May 1 ~ Today was a pretty eventful day.  I replaced the streamers on Nat's bicycle, so she was very pleased.  She rode all the way down to Dubuque Street on her bike while I pulled Kate in the wagon behind her.  She even remembered to stop for a car as it was pulling out of a driveway - good girl!  Our neighbors, Morgan and Macy, stopped by in the afternoon with May Day baskets (little cups filled with treats).

     Natalie started soccer tonight through Coralville Parks and Rec. This is her second spring trying out soccer. She is on team "Rapids" and wears kind of a turquoise green shirt. Craig ended up assisting the coach last year and was asked to help out again this year. He wasn't real interested in leading a team, but said he wouldn't mind assisting again. Well, we show up tonight and find out that the other dad "coaching" the team hadn't signed up to be a lead coach either.  The other father isn't real comfortable with his English...he's from another country and it totally escapes my mind now what country he is from. So Craig basically had to step up to the plate and agree to be the lead coach. Not a huge deal since it is only a six week commitment, but not something we were planning. This also means that I take care of the after game snack. No where is it written that we provide a snack, but most of the coaches do it for the kids. Edin (the guy coaching with us) and his wife, Melody, seem like a very nice couple. They have a little boy on the team named Fin and also a newborn - so in no way do I feel I could burden this new mommy with snack duty :)  Practice tonight consisted of mainly just getting to know the team and doing a few simple drills - no real gameplay. Just like last spring, there was lots of pushing and lots of talk about not using your hands with the ball. There seem to be a lot of shorter and younger kids on the team this year...sometimes I forget that Natalie has a late birthday and is kind of tall. It is going to be somewhat of a challenge entertaining Kate during these games. She wants to get out on the field with the big kids and get that ball!  We ran into many of Natalie's friends out on the soccer fields: Sam, Joey, Madeline, and Mara to name a few....but they are all on different teams. She was a little upset that she wasn't on their teams, but it is good for her to meet new people. After soccer, we celebrated with Dairy Queen ice cream!

 

May 2 ~ We had a lot of heavy rain and wind today - maybe even some hail early this morning (hard to tell). Natalie slept in pretty late.  We've been pretty busy lately, so I think she's just extra tired. Katie seems to be doing better today.  She has been teething and having all the wonderful side effects that come with that.  But we think we see two teeth coming through on the lower left and ride sides. 

 

May 3 ~ Craig attended a coding seminar at the University all day today. I wish I could give more details about that, but he is the computer whiz and most of the time I haven't the slightest idea what all that entails. All I know is that he loves what he does and I've heard he is pretty good at it. Poor Katie is still struggling with her teething issues. I ended up loading the kids into the car by late afternoon and just driving around for awhile. We weaved in and out of some of the nearby North Liberty and Coralville neighborhoods along Dubuque Street that I've never had the chance to explore. The girls were quiet and content just relaxing in the back seats with a dvd playing. It was a nice drive. We then made our way over to Sonic for "happy hour" half-priced drinks...Natalie likes trying all the different flavors of slushes, while Kate and I never stray from the cherry limeade!

 

May 4 ~ Parkview Preschool had their Spring Program and Open House this afternoon. It was a beautiful day and both Katie and Natalie wore new dresses/skirts. The program was really cute with lots of songs - the Tues/Thurs classes did Mr.Sun (while wearing shades!), The B-I-B-L-E, Monkeys and the Alligator, God Made Bugs, Singing in the Rain (which was hilarious!), The Blue Song, and Little Me/Jesus Loves Me (very sweet). Nat is usually a little performer by nature, but was slightly shy during the singing. I am noticing lately that she tries really hard to be friends...what I mean is that she is really friendly, but sometimes it is in a loud way - both in voice and in body anguage. Many of the kids in her class are much more reserved, so I think it catches them off-guard a bit. It is hard when I see a peer just ignore her or walk away from her.  I think the main reason that happens is that they don't know how to take her "excitedness". I just hope it doesn't squash her friendly and loving spirit. At the program, Angela Wildes talked about how much the teachers at the preschool genuinely love our kids. I've seen it firsthand and I am so happy that Natalie is attending the preschool at Parkview. The teachers are so wonderful. And I feel like Natalie is really getting a good balance of learning, socialization, and spiritual guidance.

 

May 7 ~ I had both a regular choir rehearsal and an ensemble rehearsal this evening. So the girls spent time in the nursery with Holly for the choir portion, and then Craig was able to come pick them up after golf during the ensemble portion.  I am really glad it worked out that smoothly - sometimes it is difficult to juggle. I am so excited to be singing with a small group of all ladies this Sunday on Mother's Day!  We are doing four songs in the chapel. I am writing this journal entry way later than the actual date, so I can't remember exactly who all partcipated...but I do know that I sang with Hyo Arnold on the soprano part and also got to sing with Rita...love singing with those ladies!  It was a really good rehearsal - a little bit challenging (which I need sometimes) and I was thrilled by how our voices blended together. The last song we practiced was Grace Alone and it was so beautiful that I just walked to my car after all was done and just wept. The very last line we sing is "We will go forth in grace alone..." and it just trails off and is so lovely.

 

May 8 ~ Took some pictures of Natalie in her soccer uniform today since we won't be at practice next week for the professional photos.  Nattie happens to have a mandatory dress rehearsal to attend for dance class that same night.  Nat was thrilled to be able to do more than just drills tonight at soccer...though she was upset with herself for not making any goals.  She said to me after the game "Mom, I lose -ed at soccer."  It was so darling, but so sad.  So we had the big talk about how it was more important to just do your best and have fun.  As for coaching?  Well, I continue to be amazed at how some parents behave.  Last year we had a little parent-complaint incident that I wrote about.  Now tonight we had a mom who was upset because her child kept running off the field and she expected Craig to chase after him each time.  Are you kidding me?  The coaches have a dozen kids to keep track of...he is there to coach soccer - not to be a babysitter. Geesh.

 

May 10 ~ Craig has been in the habit lately of taking Natalie and Katelyn with him to run errands once in awhile. Sometimes he'll take both kids and sometimes he'll take just one.  Usually it is to places like Menards or Lowes or the grocery store.  I love it because it is good for everyone in the family.

 

May 11 ~ Happy Mother's Day!!  Our small group of ladies sang in the chapel for services this morning and it was a wonderful time!  I strongly felt the Lord guiding us through these songs and making himself known in that room. It was one of those mornings of singing when I felt totally filled up inside by God because I had poured all I had out in worship.  I don't know if that makes sense, but it does to me. Our ensemble sang four songs: Great Is the Lord, You Are My All In All ("when I am down You pick me up...when I am dry You fill my cup!"), Amazing Grace, and Grace Alone. Craig was asked to drive bus for the college crowd today, so we found a way to work that into our schedule. Natalie got to ride along - Katie ran the church halls with me when I wasn't singing and was in the nursery otherwise. After church our family had Olive Garden for lunch.  Yum - one of Mom's favorites!  Kate chowed down on the breadsticks :)  Craig and the girls showered me with gifts after lunch. A pretty potted plant that has purple flowers (tag says it is called a "Blue Wave"), a couple of Bible study books, and a fantastic framed photo of my daughters - a silver frame that says "Mom" and quotes Proverbs 31:10,28: "She is worth more than precious rubies. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her."  Craig did a great job!

 

May 13 ~ Natalie went on a field trip during preschool today!  The whole class got to ride an Iowa City Transit bus through the bus wash. She said it was pretty cool. Kate and I took the dogs to their vet appointment. That was a little too brave of me...I think I may do it differently next time. Two hyper dogs and one hyper toddler is quite the mix!

 

May 14 ~ The Essingtons had another really full day today. Craig took the day off work and we took the kids to see Sesame Street Live over in Cedar Rapids!  They had no idea that they were going there - and they are too young to be tipped off by the fact that I put brand new hair ties in their hair that had Sesame Street characters on them. The show was a ton of fun...I grew up loving Sesame Street, Nat loves it as well, and Kate is absolutely obsessed with Elmo. Natalie was smiling from the very beginning, but it took Katie awhile to warm up. Soon they were both clapping along to the music and spunky characters. We picked some really good seats, too. Sometimes the characters would come out and interact with the audience. Grungetta (basically a female Oscar the Grouch) came over to us and totally scared Katelyn. Natalie also got to touch Grover and Zoe. The girls shared some cotton candy and we bought them this Elmo toy that spins and lights up. At the end of the show they popped off a bunch of paper streamers - the girls had a blast with that. My favorite part was when the characters all sang Sing, Sing a Song...both Katie and Nattie know that song by heart and it was neat to see them sing along. After the show we drove over to CiCi's and had pizza and all the goodies there. 

     Even after our long afternoon, Craig still had golf league and I had choir rehearsal. I dressed the kids in their pajamas (I've been doing that lately) and they had fun in the nursery with Holly. We cut practice short in order to have a little going away reception for the Durlams. This was Eryn's last night playing piano for us - she and her family are moving to Michigan. I went ahead and relieved Holly of her duties so she could enjoy some cake and fellowship with everyone. Of course, my girls were happy to join in as well :)  Any time is a good time for cake.

 

May 15 ~ Natalie had a dress rehearsal tonight to prepare for tomorrow's dance recital. She has been taking a dance class through the recreation department here in North Liberty, but the dance studio that runs the class is actually based out of Washington, Iowa. So we had to travel out to Washington for both the rehearsal and recital. It's about 45 minutes away from where we live - at least we don't do it all the time and it is a nice leisurely drive. Craig stayed home with Katie tonight...it was kind of nice to be able to spend some time focusing on Natalie. All of the little girls spent time just familiarizing themselves with the stage and going over their positions and such. It was so neat seeing Nat up on the big stage just as cool as a cucumber (oh, to be a child again and have no fear)!  After rehearsal we watched a few of the older girls practice a bit. Then we just took our time getting changed downstairs. There was a huge wall of mirrors down in the dressing/waiting area for girls to practice in front of. Natalie was just mesmerized by these mirrors and spent a good chunk of time just dancing and jumping in front of them. I was able to capture some really good photos. Seeing her do that makes me think that maybe I'll look into getting her into a real studio this fall. A parks and rec class is totally fine for checking out dancing for the first time, but if she is really "into it" I'd like her to be some place where they have mirrors, barres, a real dance floor, and plenty of space to move around. Rec Center can only provide a closet-sized bare room. After rehearsal Nat and I shared a meal together at the local McDonalds there in Washington. It was a really nice night.

 

May 17 ~ Natalie's first dance recital!  Craig's parents arrived last night so they could see Natalie dance this weekend. I got up this morning and went around the corner to the local flower shop to pick out a few flowers for our little ballerina girl :) I chose three carnations that were various shades of pink and some baby's breath. I dressed Nat in her costume, pulled her hair back in a bun, and then we all headed out to Washington to the community theater there. Parents were told beforehand that once we got to the recital hall we were to bring our child down to the basement area and that they would basically be down there during the entire recital. I was a little nervous about that since it was such a long afternoon of many performance numbers, but ultimately felt that Natalie would be fine. The community center was packed with parents and other audience members there to watch the show. I am really glad my inlaws were there - not only to see their firstborn grandbaby dance, but to also help distract Katelyn!  Katie behaved really well for the most part, but did get antsy near the end. She did enjoy the majority of the dancing and music. And she was a cutie - I had put her in this sweet little girly dress that I had run across at Goodwill...it had lots of pink flowers on it and ruffles. Anyway...back to talking about the recital :)  Natalie's class performed to a rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. At that age they have the teacher up there modeling the movements for them and also an assistant teacher (Macie Claude for Nattie's class). Then later on in the show, Natalie's class did a class presentation. This is where each girl in the class gets to cross the stage on her own...they get to express themselves through dance a little more freely during this brief time. It's neat because then you get to see each dancer's individual character a bit. Nattie did an awesome job crossing the stage and I'm so proud of her - it's a big stage for a four year old to cross all by herself! At the end of the recital, each dancer was given a little trophy for participating...the little girls were not expecting that and they were so excited! One of my favorite moments of the whole day happened right after the dancers were dismissed from the recital. I suggested that Craig be the one to go right up to Nattie and present her with her flower bouquet. It was so beautiful watching my big, strong man bend down and hand those flowers to his baby girl. I can't be sure that her young mind will remember it later on down the line, but I sure will.

     After the recital we all stopped for milkshakes and then went home and had some dinner together. Later that evening, Craig and I went out while Mom and Dad Essington took care of the kids. A work buddy of Craig's, Greg Farris, threw a party downtown Iowa City at The Old Brick Church. I was able to meet a few people that Craig has been working with lately. There was good conversation, lots of laughs, and delicious appetizers and drinks. It was cool because Greg and his wife had the party merely to celebrate the fact that they'd been having a good year. It was nice to just hang out on an adult level for the night.

 

May 18 ~ Craig, his parents, the girls, and I all attended church in the morning. Choir sang in the main worship center - we sang Beautiful One, Our God Saves, Jesus the Name High Over All, Offering, and We are Yours. Absolutely love the last lines in Jesus the Name that say "Happy if with my latest breath, I may but gasp His name. Preach Him to all and cry in death, 'Behold, behold the Lamb!'" I get choked up almost every time I sing those lines. While I sang the last service of the morning, Craig and the grandparents brought the girls into the atrium for Family Connection. This was the first time Craig's parents got to see this particular ministry in action. After church we all had lunch at Old Country Buffet followed by play time there at the mall play area. The girls spent time out in the backyard before Craig's parents left for Illinois. Sandbox, bubbles, swingset...all that good stuff. Katie is now trying to climb the ladder that goes up to the swingset. She has such determination and doesn't like to have too much help. I'm going to have to watch her like a hawk from this point on!  It makes me feel anxious thinking about how high up that swingset is from the ground. Natalie now tells us what she wants to be when she grows up...as of right now she desires to be a firefighter, a doctor, and a ballerina. She says she does not want to be a teacher - don't ask me why, but this is what she has come up with :)

 

May 19 ~ Katie had her 18 month well-baby exam this afternoon. She did an awesome job showing Dr. Miller what a big girl she is!  Katelyn is now 33 1/4 inches tall (95%) and weighs 25 pounds (70%). She is starting to slim down quite a bit since she is on the go all the time :) 

     Natalie is learning at preschool about how Jesus had fed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. She was so excited when she told me all about it - she said "There were five breads, 2 fishes, and fifty pounds of people!"...I had to try hard not to laugh at the "fifty pounds of people" part. Oh, how I love that little girl!

 

May 20 ~ I got a lot accomplished today!  Dropped Natalie off at school, successfully made it to the grocery store, and cooked a meal and dessert for a family at church that just had a baby.

     Craig, the girls, and I spent the evening over at the mall. We had dinner at Chick-fil-A followed by running off energy in the play area. Ran into Matt Hudson and his daughter while there. Katelyn is getting pretty good at climbing some of the play structures. She's not into going down the large slide right now, but does love to go on the smaller one. She also enjoys hanging like a monkey on the railings at the entrance...just like Nat did when she was tiny. 

 

May 21 ~ We've been playing out in our backyard a lot lately. Katelyn can be quite the little stinker, I tell ya!  Every time I turn my back she is throwing sand or trying to eat rocks. And she has no fear when it comes to our swingset - she climbs right up the ladder and stands way up high near the edge. Makes me nervous!  Katie now also says "bubbles".

 

May 22 ~ Today was the last day of preschool for this year. Wow, it has just flown by so fast!  It was a double fun day for Miss Nattie as it was also her turn for "Special Day". She brought in a bunch of her toy ponies and I let her wear her pink sparkly dress-up shoes for share time. Some of the teachers, parents, and children met after school at Lower City Park for an end of the year celebration. We brought sack lunches and the kids played for awhile before it started to rain. Natalie spent the majority of her time chasing little boys around the playground (imagine that!). Katie went up and down all the playground ramps and steps and slid down the twisty slide with Mommy many times.

     Natalie had soccer in the early evening. She is doing an excellent job dribbling the ball - I'm pretty impressed!  Katie had a little accident during soccer practice. I feel really bad about it because I could have been watching her better. Kate likes to do everything that Sissy does, so she ran out into the field while all the teams were out there playing. I didn't get to her in time and Craig didn't see her and backed up into her. Well, shortly after that happened I noticed that Katie was having trouble putting weight on her foot. After a bit she even started crying about it. I waited to tell Craig until practice was done and we decided to head over to the emergency room at Mercy. They examined her leg, ankle and foot and took an x-ray. Thankfully, they didn't see any kind of damage. We had planned to leave pretty soon after soccer to go to Illinois for the weekend. Even though the ER visit wasn't terribly long, we still did not arrive at Craig's parents' house until about 1am.