Our Family

For a few short weeks this will be current....and then baby will come and we'll need a new photo!

Learning happens here

We try to learn something everday. Today we were fortunate to have Patrick home for school time....(meaning Mom lets him do most of the teaching!). After dinner we all helped Luke with his science lab. We learned about the special types of bird beaks that birds have to help them catch their special food. My "little birds" enjoyed eating the mock food when we were done.

A few weeks ago the Catholic Church celebrated the feast day of St. Paul and St. Peter. I try to encorporate those special events into our days. We decided to read some books about the saints and make cookies with special symbols that would make us think of St. Paul and St. Peter. Now this would have worked better if I had a piping bag.....or ziploc baggies. Instead, Patrick had to lead the kids in decorating with royal icing (in the most bold of colors) with fingers and toothpicks. We had boats, fishes, eyes, tongues of fire, swords, upside down crosses, keys. Only it was more "abstract" in that Picasso sort of way. The kids needed to explain their cookies. And due to the color and quantity of icing, I can happily report I ate only one.

4th of July

We had such a nice and busy 4th of July. Living in "Mayberry" has many perks. One is our town has a parade in the morning and fireworks in the evening. The fireworks are shot off from the ball fields and everyone gathers on the country club holes to watch. We headed a few streets away with friends and watched from their pick-up (the kids loved the fireworks and riding in the BACK of the pick-up!)

Our street is a close-knit little community and after the parade we headed to a neighbor's house with the rest of the street for a block party. Miss Sally (a super-friendly, grandmotherly woman) provided the kids with entertainment.....fireworks. And then I realized Luke is very much like his dad in yet another way.....they are pyromaniacs....and so is Miss Sally! In Florida you can only purchase fireworks that don't leave the ground, so we had pop-its, little dynamites, smoke balls, a gem waterfall, some snake thingy and others. Thankfully Patrick supervised well, and Miss Sally is a nurse, so we only dealt with a few blisters. (Now on a side note, many people who live nearby had the "real fireworks"....apparently you just sign a waiver from the vendors on the street saying you are using the fireworks to rid your property of vermin, and it is suddenly legal. I realized many people have vermin the week of July 4th!)

Later in the afternoon we headed a few streets over for another block party with some homeschool friends. This one had a jump castle, a water slide, light sabers, tons of food, and a real snow cone machine operated by a Grandpa who knew NO limits on the amount of snow cones kids should ingest. When the evening rains started, the adults huddled under the live oaks to chat while the Grandpa made plain snow cones for the kids to use in a July snow ball fight.

We celebrated the day away.....and slept alot the next!

Smile pretty

Yet another realiziation that my babies are growing up! Sarah Clare lost her tooth yesterday. It had been wiggly for about a week, and everyday she let Daddy try and pull it out. At Busch Gardens, in the middle of a rainstorm, it fell out. She wasn't much interested in rides after that. She wanted to go home and get her picture taken. The toothfairy visited the house, and she was happy! It is cute to listen to her talk in a new lispy fashion, although by tomorrow I'm sure she will have figured that all out. Be on the lookout, another is loose!

The Swimmin' Hole

This summer, our mornings are spent at the pool. Sarah Clare and Sean are taking lessons, and Luke is on the swim team. Everyone is improving! Sarah is learning how to dive in from "the blocks" and proper stroke technique. Sean is learning how to "swim" which means he jumps in like a crazy man, and swims to whoever is near him to help him get air. He loves the waterslide, drinking pool water (and the many trips to the potty that entails), swimming with his eyes open, and his teachers. Luckily, the lifeguard/instructors are great with the kids and everyone is happy and worn out by the time we leave.

Luke is on the summer swim team, and he works hard! He is working on improving all his strokes and swims the 25m freestyle and 25 meter backstroke at meets. His practices involve daily 1 hour swims that I can't imagine. A few days ago they swam an 800meter swim of various strokes.....that same day I attempted a 100 meter swim, and nearly needed oxygen when I was done. The joys of being in shape!

I know I'm loved because of bugs

Sean is my little "cuddle bug". He rarely says, "I love you", but he loves hugs, kisses, and cuddles on the couch. He has even been known to tell me, "I like you and I like your baby". But lately my love notes have come through bugs. Sean spots every bug...lady bugs on the sidewalk, flies out his car window and even a queen ant in the house (gross!). He always takes notice of the bugs and then asks, "Where is his Mama?". He needs to know where the Mama is...everytime. That being said the day we checked out the queen ant could have ended badly. Luke was telling us all about queen ants, and the numerous offspring she has. It probably wasn't wise to then end the science lesson by "squishing" the ant. (It was in my house afterall). Sean's eyes got as wide as saucers and he looked at me seriously and asked, "How can you fix her? The babies need her!" OOOPS!

It must be Sunday

Sean keeps track of the days. Every morning he asks his Dad if it is Sunday. Why? Because Sunday is "shaving day". Sean gets a razor, minus a blade, shaving cream and the mirror. He and Daddy (and sometimes Luke and even Sarah) shave. Then comes aftershave. Sean screams with delight and does a little "shaving dance" on Sunday. He loves the time with his Dad.