Back in the saddle again

Well, after a few months of neglect my beautiful and very funny sister-in-law has motivated me to get back to blogging. I figure since most of the people I know do not live anywhere near me, I should probably stay on top of it so you all call see what's been going on here in the lives of the Smith family. So, here is another attempt. Check back often...I will be better at keeping up with it. I promise.

So, we are FINALLY, starting to feel settled here in Bourbonnais Illinois. It has only taken six months. Since I last wrote here's what's happened...

Aria has started talking up a storm, she has discovered swimming and loves it, and she tries to ride on Micah's skateboard whenever she gets the chance. She is growing up at a breakneck speed and weekly I get "baby fever". I can't imagine what it will be like NOT to have a baby in the house. My friends who have children who are older all say that I will love it, but there is an element of grief for me. Of course then I think about how much easier life is getting. She's down to one nap a day, eating regular table food, she sleeps through the night (most of the time), she plays on her own and with Isabella and Micah so I have time to clean up my house, and we feel for the first time in a year that we can take a 10 hour car trip with all three kids and be alright. So, am I crazy for wanting more? Probably so.

Micah...oh what can say about Micah. Well, since I last wrote he's knocked out his front tooth riding his Razor Scooter. He fell and the handle bar hit him in the mouth and knocked it out. Then a week later we were on some biking trails and he was riding his scooter and he got to going too fast down a hill and wiped out. Fortunately nothing was broken but he did have a nasty cut and bruise on his elbow. The great thing about it was that after he calmed down he said to me, "Mom that was so cool. You should have had your video camera." He's ALL boy.

Isabella is my beautiful drama queen. In the fall she will be auditioning for the first time for a part in Tom Sawyer at the Kankakee Valley Children's Theater and then next spring she wants to audition for Mulan. This excited me because this is something that I really want to do too but never had the courage. She is motivating me to audition this winter for Footloose, which was one of my favorite movies as a teenager.

Michael is doing really well and just loving his job. And while we miss Texas moving up here has been great for our family. Last night, Michael had to work late so he wasn't home for dinner and Aria stood at the front window calling "DAAADDDYYY!" It was so cute. Then Isabella said, "Daddy's not home yet. He missed dinner. What will he eat?" It's just great that because he's here so much now that they "expect" him, and when he's not here, they miss him. I just love it.

Well, that's all for now. Check back in a few days.