Left and Right

Austin has finally been riding his bike that he got for Christmas. It's a bike that I can push behind to help him because he isn't strong enough to push the pedals and go up hills, but because he has control over the steering giving directions was hard, but after 1 week Austin now knows his left and right. When I am pushing him I give him direction by saying go left, go right now straight. I was pretty impressed that he picked it up. He now says things like no this way is right (pointing to the right).

what a nice day

The kids are loving the nice weather as well as Joe Pa

baton competition #2

3rd place metal

Marching

In competition

Getting ready

On Sunday Valerie had her 2nd baton competition, it was the first one I had the pleasure of attending it was an experience. Luckily for me it didn't last as long as the other one, we got there about 11a and she was done around 3p. We told her dinner of her choice, which was Applebee's. She placed 3rd in one competition. I think she got upset with herself because on the way home she said her head hurt, but she still wanted to go then when we got there her stomach was upset, she didn't eat a thing, but on the way out of the parking lot she got sick came home and slept for hours. When she got up she felt fine. Next one is May 9th.

Water balloons

Being good kids and picking up the balloons

classic Valerie reaction

It didn't take long before he cought on

Today was so nice 86 and sunny in the afternoon anyway, that the kids decided to get out the water balloons Austin got in his Easter basket. It was Austins first time with water balloons so Valerie had to show him the ropes. After the water balloons I went inside and looked out about 5mins later and they had gotten out the hose and were having a blast with the hose, they ended up soaked from the hose Joe Pa got in on the action as well I don't think he enjoyed it as much as the kids though.

pizza nights

The finished product

Each in front of their pizza

Just getting started

On Friday nights we like to do pizza, instead of buying pizza the kids get to make them. They each get a pizza and can pick the toppings. Austin chooses peperoni and mushrooms. Valerie chooses peperoni and bacon. They have fun and enjoy eating the pizza. Austin let me put olives on a few, then he ended up eating them all.

DRESS UP

We all know that Valerie is excited to have a baby sister to dress up...I guess she got impatient and tried with Austin. Just wait until Austin realizes what she did...pay backs!!

Savannah's room

Tape all down crib in place

Valerie hard at work she did 3 strips

Austin painting with mommy, he did the bottom of 3 strips as well

We started to put together Baby Savannah's room this week, everyone was a big help. Both Austin and Valerie helped paint, Daddy had to sand a wall due to the previous people painting over wall paper past, what a mess it took 3 days. I still need to make bedding and curtains and Daddy needs to change the outlets and replace the light.

1st curve game of the season

Pap, Austin, and Valerie

Steamer the mascot, he loves and was excited to see

Valerie before she found her friends

Saturday was beautiful we took the kids to their first Curve game of the season. I'm sad to say Valerie is getting to the age where parents are not cool, she left us shortly after we got there to spend time with her friends (and their parents) I was only able to get one picture of her. Everyone had a good time.

Hide and seek

Valerie hiding

Austin hiding in the same spot

excited he found her

Valerie has taught Austin how to play hide and seek, he loves it unfortunately he screams like a girl every time she pops out. When it is his turn we help hide his eyes and count to 20 which is helping him count past 10, he also jumps out from his spot as soon as she says "ready or not here I come" he hasn't quite got the point of the game. Here are some pictures of them playing.

Circus

Hard to see monkey

Dogs

Monkey

Baby Elephant

Last night Kathy/Granny (Rob's mom) took the kids to the circus here in town. The kids had a good time and talked about all the animals they saw. Valerie got to ride an elephant while Austin refused. Valerie tried to take pictures for us to post but she said she started to, then forgot later on. It was one of Austin's latest nights they got home around 1015p. He was very tired today, but it was worth it. Thank you Granny...

porcupine

While Valerie was getting ready for school last week she noticed we had a little visitor in the back yard and took some pictures. Its a little hard to see but its a porcupine, Rob and I did see it later that week climbing the tree in the back yard.

potty update

So it has been 1 week since Austin decided that he didn't want to wear diapers at all. And it has been 1 week without any night time accidents, he wakes up dry every morning and dry after each nap. Now during the day is a different story, he is still having accidents when he is really focused on something. And he doesn't like being asked if he has to go potty. But we are afraid he is not ready to tell us so we ask and have to listen to the famous "I don't want" to line (Which he says for just about everything) then watch as he stands at the potty and goes.

Happy Easter

Aunt Mel and Austin putting away the eggs after several egg hunts!!
An egg at Pap's house
Here he is excited that he found the last egg at our house.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!! This was the first Easter that Austin got really excited about finding eggs. Unfortunately Valerie was not around to share Easter with us she was visiting her grandparents and Dad. She just got back today and said she had a really good time. She must have been exhausted because she fell asleep 15mins. into the ride home.

Here are some pictures of Austin finding eggs. He enjoyed it so much we had several egg hunts, at our house, Pap's house and inside at Pap's house, many times at Pap's house. Aunt Mel and Uncle Bubba were here as well.

Easter eggs

All the wonderful sayings they came up with

Isn't she cute!

Working hard

After we were done everyone is pretty clean

Tonight we colored Easter eggs since Valerie will be off on a trip to she her dad and grandparents tomorrow. Everyone had a good time and it was much cleaner than I anticipated. Rob enjoyed writing comments about himself and others on the eggs, Austin liked dipping them and Valerie just wanted to make sure everyone got to color eggs making sure nobody took more than their share.

Bowling

The great bowlers Austin and daddy
Carrying the ball all by him self
His first roll
Rob has the week off and Austin has been asking to go bowling ever since he went a couple weeks ago with Ben, Benjamin and Poppy. So we took him on Tuesday, they didn't have the ramp to roll the ball down so he had to do it on his own. He had a really good time and daddy enjoyed trying to teach him. They even had little shoes for his feet!

adventures in potty land

We have been potty training Austin for what seems like forever (maybe 1 1/2-2 months). We can't use pull ups because he treats them like diapers and just pees in them so we are stuck using regular underwear so when he has an accident it gets pretty messy. Accidents have been getting less mostly when he is occupied by some activity. We noticed he has woken up from nap time and bed time, so we thought we would try to acknowledge this, so we told him if he wakes up without peeing in his diaper than he can pee in colors. We put food coloring in the potty most of the times it is blue so he can see the color change to green. Believe it or not it has worked so much so that to our dislike Austin woke up screaming at about 630am (he usually gets up anytime from 8-840) saying "I have to pee on potty". I ran upstairs and there he was diaper at the other end of the room dry, bed dry ready to pee in the potty. Although it is taken longer than we expected we are or should say Austin is making progress.

Socks to sleep

So everyone in the family has a sock fetish I guess?? It started with Rob, he takes his socks off were ever he has fallen asleep, most of the time in bed (f I work 3rd then he sleeps upstairs and that's where I find them) and I usually have a pile on his side of the bed, I got so angry that I stopped picking them up and started pushing them under the bed figuring that he wouldn't have clean socks, go looking for them and be just as frustrated by the socks. Then a couple weeks ago I was in Valerie's room and when I looked up (loft bed) I found several socks in between the mattress and rails clearly taken off after she has fallen asleep. And do you believe Rob had the nerve to make fun of her for it?? I'm sure if the bed was closer to the floor I would have found them on the floor. Then today at nap time when Austin woke up, he was asking for another one?? I didn't understand until he lifted up his pillow and I found a stash of socks under his pillow?? And get this he asks for socks before he goes to sleep. I don't understand this sock thing since I must have socks on at all times... This really puzzles me.

Valerie's report card

Valerie just got her 3rd mp report card and we are very proud of her. As everyone knows this year has been especially difficult for her (academically not socially of course). But this mp she brought just about all her grades up and only one slipped but it was only by one point. So the nights of 2hr homework are paying off. She got 5 A's and 2 B's. I'm not sure who is more excited about 4th grade ending Valerie or me. Go Valerie almost there!!