Friday, May 04, 2012
On Grounds
A busy, busy spring and a wonderful road trip to Charlottesville, where we got the chance to catch up with Grandma and Grandpa.
Jason's Destination Imagination Team made it to the State Championships and we were happy to pay a visit to my alma mater to cheer him and his team on. The team did not go on from there, but we are so proud of their hard work and all they accomplished. While I enjoyed showing the kids around Grounds, all they wanted to do was run on the grass.
Spring also means many baseball games.
Joshua loves it! It might be a toss up as to whether he enjoys baseball more than the post-game snack. In any case, he enjoys running the bases.
Disney
We had a great time at Disneyworld. It is truly the most magical place on earth, and everywhere we went, people encouraged us to have a "magical" day.
So we did.
Joshua had a blast the entire time, despite some discomfort you'll read about later.
We probably should separate our Disney time, though, to hours spent at the parks and hours spent at the pool. To be honest, it would probably be about equal.
We were lucky to have stayed on Disneyworld property, at Saratoga Springs. It was truly a beautiful place, with fountains and walking trails everywhere. The kids did not care about any of that. They saw the spray parks and the slides and that was all she wrote.
I think we spent every afternoon at the pool (morning time was for the parks), where Jason and Michael were able to frolic in the water. The property had several pools with different kinds of splash parks. They tested everything out and generally made the most of the outdoor areas. Joshua did, too. But, we didn't realize he was probably enjoying the water too much, drinking much of it while he enjoyed the slides and climbing toys.
Joshua is fairly healthy, but he threw up twice and had diarrhea once--the kinds of maladies you keep kids home from school for. But this is Disney. And even he didn't want to miss a minute of it. I just cleaned him up, scrounged up some fresh clothes, and, we went back out! Thank goodness for washing machines and dryers in the rooms. We put them to good use.
We figured Jason and Michael would be a little too old for some of the Disney characters. And we were right. Joshua, well, he may have been too young. Of course, a "menacing" 5-foot-tall Minnie Mouse coming after you with her arms outspread might scare the bejeezus out of anyone. Joshua was no exception. This is not my best photography work, since the sun is in the way. But you can clearly see Joshua trying to get as far away as possible from the creature in the polka dot dress. That was Day One, when we visited Hollywood Studios.
The highlight of Hollywood Studios, and probably the entire trip, was Jason and Michael's admission into the Jedi Training Academy. We had heard from friends this was a must-not-miss event, in gold stars. Agreed. It was worth getting up super early to stand in line. It was worth being bumped from our place in line to get another spot, to stand in line.
As members of Yoda's team in training, they were either going to fight Darth Vadar or Darth Maul. The boys eagerly waited for their chance to show off their skills in front of Darth Maul. Can't you tell? They wielded those light sabers with confidence. You'll be happy to know Darth Maul ran away, beaten back by the power of The Force. The one thing you can't fault Disney for is their production value. The actors were great, they were engaging, funny and the kids have a memory I hope they'll cherish for at least a month. Day two brought us to Animal Kingdom and some really up close and person views of animals. We had a great time there, too. The boys tested their musical skills a bit.
They "drove" around.
And, another highlight, they took a load off, and searched for bones, "buried" underground.
Day three, we ventured into the Magic Kingdom.
Though I'm not sentimental, even I was blown away by Cinderella's Castle. I haven't been to Disney in YEARS and the views take you back to childhood. Speaking of views, Amah, Akong, Joshua and I waited in line for two hours for a glimpse of HER: Rapunzel. Joshua could speak of nothing else when he found out we were heading to Disneyworld. "Tangled" is his favorite movie, hands down, and he is able to sing many of the songs in the film. Plus, if you watch him long enough (and make sure he doesn't see you), he acts out scenes. He has it bad for Rapunzel. But look at this. Joshua usually has a charming little smile and he knows it. But the sight of the princess must have done something to his mouth muscles. We never saw a normal grin from our #3 while we had the opportunity to visit Rapunzel's garden.
Here's where it gets weirder. Jason and Michael also got the chance to step into the enchanted land. And, look, they're smiling. I normally have to pay them to look happy. But, here they are, next to Joshua, who looks like he ate something bad.
No worries, though. Our Disney vacation provided us with some great memories and wonderful pictures.
On Day four, Jason, Michael, Doug and Tim went to visit the Harry Potter world at Universal and Joshua and I had the day to ourselves. We took a turn around the Tomorrowland Speedway and afterward, he turns to me and sighs, "All that driving made me tired." It took us twelve hours door to door to get to Disney, but I would say, although all that driving made us tired, it was well worth the trip.
We figured Jason and Michael would be a little too old for some of the Disney characters. And we were right. Joshua, well, he may have been too young. Of course, a "menacing" 5-foot-tall Minnie Mouse coming after you with her arms outspread might scare the bejeezus out of anyone. Joshua was no exception. This is not my best photography work, since the sun is in the way. But you can clearly see Joshua trying to get as far away as possible from the creature in the polka dot dress. That was Day One, when we visited Hollywood Studios.
The highlight of Hollywood Studios, and probably the entire trip, was Jason and Michael's admission into the Jedi Training Academy. We had heard from friends this was a must-not-miss event, in gold stars. Agreed. It was worth getting up super early to stand in line. It was worth being bumped from our place in line to get another spot, to stand in line.
As members of Yoda's team in training, they were either going to fight Darth Vadar or Darth Maul. The boys eagerly waited for their chance to show off their skills in front of Darth Maul. Can't you tell? They wielded those light sabers with confidence. You'll be happy to know Darth Maul ran away, beaten back by the power of The Force. The one thing you can't fault Disney for is their production value. The actors were great, they were engaging, funny and the kids have a memory I hope they'll cherish for at least a month. Day two brought us to Animal Kingdom and some really up close and person views of animals. We had a great time there, too. The boys tested their musical skills a bit.
They "drove" around.
Day three, we ventured into the Magic Kingdom.
Though I'm not sentimental, even I was blown away by Cinderella's Castle. I haven't been to Disney in YEARS and the views take you back to childhood. Speaking of views, Amah, Akong, Joshua and I waited in line for two hours for a glimpse of HER: Rapunzel. Joshua could speak of nothing else when he found out we were heading to Disneyworld. "Tangled" is his favorite movie, hands down, and he is able to sing many of the songs in the film. Plus, if you watch him long enough (and make sure he doesn't see you), he acts out scenes. He has it bad for Rapunzel. But look at this. Joshua usually has a charming little smile and he knows it. But the sight of the princess must have done something to his mouth muscles. We never saw a normal grin from our #3 while we had the opportunity to visit Rapunzel's garden.
No worries, though. Our Disney vacation provided us with some great memories and wonderful pictures.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Marathon Man
We've been preparing all winter for two races this spring. We spent a good part of two weekends last month at the Oceanfront, so the family could get medals!
The Final Mile took place, and we're happy to say...
And Doug did, too!
He ran his first-ever marathon!!!
We are so proud of him. :)
Jason and Michael crossed the finish line!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Baseball season is here!
Joshua and the girls
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Sweet dreams
I was giving Joshua bedtime kisses and he was lying there, looking at me.
I told him it was my favorite part of my day.
He didn't say anything for a moment and then looked up, with his big brown eyes and said, "Do you know what my favorite part of the day is?"
"What?" I asked.
I thought maybe he would mention our time together, our bedtime routine, our shared books, block building.
"Preschool," he said.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
When I grow up
I just asked Joshua what he wants to be when he grows up.
He looked so concerned for a moment and then said, "Well, when I growed up, I am still going to be Joshua???!!"
Yes, he will be and we can't wait to see it happen.
More to come from our trip to Disney.
Lots of photos to sort through!
He looked so concerned for a moment and then said, "Well, when I growed up, I am still going to be Joshua???!!"
Yes, he will be and we can't wait to see it happen.
More to come from our trip to Disney.
Lots of photos to sort through!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Girls, girls everywhere
That's Joshua's motto and we, at first, thought girls were attracted to his ready smile and his pleasant voice, always raised in song. We thought he was a magnet.
But then we watched him in action.
He is the one who makes the first move.
He'll stand next to a young lady, usually one with long hair. He'll hold their hand, he'll sing to them, he'll talk and smile. They do whatever they can afterward to be next to him, ready to give him hugs, play a game with him or generally coo around him.
I have never seen anything like it.
Today, Joshua read aloud a letter he "wrote."
"Dear Laila,
Please come to my birthday party. You are my friend and I love you."
And so it begins.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Keeping busy
Our dancing boy took some time to entertain us during a family dance at Jason's school.
Oh yes, things are busy at our house. But, we still have the chance to sit back and reflect. Sometimes it's nice to force ourselves to sit still.
I guess Michael likes that, too. The other day he pulled out an old notebook and started writing away. He called it his diary. He even asked me if I was going to check his spelling and punctuation afterward. I told him I wasn't going to do that. It was his private place to write.
Private was the key word. He even wanted to know if I could fashion a lock for it.
He said, "I want to write things down so I can remember later." He's almost seven (!), going on 17, that one.
I imagine he would write about the girl who has offered to pay him so she can sit next to him. It's our neighbor and she is such a great little girl. She offered him TEN dollars for a guaranteed spot. He told us the story and I could tell he was considering taking the deal. I told him absolutely no, but I'm not sure Doug was that emphatic. I think Michael may now wondering what he might be able to do in the future to get that kind of return.
We recently enjoyed a neighbor's night in, by the way. The kids, as you can see, had a blast!
To Joshua, the world is filled with princesses and magic. In fact, he sometimes pretends HE is the princess with blankets he uses for hair. He had the opportunity to attend his first magic show, courtesy of his preschool. There was an in-school field trip and apparently Joshua raised his hand to be one of the magic show volunteers. I haven't been able to get too many details on his day, though. I asked him, "Joshua, how was the magic show?" He simply gave me one word: "Awesome."
Not so awesome is a little pattern I'm seeing with our number three. He seems to make a habit of holding onto his #2s until we have to pay a visit to the doctor. ...sigh. Everybody remembers us afterward.
Lots of new words are popping up in our vocabulary. Quidditch, muggles, Hogwarts, Voldemort. It has been a lot of fun since the kids began reading the Harry Potter books. We started with the audiobooks and now the kids are tackling the written word. It's a bit of a challenge and I get more questions I can't answer than anything else, like "Is Diagon Alley real?" "Does Harry Potter die?" "Why are there so many ghosts at Hogwarts?"
We knew Jason and Michael would get into the story. In fact, the boys each have their own "houses." Jason is Gryffindor, Michael is Ravenclaw, and Joshua is Hufflepuff and Doug and I award and take away points based on their behavior and accomplishments. This was actually not my idea; it was theirs. You better believe I embraced it wholeheartedly. Right now, Joshua is at -10, Michael is at 15 and Jason is at 20.
The baby's reaction to Harry Potter has been the funniest of them all. We started listening to Harry Potter during a long road trip and so Joshua is familiar with the characters even though he really has no idea what is going on. So, the older two will be talking about a scene between Harry, Ron, Hermione or Dumbledore (Dumbledore is very popular, by the way), Joshua will interject with, "And don't forget Snape!"
No matter where the Harry Potter talk leaders, Joshua will squeeze in a Snape reference.
His main squeeze is, of course, Lizzie. We had the chance to visit with her and her brother, Tommy, a few weekends ago. Lots of fun!
Our trip included quite a bit of climbing, too. We're glad the weather cooperated.
And, what a handsome crew. We had a wonderful visit with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Jeanne, Dave, Stacie, Ezekiel and Elijah. Hooray! Happy 2012!
Oh yes, things are busy at our house. But, we still have the chance to sit back and reflect. Sometimes it's nice to force ourselves to sit still.
I guess Michael likes that, too. The other day he pulled out an old notebook and started writing away. He called it his diary. He even asked me if I was going to check his spelling and punctuation afterward. I told him I wasn't going to do that. It was his private place to write.
Private was the key word. He even wanted to know if I could fashion a lock for it.
He said, "I want to write things down so I can remember later." He's almost seven (!), going on 17, that one.
I imagine he would write about the girl who has offered to pay him so she can sit next to him. It's our neighbor and she is such a great little girl. She offered him TEN dollars for a guaranteed spot. He told us the story and I could tell he was considering taking the deal. I told him absolutely no, but I'm not sure Doug was that emphatic. I think Michael may now wondering what he might be able to do in the future to get that kind of return.
We recently enjoyed a neighbor's night in, by the way. The kids, as you can see, had a blast!
To Joshua, the world is filled with princesses and magic. In fact, he sometimes pretends HE is the princess with blankets he uses for hair. He had the opportunity to attend his first magic show, courtesy of his preschool. There was an in-school field trip and apparently Joshua raised his hand to be one of the magic show volunteers. I haven't been able to get too many details on his day, though. I asked him, "Joshua, how was the magic show?" He simply gave me one word: "Awesome."
Not so awesome is a little pattern I'm seeing with our number three. He seems to make a habit of holding onto his #2s until we have to pay a visit to the doctor. ...sigh. Everybody remembers us afterward.
Lots of new words are popping up in our vocabulary. Quidditch, muggles, Hogwarts, Voldemort. It has been a lot of fun since the kids began reading the Harry Potter books. We started with the audiobooks and now the kids are tackling the written word. It's a bit of a challenge and I get more questions I can't answer than anything else, like "Is Diagon Alley real?" "Does Harry Potter die?" "Why are there so many ghosts at Hogwarts?"
We knew Jason and Michael would get into the story. In fact, the boys each have their own "houses." Jason is Gryffindor, Michael is Ravenclaw, and Joshua is Hufflepuff and Doug and I award and take away points based on their behavior and accomplishments. This was actually not my idea; it was theirs. You better believe I embraced it wholeheartedly. Right now, Joshua is at -10, Michael is at 15 and Jason is at 20.
The baby's reaction to Harry Potter has been the funniest of them all. We started listening to Harry Potter during a long road trip and so Joshua is familiar with the characters even though he really has no idea what is going on. So, the older two will be talking about a scene between Harry, Ron, Hermione or Dumbledore (Dumbledore is very popular, by the way), Joshua will interject with, "And don't forget Snape!"
No matter where the Harry Potter talk leaders, Joshua will squeeze in a Snape reference.
His main squeeze is, of course, Lizzie. We had the chance to visit with her and her brother, Tommy, a few weekends ago. Lots of fun!
Our trip included quite a bit of climbing, too. We're glad the weather cooperated.
And, what a handsome crew. We had a wonderful visit with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Jeanne, Dave, Stacie, Ezekiel and Elijah. Hooray! Happy 2012!
Friday, January 06, 2012
"Christmas is over!"
Christmas may be over, but it sure is nice to look back at the great pictures from a really wonderful holiday season. The tree was overflowing with ornaments old and new. The kids truly had a great time making their mark on the tree.
After the presents were unwrapped, we took Tim ice skating. We were really impressed with Michael and his skating prowess.
Even I took a turn away from the wall.
Jason tried to ice skate, but, well, he had a little more success by the side.
I think it is safe to say the boys had a great Christmas.
We did, too.
A lot of the presents the boys received make some sort of sound.
Michael has been enjoying his guitar very much. I think he may enjoy the lessons with Doug even more.
And Joshua is enjoying his Singamajig. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!
Joshua told us one night, "These animals sleep in my bed. Elmo, George, Blankie and Singamajig." He has them with him tonight, so we know he is just fine.
Good night!
After the presents were unwrapped, we took Tim ice skating. We were really impressed with Michael and his skating prowess.
Even I took a turn away from the wall.
Jason tried to ice skate, but, well, he had a little more success by the side.
I think it is safe to say the boys had a great Christmas.
We did, too.
A lot of the presents the boys received make some sort of sound.
Michael has been enjoying his guitar very much. I think he may enjoy the lessons with Doug even more.
And Joshua is enjoying his Singamajig. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!
Joshua told us one night, "These animals sleep in my bed. Elmo, George, Blankie and Singamajig." He has them with him tonight, so we know he is just fine.
Good night!
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