How the mail works... according to Lauren

At dinner tonight we were talking about the mail.  Lauren asked me how the mail gets to our house.  So I explained how the mail man comes through the neighborhood and gathers the mail, then he takes it back to the post office etc. etc. etc.  She looked at me like she was a little confused, so I asked her "does that make sense to you?".   She said to me "really???? That's how the mail gets here?  I thought that when you put it in the things with the holes (mail boxes) that there were holes on the other end that the mail went through and then there were eyes in there that read the mail and sent it down about a thousand different tubes and the mail came to your house that way".  I was laughing so hard.  That kid makes me smile every single day.  These are the moments that I treasure, sitting around the dinner table as a family, and talking about life, how things work and hearing their  version of how things work, there little minds amaze me and I wish I had just a fraction of their creativity and imagination. 

At the girls Christmas program this year there was a song called "Christmas through the eyes of a child" and I thought of that today.  I sometimes wish that I could see the world through the eyes of a child.  Where all is good, and life is just about having fun, playing hard, snacks and laughter.  It puts things into perspective when we get so wrapped up in our daily lives and stressors that we forget to sit back and enjoy the ride.  Our time here on Earth is just a moment compared to our eternal life in Heaven and that we need to live in the moment, not in the what ifs, and what could have beens.

I had lunch with a very good friend of mine the other day (Melissa Gourley) and we just talked the afternoon away.  But we were talking about how some parents and neighbors get so caught up in competition and possessions and it can be easy to fall into that trap and when it comes down to it... I get to stay home with my kids, volunteer at school, work 20 hours a week taking care of patients and just how blessed I am for that.  I will never regret taking this time with the girls even if it means my carpet is dirty, my window coverings are paper and the house needs to be updated.... those will all come in time and in the grand scheme of things, are just not that important.  Don't get me wrong.... I REALLY want new floors etc... but if it has to wait because I am only working part time than it has to wait.  I know that in twenty years from now, I won't remember that I needed the new floors, I will remember how blessed I was that I had all that time with the girls while they were young and loved to snuggle and read me books, the pure joy in their eyes with every accomplishment they make, and I got to see it all.  That, I won't regret for a minute.  But working fifty hours a week and putting them in before and after daycare, would make me sad.  And it's not a judgement on those that have to do that, it's just that for me, personally, I would feel like I missed it all.

WHEW, my quick little story about Lauren's mail theory turned into a full out soul search I guess.  Let the madness of another week begin!  Peace.

Prom Night for the Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts had a prom night for girls only.  Girls ages K-6 got together and danced the night away (well they were there from 6-8 but they were beat).  They even had a D.J. ... a lady too!  I think the girls had a great time and it was fun to get all dressed up!

Good friends Lauren Wood and Natalie Freundl

The room was so cute.  Balloons, disco balls, white lights and a TON of room for running around and dancing.

The girls were really WOUND up after the dance and they giggled and laughed the entire way home.  Us moms, Gloria and Jes, went out for dinner while the girls danced.  That was nice too!

Singing Ourselves Silly - Elise's Spring Concert

Elise picked out her silly outfit for the concert.  She did a great job as we LOVED the concert.

Elise's best buddies... Paige and Natalie (and of course her sister too!)

Good friends Natalie and Olivia Freundl

Lauren's Spring Concert~ Singing Ourselves Silly

Lauren's Kindergarten Spring Choir Concert
Dancing Ourselves Silly
The kids got to dress up as silly as they wanted to for the show.  They had a lot of fun and did such a great job!

Lauren's buddy Yvette from class.

Good friend and neighbor- Olivia Fruendl

I know there are a lot of songs below but I don't ever want to forget how dang cute Lauren is.  She makes me smile every time I watch these.











This was by far my favorite.  I have been humming this song since the concert last week!

Lauren turns 6!!!

We went out to Ruby Tuesdays for Lauren's birthday dinner last night.  She loves this place.  She loves to eat the pasta salad off of the salad bar and the croutons, it's so funny, she scarfs is down.

Lauren wanted to wear her birthday hat that she got at school and on our way out she said "Mom, how does everyone know that it's my birthday?"  Gee, I wonder how they knew???

Easter Sunday - Easter Egg Hunt

Horizon Elementary's Art Show~ April 12th, 2012

Lauren's art work on display at the school

Lauren's magic carpet

Elise's artwork on display, this was a city.

Elise's butterfly, she is such a great artist.  I love to see all of the girls art projects because they really put a lot of work into it.

Happy Easter

My sweet girls.  They are growing up way too fast for me.  And they were angels in church today.  They are never bad but to be able to sit through an hour service without coloring books or something to do was really nice.  It made me proud!

Coloring Easter Eggs

The girls had fun coloring Easter eggs today.  The package we bought was full of glitter and sequence, they thought that was pretty cool.

If you write on the egg with a white crayon before you dip it... your desing shows up.

Lauren's BIG win...

Lauren won this HUGE Easter basket.  Both of the girls entered a coloring contest at our local grocery store Dahl's and Lauren's name was drawn.  They also told us that we won a spiral ham as well for Easter dinner.  So Lauren of course was super excited when she saw the basket and Elise was devastated that she didn't win.  We tried to explain that it wasn't based on who had the best picture but it was just a drawing and Lauren got lucky.  Lauren, being the sweet little sister that she is, shared with Elise (minus the chocolate).