Life as it happens with our three beautiful and adopted children, Shayla, Yamira and Manuel: Can't believe it is already Wednesday!

I am trying to remember back what we did the last few days. Sadly, I need to look at my calendar to remember.

On Friday, we had a plethora of opportunities. However, it was too much to try and do them all, so we did two activities. Bill and I drove to Lexington with the kids so that they could swim. Our friend Cari-Lynn teaches swim instructors and they needed some kids to teach. Mine were all too thrilled to help out. So they got to swim with an instructor for an hour. After leaving there, we came home and gave the kids lunch and had the two youngest nap. At 3:30 pm, we headed to Bemis Nursery in Spencer for an egg hunt. It was gorgeous out. Best weather for it. There we met Meri, Rebecca, Cari-Lynn, Janice and their kids. They searched for eggs and also took a great picture with the Easter bunny. We then headed home for dinner. It was a great day.

On Saturday it poured, so I scaled back everything we had to do. We went to Walgreens and had the kids sit with their Easter bunny for a picture. Scariest bunny ever. We met Ashly, Bobby and the kids there. It was nice to see them. We then headed to Lowes and Target. Pretty boring overall, but we needed to get some stuff. Ayi Meri stopped by to give the three kids a handmade basket. They are beautiful. I can't wait to get a bigger one that I can take out every year.

Sunday was Easter. Can't say that the day started off well at all. Bill got up with the kids and fed them. I got up shortly after to shower. Yamira comes up and says how much she loved her Easter basket. I was floored. Why would she have her Easter basket? Bill gave them to the kids. I was so angry. Like beyond angry. I held in my feelings for about an hour and then I just cried. I was so crushed that he would do that. That isn't like him. We never do anything without the other when it comes to something like this. I was positively crushed. We all ended up in tears. Ping was devastated that I was so unhappy. I quickly pulled it together for the sake of the children. We then jumped in the car as we were late at this point. We headed to Sarah and Brad's to visit for a short time. It was great to see them and her family. At 2:00 pm we headed to Donna's for dinner. Brad unfortunately had to work. However, we saw Nicole, Michael, Donna's mom and her mother's husband Bob. At 4:00 pm, Donna's friend Carol and her husband Bob came over for dessert with their sons Brian and Matthew. The kids did a little Easter egg hunt and got some Peeps from Ayi Donna and Uncle Brad. They were thrilled. Everyone had dessert and sat around and chatted. I even managed to have a tiny bit of cake. It was tiny, trust me. Donna had a birthday cake for me and Brian. Brian's birthday is the 24th and I am the 25th. After hanging around a little longer, I decided it was time to go. The behavior from the two youngest ones was less than decent. They were off the walls. So we needed to leave in order to leave Donna's house intact! Once home, the kids went straight to bed.

Monday was my birthday. Bill got a call on Sunday night asking if he would work at the station from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm and so he did. I was home alone with the kids. So I got the two girls to school and then came home and cleaned the dining room, the kitchen and the bathroom. I did a lot of other things as well. A lot of straightening and organizing. Not a bad day, but not a day I would suggest for your birthday. It is what it is, right? I took the girls to their swim lessons at 4:00 pm with Manny in tow. It's so boring for him and so hard for me to watch him while the girls are yelling "Look at me Mommy." We came straight home and I fed the kids and then took Ping to Daisies at the Old Stone Church. They had a special meeting there. Bill was driving by as I was dropping off Ping, so he jumped out to give Ping a kiss and walked her down to where everyone was while I sat in the car with the kids chatting with another mom. Bill went back to get Ping at 7:00 pm. Once home, all the children went to bed.

Yesterday was a good day. The sun was shining and Bill was home. I got up at 9 am because Bill took the girls to school. I showered and headed downstairs to find that Manny had gotten into the adoption party invitations and had ripped up a bunch. Needless to say, I was angry. He should not have been left alone. Bill left him while he went to pick up Yamira. He wasn't left alone as I was in the house. However, he was left alone in a room and that is never a good idea. He destroyed the invites and the stamps! UGH. Anyway, I redid the ones destroyed, did a few other things and headed out the door alone. I had errands to do and leaving the kids at home was perfect. You can move so much faster when three kids aren't in tow. Went to the dry cleaners, the bank, Walmart, FW Webb, Gyboree, Famous Footwear, Payless Shoes and then to the Greendale Mall. I didn't get everything done. I did the best I could, but ran out of time. Bill had training, so once home, I had the kids try on their new clothes and shoes I bought them so they could show Daddy and then off Daddy went. I brought the two younger ones upstairs and let Ping finish watching one of her favorite programs. She then came upstairs and they all went to sleep. Poor Manny coughed most of the night. I actually woke him to give him some cough medicine because he was thrashing around. I spent the rest of the night watching some TV.

Today I slept through my alarm. I woke up just in time to have Bill run the girls to school. He had a 9:00 am meeting to discuss future schooling anyway, so he had to be up. I got up and got ready and headed downstairs to get Manny his breakfast. Now I am home making calls, making out bills, catching up here and waiting for my contractor to arrive to go over a few things. After he leaves, I am hoping to run the rest of the errands I didn't get to do yesterday.

Well I better get moving if I want to get anything done. Have a great week. Check back soon for more adventures with the crazy Nicholson children!

Mama Out!!!!!!