A water park in our backyard

Uncle Mike made a special delivery today. It was just what the kids needed to beat the heat!
It's like we've got our own backyard water park.
It's hard for us to take them swimming very often because Luke is so little and Jaden is a wild man (well, they both are). It takes both of us and the boys require all of our attention and concentration. But, man is it hot down here! It's pretty steadily about 96-98 degrees and next week they are calling for our first 100 degree day - Yay! It has actually already reached 100+ with the heat index. So, water fun is just what the doctor ordered to keep everyone cool.This slide is great because it's not too high and the water isn't too deep. Everyone can play. We love this. Chris and I can actually relax a little. A very little, but a little still. That just doesn't happen any time water is involved.

The kids had a blast!

15 month check up

I can't believe it but it was time for Luke's 15-month check up. I can't believe that he is that old already. Wow. Time sure does fly, doesn't it?

He is officially 33 inches tall and 29 pounds 2 ounces. If you don't know what any of this means it means he is growing wonderfully and he is really big! He's healthy and happy and right on track. Except for the talking thing... He doesn't really say any words yet. Well, at least we know what to do if his repertoire doesn't pick up. Jaden has us very familiar with that :)

He falls in the top 5% of 15 month old boys or said a different way: he's bigger than 95% of 15 month old boys! I thought for sure that he is much bigger than Jaden was at his age. I know that Jaden was in the top percentiles as well but I just don't remember him being so big. The doctor was curious and looked back through their records. Jaden was actually 34 inches long at 16 months and 27 pounds. So, he was a little taller and thinner but still pretty darn big. Luke his just a little more on the "stockier" side. Hence, his new nickname courtesy of Dad: "Tank". I like to call him "twinkle toes" because of how fast he moves his little fat legs when he's trying to run. I know those nicknames yield very different images but I like to think of them both as fitting. He's multifaceted :)

-A funny face-

Road rash

Poor Jaden...he had a fight with the drive way and he lost! He was riding Anna's princess scooter (sorry! we really need to get him a more masculine one) with a little too much gusto, apparently, and wiped out. We knew that he had a busted lip and we saw a little scratch on his nose. Just a little one, I swear. Then, later on that day all those crazy scabs came out. We were so surprised. He did not look like that when he fell. I wonder what people are thinking when they see us out. It doesn't look good!

Potato chips

Luke is such a stinker! He makes the funniest faces and I love when I catch them with my camera.

This day he was eating potato chips. In between eating them he would smash some and also put them in his hair!

Dance Recital

Here's our little ballerina in her first costume. I wasn't able to get pictures in all of her costumes because I wasn't able to get backstage between each of her numbers because of her little brothers (Chris and I each had one). I actually paid a teenager to help her out. It was great! I hope to get her dressed up again and get some proper pictures.
These pictures below are from rehearsal. I was able to actually use my camera without a little one attached to my hip or leg. She did really great. I was so proud of her for even remembering to smile during the recital!

Some how we managed to make it through a whole year of dance lessons. There were many times when I didn't think we would make it. For some reason Anna did not want to go to dance class whenever Friday rolled around. It got worse after January. Even though it was difficult we made her finish. For one, I paid for it ( and the costumes, shoes, etc...) and for another we don't want to teach our kids to give up. It's important to finish what you start.

at the end of the recital the teacher gave out medals to all of the girls and the ones who had been there at least 3 years received a trophy. Once she saw the girls receiving a trophy she started telling me she wanted to keep taking dance lessons. We'll see how she feels when September rolls around...

It is hard for me to understand because I always loved dance class. Even though my teacher was so mean it just made me try harder. She had this policy -which I'll never understand- that if your parent was late even one month throughout the year you weren't eligible to be student-of-the-year (and be awarded a trophy bigger than yourself!). how in the world is that fair? the child has nothing to do with paying the bill. it was just awful! At the beginning of the month she reliably posted the names of the children whose parents were late with their payment on a huge bulletin board right at the top of the stairs in big, black letters. And just as reliably every month I found my name on that list. Still, I believed year after year that she would recognize my talent and hard work and reward me with that trophy. how sad? But, it never happened. what a witch!

I tell this story because of the ridiculous irony that followed...in high school I worked some times at my father's print shop after school. I mostly paid his bills and made deposits, etc... As I was going through the books I happened upon a check from my old dance teacher. These checks came every month. I thought it was weird. He hadn't done her recital programs for years as far as I knew (and I probably would know because it was a huge job and we were all recruited to help compile them). Turns out she still owed him money. She owed him so much money that she was still making monthly payments! He should have posted her name on a big sign on Main Street for everyone to see. My Mom was never that late!

Mud puddles...

Note to self: It's probably not a bad idea to get the kids some rain boots. They're drawn to mud puddles like magnets.

With that aside, I have to admit that I love to watch them as they play in them. What a wonderful childish indulgence to jump (splash, sit, lay - whatever the case may be) in a mud puddle! So simple. Such joy!

2nd note to self: Try playing in a mud puddle yourself the next time you spot one. It just might be as much fun as it looks! It's always good to lighten up a little ;)

Jaden's cell phone

Chris happened to bring out a go phone I bought when I broke my phone during the hurricane. I had given it to him to use since he let me get a new phone with his upgrade. Anna was very interested in the phone. She is 6 going on 16, I swear. I'm not sure who she thinks she's going to be able to call (she's never gotten a friend's phone number) but she wants to make calls and text - the whole bit. Well, that ain't gonna happen. So, if she needs to call 9-1-1 she can but that's about it for now.
In typical first-born, older-and-more-privileged-than-you fashion she proceeded to "rub it in" to Jaden and it wasn't long before the fights and crying started over the phone (we've had that phone since September - I don't know why he even got it out). Luckily, when we stopped in Big Lots the next day we happened upon a display of refurbished cell phones for like 8 bucks! So, now Jaden has his own cell phone. I can't give you his number so you can call him because there isn't a plan on this phone either.
I have no idea how old these phones are but I don't know why anyone would buy them to use for real. They suck! But they make a great "fake" real cell phone.
He is sooo happy about it. He carried it around non-stop for like 4 days. He and Anna just sort of wandered around "talking" on their phones. It was very cute. One day Anna woke up early and took both of their phones for some reason. When Jaden came out his first words were "where my cell phone at?"

The baby bottles just aren't enough

hee, hee!

This was an empty bottle. Of all the indulgences I do give them I promise this wasn't one of them. I didn't let him down Diet Dr. Pepper! Maybe a sip here and there...

I made the mistake of letting Anna and Jaden drink the last little bit out of the Sprite bottle earlier and he paid attention. He may not say a lot but he sure doesn't miss a beat!

A mini-adventure in a simple walk around the block. Who knew?

We've been trying to get out a little more often for walks - especially since Leo is getting sooo fat!

Luke ususally decides that it is his turn to walk the dog and takes this responsibility very seriously...

Until, we come to the mailboxes! As soon as he spots the mailboxes all bets are off and the leash is quickly tossed to the ground while his fat little legs move as fast as he can make them toward the beautiful, metal treasure.

I am tempted to one day just sit and see how long he can occupy himself at the mailboxes. He gets such a kick out of them!

After, I coax him away from the mailboxes with the hopes of maybe seeing some cows I realize that the sunblock is missing. Hmmm....where could it have gone to? Oh, yeah, the mailboxes! I run over and get the sunblock of out the package box and we're back on track. Until Luke spots a pipe sticking out of the ground....

He tried to stick the sunblock can in there but I guess it didn't fit.

A little further down the road he finds a stick! It is for this reason that Chris has nick-named him "little Judy" after my mother. It seems like where ever she goes (and I do mean WHERE-ever) she finds treasures, a.k.a "junk" that she has to pick up.

Just a wee bit farther down the road and they spot a fire hydrant! Yay! Down goes the stick while they explore.
Ok, so, they're done with the fire hydrant (nothing to open and close or twist or stick stuff into)... and he's got the stick back! Hmmm....how am I going to get rid of this thing!

Oooo...more mailboxes. Good opportunity to "lose" the stick.
What is so fun about mailboxes? Even Jaden is interested.
Ahh...puddles! What is better than a puddle of water?
The end :)

Boys will be boys, so I'm learning

The heat is officially here in Texas! High 80's to 90's are a regular occurrence now and the heat index has already been at 100 degrees! Our focus (well, mostly MY focus) now is on how to keep everyone cool and occupied. There will certainly be days when it is just too hot to be outside for long or the mosquitoes will be too vicious but today was a nice day and I decided to break out the sprinkler. I don't even want to try to estimate what my water bill will be this summer - Jaden has learned how to turn on the spicket himself :) - but whatever it is it will surely be less than the cost of me losing my sanity. When they are cooped up in the house too long the boys become destructive. They have way too much energy and need a release. They start jumping on the furniture, throwing anything and everything, and literally bouncing off the walls (and into them). Fortunately, we have a bonus room with lots of toys that will be our retreat on the too hot to be outside days if we don't have another air conditioned space to go to but until at least Friday that is a problem. The air conditioner is broken up there and there is just one little window that faces the direct sun in the afternoon so it gets really, really hot!
I can't blame the kids for breaking it at least :)

Thank goodness for water sprinklers and baby pools!
Jaden is figuring out how this thing works. He's got his hand on Blue's ear and it doesn't take him long to figure out he can direct the flow of the water...

Poor Luke! He's at Jaden's mercy. I have to be on constant watch of those two. It can wear a person out! Good thing Luke is pretty resilient. He was very uncomfortable last night and I thought he might be getting an ear infection. Maybe he just had water in his ear...

All that little brother tormenting can make a kid thirsty!

My silly Jaden

This is play doh. He was putting it on his nose - not "in"his nose as this looks! It just cracked him up :)