Swimming!

So proud of Lilly. She's really swimming well and has earned her "bands" that permit her access to the main lap pool and diving well/board.  I love that the kids at the pool spent a couple summers playing in the 3ft where they could reach and then basically teaching themselves to swim.  It's been so neat watching their progress summer after summer.

To earn a low band the kids have to swim one continuous lap of freestyle and tread water for one minute.  For the high band they have to swim two continuous laps of freestyle and tread water for two minutes.  I never even considered Lilly would earn her bands this summer but her friends were earning them and she went for it.  Funny thing is, I missed her earning each band!  It was probably for the best as I would have been anxious that she'd be unsuccessful and therefore disappointed. 

She earned her low band last week with my friend Kristen and she earned her high band (total surprise!!) this weekend with Andy.  We're so proud of you Lilly!

Andy even captured the moment the lifeguard (a former student of mine!) handed her her high band.  What a proud look sweet Lilly girl.  We love you.

4th of July

This year I wasn't sure how we'd juggle 4th of July festivities.  I have grown a lot this year as far as letting go of the ideal image I hold in my head.  I like to do things as a family and we have had to split and conquer a lot this last year.  I keep reminding myself that it's only temporary.

On Saturday night we went to an annual 4th of July party at a neighbor's house.  I only stayed an hour, then headed home to put the boys to bed.  Andy stayed a couple more hours with the girls.
 

My babes.

Ella dancing at the party with glow bracelets on.

Sparklers at our house after the party.

On the actual 4th, I was served breakfast in bed!  I later noticed a text from Andy with this picture saying, "Come and get it" but I didn't see the message and I'm glad I didn't since it was delivered to me and Gabe in bed, lol.  I wish I was sleeping in but I wasn't. 

Gabe and I were hanging out together.

Andy took Lilly to the pool for the 4th of July festivities while I took the other three to Target.  Ella wanted a slushie and popcorn.

 Andy was kind enough to send me many pictures from his phone, documenting the day.  I was sad to miss the activities but have learned that with four small kids we have to divide and conquer.  The littles needed to nap and I actually got some very rare alone time.  Lilly waited in line to throw water balloons at lifeguards.

 She also did the cake walk!

 My favorite 4th activity is the penny dive.  This is Lilly's last year in the baby pool.  Next year she'll have to get the coins from the 3 ft.

 Pie eating contest!  Lilly and Lindsay gearing up...

 Playing ping pong with "the read headed boys" as Lilly calls them.  Our friends the Longos.

 Lilly won a pool/toy bucket raffle!

Around 4 p.m. I met Lilly and Andy at the pool with the other three and we had dinner and enjoyed time swimming with friends.  In the evening we met up with the red headed boys and family for fireworks.  Jackie and Thomas hung at our house with the sleeping boys so Andy and I could take the girls together.  

I decided on a spot about a mile away from the actual fireworks location.  Andy wasn't happy with me because he wanted the girls to have the real fireworks experience with mobs of people and traffic to boot.  I wasn't interested so we settled on the lawn of a CVS!! Ha!!  It was fine and Ella saw her first fireworks.

Goofball self-portrait.  Andy acting enthralled.

Bike

I have a new bike!!!  

The day after I posted about my new pink bike, I exchanged it for my new powder blue bike with a basket.  Woo hoo!  I have never loved the color pink (on me) but I was prepared to settle as I loved the bike.  After talking to Andy and hearing the cost of the bike, I decided it would be silly to settle and I took the pink bike back and picked out the blue one.  I also picked up a basket which I love.  I love the whole thing.  I ride it all the time.  Lilly and I love our nighttime bike rides.  I don't have to hunch over and I can take a leisure stroll on my beach cruiser.  

I even pretend I'm at the beach.

A real live riding picture.  Ha.

Did I mention I don't let anyone touch my bike?  It's kept safely in the garage and I check on it periodically.

*Yes, Ella is potty trained but had diarrhea tonight so I put her in a diaper (her brothers' diaper!).  She still asked to take it off to use the potty.  My sweet girl.

Swim Season

Lilly had her first swim meet last night.  Since she is still on the training squad she does 1 lap with a kick board.  She did a great job!  She has been sick and was not feeling like herself but she begged me to go.  Waiting for her race...

 Andy hurt his ankle and was getting it checked out (he's alright!) so I walked over with all the kids.  The boys are soooo good.  I cannot believe how good they are.  They hung in their stroller the whole time and ate pretzels.

 Ella is also so easy.  She hung right beside me without saying a word.  Give the child a soft pretzel and she's happy.

 Preparing to race!  Woo hoo!

 Best buds after their swim.

I was thinking back to last summer.  It was such a hot summer and I was oh so pregnant with the twins.  I had so much physical discomfort and anxiety about what was to come.  It is a year later and I am feeling so much better.  The boys are here and terrific, our family is great, and I feel more like myself physically (not there yet!).  I looked back over the pictures from Lilly's first swim meet last year and enjoyed reminiscing about those days.  So much has changed in a year!

I tried to put on a happy face.

I never thought I'd share this picture with a living breathing soul but it gives me the physical perspective that I need right now.  Holy hugeness.  I was so upset when I realized Andy snapped this picture last year at Lilly's first meet.  The boys were wearing me down!!!  It was so hot and look at those ankles!

Omg.

Laid Back

Ella and Gabe enjoyed the boys' baby pool on the deck one day.  These two are a lot alike.  They're mellow and like to play with toys.  They both pay attention to detail and are not the most physical kids (though Gabe has gained a lot of strength!).  It has been so hot and I had great intentions of putting the boys in this little pool at our swim club.  

I woke up ambitious one day last week and decided to take all four kids to the pool on my own (first attempt).  I packed lunches, towels, and toys.  I was there about 15 minutes before realizing it was a huge FAIL.  I ended up going home shortly thereafter.  Ends up the boys like to climb out of the little pool and crawl to the edge of the big pool.  Ella likes the baby pool.  Lilly likes the big pool.  I only have 2 arms.  My boobs were sweating.  Enough said.

For now we will stay on our deck.

 Ella bell has come into the twos.  I am hesitant to call them the 'terrible twos' since Lilly christened us with a few crazy tough years but Ella is definitely working on expressing herself.  She is still super sweet, funny, and has become very independent.  She is also completely potty trained (if you consider 30 minute pooping sessions with me singing to the poop to come swim in the potty while she releases one small poop at a time, normal).

 Ella loves her Barbie dolls.  She's great at playing in general but loves to play with Barbies.  She's a super easy kid.

Class of 2011

I am so behind on blogging!  The boys are now 11 months, Ella is potty trained, I no longer have my pink bike ...

Those things will have to wait for we have a graduation to celebrate!  Johnny boy graduated from high school.  We love Johnny boy so much.  I wasn't sure he knew just how much so I made some shirts.

We had a great time at his party.  I made a video of his life and after we showed it I wanted to make sure he liked it and wasn't embarrassed.  He said it was great and it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as the shirts.

Success.

Poor Lilly came down with a virus during the party and slept on some chairs we pushed together.  She was so excited about the party and then ended up missing it.  Poor kid.  She's still sick with a fever and headache but we're hoping it is on its way out.

Lilly Swimming!

Lilly is doing a great job swimming!  This was taken today.