whatever

i am sure i am not the first person to do this.
but i do feel quite smart that i came up with it on my own.
last year i took talby and annie with me on a road trip to chicago by myself.
we had the dvds, cds, snacks, books & tons of toys but when all those didn’t work and the crying started i would crank the air on high and start the bubbles.
it is magical.
instant glee.
i mean really . . . who could be mad when there are bubbles all around you?
it also keeps sleepy babies awake so they can take their naps in their bed at home and not a five minute nap in the car.
i laughed as cars passed us yesterday.
i thought “you think it looks funny? you should hear it?!!”
the screams of joy were way too loud.
but they were happy, awake, buckled safely in & not fighting.
sometimes screaming is okay.
i cannot be held responsible for accidents that you may have if you try this in your car.

this morning at the creek annie was throwing rocks into the water.
she kept shouting
“HOE-WEEE BOW!! DATS A BEEEEG WOCK!!”
translation: Holy cow that’s a big rock.
about 50 times.
so cute.

can’t you remember doing this?!!
i think everyone has a memory of parachute playtime.
i kept thinking back to gym class when we’d lift it up up up . . . and then quickly run in and then sit on it as fast as you could to make a mushroom. my heart would be pounding from the excitement of what would happen. if you ever got caught under it would cause a panic. or the game of switching places with some one underneath. and of course bouncing the balls off using the “popcorn” method . . . shake shake shake.
i am so glad my girls will have that memory too.
and their parachute was rainbow colored . . . even better!

new creation preschool is located inside a nursing home. the kids interact with the “grandmas and grandpas” every week. it is precious to watch. and it was VERY cool to have them outside in the sunshine in their sun hats and wheelchairs holding the other side of the parachute. special for everyone.

i wasn’t planning on staying for talby’s last day of preschool but it just was so much fun i had too.
annie even got to be a part of the group.
i could hear her singing during circle time with all the big kids.
talby sings all the songs at night to her when they are going to bed so annie knows all the songs.

i put an entire album in the bottom left corner of the last day of preschool.

talby is finished with preschool.
she is sad about it.
me too.
it is the most fun place.
elementary school is so . . .
grown up.
scheduled.
big.
at preschool it is relaxed.
it is FUN!
you use your hands.
you get messy.
you are playing and learning.
kind words all the time.
no stress.
kindergarten is great but i will miss preschool for her.
i guess i just see how big sean got this year in kindergarten.
talby will be like that in a year from now!
it’s just so different.
so much change.

talby was loving the program.
smiling and singing.
she said “i did so good didn’t I?!”
there was a photo slideshow at the end and i was getting all teary watching it!
she is so precious.
i don’t want her to change.
talby is kind, compassionate, helpful, genuine and loving
i pray for her that she will stay true to these qualities.
i sound like she would change over night or that change would be bad.
it’s not that.
it’s that she is a joy to be around all the time.
i enjoy spending time with her and i will miss her next year.
and i will miss this phase of life.

i am missing my jenny.
we talked on the phone but it was still too short.
i miss you!

i filled up the baby pool today.
annie was so happy.
she had her little pink swimsuit on and splashing everywhere.
i got the back garden spot all ready while she kept herself busy.
gotta love that.

my fun red boots came in the mail.
they make gardening even more fun.

and i have to give my sister some attention.
this is her nursery for baby maya.
she painted the room with a mural from the book Guess How Much I Love You.
it is so beautiful.
the photo doesn’t do it justice.
to see it close up with detail . . . the colors and blending.
she is so talented.
it goes all around the room with trees and grass and clouds.
absolutely gorgeous.
and she was super pregnant when she did it!
love you sweetie.

it turned out to be a very nice mother’s day.
scott made me this card . . .
supermom.
very cute.

friday night we went to my parents’ house.
my mom had an ice cream Yoda cake for scott.
it was a big hit.

early saturday morning my mom peeked in the door and said “megan there is a garage sale that dad says we have to go to . . . wake up”
i got up, got dressed and we were there within 30 minutes.
we scored big time.
cool house stuff but
mostly clothes for lauren.
it was too much fun.
when we came back craig said “i am going to tell you there is a great garage sale every saturday. you have never gotten up that fast before.”
ha ha ha

we did a bit more shopping.
looking for antiques – found a fun stool for the craft room.

in the afternoon talby, annie & i went to my nieces birthday party.
macy is 6 & maya will be 1.
macy was loving the attention and the gifts and the cake and the playtime.
that is exactly what she is supposed to do!
the blurry picture captures the crazy fun we had.

then all 7 duerksens went to Elizabeth’s graduation party.
she is the beautiful girl in the b&w photo on the right.
she is soon to be an elementary teacher.
all grown up.
such a sweet girl.
her puppy was everyone’s favorite toy at the party.
it was good to see craig’s family too.
our children drank lots of pop and filled up on cake.
we got in the car at almost 10:00 pm.
(2 hour drive)
it was one of worst rides home in history.

note to self: no more pop & cake for kids at night.

And then mother’s day today.
it was just nice.
quiet.
peaceful.
i went to our nursery (by myself)
and came home with pretty flowers to get planted this week.
that is a wonderful way to spend some time on mother’s day.
it was even hot.
loved it.

may 10 was Scott’s birthday!
he had a great day!
the little girls and i picked him up for lunch.
he came running out of school with the biggest smile on his face.
i was so glad to have captured it.
he chose pizza hut buffet.
everyone behaved beautifully and ate bunches of pizza and cinnamon sticks.
we sent him back with terribly sweet cupcakes from dillons (grocery store).
i had good intentions of making cupcakes myself but the dillons garden center distracted me.
we were there for waaaay too long and ran out of cupcake making time.
kids probably like the dillons ones better anyway.
in the afternoon i made the cake.
it went a little crooked and the frosting got runny but it still resembled a basketball.
thank goodness i didn’t try to make YODA like he asked.
we had birthday dinner.
opened gifts – nerf guns, star wars action figures, baseball things, legos
we ate cake and ice cream outside on a gorgeous spring evening.
the light breeze was too much for the candles though so we had to fake it.
he got lots of birthday calls all day . . . big smiles.

he was born on mother’s day 9 years ago.
that was cool.
i remember when i was in labor with him . . .
i asked for drugs and craig said “you are doing great – you don’t need it”
then the dr. said “you are almost done”
i did NOT beleive either one of them.
and then 5 minutes later . . .
there he was.

good memories.
right craig?

today is my niece Morgan’s 10th birthday!!

I don’t have any digital photos of her so i can’t show the world how pretty she is.
she is so darling.
she loves all babies.
she loves cheerleading.
she is very into fashion.
she can sing very beautifully . . . she sings for us each christmas.
she was the cutest baby! those big blue eyes and curly hair.
just precious.

we love you sweetheart!
can’t wait to see you this summer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG 10 YEAR OLD GIRL!