Milestones

So for all the misery that Spring Break was for my girl (you know falling head first out of a bunk bed and the torrential downpours at the beach) last week was a big one for her!  I'd say it made up for it all.  Two big milestones around here.
No training wheels...

Look closely.  That bottom smile is missing a tooth.  And before you assume so, no, she didn't knock it out while riding her bike.  That would have ranked about as high as falling out of a bunk bed.

Oh, I wish my videos would load here.  Trace took a selfie video of him commentating her first bike ride with no training wheels.  Let's just say, the boy has a future in broadcasting. It was hilarious.  That girlie jumped right on her bike and after about 2 trips up the driveway with her daddy holding on to her seat, she was off.  She picked it up SO fast and has already learned how to start, stop, and use her hand brakes.  She got a little too happy with the hand brakes the first attempt and nearly flipped head first over her handbars. I told her there were no more trips to the ER allowed in her near future,  I don't want to be on the DCS list somewhere.  Lordy, my nerves. 

 

I picked her up from my parents the other day and she presented me with a beautiful, purple gift bag.  When I opened it, I found her first tooth wrapped in a baggie.  She had pulled it herself after working it for days.  She was beyond proud.  My baby is growing up.  

She and Sisty had already sewed a tooth fairy pillow and it was hanging on her door, waiting for this occasion.  The tooth fairy was particularly tired that night and nearly blew her job when she couldn't outlast the 5 year old.  Everytime I would sneak into her room, she was laying there wide awake.  I finally fell asleep holding the money in my hand and when I heard her get up in the middle of the night to potty,I  ran in before I got busted.

She has been talking about this Orbeez Spa ever since she played with one at Halen's house 2 years ago.  The tooth fairy had to add a little to her stash in order for her to afford it, but you only loose your first tooth once right?  We've all been enjoying wonderful foot spas treatments ever since.





And what better way to torture your dog, than to try and give him a relaxing foot rub?

Turns out he would much rather just eat the Orbeez...

Since then, there's been soccer and more soccer...

And a trip from the cousins for SK's dance competition...

Enjoying these last few months of "my baby" before Kindergarten takes her away during the day.  So thankful to be these two's mama!

...

Spring Break or bust

The kiddos were out for Good Friday and the following week, so breaking with our typical "Easter" tradition, we picked them up from school on Thursday and headed south.  It felt really weird not being at home and our church on Easter Sunday, but Jimmy had to get back mid week for work. 

Look close, see that 3rd little head back there.  Yeah, he got to go too ;)

Mother Nature wasn't kind to us. But as I told Trace, "A rainy day in Florida is still better than a sunny day at school." :)  That held true until about the 3rd straight day of rain.  Luckily, we packed lots of games, and had some fun Easter activities to keep us busy in the condo.  We pulled in in the pouring rain on Thursday night and it literally didn't stop until Sunday night.  But really?  How can you complain?  I was just thankful to be there safely with my favorite people.  We are very blessed we have an amazing place to come to, and have rarely had a wash out, so we were long overdue.

 I will say, when it rains nonstop for 3 days, you spend a lot more money.  Eek!  The outlet mall got 2 extra vistiors that NEVER want to partake and the Disney store made out like a bandit.  This little princess talked her daddy into a new Belle dress because "I don't have a yellow one."  Sheesh... I'm in trouble.

Sisty and Granddaddy got there Friday afternoon and my parents got there Friday night. They stayed in a hotel right outside Sandestin and we mainly just met up for dinner at night until the rain stopped.

Saturday morning was the Easter Egg Hunt that was moved inside.  Those little "sand buckets" had to be upgraded to lawn size garbage bags.  Ha!

Their loot...

And then, Saturday night happened.  This is one Mommy Fail I will NEVER forget.  Keatyn has wanted to sleep in the top bunk every since they went up last summer.  I've always said no.  In a moment of "it's never going to stop raining" weakness, I let her.  And at midnight, she came flying over me and onto the tile floor below.  The thud, the scream. Insert me nearly having a heartache right here.  If this had happened at 12 o'clock in the afternoon, it would have been bad.  But we would have waited it out.  There is something so much scary about nighttime.  She finally quit crying and wanted to go back to sleep but there was NO WAY  I was going to let her knowing she had hit her head.  That's when I woke up Jimmy and we shuffled quietly around in the dark, sneaking out of the condo, trying not to wake up Granddaddy, Sisty and Trace.  We made the fortunately short drive to the Sacred Hearts Hospital ER.  Sigh.  We pass that hospital on our way in everytime and I've always been grateful we've never entered the doors, until now.   This could have been SO MUCH WORSE.  I am so thankful the good Lord was watching over her when she plunged off that bed and landed face first. 

This was her sweet little face.  When I looked at her, I could have cried.  This could have been so bad.  We left there very grateful.  And we managed to sneak back in at 3 in the morning and head back to bed.  This time, Sassy was tucked in close to me in the bottom bunk, where she will stay for the next few years.  The guilt was terrible, facing my sweet in laws the next morning knowing I had made the wrong choice and how badly that could have turned out.  Thank you Jesus.

We had all brought Sunday outfits and had found a worship service in Sandestin to go to. However, the events of the night derailed that plan.  We filled our last rainy day with Easter egg dying and cookie decorating.

That afternoon we drove up 30A to check out a foreclosure with this view.  SOLD!  Lol!

On Monday, the sun finally showed up and we hit the beach!!

We went to Acme that night for dinner with all the grands, watched the HydroMan at the Wharf and then did some bouncing and rock climbing.  These kiddos had energy to BURN!

I somehow never got a picture with my parents, but I swear they were there.  Ha!  The last day we rode our bikes back to the Wharf and played there in the morning, then hit the pool in the afternoon before watching the fireworks that night.

We headed home on Wednesday and had a couple of days at home before the kids headed back to school.  So all in all, not our best spring break trip, Keatyn came home with a shiner and a new fear of bunk beds and we all gained a much better appreciation for sunshine in the Sunshine State.  ;)