Catch Up Time!

Today is May 16th. Time really flies. Since my last blog, we have:

Watched Andrew play soccer for the first time
Enjoyed another piano recital
Launched Deep Blue Group
Celebrated a birthday
Grieved with the Hebets family over the passing of an uncle
Held a garage sale with a very successful lemonade/cookie stand
Volunteered for our 8th semi-annual MOMS Club Kid Sale (which was the most successful to date)
Enjoyed a meal at the picturesque Greer Lodge exactly 24 hours before it burnt to the ground
Celebrated Mother's Day
Watched Andrew enjoy his 6th birthday at Organ Stop Pizza!
Completed the last semester of Kindergarten
Finished 2 trimesters of pregnancy

So we have really had an eventful spring and as the school year comes to an end, I am officially starting to count down the days until our foursome becomes a fivesome. I am really looking forward to being the mommy of this little boy and I think Kate is ready to be a big sister. She has been practicing with baby dolls every day now. Charlie and I were just marveling at the innate differences between boys and girls as we watched her randomly think to herself that her baby doll would like a ride on our backyard swing set. What makes a little girl do that? She is biologically driven to be maternal. Seeing as that is a strong feeling that I identify with, it was a joy to see her "practicing" the art of mothering. She is growing up so fast and talking in full conversations. As her parents, we are becoming slightly worried as we observe the "hands on the hips" and a few eye rolls. Luckily, she has only displayed these during imaginative play where she is role playing being the boss/mom/older sibling, but I am very familiar with how girls can act and I am afraid my pay back is coming soon!! I do love her sweet desire to please and be helpful. She is the official dish washer. I think she likes to be close to me and knows I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. She happily pushes her stool over to the sink and gets to work with the scrubber and bubbles. The matching kitchen aprons made by Grandma makes it all the more fun.

Andrew and I now have a running joke. I've told him that he is not allowed to eat healthy food anymore. I said that all he needs is to have candy, desserts, and junk food in hopes that his teeth will turn bad and fall out. With no teeth, he will only be able to drink unhealthy milkshakes from then on. Why, you ask, would I say such crazy things? Well, he is just growing up too fast. I've explained to him that if he stops eating growing food, then maybe he would stay little forever and not grow up. He then asks me why don't I want him to grow up and I have told him that teenagers can stink! To which he laughs hysterically and then calls upon Dad to confirm. Dad, actually does agree with me...anyway...it's our little joke...he knows that I'm so proud of him and that he only has 15 inches to go before he's taller than me (I know that will happen very soon). These funny little meal time discussions have actually resulted in TONS of vegetable eating and very proudly displaying a clean plate at the end of his meals. He tells me "Mom, I HAVE to grow!" Yes, Andrew, but you will always be my first baby, the one that made me a mommy. 6 years old tomorrow. The baby phase is gone, the toddler phase is gone, the little boy phase is gone. He's a real kid now...with a head exploding with questions and an obsession with numbers. Charlie and I are just doing our best to keep up with him as he dazzles us with piano pieces in all the keys and eats up math problems like it's nobody's business. Here's a link to his spring piano recital montage. He's the last student in the video and begins playing at 5:30. YouTube video link