Catching Up.. We Could Be Here Awhile!

There is so much to say, yet I remember so very little. Blogging, in reality, takes very little time as far as posting text is concerned, yet the mental fortitude required can be remarkable. Most days, I sit down after the kids are put in bed for their midday rest with intentions of catching up on the blogs, both to keep you informed, and to have nice journal entries for myself, only to find myself an hour later, eyes glazed and staring at a screen of some sort, brain shut down, and children getting up. Life makes me tired. Besides jotting down stories, there's the not so tiny matter of trying to keep the look fresh and current, the sidebar widgets functioning, and spending hours getting pictures to upload correctly. Just the thought often makes me reach for a remote instead, or on a really good day, a book. But today is different. Today I will refresh the looks of both blogs and I will type. It may not be anything snappy, but it will be something which is more than there's been in the past two months. So without further excuse, I will delve into the subject at hand, the Worm herself.

First some great news- Chloe was recently accepted into Cary Christian School, a classical Christian school with a mile long list of accolades and a beautiful campus mere minutes from our house. We are so excited for her to start school in just four short months, and talk about it often. Before being accepted, Chloe had to have an interview alone with the principal. I was so incredibly proud of her bravery and maturity. Although she began to get teary in the car, as we readied ourselves to go in, she quickly explained, "my eyes just keep watering. I don't want them to, they just do it all by themselves. I don't understand!" Then she wiped away the tears, stood tall, and walked right in. The ten or so minutes we had to wait for her name to be called were somewhat nerve-racking, and she complained of her "tummy dancing a lot" but in the end she did absolutely fantastic. The following week was mine and Patrick's interview with the principal. We were so impressed with her demeanor and her clear love for the Lord. We started in prayer, shared our testimonies with her, and spent a long time just chatting about both our spiritual and educational convictions and desires. She told us that Chloe completely "nailed" her interview, and that she was very bright, which we were so happy to hear. We are so incredibly thankful to the Lord for giving us the opportunity to enroll Chloe in a school that we thought was completely out of our reach. He led us there, opened the door, and paid out way in. We completely and utterly don't deserve His grace and provision, but are so thankful for it!

Chloe is becoming more and more independent and has even made a new best friend of a sweet little girl at church. She gets to spend a couple of afternoons a week with her, and occasionally goes over to her house for supper. They are incredibly sweet together, both having quiet, easy-going personalities, and brains full of imagination. On Sunday mornings, the two of them look like they just stepped off of the pages of an American Girl doll catalog, two little, adorable dolls created to play together. The run to greet one another, yelling each other's names, and hopping around from the joy of nothing more than being together. They run and climb outdoors, play quietly inside, and spend hours discovering "mysteries" and writing them down in their journal. As far as I can tell, most anything can be a mystery, which I don't quite get, but it keeps them busy and happy.

Chloe is a little author, and has filled several notebooks to the brim with her illustrations and stories. Most of them contain a cast of characters including Mommy, Daddy, Chloe, Eli, the King, and the Queen and their adventures with things like kidnappers and tornadoes. Her drawings are crude at best, and she doesn't spend much time perfecting her coloring or her handwriting. Her stories on the other hand, are full of great vocabulary words, interesting plots, and great amounts of emotion. It's fun to just watch and see her interests and talents take shape.

Chloe loves dancing. A lot. We may actually break down and let her go to ballet or classical dance camp for a week this summer. We have fought it for so long, and her love just won't go away.

Chloe's favorite toys still include My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake. She is also into superheroes with Eli, her favorite being the Super Mario Brothers (which Eli argues are NOT superheroes) and Buzz Lightyear and Superman. She loves to read and to listen to me read. We have finished reading all three of the My Father's Dragon books, as well as the ever weird James and the Giant Peach, and almost completed Mr. Popper's Penguins. I think we may tackle an American Girl book next, or perhaps a Beverly Cleary. I've been completely impressed with both children's ability to comprehend the plots of the books we read, and answer questions about the text. They also remember scenes from the stories, and recall them when scenes from own lives mimic those of the beloved characters. She loves, loves, LOVE being an AWANA Sparky, and is great at memorizing scripture. Her favorite thing in the world is game time. (Who would have guessed?) She loves movies, her current favorite being Wall-E. And she wants me to share with you that her favorite colors are blue, pink, orange, yellow, and green, and her favorite shapes are stars and hearts.

She says funny and profound things constantly. You would really enjoy her quotes. If only I could remember them.....