Comical

Comical...yep that's what it is.  It is almost comical how much has happened and how long it's been since I last blogged...oops!

So let's see, I blogged last right about Easter.  Connor had his birthday just two weeks later.  The theme this year was Pirates (again.)  We had quite a few grandparents travel up to visit with us for the weekend which is always a lot of fun having company at the house.  At Connor's party we did a tattoo parlor (super popular with the kids), a pirate hat making station, a walk-the-plank station, Hook Hook's (a ring toss of sorts around pirate hooks).  All the kids seemed to have a really good time and Connor had a blast!

Activity wise, we have been JAMMED PACKED.  This is for a couple reasons...staying busy keeps our minds off missing daddy so much and it also helps keep everyone occupied and out of trouble because, let's face it, as a solo parent, the kids get pretty bored of you pretty quick :)  So here is the run down:

Connor had a about 6 weeks of indoor soccer with the YMCA.  He really seemed to like it and played  well. I was excited to see how much he took to the concepts of the game and I really loved seeing him cheer on his teammates when it was his turn to sit the bench.  He had a couple nice saves as goalie and scored a couple goals.  Overall, a good "filler" season.  He also just wrapped up piano for the year.  We really love his piano teacher.  Ms. Esslinger is a retired music teacher and is very patient, sweet and kind.  The recital went well and all the students played beautifully.  I love that Connor will practice on his own in his room and he is learning the beginnings of reading sheet music.  Connor also is in swim lessons.  We aren't sure what happened...we spent every day in the pool when we lived in Georgia.  We moved to New York and only got in an outdoor pool once over 4th of July weekend last year.  It was my red flag alert that my kids needed to be in swim lessons ASAP.  He is doing well and we just started our first "summer" session.  His instructor told me today that he will be ready to move up to the next level very soon.  He is still pretty busy with end of year school activities since our school isn't out for the year until June 26.

Alaina has her first ballet recital this weekend.  She will dance to Colors of the Wind.  I can't wait to take pics and show you her first costume....so cute!!  Next week she will wrap up gymnastics with her recital and they are performing to Hakuna Matata.  Again...I will upload video of both performances.  She does well and likes dancing and gymnastics a lot.  I am pretty sure we will continue these into the summer and fall with her.  She is also in swim lessons and isn't progressing as fast as Connor but she has a ton of fun, so that's all that matters, right?!

I spoke with Ben today and he is also doing well, but very ready to come home.  He misses the kids desperately and not spending some of these "firsts" with them can be challenging sometimes.  We are all tough cookies though and work hard to remember that sadness doesn't dictate our lives and we still have lives to live and enjoy.  Most days the kids handle all the emotional stressors exceptionally well but every once in awhile, understandably, they have their terribly sad moments of missing daddy with lots of tears.  We are definitely almost to the time when we can start our "daddy come home" countdown!

With all the activities wrapping up in the next couple weeks, I will try and do a better job of keeping you up and up with everything the kids are doing.