Swimmin Pool Fun

I decided to take my camera to the pool and snap some pictures of what we do almost every day. I needed help from Taneal to hold Spencer and Nathan while I got pictures of them in the pool, and she really was a great help. The last few times we have been to the pool, Taneal has tried to work with Spencer in getting his swimming. She is pretty good. She got him floating on his back.

Danielle started swimming a few weeks ago. She has the doggy paddle down well and can float pretty good on her back. She still doesn't like to put her face in the water, but she will get the hang of it soon.

Before the summer started I was really worried that the pool would be too hard to manage all by myself with five kids. It has worked out remarkably well. Taneal and Camie swim well enough that I don't really have to worry about them. Danielle started swimming a few weeks ago so she just has to stay close to me. Spencer uses a life jacket and I hold Nathan. We stay as long as Nathan is happy, which lasts about an hour and a half to two hours. He is quite the trooper.

And Nathan LOVES to step off the side of the pool while holding my hands and goes completely under the water. I know I have heard that babies can do that, just never witnessed it myself.

Fun, fun sumer.

Sleepy time

For those of you that know Evan, you know how easily he falls asleep. If can be frustrating at times, but my girls took this to their advantage. It was Sunday afternoon and Evan was taking his nap. They got all giggly and kept coming in and out of my room. I decided to check out what was going on, and this is what I found. It was too funny to pass up without taking pictures. I don't think Evan knows I got pictures, so we will see if he reads my blog and discovers this. Fun times.

Nathan's Favorite Hangout

This cute little boy LOVES to hang out at the bottom of the stairs. He crawls up to the first landing and plays. It's pretty cute except that he hasn't learned to come down the stairs without falling. We are pretty careful and he has only fallen down a few stairs once.

When Nathan gets to his favorite hangout, he really starts talking and using a particular happy and excited voice. And he will hang out in this spot for ten minutes at a time! I can always tell where he is by his voice.

Spencer's Date

Spencer and I were able to spend some one-on-one time together recently. And he really didn't want that pedicure like I gave to his sisters. What he wanted was to go find bugs with the bug sucker he got for his birthday. So, we found a jar, decorated it, and went outside in the sweltering heat to find bugs. We found a few and Spencer was one elated boy. He was so proud of his bugs that we had to drive a few minutes away to his Dad's work and show off the bug find.

We also went up to the pool, just Spencer and me. We left all the floaties at home and we practiced teaching Spencer to swim. He can float on his back a little and just into the pool and goes under the water. He is getting better at putting his face in and is so close to swimming. Good chance we will get there this summer. He keeps asking me if he can be on swim team next year with his sister. Maybe?

We also put together some puzzles and played some games. Spencer is such a cute and sweet little boy. He is very inquisitive. It was so much fun to spend time with Spencer. I really am so blessed with great children.

Specerisms

Spencer often tells us lately that he wants "sea

shells" in his closet. Evan is in the process of cutting, painting, and making shelves for my closet (and Evan's too, we share a closet) and also for Camie's closet. Evan built shelves for Taneal's closet last year, so Spencer's closet is the only one that doesn't have shelves in it. He calls "shelves" "sea shells". It funny. Evan has tried and tried to explain that they are S-H-E-L-V-E-S, but Spencer sticks to the "sea shells" he wants in his closet.

Another good one that makes me chuckle is when we go swimming Spencer wears a "swim soup". I haven't corrected him on that one because it is so dang cute!

And this picture is one that Taneal took of Spencer while he was still sporting his bed head. Crazy hair!

Quality time

I have some really amazing friends. Friends that are some of the best mothers, friends that try to do good and be the best that they can. Friends that I learn so much from.

One of my friends came up with this great idea of one-on-one time with her kids this summer. She asked if I would be interested in trade baby sitting so we could spend individual time with our kids. I haven't really done anything like this with my children before, so I thought it was a great idea.

Danielle got the first date. We went to Olive Garden for lunch and then to the mall to get her some school clothes. She had fun. We then came home and I put make-up on her and gave her a pedicure. She LOVED getting her feet soaked, rubbed, and nails painted.

We also made this necklace. Danielle thought that was way cool to get a grown-up necklace with a real clasp and one she designed herself. (And thanks to my sis-in-law Katie for getting me started on beading)

We played some games, put some puzzles together, and had so much fun together. I feel so blessed to have such a sweet little girl that is so much fun to hang out with!

More to come on the other dates with the rest of my children. And thanks to my great friends who are willing to watch my other children.

Taking Steps

For about a month Nathan has been able to stand unassissted. He then started to be able to stand up in the middle of the room all by himself. He still wasn't taking any steps, until a few days ago.

Usually my children take steps and then stand. But Nathan is doing it his own way. He is still crawling around everywhere, but will take up to 12 steps when encouraged.

That cute baby stage is almost over. Not ready for that one either.

Nathan in his crib

This is what awakes me each morning. And from nap time this is the face that greets me as I enter his room. Although he may look unhappy, Nathan sure melts my heart. I love to get Nathan from his bed. He usually wakes up happy although his call for me is a cry. He knows how to make unhappy fake faces and it really makes me laugh. It gives me that jolt mixture of emotion of love, happiness, and sympathy. Since it is something that speaks to my heart and I know he will outgrow this stage, I wanted pictures of the moments that I know I will miss.

Beautiful clouds

I walked outside yesterday to these gorgeous clouds. All I could think of is how much they looked like cotton balls. There weren't the stretchy clouds or the puffy cumulus clouds, just a bunch of cotton balls and oh, so pretty

I like it when I take time to notice the beauties God created. The picture doesn't give justice to what I saw, and after a few minutes the clouds drifted away and weren't quite so striking.

I'm glad I had that moment and was able to share it with my children.

Wrap ups

Swim team ended with success in June, I just never got around to posting the year-end party pictures. Taneal and Camie were very excited to get their trophies, a little taller this year. Each year of swim team adds height to the trophy. Next years will be even bigger.

The team party was at a place similar to chucky-cheese, just bigger and better and designed for older kids. Their favorite ride was the monkey ride. They had fun on the trains and indoor roller coaster and bumper cars. But what they really enjoyed was the pizza and desert buffet. It was a lot of fun and I am enjoying the break from swim team being over. It was a great experience and we hope to do it again next year with Danielle joining the team and maybe even Spencer.

Kindergarten is coming

We got the shoes

And the backback

And Danielle is VERY excited

So why am I having such a hard time with this?

I don't feel ready to send Danielle off to all day kindergarten. I really going to miss that sweet girl. Thank goodness we still have 7 weeks before school starts.

Happy 4th

I love holidays. The 4th of July is a fun one for me. We started out the celebration with painting our nails. I found these really cool nail polish pencils that allow fine detail. The girls were so excited that I painted flags on their nails.

The morning of the 4th we headed over to the pool. It was fun having Evan come with us. And because he was there to help me with the children, I was able to get Danielle swimming. She was so excited! After two hours of swimming laps she still hadn't had enough and was so disappointed we had to leave.

The rest of the day was spent making cool treats and doing a few crafts. We made fruit pizza and put blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple on skewers. We grilled hamburgers and I took a wonderful nap.

I really like doing the flag craft with my children because it gives me a chance to explain things about the flag such as the symbolization of the red and why we have 50 stars. I also like to explain how the flag should never touch the ground and if a flag is hung outside it should be taken inside and never left out in the dark unless a light is shined on it. I think too often we forget to pass on things to our children simply because we forget. This craft serves as a reminder to me each year and the kids also have fun with it.

I took this picture to show how we really fill up the van. Wow! I still can't believe I have 5 children.

We topped the evening off with a city fireworks show and some of our own sparklers. It was a fun day.

I like how Nathan just got into watching the firework show. Usually my babies scream and are scared. Not him.

Happy Independence Day! I am so thankful for our freedom and to those who gave so much so we could have that freedom. God Bless America.

Fix it or Get even?

My dad called me this morning to say hello. I have a really great dad. He is full of wisdom and understanding. He teaches me many things and what I like most is how he gets me thinking.

This morning I was talking to him about how we were going to go to the free movie today at a local theater and how the first time we went Spencer acted horrible, I mean not so great, and then the second time we went Spencer did so well. It was a learning curve for Spencer. I'm glad we have the free movies this summer because if it doesn't work out, I can leave and it didn't cost me anything.

The movie experience escalated to disciplining children and I like the perspective my dad put on it. He said he learned this from his dad. When disciplining, think, "am I doing this to fix the behavior or get even?"

I like that.

That is a good perspective to take when disciplining children. Why are we doing what we are doing? To fix the behavior? Or get even?

Hmmm.