Transitions

I've slacked on my blogging and in two months, so much seems to be changing. In two days my baby, my youngest, my last child will hit that 5 year old milestone. I'm excited for her because on Thursday, she will no longer be a "4- year- old baby" (as she is NOT so affectionately referred to as by her sister who recently turned 6) but a budding 5 year old who is fully ready to jump into all the responsibilities that a 5 year old is required to have.

We had a family birthday party this past weekend for her and she has referred to it as her "fake birthday". She is excited because I told her that when people ask how old she is, she can tell them "5"...she has yet to accomplish that...she keeps telling me its not the truth. :)

She is ready to go to kindergarten and determined that she will transition directly from preschool on Friday to riding the bus on Monday to kindergarten...yeah...not happening. She is ready to do homework, learn to read and be a big helper. She has no concept of having to be at school all day doing her schoolwork and insists that I will be at home "having fun without her". She is determined that I will swing on our swing set without her and that I will watch the cartoons without her. Her latest worry is that I am going to go and find another little girl to have fun with.

I laugh and smile at her innocence and concern, but little does she know that I am going to miss her terribly. Don't get me wrong...I am excited for both of my girls to be in school, because it means more freedom for me to do "my" things...but I will be lost. It didn't seem to hit me as hard when Hannah went to school because I still had Abby with me...but next year I won't have either of them with me.

I have had the pleasure of being with my babies from the beginning. My college degrees may not have gotten me a job that pays a ton, but were able to give me something worth more than gold. I got to work at childcare centers and with the exception of a small span of time (4 short months) where Hannah attended a different daycare than the one I worked at, they have always been with me. I never wanted my children to be raised by a daycare, and I feel as though I made the choices I did so that didn't have to happen.

My children get on my nerves--really quickly some days--but they are the best thing I have ever done. They are beautiful, smart, personable, strong and sensitive--and they are loved by so many people. I would like to think that I have had a large part in that. If they only knew what I have done for them and what I would be willing to do to help them succeed.

New puppy and kid cuteness.

We recently got a new Puppy. He is a yellow lab and is approximately 4 1/2 months old. When we got him (it was near Valentine's Day), the girls were 'helping' to name him. Now, mind you, we were supposed to get a girl puppy and the name was already picked out...so when we found out there was a "mistake" and we got the "wrong" dog, we had to think fast. We knew we couldn't go for long calling it "puppy". The girls came up with all kinds of names and I'm sure somewhere in their list was "sparkles" because that is what they name every single stuffed animal they have.

We had it narrowed down to an "A" name or an "H" name. All of our kids and pets have had either an A or an H name...and we deduced that even further by saying it had to be an "H" (to even things out). ANYWAYS...we eventually decided on "Henry" and would call him "Hank" for short. I don't think Hank knows his "real" name is Henry, but that's a whole different story.

The first day Hank was home, Abby took to him right away, but she did not like the name "Hank". She wanted to play with him and would throw a toy to a 3 month old puppy who had NO CLUE where he was and expected him to fetch it for her. We loved watching her throw the toy and in her loudest "master" voice, she would say "FETCH...new puppy".

Unfortunately, The only thing he wanted to "fetch" was her.

I should add that Abby is my "dog lover" and Hannah is our "cat lover". Abby has been spotted taking a nap on the floor and using Howie as her pillow and Hank as her blanket. Hannah seems much more content with the soft, relaxing purr of Cat Albert...whom she snuggles with as often as he'll let her.