April

Sprinkler day in April!?

 

 

Play time with cousin Florence

Sierra got her hair and makeup done at a friends princess themed birthday party

We've sure had some glorious Spring weather!  We've been enjoying every bit of it!  We've taken some hikes up on Starker Forest land near our house.  The kids and dog love it, we all get some exercise, and I have fun bringing my camera.  We actually had a few weeks of health and were able to enjoy Easter without any cooties.  Sierra has been sleeping better but I swear it is going to take the rest of my life to catch up on sleep.

April was busy!  Sierra had a birthday party every single Saturday this month.  She missed one because of a cold, but was able to enjoy a lot of fun times with her friends.  Jess took a Friday off when Sierra had a day off of school and we headed to the coast.  The sun was out but it ended up being so windy we weren't able to enjoy any beach time.  It's a good thing that the Marine Science Center is there, because we were still able to have some fun!

I have continued to keep Sierra in half day Kindergarten and it has been working very well for us.  She's reading and learned so much math.  She really enjoys school but is always ready to come home at lunch.  We typically spend the afternoon reading and playing outside while Jaxon naps.  If it's rainy I encourage her to spend some time playing by herself in her room.  She's used to this routine now and is generally in a good mood when I pick her up and able to make it home without the scary meltdowns.  She's sensitive and such a rule follower that she is a teacher's dream, but does carry stuff home with her.  She worries about her friends if they have a bad day, or if they get in trouble.  She worries if several kids want to play with her at recess, but don't all want to play together.  She's a first born.  And I see myself in her worried brown eyes.  Luckily she talks about all of these things with me before bed, and we are usually able to find some solutions and she moves on. I hate to see her childhood carefree spirit change, but my baby girl is growing up and I can't stop time.

Jaxon is out of the funk he was in for several months.  Phew.  He's more rational, throws less fits, and I'm not afraid to take him in public anymore :)  We are going through a really difficult time with the potty though.  He's been potty trained for so long but he has been going through a spell of not wanting to poop unless we are home.  If we aren't home he holds it and then can't go.  It's horrible.  Some days I spend the whole day trying to get him to go because we were gone the day before.  It's exhausting and frustrating and sad to see him struggle.  It's not something I expected over a year after him being potty trained.  He still isn't dry in the morning either, so he wears a pull up at night.

 I hope this beautiful weather keeps up because we are going to have a bountiful garden this year if it does!  The kids love spending time helping me and they really are big enough to actually be helpful most of the time.  It's a beautiful thing!