Summer round up part 2

I signed the girls up for swim lessons.  It was more towards the end of the summer but at least I got them in.  Siena did great.  She can now swim across the width of the pool, can float on her back to breathe and flip over again.  She loved the lessons and learned a ton.  Aria on the other hand had a rough go.  She pretty much cried after the first 2 lessons the rest of the whole 2 weeks.  Well it wasn't hysterical but pretty much refused to swim.  She would put her face in the water but hates to float on her back and wouldn't do much else.  It was pretty brutal and I hope we didn't take a huge set back.  We plan to go swimming about once a month through the winter and I hope she does better next summer.  Their teach Riley was so patient and nice to them both and we really liked her. 

All 3 kids got sick.  They all got the 24 hour stomach flu and Jaron topped his off with strep throat.  The throw up is always fun but then Jaron got a fever that lasted days before I finally took him in.  He was so miserable and even the dr. was surprised at how red and swollen his throat was.  Poor guy.  He snapped out of it so fast as soon as we got him on anti-biotics.  I always take pictures of my kids sleeping when they're sick but this one of Siena holding her bowl sound asleep in the middle of the night was too funny.  These selfies of Jaron was just a way to keep him happy one miserable day.

 

 

While we were sick we stuck around the house more then usual.  We had a fun rainstorm the kids enjoyed playing in.

This is a scene at our house at least daily.  They love coloring and doing projects at the table.  One day I even let them finger paint...they LOVED it.

This was spur of the moment project we did one day.  We were all bored so I pulled this off pinterest and they were soo excited to make a rainbow.

We are always glad when Daddy comes home.

And they're always glad when mom lays down to 'rest'.

I took the girls to a Bees baseball game one night (Jaron still wasn't feeling good) with my family.  Jennifer had tickets for all of us and it was such a fun night.

Just an updated picture of the JLO's turning 2.

We took a trip up to Silver lake, it rained a good little down pour for a few minutes but it was still a fun afternoon.

The girls took a tumbling class this summer.  They loved it and I forgot to take any pictures, but this was their favorite pole to jump off of as we were leaving each week.

The kids 'caught' a snail and named him Shell.  They wanted to bring him inside but I convinced him he needed to stay outside to get food and water.  They were so disappointed when they couldn't find him the next day.

Shane planted 6 trees in our backyard.  They aren't that big but hopefully will grow and provide some much needed shade in our backyard in the next few years.  We need a lot more trees but it was a start at least.

Life as 4 year old Siena

A little update about Siena.

I started the birthday interview questions this year that you see going around.  It was fun to ask them and I was surprised how fast they answered each question.  Some are so true, some are just what they saw or did that day, and some are just plain funny.

What is your favorite food - pizza

What is your favorite TV show – Paw Patrol

What is your favorite movie – Tinkerbell

Who is your best friend – Abbey my cousin

What do you want to be when you grow up – a mom and a dad

What is your favorite place to go with your family – Siena: Where’s the place you get candy corns? Me: Kmart?  Siena: Yeah I like to go to the little Kmart and getting candy corns

What is your favorite holiday – Christmas

What is your moms job – to vacuum

What is your favorite book – the new Paw Patrol books you gave me

What is your favorite color - pink

What makes you laugh – I laugh when dad goes somewhere crazy and he jumps me up

What is your favorite thing to play with – my squeaky bird

What makes you happy – when you tickle me

What is your dads job – to pick weeds

What is your favorite song – Bippity Boppity Boo

What makes you sad – when I get off the tramp and I don’t get to play with my brother and sister

If you had a wish what would it be – money going into the water for wishes

What is the meaning of life – huh. I don’t know

Why do you love mom – because you always let me play on your laptop with ABC mouse

Why do you love dad – because he takes me up when he was laying down, and he takes me up like a balloon

Siena - You have grown up a lot this year.  You have turned into a little girl and are no longer a toddler.  Whenever I look at you I think, I can't believe you're 4!  You love to negotiate.  Anything I say you always have to top with one more of something.  Rarely do you just agree the first time.  This will get you far in life but many days gets very frustrating.  Your first reaction when things don't go your way is to hit or push.  Even though you've been in time out so many times for this, it's your first initial reaction when someone makes you mad.  We are trying very hard to change this. 

You are such a good helper.  If I need someone to help me get something, you are the one always willing to help.  You help Aria and Jaron when needed.  You love pre-school now but did get a little nervous leaving mom the very first time.  I'm sure it was scary but I was so happy when you came out all smiles at the end of the first day.  You haven't looked back since.  You love learning.  You love to go into Dad's office and sit on the stool next to him and have him teach you letters, words and sounds.  You love typing on his laptop. 

You have been begging me for glasses every since Aria got hers.  I finally found a pair at Claire's in the mall and you love them.  You wear them everyday for at least part of the day.  You wear them to church, preschool and dance.  Sometimes you forget them and you are so disappointed because you just know that 'everyone will ask me where my glasses are because I look so beautiful in my pink glasses.' 

My favorite word you say right now is obsessed.  As in 'Mom, I'm so obsessed with Paw Patrol.'  I think it's so funny and you're right you are obsessed with Paw Patrol.  You love to play little imaginary games and you are usually the instigator or any new game or idea of what you and your brother and sister will play.  You like to build carriages, lay out all the blankets and put each other to bed in the office.  You have given up your naps.  I guess it's time since you're 4.  Just now I thought you were asleep but you just came running in here asking if it was time to get up.  I still give you quiet time each day but most times you talk me into letting you and Aria have quiet time in the play room.  Luckily you usually are pretty quiet.

We love the energy and love your bring into our home and can't wait to see where life takes you.

PS After our doctor visit today, you're sister is now taller then you...but just barely.  You're 34 lbs and 40.25 inches - 50% height and just under 50% weight.  The doctor and nurse thought it was the cutest thing ever that you are wearing cute little plastic pink glasses so you can be just like your sister.  I know you 2 are always going to be best friends.

 

Life as 4 year old Aria

A little update on Aria

I started the birthday interview questions this year that you see going around.  It was fun to ask them and I was surprised how fast they answered each question.  Some are so true, some are just what they saw or did that day, and some are just plain funny.

What is your favorite food - apples (not true...it's pizza but they talked about apples in pre-school that day.)

What is your favorite TV show – Paw Patrol

What is your favorite movie - Cinderella

Who is your best friend – Marin (a girl that just moved into our neighborhood)

What do you want to be when you grow up – a mom

What is your favorite place to go with your family – to the merry go round

What is your favorite holiday – trash day (haha, they love when the trash truck comes each week...just didn't know it was a holiday.)

What is your moms job – to make dinner

What is your favorite book – Paw Patrol

What is your favorite color - red

What makes you laugh – when Siena laughs

What is your favorite thing to play with – a piggy

What makes you happy – cheese, rain, flowers and sunset (she seriously rattled those 4 things off like she answers this question every day.)

What is your dads job – to make dinner

What is your favorite song – bippity boppity boo

What makes you sad – when someone hits me

If you had a wish what would it be – a horse

What is the meaning of life – I don’t know

Why do you love mom – because I really do, because you’re my mom

Why do you love dad – because he’s my dad

Aria -  You have changed a lot this year.  From being a true toddler to growing out of your nervous and a little shy self to someone who is generally happy, usually agreeable and more willing to venture out then you ever have been before.  You went to pre-school without a second thought or look back.  You love pre-school and dance.  You still have a little bit of your whininess in you which is getting better but your first instinct when things don't go your way is to whine about it.  I try and try to teach you otherwise and I hope you don't whine to your teachers.  Once you get into a mood whether good or bad, you usually stay that way for quite a while and little we do changes that.  Your biggest fear in life right now are flies.  Yes, flies.  It's quite the traumatic experience when a fly finds his way inside our house.  It's consumes your whole mind until the things is caught or trapped somewhere. The good news is it keeps you very conscious of keeping doors shut when coming inside and outside.

Your all time favorite animal or anything for that matter is a horse.  You love horses.  Anytime you see one from the car you scream.  You love to ride them and almost everyday you ask me when you go ride a horse again.  You love to play with all your horses and often line them all up.  You also always want to find books at the library about horses.  Anytime we play ABC Mouse on the computer you want to go to the farm and learn about the horses.  You probably have that part memorized by now. 

My favorite word you are saying it 'ridiceelous' and also 'go dude' (repeated from me while driving in the car.)  You love to sing and I love to hear you shout out the songs from the back of the van.  Both you and Siena are playing and including Jaron more and more in your activities and he loves it.  You also play the best with Jaron just by yourself when Siena is off doing other things.  You love to play with him and call him your 'hancy brother' (handsome brother) and the best brother ever. 

Your transition to wearing glasses this last month has gone so smooth.  You wear them, like them and never complain.  Your favorite thing to do though is to touch them and get them all dirty so I will let you spray and clean them.  You love Paw Patrol and more then anyone, you stick to your assigned Paw Patrol name.  Many days you don't answer me if I haven't addressed you as Ryder.  You call me Zuma more then anyone else. 

We love our sweet Aria and all the smiles, laughter and love you bring to our family.

PS We just went to the doctor today and for the first time in your life you have surpassed Siena in weight and height.  I can't believe my little 4 pounder is now taller then your sister.  You've always been a touch behind in height and weight and now you're 1/2 pound bigger and 1/4 inch taller.  One day you might not like that but I love that you have officially caught up.  (For the record you're 34.5 lbs and 40.5 inches 75% height, 50% weight.)

First Friend Birthday Party

I decided this year that it was time to throw the girls their first friend birthday party.  They've been to a few of their friends parties and always had such a fun time.  They were so excited at the thought of a birthday party but when I asked them who we should invite they started naming cousins and Aunt Jennifer.  They named a few friends but when I started mentioning others names they kept telling me no.  Ha ha.  I think it's the fact that they are twins and usually just play with each other that they don't really have the need to reach out and make friends...much to my dismay...but it is what it is at this point.  So I ended up inviting all the girls in their dance class, the 3 girls in Sunbeams, a neighbor girl and cousins their age.  They even invited Jaron on one condition "Only if he doesn't whine and cry." Then they insisted on Jennifer and Abbey coming so I invited them to come and help! :) 

We id a Paw Patrol themed party.  They are soo obsessed with Paw Patrol right now.  It's literally the only thing that we watch right now.  They've named all the family after the characters (Mom=Zuma, Dad=Chase, Siena=Skye, Aria=Ryder and Jaron=Rubble.)  I got a Paw Patrol cake topper and had some fun Paw Patrol take home goodies.  I was surprised how much Paw Patrol stuff I found.  Even all the paper goods were Paw Patrol.

The party was so fun. We ended up with 11 girls including Siena and Aria.  We played Pass the Paw, Freeze dance, and Pin the badge on the Pup.  Then we ate pizza, cake and presents.  After each game the girls would all run over and play on the swing set.  It was fun to see them all playing together and piling onto the swingset.  They all got along but did great participating.  A fun group of friends.

It was a fun evening and I know Siena and Aria thought it was the greatest thing ever and I think all the kids had fun as well.

Siena and Aria turn 4!

We had so many birthday celebrations for Siena and Aria this year.  It felt like their birthday lasted a week.

Tuesday night Aunt Margene came over to celebrate the girls birthdays.  Shane and I left and went to dinner and a movie and they stayed and had dinner and made cupcakes.  Margene always does fun fun activities with the kids.

On their actual birthday we were so busy.  That morning we had them open one present because I know they would want to wear the Paw Patrol shirts I had gotten them.  They loved getting their little Skye (from Paw Patrol) puppy dogs as well.  They had pre-school in the morning where they got to take a treat to share. They chose M&M cookies.  As soon as we picked them up from school we headed down to have lunch at the park with Shane.  We found a quiet little park and had our own little picnic and opened a few more presents.  That afternoon they had dance where Holland brought them each a balloon and sucker. 

For dinner we headed to Chick-Fil-A so they could play at the playground.  We went to park for a little while and then headed over to Jennifer's to surprise her and sing happy birthday to her (and the girls) since it was Jennifer's birthday as well.  Look how much all the nieces and nephews lover her.  It was such a fun busy day and we were all exhausted when the day was over.

 

The following Sunday we had a family dinner at my parents house where we did another round of presents and cake.  Everyone was so nice to remember and be part of the celebrations!

Pre-School Begins

The day finally arrived for Siena and Aria to start pre-school.  It seems a long time coming because they are almost 4.  They were so ready and excited.  It made it a little easier with them being a little older because they didn't seem as scared to go.  Of course we were all a little nervous.  I kept wondering if they would cry, if they would like it, etc. 

The morning of we got their stuff all ready, had their first day of school outfits picked out, curled their hair and we were ready to go.  It's a drop off only pre-school, which is nice so when we got there I got them unbuckled and one of the teachers met us out there. Siena burst out crying saying 'Mom walk me in, please walk me in.'  I had already told her I couldn't but as soon as she got out of the car and took hold of the teachers hand and said goodbye I could tell she was already stopping.  Of course I then got a little teary as I drove off. 

I was so anxious to hear how they did and when I picked them up they came out with huge smiles on their faces and talked the whole way home about everything they did.  Their favorite part was the snacks.  Probably cuz I didn't think there would be snacks and had told them this so I think they were so excited they actually got a snack.  They made the cutest little Raccoons to go with the book ' The Kissing Hand' that they read.  It's the cutest story.

That Thursday (their 2nd day of preschool) was their birthday so they had another eventful day as they got to bring treats to share (M&M cookies) and everyone sang to them.  So it's been a great preschool year so far and I'm really liking the school they go to.