Playing Ketchup...Big Changes

So... After lots of thinking and talking and praying we decided that it would be best if Ella moved into the "big kid" school this year. WOW. It was hard for several reasons. At St Rose the Pre-K is full time, last year durning registration I asked if there was a part time option b/c Ella (and I ) were simply not ready for full time. They started a new program that allowed 4yr olds to hang back at the ECC. This was great.
A lot of things have changed since then, that slowly weighed on me...The new baby coming in June, a possible move over the summer, and crazy Ainsley. I decided that a new baby, a new school, possibly a new country and going to school full time was just too much change for Ella over the summer. At least if she moved now she would get used to everyday and once less thing to 'change' over the summer for her.
and probably the bigger motivator, Ainsley. that kid is like 3 kids in one, and she has never had any one on one Mama time, since they both go to mothers day out at the same time. I knew she needed this before baby.
First week was rough, but as long as I STICK to the routine!! she is fine :) If Im late or miss the bye bye gate wave, she looses it :(

And I was right with Ainsley too. The first couple of days were rough, I didnt realize how much they entertain each other!! but she has grown so much with some one on one time and we even knocked out potty training (YIPPEEEE!) in the first week!!

Went upstairs and came down to this....Ains washing dishes. When I asked her where her clothes were she said "I was getting wet, and didnt want you to think I tee teed in my pants. Im a big girl now" :( ...yes you are and so clever too!

Nine Years Ago....

I keep having the same reoccurring dream for the past month or so.... I wake up exactly 9 years ago today, but instead of me then Im me now... inside my body then (ok, not so bad). At first its exciting, Hey who wouldnt want to be 21 again?! But then I realise that today is the day I meet Dylan.

Immediately I start panicking....How am I going to make it go EXACTLY the way it went 9 years ago knowing what I know now? I start going over the day from memory. I went to a crawfish boil with my roommate who knew a bunch people in the Geology department. I go say Hi to Dylan's roommate whom Ive known for awhile and meet D. He says I bumped into him on purpose, I say he followed me around until I did. He invites me to their party that night where we sit outside and talk til the sun started to come up and the rest is history. (I knew about 5 mins in that I was going to marry this guy and I was kinda pissed about it, Me? married?! Dang it! soooo not in the plan! I deliberately did not give him my number because I knew what was coming and was SO NOT ready for it)

Problem in this dream is that carefree, independent, 'Im going graduate and go sell hemp necklaces on a beach somewhere' girl is gone....and I have no idea how to act like her....OK, so she is not gone, I can dig up some pretty nonconformist energy, but I really thought I did not want anything that resembled the life I have now. How am I going to pretend I dont want kids when I want to tell him about the beautiful, amazing girls we have?? (as I type this E is signing "Lucy in the sky" and A is piping in with "Lucy in da sky with...Poo Poo... giggle" her favorite punch line these days)   How do I make sure we end up back to where we are?

As the day goes on and I start to get ready (dang?! I wore this?! haha) I start to think, I dont want to be here, I dont want to go back in time...OK, granted there are definitely times I would love to relive....Two years in New Orleans? hell yeah!....and things I would definitely take back....but all in all, we are who we are and where we are because of the path we took to get there.
The dream ends the same way every time...I get to the party I see D's back... and right before he turns around I wake up....
I am in my bed, next to my husband, with my amazing kids down the hall and I have a huge smile on my face....that day went exactly how it was suppose to go....I am exactly where and who I am suppose to be
(Now if I could just learn to congure up this feeling in the middle of changing a diaper, or cleaning up puke, Id really be set)

Happy Anniversary to my Rock....Wouldn't have gotten to today any other way Baby.

Night we met...so not the most flattering picture, but how random that someone was running around with a camera and shot this

Wedding day! 7 years ago.

  

Rodeo, Cowgirl Ella to the rescue!

I took the girls to the Rodeo on friday. It was great, they were so excited to put on their pink cowboy boots, and match Mama's boots.

I was a little lost as to where to park and what gate to go in so I pulled up to a parking lot that said 'private parking' thinking I could ask the guard where to go. He informed me that this lot was for parents meeting school groups today, and was I meeting a school? I said no, just me and my two girls, can you tell me the best place to park....He said, "oh that is a great school, pull on ahead!" woo hoo, free parking :) needless to say it was school day and the place was packed!!!
Ella of course spotted the pink cowboy hats as soon as we walked it. I couldnt resist!

She is such a brut! haha

Ella walked around the whole time saying "E-ha! Cowgirl Ella to save the day!" it was so cute!

We had so much fun looking at the livestock, feeding at the petting zoo, and riding the carousel.
I tried to explain to Ella that Mama use to raise pigs for the rodeo, and she didnt quite get it. It really made me miss the farm and the excitement of the stockshow. Going to school after feeding the pigs sometimes noticing in first period that the poo smell that keeps following you around is indeed on your shoes...again. Im hoping that one day we will live somewhere where we can have animals and the girls can learn some of those great lessons too.
Dylan and I got to rock out with KISS at the rodeo too!!

Zoo Day and Mardi Gras!

We have had amazing weather so we took a quick girls outing to our favorite spot the Houston zoo! We have a routine now, Chimpanzees, giraffes, Lions, ride the carousel, pet the goats, eat, go home. (thinking maybe eating should come before petting goats, ill keep that in mind next time.) Both girls LOVE the Chimanzees. Its always our first stop. They crack me up...except the dirty old man one...he is not so funny, and kinda mean.

Monkey see Monkey Do!

Monkey face!

Train ride

We also got to enjoy a quick trip to Lafayette for Mardi Gras weekend. The girls saw their first parade, it was cold and raining and Ella said "OK I think we caught enough stuff, we should go and share the rest with the other kids" after about the 5th float, and A just kept sayin "Mo' Beads!" She loved it.
Because of the weather Endymion, our favorite parade in Nola was moved to Sunday night, so with the help of babysitting Aunt, Uncle and cousins Dylan, Mary and I were able to sneak in a night in our favorite town! No pictures, our camera died :(
But here is one of the girls in their cute Mardi Gras tops I made them. They had matching dresses for Mardi Gras day but poor Ainsley was too sick (and cranky) to wear hers.

Great week, I love this time of year!