Okay, this just isn't right. Today, I was planning out August and September. Unbelievable!
Synopsis for the summer...
Zoom!!!! Everything was great. We did have our planned out weeks and most of the time it worked, but...
The planning wasn't there. The themes were great, but I was still on the edge of my seat with planning. I now what to do next summer (maybe...)
There was a campout, swimming, we did go to the fountains, a farm, talked about planes, made paper helicopters, played with bubbles, the water hose, water balloons. It was a fantastic summer.
Now, we are getting ready for school.
Oh, wait. There are a few new developements with us. #1: Jonathan has been typing his own blog. #2: Our neighbors are moving...they've been so good and now we need to pray for the new ones to be good! #3: VBS was a complete success! #5: Alex is beginning to get very mobile! Not officiall crawling (unless he does it when I'm not looking;) ) #4: Oh yeah, and we have a dog. No - a puppy.
I am now the proud mother of 5 beatiful children! Our newest addition is Ella. Our neighbors got her a few weeks ago and after two weeks, discovered that their 2 1/2 yr-old daugher is alergic. It was quite sad. They searched for a new family but couldn't find one and all the "safe" shelters were full. Jeff has such a heart for dogs, and I do too, we couldn't help ourselves. Now, we have a black cat and a black lab/mix. She is mostly lab and so adorable! She was born May 17, so that makes her almost 11 weeks! I'll tell you, it is like having twins in the house! With Alex moving around so much, EVERYTHING goes to the mouth! He AND Ella see every little crumb on the floor and want to eat it! They both litterally will put anything in the mouth. They both take about two/three naps a day and love to be outside. We love taking Ella on walks and do that about 3-4 times or more a day. She has to have her exercise or things just go nuts in the house! I've got a picture that I was about to upload. But the puppy is asking to be let out, so I better go!
Talk with you all later!
Thursday, July 31
Friday, July 18
Week 3 - Nashville
Good ole Tennessee!
Week three was wonderful! The first part of the week was spent getting prepared for our trip and planning everything involved. In a nutshell, Nashville week included more books from the library (a trip there on Wednesday for story time); planning our days of travel; a night and morning in St. Louis; seeing grandparents, aunts, ncles, and cousins; four states; a cruise down the river; Tennessee state museum; Tennessee capital; swimming; and learning Tennessee state songs; and an excursion through the "Land Between the Lakes." (I wanted to also include Jefferson City, MO - another capital, but time just didn't permit)
Friday, after the kids and I loaded up the van and Jeff got home from work, we hit the road and headed for St. Louis! This was exciting for Jeff and me because St. Louis was the first major stop for us on our honeymoon. We were thrilled to show
the kids the Gateway Arch and the Mississippi River. We arrived in St. Louis around 8 pm and got settled into our hotel. We stayed downtown, right across the street from the arch and got to see lots of fun things right from our window. We saw
horses with carriages on the streets. We all wanted to take a ride, but it was so late by the time we got everything into the room, we decided to wait till the next day. (Well, they weren't available before we left, so we missed out on that one)
There was also a Cardinals game going on and we could see the stadium and hear the fans from our room. So, we sat and watched out the window. We couldn't see the game, but it was fun to see all the red. Jonathan was pretty dissapointed that we couldn't go to the game, but I think he still thought it was cool to be so close to their stadium. Jeff and I finally got the kids settled into bed and headed to bed ourselves.
Saturday morning, we woke up and there was fog outside. It was beautiful! I took a few pictures from the windows, there is an album that you can go see everything. We had brought a cooler with us that had things for sandwiches and cereal and lots of fruit. So, that morning, we had cereal in our room. It was kind of nice to not have to worry about finding fast food on the entire trip down there. After we got all cleaned up, and our things back to the van then checked out, we headed out to explore downtown St. Louis! We walked over to the Cardinals stadium and took several pictures there. We also saw some pretty fountains. Then, to end it all, we walked over to the arch and spent time down in the museum. That was fun and the kids enjoyed it. We did not go up into the arch (that will have to be in about 10 years I think), nor did we watch the Louis & Clark film. But Jeff and I did talk about making another trip in about 10 years when all the kids are old enough to really get a lot out of it. There is so much more to St. Louis that I wish we could have discovered, but I'm looking forward to the day we go back. Before we left town, we had to take the kids down to the Mississippi River. You can't go to St. Louis and NOT touch the Mississippi! So, we walked up the hill, and we saw the river, FLOODED! It was definitely higher than it was the last time we were there.
When we were done experiencing St. Louis, we headed down to TN. It was a fabulous road trip. Everything between here and there is so beautiful! When we got to Nashville, it was beginning to get dark so we didn't get to see all that much. Sunday morning, we woke up and went to church services. That day and Monday we enjoyed time with the family. Monday afternoon, the five of us went to a place called the Hermitage. It is the home of President Jackson. I think it'd be a great place to check out on line (although I haven't yet). We learned quite a bit with just the short visit we had there. We didn't get to spend as much time as we wanted to there because we were going to meet the rest of the family for a dinner cruise on a show boat. The ride on the boat was fun. Jonathan soaked it all in. We had given the kids fun savers so they could take pictures at their level, things that they thought were cool. Jonathan and I walked around the boat for a while and he just took shot after shot. Some of the pictures turned out to be really good. I'm working on getting those uploaded soon. For dinner, the food served was delicious. There was roast beef, chicken, green beans, potatos (the best tasting ever!), and
bread. Dessert was delicious as well.
Tuesday morning, we woke up and got everything packed up and invited the family to join us at the capital and the TN State Museum. On our first anniversary, Jeff and I had a discussion about what we wanted to do with our family in the future. That day we pretty much decided that we wanted to home school. With home schooling would come so many great opportunities for educational travel! We decided that day that a goal of ours would be to visit at least the 48 state capitals. All 50 would be wonderful, but I'm not sure about going that far. So we had to go downtown! Jeff's parents were the only ones who decided to come with us. We had a good time. The museum was neat and the capital was nice. It was a pleasant experience before we headed back home.
On the way home we took out time. We actually ventured off of the Interstate through a place called "The Land Between the Lakes." This is an area of land that looks like a pennensula off of TN. There are all kinds of nature activities to take
part in here. Camping, fishing, boating, horse riding, etc. We just drove through it, to see what it was like. It was absolutely beautiful! It was interesting too, we kept seeing signs for family grave yards. I wondered about any stories behind them, how old they were, who the people were. What history is in that area. Four days for a trip like this was not enough time at all. This one's definitely going back on the list for more time! It was so much fun and I know we'd do it again. We finally pulled into our driveway at 2:00 in the morning on Wednesday. Jeff had the day off and that was nice for him to rest and get ready for Thursday. And it was good to have Daddy home to enjoy for part of Music Week!
You can go to our albums to view the pictures of our trip.
Week three was wonderful! The first part of the week was spent getting prepared for our trip and planning everything involved. In a nutshell, Nashville week included more books from the library (a trip there on Wednesday for story time); planning our days of travel; a night and morning in St. Louis; seeing grandparents, aunts, ncles, and cousins; four states; a cruise down the river; Tennessee state museum; Tennessee capital; swimming; and learning Tennessee state songs; and an excursion through the "Land Between the Lakes." (I wanted to also include Jefferson City, MO - another capital, but time just didn't permit)
Friday, after the kids and I loaded up the van and Jeff got home from work, we hit the road and headed for St. Louis! This was exciting for Jeff and me because St. Louis was the first major stop for us on our honeymoon. We were thrilled to show
the kids the Gateway Arch and the Mississippi River. We arrived in St. Louis around 8 pm and got settled into our hotel. We stayed downtown, right across the street from the arch and got to see lots of fun things right from our window. We saw
horses with carriages on the streets. We all wanted to take a ride, but it was so late by the time we got everything into the room, we decided to wait till the next day. (Well, they weren't available before we left, so we missed out on that one)
There was also a Cardinals game going on and we could see the stadium and hear the fans from our room. So, we sat and watched out the window. We couldn't see the game, but it was fun to see all the red. Jonathan was pretty dissapointed that we couldn't go to the game, but I think he still thought it was cool to be so close to their stadium. Jeff and I finally got the kids settled into bed and headed to bed ourselves.
Saturday morning, we woke up and there was fog outside. It was beautiful! I took a few pictures from the windows, there is an album that you can go see everything. We had brought a cooler with us that had things for sandwiches and cereal and lots of fruit. So, that morning, we had cereal in our room. It was kind of nice to not have to worry about finding fast food on the entire trip down there. After we got all cleaned up, and our things back to the van then checked out, we headed out to explore downtown St. Louis! We walked over to the Cardinals stadium and took several pictures there. We also saw some pretty fountains. Then, to end it all, we walked over to the arch and spent time down in the museum. That was fun and the kids enjoyed it. We did not go up into the arch (that will have to be in about 10 years I think), nor did we watch the Louis & Clark film. But Jeff and I did talk about making another trip in about 10 years when all the kids are old enough to really get a lot out of it. There is so much more to St. Louis that I wish we could have discovered, but I'm looking forward to the day we go back. Before we left town, we had to take the kids down to the Mississippi River. You can't go to St. Louis and NOT touch the Mississippi! So, we walked up the hill, and we saw the river, FLOODED! It was definitely higher than it was the last time we were there.
When we were done experiencing St. Louis, we headed down to TN. It was a fabulous road trip. Everything between here and there is so beautiful! When we got to Nashville, it was beginning to get dark so we didn't get to see all that much. Sunday morning, we woke up and went to church services. That day and Monday we enjoyed time with the family. Monday afternoon, the five of us went to a place called the Hermitage. It is the home of President Jackson. I think it'd be a great place to check out on line (although I haven't yet). We learned quite a bit with just the short visit we had there. We didn't get to spend as much time as we wanted to there because we were going to meet the rest of the family for a dinner cruise on a show boat. The ride on the boat was fun. Jonathan soaked it all in. We had given the kids fun savers so they could take pictures at their level, things that they thought were cool. Jonathan and I walked around the boat for a while and he just took shot after shot. Some of the pictures turned out to be really good. I'm working on getting those uploaded soon. For dinner, the food served was delicious. There was roast beef, chicken, green beans, potatos (the best tasting ever!), and
bread. Dessert was delicious as well.
Tuesday morning, we woke up and got everything packed up and invited the family to join us at the capital and the TN State Museum. On our first anniversary, Jeff and I had a discussion about what we wanted to do with our family in the future. That day we pretty much decided that we wanted to home school. With home schooling would come so many great opportunities for educational travel! We decided that day that a goal of ours would be to visit at least the 48 state capitals. All 50 would be wonderful, but I'm not sure about going that far. So we had to go downtown! Jeff's parents were the only ones who decided to come with us. We had a good time. The museum was neat and the capital was nice. It was a pleasant experience before we headed back home.
On the way home we took out time. We actually ventured off of the Interstate through a place called "The Land Between the Lakes." This is an area of land that looks like a pennensula off of TN. There are all kinds of nature activities to take
part in here. Camping, fishing, boating, horse riding, etc. We just drove through it, to see what it was like. It was absolutely beautiful! It was interesting too, we kept seeing signs for family grave yards. I wondered about any stories behind them, how old they were, who the people were. What history is in that area. Four days for a trip like this was not enough time at all. This one's definitely going back on the list for more time! It was so much fun and I know we'd do it again. We finally pulled into our driveway at 2:00 in the morning on Wednesday. Jeff had the day off and that was nice for him to rest and get ready for Thursday. And it was good to have Daddy home to enjoy for part of Music Week!
You can go to our albums to view the pictures of our trip.
Thursday, July 3
Happy 4th Eve!
Okay, so, I've been pretty terrible about keeping you all updated on our 12 weeks of summer fun. Truth is, we've had so much going on! I started a blog (in text) after we got home from Nashville and I haven't even finished it yet. This week has been camp week and we've loved it. Right now, Jeff is out back (it is 11:45 pm) in our tent with Jonathan and Adie. Yes, they are asleep! We thought it wouldn't work, but it is! I would have stayed, but Alex is in his crib and I just felt too wierd having him in here alone. We had the monitor, but I just had to stay in here. Anyway, the reason I'm on is I just had to write about what happened a little while ago.
So the three of them are out there sleeping (on the night before the 4th - what were we thinking?!), our neighbor came home. Usually the car they drive is very loud but this time, it was so quiet! It sounded to me as if they might have been trying to be quiet. Maybe they had an idea with the tent out there (no privacy fences here) that people were sleeping there! I was happy when I heard the car turn off. Within 5 minutes, I heard them, the fireworks. Ahh! These weren't just crackers. I heard the hissing and the crackling and saw the lights. Before I realized it, I was standing outside the door (I really don't remember getting up to go to there!). There they were, flashing up into the sky. I thought the kids would be screaming and crying from startling (I probably would have after being asleep). But it was quiet. I went over to the tent. Adie and Jeff woke up but Jonathan was still out! Adie was fine and actually excited to see them!
Funny family.
Well, I suppose this should be all for tonight. Hope you all have a great day tomorrow!
So the three of them are out there sleeping (on the night before the 4th - what were we thinking?!), our neighbor came home. Usually the car they drive is very loud but this time, it was so quiet! It sounded to me as if they might have been trying to be quiet. Maybe they had an idea with the tent out there (no privacy fences here) that people were sleeping there! I was happy when I heard the car turn off. Within 5 minutes, I heard them, the fireworks. Ahh! These weren't just crackers. I heard the hissing and the crackling and saw the lights. Before I realized it, I was standing outside the door (I really don't remember getting up to go to there!). There they were, flashing up into the sky. I thought the kids would be screaming and crying from startling (I probably would have after being asleep). But it was quiet. I went over to the tent. Adie and Jeff woke up but Jonathan was still out! Adie was fine and actually excited to see them!
Funny family.
Well, I suppose this should be all for tonight. Hope you all have a great day tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 24
Chugga..Chugga...
"I think I can, I think I can," said that adorable little train.
I've always loved trains. I can remember playing on the floor in our house many years ago...pulling my trian along, but every so often, the train would hit a bump. I'd say, "Chugga, chugga, chugga, uh-oh!" Down the train would go and I'd have to pick up all the cars, put them back together and start the train ride over again. There is also a book that I love to read with the kids, "It's Fun Where Ben's Train Takes Him." In this book little Ben loves to draw trains and tracks for his train. Then he pretends all day long in his room where his train goes. It goes through fields near cattle, through a huge city, past large animals. And then, the end of the day comes and it is time for bed. The time has come to say good night.
Today, I feel as though I am pulling a train along. But this time, it's different. I am Ben. I've been drawing that train, my perfect train. I've laid down the tracks. We've been going chugga chugga, and there is the occassional "uh-oh." I've been on quite a ride and I know that I am not the driver...as much as I'd like to think that I am. I have no idea where this train ride is taking me, or my family for that matter. We've been preparing for homeschool and I've been excited about it all, but today, this train has turned into a freight train... Going FULL speed ahead!
There is so much to be learned! And it's not just the three younguns that will be doing the learning! I have a habbit of trying to do too much all at once and maybe trying to take things into my own hands. I am the Conductor - the one who takes the tickets, treats the wounds, handles the paperwork, and my office is the caboose. God is our Engineer - the overseer of all our operations, keeping our locomotive running.
As for Ben, the time has now come for me to begin to head to bed. It is funny where this train has taken us. It is a wonderful ride and I hope you all are enjoying your rides as well.
I've always loved trains. I can remember playing on the floor in our house many years ago...pulling my trian along, but every so often, the train would hit a bump. I'd say, "Chugga, chugga, chugga, uh-oh!" Down the train would go and I'd have to pick up all the cars, put them back together and start the train ride over again. There is also a book that I love to read with the kids, "It's Fun Where Ben's Train Takes Him." In this book little Ben loves to draw trains and tracks for his train. Then he pretends all day long in his room where his train goes. It goes through fields near cattle, through a huge city, past large animals. And then, the end of the day comes and it is time for bed. The time has come to say good night.
Today, I feel as though I am pulling a train along. But this time, it's different. I am Ben. I've been drawing that train, my perfect train. I've laid down the tracks. We've been going chugga chugga, and there is the occassional "uh-oh." I've been on quite a ride and I know that I am not the driver...as much as I'd like to think that I am. I have no idea where this train ride is taking me, or my family for that matter. We've been preparing for homeschool and I've been excited about it all, but today, this train has turned into a freight train... Going FULL speed ahead!
There is so much to be learned! And it's not just the three younguns that will be doing the learning! I have a habbit of trying to do too much all at once and maybe trying to take things into my own hands. I am the Conductor - the one who takes the tickets, treats the wounds, handles the paperwork, and my office is the caboose. God is our Engineer - the overseer of all our operations, keeping our locomotive running.
As for Ben, the time has now come for me to begin to head to bed. It is funny where this train has taken us. It is a wonderful ride and I hope you all are enjoying your rides as well.
Wednesday, June 18
Week 2 - Around the World
Week two of our 12 weeks was fun as well. We picked up some books from the library for China, Italy, Egypt, Kansas, and Missouri. Let's just say that week two was a learning time for all of us. It didn't go quite as planned, but we still learned about those places. In my head, I had envisioned a grand week of tons of cultural activities! Well, what I learned is that (again) things don't always go as planned.
Monday we read our books about China and then planned a Chinese dinner - that went very well! Italy was about the same, we read about families that live in Italy and had Spaghetti for dinner. Wednesday, well, Wednesdays are always more busy. We did read about Egypt but I never went on line to figure out something that could be Egyptian. Maybe we will try that this summer still. (Besides, who says that we have to do cultural things just during that week!) Thursday, I had planned on taking the kids to Topeka, but gas prices are so high and we needed to save for Nashville week. Later on this summer we will do the capital trip. Friday, we got up and got ready to meet our homeschool group at the park. That was loads of fun! I
got to meet more moms and visit with some wonderful women. I also discovered a great math program that I will be using for Jonathan. The kids really had a great time with all the new friends. Alex was passed around and gave everyone great
smiles. Adie made a new friend her age and is excited to have little girls her age to play with. Jonathan really showed that he is getting older and gave me a surprise and a small fright! He got along well with the other kids and had a great time running around with them, but he still showed a tendancy of enjoying time alone as well. When it was time to sit down for lunch, I went over to where I had last seen him. He wasn't there. I looked for a few minutes and I couldn't find him. You
know my heart was racing. I continued to follow the stream (this was Cody park by the way) and found him down close to the tunnel that goes under the intersection. He'd been "fine" he says and he was just exploring! He had taken off his socks
and shoes and was getting his feet wet. We had a talk about safety and making sure to tell me where he's going to be. But I learned a lesson at that time as well, my boy is not a baby anymore. He can venture off and still be okay. It's hard
to let go of the first. (I guess it will be hard to let go of them all). I am just so glad that he didn't go around the whole world by himself!
We had a great time reading about other countries and the kids got a taste of things outside the USA. They are learning that there is more to the world that just the few states we've lived in and there are all kinds of people that God created.
Monday we read our books about China and then planned a Chinese dinner - that went very well! Italy was about the same, we read about families that live in Italy and had Spaghetti for dinner. Wednesday, well, Wednesdays are always more busy. We did read about Egypt but I never went on line to figure out something that could be Egyptian. Maybe we will try that this summer still. (Besides, who says that we have to do cultural things just during that week!) Thursday, I had planned on taking the kids to Topeka, but gas prices are so high and we needed to save for Nashville week. Later on this summer we will do the capital trip. Friday, we got up and got ready to meet our homeschool group at the park. That was loads of fun! I
got to meet more moms and visit with some wonderful women. I also discovered a great math program that I will be using for Jonathan. The kids really had a great time with all the new friends. Alex was passed around and gave everyone great
smiles. Adie made a new friend her age and is excited to have little girls her age to play with. Jonathan really showed that he is getting older and gave me a surprise and a small fright! He got along well with the other kids and had a great time running around with them, but he still showed a tendancy of enjoying time alone as well. When it was time to sit down for lunch, I went over to where I had last seen him. He wasn't there. I looked for a few minutes and I couldn't find him. You
know my heart was racing. I continued to follow the stream (this was Cody park by the way) and found him down close to the tunnel that goes under the intersection. He'd been "fine" he says and he was just exploring! He had taken off his socks
and shoes and was getting his feet wet. We had a talk about safety and making sure to tell me where he's going to be. But I learned a lesson at that time as well, my boy is not a baby anymore. He can venture off and still be okay. It's hard
to let go of the first. (I guess it will be hard to let go of them all). I am just so glad that he didn't go around the whole world by himself!
We had a great time reading about other countries and the kids got a taste of things outside the USA. They are learning that there is more to the world that just the few states we've lived in and there are all kinds of people that God created.
Thursday, June 12
Teeth!
Ta-da!
Mommy, I have a new tooth!
(that is both of my boys!)
That's right, both Jonathan and Alex showed a new tooth within two weeks of eachother!
Today, I noticed Alex's very first baby tooth. And about a week ago or so, Jonathan has a new one coming in behind his baby teeth (not a single lost tooth yet).
Tomorrow, we will be off for our Nashville trip. Goodness, time is getting away from me!
We enjoyed Around the World week. There are definitely a few things I will change for next time, but it was fun. Nashville week has been full of getting ready for the trip. The real stuff is coming this weekend!
I just finished a BIG job of uploading pictures from the camera. Now, when I come back, it will be the BIG job of posting albums and pics here and there!
So many wonderful things going on this summer!
Mommy, I have a new tooth!
(that is both of my boys!)
That's right, both Jonathan and Alex showed a new tooth within two weeks of eachother!
Today, I noticed Alex's very first baby tooth. And about a week ago or so, Jonathan has a new one coming in behind his baby teeth (not a single lost tooth yet).
Tomorrow, we will be off for our Nashville trip. Goodness, time is getting away from me!
We enjoyed Around the World week. There are definitely a few things I will change for next time, but it was fun. Nashville week has been full of getting ready for the trip. The real stuff is coming this weekend!
I just finished a BIG job of uploading pictures from the camera. Now, when I come back, it will be the BIG job of posting albums and pics here and there!
So many wonderful things going on this summer!
Thursday, June 5
When they grow up...
Today, the kids said what they wanted to be when they grow up.
Jo -- "I want to go to college to play football."
Adie -- "I want to be a fixerman!"
Jo -- "I want to go to college to play football."
Adie -- "I want to be a fixerman!"
Week 1 ... Parks!
Park week was fabulous! We really did have a great time. Alex and Adie are sleeping right now and Jo is working on some math flash cards. Meanwhile, as I'm sitting on the couch enjoying the peace, our cat is trying to catch a fly flying on the window behind me. It is quite funny, she is trying to climb up the blinds. If I could only catch it on camera! I will try, for now, to get in as much as possible about last week.
Anyway, okay, let me reach way back into my memory bank and pull all of this out. We started off with Memorial Day Weekend. Saturday we hung out at the house and then had some KS barbeque for lunch. It was pretty good. We ate Arthur Bryant's BBQ, if you ever get the chance to eat it, DO! After lunch, we headed out to Wyandot County lake park. It was pretty cool, and beautiful! We stopped at a small play ground and all had a turn on the swings, I slid down the tall metal slide (the kind I played on when I was five, back in Estancia). Yes, that was me! No one else would take the chance! Ha! It was envigorating to be a kid again! We looked at bugs and watched ducks and turtles play in the lake. We didn't stay too long, it had rained the night before and so it was pretty muddy. So we headed back home for a short rest. Then we headed off to Tonganoxie for a rodeo! F-U-N! The kids loved seeing the horses and bulls and Alex even had fun! When we got there, the stands were pretty full so we got to choose a seat down right next to the action. Oh, did I mention that this was an outside arena? Yes, we were outside (we've only been to inside arenas and got to sit in nice seats). So, with the rain the night before and all the mud, we got to see, and feel ,everything! Adie was so funny! She thought all the mud was poo! When the horses started coming near us, and the mud would spatter on everyone, she yelled out, "There's poo on me!" We all had a good laugh with that. We had the good ole' hot dogs and soda, and just had a great time kicking off summer with a great rodeo.
On Sunday after worship, we headed out to a baseball game. A few weeks ago, we discovered that not so many people were at the Sunday games right now, so we thought that might be a better day to go. So, we went and overall it was a great time, but our seats ended up being in the sun, right next to people sitting in the shade! The seats were so hot and it took over an hour for the sun to go down. But we really did have a great time. Jo is playing T-ball this summer so he was really in to all that was going on. We enjoyed dollar dogs and lots of lemonade. Alex wore his "All American Boy" baseball cap and Adie had her red, white, and blue on. We're looking forward to a few more games to attend this summer.
Monday, Jeff and Jo were both off. We stayed home and did some clean up and, in honor of park week, we went to a park for a little while. There is a park fairly close to us called Cody Park and it is really nice. It's got a great playground, a walking trail, the all important washroom, good seating for parents, and a nice little brook that runs right through the middle of it all. This day we discovered a great little area that is in the shade and is where the water comes from. I savored every moment with my family that day. Jeff and Jo were playing with the bat and ball, while Adie, Alex and I sat and watched the water come into the park (I'm really going to have to take a picture of it). We were in a corner, right under a street intersection. The creek runs under that intersection and pools up then continues flowing into the brook that goes through the park. Adie was throwing rocks, Alex was just wiggling trying to reach for the grass and rocks, and explore all he could! Adie then started making up a story about the cave. There is a monster that lives in there and we had to be quiet, so as to not wake it up! After a while, Jo and Jeff joined us and then Jeff taught us all how to skip rocks across the water. I was able to once and Jo and Adie are still working on it.
Tuesday, Jo had his last day of school. After school, we went to a park that was really cool. It was called David Brewer Park. It has a small soccer field, volley ball sand pit, walking trails, tennis courts, a great playground, a washroom, good swings, and a couple places to sit in the shade. The kids really liked this one, Jo voted it #1 and Adie voted it #2 (Cody is her fav).
Then, Wednesday, my baby graduated from Kindergarten!
Thursday, we went to two parks. Wollman Park was nice, but there wasn't a place to sit and watch the kids (sometimes I just need to take a break - especially while holding Alex), and it was pretty small. The one in Lansing (we didn't see a name) was okay. Pretty small, not a lot of shade, and NO washroom (a must for little girls newly potty trained!).
Friday, we went down to Bonner Springs and found a pretty cool park next to a sports complex. However, I couldn't find the washrooms! And the slides were broken.
Well, that was park week! Pictures will be posted for parks and graduation. Alex is awake now and I'm sure he'd like to eat! Oh, and he slept until 11:30 this morning! It was nice to have the morning with Jo and Adie! And! Jo is getting his first permanent tooth! He's growing up! He and Alex will be getting new teeth together this year!
Better go!
P.S. We voted Cody and David Brewer the #1s for the family. They are both pretty awesome and we could go for just one!
Anyway, okay, let me reach way back into my memory bank and pull all of this out. We started off with Memorial Day Weekend. Saturday we hung out at the house and then had some KS barbeque for lunch. It was pretty good. We ate Arthur Bryant's BBQ, if you ever get the chance to eat it, DO! After lunch, we headed out to Wyandot County lake park. It was pretty cool, and beautiful! We stopped at a small play ground and all had a turn on the swings, I slid down the tall metal slide (the kind I played on when I was five, back in Estancia). Yes, that was me! No one else would take the chance! Ha! It was envigorating to be a kid again! We looked at bugs and watched ducks and turtles play in the lake. We didn't stay too long, it had rained the night before and so it was pretty muddy. So we headed back home for a short rest. Then we headed off to Tonganoxie for a rodeo! F-U-N! The kids loved seeing the horses and bulls and Alex even had fun! When we got there, the stands were pretty full so we got to choose a seat down right next to the action. Oh, did I mention that this was an outside arena? Yes, we were outside (we've only been to inside arenas and got to sit in nice seats). So, with the rain the night before and all the mud, we got to see, and feel ,everything! Adie was so funny! She thought all the mud was poo! When the horses started coming near us, and the mud would spatter on everyone, she yelled out, "There's poo on me!" We all had a good laugh with that. We had the good ole' hot dogs and soda, and just had a great time kicking off summer with a great rodeo.
On Sunday after worship, we headed out to a baseball game. A few weeks ago, we discovered that not so many people were at the Sunday games right now, so we thought that might be a better day to go. So, we went and overall it was a great time, but our seats ended up being in the sun, right next to people sitting in the shade! The seats were so hot and it took over an hour for the sun to go down. But we really did have a great time. Jo is playing T-ball this summer so he was really in to all that was going on. We enjoyed dollar dogs and lots of lemonade. Alex wore his "All American Boy" baseball cap and Adie had her red, white, and blue on. We're looking forward to a few more games to attend this summer.
Monday, Jeff and Jo were both off. We stayed home and did some clean up and, in honor of park week, we went to a park for a little while. There is a park fairly close to us called Cody Park and it is really nice. It's got a great playground, a walking trail, the all important washroom, good seating for parents, and a nice little brook that runs right through the middle of it all. This day we discovered a great little area that is in the shade and is where the water comes from. I savored every moment with my family that day. Jeff and Jo were playing with the bat and ball, while Adie, Alex and I sat and watched the water come into the park (I'm really going to have to take a picture of it). We were in a corner, right under a street intersection. The creek runs under that intersection and pools up then continues flowing into the brook that goes through the park. Adie was throwing rocks, Alex was just wiggling trying to reach for the grass and rocks, and explore all he could! Adie then started making up a story about the cave. There is a monster that lives in there and we had to be quiet, so as to not wake it up! After a while, Jo and Jeff joined us and then Jeff taught us all how to skip rocks across the water. I was able to once and Jo and Adie are still working on it.
Tuesday, Jo had his last day of school. After school, we went to a park that was really cool. It was called David Brewer Park. It has a small soccer field, volley ball sand pit, walking trails, tennis courts, a great playground, a washroom, good swings, and a couple places to sit in the shade. The kids really liked this one, Jo voted it #1 and Adie voted it #2 (Cody is her fav).
Then, Wednesday, my baby graduated from Kindergarten!
Thursday, we went to two parks. Wollman Park was nice, but there wasn't a place to sit and watch the kids (sometimes I just need to take a break - especially while holding Alex), and it was pretty small. The one in Lansing (we didn't see a name) was okay. Pretty small, not a lot of shade, and NO washroom (a must for little girls newly potty trained!).
Friday, we went down to Bonner Springs and found a pretty cool park next to a sports complex. However, I couldn't find the washrooms! And the slides were broken.
Well, that was park week! Pictures will be posted for parks and graduation. Alex is awake now and I'm sure he'd like to eat! Oh, and he slept until 11:30 this morning! It was nice to have the morning with Jo and Adie! And! Jo is getting his first permanent tooth! He's growing up! He and Alex will be getting new teeth together this year!
Better go!
P.S. We voted Cody and David Brewer the #1s for the family. They are both pretty awesome and we could go for just one!
Wednesday, May 28
12 Weeks of Summer Learning!
Jonathan just graduated from Kindergarten! Can't believe that he's done! Well, we kicked off the summer this weekend with fantastic fun and I'll have to blog about that later. But for now, I thought I'd get on and preview for you what we have planned this summer! (I will get on and post pictures - tons coming up soon!)
Drum roll please...
Announcing our 12 weeks of Fantastic summer learning!
1 - Park week ... which park in LV will prove to be the Green family favorite???
2 - Around the World ... capitals of KS, MO and countries of Mexico, China, and Italy
3 - Nashville ... transition from wk 3- meeting Jeff's family there and learn the history of music!
4 - Music ... possibly a tallent show???
5 - Play Ball ... Jonathan is in T-ball this summer!
6 - Family Camp ...tent in the back yard, cook on the grill, and camp activities all week! Finale to be a camp out by the river???
7 - Animals ... two or three different zoos and lots of other fun animals activities!
8 - Planes and Trains ... a trip to Achison will be great, Train museum and Amelia Earhart Festival!
9 - Wonderful Water ... a visit to the fountains at Crown Center
10 - Story Week ... maybe we will write one!
11 - Bugged Out ... Powell Gardens Butterfly festival
12 - All Out for the Olympics ... learn about the sports and our 1st Annual Green Family Olympics!
We wish you all a fantastic summer of fun learning as well!
Drum roll please...
Announcing our 12 weeks of Fantastic summer learning!
1 - Park week ... which park in LV will prove to be the Green family favorite???
2 - Around the World ... capitals of KS, MO and countries of Mexico, China, and Italy
3 - Nashville ... transition from wk 3- meeting Jeff's family there and learn the history of music!
4 - Music ... possibly a tallent show???
5 - Play Ball ... Jonathan is in T-ball this summer!
6 - Family Camp ...tent in the back yard, cook on the grill, and camp activities all week! Finale to be a camp out by the river???
7 - Animals ... two or three different zoos and lots of other fun animals activities!
8 - Planes and Trains ... a trip to Achison will be great, Train museum and Amelia Earhart Festival!
9 - Wonderful Water ... a visit to the fountains at Crown Center
10 - Story Week ... maybe we will write one!
11 - Bugged Out ... Powell Gardens Butterfly festival
12 - All Out for the Olympics ... learn about the sports and our 1st Annual Green Family Olympics!
We wish you all a fantastic summer of fun learning as well!
Monday, May 19
Still Here...
Hey friends and family!
This is a very quick post to let you all know that I'm still here. We are all doing great and gearing up for a fantastic summer! We've been busy. Our family is so fun! Lot's to do though, working on routines, teething, and yes...Alex is beginning to show signs of crawling within a couple months (maybe sooner, but I'm being conservative!)
Jo is almost done with Kindergarten, Adie is so ready to learn to read and write, Jeff is still doing great with the job - so much going on there. And I've been working on lots of plans and getting things in place!
We had a friend graduate from college Saturday - TEN years of hard work! So proud of you!
I do have several pictures to share, but the computers are slow and I just don't have the time to sit and pick out which ones to share right now. I hope that soon I can take time out while Jeff is home so that I can do more blogging. I've been on to read your blogs and I enjoy keeping up with your happenings. Sorry that I don't comment all that often, but I am here!
Love you all so much.
Ta-Ta-For-Now!
This is a very quick post to let you all know that I'm still here. We are all doing great and gearing up for a fantastic summer! We've been busy. Our family is so fun! Lot's to do though, working on routines, teething, and yes...Alex is beginning to show signs of crawling within a couple months (maybe sooner, but I'm being conservative!)
Jo is almost done with Kindergarten, Adie is so ready to learn to read and write, Jeff is still doing great with the job - so much going on there. And I've been working on lots of plans and getting things in place!
We had a friend graduate from college Saturday - TEN years of hard work! So proud of you!
I do have several pictures to share, but the computers are slow and I just don't have the time to sit and pick out which ones to share right now. I hope that soon I can take time out while Jeff is home so that I can do more blogging. I've been on to read your blogs and I enjoy keeping up with your happenings. Sorry that I don't comment all that often, but I am here!
Love you all so much.
Ta-Ta-For-Now!