Life as we know it...Now!

Wow! I feel like life has been so crazy lately...full of fun, but completely crazy. I have had to pack someone in this family up for the last 3 weekends in a row! I am REALLY looking forward to being home for the next couple of weeks and trying to return to life as we know it now. This fall has been full of transitions, sad goodbyes, fun memories and lots of travel! And, I am just now starting to feel like we are settling in to some sort of routine and new sense of normal. First of all, I must brag on Trip. His adjustment to kindergarten has been amazingly smooth! His confidence has grown by leaps and bounds, although he is his still scared nightly by imaginary monsters. His teachers and classmates love him. He got his first report card last week and his teachers comment was so kind and the principal even signed it with a little note that said, "Way to go, Trip!" As we were having dinner the other night, I mentioned to TJ what a difference a year has made as far as helpfulness and cooperation from Trip. It is so refreshing to have a child actually listen to what you say the first time and do it without complaining or flipping out! Now, I know this will not last forever, but I am thoroughly enjoying it while we got it! Unfortunately, I have a feeling that by the time Mady enters into this stage, Trip will be long gone! Oh well...the joys of parenting! And, Mady is loving school, gymnastics and bible study with me twice a week. Sleeping in her bed, however, not so much her favorite thing to do. She is just so full of personality though, it is hard not to laugh or just cave in most of the time. And, she knows it!

Our month of traveling started the first weekend of October. I went to visit my friend in California, so TJ was Mr. Mom Thursday through Monday. I was a little nervous to leave because it was a busy weekend and TJ was going to be in charge of getting Trip to and from school two days! But, of course, he handled it all perfectly and everyone had a great weekend! It is so nice to come home though after being away a few days. I guess it's true what they say...absence does make the heart grow fonder. Then, last weekend, TJ and I went to see the Georgia Bulldogs play Vanderbilt and TJ's parents came down to watch the kids for us. They had a great weekend! And, we had so much fun in Nashville. Then, this weekend, TJ had a work function up in the Georgia mountains, so we left the kids with my parents. Well, just Grandad actually, because Kaki had a wedding to go to. The kids had a blast with Grandad! The highlight of the weekend was naked swimming in the hot tub before bed!

So, as I start gearing up for another week full of school, soccer, gymnastics, birthday parties, school parties and even a grown-up Halloween party, I just want to take a moment and savor our life as we know it...now! Now, we get up early 5 days a week (which leads to early wake up times on the weekend too)! The best part of the early wake up is that TJ gets to have breakfast with us now some mornings during the week. Trip rides the bus home every afternoon, and to school once a week. We do homework every afternoon when Trip gets home, even Mady joins in with her own activity book. I honestly don't know who will read first...Trip or Mady. :-) I help in Trip's class every Tuesday, giving me quite an insight into all the new classmates he tells me about. Mady hardly naps anymore, making alone time for me pretty much a thing of the past. Trip and Mady love each other and love playing together, but fight like all other siblings. No one can push their buttons quite like they can. Trip plays soccer every weekend and Mady takes gymnastics every Wednesday. We are a diaper-free household! I can finally carry a purse again instead of a diaper bag. Now, we just need to get rid of Mady's night-time pull ups. Life as we know it now is busy, fun, always changing, sometimes chaotic, but most of all BLESSED!