Swimming Lessons

The boys have been taking swimming lessons this week and last week, Mon. - Thurs for 50 min. each morning. This year it has been a really great experience. The first morning Andrew was in a different area of the pool than Carson's class was. Andrew swam/walked over to where I was and declared "THAT...was Awesome!!"

Here are the boys prior to their swimming lessons last Tuesday.

Andrew really was excited despite the grumpy photo.

This is Carson's class talking about safety at the pool. This morning (last Tuesday) it was quite chilly. I wrapped up in the boys' towel as I waited for them to be done. This week is a completely different story. I'm dripping wet at the end of their sessions and never touch the water!

Andrew's class waiting on their instructions. We just happened to be in the same session as some friends from church and friends from Andrew's preschool. Very nice!

Carson's class playing Red Light Green Light.

Carson swimming.

Carson did great last week. Until Thursday. On Wed. at home he had scraped his leg a little and we put a band aid on and he was fine. Well Thursday morning at swim lessons he didn't want to get his band aid wet. I tried everything (we will get you a new one...you have so much fun in the water...) but he refused. Again on Monday he was being difficult but today (Tuesday) he did great again.

Andrew swimming with a kick board.

Andrew waiting to go off the diving board.

I could tell that he was a bit hesitant. Two years ago he went off the diving board at swimming lessons for the first time...well he was lowered off the board where another life guard caught him. Then last year he just plain wouldn't do it. But this year....

he jumped off by himself!

two different times in one day!

The first time, the lifeguard that was on the board with him was whispering something in his ear and they were both giggling. He then walked to the end and jumped off. When he got out of the pool I asked him what she had said to him. He said "She told me to jump on their heads!" That was perfect to tell him!Today Andrew jumped off the diving board twice again and this time he swam to the ladder all by himself! The lifeguard still caught him and swam beside him to the ladder but didn't help him. Amazing how much different he is swimming now compared to when we were in Florida in the beginning of May!

And today Carson went off the diving board! (but of course I didn't have the camera today. I really thought there was no way he would do it! Hoping a friend got a picture of him.) He was quite brave, really no hesitation. He was dropped/lowered into the pool where another life guard caught him. He did go under a bit and wasn't ready for that. He coughed a little and then said "I do not want to do that again!"

Here is Andrew floating around in the deeper pool (the pool where we always swim, he can touch) with a life jacket on. He thought this was pretty cool. He just paddled around even though he was supposed to wait at the edge for his turn with a life guard. Too much down time for him!

Tomorrow is their last actually lesson day and then on Thursday they have free play. They turn the water to the slides and mushroom thing on and the lifeguards get in and play with them. I'm thinking about wearing my suit that morning too. The past two mornings have been way too hot at 9am to just sit there.

Applesauce

June 28

The boys and I picked up 2 bushels of transparent apples and made applesauce. I had two supermen helping me. Andrew would turn the crank of the Victorian strainer and Carson would push the apples down (please don't think I am a horrible mother for letting him kneel like that on top of the kitchen island!). Andrew helped with almost every batch, Carson only lasted the first two if I remember correctly.

I was really happy when I had cut the last apple, then even more happy when I had cooked the last batch of apples and ecstatic when they were all run through the strainer. We ran out of applesauce several months ago, so I probably should do some more applesauce. Perhaps a fall apple. Any suggestions?

Kindergarten Camp

Andrew on his last day of Kindergarten Camp, June 25th 2010.

June 14-18 Andrew had Kindergarten Readiness Program (previously known as Kindergarten Camp). It is a time (2 hours each day) for all the Kindergarteners to go to their elementary school, be in their future classroom and spend time with their teacher. This way they can become familiar with the building and some of the staff without all the older children there. Hopefully making that first day a little easier.

This spring when I would talk to Andrew about this program, he wouldn't have a whole lot to say. Unusual for Andrew. He didn't act too excited about it. Unusual for Andrew. Then one time when I brought it up he said "Do I need to pack my clothes, and sleeping bag, and tent?" No wonder he wasn't excited and was feeling unsure about it! He thought I was going to drop him off somewhere to camp for the whole week!

Andrew went that week Mon. & Tues. and then he had a fever for a 2 days. When I called on Thurs. to let them know that he wouldn't be there again, I asked about him coming the next week, the two day he missed. The secretary checked with his teacher and called me back. She said he could come all week if he wanted too. So he did. He went 3 days the first week and 5 the next.

He enjoyed this Kindergarten Camp. Each morning he was a little hesitant (again unusual) and would come back to me for 4 or 5 hugs before I could leave. I'm not sure if he is hesitant just because this is a new (BIG) experience for him or if it is because he is growing up, maturing and perhaps his personality is changing and maybe he isn't as outgoing as he once was. He now has 2 very loose front lower teeth, you can see his permanent teeth coming in behind these loose baby teeth. He is definetly growing up quickly and there isn't anything I can do to slow it down. Here comes the roller coaster ride of the next 13+ years. Hang on tight!

The Zoo

June 10, 2010

We went to the zoo with our good friends Karina, Tommy & Anna. What a fun day! I opted to buy a family pass this year. It basically pays for itself if you go twice in one years time. This way we can go back and spend as little or as much time there as we want and not feel like we have to see everything in one day.

The three boys on the train. I wish I knew how to do photo editing. I would move Tommy from the picture on the right to the picture on the left.

The four kiddos at the polar bear exhibit.


This elephant was giving us quite the show in this pool of water. We were quite close to where it was. The elephant would go completely under water but just have the tip of his trunk sticking up out of the water. It would splash or spray a little water. Exciting to watch.

Musical Beds

For the past few months Carson has been sleeping with Andrew in his double bed. Up until that point, Carson had been sleeping in his crib and then started visiting Chad & I's room during the night. We really didn't want this to continue, so we moved him to Andrew's room.

The boys really like sharing a bed. At first I didn't like that Andrew would wake up Carson in the morning, probably sometimes by accident, but Carson used to sleep in a little later than Andrew. And sometimes them being in the same room & same bed prolongs how quickly or not so quickly they fall sleep at night.

There have been several nights recently when they are still wound up, picking on each other, giggling and not going to sleep. So then Carson is moved back to his room and sleeps on the crib mattress on the floor. This is how we found him one night...

Can you find him??

His head was completely covered by his quilt.

He sometimes rolls off this mattress, we see him on the floor when checking on them before we go to bed. Or in the morning he will tell us how many times he rolled off, in his sweet little deep voice "just one time!"

Justin Roberts

June 5th was alumni weekend at nearby Kenyon College. A friend informed us of a children's concert by Justin Roberts that Saturday. Justin Roberts is an alum of Kenyon and is a singer/song writer of children's music. When I first heard mention of his name, I didn't think I was familiar with him. But then I looked on line a little bit and realized that I have heard a few of his songs on the children's TV channels, perhaps Nick or Noggin.

We all went to the concert and really enjoyed it. He and his band were quirky and enjoyable for any age to enjoy. The first song they sang was called Giant-Sized Butterflies. It is about a little boy going off to school on his first day and how is mom helps him through that day. It is such a sweet song. I really thought I was okay about Andrew going off to school, not feeling emotional about it....but this song proved otherwise! I was really choked up as I listened to it (and again now). I hope Andrew doesn't have issues with going off that afternoon cause then I might as well! But if he is fine, then I think I will be too.

Here is a cute video called Pop Fly. And another Tie Your Shoes. And another One Little Cookie, this song was sung by one of the groups at Andrew's TaVaci concert this spring. And Yellow Bus (live performance) & Yellow Bus video with some funny teenagers. Really cute Obsessed by Trucks for all those little boys out there. Since the concert, we have checked out a CD from the library of his and are enjoying it. We just might have to purchase one!

Carson had some crazy dance moves from his seat. It mainly consisted of swinging his arms back & forth (like punching the air) extremely fast!

This was the last song where many of the children joined them on stage to dance. Fun time!

Last days of preschool

Andrew's last day of preschool at his preschool was Thursday May 27th. Here he is the morning before that last day. It is hard to believe that he will be going to Kindergarten in the fall.

Here are the boys after preschool with their good buddies Tommy & Anna.

Most days after preschool, weather permitting, this is where you would find us...in the courtyard outside the preschool building. The kids would have time to run and play, let off some steam while the mommies chatted. Below is a group hug with Patrick, Tommy, Andrew & Carson....

that ended in a tackle.

Another favorite activity was racing

The preschool is a little over a mile from our house. So on this last day I decided to take the wagon and walk to pick Andrew up. I was thankful that the walk there was up hill with just Carson in the wagon and the way home with both boys (well over 70# total) was mostly down hill. It was a warm beautiful day.

Friday May 28th was Andrew's official last day of preschool. The preschool classes met at the park for some play time. We packed lunches and they also had a really cute cake and cupcakes decorated with each child's name and a face made to look like them (same color hair, eyes). Andrew has really enjoyed preschool. We are so thankful for his wonderful teachers and the great friends he has made over these past two years.

Here is a picture of some of his courtyard buddies at the park.

Andrew, Patrick, Sadie, Wyatt, Carson & Stella

Rolling Ridge Ranch ~ May 21, 2010

Soooo behind on this virtual scrapbook of mine. Even more behind on the actual scrapbooks for the boys. I did one of Andrew's first year, which I completed shortly before Carson was born (that was my goal) and haven't done anything since! I have a scrapbook that I intend to use for Carson's first year but there isn't a single thing in it! Anyways...

On May 21, we went along with Andrew's preschool class on a field trip to Rolling Ridge Ranch in Berlin. Andrew chose to ride the bus along with his classmates and Carson & I drove separately. First we ate our packed lunches and then headed over to the petting zoo. (We thought their hands might be a little bit more clean than doing that in the reverse order!!)

Carson with the baby calves and goats
Andrew watching the baby camel

Andrew & his classmate Annalise checking out the ducklings.

Andrew on the wagon ride with his container of feed for the animals.

Carson reaching for a duckling to hold

Here are the boys feeding some lamas. The lamas would come up and eat right out of the bucket you were holding. You had to hang on tight or you would loose your bucket!

Check out the horns on this beast! I think this is the one that held his head a little tilted to the one side.

Our driver would tell us how to feed certain animals. This one he said would eat from the floor of the wagon. We would put feed down by our feet and the animal would stick it's head under our seats and lick the feed up!

Below are some of the animals we saw on our hour long wagon ride around the ranch. The day we were there, it was a little on the cooler side and rainy but it never rained very hard. It was actually nice that it wasn't really hot! The blue parrot was at the petting zoo. It would say or repeat different things like "Hello, What?, Good-bye".

Disney's Animal Kingdom

On Wednesday May 5th, the four of us along with our friends Brandt, Renee & Emmett headed to Disney's Animal Kingdom. The first thing we saw there was the Festival of theLion King. Here are Andrew, Emmett & Carson waiting for the show to start.

The music, singing voices, dancing, costumes were fantastic. (not nearly as good as the live show Chad & I saw last summer but still wonderful.) Carson loves the movie Lion King. He was a little concerned that there wasn't a girl lion in this show. He also kept asking "Where is the king?"

The three boys were asked to participate in the show at the very end. Andrew decided to give it a try.

On the last song, he walked around with the actor/actresses and shook a maraca.

waved to the crowd

at the end of the song, Timon came over to Andrew and said "And YOU were the best" and gave him a high five. (I'm sure they do this to one child each show.)

Andrew was very mellow about this whole experience. I thought for sure he would get excited about it....at least at some point. He never really did. In fact he seemed really shy and a bit embarrassed by it.

Brandt & Carson inside a hippo (?) skull

Andrew, Emmett & Carson TROUBLE!!

These 3 boys had so much fun together. Andrew & Emmett were good buddies when we all lived in Dayton, and they seem to pick it back up again whenever we get together. While we were in Florida, Andrew would get very upset if we weren't going to eat supper with Emmett.

The boys showing off some fantastic dance moves.

The boys dancing with and meeting Flick from It's a Bug Life. I don't think the boys have seen this movie or even know who Flick is, but they still enjoyed meeting him. Later we saw a 3D show called It's Tough to be a bug. This was actually a bit scary for the boys. At one point there was a stink bug, and then the theatre was pitch black. Andrew had his head buried in Chad's arm. At the end, it felt like bugs were crawling in between you and your seat!

We also saw the Finding Nemo musical. That was really well done as well. Both children and adults could truly enjoy this too.

We went on the Kilimnjaro Safaris. This was really fun. They made it feel like you were really in Africa on a safaris. The road they drove on was bumpy and driven through shallow bodies of water. The animals were amazing, with baby giraffes, elephants and rhinos. The baby rhino was really cute running after it's mother.

Another fun, hot day at Disney!