It's Monday!

Mike spent the wee hours throwing up.  That's how our day started.  I got the 7 dressed, fed, and packed for school, delivered 6 to assorted schools, came home, fed baby, fed sickling toast, cleaned up house, started laundry, dishes, and made beds.  Now its time for me to eat.  My stomach will not allow me to wait another moment.  Okay.  Now I can think.  Let me update you on the kids

Oldest has baseball tryouts this week and has not touched a baseball in at least 6 months.  I feel like he is our Sue Heck.  Good thing there is Carrollton Boosters to play in the spring if the school team doesn't pan out.  He is also on the chess team at school and is playing basketball at Carrollton.  He has a very "Gambel" attitude towards school and grades and is driving his father crazy with his laziness.  I wish I knew what to say or do to motivate him to do his best work all of the time.  Unfortunately, I feel the same way he does.  He received a drum set for christmas and is loving learning to play those better.

Second child is playing soccer 4 days a week and is loving every moment he is on the field.  When not playing soccer, he is shooting hoops, playing with his friends, challenging someone to a chess match, or if all else fails, reading a book.  He used his christmas money to purchase an electric guitar, and is learning to play.  He is doing really well in school.  His teacher and classmates think he hung the moon.

My Girls are getting so big.   They both are playing in the chess club after school and taking piano lessons.  They are also playing basketball together.  3 is the point guard for their team and plays with such fierce determination that is entertaining to watch.  She loves making art and reading books.  She is also a wonderful assistant.  She loves to help cook dinner and is an excellent little brother wrangler.  She still buts heads with her older brothers and is trying to find her place in this world.  It can be hard to watch somedays, but it is definitely a more entertaining day when she is around.

4 has practiced shooting so much that they call her Automatic Ellen.   She thoroughly enjoys learning and will ask a million questions about a subject, but does it so quietly that sometimes you do not hear her.  She is reading and writing well beyond her grade level and is intrigued by math.  She asks tons of math questions and selects leapster math game to learn more.  She has lots of friends and is loved by her teachers.  She is the middle man in our family and needs extra attention.  I think she feels like the odd man out sometimes.

5 is playing his second season of soccer and is learning more and more with each practice and game.  He is a natural athlete and has the determination to become something to recon with on the field.  I am excited for him to be able to play baseball this summer.  He has been playing with his sibling for years and it will be fun to see him on the field.  He is often found riding his big wheel up and down the street, grinning from ear to ear, or killing the monsters with younger brother,6, in tow.

6 is my big boy.  He is sweet to his baby sister and plays well with the older kids.  He is thoughtful and sweet with his friends.  He is also 2.5, so he is willful, and belligerent sometimes too.  He loves books and puzzles and is very happy sitting quietly with a book or chasing down monsters for 5 to kill.

Baby girl is finally starting to settle down a bit and make life a bit more bearable.  She laughs and talks and sleeps more and more each week.  I'm hoping to get her schedule more defined so that I can better plan my day/weeks so as not to interfere with her sleeping and eating plans.

Mike is the assistant coach/stand in for the basket ball and soccer teams for the kids.  He is also getting ready for his JPRD team to resume games is a few weeks.  He is working really hard lately.  Maybe harder than he ever has.  I'm really proud of him and try to make things as simple as possible for him at home.  I feel like I fail at that more than I succeed, but I'm trying and that has to count for something.

Me?  Still tired, but not as badly in need of sleep.  Two cups of coffee each morning with my protein shake gives me enough of a boost to make it through each day.  I'm hoping to add some exercise time back into my life, but I know I have to take it slow.  Maybe my Lenten promise will be to exercise everyday no matter what.  It's just hard to find the energy.  It's comforting to know I usually get my 10,000 steps in each day, so its not like I'm sitting on my but all day.