My little Sea Turtles :)

Even though the kids absolutely love the bath, pools, lakes, the ocean, puddles, and just about anything to do with water, they are very shy around strangers, so I was a little nervous about signing them up for Sea Turtles swimming lessons where they would be in the water with the instructor only...that's right, mommy got to sit back and relax (take pictures) while the kids had their first swimming lessons!  The first day confirmed all my fears as most of the half hour was spent trying to get the kids to STAY IN the pool!  Especially Timmy!!!

Emma, Timmy, Kallie

Timmy getting out of the pool.

Timmy getting out of the pool again (I have LOTS of pictures like this)

Emma

Kallie

Footprints leading AWAY from the pool.

The instructor was so good with the kids....and so patient!  And by the second class we had some bubble blowing...

A few jumps...some small (Emma)...

Some big (Kallie)...

and Timmy just held on for dear life!  At least he's smiling though :)

The point is, they stayed in the water! 

And by the third and final class, the kids LOVED it!!!

Emma and Kallie

This little guy did SOOOO good the last day!

He used the kick board...

He was jumping in and going under...

We couldn't get him out of the water (I really did have to pull him out when class was over)!

The girls did awesome, too.  They listened and did everything the teacher asked.

"Motorboat motorboat, go so slow..."

"Motorboat motorboat, go so fast..."

"Motorboat motorboat, step on the gas!!!"

When class was over, they all got a little report card - so cute!  They did really good and made a lot of progress in 3 short classes, but the instructor recommended that they stay Sea Turtles for a little while longer...which I am completely fine with.  I wish freezing them in time was just as easy...I wish they could stay little just a little while longer, too!    

Sink or Swim

I have really been wanting to post about the kids' swimming lessons that they took last week, but can't seem to find the time.  I'm hoping that posting these will motivate me to work on it!  

The Little Things

Yesterday, Kallie (sheesh, lots of my latest posts are either about Kallie or have pictures of her...I promise I'm an equal opportunity mom and someone else will be "featured" next blog)...anywaysss, she put this headband on and told me, "I'm getting married like Mommy and Daddy!"

And reminding me why I married him...Tim sent me this today... 

I just realized you can't read what the invitation said, but it was cute...Tim is cute :)

It's the little things that make me happpy!

IS

My dad turned 77 last week. I have wrinkles.  And my mom is sick....she has cancer.  I can admit it.  I can even say it out loud.  "My mom has cancer."  She's had it for a long time, but now she's getting sicker and will most likely start chemo soon.  I can't talk about it.  If I had to talk about it, I'd have to think about it, and what it means, and THAT I don't do.  I don't want to think about what could possibly happen to her.....what she will go through....or what will happen to me seeing her like that.....what will happen to me when she is no longer here.  I can't even admit these things to her because then I would have to face the reality that she actually has cancer, rather than just saying it.  I would break down into a million tears....and I might possibly break into the same number of pieces.  And right now, I'm not strong enough to do that.  So for now, I will try and focus on loving and appreciating her every day, rather than waiting to honor her memory when she is gone.  I will not take fore-granted the amazing mother, grandma, friend, care-giver, and woman she IS.      


These pictures are of Kallie, but when I look at them, I see....I feel my parents' house.  The flowers and fruit trees out back (right now there are peaches everywhere!).  The pebble stone patio, the mat on the step, and even the shoes next to it (the shoes change, but there is ALWAYS a pair there).  The tiled kitchen countertops and the sun streaming in through the family room sky lights.  Everything is the same from growing up.  And in all of these things.....I feel my mom.  

I am also remembering to "appreciate" Kallie's outfit, which she picked out and put on all by herself.  Yep, a summer dress paired with pajama pants and brown sandals on backwards!  Gotta love that girl :)

   

I love you...

A couple of weeks ago, Kallie and I were laying in bed snuggling and had the following conversation....

Me: "I love you, Kallie."

Kallie: SILENCE

Me: "When I say I love you, then you say, 'I love you, too.'"

Kallie: "Oh."  SILENCE

Forward to this morning....

Me: "I love you, Kallie."

Kallie: "Thanks!"

Erickson Ranch

Yesterday we headed out to Erickson ranch for some local, low-key family fun (meaning we didn't have to drive 3+ hours and pack what appears to be a whole weeks worth of clothes and kids stuff).  They had a lot going on for families - food, music, bubbles, fruit/veggie/and flower picking, etc, and the whole place was just so cute!  There were so many photo opportunities.  I'd love to go back when it's not so crowded, the kids are clean (and when they start to listen again), and when the the lighting is perfect....so pretty much when the stars align!  This is what we got yesterday...

This smile is a little scary, right?  Even scarier...this is Kallie imitating MY smile from behind the camera!  Lol!

On our way to pick flowers...

Timmy and Emma

Kallie

Kallie, Timmy, and Emma

There was a stand set up that made the cutest little headbands with some of the fresh flowers we picked.

Kallie

Emma

Bubbles are always a favorite...

:)

What's so terrible about the twos?

Let me tell ya!  There's no denying it, two year olds are adorable!  And this stage is great in so many ways; it's full of cute things the kids are doing and funny things they're saying.  I love their cute little munchkin voices and the last little bit of chubby they have left on their cheeks.  Nothing feels better than their little arms wrapped around my neck for a hug, a random kiss out of the blue, or the sound of their voice saying, "I love you, Mommy."  Seriously melts my heart!  BUT it is also a challenging stage; by far, the hardest stage for me so far...all of the kids want to be Independent (yes, with a capital I), they're testing their boundaries with me and with each other, and they fight a lot.  Sometimes I feel more like a referee than a mom.  And despite all of those Child Development courses that lectured about using the word NO as little as possible with kids, to the contrary, I'm sure we're breaking some Guinness book of World Records around here for the most number of times the word NO is used in one day.  They want to brush their own hair, brush their own teeth, pick out their own clothes and dress themselves; they fight over who will open the door, who will sit where in the van, and they want to buckle themselves into their car seats.....and everything takes 10 times longer than if they'd just let me do it...or at least help!  I know that if I keep letting them try, they will get better and faster, and someday they'll be able to actually do things themselves (rather than just trying over and over over again).  My life will be so much easier and I will miss the days when I had to help....when they needed and wanted my help.  I really try to remind myself that this won't last forever, but in the meantime, I want to pull EVERY.SINGLE. HAIR. out of my head in frustration before the kids even get their undies on the right way!  The days are LOOOONG.  I feel overwhelmed by 10am...and by bedtime, I am both physically and mentally exhausted!  My day typically ends with a prayer for strength to be a better mother who laughs and loves more and yells less.

I generally try to stick to routines and rules in an attempt to control the chaos that is my life, but every once in a while I break one of the rules...and out of that broken rule comes a moment that wouldn't have otherwise happened...a moment so needed...reminding me just how wonderful life is, how lucky I am, and how sweet little moments like these are so worth all the chaos.....a moment in which prayers are answered.

Breaking the rules and taking a nap in "mommy daddy bed."