Is summer really half way over?

As a kid, I remember thinking that Fourth of July was my half-way point to summer ending.  Since I'm a teacher, I get that same feeling every summer.  I love the Fourth of July, but it is bittersweet because of that "half-way" feeling!
We have accomplished a lot this summer, though, so I can't really complain.  Drake's big accomplishment is he is officially potty-trained!  WooHoo!!!!!  For the first time in ten years, Shawn and I are not buying diapers!  I found myself turning down that aisle at the store the other day and got a little sad when I realized that I will probably never need to go down that aisle again! He's doing a great job of it though.  He's at that newly accomplished stage of potty-training.  You know... the one where the rest of us are totally over it, but he still feels he deserves a party every time he pees???  Life lesson number one buddy- once you show the world you can and are willing to do something, it just becomes expected! LOL
Daxton's big accomplishment is swimming!  He is swimming all over the pool now without any flotation device at all.  He is proud to be the youngest child in our family to do this.  The look on his face is priceless when he swims across the pool.
Delaney has learned to ride a two wheel bike suddenly.  She is very proud of this...especially because her learning to do this encouraged older brother Drew to finally learn to do it too.  Dawsyn has been riding a two-wheel bike for two summers now, but Drew doesn't view Dawsyn as a "younger sister" the way he does Delaney.
Dawsyn is getting to do her dream of going to horse camp this week. So that will be her big accomplishment this summer.
We have been busy, but its been a good busy with some good family time.  I love summer nights and watching movies, having bonfires, and catching fireflies.  I love going for runs in the middle of the day and spending days reading by the pool. And the kids have gotten to do some fun things--Big Time Rush concert, pedicures at home, Red, White, and Boom, travelling to festivals, Vacation Bible School, Golf for Drew, Kids in College for Drew and Dawsyn, horseback riding, Tennis for the older four, Drive-in movies, and lots of little moments that have made us all smile!  Hoping the second half of summer is just as fun for us.

Mommy and Dax at Preschool Graduation.

Grandpa Chuck and his kids on his Birthday!

He may be graduating from preschool, but no worries...he is still just as ornery as ever!

Dawsyn and Delaney in their Irish Dancing routine.

Team Adams at Race for the Cure!

Drew and Dax in Alice in Wonderland

Dawsyn and Delaney as little flower in Alice in Wonderland.

Shawn and his girls ready for the Daddy/Daughter Dance!

May ended just as busy as it started!  In two weeks, we had the Daddy/Daughter Dance, performances in the Middle School production of Alice in Wonderland, Race for the Cure, Irish Dance Recital, Grandpa Chuck's birthday, Daxton's preschool graduation, and Dawsyn has started travelling with her Queen's Court again!!!  Whew!
Plus, we ended three soccer seasons and started T-ball.
This is the last week of school.  I always get a little sentimental (ok--truth be told, I'm always sentimental) around this time of year.  It is so hard for me to see them continue to grow, but it is good because I think they are growing into wonderful people!
So, after this week, I will have a fifth grader (one more year until he is in Mommy's class), a fourth grader, a second grader, a Kindergartener, and little Drake bringing up the rear!  When I first started teaching, I looked forward to the day when I would have my kids in my class.  I can't believe it is almost here.  Those first years of dropping them off at a babysitters at 630 in the morning and then crying all the way to work because I hated it so much were torture.  But, what kept me going was the thought that the years they are in school with me will be much longer than those first years when they weren't.  I am looking forward to a fun and relaxing summer being a full-time Mommy!!!

MAY is here!!!

All of us at the kids' piano recital

This picture, however, is much closer to reality!!!

Drew, Dawsyn, and Delaney after their performances.

Drew waiting for his soccer game at the Bowling Green Tournament. It was snowing and sleeting...not good soccer weather!

What a weekend...

We had to travel to Bowling Green for Drew's soccer tournament. It was freezing cold and windy for most of it, but of course, once we went back to work this week, the weather is beautiful!!!

Drew scored a goal in the tournament, so he was pretty excited! We had to rush home from the tournament to get to the piano recital. Drew, Dawsyn, and Delaney all played well. From there, we went to Zac Abel's first birthday party (cannot believe that year has gone by already!), then had to rush to the airport to send Shawn on his way to Vegas for the week. He is at an IBM conference for work.

This is the second year he has done this, so I thought the trip to the airport would be a little easier. Last year, all five kids fell apart when Shawn left. This year, only Delaney cried and I was feeling pretty smug with myself...until we got to the big decision of the day---elevators or escalators??? Dawsyn is scared to death of elevators--always has been and Dax has suddenly developed a huge fear of escalators! Luckily, no one has yet developed a fear of saran wrap, foil, or some other terrible, scary thing!!!

So... We attempted the escalator first. About half-way down with Drake on my hip, I realized Dax was not with us. I turn around to see him still at the top of the escalator, moving ever farther away from me, shaking and crying. I cannot let go of Delaney's hand and can't put Drake down. Luckily, Drew saw what was happening and ran back up the escalator to rescue Dax!

Dawsyn survived the elevator in the parking garage, Drake ran off when I set him down to unlock the van, but we caught him two cars over, but...needless to say, I was exhausted by the time we left the airport and my week had only just begun!!!

Shawn called the next day and complained that breakfast wasn't very good...breakfast? breakfast? Who gets to eat breakfast??? I reminded him that I am working full time, with five kids, running to all their activities, getting virtually no sleep because I can't stand the dark (maybe where my kids get their irrational fears), and he is at the Venetian by himself complaining that the breakfast wasn't that good???? He might want to rethink what he complains about! :)

Soccer is my life...

Even if it's not by choice!!! We are playing soccer every night of the week and at least one day of the weekend between the three kids we currently have playing...add in girl scouts (1 child), Irish Dancing (2 children), piano lessons (3 children), gymnastics (1 child), Kindermusik (2 children) add in church activities and we are just about at our Spring limit! Plus with a two year old running in and out of all of these activities...there are moments when I must admit, I feel I've reached my limit. Then, to think that next week I will be a single mom when Shawn flies to Vegas for the week...and I just sigh in exhaustion. But, when I sit down to play chess with Drake, or hear Dawsyn practicing her song for the talent show, or Dax actually starting to read, it makes it well worth it.

Then to add Delaney's hugs and kisses, and the fact that Drew spent ten minutes while I was on the eliptical, trying to explain to me why he feels that 1/3 doesn't really qualify as a fraction because of the decimal it stands for and then went into this huge mathematical theory about his reasoning...and I think OK--we can keep doing this right?

And somehow I even managed to get in a book for myself this weekend. One that didn't have rhyming words, nonsensical characters, or involve any vampires, light sabers, or tributes from district 12! Not that I have any problems with those books, but it was nice to read "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks. Now to find the time to see the movie....HA!

Happy Easter!

It would not be a holiday if we didn't have some sort of "flu" to share! This time Drew started us off with a stomach bug. So far, we have gone through three children, but still managed our yearly egg coloring, three church services, Dawsyn getting her foot washed at Holy Thursday Mass, Drew serving, Jill reading, and Shawn cantoring at the Easter Vigil, and an Easter that ended up being one of our best!

The week before Easter, we started getting "surprises" at our backdoor. Dawsyn has been really wanting a guinea pig, which Mommy was not at all happy about. However, when a guinea pig cage arrived at our backdoor a week ago, Mommy had to admit that the odds were looking in her favor!

The next day we got bedding, followed by a water bottle, food, and hay! Mommy insisted that the only animal the Easter Bunny was allowed to bring was a stuffed one! Mommy almost thought she got her wish when the kids uncovered the cage on Easter morning and there were 5 little stuffed Webkinz hamsters!!! However, there was also a clue that led to an entire scavengar hunt around the house, resulting in two little guinea pigs!

Mommy's next suggestion was guinea bacon for Easter dinner, but alas, she was over-ruled!

So, we now have two additions to our family. Fudge and Rambunctious. Yeah--Mommy didnt' choose the names either!!!

More Great Wolf Lodge Pics

Great Wolf Lodge Trip!

So, after hearing all week that all of their friends get to do stuff on Spring Break, it was nice to surprise them by taking them to Great Wolf Lodge in Cincinnati. I had told them that we were taking a trip to an outlet store to get new curtains and possible a new vacuum cleaner (it was the most boring thing I could think of!). So, of course, they were all mad! I couldn't resist the urge to keep it up the whole two hour drive! When we finally pulled in and the kids saw the sign, I turned around and asked if they thought we could find nice curtains in one of those rooms. The kids were all so excited, except Drew, who slapped his forehead and said--"she got me again!" He said, "Mom, can this please count for April Fool's Day?" Apparantly he knew it was coming up and has been so nervous trying to be prepared for how I would get them this year. Do you think that means I go a little overboard with the whole April Fool's thing??? NAH!!!! ;)