New Phases

This week has been a week of new phases:
Ella has had soccer camp all week.  This is Ella's first time to be a camper.  We decided to sign her up for camp because, as much fun as she looked like she was having in all of the pictures from the spring at her soccer games, Ella did not really get a good start with soccer.  It sounded great that the games and practice were both on the same day, but in reality it did not work great for Ella.  She never really got what was going on and just got upset because the boys were so fast and discouraged that she never got the ball.  Since the kids were not signed up for any other camps or Mother's Day Out this summer, I thought this soccer camp would be a great opportunity to give Ella another shot at soccer.  I was a little nervous about how Ella would do, one because there would be boys on her team and two because it is SO STINKING hot outside!  There was no need to worry, Ella loves it.  Ella has never been one to give me any details about what she did during the day.

So I knew it was a big deal when the first words out of her mouth the first and second day after she got in the car were, "soccer camp is so much fun!"  I could pry out no further details, but at least I know she is having fun.

Before having kids, I would see kids out in crazy outfits or hairdo's, and I always secretly thought to myself, "My kids will never leave the house looking like that, don't their parents have more control over them?"  I have learned my lesson on that one over and over again!  Now I know first hand why those parents let their kids leave their house dressed like that!  Sara Wells has turned into one opinionated little lady, especially when it comes to her clothes and hair bows.  If you had been standing outside of Sara Wells' room this morning while I was putting her bow in, you would have thought I was pulling off her arm.  Screaming and crying are an understatement.   I could do nothing to stop the screaming until I realized the reason SW was crying was because I was not allowing her to pick out her bows and, gasp, limiting her to only one.  The crying stopped immediately after I got that third bow in.  She knew exactly what she wanted and was not going to stop until she got it.  And this is how we went out today.   

SW's happy with her three bows.  Mommy happy that baby is no longer screaming, crying and throwing herself on the ground.  SW very happy to get her way.  Mommy getting very concerned about this cute little thing that seems to be able to get us to do whatever she wants either by looking at us with that sweet little grin, or by kicking and screaming and crying.

I promised Miller yesterday that today after we took Ella to soccer camp we would go to the library and read Spiderman and Batman books.  My thoughts were we would just read the books there and then leave them at the library.  But Miller had other plans, he wanted to bring the books home.  I know this is hard to believe, but this is the first time that the kids have checked books out at the library.  We go to the library every week, but it is usually all I can do to make it into the library, into the story time room and then back in the car with all three kids together and in one piece.  Taking the time to allow the kids to each pick out books has always been out of the question.  There was no way we were leaving that library today without the Super Hero books.  Watching the excitement on Miller's face as we picked out and then loaded up the books reminded me of trips to the library with my mom.  I would pick out so many books that the handle of the library bags would usually break before we reached the car.  I would be so excited to get home and start reading my books as fast as I could.  I saw all the same excitement in Miller's eyes.

 (I actually took these next two pictures so that I could remember how many books 

needed to go back to the library.  Of course about an hour after I took this picture

I found one more book.)

Is this little man ready to read or what?!

Not only was Miller excited about his library books, so was Sara Wells.  We have been getting home from soccer camp around 12:30 with very, very hungry bellies.  I somehow managed to shoo the kids out of the kitchen while I fixed lunch.  As I finished I noticed how quiet the house was (never happen here unless someone is into something they shouldn't be).  As I started to walk around the house searching for the rug rats, I walked into our room and saw this (yes, I am admitting that it is at least 12:30 and my bed is still not made.  I am going to have to find a new normal in the mornings when Ella starts Kindergarten.  It kills me not to make my bed, but sometimes it just does not happen.  I am ok with that.  Not really, but this is just our reality, some mornings it just does not happen and life goes on!)

The picture does not tell the whole story.  Miller went into our bathroom, got one of his stools and brought it to the side of the bed so that Sara Wells could climb up on the bed and they could read together.  I am guessing they were reading like this for at least 10 minutes.  Such a sweet brother, who loves his little sister.  So much so he even shared his brand new library books.