Our Graduate

Well, just like that, another school year has come and gone and my girls are another year older. Why is it that when they get in school, the years seem to speed up and go faster than ever before?

Last night, Maddie had her Kindergarten Celebration/Graduation at Beard Elementary. She has had a wonderful first year of school! Her teacher - I couldn't have handpicked a better one for her! She was the perfect fit for Maddie's little personality. And Maddie excelled in her class. She's reading, writing and doing math on a level above where she even needed to be at the end of this year. She has made us so proud this year. She's a great student and a good role model in her class.

Congratulations, Maddie! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you! You did all that we expected and more and we know that you'll do just as well at your new school next year and make us proud again! But, you can slow down on the growing - I fear that I'll turn around and be posting a blog about your H.S. graduation. And, momma is not ready for that. At all!

First Day of Kindergarten

Kindergarten Graduation

Mother's Day 2012

Yesterday was a great day! I got to celebrate Mother's Day with my 3 girls and Mike. We got up and got ready for church and had a wonderful service. We were challenged to be a Proverbs 31 woman and what a challenge that chapter of the Bible is for all ladies! I don't know about you, but I have a lot of work to do. But, I'm thankful that flaws, sin and all, God loves me and saw fit to bless me with three of the sweetest girls to love and to raise. It's a huge job. One I don't take lightly. One I constantly feel like I mess up. One I pray that even though I mess up, that these girls will understand that God loves them, just the way they are and that they will serve Him all their days. I love these little faces!

Sunday was great, and so was the rest of the weekend. Friday night, our church had Parent's Date night. We dropped the girls off at the church and then met some friends for dinner and games. It was a great time - always nice to have adult time and also know that the girls are having fun and being well taken care of. Saturday, we did stuff around the house and that night I went to a Women's event with a friend of mine at her church. It was a blast! Mike stayed home and played with the girls and got them into bed and I enjoyed a yummy meal and some much needed girl time. It was a full weekend - but also relaxing and fun. The only thing that could have made it better is to have been able to spend Mother's Day not only with Mike and our girls, but with my mom and Mike's mom. Being away from family sure makes me appreciate the time that we get to spend with them, which isn't much. And Mother's Day is one of those days that kind of makes a girl just miss "home". Sometimes talking on the phone just doesn't cut it. But, at least we have that, so many don't and would have given anything to just talk to their mom yesterday. Thankful for our moms and the awesome women they both are - both of them TRUE Proverbs 31 women! Mike and I are very blessed! I hope all of you had a wonderful Mother's Day and got to enjoy a day just relaxing with your family!

Here, fishy fishy!!

It's no secret that I'm not much on animals. Our sweet Golden Retriever, Libby, was a great dog, but last week we decided that it was time to give her away. Since moving, we don't have a fenced in yard and the poor girl was either in her crate or attached to a leash all day and night. Just not fair to her and so we gave her to a friend's mom, who is the ultimate animal caretaker. I joke that Libby is like Joseph (yes, from the Bible) - she went from the pit to the palace. I'm so happy to know that she's in a wonderful home and being loved on daily! So, yesterday, I was putting away laundry in Macie's room and glanced up at her betta fish bowl only to notice that the water was really cloudy and needed to be changed. Probably 2 weeks ago, but whatev. I decided that while I had a little time to spare before getting the girls from school, I'd do the dreaded job of cleaning out that nasty bowl. Now, if you've never owned a fish and never had to clean out their bowl, you wouldn't know that it is straight up disgusting. I kid you not, the smell that comes out of those little rocks when you are rinsing them off is enough to make you want to puke. I'm not exaggerating. My method has been the same every time I clean it. Pour out the majority of the old water, then with a small amount of water left, dump the fish out into a separate cup to hang out while I clean the rocks and the bowl. So, the fish is doing his thing in the plastic cup and I'm cleaning away, all the while thinking that this fish could die off any day and I'd be perfectly fine with that. (Go back to my first sentence and stop judging me). I finish up cleaning the bowl and add the rocks back in, fresh water, and 8 drops of Betta Safe and then I grab the plastic cup. If you are a PETA member, please stop reading right NOW. It gets really ugly from here out. I grab the strainer/lid thing that goes on top of the fish bowl and carefully (or so I think) pour out the remaining old water in the plastic cup so that I can dump the fish into the clean water. And then it happens. The dreaded thing. The stinking fish somehow slides between the cup and the strainer thing and flops into the kitchen sink. Oh my gosh. I'm screaming. The fish is flopping and flops right down the kitchen sink drain. Still screaming and now kind of gagging, I am baffled as to what to do. There's no way in this world that I'm reaching my hand down in that sink to try and retrieve him. The thought of touching a fish is enough to freak me out. But, he's down in there and my only thought is the brutal death he's about to suffer. There's a garbage disposal in there, ya know?! I call my friend in a panic and her advice is to turn on the water for a while in the hopes to "flush" him down the drain. So, I do that. Then I call Mike. Always the voice of reason in my life. His advice: "Reach your hand in there and see if you can grab him." Mike, have we just met? I'm Chrissy, your wife of 11 years, you should know by now THAT will never happen. Then he tells me to go grab a Goldfish cracker and stick it in the tank like Eddie. You only got that if you watch Friends. He's obviously no help in this situation, so we get off the phone. After the water runs for a little bit, I turn it off and avoid the kitchen at all cost. I don't know what I thought would happen, but there was no good that could come from it, I was sure of that. In all the confusion, I asked Mike if he'd get the girls from school for me and told him to tell Macie that I not only gave away their dog, but that I now killed the fish. They get home and Macie goes, "I heard about my fish - GREAT MOMMA, now we have NO pets!" Thank goodness they aren't too attached to animals either or the past week and a half could have been really traumatizing. So, I tell Mike to go in the kitchen and do the deed. The garbage disposal had to be turned on at some point. He goes in and turns it on for a minute or two and at that point, I'm just hoping the little dude had made his way to the Greenwood sewage system in one piece, as opposed to multiple pieces. I think my pet owning days are officially over. I'm no good at it. But, I promise that while I'm a terrible pet owner, I do take great care of my children. You know, other that killing their pets. Goodbye, Snipe. May you rest in "pieces".