Busy Week

Awana's award night

Gift for teacher.

Art walk night.

Mother's Day song.

Birthday party fun.

I didn't realize how busy things get toward the end of the school year. There is 2 1/2 weeks of school left and each week gets more busy.

This week was teacher appreciation week. Monday morning we bring a flower for her teacher. So, Monday morning we ran to the store before going to school. We certainly were not the only one doing that on Monday morning. I think there was a least 10 other people in the storing buying flowers. On Wednesday the students were to bring in an art project they made for the teacher. We thought about what to make and it was between a frame and a flower pot. I thought the flower pot would be different so we spent Monday night and Tuesday night painting the flower pot and then decorating it. I think that Lauren did a great job and I thing it turned just lovely. I am glad we didn't do the frame, that was done by about half the class.

Thursday night was the schools annual Art Walk. The classes put up a lot of the art the kids have done during the year and get the chance to walk around and see it all. The classrooms are also open to go in and look at what has been going on in there. They have food and the band plays and there is a book fair. It is a nice time and a nice way to end the year. It kinda feels like it has been a full circle since the open house at the beginning of the year.

Friday was a very fun and special time. A few times during the year the parents are invited in for at "Reading Relative" party. The parents come in with books and blankets and pillows and we all sit down and read to our kids. We bring in food to share and everyone has a nice time. This time the students sang a song for the mothers and gave us some very cute gifts.

One of the things that Lauren gave me was a coupon for cleaning her room. She explained that I could give her the coupon and she would have to clean what I asked her to clean. She gave me some examples and then went on and said "But mom, you know it would not be very fair if you didn't help me. You wouldn't want me to just do it all. That would just not be very nice." So much for a housecleaning coupon.

On top of all the school activities, we has Awana's award night, cheerleading, dance, gymnastics and a birthday party.

These next week is looking like it is going to be as crazy busy as this week.

Cousin Fun

My stuffed animal loving girl.

Playground fun.

Lauren and Sammie playing dress up.

She always amazes me. Even with all that junk on her face she is still so pretty.

I am not sure what she was dressed up as. She has Little Mermaid stuff, a grass skirt and kitty ears. It is an interesting look.

Water park fun. There are all these water features at this park but of course it was more fun to play in the mud puddle.

This weekend we went over to my brother's house to celebrate his birthday. When we were there I asked Sammie if she would like to come over and spend the night. I thought she would say no. Was I wrong. She said yes and then ran and got her stuff for the night.

I got the girls ready for bed and into bed. Lauren is a good sleeper and she falls asleep within minutes of going to bed. Sammie is not quite like that. Lauren came out a few times to complain that Sammie was not going to sleep and kept talking. Finally she came out and said "mom, I have had enough, I am going to sleep in your room". She was asleep within a few minutes.

Sammie on the other hand was not bothered at all by Lauren not being in there anymore. A little while later I heard some noises and went in to check on Sammie. She was up going through the drawers in Lauren's room. It was so funny. I finally just went to sleep with her to keep her in bed.

The next day the girls played all day. They played dress up, kitchen, and with all of Lauren's toys. They get along really well and I am so glad that Lauren has a cousin that she can play with and have sleepovers with. I hope this continues as they get older. They are really cute together.

Long Time Promise Fulfilled

She looks so scared. I kept telling her that she did not have to do this but she kept saying she wanted to.

Marking the ears. That was interesting because I realized that Lauren's ears are not the same. So one side would like higher then the other but really it was just because her ears are different.

They had to mark and erase and mark again and again and again.

A few weeks later. I have been trying to get a good picture of her earrings but as usually Lauren does not like to cooperate. I think I might have taken a few too many pictures and she is just tired of it.

When Lauren had her hair accident we talked about how it will grow back but that it might take a little while. I kept reassuring her that she is still a very pretty little girl. Of course during those first few days if she could have asked for anything I would have given it to her. (She did get a few things out of me!) Of course one of those things that she asked for was to get her ears pierced. At first I said no but later I told her that because of what she went through if she really wanted to get them pierced then she could. I had wanted her to wait until she was 10 but I figured if she went through the pain of having so much hair pulled out she deserved it.

We had to wait until after cheerleader season was over because they are not allow to compete with earrings in. So a few weeks ago we went to the mall to get her ears pierced. We went one night but there was only one young lady working in the store and everyone warned me to have both ears done at one time. So we went back during the weekend and got them pierced when there was two young ladies working and they did them at the same time. She was so scared but wanted to do it. I did not get any pictures of the actual piercing because she was sitting on my lap. We bought some other earrings and she wants to wear them so bad. I explained that she has to keep these in for 8 weeks and then she can put in other ones. Everyday she asks if she can put in new ones now. She looks so cute and grown up with her cute little pink flower earrings.

I talked with her doctor about getting them pierced and he was fine with it and didn't think it was a big deal. He told me just to go to the mall that they do a fine job and they are very careful.

Hair Update #4

13 weeks after the accident.

9 weeks after the accident.

6 weeks after the accident.

3 weeks after the accident.

3 days after the accident.

It has been just over 3 months since the accident. It is growing in but as the doctor stated when it happened, "it is going to take a while".

I read a story about a little girl who was playing on a treadmill and fell off and got her hair caught in the belt. According to the story she also had a lot of hair pulled out by the roots. (It sounds a lot like Lauren's accident.) The mother of this little girl stated that it took about 9 months to fill in the bald spot. If that holds true for Lauren then we are about 1/3rd of the way there. I am seeing progress. As I have stated many times it is baby steps but it looks like we have taken a few more these last 4 weeks.

Easter

The Easter basket is ready for Lauren to wake up.

Lauren, just out of bed, looking in her Easter basket.

My beautiful Easter girl.

Ready for church.

Spinning and twirling.

Lauren with her older cousins, Blaire and Elaine. I have taken a picture of these three every Easter since I got Lauren. I will do a post with all of them in the next few weeks. It is fun to look back on how much they have grown up.

The cousins. (missing the California boys.)

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Easter was a very full day. We started the day with Lauren's Easter basket. Lauren was so excited to see what was in her basket and her favorite thing was the chocolate bunny. She wanted to eat it first thing this morning.

We then went to my brother's home for breakfast and to go to church. Of course we had to get the pictures. I take a ton of pictures of Lauren but it seems that our Easter pictures never come out that great. I love the pictures with all the cousins and those came out great.

After church we had the egg hunt and then a great lunch. It was a really fun and nice Easter. It is always nice to celebrate with family. Usually my sister from California comes out at Easter time but this year her and her family were not able to make it. We missed them. It was not the same without them.

April 12 is the day my mother died 16 years ago. The year she died it was also Easter weekend. It is so hard to believe that she has been gone for that long. My father has now been gone for almost 3 years. Holiday's makes me miss them so much. It is not the same without them. I wish my mom could have seen all her grandchildren. She wanted them so bad and only got to see one of them before she died. She would have loved to see them doing the egg hunt and just enjoying each other. It is wonderful to know we will all be together again in heaven someday. Easter is the perfect time to remember that promise.

Annual Egg Hunt

After Church we had the annual egg hunt. As we have done for the past many years, we assigned each kid a different color egg and they had to find that color egg only. This allows us to hid the eggs based on the age and ability of each child and not worry about the older kids getting all the eggs. Each child gets to find the same amount of eggs.

This year Lauren wanted to find the purple eggs. They hid them a bit harder than last year and Lauren had to really search for them. It is a fun annual event. Sammie loved it that she kept wanting to do it again and again.

Coloring Easter Eggs

Working hard to decorate the eggs.

Lauren and Sammie coloring eggs.

The whole group.

The end results.

Saturday Lauren and I went to my sister's home to color Easter eggs. This year we added a lot of fun items to help decorate the eggs. We has glitter, yarn, eyes, and etc. It was fun to see how creative the kids got.

They all had a great time and we even ran out of eggs. They would have done them all night if there was more eggs. It was a nice way to start the Easter weekend.