I just downloaded a ton of photos from the camera to iPhoto and realized 2 things:
1. I have not posted about so many ever important events on this here blog that acts like a cross between a baby book and family journal for us
2. I have no idea where to start.

So...as I gather my thoughts, I leave you with this...a recipe from a new blog that I found that I LOVE called Our Best Bites that is filled with so many delicious recipes that are easy to follow and fun to make. 

The gals that are behind this website look like they would be fun to be friends with.  I like those sorts of peeps.  Tonight I made Pie in jar

 (photo courtesy of Our Best Bites)

which is sitting in my refrigerator ready to be baked tomorrow just in time for a special treat.  So easy and best of all....they can be frozen!!!  I'll look like Martha Stewart one day serving pie to my lovely guests (little will they know that it was frozen!)

Summer is soon...so soon...

Tomorrow Will graduates from Kindergarten. Where does the time go? Tomorrow also marks the last day with students at my school. Where does the time go? Closing the book on Year #8-WOW! I've got a bucket list a mile long for the summer that needs so tending too but right now...I am mindlessly searching the Internet for fun ideas and creative inspiration...too many ideas spinning around one little head...(a very tired head at that).

Running and the throwing up that followed...

Yesterday was the Helvetia Half Marathon and 10k race. Aunt Lyndsey decides on Thursday she thinks she'll run the 10k (farthest run to date 4 miles). Her preggo friend Jill wants to do it too, so my mom and I jump on board as well. It's 6.2 miles or so, nice course, fun race. So Lyndsey is running, it's all good and then the end of the course is in sight. The race finishes on the field of the Hillsboro stadium and runners literally have to zigzag their way across the field to get to the finish line. I had finished a few minutes ahead of lyndsey and so I got to watch the runners come through the finishing 'shoot'. Well, I was chatting it up with a lady and all of a sudden we saw this girl running and then throwing up (to her right, this is an important part of the story for Lyndsey) and then run, then throw up, then run. The lady next me gives a little yelp and I think out loud..."I think that's Lyndsey....". Then she does it again, and again and then just 2 feet from the finish line she stops off to have a real good throw up. At this point the paramedics are called and she looks like Hell. but then, just like that, she runs across the finish line. And that my friends was the BEST ending to a race I've EVER seen. Oh, and quite a way to celebrate your first 10K. And then, in true Hawkins form, we at burgers. Lovely!

Ballerina

Yesterday was Addison's last day of dance class for the Spring session. Dancing makes Addison so happy. She's a pretty happy kid, but dancing makes her smile so much. She just loves it. This session we took dance at the 'Library Gymnastics' place as she refers to it. This is different than previous classes taken at the 'Gymnastics place'. Her class was small and she got twirl to princess music...what more can you ask for?

Here's a picture tour of the last class:

Since this is a place to remember memories I feel it necessary to point out that we were late to every. single. class and once, I forgot to pick her up on time (I was holed up in the library reading books). She was sitting on the bench with the teacher when I came strolling up totally oblivious to being 10 minutes late. But, she always made it in time to stretch-her favorite. Because the techer does totally cute things like have them smell their toes or tickle their knees. Things that make her giggle.

This picture makes me laugh because she is totally in sync with what she is supposed to be doing in class and yet so fixated on the moms and dads sitting to the side.

"Excuse me while I nail you in the face with my over the top ballet arms."

Plie, plie, plie. A favorite move that is now finally performed with her heels together!

My favorite. I love her blue eyes and the way her hair falls in her face.

Sunshine arms!

Such a sweet little girl.

Road Rash

Will's latest Road Rash.

Since Will has mastered bike riding, it seems like it's the only activity we do anymore. Addison was hot her tricycle until we scored an AWESOME bike this weekend at a garage sale. It came complete with a baby seat in the back for when she lets the baby out of her 'cage'. Today she tried to run baby over to make her cry so that she could comfort her. It's backwards world she lives in...

Biking in the rain, however, can prove to be a bit of an adventure. The roads are slick, there is moss everywhere in this soaked city (it has not stopped raining in DAYS) and sometimes he takes turns a bit sharp. All of these things have led to some spills and crashes. A week ago, it would have meant tears. This weekend though...Rob started to call it 'Road Rash' (you have to say it with a kind of 'way to cool for school' tone-like Road Rash is the new cool kid thing to do like skateboarding or something). Anyhow, having Road Rash totally makes falling and getting nasty scrapes that sting at first and then swell up and start to ooze only to sting like HELL when you get in the bath and then throb the next day...totally cool. Right now, we've got good Road Rash on the right elbow, left knee and Addison is even sporting a Rash on her own knee. It's like the new cool around. watch out....

A mommy in the making

Addison loves to play mommy. She has this baby that when she pushes hard enough on her tummy she cries or whimpers or laughs or says 'ma-ma'. She treats the doll like her baby and you can see how adult's actions are reflected in the behaviors of little ones. She loves that baby so much. A few weeks back, I was snuggling in bed with her and baby. Addi was making the baby cry so that she could pretend to change her diaper. All the while she quietly whispered "it's ok baby. I fix it." Then she'd push again and the baby would cry and she'd change it again. Again a push, and finally 'ma-ma' in that weird electronic slo-mo voice. Well that's the que of a job well done and Addi cuddles up to the baby. That same night she decided baby was hungry because she kept crying (not that the repeated beatings did anything for baby). So she decides she wants the bottle which we can't find. 'It's ok mommy' she says, 'I can feed baby' and up she lifts her shirt to nurse that little doll. Oh my god I just about died. At first she couldn't find the 'pieces' because she has no boobs. Sooo she felt around and decided somewhere between her chin and her belly button would do. I tried so hard not to giggle as she pretend to make baby suckling noises. She fell asleep that night 'nursing' baby. (ps...thanks to all my nursing mom friends that let Addison take very explicit lessons every time you come over. Clearly you are doing some thing right!)

So tonight we come home from The Old Country Buffet (yep-another buffet) and she decides baby is tired again. She picks her up, drops her off at Nana's house (her room) and proceeds to grab her purse, sunglasses, and fake credit card. Off she goes 'dancing' she says. Well, baby decides to pee 'all over Nana's cage (code for crib-because she says they look like the same things -- she has a point) so she ends her dance party and goes to grab baby. Baby ends up as a lovely accessory to the evening complete with wine glasses full of water and pearls. So cute. But then I wonder, is that she thinks I do when I drop her off at Nana's? I have no idea but I can tell all you all reading, I have not been dancing in a LONG time. Now the wine...that's a different story. Cheers!
To cool for school...

















With baby bottle in tow....

















And now with pearls and fake credit cards...

Tonight I took the time at bedtime and laid down with Will in his bed and we chatted. He loves to talk at night, at about Twilight, when he's calmed his mind and settling into a long nights sleep. I forget how much I love these talks. He's sweet, innocent, and genuine. He asks the cutest questions, shows me just how smart he really is, and opens my eyes to the mind of a 6 year and makes me love him despite the terrible last week we've had with him.

Tonight he explained fractions to me. He wanted a drink of water but of course we were all tucked in. I said yes, and he asked a for a full cup. I said half. He scurries off to the bathroom and then comes back to tell me he had 1/2 a cup plus 1/2 of a 1/2. Wait he says...that's 1/4. I had 1/2 plus 1/4. What's that equal I ask...silence while processing....3/4, 1/4 less than a whole. HUH? true, but almost too much to grasp before falling asleep.

He also had me sing Happy Birthday to his stuffed animal Moonkey who turned 1 yesterday. Yesterday was a bad day for Will and he went to bed without us singing Happy Birthday to Moonkey. He was devastated a cried himself to sleep with the song lingering on his tongue. So sweet that he's worried about a stuffed animal. How is the innocence of youth lost? It seems like it is something that we would want to hold on to as long as possible - cradle in our arms like a delicate baby.

I need to make it a priority to chat more often. I learn the most about my son during these chats and owe it to him (and myself).