Life...

Y'all, I am T-I-R-E-D.
I love springing forward until I remember how long it takes me to feel caught up on sleep again. This week is kicking my tail.

However tired I am though, it's been a good week. It's been gorgeous here with springtime temps every single day. I've been able to get outside and get my daily dose of vitamin D and it's been soooooo good for my heart and mind! I love that it's staying light longer  and I love that the neighborhood kids have been outside playing almost every afternoon until they get called inside for dinner! Aside from one small patch in our backyard, almost every bit of snow has finally melted! THAT is probably the biggest delight of all for me. Buh-bye snow. [This is the part where my Colorado friends laugh hysterically at me. March and April are our snowiest months, and there's a chance of snow in next week's forecast. Sigh. A girl can dream though.]

Will had a track meet Wednesday afternoon. It might have been the nicest weather I've ever experienced at a track meet. NO kidding. I've been to so many where it's freezing cold and windy and just downright miserable but the weather that day was perfect. The only event he participated in at this meet was the triple jump and he did fantastic!!! This is his first year to jump and I loved watching his event. I think next time he wants to run the 200m as well. I'm so thankful he's enjoying it!

I was sitting at his meet and snapped this pic with my phone. I know I say this all the time, but I feel enormous gratitude that we get to live in a place of such spectacular beauty. Some days I get a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes when I look at the mountains--they simply undo me.

Sarah stayed home from school today because she hasn't been feeling well. She has a yucky sore throat and is losing her voice but doesn't seem to have any fever. She probably should have stayed home yesterday but they're taking TCAPs (Colorado standardized test) at school again this week and she didn't want to have to make anything up so she went. I'm debating whether to keep her home again tomorrow but they have another round of TCAPs (they didn't take any today so she felt okay about staying home) and she's feeling pressure not to miss. I loathe the pressure that kids feel in regard to these tests. Loathe may not even be a strong enough word. I try not to be too negative on here but this really gets me wound up!

Moving on...

Today I wore one of Sarah's tops that I love but that she rarely wears. I've asked her before if I could wear it and she's adamantly refused and I've respected her wishes. I decided to ask her again today and was reluctantly granted permission. Imagine my surprise when she told me this afternoon that her top looked cute on me. Wow. That was unexpected. She came and found me while I was making dinner and said, "I'd like to propose a trade, mom. You can have that top if you let me buy five songs on iTunes." I said yes before she could change her mind! Grin. Seemed like a no-brainer to me. Win-win.

Abbey is getting VERY excited about her birthday next week. I can't believe my baby will be ten years old--double digits. She's the only one of my kiddos that still fits in my lap and still wants to sit there. I wish I could freeze time for just a little longer. I love that girl so much.

I could keep rambling and rambling but you're probably bored by now and I'm ready to call it a night. I like to get in bed at night and watch an episode or two of Mad Men. I gifted myself with the dvd sets of Seasons 1, 2, and 3 for Christmas (I already had Season 4 on iTunes) and am trying to re-watch them all before Season 5 begins in a couple of weeks. I don't know if I'll get all the way through them but I'm sure going to try!

Peace out, peeps. Hope your Friday is fantastic!