Snow in April?!?!?! There were mixed feelings about it in our household yesterday. Here is Skylar's reaction...






























Bryant, however, had a totally different response. He goes outside to wait for the bus and just sits down in the snow and starts playing with it. Then he gets up and starts to throw snowballs with some coaching from his friend.































This week also marks the beginning of Skylar's prep for his surgery this summer. He goes in to the hospital on Wednesday to have a heart cath done. The results get presented at a conference with cardiologists and surgeons who will discuss what will need to be done for his heart and come up with some dates for the procedure. This surgery is supposed to be technically easier and less dangerous than the previous two, so you would think I wouldn't be very emotional about it. This time, though, I know who Skylar is, and I know his little personality. It is a little difficult to explain. For the past three years, I haven't really had to think about it, but now it's right on top of us and I can't ignore it anymore. So here goes! Skylar is so strong, and everything will probably be fine, but I've watched too many episodes of House to just sit back and relax. My Plan: get through the heart cath on Wednesday, get the date for the surgery, put it in my phone, forget about it until my reminder goes off the day before. Wish me luck!

Well, it's time to repent and begin anew. It's pretty sad if you have to go to your sister's blog (thanks Krista) to be able to get to your own because you have forgotten how to get to your own. And the reason I can get to hers is because I made it one of my "favorites" buttons/links. Make sense? It's not supposed to. But it works for me. I actually have a semi-valid reason for not posting. I lost our camera. Yes, we had just gotten a new camera. I was taking the kids to Bryant's t-ball game, and it got lost somewhere in between the van and the field. I searched and searched without any luck. So, now we have a new camera... again... and hopefully there weren't too many pictures on the one that was lost.

There have been a few changes this fall. Owynn has started first grade. The new school year was quite an adjustment for her. She came home crying the first couple days because it was just "so much sitting." (I personally think she was missing her naps.) Sorry about the sideways picture.

Bryant started kindergarten. I was concerned that it would be difficult for him. He just barely turned 5 before the school year started, but he loves it and seems to be doing well. I bought his backpack last year on clearance, and didn't think about how big it was. So, yes, his backpack really is that big, it's not some camera trickery.

Skylar is Skylar. If you didn't know his history, you wouldn't know anything was different about him. He keeps up with his big brother and sister and is always the first one up in the morning. He is finally starting to potty train. I had to force it on him. He's more than 3 now. It's time. He gets a sucker every time he keeps his diaper/underwear dry and goes in the toilet. Hence the blue lips in the photo. It is candy, not his heart making his lips blue this time! I was looking at pictures from his first surgeries, and it makes me glad that I have such a terrible memory. I think I try to block it most of the time because it is the one thing that always gets me to cry. I don't know why. Yes it was traumatic, but he did so well and he is doing so well. I just blame it on being a mom.

Taylor is growing up so fast... and at the same time so slow. It seems like he has been tearing things apart around the house for years! I keep waiting for the day that he understands that DVDs are best left on the shelf and not pulled out all over the floor. I was really lucky, I guess, that I didn't go through that with the other three (at least I don't remember it), but he is certainly making up for it! Taylor's loves right now are food (obviously) and water. He lets you know when it is meal time, and when he hears bath water starting, he is there trying to get in before I even get the temperature set.

I promise to try to better at keeping current with the blog. If for no other reason than the fact that I have to take pictures to put on the blog. I never think to take pictures. And that's pretty much the only thing I look at on other blogs, so I assume that's what you all will do at my blog. At least that is what I hope, since I am doing this at 1 in the morning... I will do better!

We like to go to the park a lot. The kids have so much energy! Except maybe for Taylor... At the time these were taken, we were phasing out his morning nap.

I can't remember if I posted this before or not, but I'm throwing it in again anyway... The kids love to play Just Dance on the wii. The videos are hilarious, but I haven't figured out how to get the videos from the new camera to work online yet... actually, just haven't tried it yet, and I don't want to take the time right now to do it. But the pictures are almost just as good!

Skylar wasn't too excited about adding Taylor to our family, but he has fully accepted his big brother roll now. He loves to get toys for Taylor and tries to make him laugh.

It's always fun to watch the kids learn new things. Skylar really loves trying to figure out puzzles and games. Taylor has learned to get around by arching and scooting on his back. Owynn is reading books all by herself now. They just grow up so fast.