Since I blogged last we have had a few more bumps then normal. But I’m proud of us that we’ve hunkered down on the loopty loops and made it out with just a minimal amount of tears. The biggest detour was all about the sweetest little guy named Rocky. Our friends the McArthurs are moving to Brazil and they can’t take their precious two year old Shitzu/Maltese friend. I figured after a three hour play date one day that went great that there was never going to be a better situation to make the girls dog dreams come true then this dog. It sure seemed that the stars had aligned just right. We had three days with Rocky full of playing, petting him, doggy kisses, walking him and loving on him ALL day long. Keagan even slept right next to his crate all night long. But to all of our huge disappointments it just wasn’t going to work out for several very obvious reasons, so we had to give him back. Keagan was especially devestated but she handled it incredibly maturely and I was so super proud of her! We had all fallen in love with Rocky so fast so it was just hard to let him go! But we still have LOTS of pics to look back on, that’s for sure!
Another bump was three doctors appointments in three weeks for the wonderful Miss Riley. She absolutely hates missing school to go to any doctor but especially one that includes any labs, x-rays or being pinned down for an examination and unfortunately these ones had all of the above. And trust me doing the pinning does not make my day either! But that amazing girl is such a pro at this though that she navigates Texas Childrens like it’s her own private clinic. If I could just get her dentist to actually listen to this know what she’s talking about mommas concerns then we would be much better off. When you see 11 different doctor specialists all of them can not be world class. But I’m workin on that! Add in to that, we are trying out a new medication for Riley and you have a stressed out momma!
But as to be expected we have had lots of fun hills, scenic views and belly laughs on the roller coaster lately! You know these Kikuchi girls love being Scottie’s and things at school have been going great! Check out these amazing pics of Riley identifying the value of each coin and of her hard work writing real letters one day! That’s an M and a D people! I mean my heart could burst!! That Mrs Acosta sure is outstanding! And so is maker space with Mrs Kelley and your bestie Jackie! Not to be out done by love from the sweet Suzy!
Keagan is working very hard too and in her 504 meeting for dyslexia this last week I couldn’t have been more proud to hear that Keagan is always working hard, staying positive and being helpful! Both her teachers had no hesitation insisting on that! She was thrilled to do the announcements for student council one morning! Of course she rocked it and of course I videoed it! She also finally convinced me to let her spin me on the playground “spinny thingy” and that sure was somethin!
She is such an incredible girl who is just growing and maturing every day! I love the nightly reading one on one time we get and when she accompanies me to Young Women’s activities every Thursday night. The one where we made s’mores and did axe throwing will not be forgotten soon! But neither will her generous gifts of service to me! This past Saturday night Riley transformed into a human tornado totally destroying the playroom and I was way too tired to even access the damage. Before I could even address it, Keagan slipped in there Sunday right after church and cleaned the entire mess up for me as the most thoughtful gift! And that is not unusual for her lately! That girl really is just so amazing! Plus she is just SO stinkin funny and witty!
Both girls are still loving school choir, running club and now BOTH of them auditioned for and are in a DPAC production this semester! Keagan is Sullie in “School House Rock Live” and Riley is with the younger group in “Let’s Make aMusical.” They both LOVE it so Tuesday’s are everyone’s favorite days now!
Another recent favorite day was MLK day which I had to teach Keagan (who totally knows who Martin Luther King is) that we don’t have to drink milk on this day. Instead of the milk, we had a great discussion about civil rights and not judging people by anything other then who they really are inside and spreading love instead of hate in the world all while cuddling on the couch! Perfection! The girls both thought all of that was common sense and why would you do anything else. Since it was a beautiful day we took Avery to a handicap accessible park and then I was totally swindled into Itz amusement center for several hours of fun.
But the absolute best part of this rollercoaster the last few weeks has been our Sunday’s! That has been when we have had the absolute best quality time together as a family of 3 and where our safety harnesses seemed the most secure! The new home centered and church supported program of studying the New Testament that all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are doing called Come Follow Me has been an incredible blessing for us! Each week we have studied the weekly scriptures and manual with games and activities added in from online groups I’m apart of to make the most wonderful family time learning together! I really feel like all of us are learning and growing in our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ together by following this program that all 3 of us are truly so excited about! And to top it off, several times we have done the lessons outside and then gone on a long walk/bike ride afterward. It’s been enriching and memorable for sure! I hated when Keagan fell of her bike and got a brutal scratch! But my favorite was when we acted out Luke 2 and Riley got super attached to the doll we were using as Baby Jesus. She took it to school for several days and one day she left it there. When her tantrum started and we realized, we went back to school and I sent Keagan to run in and grab it. When Mr Ortiz saw Keagan and said “hey what are you doing here so late?” I wish I could have seen his face when she said “oh my sister left Baby Jesus here today.”
So a lot has happened on this crazy ride in just a few short weeks. With these two amazing girls there is no telling what twist, turns, hills and valleys are waiting for us ahead! I’m sure there are lots more loopty loops and some brutal straight down drops but as long as we have the Lord and each other, or our safety harness, we will be just fine! And knowing us we will laugh and enjoy the views as we go! Better hang on tight!
