Prom, Soccer Try-Outs and Potty Training--Our Attempt @ Balancing All Ages Parenting

Skating with Bug are Erin, Brianna and Brandie, his big sisters and best playmates!

Inspired by my amazing and brave cousin who recently started doing some great stand-up comedy, I wrote a really stupid joke based on my life:

It's really crazy how similar at times it is raising teens and toddlers but there are some differences.

For instance my three year old son wants to be with me constantly. I'm like his very favorite person in the entire world. And this is great most of the time; I'm treasuring it and all that, but I mean like, Jesus, Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse and Elmo could all be sitting at the table across from us and he'd be really excited, but he'd still want to sit in my lap!

The complete opposite is true for my teenagers.

I think we could be sitting at a restaurant and Satan, Jeffrey Daulmer, The scary clown from American Horror Story and Donald Trump could all walk in together and my girls would be like, uh mom, I think I really want to sit over there.

Haha

My flawed attempt at comedy. But truth be told my husband and I have to laugh to keep from pulling our hair out most days when raising this many teens and a toddler!

This week as May is fast approaching we have many things on our radar coming up.

Brianna had soccer tryouts last week and made the team! So our brief but welcome month to catch our breath during track season, in which she decided not to try out but rather rest her knee, is over and it's back to afternoon practices and Tuesday/ Thursday game days. She is excited and so are we. Thanks to Cliff's love for premiere league British football and his time playing in high school we are a soccer family. It's been fun to see them out there practicing together and for him to get to give her a few tips! Bug can hardly stand it to not be allowed to get in on the action too! We are also proud of Bri as she has completed her first belt competition in Tae Kwon Do and even broke a board!

Our Tae Kwon Do Star, Brianna shows of her patch, stripes on her belt and the board she broke!

Prom is also fast approaching. Our senior, Billie, and her boyfriend, Garret, will be attending this year. We have been prom dress shopping at a fabulous event called Give A Gown and she has picked out a lovely dress I can't wait to show off in another blog.

But mostly I can't believe there is only two months left of school! Graduation will be here for Billie before we know it and I know many changes will take place in our cottage this summer as admin is eager to fill the spot she will leave along with our other empty beds in the cottage.

I pray, and covet your prayers as well, that no matter who we gain in our cottage they will be as kind and patient with Bug as all these girls have been. I know it isn't easy for them to have a crazy little guy running around vying for the attention, but they all do so well with it.

Brandie gets a "Hug a bug" at the cookout last Saturday.

Billie and Bug were prepared to float out of here if need be during the storm.

Kelly helps Bug with a puzzle.

Bug riding his bike out to meet the girls at the bus stop/

Here come the girls!!

In many ways I think it is very good for all of them, Bug, too. He gets the benefit of so many playmates, teachers, and a ready made audience to watch him perform all the things he is learning like his ABCs, silly songs and the fruits of the spirit.

And they get to practice living out the fruits of the spirit daily as they help him learn and grow.

I entitled this post balancing all ages parenting but really there is no balancing it. I think of a performer at circus balancing on a high wire while skillfully juggling six or seven balls in the air and I think that comes close to what our lives are like.

Except we have to constantly put one foot on the ground and pick up all the balls that we keep dropping. Because there really is no secret to the balancing act of being a parent save that you just keep at it!

Truth be told, the pictures on this blog are the happy moments we cherish and choose to remember that are sprinkled in between those we'd just as soon rather forget.

And that's okay, too. That's life. And that is how we all grow as we walk the high wire balancing act of our own lives one step at a time, together.

But there is one more thing that I would add that keeps me going and that is my amazing husband. He went to Nola this last four days off to help his sister out with a few things and visit with his friend, Brian who convinced him to get another tattoo with him, This is what he came home with, along with a message to me about how it was his dedication to me and our love together. I can't tell you how much that meant. I thank God everyday for this wonderful man that I get to go on this incredible ride with! He truly makes all the difference most days to me between if I fail or succeed at this job of parenting this brood. I pray too, that all of you reading this would have a spouse that you can lean on. I believe, now more than ever, after this year of doing it together, that this is the way The Lord intended for us raise children, as equal partners out there on the wire, catching each other and lifting one another up day by day.

I am the "she"!! *swoon!!*

We are thankful for all of you and for how much you support us on this journey.

I will leave you as always with prayer requests and pics at the bottom.

Pray for our girls to be able to finish strong this school year. They have come a long way academically and have just a little ways further to go.

Pray for Bug to be able to master potty training!! He's almost got it and we are tired of buying pull ups!!!

Pray for us as we navigate this busy time of the year.

Pray for our first yearly evaluations coming up.

Pray, also, for our well loved program manager Mr. Matt who really does have so many ball to balance and juggle at once and does such great job with it.

Erin and a couple of the girls from C10 got to go the the ballet!

Some ballet turns at intermission!

Pretty girls all dressed up for the ballet.

My little dog walking helper in the back pack i created for him both to help
me hang on to him and the dog at the same time, and to make him feel like
he is an important part of the job of walking Georgia!

Taking a break from walking Georgia to ride the trike!

Too much fun at the dog park!

Teaching Georgia to go through the hoops!

Bug's car wash!

Nice and Clean!!

Who knew washing cars could be so much fun!

Erin reads us a bed time story the night that we all slept in the den during the bad storms.

My best little office helper!

My second best office helper trying to make me laugh!

Erin got to go to a WWE event as a reward this last week or so ago and got a t shirt of Sting!

Silly girls dressed as a clown family one day last week when school was cancelled because
of flooding and went around delivering cookies and spreading cheer on a gloomy day!