The Pool is Open!

It's been about 90 degrees here lately so there has been a lot of swimming going on for the kids. I still haven't jumped it but they are loving it! Colt has no fear and jumps off of anything, the side, the high rocks on the water fall, and loves when Eric throws him really high and far! The girls are loving swimming all over the pool with their new flippers. They are so confident with them and love to play together. Now there are always baby dolphins in the water instead of puppies! Ellie loves the water and  will really enjoy it this summer when she really gets in there. Right now she is stuck on the sun bench until it gets warm enough for me to jump in.

First watermelon of the season!

Ellie watching from outside the gate, wondering what is going on in there!

Eric loves to com home and swim with the kids. And they love it just as much!

Poppy's Wig

After seeing this picture:

Rachel: Who is this?

Me: You don't know who this is?

Rachel: No.

Me: Come on, you know who this is, we just saw them.

Rachel: Who is it?

Me: It's Grammy and Poppy!

Rachel: Is Poppy wearing a wig?

After a good laugh, I explained about how men lose their hair when they get older, etc.

She continued to say that Grammy's eyes were different too.

Sorry mom and dad! You still look the same to me! Love you!

Celebrate 8!

On April 19th we had our 8th wedding anniversary! I was in New York with the kids and Eric as at home in Texas. Sent me beautiful flowers which were an awesome and sweet surprise! I love you Eric! This year has been one of our bests. I hope it just keeps getting better!

The nice guy that he is, he flew back to New York to come and pick us up. When he got there we got to go out to a delicious dinner at a nice steak house we hadn't been to before. Yum! Then we got to escape to a hotel for the night, alone! Thanks mom and dad for keeping the whole crew for us! It was so nice just to have some time alone and not have to worry about being back or how it was going or best of all, not having to wake up early! Happy Anniversary! Thank you for all you do for me and the kids. You really keep me sane and happy! I love you!

The Artist and Angel Within

I love kids drawings and now I have lots of them! Neither of the girls used to like to draw pictures for me and now Olivia's artistic side has emerged and I am so thrilled! We have pictures taped all over the counter top ledges and it makes me so happy to see them each day! Livy loves to draw now and is very good at having lots of detail in her pictures. Her favorite thing to add is eye lashes, that is how you tell if it is a girl. Thank you Livy for filling our home with your beautiful pictures. They are so sweet, just like you!

My kids seem to rotate through this "easy" cycle. I usually have one who is so good for a few months, not causing many problems, agreeable, easy going, helpful, etc. Then they someone else gets in that mode and they switch out of it to regular kid mode. Rachel and Livy seem to swap back and forth between this role when I struggle with one and the other is a breeze. Luckily it is usually not a struggle with both of them at the same time! Right now Livy is in this good stage. She is thriving now and is just what I need. She helps me, is patient with me, independent, happy all the time, sweet, loving, kind, forgiving, takes the older sister role, and has an unconditional love for her siblings and just wants them to be happy. She is always helping with Ellie and loves to take care of her. She connects with Colt like no one else. She helps me when he is not listening to me and making me crazy with crying and screaming. She knows just how to get through to him and distract him so he can be happy again. She is one step ahead of me that way and I am so amazed with the things she thinks of in those situations. And Rachel is her other half. She does anything for her. She seriously is my little angel right now. I love you Livy, thank you for being my angel these past few months when I have really needed it!

I love that face! She is usually biting her nails, hair or shirt so I love to see a smile with nothing in it!

She is still a jumping bean and jumps all over the place. She is loving swimming and doing great at it. The other day she was with me on the computer and Colt started crying. She asked me "did you want a baby boy?" To which I answered yes. Then she said "You just didn't want a bad one, right?" Haha! She had me cracking up because she is serious when she says these things! I love the way you talk about stuff just how it really is!

More Fabulous Puerto Rico

Here is more of our trip to Puerto Rico. It was awesome. I miss it as I am looking back at all these pictures. Here we go....

Josh helping Charlie with his Italian homework!

Katie in puzzle mode....

poor Michelle with homework too....

Rich and I finishing the puzzle at 3 am, Eric crashed two minutes before this!

Out to eat for my birthday,

 

Erin brought a cake for me from home so Eric was trying to stall me while they got it ready, very sneaky!

Mom's singing fingers!

Happy 30th to me!

Thanks Erin for planning it! Yummy cake and a hysterical night of mafia!

We played mafia that night and we all had such a fun time. So much laughing and lying going on. You feel like you can't trust anyone when this game is over!

I love Michelle trying to make her case here....

I don't know how she used to win at poker all the time because look at that face, it doesn't seem too convincing to me!!

And forget it, I'm the worst liar of all.

Surf was not too good for the boys, but good for us because we got to see them more.

 

Rich and Erin rented paddle boards that we all tried at Jobos one day. It was fun but "challenging" for me.

Eric had enough of the sun.

Erin

Cutest pregnant lady! And that cute pregnant lady was up on the paddle board, and did a headstand on the paddle board! I have to get that picture from them!

Erin and I. See I was up, honest, it is me!

Charlie and Michelle

Dad found a buddy there on the beach. A dog that looked exactly like Izzy came running up and laid with him! Pretty funny.

Rich and Erin tandem, a lot harder than it looks!

There she is. Upright, but even that and pregnant I'm impressed! Their little lady will be here in a few weeks and I can't wait! Yay!