Let us try this again...

So I am going to try this whole blog thing again.  I used to be soooo good about keeping up with it!  I like to look back now and relive some of my favorite times!  What better way than a blog?  Plus, then everyone else will know my business too.  And I love that. 

Let me see.  I think I will give up catching up and just start from the present.  Way easier.  Ready - its gonna be long!

Let's reintroduce ourselves:

Me (LC) -  Right now, I am trying to juggle life.  This is only working a part-time job, I still feel like I am dropping balls.  December 2011 I (we) decided to quit my full time job to focus and spend more time with the girls.  The whole goal moving back to GFK in 2008 was for me to be able to be one of those SAHM's.  Household manager.  It took just over 3 years to finally feel like I was ready to not work as much.  It was very strange only working my very, very, very, very part-time job working Delta plane, but I enjoyed not worrying how to work around my schedule, NC's schedule and the girls' schedules.  The extra time spent with the girls' is quite nice.  I can never get a nice structured SAHM timeline established.  No meal planning, no preplanning daily art activities - I just wing it, like most things!  It works, most of the time.  Do I wish I had more structure?  Sure, but I am starting to realize that the road is paved with good intentions (ha).  Somehow - everyone survives quite nicely with only a couple of bumps along the way.  Recently, I started back up at the non-profit I left in December.  It's only part time and I am just working as an aide.  I missed my clients and my coworkers needed an extra body so I was happy to come back in a different role, part-time. 

NC - my super handsome, awesome, handy, sweet, husband.  He is kinda the anchor that stays steady, holding us as we all float this way and that way.  He still plugging away on our house, stealing an hour whenever he can.  I am trying to force him into doing something fun for JUST HIM, but he is always so focused and likes to check things off the list.  My mental health would suffer something fierce if I didn't get to be alone and just do what I wanted to do!   He loves being surrounded by all this estrogen - just ask him.  :-) 

TB - our teenager, who drives.  How she came to us is neither here, nor there, we are just happy she's here!  The littles (IC and PC) love her and having spent a lot of time with her the previous summer, it didn't seem strange she has her own room now.  It was more like, "Oh, yay! TB's here - now let me continue dragging my toys around." not some foreign being they looked at with apprehension.  She is definitely not the teenager I was - she is pretty awesome.  When I tell people I have a teenager - they almost always say, "How's living with a teenage girl?  Lots of drama?  Lots of sass?".  I joke with her and ask when she's going to fight with me or do something dumb so I can ground her.  When I say she's a good kid, she really is a GOOD KID, like all the time.  We have fun together: shopping, crafting, playing Just Dance on the Wii, making a ritual of watching TV series, doing girl stuff.  She's a smarty pants academically and also has a very creative side.  She had Art I as one of her classes and it was fun to see her pushed artistically and see what happens.  When I can talk her into posting this pencil drawing of PC off a photo - you'll be amazed.  I was amazed not only by the outcome, but the amout of time she dedicated to completing it.  She's also taking Suzuki Violin.  And that was probably the biggest adjustment - listening to her practice.  She sounds great, her teacher is impressed, but boy, a violin sure sounds different than a piano when you hit the wrong note. 

IC - Completed preschool and is starting Kindergarten this fall (tear, sniff, sniff).  Today she passed level 2 swimming lessons at UND is super happy and proud of herself.  It is always neat to see when kids accomplish something and realize how amazing they are!  She is still playing piano, sometimes very unwillingly, but is progressing nicely.  When I think that she started just after hitting 3.5 years, her brain has absorbed so much.  Only because I like to practice her piano lessons is why she hasn't quite passed me in skill.  But she will, soon.  I had to attend lessons with her until recently and have to practice with her - making me learn something too!  I have to get creative to keep her going somedays (games, stickers, giving her the stink eye), but once a song clicks - she'll play and play it.  TB knew one of IC's songs on violin and agreed to do a duet at IC's last recital.  IC loved that and both learned that it is pretty tough to play with someone vs alone.  IC is playing hands together, each doing differnt things!  I can only barely do that.  She is still doing some gymnastics, but we are really starting to notice how much she loves art.  Not strange, I guess, coming from my family.  My gramma, my mom and her sisters, many of my cousins, my brother and sister - they all have strong artistic ability.  IC loves nothing more than to sit with us and draw.  She is also obsessed with stuffed animals and wearing dresses, but isn't really interested in dolls, barbies, polly pockets, etc.  She likes dinosaurs and sharks and pokemon and science projects with NC.

And finally, my PC.  Oh boy.  Speaking of sharks - they have to stay in constant motion to keep alive, don't they?  Well that is PC.  Always moving.  Two ER trips for stitches and glue.  Perpetual bruises, scraped knees (or nose), fingers pinched, you get the picture.  We had to transition her to a toddler bed after she climbed out 20 times in one night once she figured out how.  Childproof door knobs - childproof maybe, IC proof?  Not.  Neither are deadbolts.  Have I noticed in a panic that the house was too quiet once?  Yes, and then found her naked on the step playing with the mailbox.  So we added a lock at the top of the door.  And one on TB's door.  I didn't realize that she had been going into TB's room while she was school and exploring.  Mostly taking laundry out of the hamper and pens out of the desk, but she would always close the door behind her when she was done!  So I never knew!  Then she added her own artistic touch on one of TB's water color projects which was probably the most dramatic I have seen TB, rightly so.  Lucky for PC it was a modern, more abstract project and TB could do some creative fixing. We call her our honey badger.  Yes, from that dumb you tube video.  There is part where he says, "honey badger don't give a sh*t, it does what it wants".  So we say, PC don't care, she does what she wants.  Or the Hulk - his assignment in the new Avenger movie - SMASH!  Yep, thats our girl.  BUT - she is the sweetest, affectionate, caring little soul.  She doesn't like to see you sad and insists that you be happy.  She'll always apologize easily if she's whipped a toy at your head or unexpectedly flung herself on you.  We all have a hard time ever being angry with her because she isn't purposely trying to drive you nuts.  When you pick her up - she always hugs you and lays her head on your shoulder.  Always tells you she loves you.  Strangely, she is the one who loves her baby Bo and likes to play mommy.   Right now, she's in gymnastics and I live for the day when we, the parents don't need to accompany them and can just watch!  Jumping is her thing, upside down is her thing, hanging on things - its what she does best.  Exhausting as it is, it is fun to see exert her energy in a padded environment. 

Well then, that's us.  Let's see if I can keep this thing going!  I have lots of pictures and quite a few on my new toys: iPhone and iPad, I just need to figure out iTunes to get them off!  Pictures are always more fun than just me yammering all day.