What a week!

It has been one of those whirlwind kind of weeks around here.  

Today is the last day of school, and while last week  I was feeling a bit pressured and anxious about being full-time Mama to 4 for the next two months, now I'm ready and raring to go have some fun with my crew!

One week ago today...

Isabelle Kate and I did "fancy toenails" for our surprise lunch date with Daddy

(We had to rush back because of the dentist appointment, though, but I included those cute pics in another post.)

She was so funny- she wanted to wear her pretty "posa" skirt I made her, and was also rather adamant that I dress up, so I settled on a casual dress.  She was pleased.  :)

Jonah's NH project ~ Royal Governor Benning Wentworth

This project did not come together smoothly- there was a lack of communication, a family mishap, and other distractions, which made me feel like I had let Jonah down.  I learned some valuable lessons from the ordeal, one of which: my boys are VERY different, and what works for one does not work for the other, and one's strengths are the other's weaker areas- things like that.  Good to know.

I just realized I didn't snap a pic of my message to Jonah- there it is!

the princess gets her beauty sleep

Jonah attended all the games and cheered on his team, even though he could no longer play

This one sprinted across the way when he spied money in my hand- we've never gotten them any treats from the concession stands, so on their last night, we went hog wild and splurged with slushies and fudge pops- whew, wild, I know!

Caleb got a great hit, which sent his teammate on third home- their one and only score for the night, but they had a lot of fun!!

The picture doesn't do it justice- she had smeared fudge pop mixed with sand and dirt all over her face, neck, hands and arms, shirt, and even some on her legs!  I have NEVER seen her THAT dirty, ha!

  Grandma doesn't care if she gets dirty!

Just love watching this little guy pitch!!
He gets up there and has his own special little moves...so fun to watch, though my heart pumps in my chest with the strangest pride and panic all mixed in one- I think that's a lot of pressure for a seven year old, but he handles himself well!

Now comes Tuesday, and Ethan invited me to his all-school meeting, which are normally around 45 minutes long...well, that day was especially longer (2 hours!) because of all the wonderful tributes to the late Mrs. Martin- a fellow 5th grade teacher who died unexpectedly after a very sudden illness back in April.  I only knew her by sight and reputation, but it's apparent she was someone I would've loved dearly, and I regret not having had the opportunity to know her better.  I was moved to tears along with every other person in the assembly.  Then the 5th graders sang some songs and got everyone dancing- at one point Isabelle escaped me and sprinted across the room to her Ethee, and he scooped her up in his arms, dancing and grinning wildly.  That was a special moment!  And no, I didn't let her do it repeatedly, much to her dismay, because in general I find that sort of behavior annoying- once is cute, more than once is irritating and not so cute anymore, in my opinion.  I forgot the camera in the car, so no pics of that cuteness.

Ethan's 5th grade class all made tie-dye shirts for their big outing in Boston
Here he is on Wednesday, raring to go- I was supposed to be a chaperone, but my issues are making a comeback, and I was so afraid of something happening and embarrassing myself and Ethan- I mean, really, what would I do?- so Bill offered to take the day off work and go in my place.  Though I was still sad about missing it, I think it was a great opportunity for Ethan and his Dad to forge some special memories together.  They had FUN, and came home around 8:30 pm (gasp) and were worn out!

While they were away...

Mimi and Isabelle had some special fun time together, Jonah and Caleb were both at school, and I took some much-needed time to be by myself!  Actually, I ended up running all over town doing errands and getting gift cards for teachers, but I did it solo, which was a lovely change for me.  Thanks Mimi!

I'd already decided that since Ethan and Bill were off having fun, I'd take the kiddos at home with me to a restaurant for dinner, especially since the Weathervane does kids' nights on Wednesdays.  We invited Mim and Grampy along as an impromptu early Father's Day celebration, so that was fun too!

See little princess's head in the background above?  Nobody gets Grampy all to himself when she is around, ha!  And there she is- Caleb loos SO thrilled, right?

And now they're all up there on him- Grampy doesn't seem to mind the lapful!

We've never had Daddy home on the last day of school, so that was a special treat...however, we awoke to a warm freezer and multiple dripping items...Bill offered to take another day off to help me cope with that mess and get a new fridge.  We knew this day was coming, but who ever wants to spend such big bucks on something as exciting as a large household appliance?  God really saved us, and we're very thankful- He orchestrated all the moves, and we ended up securing an awesome, energy-star rated fridge with big discounts, and they could get it delivered that afternoon, whew!  Other stores would take 3-5 days, and I had JUST gone grocery shopping, so we would have lost everything!  Very thankful....

So today, here I sit finishing up this super long post, our first day of summer upon us, and it's going to be a hot one!  I'd better get a move on it- have a great day!