One Week Down

Well, the first week of school is over, and so far so good. The kids all say they enjoy their new schools. DD is telling me that she's making lots of friends. The boys are telling me that they are also making friends, although seemingly slower than DD. She's already saying that she wants to go to second grade at this same school. Don't you love how 6-year-olds can make friends so easily?

We're gearing up to have her birthday party next Saturday. Although her birthday was in August, for the last two years, we've always scheduled her party for two weeks after school started, just so she can invite her new class. That way DH and I can also meet the other parents. I don't know if we'll keep doing this big party, though. It gets rather expensive, and it's always a bit stressful to put everything together. This year we invited her class plus some of her old friends from her old school--that's a lot of kids. The invitations went out Tuesday, and so far, only four kids have RSVP'd. Add her cousins that are coming into town for her party plus her siblings and we'll have at least eight or nine (depending whether or not DS#1 has a game then), but really, we have no idea how many kids will be there. I guess it's not "in vogue" to RSVP anymore...

Encouraging Words

DH had to give DS#2 a pep talk tonight. He has a new soccer coach that he isn't "clicking" with. We've heard many good things about this coach. He's the head coach of a local college men's team. He coaches another team of 15 year old boys. He seems to be well respected. Unfortunately, for DS#2, this new coach means change and he doesn't take to change very easily. DH and I are just praying that over time, DS#2 will get used to him, learn some great soccer skills, and enjoy himself. Until then, DH and/or I will give him pep talks and hope for the best.

Tonight also, I spoke on the phone with one of the trainees that I work with. I was assigned to him as his "mentor" last year. He has had a little trouble adjusting to the type of work we do, and has had several deficient evaluations from other supervisors. I actually haven't worked one on one with him for several months, so all I have to go on is what other people tell me. I'm trying to figure out if there is anything I can do to help him. It's a bit frustrating for me since he's working in a different area right now, so I can personally do only so much. Still, I was giving him a pep talk and asking him what I can do to help him. I'm hoping for the best here, too.

Hopefully, all will go well with both of these situations. :)

First Day of School 2008

Last night, DS#3 didn't care that today was the first day of school and that his parents wanted to get plenty of rest so they could go about their day's activities. No, he kept crying in his sleep last night. DH and I were exhausted this morning! The one "good" thing was that I was up before the alarm so I could awaken the DD and DS#2 (both were very sound asleep), and I was awake enough to heat up the leftover banana chocolate chip pancakes from Saturday and make turkey bacon. As long as I was home, I wanted to do something a little different for their breakfast than what they usually get. I even offered to make DS#1 some eggs, but he said he liked my pancakes. :)

DD was in a good mood and was very willing to get her picture taken, of course. Doesn't she have just the best smile? I bought her this outfit a few weeks ago, and she has a matching argyle sweater (she was afraid of getting cold at school) and matching headband and ribbon barrettes for her hair. She's really gotten into Hannah Montana ever since she watched the "Best of Both Worlds" concert movie. She's got a matching lunchbox too, even though she will probably be eating the hot lunch on most days.

The kids were so excited that they bounced around and even got ready early! I managed to get a smile from DS#2, but only after DH threatened him! I couldn't get him to smile when I was taking pictures out at the bus stop. DH and I think he was getting a bit apprehensive and just needed to be left alone. In fact, DD was one of the first ones to get on the bus (she didn't even wave goodbye), while DS#2 was the last one on board. Their bus driver is the most amazing man. He was the bus driver four years ago when DS#1 rode his bus last. He recognized them as being new right away, despite a very loaded bus (sitting three deep). He even knows the kids by name and when DS#1 rode his bus, he remembered his birthday! Wow!

DS#1's bus picked him up about half an hour later. He let me take photos of him in his school uniform, but I allowed him to go to the bus stop alone. This is probably the first photo I've posted here of him without his glasses on. He's getting adjusted to wearing contacts, but I made sure he had an extra pair of contacts and glasses in his backpack, as well as some saline solution--just in case.

All the kids were just as excited when they got home. DD and I had to rush off to gymnastics, so I didn't get to see DS#1 get off the bus or hear the boys' stories. DD busily talked about how she got to sit by her good friend on the bus and that she had already made friends in her class. She also talked about how she didn't have to "move her clip" which meant that she behaved well also. DS#2 seemed happy because he knew a boy in his class already. DH and I were so worried, but I'm sure that once DS#2 realized that he knew someone, he must have felt some relief. DS#1 wasn't too talkative earlier, but DH did get the impression that he felt good about his new school and his classes. Now, both DH and I can relax a little. The first day of school is over!

What about DS#3? He and DH walked out to the bus stop in the morning, and he let DH and I go to the gym. He also let me have lunch with my friend Jen. He was patient with me at Costco, and although he could have taken a longer nap, he awakened in time to see the kids get off the school bus. This evening, DS#1 took him outside and he didn't want to come back inside. I enticed him back inside by telling him that I would give him a bath. He loves baths! After his bath, he was playing in the gameroom with DS#1. He apparently opened the TV cabinet and made sounds like he wanted DS#1 to open the other cabinet door. He picked up the Gamecube controller and even unwound the cord so he could sit down and start pressing the buttons. DS#1 called me upstairs to come take a picture, so I did!

I'm a little sad I'll be going back to work tomorrow morning and that I'll miss the second day of school. At least I feel better now about the kids making a good transition to their new schools! :)

Last Weekday Before School

We're trying to cram activities in that won't be so easy to do during the school year. One such activity is going to the Rainforest Cafe. That restaurant is usually crowded, but not as much on non-holiday weekdays, so this was our chance. We got there right as they opened, so we didn't have to wait. The kids enjoyed everything from the store to the fake "thunderstorm" every 30 minutes to the animals coming "alive" every 12 minutes. Unfortunately, little man was frightened by the big gorilla near our table. He clung to DH tightly every time the gorilla started moving. Before we knew it, DS#3 had fallen asleep, so I guess it was a mixture of fright and fatigue. He felt a little better after his nap, even dancing a little to the ambient music, although he still freaked a little when the animals started moving again.

I got some good pics of the other kids near those animatronic animals. We found this tiger on another floor as we were leaving. My goofy boys thought it would be funny to pretend the tiger was eating them, but at least they posed for the photo! DS#1 had the shrimp sampler and after he inhaled it, he actually said, "I'm not hungry." DH and I hear "I'm hungry" so often that this was definitely a surprise!

After lunch we headed next door to the Haagen Dazs Ice Cream shop. I guess their A/C must not have been working, because I've never been to an ice cream shop that wasn't cold. Even my ice cream was a little soft. Still, we have a hard time passing up Haagen Dazs, and their location next to the Rainforest Cafe was a big draw for us. We are definitely an ice cream loving family!

This afternoon, DH took the boys to see Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D. We hardly go to movies, so this was a nice treat for the boys. They enjoyed the 3D effects, but DH wasn't that impressed with the story line. While they were there, the other two kids and I got to watch the rain come down in buckets. I was glad that DH and the boys weren't coming out of their movie any time soon. I did set up a chair so that DS#3 could watch the rain from the window. He just loves to look out of the little windows next to our front door.

This evening we had Meet the Teachers at the kids' new elementary school. This first photo is of DD at her desk. I also took a photo of her next to the front door of her class so I can compare it to a picture of her at the end of the year. I expect that she'll be a little taller then. She was so excited about meeting her teacher that after we had already gone to meet DS#2's teacher, she wanted to go back to her class again. I indulged her, but mostly because we had forgotten the diaper bag there! :)

A few days ago, when we were telling DS#2 about this event where he could meet his new teacher, he acted like he didn't care about it--like he didn't think it was necessary. Tonight, as we were walking into his classroom, he totally walked by his teacher without saying anything. She was standing right next to the front door! He acted a little shy and looked down a lot. After we were at home and he was cleaning out his backpack for the new school year, DH thought he was maybe a little less apprehensive than he was before this event. I bought DS#2 and DD school spirit shirts to help them "get in the mood" to attend this new school. We'll see how it goes on Monday, but I think it all looks positive! :)

Today's Schedule of Events

I took the day off today, tomorrow, and Monday so I could spend some time with the kids before school starts. I also wanted to get a few things done that I haven't gotten to do because of work and watching the Olympics.

This morning, we went to the gym. I really need to start exercising regularly again. I feel so much better when I exercise, so I don't know why I don't just do it. Oh wait, I think that's because I'm so tired from all the other stuff I have to do--sigh! I used to say that I exercised just so I could eat whatever I want. The problem is that I still eat whatever I want. DH would also really benefit from more regular exercise, so we've been trying to support each other in this quest.

This afternoon, the youngest three children and I went to the Rivercenter Mall (DH and DS#1 went to soccer practice). My mom drove into town with a friend to attend a convention for work. They are staying near the River Walk, so I had to go see her, of course. We had dinner at Tony Roma's, which used to be a big favorite of ours. This location isn't nearly as nice as the one that used to be near us, but that one closed a long time ago. It was still a nice visit, with Mom getting reacquainted with her grandchildren. We were at the Disney Store when we first met up with her, and DS#2 had given DS#3 this Mickey toy to hug and hold. The kids were sad to separate from their Lola, but she promised to come visit with Dad next week! :)

Library Time

Today, DH took the kids to a different branch of the public library than the one we usually go to. This branch was unique because it is actually located in the namesake's former residence. The residence was bequeathed to the city to be used as a free public library.

The original reason why DH decided to go to this branch was that they were advertising free ice cream along with their usual Wednesday morning storytime. Apparently, they also sang songs along with reading a book during storytime, and DH thought that it was nice enough that maybe he might be visiting this branch again with DS#3 during the school year.

Here's a photo taken at one of our local malls yesterday. They have a really cool indoor playground for small children, which meant that the older boys sat this one out. After a few days of rain, it was a welcome change to be able to play "outside" for a bit. I think DS#3 looks pretty happy about it, don't you? :)

Olympics Fatigue

DH and I are really enjoying watching the Olympics. Better yet, the kids are enjoying it, too. They all really got into watching Michael Phelps win his record eight gold medals. DD loves watching any of the gymnastics. The boys love watching the soccer games. DS#1 enjoyed the beach volleyball because of the women in skimpy swimsuits.*WINK* DS#3 is the only one that doesn't really watch (because he is such an "action" guy), but he loves to sit on the couch with everyone else.

The only problem is that the primetime coverage on NBC doesn't end until 11PM and then I have to turn around and get up at 5AM. I'm exhausted! Sure we could tape it, and we have taped parts of it so the kids could go to bed and not miss the swimming and the gymnastics, but invariably I'll find out who won the next day at work from people talking about it. Also, the kids have "forgotten" to keep the tape for me to watch and have erased it instead. Doh!

Despite the fatigue, I'm going to miss the Olympics when they're gone. I can't help but feel that despite our differences (national or international), we all come together every two years to watch and honor our finest athletes. That's a good thing!

Warning--Poop Post

First just a warning! I'm going to be talking about DS#3's poopy problems, so stop reading now if you don't want to hear about poop!
What a fun-filled weekend with the little man! On Saturday, he spent most of the day intermittently breaking out in screams of pain from not being able to poop. It was horrible for DH and me because we did what we could, but the rest was up to him. :( At least he did have a few happy times, like when we went to Target and I decided to buy him this big ball. He always makes hand motions towards it when we go to Target and he sees the big bin that they keep these balls in. I decided to finally get that ball for him. :) He was saying "ball" when I took the picture.

When he finally did manage to poop (it was evening by then), he was back to his happy little self. DH and I just laughed when we saw him just rolling around the floor as happy as can be! Today was the "fallout". He had so many poops today that I lost count. They weren't runny, thank goodness, but I was a bit tired of changing his diapers.

On a sweeter smelling note, DS#3 made it through most of the mass in the main church today. He kept walking from our pew to the empty pew in front of us, and DH thought he was a distraction to the people seated behind us, but he was pretty quiet, so I was happy. I did have to take him out to the Narthex a couple of times during some particularly quiet, solemn moments, but all in all, I think he behaved pretty well.

Wii Fun

We've been having lots of fun with our Wii Fit game. Here, DH is doing one of the yoga poses for the first time. He got a little self conscious and lost his balance when he heard the camera click. I heard him say, "That's not fair!" as I ran away with the camera! He looks hilarious when he does the Hula Hoop game, too. :)

DD was hilarious last week. First, she tried some yoga, and she got all upset because she had chosen the female instructor and for some reason, the game switched it to a male instructor! I almost thought she was going to cry, but if she did that then I would have put her straight to bed because that meant she was too tired! Next, she did the "Free Run" where she "runs" for 10 minutes. After that she wanted to run for another 10 minutes. I asked her why she was doing it again and she said, "I like the workout"!!! I tried not to laugh too loudly! She also kept saying, "I'm getting sweaty." This girl usually complains about expending energy! She also kept running too fast and kept falling down in the game--sort of like in real life where she gets ahead of herself!

The baby wants to join in on the fun, too. Once, when DS#2 was doing the Hula Hoop game, DS#3 looked at him for a bit then started moving his hips around too! There was also a time when I was trying to stand on one leg for the yoga and DS#3 ran up to me and started grabbing that one leg I was standing on! It was rather hard to balance! I got this cute photo of him playing with the Wii board. I also got a photo of him actually standing on the board, but it wasn't as cute as this photo. :)

New Lens

I just wanted to show one of the shots I got at DS#1's soccer tourney with my new zoom lens. (The other boys' faces have been blurred out to protect the innocent.) I'm excited that I'll actually be able to take photos where the boys aren't little dots on the field. I guess I'd better do something with the hundreds of other soccer photos I have, because I have a feeling I'll be taking more soccer photos this year using this cool new toy! :)

On another "lens" topic, DS#1 got contact lenses today. Apparently, it took him around 45 minutes to an hour to learn how to get the contacts in his eyes and then take them out again. He seemed to be doing fine with it at home, although he did say that it felt "weird" to not have his glasses on. I told him that first he gets his braces off, and now he gets his glasses off--he's just changing too quickly for his sentimental mother! Of course, he just smiled and let me hug and hold him, as if that would stop him from changing!

Happy 6th Bday!

My day started very early this morning. In fact, I didn't go to bed until 2AM because of work. I didn't have too much time to rest this morning because DD has been begging me to take her to Club Libby Lu since last year. I wanted to make her feel special today, so I committed to this about a month ago. She opted for the
Princess hairstyle last year. This year she opted for the "Rockin'" hairstyle complete with fake glitter microphone. Words cannot even describe the pure enjoyment that was oozing from her body. Even as she approached the store, even before the "makeover", she started breaking into a run with a big giggly smile on her face.

She wanted McDonald's for lunch, so I picked some up for her and for her older brothers on the way home. She really enjoyed making her own "decisions" for lunch and for dinner. Dinner was, of course, at El Mirasol, a family favorite. In fact, all the kids ask to go there for their birthdays. I think DH has brainwashed them because that restaurant is his favorite, as well.

I had told our host and then our server that it was DD's birthday, just so they wouldn't think that I did her hair like that with all the glitter and everything on a daily basis. After dinner, our server presented us with this complementary Tres Leches cake. We had to reassure DD and the kids that they could still have ice cream for dessert even if they had the cake. I'm glad that this means that they're somewhat well-trained. :)

After dinner we went to our favorite family ice cream shoppe, Brindles. (This fact is well known, because when we got home, DD's godfather guessed correctly on his answering machine message that we were at Brindles getting ice cream when he called.) DD got the chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips mixed in. She never gets a mix-in, so she felt that this was a special treat for her reserved for special occasions such as this. The baby was having fun too, because he was "tasting" everyone's ice cream (or shake). DH joked about how DS#3 had figured out that if he ate a little of everyone's ice cream, we would never be able to guess how much he actually ate.

This day was all about DD, because whenever there was a decision, like whether or not DS#2 could have a shake at Brindles, she would answer what she wanted, usually "yes", with a giggle, of course. When DS#2 asked if he could go outside after she opened her presents, she immediately answered, "yes" as if it were her decision to make. She was absolutely thrilled at all of the presents she opened tonight and I think she did feel special today.

DD had gymnastics class this afternoon and luckily, her hairdo was still somewhat intact afterwards. Tonight, she is sleeping with a shower cap on her head to protect her hairdo (my idea). Hopefully she'll be able to show off a little more tomorrow, because then her "special day" will last a little bit longer. :)

Watching the Olympics

I've always wished that when Olympics time rolls around that I could take time off from work and just watch all the events all day long. It always seems like "history in the making". The Opening Ceremony last night was beautiful. My favorite part was anything to do with that giant LED screen that they projected stuff on--very cool and very high tech. The gigantic Olympic torch being lit up was amazing! The 2008 performers were an impressive sight. Great Britain will have some big shoes to fill in four years when it's their turn.

DH found ourselves watching it by ourselves. DD went to bed at 8PM without being asked. She never volunteers unless she is very tired. DS#3 got put to bed around the same time. He's been in teething mode and doesn't seem to sleep well, so he's been ready to go to bed when we put him to bed. On Thursday afternoon, he even picked up his own burp cloth (which he always sleeps with) and went to DH's and my bed for his nap!

DS#1 had an early soccer game today (more on this later), so he went to bed promptly at 9PM. Our neighbors were showing a movie (The Bee Movie) projected onto another neighbor's wall, complete with popcorn and other snacks. DS#2 was out there being social, although he said he wished that he could have watched the Opening Ceremony AND played with the neighbors. He didn't go to bed until after 10PM. I was pretty pooped too, when the show was over, but it was worth staying up to watch.

In the spirit of the Olympics, I leave you with this cute photo of DS#3 (in a red, white, and blue outfit with "USA" on the front) that I took at the store on Wednesday. He was rummaging through my purse and pulled out my sunglasses. Sure, he plays with them, but refuses to wear them outside when he really needs them. He just had the biggest, most mischievous smile, so I had to take a picture! Smile!

Vital Statistics

The kids went to the doctor today for their annual physicals. The following is what DH copied down for me.

DS#1 - 115 lbs (75%), 67 in (95%)
DS#2 - 82 lbs, 56 1/4 in (doctor didn't mention percentages)
DD - 42 lbs, 43 3/4 in (small side of scale for both)

So, since DS#1 is the same size as DH, that must mean that DH is only 67 inches also, as opposed to the 68 inches he thought he was. No, I don't think he's shrinking yet. More than likely, he was measured incorrectly before. Either way, the kids are growing as they should and that they passed their physicals.

In other news, DS#3 has nine teeth now. Three of those have poked out in the last few weeks. Because of his recent icky BMs, we think he's bound to be getting at least one more soon. DH is happy about the new teeth because that means that DS#3 has only been waking DH up because he's teething and not because he doesn't "like" his Papa. :)

Tonight I also did a little bit of reminiscing. When DD was a baby, DS#1 and DH used to have karate classes together some nights. On those nights, usually Fridays, DS#2, DD and I would head to North Star Mall, have dinner and dessert, and shop. Of course, back then I would get to shop wherever I wanted and the two of them would go where I wanted to go. Nowadays, I have to compromise. Of course, I let DS#3 roam around on foot instead of his stroller, so I had to redirect him a bit to get him to go the direction I wanted. Anyway, I took this picture because I got a little sentimental. :)

I have more photos to show, but those will have to wait until tomorrow. :)

Learning to Communicate

DH and I are pleased that DS#3 is starting to communicate with us. Well actually, he's always known how to tell us he doesn't like something. He has this high pitched screech that is very painful even to someone like me with dwindling auditory capabilities. Now, he has been able to tell us what he wants and doesn't want without screeching--at least more than before. Unfortunately, he still screeches sometimes.

When he wants his milk, he'll go to the refrigerator door and hang onto the handles. He usually whines a little until someone pays attention. Sometimes, when you go there and get his milk for him, and he shakes his head, that means that he wants yogurt. Yes, he does indeed shake his head. He is so adorable when he does this, because he almost looks like he's going to lose his balance.

Today, I was on the sofa watching TV with DS#2 and DD. DS#3 came up to me and tried to grab a couple of my fingers. I don't think he's really done this to me before, but I knew that he wanted to take me somewhere. He led me to the refrigerator. Wouldn't you know it, he wanted his milk cup!

He has also started saying a few words, at least a few words that we can actually understand. He has been saying "ball" and "light" for a long time. Today, I heard him, clear as day, say "up" when he wanted to get up on the sofa. I just love this stage when they are learning how to talk and when WE figure out what they're saying, it's like a big revelation!

Vacation Group Photos

I'm trying to finish posting the last few vacation photos. I actually have tons more photos, but I wanted to show photos that are representative of our vacation. This photo is the obligatory photo with Grandma and Grandpa. We have to see how tall the kids are here versus the next time we see them. Now that I'm looking at this photo again, I realized that Grandma and Natalie are both wearing pink and they also look like they're trying to get away from the boys. :)
This is a photo I took of the kids with A and G who were visiting us from Illinois. We've had some really great times with them, and this is just one more. I think they're smiling because they're feeling cold in the water! Actually, I think it's because they're having so much fun together again. Whenever they get together it's like no time has passed between visits. They get along so well!
I'm so glad I was able to get this one photo of the kids with their second cousins. DS#1 is actually almost the same size as his older cousin, but he's standing farther down on the "hill". O had to lean down to be with his twin baby brothers and J wanted to be with O, I think. Otherwise, DS#2, O, and J would be around the same size--they're all nine years old. DD is, of course, the only girl, and this is the reason why she had more fun once A (see second photo above) got there. Poor DD really does crave female attention sometimes!

Hopefully I'll be able to put these photos together in an album in the next week or so. I think I've finally decided on a particular photo book. Now I just have to edit all the photos.

SeaWorld Summer Nights

Tonight, DH went with the oldest three kids to SeaWorld for their special "Summer Nights" shows. It's one of those fun summer things we've never had a chance to do before, mostly because one of the kids were too young. Some time ago, DH and I decided that we would make the effort to give the older kids a chance to do these things. It takes both of us, of course. Usually I'm the one who stays with the baby, mostly because I dislike being outside in the heat and humidity and DH tolerates it better than I do.

While they were gone, I went to the mall with DS#3 instead of just hanging out at home. Hanging out at the mall is something I've always enjoyed. I get to walk around (with air conditioning) and getting a little exercise instead of sitting around at home. DS#3 gets to hang out in the stroller and observe all the interesting sights and sounds. I was in one store and I saw him reaching out and pulling at the clothes on the rack. I thought he was cute because he looked like he was shopping. :) I also thought he was cute when when he started making whimpering noises when I went into yet another clothing store. He actually seemed like he recognized that those were clothes and was telling me that he didn't want to be there! Soon after that I decided to let him out of the stroller so he could get a little exercise (and get tired out!) and luckily, he walked in the direction that I wanted him to walk. Oh, and we also shared a Haagen Dazs Coffee Ice Cream Shake. I think he had half of the shake before I realized it. That's okay--DH and I want to fatten him up a little!

At home, I gave DS#3 a bath. He really loves baths! He likes to put bath water in the little cup, look at the water in the cup, and then watch the water pouring out of the cup. He's so adorable when he kicks his little legs and moves his little hands up and down so he can splash water everywhere. Tonight he was ready for bed after his bath and a book.

The other kids were all also exhausted when they got home from SeaWorld tonight. They were only there for a couple of hours, but from the stories they were telling, they had a lot of fun. I'm glad we all had a great night!

More WI Photos

Again, time is short, but here are a few more photos from last week's trip to Wisconsin. This first one is of DS#2 who, for whatever reason, decided to stay in the water and allow these ducks (which would visit at least twice a day, every day, to swim up near him and nip at his shins. The ducks kept coming back for the next hour or so after that, maybe to find their friend? Who knows, but our friend G said they were there to see "Duck Boy" and we all started calling DS#2 "Duck Boy" whenever we saw the ducks coming back.

Here, DH wanted to see if DS#3 wanted to ride in the kayak with him. As you can see here, DS#3 did not want to let go of that bucket! I think he was afraid that if he let go, his sister would take it from him! The ride was very short because DS#3 didn't want to be in that kayak. I think he just didn't want to be in that position where the life vest was shoved up his neck into his face.

This photo is to remind me about the the water guns that Grandma bought for $0.75 a piece. She knew her boys (including DH) would enjoy shooting each other with water guns. DH really acts like one of his children when he gets hold of one of these! It was difficult to get photos of them shooting each other. DS#1 obliged me (what a good boy!) by posing in this "action" photo!

I still laugh when I see this photo of DD posing for the camera. I was trying to take a photo of DS#2 fishing off of the pier with DH helping him and DD looking on. When she saw me with the camera, she immediately went into the pose you see here. At first I tried to tell her to stop posing like that, but then DH turned around to walk away. I saw how he did a double-take to see his DD posing in such a way. I had to snap a picture, of course! :)

Last but not least, DS#3 really enjoyed that bucket and shovels. He started sitting on the little patio and just digging in the dirt and rocks. I don't think you can appreciate it here in this small photo, but his legs are just covered in rock dust and dirt. He was SO filthy!

I don't have time to proofread. I hope I spelled everything correctly! Thanks for looking!

We're Home!

No time to post today. I have lots of photos to share, but for now, here are a couple. This first one is, of course, of DS#2 with one of the fish he caught. Look at that smile! He was so very pleased with himself! :)


In this picture, DS#3 doesn't look too pleased with himself or anyone else for that matter. In fact, he looks rather peaved that he has to wear that life jacket! He did seem to enjoy the boat ride, at least. That boy DOES love to have the wind blowing through his hair! :)

Day 4 Feeding the Fish

This morning DH and I took our usual morning walk. It's nice to look at some of the houses and talk about what we want in a future retirement home among other things. This time we had DS#1 with us, who tends to be a couch potato, so I was glad he went with us. He pushed his youngest brother in the stroller, and luckily, DS#3 fell asleep on the way back.

Today was the day that the boys wanted to go fishing. After some trips to get supplies, they finally got started. At first, DH had to be the one to hook on the worms, but eventually, the boys did that themselves. I got some great photos, I think, that I'll try to post when we get back tomorrow. I even took some closeups of those wriggly, wiggly worms! Yuck! I took one photo of DD's face as I held up a fake worm up to her--yup, same look of disgust that was on MY face! :)

DS#2 caught, by his count, seven fish. I say by his count because I only heard him four or five times and I only got photos of him with four of the fish. He would yell every time he caught one because DH would have to go take the fish off the hook and throw him back. DH was hoping DS#2 wouldn't catch any fish big enough to keep, because he really didn't want to have to clean that fish. DS#2 was SO excited about catching every one of those fish! I got some really big grins from him as I took some photos of him with his catches.

Poor DS#1 tried and tried, but he just couldn't catch any fish. Most of the time, he basically just fed the fish. They would bite the worm, he would feel the tug, he would pull in the line, and all or part of the worm was gone! It got to the point that it was just too funny! The same thing did happen to DS#2, but he just happened to be more lucky and actually caught some of those fish! DS#1 even moved over to the pier that DS#2 had been fishing off of (they had been on different piers) but still no luck. DH made him use the fake worm at one point, just so they wouldn't be losing so much bait! Guess what happened? DS#1 felt a tug, he pulled that line in, and the fake worm was gone!!!

The other big event of the day was that our good friends from Illinois arrived today. G and J, their DD A and DS G2 were some of the reasons why we've never regretted our living in Illinois. G is DD's godfather and totally relishes in that role. He is also DH's margarita drinking buddy. It was never the same when DH and I moved and he drank margaritas with other people. Their DD A was a welcome sight for my DD. DD has been lacking in female playmates since we got here. She even got all the way in the water for the first time during this visit, just because A was in there. DS#2 had a blast playing with G2, who is just six months older than him. They ran around playing with water guns, fishing, and jumping off the pier into the water. I got a great group shot of all of the kids (minus DS#3) in the water together.

Tomorrow, we're planning more of the same. Hopefully the weather will hold up. It was very sunny yesterday, but tomorrow, they're forecasting rain and possibly even thunderstorms. Whatever the weather, it will be our last full day here, so we're going to enjoy it with our good friends and family, no matter what!

Day 3 Water Fun

The weatherman on the local news this morning dubbed today the most beautiful day of the year. The temperatures ranged from about 60-80 with a nice breeze, which balanced that warmth of the sun. We took the opportunity to spend most our day outside. I went out on a kayak for the first time ever. I was a little apprehensive at first, because I don't swim very well, but I stayed near the shoreline and I wore a life vest. DH kept a close eye on me too, I think. He was outside for part of the time with DS#3, who was playing with his shovel and pail again. I had a really great time on that kayak! DS#3 joined me for a bit, and then DS#2 took his place. Later, DH went with me. I felt so relaxed out there, and it was nice to have little chats with whomever was out there with me. My hands were probably the most sore, since I was holding that paddle very tightly. Later, I could feel the burn in my left shoulder, which I've been having problems with, recently. We'll see what I feel like tomorrow, but I'm going out on that kayak again tomorrow, for sure.

The boys got the opportunity to go out on the inner tube. I was back at the cottage with DD and a virtually napless DS#3 while everyone else went on the boat. At one point, DS#2 said he was airborne, at which DH apparently told Grandpa to slow down. They both went twice, and DS#2 was disappointed that he couldn't go again.

This evening, our hosts treated us to a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant. Most of us ordered seafood. DD and DS#2 got pasta and lots of it. For some reason, DD didn't want the meatballs that came with her spaghetti, so DS#3 enjoyed them instead. I think Grandma was amazed that DS#1, who ordered the same dish as Grandpa, actually finished his meal before Grandpa did. Grandma said that Grandpa was the "fastest eater" she knew--until now, I guess! :) I had the Seafood Platter and I shared my salmon with DD as usual. In fact, I gave some of my food to each of my three boys also. I was so full that I barely ate any dessert, if you can believe that! *WINK*

We put the youngest two in bed a little earlier tonight. They both needed to catch up on sleep! Tomorrow, we're hoping to get together with DH's cousin and her boys again. We're also expecting our good friends from Illinois to arrive. They still live in the town where we used to live before we moved to Texas. He's DH's best friend and DD's godfather. We can't wait!

Day 2 Cousins

Today was a beautiful day. The temperatures were in the 60s this morning. It was a little cool and more windy, but still very nice. The sun was out more today, but it never got too hot--maybe in the mid-70s, and not humid at all. The kids wanted to go outside at 8AM, but we persuaded them to wait until closer to 10AM. In the meantime, Grandma made pancakes for everyone for breakfast. She even made chocolate chip pancakes, which were a big hit, of course. Later, around 9:30AM, DH and I took a walk with DS#3 riding in the stroller. DS#3 had been so frantic to go outside--a mixture of intense desire to be outside and fatigue from being up since before 6AM. There were lots of houses for sale, and DH and I talked about someday owning a place on a lake somewhere. I just think it is so relaxing to just sit and watch the water from the window.

DS#3 fell asleep in the stroller on the way back from our walk. The kids had gone out to play in the lake, so the boys were already out there on the kayaks when we got back. DD was playing with that bucket and shovel again and later, when DS#3 awakened from his short nap, he was out there trying to take that away from DD again.

The wind picked up, so it got a bit too cool to sit outside. Most of us sat inside to eat lunch. After lunch, the kids started playing with DH's old Lincoln Logs. I tried to get DS#3 to nap again, but I was largely unsuccessful. Luckily, DH had the magic touch--well, either that or DS#3 was too tired after fighting with me for an hour.

When we awakened, DH's cousin (I'll call her C1) was here with her two boys. Her oldest is about a year older than DS#1, and her youngest was about 6 months older than DS#2. They didn't have too much time to really start playing with each other. They were invited elsewhere and had to leave after a short visit. They did manage to chase each other around with the water guns for a little while--proving to all that they were all indeed "boys". Oh, and they also attacked the chips, salsa, cheese, and crackers that my mother-in-law put out for people to snack on. Yes, I'm well aware of how big an appetite those "boys" can have! :)

By then, DH's other cousin (I'll call her C2) arrived with her three boys. Her oldest is about DS#2's age, and she also has 2 1/2 year old twins. DS#2 hit it off with the oldest boy. They chased each other around, went into the lake in the kayaks, and just seemed to enjoy themselves. C2 (who is C1's younger sister, by the way) was busy chasing her twins around. They were like my own DS#3 multiplied by two--always on the go. She just started potty-training them this week. This meant that she was constantly asking them if they needed to "go potty". This also meant that they would just pull down their pull-ups and go behind the bushes. They were exhausting to watch!

I wish that I could have had more time to chat with C1. I'm thankful that C2 was able to stay for a while so I had some time to chat with her. They both are such nice people and so easy to talk to. They have another sister with three boys. It would be so cool to someday get a photo of all of their kids with my kids and my sister-in-law's son. That's 12 boys and 1 girl! Oh boy, what a fun party that would be! :)

Day 1 Wisconsin

We had a nice trip here today despite having to get up before 4AM! All of us were so tired, but excited. We basically just woke everyone up and popped them all in the car. The skycaps weren't out yet, so we had to check in inside the airport. There were quite a few people in line already, but it went quickly. DH had plenty of time to park the car in long-term parking before coming to meet us still in line not far from where he left us. Security went smoothly this time. We were all so hungry, so luckily, there was a restaurant open at 5AM. I didn't even realize they made calzones with sausage, egg, and cheese, but that really hit the spot!

The plane left a few minutes late, at about 6:10AM. DH was able to get DS#3 to sleep faily easily, I think, but then I fell asleep easily too, so I really don't know! We arrived in Memphis about 10 minutes before our flight to Milwaukee boarded, and it was a fairly easy walk to the other gate. DH tried to get DS#3 to walk a little to get that out of his system, but he kept falling, probably because he was still so tired. Luckily, DS#3 slept again on the second leg. He was in a decent mood by the time we saw Grandma and Grandpa waiting just outside of the security gates. He just stared at them and didn't have any smiles or anything, but I'm sure he'll warm up to them in the next couple of days.

When we got back to the cottage, I was glad that we had taken such an early flight because then the kids had all day to play. The temperature was probably around 80 or less when we got there. It was mostly cloudy, but the sun did peek out a few times. That was fine, though, because it stayed mostly cooler and not very humid--such a relief from 95+ degree temperatures and high humidity that we left back home.

The kids wanted to get into the lake right away, but we made them wait until after lunch. Grandma had heard how much everyone liked salami, so she bought quite a bit extra! *WINK* The rest of the day, the kids pretty much spent in their swimsuits. The older boys both enjoyed kayaking, especially DS#2, who was out there for hours on the kayak. At one point, DS#2 was going out into the lake all by himself and he was about to cross paths with an oncoming boat. DH did his little "whistle" which got DS#2's attention so he would look back and see DH motioning for him to stop and turn around. He had to explain to DS#2 that boats can't just stop suddenly, although that boat had stopped just in case DS#2 had kept going. As for DH's "whistle", he has a distinctive whistle that he uses when he wants to get the kids' attention. He has a very loud voice already, but the whistle carries farther. I'm amazed when he uses it and the kids actually do recognize it and look for DH when they hear it!

DD and DS#3 spent most of their lake time on the side by the shore. They played with the one bucket and shovels (and argued over who got to have that one bucket). Grandma had also gotten some great water guns that all of them played with for a while, even DH. DS#3 really enjoyed himself, except for when we had to put the life jacket on him. He really, really disliked having that life jacket on. I got some great photos of him in the life jacket which I'll have to post when I get home. We got one boat ride, which everyone enjoyed, even DS#3. Even though he had that life jacket on, he likes to have the wind blowing through his hair. :)

Dinner was beef tenderloin. Grandma and Grandpa went all out for us on our first day! The night was cool with a nice breeze. I spent a good part of it reading a book, something I only seem to do when I visit my in-laws. Tomorrow, a couple of DH's cousins on his mom's side are coming for a visit with their boys. On that side of DH's family, there are 12 boys (including our 3) and only one girl (DD)! I wish I could get all of them together for a picture!

Wii Fit Family

I have some photos to share, but I need to share what we did today. WE GOT A WII FIT!!! This morning, DH told me that Target was advertising that they had limited quantities of the Wii Fit on hand. Since I needed a few things for the trip anyway, I packed the four kids off in the car and went to Target a little after 8AM (DH stayed home). As soon as we got home, DH installed the Wii Fit and the whole family took turns playing it throughout the day. The best part for me was that the whole family was having fun together, even if the games were each single-player games. DS#3 was the only one that didn't play, of course, although he tried to help his parents a few times by stepping onto the board while they were playing. :)

The first photo above is of DS#2 really concentrating on the Ski Slalom game. See the intense look and the deliberate stance? The next photo is of DS#1 doing the Strength Training. Let me just say that he made those push-ups look easy. DD and DS#2 just got down on the floor and started doing the push-ups with him. Later, even the baby got down on the floor and tried to imitate them. He obviously didn't do the push-ups correctly. He was sitting on the floor and just laid his head on the floor then sat up again. It was hilarious!

The following are just catch-up photos from earlier this past week. This first one is a photo of our new piano! The baby is obviously enjoying himself playing the piano. Unfortunately, he always wants to play at the same time as his sister. We have the older desktop piano in the dining room for now. He knows how to turn that one on and turn up the volume!

This next photo was one I took yesterday. Apparently, DS#2 sat on the baby's toy just like this and so the baby decided to copy his big brother and sit on the toy too. Yes, DH had a little talk with DS#2 about teaching his baby brother some bad habits.

Finally, I took this photo last night at the birthday party we attended. As soon as I saw it, I knew DD would LOVE it! I told her that the cake matched her dress! She got the biggest smile on her face when she saw it. I remembered this photo today as I packed a bunch of very pink clothing for DD for our trip.

I hope to be checking in, at least with updates about our trip. I won't be able to upload any photos until we get back, since we don't have any photo editing software on the laptop, and we'll have dial-up too, but I'm able to email my posts. I hope everyone has a great week!

Pancakes, Pictures, and Party

Wow! I was really busy today! We started the day off by going to IHop for breakfast this morning. DH says that he prefers my pancakes, but IHop's blueberry pancakes are like comfort food for me. I've loved them ever since college! A couple of high school friends and I would meet at IHop every so often on Fridays and I always had the short stack of blueberry pancakes. Yum! Today I got the "double blueberry pancakes". DH had chocolate chip pancakes. DD had the "funny face" chocolate chip pancake which she said was bigger than her head! DS#1 had the special New York Cheesecake pancakes with sausage, egg, and hash browns. DS#2 had regular chicken fingers. DS#3 had a little big of DH's and DD's pancakes, but his favorite seemed to be DS#1's hash browns.

Some time after we got home at around 9:30, I helped DD practice her piano assignment. The new digital piano was delivered yesterday and I have to admit that it's making me want to take lessons again. I took lessons for a couple of years when I was younger, but I was never very good about practicing. Today, I actually enjoyed practicing with DD. I heard her practicing and didn't think she was doing the lesson right. Being the perfectionist mother, I had to try to correct her. Luckily, she let me. I was afraid at first that she wouldn't let me or she would get frustrated and just want to stop playing. We played for a while, though, in the morning and then later in the afternoon. She actually welcomed the direction, I think, because later she asked ME to practice with her and she didn't act like she was tired of practicing, as I might have expected from an almost 6-year-old girl.

At 11AM, I went to an aerobics class at our gym. Last week the whole family went, but DS#3 got up way too early this morning and DH had to get him to take a morning nap, so the rest of the family stayed home. My youngest sister introduced me to this class last month when she visited me, and I loved it so much that I had to go again. What's so special about this class? It's a "Dance" aerobics class. Instead of the traditional moves, it's like dancing. The music just makes me want to dance anyway. It is SO fun!

I went home from the gym and jumped straight in the shower. By the time I finished with all of that, it was time to go to our Picture People appointment. For those of you who don't remember, I'm trying to get a matching set of photos for every kid on their birthdays this year. I'm getting DD's photos done a month early because I had a 25% off coupon. :) I thought about doing DS#1's photos early because of the coupon, but DH and I decided that besides DS#3, DS#1 is probably the child who is changing the most right now. Luckily, the sales lady actually suggested that I prepay for another frame and set of photos to fit the frame AND she let me use the coupon for it. Cool! I'm ready for October now! Anyway, the photographer got some fabulous photos of DD. I'll try to post some tomorrow.

The Picture People studio was very busy today, so by the time we got home, it was almost time to go to church. DS#3 took a minimal afternoon nap, so I was a little worried about how long he would last at church and then tonight. He did do okay for most of church. He would have lasted longer except that he kept wanting to roam around. DH was having flashbacks of when DS#1 was a similar age and he ran screaming towards the altar. Luckily, that didn't happen today, but DS#3 did keep wanting to wander in the aisle so I had to take him out of the main church into the hallway for a bit. We went back in for Communion, but DH had to take him back out again after Communion. That wasn't too bad for a tired boy, though.

After church, we tried to go to PF Chang's for dinner. The wait was almost 2 hours! We went to Pei Wei instead where there was no wait. We usually prefer PF Chang's but Pei Wei was still very good. After dinner we headed to the 15th birthday party of the DD of a friend. DS#3 spent the time chasing some balloons. He kept trying to hold two balloons at one time. Since one balloon was all he could hold in his arms, trying to hold two balloons was quite a challenge. He was also fascinated with the colored lights that were flashing on the dance floor. DD was the only one (besides me) who wanted to dance as soon as she heard the music playing. DS#2 was busy eating candy. DS#1 was busy gazing at the high school girls at the party. *WINK* DS#3 started getting really tired after an hour, so we left and got everyone to bed as soon as we got home. DS#3 was asleep before the freeway exit to go to our house.

I thought about not posting tonight, but I'm sure I'll forget all about this tomorrow. I'll try to post some pics tomorrow since we're leaving early on Monday and I won't know when I'll be able to post after that. Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone! :)

Spending Spree

Wow, I shouldn't let DH shop by himself. Today, he went out and bought a piano AND a big-screen TV. We had talked about those purchases, of course. ;-) I remember a few years ago, he went to Circuit City and bought the TV for our bedroom that we had talked about. He also bought a surround sound system for the living room and a DVD player, as I recall. Another time he went to Circuit City, he bought the digital camcorder that we had talked about, but he also bought a computer! I like to tease him about those purchases, of course. I just figure that after these purchases, he won't bat an eyelash about my scrapping purchases! :)

This Is Taking It Easy

One of DS#3's favorite places to be is by my scrap area in the office. He used to want to just sit in my lap while I handed him things to play with. Now he only sits on my lap just long enough to reach out for my pen drawers with a scream telling me he wants my pens. When I'm there, it's harmless enough. This picture was taken on Sunday when I decided to just give him one drawer. He played happily at my feet. The lighting was good so I decided to snap some photos. For this shot, I peeked from behind the camera a few times and that was enough to get this cute little smile.

Later, we headed to the Fiesta Texas waterpark. There was some reluctance from my perpetually reluctant DS#2 because he had been there "for 8 hours" on Thursday with his cousins (partly doing rides and partly at the waterpark), but he came to his senses, of course. I don't get too many photos of DS#2 anymore, because he really won't cooperate with the camera. This time, he thought it was funny to pretend he had to "go to the bathroom" while he was sitting on this little fountain and then let the fountain spring up between his legs. From what I can tell, this is just "boy" humor that I am just thrilled about. (Can you feel the sarcasm?) Still, he managed to smile for the camera at least!

The baby really enjoys playing the water now. He was mostly walking back and forth at the water's edge (this is a step-in pool in the kids' area) watching the water lap up on his feet. He also played with those same little fountains mentioned above. He would cover and uncover them with his hands and with his feet. At one time, I positioned him so that he was standing right over the fountain. The water bubbled up between his legs--one of his tickle spots. This led to some baby giggles!

He also enjoyed some play time with his siblings, especially his biggest brother. Can't you just see the enjoyment in his face here as his biggest brother is dipping his head in the pool? DS#1 was enjoying it, too. DS#1 is getting to the point where he can be pleasant company for me. The baby stayed with DH while the other kids and I went to the "Lazy River" where you can ride on some inner tubes and just float lazily on the "current". I was content to just float "lazily" but there were teenagers around that were pushing their way past everyone. Several times I started floating away in a different direction as the kids or I would lag behind. DS#1 would just grab my inner tube and pull me with him. I loved that he wasn't trying to ditch his old mama. ;-) I love that kid! :)

Jen's Tag

I got tagged by Jen, so before I "forget" to answer these questions, I'd better do it now!

Ten Years Ago:1998.
I was living in Houston, TX about to "take over" the practice from my boss with my other colleagues and working my butt off. I was probably also studying for my oral boards that were going to be held in October.

Five Things on Today's To-Do List:
(I'm going to list what I've done today since it's almost bedtime.)
Go to the Fiesta Texas with the family
Watch some DVR tapes
Call my mom
Cut DD's fingernails/put on her fingernail polish
Continue cleaning my scrap area

Snacks I enjoy:
Ice Cream
Chocolate

Things I would do if I were a Millionaire:
Set most aside for retirement
Pay off the house
Buy a vacation home

Places I have lived:
Manila, Philippines
Houston, TX
Robinson, IL
San Antonio TX

People I want to tag:
Pam
Catherine
Anita

I'll post later with some photos I took today. :)

Shopping Day

The day began with a farewell to my parents, sister, and her kids. There are so many times that I wish that we lived in the same city! I had just eaten breakfast, so instead of going to exercise, we decided to do some shopping.

DH and I have been planning to redo our living room this year. I've always been a little embarrassed to have anyone over because our living room doesn't look very nice. DH has insisted that we need to start with the flooring before we do any repainting or buying of furniture. We have carpet in the office, dining room, living room, and DS#1's bedroom that we'd like to change to hardwood floors. We already have hardwood floors in the kitchen, breakfast room, entryway, and downstairs bathroom.

Since today was a day off for me, DH wanted me to look at some hardwood floors at Lowe's and Costco. The kids entertained themselves as best they could. At one point, DS#3 was sitting down on one of the displays, but most of the time he was pushing around the shopping cart. I got a few pics of the kids including this cute one of DD with DS#3. I even took a short video of DS#3 pushing the cart around at Costco.

We spent most of the afternoon at home, but for dinner, we went to one of the local malls and ate at their Food Court. My main motivation in going to the mall was the One Day Sale at Macy's. I really needed some new bras. DD went with me, of course, while the boys went to Gamestop. During my search, she was her usual chatty self. The following are some conversations we had:

DD: This bra is pink. Do you want this bra, Mama? It's pink.
Me: I don't like pink.
DD: I thought you liked pink, Mama.
Me: I like pink, but I don't want a pink bra. (Mind you, this was a hot pink bra. DD seems to be drawn to very bright-colored bras.)

DD: Why are you shopping only for yourself?
Me: Because you don't wear bras!
DD: I wish I could wear a bra!

As I was walking around the racks of bras, she was squeezing them and saying "Squeak! Squeak!" She also "helped" me in the fitting room by taking the bras off the hangers and giving them to me to try on. She was, of course, constantly giving me her opinion:

DD: That one looks good on you, Mama.
Me: I don't like the way it looks. I'm just fat.
DD: You're not fat, Mama. You just look like you're going to have another baby!
Me: That is NOT what I want to hear.

Of course, during our fitting room session, I heard her say, "Look at me, Mama!" I turned to see this. I had to take a picture, of course! *SIGH*This picture will most certainly strike fear in DH's heart!

The Evidence

Here is the evidence. DH can no longer say that he is taller than DS#1. My mom is visiting and she made a comment that DS#1 looked skinnier than during her prior visit three weeks ago. I told her that probably meant that he had grown taller. This prompted me to ask DH and DS#1 to both get up so I could compare their heights. I took this picture so DH could see for himself. What do you think?

Talking about evidence--we received evidence today that DS#3 is actually growing. He still looks so little to me. He is also definitely a skinny baby. Well, today he visited his pediatrician. He is 31 3/4 inches tall (70th percentile) and 19 lbs. 12 oz. (about the third percentile). He has only gained 2 ounces in three months, but he is getting taller, so the doctor wasn't worried. I, for one, am relieved that he is actually growing. I'm not that concerned about his weight because he can eat quite a bit and because his doctor isn't concerned. I'm happy that he might actually get to be as big as his brothers.

Now I'm A Boomerang

The baby has been a bit clingy towards me lately. Tonight, we were at one of our favorite restaurants. DS#1 wanted to sit next to the baby because he wanted to play with him and also because he wanted to help feed him. I wish he was as enthusiastic about changing his diaper! ;-) He did feed him some beans, and then I started feeding DS#3 some beans. At one point, when I wasn't feeding DS#3, DS#1 started trying to feed him some more beans, but DS#3 refused and was shaking his head "no". I tried feeding DS#3 again, and he accepted the beans from me without any fuss. The same thing had happened with some flour tortillas and cheese dip that I was feeding DS#3 earlier.

Later, when I had to go to the restroom, DS#3 started fussing and holding his arms out at me like he wanted me to take him with me. As I returned, I heard DH telling the baby, "See--Mama always comes back. She always comes back." DS#3 acted all excited, which warmed my heart, of course. DS#2 said, "Mama always comes back. She comes back like a boomerang." Never a dull moment in this family! :)

Lost Day

I had a really busy call night last night, so that pretty much wiped out my day today. Sure, I'm bummed about not getting anything done today, since I spent most of the day in a brain fog or in bed. However, I'm mostly bummed about one of my cases last night/this morning. Things just didn't go very smoothly, and although the patient was doing well this morning, I just felt like I could've done a better job at the time.

I have to say that having that cute baby makes things better sometimes. I had just come down from my bedroom and I was sitting on the living room sofa. I called his name and he saw me. Although he himself had just awakened in my bed next to me just a couple of hours before, he ran up to me with outstretched hands that were wiggling as if this would make him reach me sooner. He was acting like he hadn't seen me in a while and he missed me. What an adorable child! :)

Happy 4th of July!

The morning started with some negotiations. We were going to go to the neighborhood parade/get-together, and DH and I wanted everyone to wear red, white, and blue. DS#2 had been wearing an orange shirt, but he finally changed into one of his sport-type shirts. DD had been wearing a new navy/turquoise shirt that she just loved, and she didn't want to change her shirt at all. When she found this cute little cheerleader outfit from Gymboree that we just bought yesterday, then she gladly changed her clothes. DS#3 was wearing something red, white, and blue that had buttons down the front so that it could be removed without having to be pulled over his head. We've had some containment leaks lately...


I managed to get a photo of the family in their red, white, and blue clothing (obviously unposed). We walked to the parade site. The weather was already hot and steamy at 10AM. The parade consisted of two fire trucks followed by a couple of cars sporting large flags waving in the back, and then the rest were people walking, riding bicycles, and pulling wagons/pushing strollers. We really only went around the block, and near the end, DD started complaining that her legs hurt. At least by then I was able to entice her by telling her that they were offering popsicles at the end of the parade. They also had cookies and bottled water, but DD had three popsicles.

After lunch, we went to the pool. DS#3 has been enjoying the pool more lately, and he kept busy this time playing with balls. He has a cute way of throwing them so that they actually end up going backwards. We did manage to enjoy the pool for a few minutes before it started raining. The rain really didn't bother us too much, although the rain itself was cold, especially when I wasn't physically in the water. It started raining so hard, however, that they closed the pool.

DD and I made chocolate cupcakes. She's been wanting to make them ever since we bought the red, white, and blue cupcake liners at Hobby Lobby last week. In the evening, DH grilled steaks. Shortly before 9PM, DH took the older three to see fireworks at the nearby Six Flags. He actually parked in the mall parking lot close to the park, and apparently this was not an original idea. It was still a good idea, however, since this year, it didn't take him long at all to get back home after the fireworks.

I hope everyone else is having a very enjoyable and very fun Fourth of July!

The Genius of Leonardo

The Genius of Leonardo is a touring exhibit that has made it's US debut at the Witte Museum here in town. The press release can be found HERE. Basically it's "the world's largest interactive exhibition" of Da Vinci's inventions and "features 40 life-sized and operational machines constructed from in-depth studies of Leonardo's designs."

The exhibit not only had the "machines" but they also had written explanations about what the machines did and their applications to subsequent technology. One of these was the "Ornithopter" which means "a machine designed to fly by flapping its wings". In this particular ornithopter, the pilot acts as the engine. By moving the various ropes, he would cause the wings to "flap". The modern day application of this is the helicopter. Of course, the "Ornithopter" was never built, but the reason why Da Vinci is so impressive is that he was able to think "outside the box" and came up with so many potentially workable ideas.

One machine that could have been potentially useful was this contraption that you can see DH helping DS#3 to operate. The circular motion of the wheel (which ideally could have been powered with water) turns into the up and down motion of the blades that were used to cut the logs.


This photo shows one of the smaller exhibits that brings into action one of Da Vince's drawings where a machine converts a revolving motion into a one-way motion, or a "rack and pinion" mechanism. This mechanism is "often used today in "automobile jacks, windshield wipers, and 'rack and pinion' steering."


There was also a area in the exhibit called "Leonardo's Workshop". DD had fun in the area where they used small catapults to propel ping pong balls toward a picture of a castle. DS#3 also enjoyed this exhibit, although he just played with the balls and he didn't much care for the catapult. DS#2 built a domed structure out of styrofoam blocks, and built an arch out of fake "stones". DS#1 and DH put together this rather cool structure called "Leonardo's Bridge". The ladies who were building it right before us took a rather long time, but DH and DS#1 took only a few minutes. The structure looks very delicate but in reality was quite sturdy once finished.

I hope I explained all of this well enough. If this exhibit happens to come to a neighboring city, go see it! It was truly worth the price of admission! :)

My Little Chatterbox

When I was younger, I remember my parents describing my younger sister as talkative. I also remember my mom telling me, after one of the first times DH met my parents, that he was rather chatty too. In other words, I don't know which side it comes from (probably DH's side *WINK*), but DD is quite the chatterbox. The last time my youngest sister and her kids were here, she heard her DD tell my DD to be quiet (she was trying to read). My boys are always telling DD to be quiet. Even DH gets tired of her constant chatter.

Yesterday, DD and I were shopping when she saw some Jibbitz (those are the decorations that people put in the holes of their Crocs). She was chatting about how there were soccer balls for her brothers and how they were only $7.99! :) A woman that was standing next to us looked at me, smiled, and told me that DD "talked like a 25-year-old" and that she had to do a double-take. I just laughed and told her about how DD will even ask, "Is it on sale?" Sometimes she'll even say, "It's on sale, Mama. Can I get it?" You see, I tend to tell her that I won't buy something if it's not on sale.

Then, there are the recurring themes. Remember the bubble tape conversation I had with DD that I blogged about HERE? Now, every time we go to Michael's, she'll see the bubble tape again and mention it. Recently, she asked if she could get bubble tape for her birthday. This just cracked me up so much that I had to tell her that if she didn't get bubble tape by her birthday, I would get her bubble tape for her birthday! Now, every time she sees bubble tape, she reminds me that I said that. ;-)

Sunday Recap

I was so sad last week when DH and the kids went to SeaWorld without me, so we decided to go with the whole family today. We got there right around 11AM when the Lost Lagoon waterpark opened. The baby and I stayed at the Li'l Gator kids' area while DH and the other three kids had fun on the various rides. I've never been a big ride person, mostly because it combines my fear of heights and my motion sickness. I have to admit that I had fun just watching DS#3 toddle about, in and out of the water, up and down the baby slides, and just walking, walking, walking around. I couldn't take any photos because well, we forgot the camera, but also because there would have been no way to take photos without getting the camera wet.

After a while, DH came back with DD. She wanted to go with me to the wave pool, so DH stayed with DS#3. DD couldn't wait to show me how DH taught her how to "use her arms" when she swims--basically a freestyle-type stroke. She looked pretty cute turning her head from side to side so she could take breaths. I don't recall the older boys ever swimming this well when they were this age. She just loves the water where they were a bit more timid. She did quite a bit of swimming back and forth just so she could practice using her arms. I was amused that she thought it was such a cool new thing to actually use her arms when she swims!

While we were at the wave pool, the older two boys joined us. I have to admit that at first, I didn't recognize DS#1 as my child. I just saw this big kid/young adult. He has changed so much lately! He was goofing around and screamed in a higher-pitched voice than I'm used to hearing coming from his mouth. I told him that I was amazed that he could get his voice that high. He answered that he just had trouble with the middle register, but that he could go higher and of course, lower. I also watched him goofing around with DD. They were having so much fun with each other. What mother doesn't get warm tinglies from watching her kids actually getting along? Later this afternoon, DS#1's good friend (maybe even "best" friend) called and asked him to spend the night at his house. He's there now--I miss that big kid!

DS#2 also had a fun time. His swimming has really taken off since he first took lessons a couple of years ago. He was just loving life and loving the water. I just feel bad that he didn't have his big brother around this evening. That kid worships his big brother! We were just lounging around this evening watching the Olympic Trials. I really only watched a few races and I was just amazed at the World Records! I'm really looking forward to watching the Olympic Games in August.

We left Sea World after 1PM and ate at the nearby Rudy's BarBQ. I just love their creamed corn! I had a taste of their peach cobbler a month or so ago and I've been dreaming about it since. I had to have it with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, of course! Yum! We didn't do too much after we got home, but I think we had already had a pretty full day!