Growing up!

The big news around here is that our oldest - Laura just learned how to ride a bike! It's so fun to see your kids learn something. I sat outside with the biggest grin on my face watching her, and of course even though it makes me so proud, there's a voice in the back of my mind freaking out because next thing I turn around she's going to be getting her drivers license.

I will share a "learning how to ride a bike Campbell process". I don't know if others try this, or if my dad is really that much of a genious, but he taught myself and my sisters how to ride a bike, and we all have passed it down to our kids. It sounds crazy, but all you do, is take the training wheels off the bike, AND the pedals. It forces the child to first learn balance. They just skoot with their feet, and little by little they get braver, and once the balance is mastered the pedals go back on and they just ride off! Funny enough, they actually make bikes now without pedals called training bikes for like $200 lol. My dad should have patented that idea. We let Laura just coast around for about week before the pedals went on, but once they did she just took off! We are now working on Rachel. I figure in a few weeks we will be hitting up the bike shop soon to get them some big girl bikes =)

Video 1 shows Laura coasting during the learning process:



Video 2 is her doing the real deal!

Happpy Easter!

Giles Family Confessions...

*Dave came home from work yesterday morning, saw a turtle in the yard, and wanted to show us all when I came home from work. He put it in a cardboard box outside, and in the evening when he went to show us the turtle was dead. He swears it was alive when he put it in the box. Poor guy was so excited for the kids to see it, but instead now we have to have a funeral for it lol.

*I had a dinner out with friends yesterday, and I got there early so I went in Ann Taylor Loft attempting to find a dress for Easter for myself. No bueno. I usually love Ann Taylor Loft, but everything in there was just not me. AND all of their dresss looked like something you would wear as a beach cover up. This either means, 1. I waiting entirely too long to find a dress or 2. I am really old and unfashionable. Either way I am not going to hunt around anymore, I will just wear something I already have. All that matters is that my girls will be looking cute in their new dresses.

*Last year I discovered Chipotle. They have the yummiest food! Prior to that I was watching Oprah, and the man who started it was on, and they were talking about how everything is organic and high quality, etc etc. So I reasoned that because of that everything was calorie/fat free, and proceeded to eat giant burritos for lunch every day for a week. While on my latest diet mission I am not going near that place.

*I have plans to force my husband into playing cornhole with me all weekend long if the weather will work with me. Friday it's going to be coldish, so Saturday better be fantastic!

*I am having a debate with myself if I should get my older two new bikes now, or wait until Christmas. They have bikes now, but Rachel's is getting too small for her. Her legs are crazy long. Part of me thinks that I need to wait until they can ride a bike without training wheels, and part of me feels I need to give in and get them new bikes now. In all honesty they probably could learn to ride without training wheels this summer as I was this age when I learned, and my nephews learned younger then that so it can be done. But the thing is after buying cheap bikes for them from Target and what not, we have seen first hand that the quality is crap. They really need new bikes now, but the nice ones from bike shops cost more, and I rather spend more money on something like that at Christmas or birthday, but then again those holidays are in winter, and who really wants to ride bikes in winter? And no the Easter bunny is not buying bikes for Easter. Let's not set the bar that high for future Easters....

*Despite my toe nail looking all pitiful from the the chair injury, I am going to have to give in and get a pedicure soon, as I can not take having Fred Flinstone feet any longer. This gives me anxiety, as I know all the workers in there are going to have a field day talking about my toe in their native languages.

Goal update...

I just have to brag a little that as of today I am 11 lbs down, so I met my goal and a little extra =) I hope to get more off soon =)

Weekend wrap up

Another busy weekend has come and almost gone! Saturday Emily had her first gymnastics class! She's in a mommy and me class. She had a lot of fun, and was a little monkey on the bars. Since I was helping her in the class (meaning keep her from running and jumping off of something)I wasn't able to take any pictures during the class, but I grabbed one of her while we were waiting for class to start!


After gymnastics, we headed up to the ballfield as Laura had a t-ball game. Laura was more confident during this game, and seemed to really enjoy herself.


After the game the girls were really excited as they had planned a fun night at their grandparents house. Dave and I were pretty excited to, as we got to have a date night with just us. We didn't do anything too exciting- we just went out for Mexican, and saw a movie. We ended up seeing Scream 4. I really enjoyed the movie. I saw all of the Scream movies in the theatres, so it brings back a lot of memories. It's always so hard to figure out who the killer is in those movies, or at least I always think it is.

It seems any date night we have, we always end up at Target at some point, as it's a chance for us to do some quick shopping without the kiddos. It was perfect timing for us to gather some items to finish up their Easter baskets as well.

Today we slept in, went to church and met the girls there, ran a few errands, and the rest of the day I have spent it doing laundy and weeding the flower beds. Our washing machine is still awaiting a part... we thought it would be in by friday, but of course it's not here yet. The laundry is piled up beyong belieft now, so I had to give in and use my mom's machine to get some stuff done. Mr. repair man better show up Monday.

Friday!

I know for a fact my weekend shall be awesome, despite a crazy week! The girls have been busy, Rachel started gymnastics again, Laura had her first Tball game last night, and Emily and I will start our mommy and me gymnastics class tomorrow.

So Laura survived her first t-ball game. She's a funny one, she is still as shy as she can be out there. She says she likes it, and she really has a lot of fun practicing at home, and showing her sisters what to do. But once she's out on the field with her team she freezes up. She hates being the center of attention, and apparently she feels like everyone is watching her out there. She had fun, though and it was hilarious to watch all these little kids play.

I am spending my day cleaning up this house as best I can, praying the washing machine repair man will hurry up and call saying a part we need is in, and enjoying some time outside in this pretty weather!

I try to keep it real on here and talk about my good days and bad days. It was a bad day. Work was rather annoying. Wish I could go into more detail, but I don't trust myself to be nice, and I am not exactly looking to be fired without a back up plan.

Besides work stress I got into a religion fight late last week, which was very interesting. Again, I can't even talk about it on here because I just don't want to argue about it anymore as the fight got pretty nasty, and some feelings were hurt. Side note I am still going to church during Lent, and I am learning I really like the church and the religion. I also believe in God, but pretty much someone told me I was going to hell because I didn't agree with them on a issue. Oh goodness things got pretty ugly.

I have to admit I am also easily upset here lately with Dave working nights it's a bit crazy, and I am working hard to lose weight, so lack of eating like a pig is making me a bit cranky too.

Circus 2011

Last night the whole family ventured out to the Circus! This was Emily's first time and she did so good! Before the show you can go down to the floor and meet some of the people and get in some mini performances. The girls met some clowns, and performers, saw and Elephant up close, and got tatoos.

The girls stayed entertained by the show since it's so quick moving, and also a bucket of popcorn and snow cones does wonders to keep them in their seats and excited! It was a great show, and I know we will be heading back again next year for sure!

Blurb Post

*I have been working hard on my April goals. As of today I have made a good size dent in my goal to lose 10 lbs this month. This excites me greatly.

*I also started to tackle the girls clothes. I look forward to this and dread it. I love to go through their things and remember when they wore it, etc, etc. But it is so time consuming, as I have to figure out if any of the three can still wear something, and if they can't then I either put it in a pile to take to a consignment shop, donate, or give to someone I know. Also, I always have items that need to be tossed out as for some reason I'll go to put things in storage that look fine, but apparently sitting for a while stains will become more prominent. Does that happen to anyone else? Of course I also have a storage tote in which I put in special items, that I will refuse to part with, and even showed Dave the tote today, and told him if I die before him he has to promise to make sure the girls get it. Basically the items in there are dresses hand smocked by my mom, baptism gowns for all three, clothes they wore home from the hospital, little newborn hats, first Christmas dresses, and other clothing items that tug at my heart with major memories. I want my girls to have the items to put their daughters or granddaughters in some day.

*We are all heading to the Circus this weekend, and we are all excited! This will be Emily's first time, and Laura and Rachel's 2nd.

*I simply love this warmer weather and being able to get outside with the girls and play. It also means we're getting close to the pool opening up. The girls ask me every day if they it's opened up yet. I might make a pool count down chart for them.

*I am stressing out about my big toe. Basically back in January Rachel knocked a kitchen stool over on my toe, and I thought I was going to pass out from the pain. The toe nail turned black in about 3 minutes, and it hurt so bad. I ended up going to urgent care on a weekend to see if it was broke. It wasn't broke, but the doctor had to release the pressure by taking a hot tool thingy that basically made a hole in the nail to release the blood and pressure. That didn't hurt, and I basically got relief right away. HOWEVER, the doctor warned me the nail would probably fall off. It didn't exactly fall off, the new nail sorta grew under the groddy one, and it's growing slow as mess. I have attempted to cut off the old one as much as I can, but basically the whole nail is a mess. This pretty much troubles me greatly though as I want a pedicure so freaking bad, and if I just get one anyways and tell Mr. Pedicure man to keep away from the nasty toe, I will look like a idiot with one janky toe. Don't even get me started on my new fear to wear flip flops as I don't want anyone to see it. Sorry for grossing you all out.

* I have almost finished up my first year in the Junior League, and I really glad I did that this year. I have met a lot of awesome people, let's face it, after school and college, it's hard to really meet people. I learned a lot this year, got to volunteer for great purposes, and had fun and made friends in the process.

First Busch Visit of 2011

This morning we packed some tennis shoes, and after church we just kept driving to Busch Gardens! I was smarter this year, and got the kiddos free preschool passes for this season. They are free, which are awesome! The passes Dave and I have don't expire for another month, but we plan to renew them. It ended up being such a pretty day, and pretty much everyone else in the area had the same idea as it was crowded! Or at least crowded to me....We spent most of our time in the Sesame Street area, and then walked through the other areas and then took a train ride. Laura and Rachel continue to be thrill seekers on the rides, and Emily wants to do the big girl rides so bad...She was able to do Elmo's Spire, and do the balloon ride. Next time I think we will check out land of the dragon's a little more. All in all it was a good day!

March goal recap and setting April goals...

So my March goals got accomplished- I stocked up like crazy for spring and summer clothes for the kiddos, AND got all the photo's that needed framing. I wasn't able to really find a frame I was in love with for my P. Buckley Moss print,so I just used a frame I had in the house until I find something better. Honestly I probably should get that one professional framed, but I am not willing to pay out a lot on that right now. The important thing is it's finally framed after like almost 4 years (hangs head in shame).
I had added another goal to do the pansies in a strawberry pot, but our weather has been pretty crummy since I made that goals, so it has not happend. So that leads me to my April goals:
1. Do the Pansy thing asap when the weather turns around.
2. Drop 10 lbs asap. So I know this is a lot to lose in one month but it can be done. I just have to get serious, and quit eatting crap.
3.Get the kiddos closets ready for warmer weather. This depends on the weather cooperating. I have their new stuff in closets already, but I need to see if anything fits them from last year, and of course see what Emily can use. This will be a serious pain the the butt and require several hours. I am alreeady dreading it.
4. Continue to go to church every Sunday during Lent. I have to admit the kids are really enjoying it, and I am getting a lot of it as well.
5. Start planning a list of stuff to do with the kids this summer. They get out of preschool next month for the summer, and I want to start planning some fun stuff to do on weekends and my fridays, and some stuff Dave can do with them when he's off during the week. =)

That is quite a bit, but hopefully I will be motivated to tackle everything. It's going to be rought as we are about to start up on gymnastics and Laura's tball will be in full swing as well. Here's hoping the warmer weather will give me some energy.