Very Long Vacation Post!

You've Been Warned.

Plus I'm going to cheat just a little and start with our 30th of June Festivities (because that's when the Oak Point Freedom Fest is) . . . 

It involved of course, patriotic clothing (cute skirts from Walmart, pumpkin shirt at Megan's insistence of course)

For attendance at the World's Shortest Parade

(this just might be the only actual "float") 

Followed by free lunch, snowcones (Abby's legs ended up red from spilling and of course I had a mommy moment where I thought it was blood) 

Flag waving

bubble blowing, and just generally having a good time with the family celebrating our freedoms!

Then it was home to pack for our vacation to Grandma and Grandpa's in Michigan.  Flying.  By myself.  With the kids.  You see, Chopper and I apparently have this ritual -- I go on vacation with the kids, he stays home and drinks Dr. Pepper, eats pizza and Panda Express and watches Band of Brothers.  He might be getting the better end of the deal.

I seriously debated just packing William.  Just kidding. 

Flying direct it's only about a 3 hour trip but then another 2 1/2 hour drive to their house.  They were long days of traveling.  Made worse by first trimester nausea.  And now if you're one of the 5 people who actually read my blog and I haven't called you already, you are in the know!  I tell people early on because quite frankly if I'm going to suffer, I want sympathy!

Michigan was beautiful and so we made sure to do lots of activities that involved being outside.  We went to the Potter Park Zoo and rode camels 

Fed the birds 

Were amazed by all the peacocks and tried to find loose feathers but had no luck.  I tried to get Grandma to just pull them out of their tails but she refused!

We've been working on advancing William's eating skills.  He is doing so much better although we also still nurses constantly and refuses to let ANYONE feed him.  He has to do it himself.  So we're having a problem with getting the right volume of food IN him and not ON him.  Case in point: 

But he LOVED the truck.  Apparently, it's amazing.

Mt. Pleasant has this great little Children's Museum.  Now I ask you, if a small, in the middle of nowhere town like Mt. Pleasant can have a great children's museum, why can't we?  Makes no sense to me and I might have to start one because we NEED one for those crazy hot summers (started hitting 100 degrees while I was gone!). 

I just love this little picture.  William is all over the place and starting to cruise a little bit.  He'll probably set the record for walking as well as crawling.

I don't remember now why Abby was upset because they actually LOVED this giant beehive thing.  But I love the picture.

Dressed in a kimono and bringing me "tea"

 Practicing their Japanese writing and I have no idea what it's called.  These are very neat metal plates that they drew with water on and they get darker and then dried for the next practice.  The museum was just very well done.  Oh Megan refused to wear a kimono.

Pool noodles hanging from a grate on string!  Fun for days!

William LOVED hanging out what Grandpa.  He was so good for him.

I am now investing in a Flowbee.  My mom has used one for years and I meant to get William a haircut before we left but it didn't happen so I thought we could try it.  He buried himself in me but wasn't upset and it didn't take too long and looked good.  And since children's haircuts are on average $15 a pop I am so investing!!!  Plus it's a Gasser tradition! 

For the REAL 4th of July we had a BBQ and fireworks at home with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Jeff.   Everything but the fireworks was great.  Grandpa did a great job and managed to get a package that did not include any screamers but the pops were still too loud for Megan.  So it ended up like this: Abby sat outside asking for more (and wanting to help), Megan watched from inside behind the sliding glass door, and I tried to watch from inside as well but William fought and screamed and cried and tried to get away.  He HATED them. 

 Please don't let these ADORABLE pictures deceive you.  They only love each other sometimes.

 1st Fourth of July!!!

The day after we all went to Lake Michigan to go to the beach.  It was pretty packed and the water was freezing but the girls insisted on wearing their swim suits and get in and they really did.  They love the beach and I do wish we lived closer to one so that we could go frequently. 

Yes, there are waves!  It's that big!

Uncle Jeff was awesome and played and took them into the water because he was the only one willing to freeze to death along with the kids.  There were a ton of people doing this wind surfing kind of thing where you're on a short board holding onto a type of parachute and letting the wind pull you over the water and doing tricks.  It was pretty cool to watch.

We didn't actually go in the lighthouse.  I'm not such a fan of heights the older I get and my mom and Jeff tried to go with Abby but there are 130 steps and you can't carry anyone so she didn't get up.  She came back to tell me that she didn't get to go see Rapunzel in her tower . . . but she was ok with that.

I don't know that I have too much more to say because I don't take a lot of pictures of just spending quality time with family but even though the traveling part was long and tiring it was so worth it and I'm grateful we're able to do this with my parents so far away.  It means a lot to me that the kids get to spend quality time with them and that I get a break too!!  I'll probably post more as I recall it, but for now, this is good because I need a nap!

Swim Lesson Success!

Today was show-off day for swim lessons.  Megan and Abby have been going every day for the past two weeks and although it's meant a drive to Carrollton and late naps, it's been totally worth it.  Megan and Abby both cried A LOT the first day but now they're both fish!  Or almost.  I am so pleased with their progress.  They're both diving for rings, jumping in, they know what to do to be safe around the pool and if they accidentally get pushed into the pool.  They can both "motorboard" which is kicking with heads down and hands clasped ahead of them and towards the end of this week have been learning to add arms.  Of course that means coordination and so needs some work since some of that is genetic . . . 

I haven't named my videos so I can't tell at this moment which is which but 2 of them are the girls jumping in and swimming to the side and one is a long video of them swimming where Megan especially does a dynamic job.

So happy to be at swim lessons!  They have been excited to go every day.

Abby practicing her kicking.  She loses it in the water and ends up dog-paddling a lot which is somewhat appropriate given that she acts like a dog most of the time . . .

Monkey walk -- how you get around the pool when you're looking for a step.  They did a lot of safety and always repeated the pool rules at the beginning of class, one of which was always go swimming with your parents.

Abby and her teacher Miss Heather and her final award.

Megan and Miss Heather.

There's a second session in July that I did not sign the girls up for but I will definitely be signing the girls up next summer as well.  Of course they still need supervision but it makes me feel so much better to know that they have basic safety skills in place and that they won't panic when they go underwater.  Huge success!!!

What You Have to Look Forward To . . .

This post is dedicated to my parents and my three brothers who are currently without children.  My parents are looking forward to (hopefully) a visit from the four of us (sorry, Chopper not included) in less than a week.  They'll get all of this -- the screaming, the playing, the fighting . . . and yes, for my brothers who don't have children, someday I will laugh at you just like you laugh at me.  Someday . . . 

Hard to believe that this kid wasn't putting ANYTHING in his mouth just a month ago!!


The girls and William have gotten pretty adept at chasing each other but you have to be careful.  William gets over excited and clamps down HARD!  Those four little teeth are SHARP!  And he knows what he's doing because he doesn't bite me when I'm nursing him or when he's trying to get me to nurse, he still does the funny lip thing.  But otherwise, you better watch your skin!  But the girls enjoy chasing him and he enjoys giving it right back.  I have no worries about him being the trampled baby in this house!

Happy Father's Day

In case you haven't seen it, this Mormon Messages video is fantastic.  It makes me tear up every time (although admittedly, that is not hard to do).  In fact, we used the quote at the end on Father's Day gift at church (candy bars) and it comes from a great message given to fathers from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles back in the 70's.

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2119328537001

This year we kept it simple.  Chopper loves his back scratched so I've been saving this idea for a few months now -- a t-short "map" with some cars for the kids to play on his back.  Of course we drew in all his favorite places on the shirt: 7-11 (for Dr. Pepper runs of course), camping and fishing, Bass Pro Shop . . . 

Then I got this cute idea off Pinterest and had to try it.  The pictures will go in a frame to spell out dad but I had to share my favorite ones from our little backyard photo shoot.

 But I think William says it best: 

The older I get and the more kids I have I realize how grateful I am for Chopper as a good husband and father.  Parenting is hard and I'm finding more and more that "dad" is a necessary role.  I was blessed with a good father as well and I know that my life wouldn't be what it is now without him.  Our children adore Grandpa and Chopper (ok except William, he's still pretty exclusively a mommy's boy) and get so excited when he comes home from work and demand time with him.  I'm grateful that he is such a support to me and the backbone of our family and that he let's me do what I want (stay home with the kids!!) by working hard to support us.

Laughing At Destruction

That is a really horrible sounding title but I'll tell you what.  Nothing gets William laughing quite so much as something being beaten on and destroyed!!!  I hope this is a universal baby thing!  I think it is . . . 

Summer Days

It's Saturday.  Chopper's outside smoking a brisket and drinking Dr. Pepper.  The girls have spent the morning in the little pool and William's been running amuck inside.  I got some errands in, KID-FREE -- it's a good day so far.  The temperature is already in the 90s and guaranteed to go higher next week I think.  And I thought I'd share a bunch of random pictures I found.

Megan found her Lizzie doll all tied up after playgroup about a week ago.  Kind've morbid I thought!

Chocolate chip cookies and pajamas! 

Last Monday we went to the neighborhood pool for Family Home Evening.  It was William's first pool experience (well, out of the womb) and I couldn't help but take some pictures with his fat rolls, well, rolling:

Yep.  Not suffering!  Actually the therapists called and we can start his feeding therapy.  He's eating bits and pieces really well and not doing much gagging and choking.  Last Wednesday he even ENJOYED a piece of black licorice!  We love strong flavors over here!  He's still not taking a cup at all so I might do a few therapy appointments to see what they have to say about that.

 We spent a beautiful morning Friday at the Arboretum with some friends.  We waited in line for face painting and of course Abby was a puppy dog and Megan a kitty cat.  We've been talking about doing Alice in Wonderland as a family for Halloween.  I think Megan would make the cutest Alice but she wants to be the Cheshire cat and Abby wants to be the brush puppy -- watch the movie (Disney animated one) and you'll see.  Abby LOVES dogs.  She switches into puppy dog mode at the drop of a hat and will only bark at you instead of talking.  She also carries her puppy purse EVERYWHERE.  It got left at the library last week -- usually I don't let the girls take anything into public places that can be separated from their person but I figured the purse was safe since she wears them across her body (not just over the shoulder).  Nope.  We discovered it's absence after I had strapped all the kids into the car and so we all got out and went back in.  Fortunately, we found it right away.  Lesson learned.

Megan always takes sweet pictures when William's in them with her.

 The girls

And the boys  

This is what happens when Abby takes pictures with William . . . 

It's Summertime!

Megan's preschool has actually ended a week earlier than the public schools but she is on a set timeline that after school ended, it would be summer -- so summer it is!!  It's certainly warm enough to claim it!

I'm going to do something I have not yet done in 5 years of mothering -- live by a schedule!  I'm hoping that having one in place will help us have a fun and productive summer rather than degenerating into a tv watching mess.  And I'm really trying to limit television right now because it's one of the 2 things that Abby constantly asks for (the other is Dr. Pepper -- I am NOT kidding).  She's become a little bit of a My Little Pony addict and it worries me.

So our daily schedule is going to go something like this:

Try not to wake up

Breakfast

Out of the house activity (grocery shopping, library, pool, friends -- Friday's are going to be our field trip days -- this Friday is the Arboretum.  Hey, gotta get it in while it's still relatively nice in the mornings!)

Lunch

Reading (story books for Abby and a chapter or 2 of another book for Megan, right now we're reading Charlotte's Web!!)

NAPS!!!!!!!  

Chores (every day we'll water the plants and then I've broken household chores up into parts to last all week.  FUN! -- Not really but I need to teach them to work right?)

Homework -- I found basic activity books at the Dollar Tree (LOVE that place) on letters and numbers, etc.  So just to keep them working academically.

Fun activity!!!  This week we'll do an animal memory game on Monday, hopscotch on Tuesday, water balloon fight on Wednesday, bubble burst paintings on Thursday, and cookie clocks on Friday!  

I'm hoping that a packed afternoon in particular helps with the time between naps and dinner.  For some reason, that is the LONGEST part of the day for me, I'm getting tired and am more apt to be cranky and the girls can be restless too.

In addition, we're doing all of our Family Home Evenings for the summer on the Articles of Faith and our stake has given us a summer scripture reading program that I'll probably incorporate when it starts.

We'll be busy!!  But that's to keep our minds off of the fact that we will not be going to Michigan to visit Grandma and Grandpa because we're all really upset about it.  Seriously.  I don't talk about it because it makes me sad and it makes the girls mad.

So here's to an amazing, at home summer!!!!