Animal Week

Last year we had zoo week and the kids love animals so much they wanted to do it again.  I feel bad my attempts are much more pathetic this year because I'm sick, but we're trying.  We always try to make a few fun foods, but the best I did this week was animal crackers.  We went to the free movie at the theater to see Kung Fu Panda 2 and the kids also spent an entire afternoon playing Wild Kratts with their creature power suits.

Animal masks.

Animal Jeopardy.

I was going to make an actual puppet show curtain, but I didn't get to it.  Instead I just draped the fabric over a rod.  They made a few new puppets, and had more fun using it as a new hide and seek spot than they did as a puppet show. 

Saturday Josh went with us to the Nature Museum for farm day.  We are saving our weekly outings for Saturday when we can so Josh can go with us, otherwise we probably wouldn't be going.  We had never been, and the kids had a ball.  They got to pet several farm animals.  I try to make each week educational as well as fun.  I have them memorize some new facts.  We come home from the library each week with our bags overflowing.  Jayden loves to read and when our bags are full, or when I tell him to pick out just 2 or 3 more books, he's all frazzled.  So many options!  It's funny to watch him.  The other day he was looking around almost in panic mode, like, how am I supposed to choose just two more books?  And then he stops and all excited declares, "I LOVE BOOKS!"  I love it. 



December.....Again

Most people know by now, but we're having another baby!  I can't begin to express how excited we are, and especially shocked!  The first 3 times took between 13-18 months to get pregnant, and after my miscarriage I was pregnant in less than 6 months.  At the beginning of the year I decided that this was a year of fulfilling our dreams.  We have already been able to do several things to make that happen, and in my mind I figured we would end the year by getting pregnant again.  I never in a million years expected it to happen so fast, especially since we decided not to try any fertility treatments yet.  So instead of ending the year getting pregnant, we'll be ending it by welcoming a new one into our family.  You know how there's that "secret" out there that whatever you put out into the universe you will receive, or however it goes.  I know the real secret: prayer and fasting.  Where would I be in my life without it?  It has taken a lot for me to feel more at peace with my miscarriage.  I was supposed to be having that baby this week, but I really feel that everything that was supposed to happen, happened in the way that it should.  I think a little piece of my heart will always be up in heaven, waiting for me, but I also have felt a comforting hand, helping me along.

We found out 5 days before our cruise I was pregnant.  I started panicking, called the doctor that day and was in for an appointment that afternoon.  She assured me things would be fine.  I had a blessing, and I knew it would be ok, so we went without any problems.  Luckily my morning sickness didn't hit until after we got back, so I was able to enjoy myself.  By my 6 week mark I had 3 ultrasounds and heard the heartbeat, to set my mind at ease that everything was progressing as it should.  And when they told me my due date was Christmas Day, that for me was another sign that this was meant to be.  Both Jayden and Sidney were due in December, and to top it off, all three were due on Tuesdays.  And even though I thought another December baby was the last thing I wanted, it's actually really comforting, and really not that surprising. 

I have been really sick again, and if it's like the last 2, it will last until 20 weeks.  Pretty much nothing works, not even saltine crackers.  Ice cream has been my one saving grace, I'm sure I'll gain a hundred pounds.  I am an expert on puking, ask me anything.  I used to be reluctant to even have another baby because I get so sick, but I survived before, I can do it again.  And it's not true what they say-- that you forget how bad it is.  I don't think anything could ever erase my memory.  It's nice to finally have Jayden home to help play with Sidney.  They are both so excited.  We told them on Mother's Day while we were playing charades.  It was a fun way to tell them.  Of course Jayden wants a boy and Sidney wants a girl, but she keeps saying it's a brother.  We'll see.

Summer Week

We are attempting theme weeks again this summer.  It will probably be a lot more low key than last year, but I'm at least trying to do something.  Our first week was Summer Week.  We made snow cones, strawberry lemonade slushies, started swimming lessons, got tons of summer books from the library, had a picnic, made pictures out of the clouds, played in the spinklers, and on the slip-n-slide.  My camera didn't join us much.

We also made these suns.

We talked about collections and the kids are going to add to theirs over the summer.  They both collect rocks.  I have had my childhood rock and shell collection boxed up for years.  I pulled it out because they have always wanted to see it but never had.  They both want to collect shells now too. 

We got a couple of fun new toys for outside.



May

I've been a huge slacker with taking pictures, but here's a short rundown from May.  Jayden finished up another t-ball season.  Josh coached his team, and Jayden loved that!  He had a fun season.

He also finished Kindergarten in May!  I can't believe it, the year went by so fast.  During the last week of school his class had a writing celebration where we went and read through his journals from the year.  Reading it was so much fun, he wrote about some really cute stuff and it was fun to read about some of the things from the past year from his point of view.  He has done great in school.  He loves going.  This kid really loves learning.  He has a talent for retaining knowledge really well.  He says his favorite class was P.E., but he also loves learning about animals, outer space, the earth, just anything.  He started out the year reading at a 2nd grade level and finished it at a 3rd grade level.  We couldn't be more happy with the sweet and fun boy that he is.  So glad to have him home for the summer!

Sidney loves visiting his classroom any chance we get.

They also sang some fun songs. 

The kids also participated in the primary talent show this year but I don't know where the pictures are.  Sidney kept changing her mind of what she wanted to do.  She was going to tell a story, then do a dance, then settled on doing a big twirl dressed in her fluffiest dress and a crown she decorated.  Jayden made a volcano and set it off.  That about sums up May.



Sidneyisms

• Sidney was laying on my bed and she said, "Mom, I want you to scoop me up like ice cream!"
• She says the funniest prayers sometimes. One went something like, "Please bless Dad to be the king, Mom to be the queen, Jayden to be the prince, Sidney to be the princess and Kiron to be the cooker."
• She recently saw The Emporer's New Groove and now announces herself with a pose and says, "Boom, baby!" Just like the movie.
• Ever since last Halloween she has been planning her next costume, but she is always changing her mind back and forth. And she's always planning what I can be with her. Some of her ideas have been Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother, Minnie again, Rapunzel and her mother (sometimes lately she calls me mother, it's really funny to hear), Simba and Nala, pumpkins, cats, puppies, and a few others, but my favorite has to be Darth Vader. How cute would that be?

All About Mom

For Mother's Day the kids made little books about me.  It made my day.

Why I Love My Mom by Jayden:

My mom can.....read, sing, cook, dance, drive, color
My mom's favorite sayings.....Maybe, Good, Thank you, Sure, I love you, Yes, No, Ok, Get me chocolate!
Things I like to do with my mom.....Watch tv, play games, bake cookies, have lunch, walk, read
My mom helps me with....Spelling
The best time I ever had with my mom.....Doing theme week in the summer!

It includes lots of drawings of me and him, my favorite of me taking pictures.  He also asked me some questions about myself.  Sidney answered them herself, those answers are below.

Why I Love My Mom by Sidney:

My Mom's Favorites.....
Food- Sandwich
Color- Red and blue
Movie- Cars 2
Sport- None
Singer/Band- I am a Child of God
Store- Target
Hobby- Sleep
Recipe- Spaghetti
(She nailed a couple of these!)

My mom's favorite sayings.....No, Yes, I want to take a nap, I want to do something with Sidney, I want my children to take a bath.
My mom helps me with....laundry, eat treats, reading
My mom and I.....love each other!

I love my kids!

Cruise

In July Josh and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary.  It's crazy to think it's been that long.  We had been debating what to do and settled on a cruise.  We usually end up not doing much for our anniversaries, so we promised ourselves to make it up for our 10th.  One year we ended up at at Walmart, one year Josh was out of town for work, and last year?  Uh...I don't even remember.  We're pathetic. 

April turned out to be the best time for us to go, so 11 days before I booked it.  We left out of Charleston since it's only a 3 hour drive, but it narrowed us down to one ship with The Bahamas being our only option.  It was a great week.  We left the kids with Kiron.  Having her live here has been awesome.  Free babysitting every week for the first time since we've had kids.  We might not let her leave.

Anyway, I don't have millions of photos since we had to take them ourselves. And I was just really enjoying laying in the sun doing absolutely nothing.  Most of our pictures are like this.  It was freezing the day we left.  It was windy the entire time, even on the island.  It was pretty warm, but I was cold a lot too because of the dang wind.  Kind of a bummer.  We just didn't spend that much time in the water.

We woke up early one morning to watch the sunrise as we were getting to our first port.  Lovely how we pulled up by refineries.  We slept in when we could and took a nap every day.  It was awesome.

Our first port was in Freeport.

We spent all day on the beach soaking in the sun.  It was beautiful.

We went parasailing, which was a big highlight for us.  It was a way fun.  The water was incredibly gorgeous, a piece of art.  I've never been anywhere tropical, unless you count Florida, but I've never seen anything like it.  The water was 15 different colors of blue, all melting together.  I wish I had had a camera with me to take pictures from above.  So gorgeous.  We took off from a dock in the middle of the ocean, which is apparently a more dangerous way to do it.  But we didn't realize beforehand they were doing it that way.  So glad we didn't die.

The next day we went to Nassau. It was beautiful there too. And still windy! I could have used more days on the beach.

White, sandy beaches.

We did some snorkeling.  The water was cold and it was windy.  I didn't last nearly as long as Josh did.  I wasn't going to do it at first, but I forced myself to just so I could say I've done it.  I couldn't leave without doing it.  We saw some really cool fish.  Josh saw a lot more than me, including a sting ray or something, and Dory fish from Finding Nemo.  We have no idea what the other fish were, but they were beautiful. 

All I wanted to do was lay in a hammock.  But they were all occupied when we got there.  As we were leaving I jumped in one for a few minutes.  This is how I picture heaven.

We did a little shopping and walked around town for a while.

On the ship Josh's favorite thing was the endless ice cream.  Don't ask him how many he ate.

The first day at sea the coast guard had to fly someone out who had gotten sick or hurt, we don't know.  Too bad for them, but it was pretty cool to see how they did it. 

One of the sunsets.  Not the prettiest one, but it was the only one I got a picture of.

It was a great trip.  It was nice to have a break from the demands of life with my favorite person.

 The water was the same color as my toes.  Other parts were even bluer, and then even bluer, and lighter, and darker, and richer and just incredible. 



Oh, the bad parts.  I can't leave these out.  I stubbed my toe so hard on a rock I thought I had broken it.  It's still a little sore and purple.  I also got pooped on by a bird right on my shoulder while sitting on the beach.  Luckily it was right after I'd gotten out of the ocean and was wrapped in a towel.  Still gross.