Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Thank you for Seconds

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Chris had a Riley appointment this morning, and refreshingly, it went well.  He did everything well, and Blessedly they don't want to see us back for another year.  Praise the Lord!  

Afterwards, we got to meet up with the Amy and the girls for lunch at Chick Fil-A.  


I can't believe how big my elder nieces are growing, such nice young ladies.  And boy do they love their cousins, but they probably don't know just how much their cousins love on them too.  Sam is constantly saying in his prayer, "Thank you for Seconds".  It confused me for a while, for months, I couldn't understand.  Was he happy that there was more than enough food to go around?  Finally, just a couple weeks ago, I got it, we'd seen his Cousins, and he said Thank you for Seconds during prayers.  I said Thank you for our time with our cousins, and he said Thank you for Seconds Again.  His emphasis on Again implying that he'd already thanked the Lord for time with his cousins.  

Today, was another great day for Thanking the Lord for Seconds too.  We got to play with the boys "seconds".  And I'm pretty happy that we got a second chance with the urology department, and that Chris is Fine, and they don't want to see us back until he's in Second Grade.   And that there is always plenty of food too.  My Blessings are Abundant. 

The Karate Kids

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Yesterday we chilled. The boys and I went to the eye doctor, and had a lovely lunch at Friday's and came home and chilled out.  It was rather refreshing not to go running anywhere at 3 o'clock to have to pick Chris up from Day Camp.  It was a good day for crossing items off our lists, like writing blogs, or making phone calls.
One of the phone calls I made was to the local Gymnastics place, where Christopher used to go.  I wanted to send Sam, and Chris needs something physical too. According to their website, they have Karate on Saturday mornings.  So I called them, we're not as in such financial straights as we were 6 months ago, and Eric just got a nice bonus, and we agreed to use it for the boys.  So we signed up Sam for gymnastics class.  But when I went to sign up Chris for Karate, his #1 choice that we presented him with: Karate, dance, or gymnastics, they told me that it met twice a week, and Mondays were the other night.  Oh No!  He's got Kindermusik that night, and that's a class that Mom W. teaches, 2nd year of a 2 year plan, and we can't move it.  So he can't take that class.  So I went to Chris to discuss it, and frankly, he amazed me with his maturity.  He was sad, but when I said, we still want to put you in Karate, we just can't do it there right now.  He offered to go to both classes on Monday nights, and not have any flushes.  Yeah, so generous on that one.  But then I said, they do have Boys gymnastics class there, you could do one of those, for the big boys. He said, "Boys need to know gymnastics to do Karate."  I don't know how true that is, but I liked the idea of having you go back there, those folks were great, and I got a discount for a sibling attending.  And he seemed to enjoy the idea.   So I signed up both boys for gymnastics.
We had to go over in person to finalize the paperwork, and when we came home, both boys were bouncing off the walls doing karate chops.


You do know, you're both taking Gymnastics, right?  I asked.  

Oh yes, but you have to know how to do Gymnastics to do Karate.  Time to watch more Olympics. 

Slumber Party

My sister needed  a night off.  OK, wanted a night off.  She wanted to go get tattoos with her girlfriends.  So I volunteered to borrow the girls overnight.  I know, not my wisest move.  But I have to be stupid while I can, they're moving to Texas in a month.  I gotta load up on the Cuteness while I can.

So last night, the kids were chock full of crazy.  Even Sam can say "we chock full of kayzee!"


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The next morning the girls were in rare form.   For example, here's Count Chuckula. 



Annie was upending puzzles all over the place.  


Then the superheroes attacked.  I don't even know what they were playing, but they were like a herd of wildebeeests stomping all over the house.  


But I got them all dressed,and herded them all to church, which ended up being the best thing ever.  While the girls behaved angelically at church, mine were crazy cakes.  Lisa greeted us with lunch when we got home, and then it was Naps Around.  Thank the Lord.  There isn't much that I love better than spending time with my nieces, but a nap.

Last day of swim class

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Saturday was our last day of Swim class for the year.  And I can't say enough how proud I am of the progress our boys made.  But this was an extra special day.  Made even more cool by the pair of V-22 Ospreys that kept circling around, over the park where our swim class is held.





Hard to see the boys in their classes, but they are the only ones wearing shirts.  


Sam practicing his sweet arm moves.  





I'm so proud of Christopher as he stands on the edge and jumps right in, something he was not able to do a year ago.  And Sam is a little skitchy about the waterslide, but his teacher happily helps him do it.  


Ah, the last.  Here come Buzz and Woody, all done.  


The park is funny, swim classes run until 10:50, and the pool opens to the public at 11.  We figured we'd have a picnic in a covered place at a table, but when we came out they were So we set ourselves up a picnic on a small grassy knoll in the parking lot.  And then when everyone had finished their sandwiches we went back inside to swim.  


Sam went for the waterslide...but he didn't want to do it alone.  




Ok, Ok, Mommy is a sucker.  And she can't resist doing the waterslide with both her sweetboys.  


When it was Daddy's turn, Daddy let Sam go down alone, while he waited at the top, and I stood at the bottom, to 'catch', so Sam did technically go down alone, sort of.  And then he stood up, turned around, and told Daddy it was his turn, and that he (Sam) would catch him.  I love this.  


Chris Cutie Closeup.  


Gotta love the patriotic tattoo that Christopher chose at our Olympics party, it makes him look so cool.  And since we were having such an awesomely cool day, I got a wild hair, shortly after we got there.  I thought I would go down the Big Waterslide.  So I did.  


So Chris went on the Chris-sized waterslide.  Superchamp.  It'll be a while before he's 48 inches tall to go on the Big Slide, but Emily was able to do it a couple times. 


We had quite the crazy crew:  3 families - 13 people.  Wild party! 


And Sam started getting cold, turning blue, after 2 hours in the pool.  He held up like a champ, but when the boys were done, it was time to go.  Big doin's in the evening, and naps were Very Necessary.  


But aren't they always?!

Happy Opening Ceremonies!

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2 years ago, we had an Opening Ceremony Party with our friends the Julius's.  This year was no different, except that we had to find foods from the UK.   We decided to start off the Festivities with an Afternoon Tea.  We found some English tea in the international food section at our local marsh, as well as some Scottish brand cookies, we got some ginger cookies and shortbread.  Instead of honey, we decided to try Golden Syrup.  I know it isn't used in tea often, but it was sweet and British, so we went for it.


It was actually really good.  The cookies were just sweet enough to combat the tea.  


I have not had a cup of tea that good in a while.  I guess I must confess the British do know their tea.  


Chris cracked me up drinking his with pinkies up. :) 


We used foamy stickers to make our own cheering posters.  Emily really looks the part! 


Though these yahoos take the cake.  Kathleen found some medals, and I grabbed these hats on clearance from the 4th.  The boys didn't wear them long, but I thought they look great.  Go Team USA!  


This was our dinner menu: Fish and Chips with Malt Vinegar, Beans, and Boddington's or Pimm's for alcoholic beverages. 


The BEANS were baked beans, not as sweet as we like, but good, and they went nicely with the fish and chips.  Yum.

For an additional activity to do while we watched the Opening Ceremonies, I got the idea for us to make Fascinators.  I'm sure you're thinking, Cathy, what the heck is a Fascinator?  Well, it's those adorable little Hats the British wear, little flowery or feathery, sometimes they can get really crazy like the Princesses during the Royal Wedding last year.  


So, I bought some supplies: headbands, feathers, flowers, glue dots, and we went a little crazy.  


Actually I think they turned out pretty well, and even if they only lasted the one night, it would have been worth it to me, but I think I'll get more wear out of mine. 

Fare thee well Day Camp

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Chris got all dolled up last Thursday for his Day Camp end of summer singing program.  


They were adorable.  Thought you'd enjoy hearing some of their songs. 



Precious.  



They were doing Face Painting for the kids.  Chris became Super Zippy Man, with a rather dashing Z on himself. And Sam became Mr. Spiderman.  He chose the "Geen Spider."  


We haven't quite decided if we're going to do Day Camp next year or not.  But we'll miss this wonderful group of folks either way.

Happy 4th Birthday Annie!

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Here's a Perk of having a niece spend the night before her birthday, I get her when the Pig comes!



Here's Annie "reading" the note the pig wrote her.  


Wow, check it out, the pig brought Annie a Princess Celestia My Little Pony.  Now, back in my day the ponies were never this fancy.  This girl plays music, has wings and a horn.  Fan-cy!


Oh and the hairclips, we mustn't forget the hairclips.  


I had to post this one because the snipsy look on Charlie's face.  Ah, birthday jealousy.  


Even the boys thought her Pony was good.  Thank the Lord I have boys.  


Since breakfast is too early for birthday cake, we made sausage pie, and put candles in it.  


She did Not know what to do with candles in a pie.  Girl cracks me up. 


Happy 4th Birthday! 


From us, she got a box of dress up clothes...which you know meant she had to put them on Right Away!  


And she was kind enough to share with Charlie.  


However, getting them both to smile at the same time, is like herding cats. 


I love this one because they were getting fed up with the photo shoot and shoved their respective crowns out of their faces.  Princesses through and through!  Happy Birthday Princess! 


Oh, and I'm posting these for Lisa, who saw this moth in my window and requested I break out the macro lens and get a little crazy.  I looked it up, it's called a White Ermine moth, because of the ermine coating looking ruff around his neck.  Cool. 


As I was sitting there, a big ant came a crawling up the window, just passing through, but the moth just sat there as the ant checked him out.  


It looks like he's getting a taste, but I assure you he didn't chomp, or stay on to chomp more, he just checked out the moth's wing, and moved on.  It was really cool.