes of our house.  But, today needed to be special so off we went!

The only bad thing bad about today was the heat.  Summer has returned so despite the fall festival theme, it did not feel like fall at all!  Try high 80's....ugh!  Other than that we had a blast!

Since we are a little crazy at times we could not arrive as a family.  Drew rode yesterday in the hill country and was hoping for another ride today.  We decided that he could ride to the park and we would meet him.  It worked out perfectly.  We parked five minutes before he arrived, changed, and the fun began.

Of course I was camera ready to snap a picture!

There were lots of things to do, but with the heat we tried to keep it simple.  We did a pumpkin patch activity and even then only half of it.  We finished decorating the pumpkins at home in the air conditioning. 

Working on attaching the hair

Jonah and Samuel's finished project

Elena and Emma's finished pumpkins!

We ate snow cones.  That is the perfect treat on a hot day!

The kids played on the various park play sets. 

We walked around looking at all the silliness and took some fun pictures.

Silly faces

Smiling faces

Pumpkin heads

They had their faces painted and listened to a puppet theater story...The Three Little Pigs.

Perhaps the coolest part of the afternoon was watching the Memorial Hermann Life Flight Helicopter land.  It was amazing to watch it land in such a small area.  The wind created by it was crazy!  We were probably 40 or so feet away as it landed!  The boys and Elena toured it.  Emma was too hot and opted for the shade.  Those three also toured a fire truck.  Emma again said no.  She was tired. 

Of course, being in the country we were taken to and from the parking lot on a tractor pulled wagon.  What fun for the kids to sit on hay!  Seriously, you would have thought I gave them tons of candy.  They just loved it!

Hot and sweaty and

ready to go home!

Emma was tired and hot!

All in all we had a great time.  At dinner Drew asked the kiddos their favorite part of the afternoon and Jonah said, "pretty much everything"!  That made us both so happy!