Seriously – you got so long and strong and mature in, what seems like, over night. You have outgrown so many clothes in the past couple weeks! I think your hair cut makes you look so grown up too. And I have asked you a million times today and yesterday, “Maya, how old are you?”

You smile and say, “7, Mama”

I say – AAAGGGGHHHHHHHH

I blinked, and now you’re 7. Whew.

You are SUCH a joy to be with, I can’t even tell you! You are thoughtful and kind and SO WITTY! You make me laugh out loud!! And you melt my heart. You still love sitting on my lap, and I’m so grateful for that! Today we laid outside with our heads next to each other and talked – talked about the clouds, talked about Jojo, talked about whatever… 7. Nothing beats it!!

Here are some pictures from yesterday – your birthday – when you turned 7. Sigh. I’m sure I’ll have more pictures tomorrow from your party with your friends. These are sure fun though!! Highlights from yesterday: Jojo goes to school, birthday celebration with homemade gifts and “I wish”‘s from Ms. Suzanne’s class, a family dinner at Sticky Lips with 13 people – and the whole day with self-imposed crazy pink hair!! 🙂 You are so much fun!!

Enjoy Beautiful Girl!! Know that I love you so incredibly much!! You are SO DEAR to me!

Well Sweet –

Two days ago, we went skiing – for the second (and probably final) time this season. We have really strange warm weather all winter this year – snow didn’t stay on the ground for over a day when it did come.

But the weather forecast said “flurries and a high of 33,” so we went for it.

Some awesome videos (taken by me – a very amateur skier – sorry 😉 )

Hey Baby Girl –

Last week I sent this note to my family (aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, siblings, etc). Thought it would be good for your blog too, so we can look back and remember when “Lima” made her appearance – hopefully, soon I will write about her grand exit 🙂 as today she has grown, moved or something and I am in a LOT of pain:

Just a quick update on me –

A couple weeks ago I learned I have a relatively large fibroid tumor in my uterus making it about the size of someone who is 16-weeks pregnant. This “alien” inside my belly is symptomatic – giving me a constant sense of pressure in my belly, on my diaphragm and on my bladder. 🙂 Fun, eh? We call her “Lima” in our family (short for the scientific term “leiomyoma”) – everyone talks to her – patting her and saying things like, “Good morning April! Good morning Lima!” Or “Hi Mama! Hi Lima!” We were sitting in the front pew of church the other week – right in front of the Gospel Choir I usually sing with, and we were asked to say things we were grateful for. Maya lifted up my scarf, kissed my belly and said “Lima!” (She thinks Lima makes a good pillow). I quickly looked around to see who was watching, afraid the rumor mill might start cranking. Sure enough, “Nana Sherry” had her suspicious-looking eye on that whole interaction. Life’s a trip!!

After discussions I’ve had with my Drs and my Jim, I have decided to have a hysterectomy. Other treatments lead to many more complications, and Jim and I weren’t planning on having any more babies. I learned this morning that my surgery is scheduled for April 4 with an expected recovery time of 4-6 weeks.

Maybe a Happier Picture of “Lima” 🙂

I have no sadness or fear… Only gratefulness. I am very grateful for a very healthy body. This is just a relatively normal hiccup in the trajectory of getting older. There are no signs of cancer; the big ball is not touching the lining of my uterus, etc. etc. FAR too much to be grateful for to worry about such a small thing.

Just wanted you all to know –

Love, April

GO JOJO!!

Graduation from Puppy 1 Class – highlights: our puppy friends and their owners (Chelsea, Tully, & Wyatt were the dogs), Mary’s good teaching, our consistent attendance, and all the things we learned!

Skills we worked on and got quite good at included potty training (almost), sit, down and stand, come-when-called, and stay.

Maya, you came to 5 of the 6 classes – you are so great with Jojo!

Jojo really is a great dog! Very attentive, very playful, very smart, very sweet – although he peed or pooped at least once in probably 5 of the 6 classes. Sigh. More to work on, right?

On to Puppy 2…

“Mama, I really like my hair!!”

About 6-7 inches, we think…

And you’re loving it!

Just sent this email update about our family to Oma’s side of the family, so I thought I would post it here too:

Love you Peanut!!

Highlights from our little family:
* Literally this week, Maya’s reading and writing skills have skyrocketed – it’s so heart-melting to see how proud she is of herself
* Our Dan (11) is skiing today too – with ski club from school – and it the perfect day for it here
* Jojo starts puppy training tomorrow – thank goodness, because, though I googled “small breed dog cold poop,” I found no help about how to get a small breed dog to poop outside when he’s so cold he’s shivering. Do I really have to buy this small critter “boots?” So weird… My Siberian Husky never needed silly coats and boots.
* Jim was promoted to associate professor last week or the week before – way past due – but we’re grateful the paperwork finally caught up to his achievements – the title is essential for the grant funding he needs.
* Madeline and I are still taking voice lessons together on Tuesday night, and having a ball doing it! We laugh so hard in that hour, and we both have grown as singers. She is such an incredibly thoughtful, insightful, articulate, passionate young person. Seriously, all three kids are growing right before our eyes. I thought it was supposed to be more subtle than it seems to be.
* Maya has a 2nd “wiggly tooth” – why does it seem so unnerving to wiggle it?
* Got my nails painted yesterday and told the person doing it that she could do whatever she wanted. I now have 8 fingers painted powder blue, and my ring finger on left hand & my thumb on my right hand are a darker, periwinkle blue – she calls the two of them “signature nails.” Hmmm… Okay.

Last Sunday, Jojo joined our family – our little lhasa apso mini poo! Who’da thought? After a 75 lb Siberian Husky, we would adopt a 7.5 lb dog whose breed names ends in “poo.” 🙂 Life is so funny!!

Birthday: August 15, 2011
Parents: Lhasa apso (Mom) and a miniature poodle (Dad)
Distemper shots given on November 22 and January 12
Deworming given weeks 5, 6, 7, 8 and then on Jan 12
Got a clean bill of health from Dr. Miner

So here’s the story of how Jojo joined our family.

As you know, Macy died early September (about 4 months ago) from cancer. We were all very sad for a very long time.
You asked Santa as well as me many times for a new puppy for Christmas. We weren’t sure we were ready for a new pup – the responsibility and I wasn’t sure I was ready to have a new dog – I was still really missing Macy.
But because, you asked, I stated looking – researching different dog breeds – thinking about whether we would want to adopt an older dog or a new pup or someone in between. Big dog like Macy, medium sized dog, or small dog. I stayed pretty open to any type, and began watching rescue organization sites to see what dogs were available. I started talking to Daddy Jim about all my thinking.
We went to meet one dog that was rescued – Jax – and we really liked him, but I was hesitant because he was pretty bity and a big pup – I was afraid you would be afraid of him for a long time.
So I went home and searched for some small (not tiny) dogs I thought were cute – like shih tzu’s. I came across this picture from the professional blog a woman named Kim:

And as we were looking at her site, you fell in love with this little guy – we nicknamed him Shadow:

So I called Kim and she said they were both available. We checked with a friend of Julie’s who breeds dogs in that area, and she had no concerns about Kim and how she takes care of dogs, so we planned a family trip out to meet the doggies – and I mean a FAMILY trip – Mad, Dan, you, Julie, Daddy Jim and me.

We played with both of these dogs, but it was Jojo who stole our hearts… neither of the ones on the website. Kim just thought we might want to meet Jojo, and boy did we!! He was playful yet calm, loved to cuddle, and didn’t bark. Daddy Jim even fell in love. He was already named Jojo and he was almost 5 months old. So we paid $180 and brought him home that day.

We decided we liked “Jojo” (his given name) and we added “Ickle” which means small. Madeline and Daniel have been referring to use as “ickle” for a good year (as well as other small things). It just fit.

From The Free Online Dictionary:

ickle [i’ kel]
adj
Brit informal an ironically childish word for little

Jojo fell asleep next to you every night you slept here – so easily… He seriously could not be a better dog – plays hard, is unbelievably tolerant of us, loves to snuggle, sleeps through the night and is smart. We still have some potty training to do, but it really isn’t bad at all – I’m certain we’ll get it soon. And when Jojo is ready, he’ll sleep with you every night if you want him to.

We start Jojo “school” today – in a couple hours. Should be fun!

You love him so much – Jojo has given you so many belly laughs from his licks, his chasing his tail,…. He is definitely part of our family!!

Welcome Jojo Icle! We love you!

Hey there Peanut Butter –

Happy New Year!

As I get ready to climb into bed to get ready for a busy day tomorrow with work and school resuming, I think back to the amazing break we just had!
* good hanging out time
* making a gum drop wreath – started by you & Kate and finished me you and me.
* Swimming at the YMCA
* Mama & Maya’s venture to get our first, annual Maya-sized tree – in the POURING RAIN!
* Christmas with Jo Ann one night with her homemade pasta

* The Christmas Carol at the Geva Theatre with Siobhan and Kate
* Christmas with all 5 of us when Daddy Jim told the Christmas Story, we slowly opened and appreciated presents and then watch Santa Claus 2.
* You went to Las Vegas with your Dad for your Great Grandma’s 95th birthday…while there, you saw the Blue Man Group
* The five of us went to Great Wolf Lodge for New Year’s Eve and had a BALL! We swam hard, danced, hard, ate yummy food, experienced a ceiling full of balloons falling on our head with fake snow, stayed up until midnight to watch the ball drop… you and Daniel wrestled a lot in the water – laughing a lot!

We missed Macy a lot this Christmas…You would like a new dog, but we haven’t figured that out yet. Soon I think.

And YOU – you are just becoming the most amazing little person ever:
* You notice others around you and try to help them.
* You are wittier than anything – I am constantly surprised by your ability to make me laugh a real, hearty tummy laugh when you surprise me with some quick retort.
* You still LOOOVE to be nakedy – like, really naked – all the time (note that it is winter and cold as I’m writing this.)
* You know so many of the words to songs on the radio, and you already have a sense of what is in or cool or legit or whatever they’re saying these days.
* You think I’m weird, but it is clear that you appreciate this weirdness. You remind me, “Remember Mama, strange is good.” 🙂
* You still say Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama? …
* Daddy Jim, you and I love Junie B Jones – We laugh so much when we read it. You bought Daddy Jim a boxed set for Christmas which surprised him and made him very happy.
* You’ve lost one tooth with another wiggling next to it.
* You are reading and writing (though not confidently yet).
* Still a confident rock star with respect to art:

I’m headed to bed – I will add fun pictures to this post soon. I love you my sweet pea! I love being your Mama!
Mama