Today was Eli's Kindergarten graduation.  Can we please take a minute so that I can process that?  My heavens, was I not just ranting about sleepless nights? After a short walk across the stage, Eli was give the P.E., Reading, Math, and Habit Seven Awards.  This year has been full of so much growth for him in many different area.  It wasn't always easy, but I am so proud of him and everything he accomplished both academically and personally.  Nan and Grandad drove all the way from Marion for the celebration, and Eli was thrilled to see them! After the ceremony, all the guests were invited to the cafeteria for a quick reading of "I'll Love You Forever,"  and of course cake and punch! Eli wanted to ride the bus to daycare, so I didn't check him out for the day when we left.  He said they cleaned, played games, ordered lunch, and had a fun day.  Jayden stayed all afternoon with him too.  These boys have become such good fri

I want to apologize in advance for the overload of kindergarten posts this week.  We are coming to the end of the year, so there's pretty much something special to celebrate every day.  Today was cupcakes with mom.  Of all the mornings to oversleep, it just had to be today.  UGH!  Even though I look a mess, it was worth it to share breakfast with this sweet kiddo. We attempted a selfie, but apparently I stink at those too.  Ha!  

Eric and I decided on a whim to take the kids camping over Memorial Day weekend.  We usually spend the holiday with his family in Western Kentucky, but a scheduling conflict left us without plans at the last minute. I had some time I needed to comp out for work, so I took and long lunch and we drove up to Mammoth Cave to reserve a "walk-up" spot since they wouldn't take over the phone reservations.  It was a good thing that we thought ahead to do that because the campground was full by the time we made it after Eli's play. Getting everything packed up in such a rush and setting up the sight in the dark was a challenge, and for a moment I wondered why the heck we had even bothered.  Luckily, the kids settled right down and went to sleep easily.   Saturday morning we had breakfast at the campground and rushed home before 9:00 to pick up some things we had forgotten.  Then we spent the day as a family riding bikes, touring the cave, put-putting, an

Tonight was the Kindergarten school performance.  We go to a smaller school, so there are only two classes.  The evening started with both groups coming together to sing a little song that had mommas clapping, nannas snapping, poppas turning around in circles, and daddies shaking their rums.  It was adorable. The each class reenacted a book.  Eli's was Rainbow Fish, which was about a beautiful fish who was unkind.  However, when she started being kind the other fish wanted to be her friend...good lesson if I do say so myself!  After the play, guests were treated to cake and punch.  I got confused and thought it was graduation, so I hadn't sent in my money for the party.  Oops!  I'll be a pro by the time Ellie is in kindergarten.  It worked out well because Ellie at the cake and Eli drank the punch.  The Watsons fully embrace "Think Win-Win."  Ha!

Today I am feeling particularly sentimental.   It’s possible that all this sensitivity stems from having just celebrate Mother’s Day, but I have a hunch that it has more to do with all of the awards ceremonies I’ve attending. All week I have witnessed parents proudly entering high school auditoriums and gymnasiums with bright smiles masking what I believe has to be an intensity of mixed emotions – exuberant pride that their child has reached the milestone of walking the graduation stage, mixed with the sinking feeling that they arrived to this place all too soon. I wonder what emotions I will experience when my time comes.   Will I beam with pride that we have accomplished these 18 years, or will I grieve that this season was fleeting?    Will I celebrate their successes or will I mourn their leaving?   Will I look to the next chapter with anticipation or will I grieve turning the page?   Will I rest in the peace of knowing that I have given them both roots and wings? I ca

This girl is a delight.  She is sweet and cuddly one minute and sassy and spunky the next.  She has loads of personality, and I love her to pieces. The other night we let the kids play outside in the rain, and of course Eli decided to play baseball.  Ellie, on the other hand, grabbed her tiara before running around the yard.  Then she got her little purse full of accessories and more or less demanded a mini photo session.  In this picture I had to be the hipster mom while she was the princess, which it totally unfair if you ask me! Here I was cheesing it, but she wanted to be silly and stick out our tongues.   So we did.   Then we switched and she was a super adorable hipster baby.  I was pleased to get the tiara.  It's more "in my element" than the glasses. If dress up is this fun now, I am excited to see what the future holds…as long as she knows who the REALLY wears the crown.  I  joke…sorta!

I was on such a blogging roll and then the chaos of spring/summer hit.   Ha!   I’m still loading pictures to my little corner of the internet with a few little notes to jog my memory for when I finally get to sit down and write.   One day I’ll get around to finally pushing that “publish” button. I’m thinking that it might help if I do a Mid Week Musing thing every now and then to catch everyone up and dump some iphone pictures, but I’m not making any promises.   The thing is, we’re in the last 2.5 weeks of school, and I have hardly document this monumental year.   Ugh!   I don’t want Christmas to roll around before I realize that so many memories went uncelebrated in this memory book of mine! We’re trying to keep it low-key this week before the craziness of the Merry Month of May takes its toll.   We only have a few more days of school before we celebrate kindergarten graduation, Colby’s graduation, Memorial Day, and finally pack our bags for Disney World.   Woohoo!

I had the most wonderful Mother's Day.  After breakfast from Hardees and church, Eric and the kids took me out to eat at Chuy's, which is one of my most favorite restaurants.  Afterwards, we went back to Five Below for a few workout things I was wanting,  then it was back home to relax. I took a short nap, then went outside to enjoy the warm weather while the kids played in the wading pool.  It was a quiet, un-rushed, wonderful day together as a family.  Eli and Ellie are really into worm hunting.  Eli finds them, and Ellie picks them up. Ha! I don't have a picture of me and my babies, but I do have the memory of a wonderful day.  I was loved, and celebrated, and just felt so special!

This post has been swirling around in my head for years - since the beginning of my blogging days, if I’m being honest.   I’ve just never been able to find the words.   Even now, I’m certain that they will fail me. On this day, we honor our mothers.   We send cards and flowers and make phone calls, but we cannot possibly come close to showering them with the praise and gratitude they deserve.   As a mother myself, I now have a better understanding of everything my mom sacrificed for me and my siblings.   She gave up her career to stay home with us.   She turned a blind eye to fashion trends so that we could wear head-to-toe matching ensembles.   She changed diapers and lost sleep.   She served on the PTO and taught Sunday School.   She was at every school party and school play.   She went on every school field trip and was the classroom mom.   She hauled us to football practice, FFA events, and all over the state for pageants. Even when money was tight, sh

Today has not been my day.  I accidentally locked Eric's keys in the truck at Eli's ballgame and had to bum a ride back to the house to get the spare key, then drive all the way back to park.  Luckily it was a beautiful day, and the kids were content to play on the swings while they waited. The delay meant that we  only had time for a quick lunch at home before heading to a birthday party for our favorite twins...Duncan and Maggie!  The kids had the best time playing, throwing disc golf, and eating cupcakes.  There was one downside,  I dropped my iPhone and shattered it.  UGH!! Luckily, Eric lifted my spirits after the party by taking me shopping for Mother's Day.  He bought me a pair of new running shoes.  Then we went to a new store in town called Five Below where, get this, everything is less than $5.  Go figure.  I was awesome!  We grabbed KFC on the way home then put the kids to bed while we watched a movie...and fell asleep.  We're so adventurous. 

Ya'll, please believe me when I tell you that I have at least a dozen posts written and waiting to be edited before I publish them.  I really am trying to do better this year when it comes to documenting our lives, but I'm so stinkin' busy! This past weekend my parents and Eric's parents came into town for Eli's ballgame.  My mom and dad stayed in a hotel, so we met them for dinner on Friday night and took the kids back to swim.  They volunteered to have a sleepover for the little Watson's, so Eric and I went out and then rented a movie online.   It worked out perfectly that my parents had the kids because I had to be at a 7:30 am event for work on Saturday.  After running home to pick up Eric, we rushed to the ball field where we met his parents.  We spent some time with his family after the game, and then I went with my parents for a while Eric planted the garden.  Ellie and Ellie ended up staying with them in the hotel again on Saturday, so that