When you have three boys in a row, then finally have a little girl...your mind starts to wander.  You begin to think of all of the girl things you get to do...from dresses to bows, dolls...and even yes, birthday parties. 
    We've had dinosaur parties, football parties, soccer parties and even bug parties...but we've never been able to have a girl party with friends.  This is Lauren's first year in school so she was excited to take invitations to her class. 
     Where did she want to go for her very first party?  Where else, but "Build A Bear". 

          Thanks to the Sweetest friends on Earth! 

    The day is finally here.  We've never had a family dog and it's been so long since we've wanted one.  (We, being the kids and I.)
     My husband, Adam, has never wanted to get a dog.  He made me nervous, worrying that adding a puppy to our home would only make things crazier.  In his defense, we barely have enough energy at the end of the day to crawl into bed, let alone add more chaos.
     This puppy is the sweetest thing though.  I know it's too soon to assume anything, but so far, she's been a lovey and cuddly little one. 
     It was nice to bring her home, give her a bath and snuggle.  The kids are obsessed with her and even Adam has fallen for her.  He's wrapped around her little paw.
     We haven't figured out what to name her yet, but so far the front runners are Lilly or Gracie.  
     We'll see how the first night goes!  Sweet dreams sweet puppy.  We're so happy you're finally here.  

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     Lauren Elizabeth just turned five years old.  Our family was in Texas for her birthday so we didn't get to have her party with her friends yet.  It's coming this Friday.  Do you know the only thing she says that she wants for her party? 
    "All of my friends from school have their ears pierced and I want to get mine pierced too."
    -great.
    My mom is pretty old school and didn't let me get my ears pierced until I was like, 90.  I don't know that I feel too opposed to the idea however.
     Half of me thinks, if she's old enough to genuinely know what she's asking and wants to get them done...then she's ready.  The other half of me thinks...she's five.  She could genuinely want a unicorn that eats rainbow flavored cotton candy.
     I don't want her to hurt and I remember how it felt to get mine pierced.  I surely don't want her ears to get infected either.  On the other hand, is it really THAT big of a deal?  Babies have their ears pierced for Pete's sake. 
     I don't know.  We'll see how it goes and what we'll do about it.  Why do I feel like this is the first of many adventures when it comes to having a little girl?

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    Our two younger ones are playing T-ball together this year.  They missed their first practice because we were out of town, but their second practice was over the weekend. 
    When we got to the field, the sun was shining, it was a beautiful day and the smell of baseball was in the air.
    Tying their cleats and grabbing their gloves and bats, Preston and Lauren Elizabeth were ready.  They played together last year, so they were excited to get back on the field. 
     Their coaches seemed to be nice.  There were two men and one woman who we later found out were a brother/sister team.
     I had talked with the head coach a couple of times over the phone and communicated with him through e.mail and texts.  He was impressively connected and it was nice to finally get to meet him and get the season started. 
     All went well.  There were a lot of players on the team but Lauren Elizabeth and Preston actually seemed to be a little smaller than most.  There was only one other little girl besides Lauren in the group of boys, but even she seemed a little older. 

     They all had fun.  The coaches were great, the kids were great...even the new parents we were meeting in the stands were great.  It was going to be a good year. 
     Later that night, the phone rang.  Looking at caller ID, my husband shot a worried look at me. 
     "It's their coach.  What if he's calling to say they're too small or something?"
     Handing the phone to me (thanks honey) I nervously answered.
     "Hello?"
     "Bea?"
     "Yes?  Hi Coach!"
     "Hi.  What happened today?
     I could hear a little agitation in his voice.  My stomach grew a pit and I was surprised, being that this was T-ball.
     "Well Coach, I um..."
     He continued, "We talked before and I knew you were out of town for the first practice, but what happened today?"
     The pit became larger.  Was he actually going to kick our kids off of the team?  Can you DO that in T-ball?!
     I was speechless.  I gave a look towards my husband and had no idea what to do.  The kids had so much fun and it was going to break their hearts.
     "Bea?"
     "Yes Coach?"
     "What happened?"
     "Well, when I talked with your sister and..."
     He interrupted.  "My sister?"
     "Yes, your sister.  I know we didn't get a chance to talk with you, but when we talked with her..."
     "What do you mean my sister?"
     I suddenly became confused.  "Your sister.  At practice?"
     There was a short pause on the phone.  The coach now less annoyed questioned, "Where were you?"
     "Where?"
     "Yes.  Where."
     "We were at practice.  On field B at 12:00."
     "Bea, we weren't ON field B.  WHO did you practice with?"
     A wave of relief and embarrassment rushed over me.  He was upset thinking that we skipped practice, when in reality, we just went to the wrong one.
     "Hey Coach?"
     "Yes."
     I smiled and said, "Don't worry.  We got all their goods.  We scouted them out really well and we'll be ready to take 'em this year."
     Busting out, he finally laughed in disbelief.  "WHO let you guys practice with them for an entire HOUR without realizing that your kids weren't on their TEAM?!"
     It was a good question.  "I don't know who they were but they took them right in as their own.  They were awesome actually but I don't even know if Preston and Lauren were at the right level to tell you the truth.  Even my husband kept saying there seemed to be a lot of kids on the team."
     The coach laughed again, "I'll bet there were!  I only wonder how many of them belonged there?"
     The next day, we told Preston and Lauren that they were going to play with a whole new group of coaches and friends at their next practice.  This confused them long enough for them to go back to their Legos and Frozen dolls. 
     I've learned now that we should never assume we're at the right place or the right practice.  Next time around, we'll try to meet the coach first, just to make sure everything's in check. 
    In the end, I know one thing as far as this year goes.  It sure is going to be embarrassing when we see that other team on the field. 
    Such is life.  Play ball!
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    I have no idea how we're going to figure out which one to choose.  We'll have until next week to decide.  They were the cutest and snuggliest puppies on earth.  We're doomed. 

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   Growing up, my Mom would always have us stand eggs up on the first day of Spring and the first day of Fall for the equinox.  It may just be an old wives tale, but it's a fun tradition to do.

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     It's been years.  So many years the kids and I have wanted to get a puppy.  Adam has stiffed armed it the whole time until now...and tomorrow is the day. 
     Lauren Elizabeth and I had our birthdays last week but we were out of town.  We're home now and Adam's gift to us is to go meet ten puppies that are ready to find a family. 
     I don't know how to choose which puppy will be "the one", but my friends at work said if you can rest a puppy on it's back and it lets you rub it's belly, that's a good sign. 
     I'm excited to post pictures tomorrow and if you have any words of wisdom, I'd love to hear them.  The puppy will be ready to come home later this month so we have a lot to do - like get a crate, a dog bed...etc.  Here we go!  woof woof
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                  Oh how the years go by...

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     I have a pet peeve.  There's a whole level of annoyance when you've been standing in line for like...ever and you're the next person to check out.  It drives me CRAZY when a new lane is finally opened and the check out person says, "I can help whomever's next".  (I think you know where this is going.) 
     The person who just got in line, maybe five people behind you, makes a mad dash to jump over to the new lane...even though they've only been waiting in line for no more than a minute.
     What makes me even MORE crazy, is when I'm waiting in that line with four tired, whiny, climbing on my head children, who are about to make me lose my mind.  When I turn to try to get to the new lane and that person looks right at me and STILL shoots over to the new aisle...it makes my blood boil. 
     This happened the other day at our grocery store and the cashier and I looked at each other while her jaw dropped in disbelief.  What can you do though?
     Then there was tonight.  Our little girl's birthday is coming up this week and I've been to different stores looking for the one thing she's been hoping for...begging for...pleading for. 
      I hadn't found it. 
      My husband had driven all six of us from place to place and we had all had it.  We were tired and frustrated.  I asked him to make one more stop at our Toys R Us for a last ditch effort. 
    Driving up to entrance, he gave me that, "Make it fast," look as I pulled myself out of the car.  All four kids started screaming, "TOYS R US!  Can we go in?!"  As I ducked towards the store, Adam drove off to what I was sure was a colorful exchange of screaming children and an irritated dad.
    Inside the store, I shot through the aisles, when a heavenly light glowed over the section of toys where Lauren Elizabeth's dream present sat.  There it was.  A new wave of energy pushed through me as I grabbed it and sped to the check out lane.  The only check out lane.  All the others were closed.  This lane only had one couple and a little boy checking out so it couldn't have been that bad.
    As the cashier rang up their items, he tried to scan a costume.  It wouldn't take.  The woman ahead of me checking out said, "I can go get another one".  The cashier responded, "No, no.  Let me get someone".  (Here we go.)
    We stood and waited for a manager or someone.  As you would imagine, a line began to form.  My thoughts went back to the car with what I was sure by now was filled with four delirious kids and one enraged husband.  My internal struggle began, "should I stay or should I go?"  I couldn't find her present anywhere else and there was no time before her birthday. 
    Then out of nowhere, I heard, "I can help the next person in line".
     Looking up, I saw that another cashier had opened a new lane.  I was the next person in line but I knew that never mattered.  I was stuck between the people checking out and the people behind me. 
     That's when it happened.  The woman directly behind me, stood back and pulled away so I could move.  I stood in shock for a second, then realized what she was doing.  She was letting me go.  I wanted to hug her.  Even though she would have thought that I was a crazy person, I literally wanted to squeeze her.  I looked at her and said, "Thank you So much.  Seriously, thank you." 
     I didn't have the kids with me, she never could have known that our car was probably ready to explode in the parking lot...and yet she still let me by.
     It made me realize that there are two things that seem to be less common these days.  Common sense and common courtesy.  I can't begin to assume to know everybody's situation.  Maybe the lady at the grocery store from the other day was rushing home to get to a sick child.  Maybe she was running late for work.  It's hard to say. 
     But for once, it was nice to have someone demonstrate a level of common courtesy in this busy, busy world. 
     So to you kind person in the Toys R Us check out lane,  Thank you for making a soon to be five year old little girl happier than you could ever imagine.  You'll never know how much it meant to her...or to me.     
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     We recently had an interview for our last little one to get into Kindergarten.  Besides the general nerves that go along with any interview process, I was surprised at some of the questions.  Not because of the questions themselves, but because I barely knew the answers. 
    "How many letters does your child know?  Numbers?  Can she identify one through ten?" 
     I'm sure my blank stare was very reassuring. 
     If we went back to our first born, not only could I have responded to every single question with great detail...I could have provided examples.  A spreadsheet in fact, of his progress and performance regarding his overall growth and development.
     This time around though...crickets.  It's been like that with everything.  When I went to the hospital to have our first born, I went in with a birth plan.  A BIRTH PLAN.  Seriously.  It was all printed out, page by page and checked off with notes.  By the time our fourth was born I just wanted to go in, have her, give the doctor a high five and go home. 
     With our first, I knew every detail down to his weekly changes.  With our fourth, my neighbor and I were in the front yard once as she held her little boy who's about the same age as Lauren Elizabeth.  She smiled saying, "Look!  His first teeth are coming in!"  I stuck my finger on Lauren's little bottom gum and said, "No way!  Her's are too!"    
     I used to get upset when people would say, "I made a baby book for our first child, but stopped after that." 
     Ummm, yeah.  Our first born has not only one photo album, but four.  Every single month I took pictures, had them printed and then scrapbooked with all that I had.  Our second son has two years worth of photo books, our third son...well...I bought a book to begin...and our fourth?  Forget about it.
     If a stranger touched our first baby's cheek, I would want to scrub him down.  By the time our forth came around, I would smile at someone in the park and say, "Hi, you look nice.  Hold my baby."
     If our first's pacifier touch the ground, it was put in the dishwasher.  When our second son's pacifier fell, we rinsed it off in the sink.  Third, we wiped it on our shirt and fourth...she sucked her thumb. 
     As guilty as I feel about not being able to keep up with her like I did our first, I can't help but think that it's served her well in some strange way.  She walked before her brothers, talked before her brothers and at the age of four, she can pretty much run the show.
     Even though I have no idea of the dates of her milestones or how many numbers or letters she knows, I do know this.  She's learned to survive in a house full of crazy and she definitely knows how to hold her own.  She's full of love and wonder and has a light inside that is contagious. 
     In the end, she got accepted into Kindergarten and we're excited to see how the year goes...and who knows?  Maybe now I'll even get started on that baby book. 

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