Is February over already?

The weather this month has been abnormally warm and we are loving it. The kids have been playing outside every day and making clubhouses in the strip of land over our fence.

David is still working hard on his doctorate. His estimated graduation date is June of 2018. And considering that June will be here before we blink, it means we are about only two years away. It is sad and exciting all at the same time. I am tired of saying "Just get through the day/week/month/year/phase of life". I feel that I am waiting our lives away and then I will look up and the kids are grown and out of the house. And I will cry because I miss it all and wish I could relive it. So to circumvent that event, I am making a focused effort to enjoy where we are in life.

Here is the status quo:
Elsie 3 1/2 y.o

•  loves baby dolls and playing pretend. 
•  is enthusiastic about everything, including her likes and dislikes. If she doesn't want it, she will let you know in no uncertain terms. 
• still only weighs about 25 lbs. She is so, so petite. 
• is finally potty trained.
• is a morning person. She wakes up from bed, bright eyed and bushy tailed. But DO NOT EVER wake her up from a nap. She turns into a bear, grumpy for hours. 
• She hates having her hair in a pony tail. Which means that I have to put it into a pony tail about every other day because I refuse to be dictated to by a 3 year old. Plus, I want to nip that habit in the bud. I can just see the arguments over clothing when she is 14...
• She wants to be a cowgirl ballerina when she grows up. 
• She loves to draw and color and has very good hand-eye-coordination for her age. I think she might be showing some talent in that direction. 
• She can play the piano by following the scales I have taped onto the keys. 
• She prances instead of running. 
• She is still in the baby stage which makes me happy/sad. What if this is the last one? So I am soaking up all the little hugs and squishy kisses I can get. There is nothing quite as lovely as a hug around the neck from little chubby arms. 

Ian 5 y.o.

• is obsessed with Paw Patrol, Octonauts, cars, trains, and any kind of construction equipment. 
• loves to give physical affection. He is my snugly boy. 
• can ride a bike with training wheels. We are planning to teach him to ride without them this summer. 
• loves to play protector roles in make believe. 
• has been begging me to learn to read so we are currently a third of the way through our reading lesson book. He has finally clicked to they only take up about 5 minutes a day. He should be reading on his own by the end of school. I am looking forward to taking him to the library this summer and showing him the shelves full of books he can now checkout on his card.
• just got his own library card. The librarian even let him sign the page himself. He was very proud. 
• is begging for a wallet in which to keep his library card now. 
• not a morning person. He will drag himself out of bed and stumble in the room, half asleep. He is his father's son, for sure. 
• played his first year of basketball this winter. He loved it and we are already signed up for t-ball this spring. 

Lillie (almost) 9 y.o.

• loves her ballet classes, art, sewing, crafts. 
• still practices piano even though we are not taking formal lessons. She has beautiful hands for piano.
• has reached the age where she begs to sleep in whenever she gets the chance. 
• reads, and reads, and reads. She takes a book every place we go. She would probably take them in the tub if I let here. 
• pours over every American Girl catalog, wishing for new clothes and accessories for her doll, Samantha. 
• is becoming more of a young lady every day. It is frightening to see how much she has matured this year. She accepts more and more responsibility and is so sweet and obliging when I ask her to help around the house. 
• can make pancakes from scratch now. I have been letting her take on more of the kitchen chores and she is a very careful and precise cook. 
• has a fish whom she loves and cares for tenderly as if it were a baby. 
• also playing basketball but not loving it as much so she probably won't do it again next year

Leah

• trying to avoid eating all added sugars, including honey and pure maple syrup.
• trying to avoid eating bad carbs. 
• and so far am succeeding. *fingers crossed*
• wishing my piano was tuned so I could play without making my ears cringe.
• feeling the need to learn something new and stretch my brain. I inherited my Papaw's old clarinet. If I can get it a new reed and a tune up, I may try to learn to play. I have always loved the reed instruments. 
• still stuck on chapter one of the Hobbit. I feel like I need a concordance just to understand it. 
• planning a weekly menu for my family that stays in our budget, is healthy, and actually might taste edible. 
• on again - off again exercising
• almost always sleep deprived. 
• getting itchy fingers to garden again (don't laugh David).
• fending off baby fever. 
• tutoring once a week at CC
• babysitting three days a week
• teaching here at home

David

• still in school. 
• working late every week counting and sorting beans. 
• teaching himself classical guitar when he has the time
• finding time to read for pleasure before bed
• getting up before work early enough to study
• has kicked the caffeine habit! *round of applause*
• gives the kids a ride to bed every night
• working with me to live a healthier lifestyle. I hope he knows how much I appreciate his willingness to eat healthy food. It would be so frustrating if he balked and was picky about what I serve at mealtime. 
• offers to watch the kids so I can get out of the house (isn't he the sweetest?).
• is also sleep deprived much of the time
• fits in exercise when he can to keep himself healthy and in shape.

So yes, our lives are full and busy. But I don't want to wish them away too fast. I want to savor this time. It is full of work but it is also full of love and fun and the innocence of childhood.