Update

In 12 hours I will have (hopefully) completed my surgery, and be on the road to a life without the need for migraine or blood pressure medication. Can you tell I'm excited?!?!
Though I am excited (!) I am NOT delusional, and I know the first week is slow going with the following 3 keeping me less active than I'm used to. It is because of this I'm updating the blog now, as I know 'blog' won't be at the top of my to-do list in the coming month:-)

David has started his playing Tball with his team, the White Sox. The practice was slow to start as the boys kept confusing left from right, and it didn't help that really cool planes were constantly taking off and landing at the nearby airport. (side note: I vividly remember when Ella was on a soccer team at that same age, half the team would leave the field in the middle of a game to try and catch butterflies!)
Despite the distractions, the boys really were playing their little hearts out. Much to my surprise, David is an AWESOME hitter! The boy has never picked up a baseball bat in his life, and his first 3 times up he hit that ball further than anyone else on the team. There is only 1 other boy who came close to the length of his hits, with the rest of the team having issues with the T. Dave's first game is on Ella's bday, so we have plenty of time to practice and work out any kinks.

Grace is back in her element with her art course having resumed, and can just go on and on (and on, and on) about different techniques, artists, and qualities in art she prefers. I love to see her so confident in herself and her abilities when it comes to art, as it seems in every other aspect of her education, that little devil dyslexia makes her second guess every decision.

Ella is preparing for a G.S. camping trip, completing a Care Bear dress for Claire Bear, and her tour of Texas with the Encore Youth Chorus. The 3 day tour starts with singing at the capitol, and ends with singing with the chorus at SMU in Dallas during their annual spring concert. The EYC has opened so many doors for the homeschooled youth in San Antonio, and we are so glad to have found them when we did! If anyone out there is considering buying anything from Barnes & Noble, please consider waiting until the weekend of March 18-20. By visiting bn.com/bookfairs and entering bookfair ID 10434256, our chorus will receive 10% of the total purchase to help defer the cost of our tour. Thanks!

Natalie & Claire are two peas in a pod...they really 'get' each other, which helps when Claire has a bear moment and no one can seem to satisfy her, or understand what exactly she wants. Claire need only ask Natalie, and then the crisis is averted, due in large part to similar personalities. Natalie has always had a mother hen quality, and really enjoys the days when only she is wanted by Claire, for which I am grateful:-). Claire is still a big fan of wearing dresses, and anything ducky or yellow. We did make some headway in the 'yellow' department in that we found a white princess dress with green/pink trim that she actually wore for longer than 10 minutes. Please bear in mind that a skirt is NOT the same as a dress, as a skirt presses on her sensitive stomach, and so she just refuses to wear them without threatening to vomit all over. It's her cute little personality quirk!

When we first moved to San Antonio, and Natalie was just beginning her violin studies, I was told by her instructor that "life gets exponentially easier as they (the children) grow." Not really knowing her teacher that well, combined with having a less than stellar day, made me paranoid and resentful of that statement. Yes, it was hard keeping 2 infants and 3 children occupied in a car for an hour, but I was handling it just fine, and her comment made me feel like I must look like I wasn't handling it fine at all!
Well, I was able to take the kids to the zoo, ALONE, last week. We had a fabulous day with beautiful weather and it was virtually stress free. No strollers and bags to haul, no nurslings to stop and feed every hour or so, no paranoia about forgetting something (or someone) in the restrooms, while having to stop at every single one. In fact, I actually ENJOYED myself, and our schooling wasn't a chore while we spent our day exploring the zoo.
I finally 'get' her words of encouragement. It is hard when you're 'in the trenches' to see beyond that hour, and on that particular day, the stress of it all must have been written on my face. I love Natalie's violin instructor...she has a great sense of humor, and is fabulous at getting the best from my Natalie on the instrument she adores. She is also 100% correct about life getting exponentially easier as the kids have grown.
I have the meals for the next 2 weeks prepared and ready for my oldest 2 (and Craig, of course)to heat as needed in my upcoming recovery. I already know they are prepared to help with the schooling of the younger 3, should my recovery take longer than expected. I am blessed beyond measure with enthusiastic and helpful children, and I am thankful for their willingness to 'encourage one another and build each other up'.
We are busy, but it is a good busy. Life is easier because of the gift of our moments spent together. God is good!

Love Much,
The Meissler 7