She sure does keep us busy...

Helaina's busy schedule (a 7 year old has a busy schedule?) has been keeping Jim and I running.  She missed 3 gymnastics classes while recouperating from her surgery so for the last 3 weeks she's had classes 2 nights a week.  Children's Theater ended a few weeks ago (this morning was the 3-hour dress rehearsal for the 2 shows coming up this weekend), but that free night has been replaced with soccer practice.  Warm weather is finally here and we've been trying to squeeze in some outdoor work around the house but it's been tough.  April flew by with some fun weekend activities thrown in

She likes the clowns now but when she was younger, she wouldn't go near them.

Cool white tiger.

Funny doggies

The favorite of all the kids - Tiny the Elephant.

When this motorcycle came zooming across the high wire with the 2 girls dangling from it, Helaina gasped.  She was so mesmerized by it.  Then after it was over she said "Cool.  I want to do that.  How do I join the circus?"  Cringe, the question you never want to hear your daughter ask.

 
Mid April we went to the zoo one Sunday afternoon with Helaina's buddy T.  They had a blast running through the entire zoo.  As you can tell by the winter jackets and hats, it was still quite chilly.

Can't go to the zoo without a picture on the elephant and the tiger.  I must say, the tiger is very realistic looking.

Helaina's imitation of a roaring lion.

Now that's a menacing stare.

Mmmmm, feeding time at the zoo.  A beautiful owl with a white mouse hanging from it's beak.

Helaina decided to play "surgery" with Jim one afternoon shortly after her surgery.  When she gets out her doctor's kit get ready to be pounced on.  She jumped on top of Jim and told him it was time to go to sleep.  He protested and said he didn't want to go to sleep.  "Now Daddy.  You're going to have surgery and it's time for your anesthesia.  Breathe into the tube."  After he was asleep she woke him up and pretended he was in recovery.  "Now Daddy.  How's your pain?  You don't have to talk, just point to the picture."  Poor kid knows way more about surgery than any 7 year old should.  Point to the picture - too funny.  While she's in recovery if she doesn't feel like talking, the recovery room nurse will hold up a card with 10 yellow smiley faces on it numbered from 1 to 10, all with different expressions ranging from a happy face (#1, no pain) to a crying face (#10, lots of pain).  Our tough little cookie consistently pointed to number 2 for this surgery.  Wonderful what that post-surgery morphine will do for you.