Looks Like I'll Be Recleaning

Drats, foiled again. My 2 bathrooms upstairs were bright and shiny and germ free...and then Jaelyn and Caden had "intestinal issues" this evening. They both need a good disinfecting (the bathrooms, not the kids, well, maybe them too) because I sure don't want those issues. At least Mt. Neverest have been conquered...until tomorrow when it'll start to grow again. I did manage to get the sink emptied, but it seems to have filled itself back up when I turned my back. Naughty sink.

Sandi - It's really 3 1/2. Craziness. Two upstairs with the bedrooms, a 1/2 bath off the living room on the main floor and a full bath in the basement. For now, the basement bathroom is locked. I'll clean it before we have guests again. Who knows when that'll be :p.

Butterfly and Bushes - Before and After

I'm having just as much fun editing my photos as taking them. We had a beautiful Monarch Butterfly on our butterfly bush this morning.

Before

After
Before
After (This is by far my favorite effect I've played with so far)

Cleaning Day

I've been trying to get my house cleaned for days. I just can't seem to find the motivation. It took 2 days to vacuum. I did get the sheets changed on the beds 2 days ago, and I have half of them washed. I've cleaned 2 bathrooms today, still have 2 more to go. My dishes seem to be multiplying by themselves in the sink and I don't even want to talk about Mt. Neverest in the laundry room. If anyone sees a cleaning fairy, would you send her my way???

And You Thought I Was Done Talking About It

Swim lesson testing was today. Everyone passed to the next level and...they had originally cancelled the next session because of lack of interest. They needed 10 kids. We had 9 interested today. The parent decision was to all call the swim director and beg. Apparently, one of the parents (a full bird) one upped us and called the swim director's boss. That's how you get things done on a military base. We'll be starting back bright and early on Monday morning :p.

And because I know you are waiting for it, may I present the forward roll, the belly flop, and the dive (along with a few other things).

Layers of Summer

(black eyed susans, hydrangea, butterfly bush, hibiscus)

It's not often that we live in a house long enough for me to watch the teeny tiny plants I love to nurture grow into beautiful mature plants.

33 Visitors

Wow - I had 33 visitors yesterday. I think that's an all time high. Who are you? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Jaelyn the Diver

In June, I wrote that Jaelyn refused to take swim lessons. She had a huge fear of getting her face wet and absolutely refused to go under water. She would cling to me in 3 feet of water. She would jump to me, but only if I caught her way up out of the water. Well...today, Jaelyn DOVE into the pool off the diving board in the 12 foot deep end and then swam doggy style and under water to the ladder with me no where near her! It was a pretty good one handed dive too (she's still holding her nose SOME of the time). She's gone from refusing to let me float her on her back and being so tense and stressed when I made her with her head way up in the air to asking me to float her and laying back like it's the easiest thing in the world to do. She learned how to do a front roll underwater today and can swim down to retrieve rings. Wow! I am so impressed! It's unbelievable. I thought I only had 2 fish, but I think Jaelyn has sprouted her fins and gills. No video from today since I was in the water, but tomorrow is the last day of swim lessons so I'll get proof of her diving and rolling abilities!

Summer Days - Bike Riding

We seem to have 2 main activities this summer: swimming and playing around the kids' school. There's a nice flat circle to ride bikes and a playgrond when they get tired.

We took Allie's training wheels off her bike in April. It's been a slow learning process, unlike Jaelyn's that took all of 2 hours. She's mastered the balance, is intermediate at steering and stopping, and is finally learning how to start by herself. I see bike rides in my future where I get to ride my bike beside them. After church on Sunday, we hit the playground for some fun.

Could he get any cuter? I don't think so...and I know, I know, I'm a tad bit biased.
I love this picture of Jaelyn. She is a beautiful little girl with her rosy red cheeks. She's growing her bangs and I absolutely can't wait till she can tuck them behind her ears. She has such a pretty face. It's a shame for those shaggy bangs to hide it.

Little Miss Attitude at 6....I cannot imagine 16. As much as her free spirit drives me nuts, it's one of my favorite qualities about her.

Here's a short video clip I shot mainly of Allie riding her bike.

it's not working

testing testing testing

Scoliosis Check

We went back to the orthopedist to check Allie's scoliosis today. She looked so cute running around the hospital's new loony toons kids' gowns. Her curve continues to be 15% which is really good. We will go to 9 months for our next appointment and then follow-up every year from there to reduce her exposure to radiation (xrays). Our biggest time to watch will be when she hits puberty.

Gluttony

Abandoned

I must admit that I took this picture yesterday, but I loved it so I'm posting it today. Maybe I'll find a second something to snap today as well. It didn't turn out as well as I wanted. I loved their bikes abandoned on the sidewalk in a pile...traded in for the swings. I sharpened the bikes and blurred everything else just a tad in photoshop - I'm determined to find my camera's manual so I can learn to fine tune the focus w/ the camera. I'm happy with the finished product, though.

Are You Tired of My Swimming Posts?

Last week, we started back to swim lessons. We missed the first week because of VBS. Erin, the swim director, was going to let me pay for half the classes. Instead, when we saw her on Monday, she said to not worry about paying her because Dan's deployed. You can take 1 class free through child and youth services. Outdoor Rec doesn't fall under that umbrella, but they are honoring the intent of the policy. So not only are we taking 2 more weeks of swimming, we are taking them free! I love free.

I think technically, Jaelyn should have started with Caden in Level 2. She wanted to be in Level 1 so I let her. I've learned the hard way it's better to let Jaelyn do things in her own time than push her when she's not ready. She's done really well. She started out being totally tense on her back. She'd sink as soon as I let go. She is now floating for a few seconds when I let go. She is doing cannonballs into the shallow end and has learned to do a front crawl all by herself.

Caden loves Miss Josie in Level 2, but he misses Mr. Lee. We love Mr. Lee. I keep teasing Caden that he's going to grow gills and fins if he doesn't watch out. His eyes will get real big and he'll say "really?" He's swimming like a little fish. Everyone is impressed with his 4 1/2 year old self.

Allie is continuing to progress. She can swim across the deep end without hesitation. She's learning a little bit more complicated strokes and learning to dive. That's a little scary for her and me. She is such a free spirit. I have horrible visions of diving into the shallow end. She hasn't quite gotten over her fear of going in head first and after lessons are over, I don't think I'll be encouraging her to practice.

Here's the video collection from last week. It's probably kind of boring to most, but it's mainly for Daddy to watch! You might want to turn your volume down because the other moms chattering is kind of loud and annoying - and I forgot to do it in movie maker.

2 short Video Clips of Jaelyn I forgot to include in the other one (cannonball and front crawl)...

In An Attempt to Catch Up

We have been busy. I've stayed kind of caught up, but I know I've missed out on blogging a few things. After Jennifer's family left, we had a week of VBS (or PBS as Jaelyn calls it) at the Crock Dock at Christ Our King (Caden's preschool). That was so much fun. I helped out 2 days. The kids are now rocking out in the car to their songs. They know the words and motions. We look for God sighting. The biggest, kind of funny, thing is Caden's description of Jesus on the cross. Apparently during Bible Study, they emphasized how bloody it was when they nailed him to the cross. He kept describing the blood to me. He seemed to be quite impressed that Jesus bled so badly. Caden can also now finish the story with the empty tomb. They learned a lot.
Last week, the day of my peach cobbler obsession, we also went blueberry picking with friends. It was hot, but great fun. I now have 3 lbs of blueberries for all kinds of yummy treats. So far, we've added them to cereal and waffles. I think the kids ate as many as they picked. It reminded of the children's book Blueberries for Sal. Berry picking is going on my list of activities. Next year, strawberry picking is going to be a must.

Creative Pedicures

All in a Morning's Work - 7 Whole Dollars

I am having so much fun with http://www.picnik.com/. Thanks for sharing the link, Traci!

My Late Night Indulgence

Our peaches have ripened. The other day, I got out our 6 foot ladder and went to work on picking. Allie was a great helper taking the peaches and putting them in her bowl. Then she "decorated" them with shasta daisy petals...such the little artist. Later that night I was hungry and wanted a treat. I don't know what got into me, but I found myself peeling and slicing peaches at 8 o'clock. By 9:30, I had peach cobbler in the oven baking. Here's the recipe I used. It was super simple and delicious.

Fresh Peach Cobbler submitted by Carolyn on Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200
degrees C).

To Make Peach Filling: In a large saucepan combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Stir in peaches and lemon juice, tossing until peaches are evenly coated.

Cook filling over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Pour mixture into an ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Keep mixture hot in oven while you make topping.

To Make Topping: In a medium bowl combine flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly, then cut in shortening until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add milk and stir until mixture is evenly moistened.

Remove peach filling from oven and drop dough onto peaches in 6 equal-size spoonfuls.

Return cobbler to oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

I read the reviews and people suggested doubling the topping and added a touch of cinnamon to it. I used half of my peaches and froze half so the topping was perfect for the amount of peaches.

It was awesome, if I do say so myself. There's just something about cooking with food I've grown. I think I might be turning a little crunchy. :p

365 Photos of our Circus

Some of my friends from Hannah's Prayer have jumped on the Project 365 bandwagon. You should technically start January 1st, but, well, you know how it goes. I'm joining them and have set up a new blog for my pictures. I am in no way a photographer. I have a basic camera that has the capability to to grow as I grow. I'm going to try to use this opportunity to capture a snapshot of the essence of some part of everyday and expand my photography skills at the same time. I do not promise to post a photo everyday for the next year, but I'm going to try. There's also a link in the top right sidebar.

The Circus 365

Our Morning Sequence

Watching the Clouds Roll In