in like an elephant ...

Y'know how they say that March comes in like a lion?  Well, in our house it comes in more like an elephant - an elephant that tramples me senseless.  Last year was my first taste of the elephant phenomenon ... way too many things in our calendar stacked up back to back to back at this time of year.  I recall one especially tearful breakdown at this time last year when all the juggling came crashing down.  Because I don't exactly operate well in a back to back to back capacity.  Mommy needs time to regroup.  We all do.

But there are many times when you just can't control your calendar ... and once again our late-winter schedule has been filled.  The ladybugs have been saddled with tests, projects, and papers due in every single subject as the 2nd trimester of school draws to an end.  On top of schoolwork, there were also 3 productions of big ladybug's middle school musical late last week.  And the figure skating season ended too, which means level testing, held the weekend before last, and a full-scale recital, which took place this past weekend.  We also had some nursing to do in this same cramped space of time ... everything from the spaying of our puppy to major open heart surgery for Manbug's father.  Thankfully, both patients are doing very well.  And I've determined that open heart surgery is truly a modern marvel - it's hard to believe that just 6 days post-surgery, he is walking, talking, eating, and ready to move on to the rehab hospital.  Truly amazing.

So yes, it's been a looooong 10 days surrounding the entrance of March ...

these happy girls passed big milestones after their skate tests - big ladybug moves up to freestyle next season and little ladybug advances to the highest intermediate group ...

sleepy Isabel post-surgery

zzzzzz ... the shaved tummy tells it all ...

blurred phone-shot of the final stage call for "Into the Woods"

big ladybug played the part of Lucinda, one of Cinderella's stepsisters - here she is with the stepmother and the other stepsister ... despite the "ugly" makeover, I still think she's beautiful :)

the 2011-2012 Delta/Gamma girls posing for their group photo at dress rehearsal - big ladybug is standing furthest to the left and little ladybug is far left in the front row

show day!  big ladybug and her skating besties ... 

Not pictured are the hours and hours of carpooling, tutoring, vocab quizzing, costume altering, dinner on the fly, makeup on, makeup off, back to the quizzing, the writing, the studying ... until late into the night.  Every night.  These poor ladybugs were really burning the candle at both ends ... we all were.

But as of this Friday, we finally get our downtime ... 2 wonderful weeks of vacation between trimesters ... we will head to Florida for some ladybug time with my family and then return back north for some at-home staycation downtime too before it's all over ...

So I guess this is my last post for a while ... I've missed my visits to blogland while we've been buried, but I'm hoping to catch up with all of your posts over the break ~ hope everyone's been well :)

Gonna close with my Cindy-inspired Gratitude List ... 

{thankful for}

1.  the modern miracle of open heart surgery

2.  their strongest skate season thus far

3.  the look on big ladybug's face after passing into freestyle

4.  an amazing year for the drama group - such a fun choice!

5.  good health through a tough stretch

6.  the ladybugs' perseverance through said tough stretch

7.  v.a.c.a.t.i.o.n.