A Little of This and That in May

I think most people will agree with me that May is, in general, a busy month. And it definitely was for us this year. There were end-of-the-school-year activities, holidays, birthdays, family get-togethers, and summer kick-offs. This month found us:

Listening . . . to all fourteen of my piano students play in the spring recital. I think this was maybe the best recital I've ever had. All of them played well, but some of them really hit it out of the park and completely impressed me.

Enjoying . . . the best Mother's Day of my life. Read more about it here.

Experiencing . . . some volatile spring weather. It hasn't really been dangerous like other parts of the country (thank goodness), but more than half the month was cool and rainy and stormy. Not what I usually expect in May.

Obsessing . . . over golf. Not me, but all of the boys. They've been practicing in the front yard and down in the basement. They loved watching the movie, The Greatest Game Ever Played. We took them miniature golfing, and even Clark did the entire course two times. Mike even started a new diet called the "I'd Rather Be Golfing Diet."

Laughing . . . or, if I'm being honest, sometimes yelling at Clark. This kid's personality is just bursting out of him, and half of the time it's delightful, but the other half makes me want to rip out my hair. He has pulled the plants out of the flower pots so many times, I've lost count, but how do you convince a two-year-old to stop?

Reading . . . on my new kindle! I've been holding out for a long time, but I finally conceded that there might be a few situations when a kindle would actually come in handy and perhaps even be more convenient than a real book. I promise I'm still on Team Paper Pages though.

Attempting . . . our anniversary trip to Lava Hot Springs for the second time. And . . . success! No stomach bug, and we enjoyed every minute of the drive, the bed and breakfast, the food, the river, and the hot springs. (We stayed at Lion's Gate Manor, if you're curious, and I would highly recommend it.)

Acquiring . . . a library card for Max. He has been begging for one for months, and finally one evening, we just did it. He acts very much like it's his ticket to life, and I can't say I disagree with him.

Listening . . . to Clark sing. Maybe it's because none of the other boys were early singers, but I just think it's the cutest thing ever. His favorite songs are "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and, embarrassingly, Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off."

Celebrating . . . Aaron's last day of school. It was truly an excellent year for him, and I'm proud of the good student he has become.

Feeding . . . Clark. He wants to eat all the time, and I am not okay with being a 24-hour snack bar. We've been setting some boundaries, but the kid is so independent, he often just helps himself.

Going . . . on a field trip to the farm for the last day of preschool. Out of all the preschool co-ops I've been a part of, I think this year might have been my favorite one. There was just a great connection between this little group of kids. I hope they continue to be friends.

Blabbing . . . with Suzanne about A Man Called Ove. We had some technical difficulties, and then even once we recorded it, most people were not able to view the video, but I think we finally got it straightened out. You can watch it here.

Neglecting . . . our garden. Not intentionally, but every weekend seemed to pass without planting anything. We're still hoping to get in a few things, but I guess we'll have to buy bigger plants to make up for the lost time.

Jumping . . . into the pool. And we plan on doing it again and again and again, all summer long.

Buying . . . plane tickets for a big trip this summer. I'm not quite ready share the details (although, if you know me in real life, I've probably talked to you about it), mostly because, as of a few days ago, I'm feeling so nervous and anxious about it, and that's putting a serious damper on my original enthusiasm.

Blowing . . . out birthday candles. Clark turned two at the end of the month, and with it, the last vestiges of babyhood disappeared. We now have a full-blown kid on our hands, and really, even with all his mischievous antics, we all just adore him so much.

Spending . . . Memorial Day with family. First, my brother and his family. Then, several of Mike's siblings. Good times.

Launching . . . Mike's birthday kayak on its maiden voyage. As much as I didn't want him to buy it, I think we actually will enjoy using it.

Relishing . . . the start of summer break. We've been making summer goals (which I'll write more about) and starting our own summer reading program (which I'll write more about), and basically, I've just been trying to soak up every minute. I live for summer.

For more of our daily activities, follow along on Instagram. What were YOU up to in May?