Growing Up is Hard to Do

But not nearly as hard as watching your babies grow up!!!  Today marks our last day with our full-time nanny.  The Spratties start preschool on Monday and Haylee heads off to college full time too.  Even though I know it is best for Haylee and the babies, it doesn't make it any easier.

I've often lamented on this blog that I am at not good at keeping up with posts and pictures.  Well today Miss HayWee took care of that.  She created this awesome video from lots of pictures and videos she took over the last 2.5 years.  Yes, 2.5 years!!! Haylee has been with us since the babies were 10 weeks old and I had to go back to work.  (although technically their first nanny was Miss Bridget who took the first two weeks because Haylee wasn't able to start). 

She has loved these Spratties like they were her own and we are so blessed to have had her with them for so long.  She isn't going far-  she will be helping with pick ups and such.  But it won't be the same.  We already miss her and as always, I'm wishing my babies didn't have to grow up so quickly.  

I'd type more but I'm boo-hooing and words won't do Haylee justice.  But this video is amazing. 

Thank you Haylee! 

The loves of my life aren't "synthetic"

Yesterday could only be considered a "bad day at work" at best.  So getting through it took most of my time and energy.  But as always, I did, and now I'm back to my usual self and catching up with "the real world".  

Over the weekend fashion icons, Dolce and Gabbana, caused a controversy over comments about IVF babies and how families should be made and formed.  The basis of the argument was that children conceived through IVF or other medical procedures are "synthetic" and "unnatural". 

Let me introduce you the Spratties (like you didn't know them already!).  There is nothing that is synthetic or unnatural about these crazy two year olds.  There is nothing unnatural about our family either (unless my insistence on turning the backyard into a free range chicken haven strikes you as odd).  We love each, we love God, we try to eat at home when we can, but take out comes into our lives more than I would like to admit. My kids probably shouldn't know all the words to the Frozen soundtrack but they can count to 20 and almost say their ABC's.  Our home isn't perfect, but it is home.  We fight and there are times we don't like each other- but we always love each other and that is what makes us a family.  Not how they were conceived. 

I will be honest, I was never going to buy D&G items anyway.  So boycotting them wasn't going to impact them because of my beliefs.  But in reality it is more important to me to educate not just those individuals, but others as well.  The stigma around IVF and infertility is still very very real.  You see it in churches, in parenting groups, the media and more importantly- public policy.  God gave us brains and the ability to reason and discover for a reason.  I can't believe that anyone can look at my children and call them unnatural- they are a gift and a miracle.  Jim and I are blessed that we could afford to do what was needed to have them- but it wasn't an ugly thing, it was beautiful. 

Signs of Spring

It is that time of year in Tallahassee when Mother Nature wants to tease us unmercifully.  Last week we had temps down into the 20s - but on Saturday the high was 68 and the sun shined so brightly you felt the overwhelming urge to sun tan.  Even the Spratties kept asking for their pool.  We will probably have a few more days of cold weather before spring officially starts in the Big Bend, but the signs are all there. 

Japanese magnolias are blooming prolifically across the city.  Our blueberry bushes have started to bud (really hoping the last frost of winter doesn't hurt those-  we should have a ton of them this year).  In our own yard Jim expanded our garden area and my seeds that I started have already outgrown their starting house. 

Perhaps the most exciting for me is the addition of chickens!  For years I have hinted, asked and outright begged for chickens.  Jim has said no, refused to answer and finally relented.  Yesterday while he was in Gainesville, he stopped by Alachua County Feed & Seed to purchase our chicks.  15 little chicks made their way back to Tallahassee to become part of Magnolia Farms. 

We are still in the process of building their coop (more pictures to follow) but I am already very happy with our decision to get them.  Besides having a ready supply of eggs (in 6 months or so) I think they will help with the mosquito population that takes over our backyard each summer.  The Spratties already adore them as well.  James named one "Chickoway" (Chick-Fil-A) and loves to pet them.  Laura prefers to hold them and squeals in delight when she sees them.  We have three different breeds-  Black Sex Links, Barred Rock and Araucanas.  No I can't tell you which ones are which.  :-)

While spring has not sprung we are enjoying all the signs...