Proud parent catch up and other craziness!

It's turning out to be a crazy month! 
Gage's track season started this past week. He raced in the 800 (1/2 mile) and 1600 (1 mile) meter on Wednesday and got 5th and 10th. He got a ribbon for the 5th place in the 800 running in at 2:29. He ran the 1600 in 5:35.  Not bad for his first ever track meet. Both his boys and girls team got 1st place overall! They have another Monday evening. 
We also received word from his art teacher this week that his art was one of 8 pieces picked from the whole state of 8th graders that was recently chosen to be in their 54th Young Artists Exhibition. His work will be displayed May 1st-July 26th at the Arkansas Arts Center Museum in Little Rock. They will be having a reception to be announced, so it looks like we will be traveling to Little Rock in the near future. I hate that drive, but this will be worth it. He literally finished this piece of art just days before his teacher sent it in and it got picked. She apparently was trying to get him to finish an assignment early so she could enter it. It was this one. 

Kieran's 5th grade pics came in this week. Others took theirs after. 

Both Gage and Kieran took their PARCC exams this week. Yeah, let's not get into that. I am so not a fan and glad this is the first and LAST year they will ever have to take it. 
Both Kieran and Ryker are at a open gym for her gymnastics tonight. I am sure after this Ryker will want to join. 
On a completely different side note... I got word from my mom that my family in Colorado was wanting to do a family reunion. Dates were tossed around and then decided for June. After tedious searching to find a place to stay local, I gave in and looked in Estes Park for a cabin. It was only an extra hour drive. It's hard to find a place big enough to hold our brood, it's crazy. We had to get a large suite with a living room in Kansas to stay both on the way there and the way back. I told the kids yesterday and they are excited. Gage went to Estes with me and my family when he was 10 months but none of the others have ever been to Colorado. I have to say I am also super excited to be heading back to my native mountains. This is also our first family vacation as a family of 7. We did have that Christmas one to Branson a few years ago but that was really the only other one we ever took. Yes, I hope to make it somewhat more frequent. 
Our babysitter was out this week due to some dental emergencies. Both the littles got to stay with Ms. Cathy from church, whom they love. Heston calls her his Ms. Cathy.  I tell you I don't know what I would do without our church. Not having family near bye is hard during emergencies. It switched the routine around a bit, and that being on top of the week of time change was quite the shift. The first of the week was tough. But we are finally stating to manage. Ridlee has completely recovered from her medicine issues and is back to her regular self, as noted below. 



Someone tell me what it is like to have a calm child normally? Seriously the only time mine are calm is when they are deathly sick, and those times I am begging them to perk up. 
Next week is another doozie of a schedule. I have a all day training Monday, so I can start officially giving computerized drug and alcohol assessments. Gage's track meet Monday night. Ryker parent teacher conference Tuesday. I have clients all the way through Saturday, including three evenings.  It's definitely a killer week. I am sure I will post about it next week.