Spring break is over and we are back to the daily routine. I love routine and those days when everything just seems to fall into place.

Tomorrow we are having our 6 month post placement visit. Hard to believe it has been a little over six months since our Ella Grace came home. She has accomplished so much and has seen and done so much in her first six months home - we are so proud of her.

Thank you to all of you who have been our support (knowingly or not) with your comments, suggestions, thoughts, and sometimes just listening to me (Family, Tammy H., Christine, Heather, Dee, Adriana, Michelle, Antonio y Amparo, Mamaporuski, Conethia & Jim Bob, Kathleen, Kristina, Lori, Tammy, Sue, Tracy, Julie, Beth, Melissa, Sabrina, Rachel, Schrie...the list goes on and on. Thank you all!

Happy Spring!

Today was the first day of SPRING!

I love the season. It's a season of starting over....a rebirth

Nature wakes up with the chirping of birds, green grass, blossoming flowers and trees, the sky is blue and the rain smells different. It's time to clean and pack away the winter wear and bring out the shorts and dresses; it's a time to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the cool evening breeze.

What does spring mean to you?

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.

On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

No words, just pictures...

Daddy's Home...

Daddy arrive home earlier than expected from his business trip (TDY) in Hawaii.

Welcome home DADDY we missed you!

T.G.I.F.

I had Christian, Carson & Ella ready to go out the door at 0820 (10 minutes ahead of my estimated time) and into the car. We drove to the other side of town and traffic wasn't too bad; we actually arrived at our tenant's house 10 minutes early (we were there to meet the carpet installers) and waited until 0910 before I called the company with a cheerful, "I'm here where are they?" As it turns out, the time was not 0900 but "sometime" between 0900 and 1000. Okay, I think I have lived outside of the country too long....since when do you get an estimated appointment time instead of an actual appointment time? Why does any company think a consumer has that kind of flexibility in their schedule to sit and wait for them to show up? Crazy!

With the "window of opportunity" before me I took it to grab the kids a really healthy breakfast at the local Diamond Shamrock - coke and chips! Please don't leave me notes about what a bad parent I am. I am a faithful hot breakfast cooker Monday through Saturday. We then extended our window with a trip to the post for stamps and drop some letters off (long overdue "change my address" letters). Just as we arrived back (0945) the carpenters arrived.

They quickly moved about the house moving what was necessary to install the carpet and were finished by 1130!

I promised the kids lunch out today so we headed over to Olive Garden for some soup and salad - yummy! We finished with lunch and headed back home so the boys' could make gym class and Ella had a play date today. I dropped the boys' off and hurried home so Ella could make her play date. Then, I was kid-less What do I do now? I haven't been kid-less since (I'm thinking here.....) Adriana and I went to Africa! Has it really been that long?

I promptly scanned my "to do list" and found SEVERAL things I could knock off while the house was quiet - phone calls! I called the life insurance company, the appointment line, the TriWest office, & Verizon wireless - talk about productive! I did have to ask the Verizon guy to call me back since it was time to pick up Christian and Carson and soon Ella.

With everyone back home we readied ourselves for soccer and headed back out the door....

.....later back in the door and snuggling in for the night.

These are the latest treasures from the Antoshka Child House of Ella Grace

Ella pretending to be a stylist

Ella is in the lime green dress eating a cookie

Ella is far left in the white dress with red trim and white bow

One of THOSE Days...

Have you ever had ONE OF THOSE DAYS?

It began early...

The dog (Izzy) puked in Christan's bed...

Christian & Izzy ended up in my bed...

I woke up late...

No early morning walk...

No "me time" with coffee and news...

Late getting started on our home schooling...

The boys' took FOREVER to teach today....

Their test didn't go so well...

Ella was defiant today (again)...

I had a MOUNTAIN of laundry (again)

Chores were a struggle for the boys'...

Ella busted her chin open (again)...

Since we were struggling with school today, Ella was late to ballet...

I ordered take out thinking I would end it all easily tonight, but they were out of chicken and I had to wait for it to be dropped...

AND

I realized it is 8:00 P.M. and I didn't get a shower today!

I think I am going to bed and try this tomorrow (after I shower).

One last question...how was your day?

Feeling Better

Finally we are all feeling better and back on our feet and into our routine.

Ella had her eye appointment yesterday and she was/is on the edge of not needing glasses. The opthamologist would not have prescribed them for her IF she didn't have stigmatism in her right eye. Today, we went to pick out her frames and she will wear her new glasses for 6 weeks. She will then revisit the opthamologist for a reevaluation.

We are back into a full day of school with much success! The boys jumped right in and didn't complain one bit.

Ella still doesn't like to sit and trace her name, letter, numbers or colors. She cries as if I am punishing her. I have tried to give her a treat if she completes it and I have tried multiple ways of helping her learn to write without much success. She does well with repeat learning but writing/tracing is a struggle.

I hope to post some pictures in the next couple of days.

And another one...

Ella Grace and Patrick have now gotten the bug.

Pray for our speedy recoveries as 4 out of 6 of us are sick.

Bugged...

No, not the creepy crawling kind. The sick bug is making its' way through our house. Carson woke up sick and now Christian isn't feeling so well. I hope this bug is exterminated soon! I still feel yucky myself, Jim and Patrick are feeling "tender" in the tummy. Ella Grace has no signs yet of being sick, and hopefully she will not.

More posting later.

Don't forget to change your clocks and if you did - you're late for church!

A Mom is a Mom and therefore....

...she must mother even when she is sick.

I am dozing off in bed and I hear, " Mom! Mom!"

Ella Grace fell at the pool and is dripping blood from her chin! It didn't look good; she need a couple of stitches. I ran upstairs, tossed my hair in a ponytail, changed my clothes, brushed my teeth and off we went to the hospital.

Three hours later we had 3 stitches and walked out of the hospital.

Now, I am back in bed and still trying to recover. Hopefully, no more emergencies until tomorrow.

**pictures another day**

Sick and Feeling Yucky...

I have so much to post! I will try to post in a couple of days...I am a bit sick right now and just not up to the task. I spent the day seeing the doctor and stocking piling all the antibiotics, tissues, and tea I will need to spend a couple of days in bed.

Thank you to my wonderful boys who just served me soup, strawberries & blackberries, a tall glass of water and some steaming hot tea in bed. Thank you for tucking Ella Grace into bed tonight and saying her prayers with her. You always amaze me with your thoughtfulness and gentle side.