Dawson Details

• J & L love to sing. They wake up singing. They sing in the car. Lyla probably has the better voice but Jilli has more passion


• Grace has taken to illustrating stories. She is actually an amazing little artist and tapes all these pieces of paper together. This means I run out of tape a lot but who am I to impede an artist's process


• Jillian and Grace are like the same kid. Same sweet temperment. Same stubborn streak. Then there is Lyla. Adam claims she is all her mother :) I personally think she is going to run the world someday.


• Dress up is in constant play at our house. It usually involves tutus and leotards and lots of accessories


• I played stay at home mom after my wrist surgery last week. Epic fail one day as I locked keys in the car, had to be rescued by a police man, Jill scraped her knee, and they fell asleep in the car and wouldn't take naps when we finally did get home. Props SAHM. Mad props. I was a hot mess.


• The twins never stop moving and getting into things. They are the definition of chaos. ALL. THE. TIME.


• Grace loves the show Good Luck Charlie. I do too. It reminds me of Full House. Sure beats Doc McStuffins on repeat. There is no getting that theme song out of your head.


• Grace has been invited to join the preteam at gymnastics. And so it begins.


• Potty training starts in September. Physically I think they are ready but they don't want to sit on the potty. Training 2 should be an adventure.


• I have some work travel this fall. I always dread being away from my babies. But its good news for our company and job security to have these type of meetings


• In September Adam will have worked a full year without being laid off for the first time in 3-4 years. Newsflash, the economy has sucked. Hoping we can keep the trend going.


• In Ocober we will celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. I am thinking a trip back to East Lansing would be a pretty awesome way to celebrate


• We are hoping to visit the mouse this Spring. We have been promising G since the twins were born we would go back to Disney when they were 2.5. Save Save Save.

Decisions Decisions

Nobody ever said making a decision was my strong suit. I am one of those people who have to know every other option out there before I make a decision. I tried every wedding dress on in the tri state area before deciding on the ONE. I research, make lists, think about it, and talk it out. Ultimately I usually go with my gut but not before driving myself and everyone around me crazy.

Deciding where to send our children to school has been no different. I feel as if I am making a decision for all of them and their future. While still making the best decision for G right now. I have done visits, and met with principals, talked to parents, and talked to teachers. I went back and forth between Queens, Western, and Concord and finally decided on Concord for a few years and then Queens when the twins start preschool and everyone will be in the same place. We are hoping to have saved enough money at that point to sell our house and move into a bigger one. Who knows what time will bring though, if this past year has been evident I reserve the right to change my mind 6 more times :)

It is pretty cool that Grace will be going to the same school as both her grandparents (Adam's parents) and parents. She will be walking into the same kindergarten classroom as Adam and I did 27 years ago. She has been assigned a wonderful teacher who I know she will love. She will ride the bus to nana's house at the end of the day and get to spend her afternoons with her sisters. She will be a part of a small, close knit community and while that sometimes has its drawbacks it also has it perks. If she gets sick, nana is 5 minutes away. If I have an issue, this school and the people in it know me and I will be heard. I feel at peace about that.

I am not sure what kind of time warp I am living in that my baby will be starting kindergarten a week from today. Everyone says you blink and they graduate high school. Sometimes I want to press pause, tell time to slow down. But time marches on and we enjoy this journey called life :)

Five5

Five years ago today you took your first breath.

Five years ago today I held you in my arms for the first time.

Five years ago today you looked into my eyes and knew I was your mama.

Five years ago today I was filled with love and gratitude.

Five years ago today I realized more than ever that God lives.

Happy birthday Grace Elizabeth!! You are our angel girl and we love you so much :)