A Long Weekend.

A long weekend!!! Need I say more. I think these pictures say it all.

Cheer Weekend

Cheer swim party.

Last time wearing this cheer outfit.

Dancing on stage.

Back bend during cheer routine.

The Tiki Tiki Birds.

Dancing as a Tiki Tiki Bird.

After the recital with her cousin, Sammie.

Sunday was Lauren's Cheer Spring Review. The theme of the Spring Review was Disneyland. Each group did a different ride or attraction at Disneyland. Lauren's group did the Tiki Tiki Room. The girls dressed as very colorful birds. They looked really cute and their dance was really cute.

The show begins with the each team doing their cheer routine one more time. Lauren's group have not done there routine for a few months and a few of the little ones forgot parts of it. They looked cute even if they didn't do it the best. The second part of the show was the Disney dances. It always amazes me that Lauren does not get scared at all during the show. She has the best time on stage.

Lauren had a cheer pool party on Saturday and this Tuesday is the cheer banquet. Wednesday is cheer tryouts for the next year. It has been a cheer packed few days. Lauren had a good first year of cheerleading. She seemed to like it and we are going to do it again next year. However, after talking with the coach and the plans for next year's team, I think we are going to go to a different place.

I have been checking out a few places and there are a few that are much closer to my house. Since Janine takes her to practice I have to make sure it is ok with her schedule. Janine really wants me to to go one place because after next year she wants to move Blaire there also. I do think that makes a lot of since. The practice times are much more compatible with school and they have a good reputation. The only concern I have is that they are really really good with the older teams but the younger teams are not that great. I don't want to put her in one place for a few years and then move her again. I really only want to move her once. so, we might have to suffer with a less then great team for a few years. I really don't think Lauren will care too much.

Mother's Day

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

There was a time it didn't think that I would ever have a child to wish me happy mother's day. But about 5 years ago my dreams and wishes came true when I became the mother of a wonderful little girl.

I love being a mom. I love all that that goes with it. I love being busy with Lauren's activities. I love getting hugs and kisses from her. I love hearing her call me mom. I love that she is my daughter. She challenges me to be a better person. She keeps me on my toes. One moments she can make me so frustrated I want to scream and the next moment she can fill me with a joy that I have never known before. I look at her and I am amazed that she is my daughter. She is so beautiful, funny, sweet, tough, and sassy. I am so happy that I have Lauren to wish me Happy Mother's Day.

The only thing I wish is that my mother was still alive to meet her. I miss my mom. I wish she was here so that I could wish her a happy mother's day. I wish she was here to see me as a mother and for my daughter to know her grandmother.

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.