For Nana!!!!

Hi there sweet lady!!! I have a stronger motivation to post and more often thanks to your email! I sure love and miss you guys. Feels like we're still in Virginia...haven't really gotten to see my family as often as I'd like given we're back on the West Coast....I guess all in due time!

Here's some fun info and updates...

Mike and I got to go on a free dinner date thanks to our work and support for a local dentist running for City Council for our district. He had a fund raising dinner and we were able to go for free given we held a meet and greet at our home and made phone calls on his behalf! It was a short and sweet getaway! Jaimie and Kassidy are doing really well at watching the girls, and are really showing some awesome responsibility. I don't feel we do it often enough or long enough to overwhelm them and our communication is very open about it all so it's all good! For Mother's Day or was it Birthday...I can't remember but Jaimie gave me a coupon for free babysitting and it expires this Sunday so I had to use it! hee hee!

Jaimie tried out for the Talent Show a couple weeks ago and auditioned singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and was told she'd need to cut it down to under 2 minutes. However, a few days later they sent her a note saying that due to time restraints she wouldn't be able to perform in the talent show. It broke her heart. It was hard for her at first, but I am so proud of her and she still plans on trying out again next year. Even Kassidy is planning on it! I am so pleased and honored to be the mom of such brave children. I wish I could show an ounce of the courage they do! Seriously! It's not easy to be a child this day and age. They face WAY more than we ever had to deal with. I never thought I'd have to have THE TALK with them so early in their years but if I didn't then they'd learn the WORLDS way of THE TALK. My Jaimie and Kassidy have a respect for their bodies and other's bodies. It's pretty appalling that we don't reverent our bodies as we should. (we in general, and especially sad to see they youth and that it's a topic of conversation at a young age).

School is almost over...2 weeks left. No major plans for the summer. July is a pretty busy month as Christie will have summer school. So no traveling for us...and end of July will be huge for us as we have Elite Academy in CA for Mike and I with LifeVantage and we're still working on who will watch the girls or if we take them....AND Mike and I will celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary July 31st! It's great sharing my life with him...It truly feels like FOREVER with him already. Marriage is so challenging and so rewarding...definitely a partnership that I learn and grow from constantly!

Kassidy is my little socialite...she always has a friend to play with...our neighbor a few houses down has a little girl...an only child...who Kassidy is almost always with. Interesting thing though about that is that she is actually Sydney's age, but Sydney really has nothing to do with her ... just funny! I've already become the 'mean mommy' because another girl in the neighborhood was in our home once and just made a mess with the books...and Kassidy said that she was throwing them at the wall and what not...so the girls got in trouble 1...for letting it happen and making her stop or getting me....and 2....not making her clean them up so of course a punishment was them cleaning it up. So when she came back I informed her that if she's to play in our home she has to follow the rules....and be respectful to our property. Kassidy told me yesterday that she can't come inside our home because I was to strict with her..... woo hoo...I'm not crying about it! I'll be strict mama, that little girl has no guidelines and there is no way in HELL I am going to apologize for setting boundaries! Mike and I mention often how grateful we are for our girls...we try hard to teach them to go the extra mile...clean up when we are at other's homes even if it wasn't all of our own mess...it's important!!! They sure can raise a stink about it at times though claiming that nobody helps them at our house...but I can't help it if others don't show the same respect...and it's character building for them to see and notice the difference and choose to take the higher road!

Kassidy fell yesterday when on her bike and caught herself with her left arm...she's sprained it for sure...Mike doesn't think she broke it but guess we'll see...She has it in a sling today for school and can move it fine but it's tender in the wrist area. I have a feeling we'll be taking her in to have it looked at and she'll get her 2nd immunization shot for Hep A too. She's not looking forward to that...nor is Sydney!

I've got to get Lexi in for her immunizations too...I'm 6 months behind. She seemed to be under the weather when I think of going and anyway, no excuses...just haven't done it!

Sydney is doing so well in school...it took her almost the whole year but she's caught on to reading...it's picking up fast now and we are so pleased with her progress. She really thrives going to school and interacting with her classmates. It's so fun to see her all excited. I am just anxious for next year when I don't have to break up my day taking her to school and she can ride the bus. I'm thinking though that thru the summer she learns to ride her bike well and that we bike ride to school and back next year. I am hoping to get that carrier attachment for my bike so I can put the babies in the back.

Christie is doing well in school...she has her moments the bus drivers tell me where she screams...but I know it's her bowel issues...the majority of the time...and she's tired come the end of her bus ride...lately she's been falling asleep at 5 pm...so instead of just a snack when she gets home from school I try to give her more of a dinner. Yesterday though I didn't put her to bed when she fell asleep and she woke up around 7 so I fed her dinner then and she went to bed around 9pm...so that was good!

hmmm...let me see what else to tell you about!?!?! I'll make sure I log on to give you funny updates on what the girls say or do...and pictures...I'll get them posted...I have one of Lexi on the table...she's my climber. I don't think Sydney was as busy as she at this age. Lexi's been found on the counter top and is always on the table. grr...She loves to help with laundry...she always unfolds what I've folded! lol!!! She knows how to clean up a mess and is doing great at talking. She says mama, dada, owie, poo, pee ( great thing...I'm going to plan on potty training her here when school is out) and and a lot of jibber jabber...she has a specific phrase for 'drink'...ga ga ....

Well sure love ya Nana...and mom...have a great weekend!!!