Let's go swimming!

There's a swimming pool here at the ranch. It's over next to the house and patio where the hunters stay. Mario, the ranch hand, told us it was ready, so we headed right over to check it out. We brought some drinks, music and pool noodles and spent all afternoon there. The kids never tire of swimming. Lexa dived for rings for the first time. (She begged me for some at the store.) she was too scared to dive for them at her swim lessons. Once I told her she didn't have to try to let herself just sink down to the bottom for them, but actually swim down to them, she had no more problems, and she dived for them many , many times.

Lexa also said she's loves to float because  "it's just so peaceful."

A package from Granddad

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The kids got a package today, chalk board globes and a big box of chalk for each of them, from Granddad. 

Will had Patrick draw his face and Will's face. Then Will added legs. He's finally more interested in drawing a little bit lately.

Lexa drew rings of different zones around hers: lava, rock and water.

Timmy made his into a fantasy world inspired by one of Patrick's games. It included an "ethereal island." He continued it into some big banner paper with his chalk as well.

It'll be fun to take some of the chalk to the park and draw on the pavements there. I'll keep some stashed in the car I think for impromptu sidewalk art. :)

I think there was a world map in the box too. Will really loves maps. He keeps walking around with it, pointing at places and saying, "Where's dat?" And then, "Otay, we go to Trussia?"

Timmy also started listing off places he wants to go: Washington again, South America!, California, Madagascar, Arkansas, Utah I think maybe he said?, Greenland, Australia!, Canada, and China, but then he said we'd probably need to learn Chinese first. He said he wants to go places without big cities, like Mt Rainier Park was.

Swim lessons

The kids just finished their swim lessons for the summer. Timmy and Lexa finished up last week, and Will kept going for a 2nd week since he was a complete beginner. Timmy and Lexa loved it. Timmy and Lexa worked on their breathing and taking breaths and improved his underwater swimming and floating. Timmy enjoyed diving for rings, but Lexa was still scared to. She was excited to be swimming around in the deep end. Their teacher said Lexa did amazing and Timmy did great too, although he came into it thinking he could do more than he really could do well. I feel better about them being better swimmers now. They all can't wait to go to Grandmom and Granddad's and show off what they learned in their pool.

Will was so scared of the water. It was like trying to wash his hair. (screaming and tears.) He didn't want to go back again because he didn't want to put his head under water. The teacher was really good with him though and would let him start out just sitting with his feet in the water, helping to throw the diving rings out, then she'd hold him a little while, and by the end of the lesson he'd be doing everything right along with everyone else. During his second week of lessons he'd start talking himself up before the lesson telling me he didn't think he'd have to go underwater this time. But he did it! By the end of the lessons I was so impressed. He came so far from where he started, swimming underwater and floating. (which he also hated with a passion.)

Lexa loved watching Will at his lessons, and cheering him on. She would run and tell me every time he tried swimming underwater, so excited and proud of him.

Here's the video clips I took of him on his last day.

River Summer

I'm looking forward to spending so much time at the rivers with the kids this summer.

 For the longest time we didn't realize that this Sabinal River crossing was literally 1 mile down the road from our house. We just never had a reason to drive south instead of north.

There's usually not much water there, but after all the rain and storms of the past week it was deep and moving fast!

 Hugh and Will in the shallows

 Patrick piggybacked each of the kids across some deeper faster water to a little rock island where they played in the water in the shade.

An interesting plant Timmy gave me while I held Hugh and watched them play

My view of the most adorable little feet in my lap

Lexa enjoyed banging these two rocks together

My Boys

I never would have guessed I'd be a mom to three boys one day. Three boys. Three wild and rambunctious, mischievious and silly, busy and super active, boisterous and funny, and so very sweet boys! I think I've got some loud, often tumultous, always bustling, and mostly FUN years to look forward to  as they grow up together in this crazy, loving house of ours.

Timmy and Hugh

Hugh thinks books are best for chewing.
Timmy thinks Hugh is amusing. He sometimes wants to carry him around and off to his room. Hugh can't go in Timmy's room because it's full of legos. Legos are everywhere...

Water Balloon Fight!

 Timmy wanted to have a water balloon fight. I found these balloon left over from the last birthday party. Lexa was hoping she wouldn't get wet. Ha! She and Will kept staying up on the "safe" porch, so I helped them out to get Timmy. Afterwards Will and Lexa were really helpful running around the yard gathering the broken balloons. I told Will it was a game like picking up Easter eggs. Then we left the bowl of broken balloons on the patio and the winds picked up ahead of the storm coming and blew them back all over the yard..

River Rock Painting

 I tried to take the kids to a rock painting activity at Garner State Park, but we didn't make it there in time, so we brought some rocks home and painted them ourselves.

Why did I put a towel down again?  These tempura paints wipe up really quick and easy with a wet towel though, just hopefully they won't get their painted rocks wet because they'll wash off easy too!

Clean Up Crew

 They got tiny Styrofoam balls ALL over the kitchen so I made them clean it up. Will started it in the corner, but Timmy really took off with it.

Timmy has learned to use the vacuum cleaner. He tends to miss  a lot though. I should definitely  give him some more practice!

Lexa was sweet, helping sweep up even though she didn't take part in the Styrofoam pandomoneum free for all that had just taken place.

Succulent Pot

Timmy helped my plant some succulents. He's putting some rocks around them. Watch out for the cactus!

Dear Tooth Fairy

Timmy is apparently making requests to the tooth fairy. I found this note under his pillow. (As usual at our house, the tooth fairy forgot to come last night.)

Big and Little

Timmy and Hugh find each other amusing.  That seems to be their general take on one another lately.

We're going to the zoo zoo zoo

Timmy said the komodo dragon was his favorite animal at the zoo.

Will loved holding and looking at the map.

Will wanted to brush all the animals.

Will decorated the turtle statue with chalk. If you look closely, you can see Timmy sitting behind a tree behind him. Timmy liked that tree. He stayed there for a while.