Worst Mom Ever. Almost.

First let me start this post by saying that over the last 7.5 years I've come to this conclusion: there is no other profession or position on earth that produces the level of guilt that comes from motherhood. Not even fatherhood. Sorry, but its true. There. Now on to my most recent cause of extreme guilt:


Did you see those super cute pictures and the video of Hayes graduating and participating in his class program? Well, the first grade didn't have a graduation ceremony (you can only graduate so many times) but they did have the First Grade Program and Picnic Lunch to which parents were of course invited. Here are the pictures and video of the super cute songs they preformed:




Oh wait. That's right. There are no pictures and there is no video. Because Daxon's mother missed the entire program. For no good reason.

Last week Dax brought home a note which I could swear listed the program time as 1pm. We promptly lost the note. No biggie, I can remember one event's date and time. Fast forward to this morning. Several times I had the thought occur that maybe I should call and double check the time. But as fleeting thoughts tend to do, it fled my mind a least a few times before it remained long enough for me to actually pick up the phone and call the school. At exactly 11:22 the secretary informed me that the program started at 11:30. I was dripping wet and naked. Well, under the robe. After the ensuing rush to get clothed and to the school, we arrived just in time for the gym doors to open and the kids to come out for the picnic portion of First Grade Program and Picnic.

This should not be a huge deal. One program out of a million. Yeah. Try telling that to a very sad first grader. The worst part was he is now old enough to do that thing where you try really hard to keep the tears back by blinking a million times. But that never really works and a few aways squeeze out. And the "how come you didn't come" and "I looked and looked and couldn't find you" really are heartbreaking. It made me cry just a little bit. Not to mention that I had no lunch for the picnic...



Well, ok. There is one picture. In the park at the picnic with his teacher, Mrs. Ellis. (Who, by the way, was a great teacher really helped Dax excel this year. )The good thing about motherly guilt is that kids have unconditional love and tend forgive and forget quickly. Thank goodness.

Pomp and Circumstance

Hayes Rocks. He offically graduated from kindergarten and is now offically a Mr. Smarty Pants. We absolutely adore Mrs. Holt. Dax and Hayes both got to have her for kindergarten. She also rocks. In fact, I'll say it again: we adored Mrs. Holt. And She Rocks.

With his best friend, Daniel





Just a little taste of the program. You've gotta love it.

Its been quite a year. Now its up to you, First Grade.

Sand Dunes

Spring Break weekend we went on our first camping trip of the year. I won't lie, it was freezing cold the first day. But fun won out over the cold this time. We just bundled and didn't stray far from the fire. As always, the boys loved every second of it. What's not to love? Dirt, an open fire you can poke at with a stick and not get yelled at (well, not every time) and four wheeling. Asher totally discovered a need for speed this trip. Hayes already had one. Poor Dax mostly has a need to stay safe-which to him is not the same as a need for speed:) Cold enough they even had to sit by the fire to color. Yes. We colored while camping. I don't know.
Ash seems to really be enjoying that marshmellow. And he really loved that headlamp. It made his hair very large. But that's not hard to do, either.

Oakley braving the powerfulness of the powerwheeles with Dax


And thank you so much to Camille and Broc for letting us dominate your four wheeler the entire weekend. And for taking the boys on at least a million rides. And thanks to Grandma Jo and everyone else for keeping the boys an extra day. They were in camping heaven.

We spent conference Sunday at the Rupps with the Bells enjoying the sunshine and the cousins (aren't cousins the BEST when you are little?) and the Rupps new four wheeler-thingy.

Emmie, Max, Hayes, Asher and Dax

Tyson and Tyler.

Tyler loved the ride more than any of the kids and was only reckless enough to be responsible for one accident involving his oldest child and copious amounts of blood. Which, interestingly enough, revealed that Daxon's front tooth was always that big and always hung a little lower than the one next to it. The dentist said so. The next day I took him because I was positive it was going to fall out after the accident. But no. Really his tooth is fine and just looks like that. Hmmm.