South Padre Island!

Tomorrow we are headed to South Padre Island! I have never been there so I am very excited as our Duane, Jack, and Anya. We are headed down there with some friends and will be staying at a nice condo that is within a few hundred yards of the beach. Jack and I are slated for our surfing lessons, the boogie boards are packed, and the skim board ready. I will try and update 1-2 times while we are down there.

A day at the pool!

We spend a lot of time at Lifetime Fitness for many reasons, but one of the big reasons is so we can swim for a few hours so we can all beat the heat. We go a number of times per week, and this particular day really wore the kids out. I had to take a picture of the poses and accessories that accompanied them while napping.

Notice the sunglasses are still on.

I'm not sure how this was comfortable, but apparently it was since he stayed like that for a long time.

The 4th of July!

It has been awhile since I've updated, but I am back on track now! This past weekend our neighborhood had its second annual 4th of July parade. Kids and adults alike were encouraged to dress up their wheels, whatever those wheels may be, and participate in the parade. The parade went through various streets, and the kids seemed to have a great time. I didn't realize so much work would go into decorating a bike and wagon.

Earrings = No More!

Well, the whole earring deal was short lived. All was going well until we realized on Sunday that one of her earrings had fallen out. We figured it was while she was playing with her friend at the pool. Unfortunately I didn't have any earrings that would suffice, so I found one that would work temporarily while Duane went off to Target with a crying Anya to find another pair.

She came home with a nice pair that I was hoping would stay in well. It was like dealing with a raging tiger trying to get that pair in, but we finally succeeded, and no, we weren't being mean. She simply had it in her head that it was going to hurt and that is how she treated the whole situation.

So, we are moving along with the new pair until yesterday...........I picked her up from school only for her to inform me that she took her earrings out. I asked her where they were, and she said the playground. I knew finding them was hopeless, so I had to figure this out yet again.

I couldn't run her to Target again due to her swim lessons, so I scrounged through more earrings and found some that would work. I cleaned them thoroughly with alcohol and braced for what I figured would be a challenge. I was worried the holes may have already closed a bit and cause a freak out session. Well, I was right, they were sort of closed. Had it been my ears, I would have just forced it through, but I didn't want to do that with her. Also, I was getting yelled at by a 3 year old. That whole deal sealed the deal; no more earrings for awhile!

Ear Piercing!

Anya's birthday was on June 2nd and apparently she is going to milk this week for all it's worth! She informed me last night that she still has one more birthday coming up, and she'd like her ears pierced. She has been asking for this to be done for quite some time, but one of the "requirements" was to start using the potty, which she has done. So, last night I figured now was as good of a time as ever. After dinner we headed to Claire's.

I informed Duane that both ears would be completed regardless of her reactions. I said once one is in, that's pretty much it, so we might as well finish the job.

I was surprised at how well she sat in the chair as the woman got everything ready. I was half-way expecting her to state she was no longer interested, jump off the chair, and inform us she was ready to leave. None of that happened; she simply waited patiently.

The woman described how it would feel, she marked her ears, and away she went. The first one was done without even a sound out of her mouth. The second one was done and she did a little jump and that was that. We were all amazed that she barely flinched! I guess wrestling with Jack has made her immune to minor inconveniences!

A Lot of Stuff: From Parties to Achievements!

I don't like making blog postings too long, but there is just too much to say and catch-up on so bear with me! This posting will range across a variety of events which include: character day; First Grade Pool Party; Bannockburn Awards Ceremony; and Anya's birthday bash.

First off, Jack's teacher has character day at the end of each school year. The kids can be whatever they want as long as they have actually read the book and can explain the character. Jack knew right away that he wanted to be Rodrick from a Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Jack loves these books, and I will admit, I do too. They are an easy read that provide funny scenarios of every day family life.

I was happy that Jack picked Rodrick as this was a very easy character to re-create. A quick synopsis of Rodrick: he borders on very lazy, plays in a band called Loded Diper, and has a perpetual dispute with his brother Gregory.

Now onto First Grade's end-of-the-year pool party which was held at our neighborhood pool. The kids wore themselves out swimming for over 4 hours. Besides the swimming they enjoyed a great spread of food and even sno cones. I guess I know what my back-up career can be--sno cone maker. Fun was had by all and parents enjoyed sleeping kids soon after the party ended!

Last Friday was not only the last day of school but the awards ceremony as well. As I have stated in previous posts, Jack is one smart cookie, and he once again proved it with all his achievement awards. Mrs. Phillips handed out 3 achievement awards for spelling, math, and reading. In order to receive these awards, the student must have had a 95% or better average ALL year long in that area (all 3 awards were independent of each other). I am happy to say that Jack received ALL 3 awards, which in my opinion, is quite an achievement. He was one of only a few that got all 3. Not only did he achieve these awards, but he also got an award for 100% attendance! Yes, he was able to ward off strep, flu, and countless other ailments.

Out with the "old" (not age-wise old) and in with the new. Jack had a great year with Mrs. Phillips and we are sad to leave her behind but excited about starting our new chapter with Mrs. Hammel!

Now onto Anya. Anya turns 3 today, June 2nd, but her birthday bash was this past Saturday. She invited her good friends and she had a great time as did everyone else. Her birthday was Elmo-themed and we kept it simple with a craft project and just some backyard fun. Duane's brisket was a hit and all 15lbs of it was gone. She got a lot of great gifts and has played with pretty much all of them already. By the way, the little boy next to Anya (Troy) is her "boyfriend." She even got a kiss and hug from him.

Mr. and Mrs. Cool!

Here the kids are prior to going to our friends' neighborhood to swim. Both kids are fish and very good swimmers--especially Jack! Anya is well on her way however.

What is quite funny about this whole deal is Anya was theoretically supposed to be taking a nap and was to come later with Duane. However, that was not part of her agenda. The next thing you know, there's Anya on the front porch ALL dressed and ready to go. I know what you're thinking, OK, so she was probably dressed before taking her nap, and you would be correct. However, she was not dressed in swim gear. This was quite a deal because that meant her going into her closet, finding her swim diaper (still wears one in the pool only), finding her swim suit, AND getting it all on by herself without our knowledge. Once this scenario was complete, she walked out the front door and announced that she was ready to go. Clearly our agenda was not going to be a hurdle in stopping a 2 year old from swimming, so off the 4 of us went! Although I was skeptical about what mood she was going to be in with no nap, I was quite impressed with her ability to decipher what she needed to do in order to leave with Jack. Oh yeah, in order to get out of her room, she needed to also get out of the baby gate that blocks her door. How did she do this--none other than kicking at it until it fell down of course. This too took some effort as it's snug. After the great depths she went through, who could say no?

As you can see, Anya is Ms. Fashion in her pink sunglasses and frilly swim suit. Note, for every good picture, Jack requires a goofy one. It's almost part of the deal of taking a picture.