Wow, I think that I have our daily life running like a well oiled machine and then it seems we go into warp speed mode and I am barely keeping up.
To our family to have called in the past couple of days and we haven't returned your calls.....I am so so sorry, here is an update on us and why we are so busy.
Chris-There is no way to explain in words the triple portion that is on his plate right now. He has Averaged 3-4 hours a sleep a night for the past 2 months. He is working harder and longer than I would believe it possible for a human being to work. Lets just say that in addition to everything he always does there is more now than usual and he is also finishing his dissertation so he can graduate with his doctorate in April. Dr. Bray......I will be so proud of him and the years of work that he has put in. He is my hero!!
ME-My plate is covered with all the yummy things that my kids and husband put on there. It is a buffet of running caring, kissing, hugging, talking, LISTENING, and loving. Then in addition, you will usually find me sitting in bed at night reading, editing, and helping refine my husbands work. This often wraps up around 1 or 2 am. Last night I worked on editing his most recent 40 pages but fell asleep with 10 pages to go around 1:30 am. This will be a joyous memory when I look back, right now we are just really really tired.
This is where my life goes into warp speed. THE GIRLS!
Chloe-This whole year she has been taking piano and working hard with school. Well, she decided that she wants to try out for the High School pom squad. She has no dance experience so suddenly she is taking 2 private lessons a week in preparation for tryouts in 3 weeks. Tennis started this week and she made the school tennis team, practice twice a week. She made honor society and has been asked to be the keynote student speaker and has to prepare a speech. School talent show tryouts are this week and she is furiously writing a new song to be performed, in addition she has rehearsals for a comedy sketch she is part of. She also has a major piano recital at the university in 2 weeks and she will loose her cell phone if she doesn't keep her grades up. I am the one driving her to all these places so I basically live in the car. Wow, I feel stressed out for her.
Chloe-This whole year she has been taking piano and working hard with school. Well, she decided that she wants to try out for the High School pom squad. She has no dance experience so suddenly she is taking 2 private lessons a week in preparation for tryouts in 3 weeks. Tennis started this week and she made the school tennis team, practice twice a week. She made honor society and has been asked to be the keynote student speaker and has to prepare a speech. School talent show tryouts are this week and she is furiously writing a new song to be performed, in addition she has rehearsals for a comedy sketch she is part of. She also has a major piano recital at the university in 2 weeks and she will loose her cell phone if she doesn't keep her grades up. I am the one driving her to all these places so I basically live in the car. Wow, I feel stressed out for her.
Olivia-She has also been busy with piano and keeping grades high so she can keep that beloved cell phone. A few months ago she went with a friend to her tumbling class. Olivia took gymnastics when she was little but hasn't really kept up with it. Well, she went to this class and the coach had her try a few things and then by the end of the class he called me and asked her to be on the advanced cheer team. This is a huge honor as everyone on the team has been doing cheer and gymnastics for years and had to try out to be on the team. After only 2 practices she had all the tumbling passes down and is fabulous. She has practice twice a week for 3 hours. They have had 3 cheer competitions in which they have taken first place and now are invited to worlds in May. She also has auditions for the school talent show and is trying to write a new song for it. She also has piano lessons with recital at the university in two weeks.
Elle-She decided that cheer is really cool so now she is taking a cheer class in addition to piano (we have made piano mandatory in our house). Thank heaven she is only 7 so those 2 things are it!! She is just an absolute joy in every way!
Ava- Well, she keeps me busy watching her dance routines. Oh this may sound simple but they are ENDLESS and constant and she needs me to sit and watch them all. Oh how I love this little sponge cake with her huge dimple. I make such a huge deal about her dimple....."Ava, come here, I want to kiss your dimple" that is pretty standard. Well yesterday she announced very loudly to everyone "I HATE MY DIMPLE" All of us immediately groaned...."oh no Ava, your dimple is sooooooo awesome....we LOVE it!!" She likes it today.
It is a blessing to be busy, I just have very little time to write on my blog or read others blogs. I will have to catch up in a few weeks when a few things clear off my schedule. 
9 comments:
You have an amazing family! I can't get over how talented they all are.
Gale good things come from all that hard work. I know you have seen that already. One day this will all feel so worth every sacrifice and effort you and Chris have made. I adore your family and I'm super proud of all that you, Chris and your children are accomplishing! WOW!!
That said I wish I was close and could help you out with some of that driving! ;)
Sometimes you amaze me. I would love to just sit down with you, no kids or husbands, and just visit. I feel sometimes like I fall so far short of the mark and you just keep inspiring me.
I keep starting to say something and then erasing it.
Just...thanks.
looks, brains, righteousness and blogging... why havent you been translated yet? :)
Oh Ashley I would feel horrible if anything on my blog made you feel that you were falling short of the mark. I read your blog, you are an amazing mother of 5 small children. I am in awe of what you have on your plate. In my life I have spent way too much wasted energy feeling that I didn't measure up. I came to understand that you are good enough just as you are and it is the point that you come to really comprehend that when you will be at peace and fullfill your potential. You are too amazing to feel you fall short. I know this. If you and I did sit down and talk you would leave with this wisdom knowledge, that am a Mom in an often messy house that has no decorating style or finesse with fighting kids and lots of mayhem. If my post portends otherwise don't be fooled. I think we will meet someday and have that visit!
You're so sweet. I didn't mean that you're blog made me feel bad- it makes me feel GOOD! It reminds me that it can be done! I'm still working on knowing that what I am is good enough. Some days I feel like a great wife and mom, and others I think "what on earth am I doing?". I'm sure everyone feels that way sometimes. My problem, I think, is that I want to be all things, and so I'm often "nothing". Does that make sense? You said something about scrapbooking that hit me. You said "I don't scrapbook....I know my limits." That's just it-I still try to pretend I don't have limits. But because really I do, I end up not being able to do any of it. If I could learn to focus on what really matters and not so much on all of the fluff I would feel much better. That's what your blog helps me do. That's why I say thanks!
I just wanted to chime in that I too am amazed at how talented your family is, and how you manage to keep it all together. Thanks for the update - loved reading it. :)
Hi! I found your blog through C Jane and you have the most beautiful family. I just want to let you know that if your husband plans on becoming a professor after finishing his Ph.D. that the long hours will not stop. My husband is a professor and it is he is always in the publish or perish mode, but the trade off is job security once you get tenure. Good Luck! When my husband was in school our motto was a finished disertation is a good disertation. We saw so many people never get to the finish line because they were always hung up on trying to make it a master piece.
How do you have time to breathe? What fun though! Your girls are beautiful. Tell Chloe good luck with tryouts! I remember those days. The Pom squad is the best! :)
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