Last month, when Marc was out of town, we made little video clips to send him. I found this one of Addie & Cooper and thought that although it is long, those who are missing us - especially these little kids - would like it.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Gymnastics
Coleman, Campbell and Addison have been taking gymnastics for the past 6 weeks or so. I've been promising them an activity since we moved here last year but quickly got distracted with getting settled and then being pregnant and preparing for Cooper and then having Cooper and so finally a year later, we got them settled. Coleman had his heart set on karate even though I had hoped for gymnastics as he is so flexible and always flipping over everything. Campbell was set on gymnastics and Addison wanted to try dancing. But after watching Campbell in his trail gymnastics class, Coleman and Addison were begging for their trial class too. It soon became unanimous - gymnastics for all!
Coleman and Campbell are in a boys class for boys age 5-10 and I'm proud to say my little 5 year old can hold his own with some of those 10 year olds! Addison is in a perfect little class with a couple of other 3 year old girls who are just the same size as Addison. I'm very pleased that she follows her teacher and does as she's told, unlike one of the little girls who refuses and is often found just sitting and watching. It is WAY too much money for me to spend for Addison to watch the others. We would be waiting a year, but luckily she is super excited and would follow her teacher to the moon gladly. Coleman has proven to be our little monkey, scurrying up the rope ladder and swinging around on the bars and the rings. I get such a kick out of watching them.
If I ever figure out how to post my videos of them, I will so that you can get a chance to see them in action, in the meantime, here is a picture of Coleman touching his head with his feet. It's kind of blurry, I'll try and get a better one for you Nancy!
Coleman and Campbell are in a boys class for boys age 5-10 and I'm proud to say my little 5 year old can hold his own with some of those 10 year olds! Addison is in a perfect little class with a couple of other 3 year old girls who are just the same size as Addison. I'm very pleased that she follows her teacher and does as she's told, unlike one of the little girls who refuses and is often found just sitting and watching. It is WAY too much money for me to spend for Addison to watch the others. We would be waiting a year, but luckily she is super excited and would follow her teacher to the moon gladly. Coleman has proven to be our little monkey, scurrying up the rope ladder and swinging around on the bars and the rings. I get such a kick out of watching them.
If I ever figure out how to post my videos of them, I will so that you can get a chance to see them in action, in the meantime, here is a picture of Coleman touching his head with his feet. It's kind of blurry, I'll try and get a better one for you Nancy!
Oh, So Thankful
Our little family of six, was able to spend our first Thanksgiving together as just our little family. I admit I was rather disheartened about not being with family in the beginning, but grew quite excited about the prospects of cooking our own Thanksgiving Feast!
The boys had the entire week off of school and I planned several activities to keep us busy for the week. But between errands and gymnastics, our time was quickly eaten up. The kids LOVE their gymnastics and we were able to attend four different days this week! I can't get enough of watching their skill and ability levels improve each week. Coleman is so flexible he can touch his feet to the back of his head while laying on his stomach. Campbell has strengthened his arm muscles to do several of the bar moves that he struggled to do before. Even little Addison is starting to work on her cartwheels.
Marc surprised us on Wednesday with a boating expedition in the afternoon. The weather was glorious as we took the boat out into the gulf. After cruising around, we had a little picnic on the boat and just enjoyed the rocking of the boat and warmth of the sun. Hard to believe that it was the end of November! On our way back home, we came across some dolphins playing in the water. We stopped to watch them, marveling at their bodies jumping completely out of the water. Marc and I were almost as excited as the kids. After a large boat scared them away, we continued on home and came across more dolphins and then more dolphins! It was amazing! One came right directly in front of our boat and kept leaping in front of us. It was incredible how close it was. Coleman commented on how clearly he was able to see the dolphin's belly and the different colors of it's body, how the white shifted into the gray area and then dark gray. It was awesome! It almost felt like you could reach right out and touch it. We were so entranced that we didn't even think about cameras to capture the moment and by the time we did, we didn't get a clear shot and then our battery died. I figure it was just life's way of telling us to stay in the moment.
Thanksgiving day was pretty fun. The kids were all so eager to become chefs for the day. Each of them helped Marc and I with the feast. Marc, of course, was the major chef and created a glorious spread that even our pickiest of eaters was willing to try. After dinner was an enjoyable bike ride through the neighborhood and watching the sunset. While it would have been wonderful to be with our families, it was rather hard to beat this spectacular week of Thanksgiving!
We are so grateful for all the many blessings we have been given. I'm so grateful for a husband who is able to create a home no matter where we are and for four of the most incredible children ever who show such unconditional love to us and who remind us what life here on earth is all about - family. I'm so blessed and grateful they are mine. Grateful to our families back home and scattered about, and grateful for the friends who have become family. We love you all.
The boys had the entire week off of school and I planned several activities to keep us busy for the week. But between errands and gymnastics, our time was quickly eaten up. The kids LOVE their gymnastics and we were able to attend four different days this week! I can't get enough of watching their skill and ability levels improve each week. Coleman is so flexible he can touch his feet to the back of his head while laying on his stomach. Campbell has strengthened his arm muscles to do several of the bar moves that he struggled to do before. Even little Addison is starting to work on her cartwheels.
Marc surprised us on Wednesday with a boating expedition in the afternoon. The weather was glorious as we took the boat out into the gulf. After cruising around, we had a little picnic on the boat and just enjoyed the rocking of the boat and warmth of the sun. Hard to believe that it was the end of November! On our way back home, we came across some dolphins playing in the water. We stopped to watch them, marveling at their bodies jumping completely out of the water. Marc and I were almost as excited as the kids. After a large boat scared them away, we continued on home and came across more dolphins and then more dolphins! It was amazing! One came right directly in front of our boat and kept leaping in front of us. It was incredible how close it was. Coleman commented on how clearly he was able to see the dolphin's belly and the different colors of it's body, how the white shifted into the gray area and then dark gray. It was awesome! It almost felt like you could reach right out and touch it. We were so entranced that we didn't even think about cameras to capture the moment and by the time we did, we didn't get a clear shot and then our battery died. I figure it was just life's way of telling us to stay in the moment.
Thanksgiving day was pretty fun. The kids were all so eager to become chefs for the day. Each of them helped Marc and I with the feast. Marc, of course, was the major chef and created a glorious spread that even our pickiest of eaters was willing to try. After dinner was an enjoyable bike ride through the neighborhood and watching the sunset. While it would have been wonderful to be with our families, it was rather hard to beat this spectacular week of Thanksgiving!
We are so grateful for all the many blessings we have been given. I'm so grateful for a husband who is able to create a home no matter where we are and for four of the most incredible children ever who show such unconditional love to us and who remind us what life here on earth is all about - family. I'm so blessed and grateful they are mine. Grateful to our families back home and scattered about, and grateful for the friends who have become family. We love you all.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Halloween Celebrations
We've been celebrating Halloween for two weeks with Pumpkin Festivals and Trunk or Treats. We traveled down to Sarasota for the famous Hudsader Pumpkin Festival. We were expecting a little farm with pumpkins and such but as we were pulling in being directed by the Sheriff, we felt it was more like Busch Gardens. There were over 500 cars in the parking lot, more food than anyone could hope to consume, circus acts being done everywhere we turned, carnival games, crafts to buy or make, face painting and a full circus performance to end it all. I'm still in the mind set that Halloween should be somewhat cool and crisp, and instead we were sweltering, desperate for shade. The kids loved the carnival games the best, and Addison, unlike her brothers, delights in having her face painted. We should have known as she decorates herself on a near daily basis with markers and stamps. The best part for Marc and I was the circus of have-beens or never-weres. The horse riding acrobatic family was the most interesting. He must be on wife #3 or #4. She was absolutely terrified as they rode around the ring standing on horseback. Her husband, with the leathery skin, and shoulder-length locks kept trying to flip her upside down, but each time he'd say, "Up!" she remained frozen. He even ended up crashing into the audience after losing his balance on the horse.
They had a huge corn maze and then a little hay bale maze for the kids.
This year Coleman chose to be a ninja. Campbell went as a purple dinosaur (2 years in a row), Addison was a jaguar, and Cooper was a cat.
Trick or Treating this year was so fun watching the kids. Cooper fell asleep immediately and enjoyed a soothing ride in the stroller. Coleman ran at full speed from house to house and was thrilled each time someone recognized him as being a ninja. Campbell was anxious to return home to pass out candy and Addison for the first time enjoyed trick or treating. She would be running to catch up to her brothers, who were inevitably already waiting for her at the door, yelling at the top of her lungs, "TRICK OR TREAT!"
After receiving her goodies, she would turn back to Marc and I and shout again, "Look what they gave me!!" And then she'd either holler back to them "Thank You!" as she was running away or "You're Welcome!" She charmed the neighborhood.
And Campbell with his sweet, loving heart, anxiously returned home, put candy in two separate bowls and then offered each bowl to the trick-or-treaters saying, "You can take one from each bowl." If they took two from one bowl, he would just look at them and pointedly say, "You can take one from each bowl." Campbell, Coleman, and Addison lined their little chairs in front of the door and waited for the doorbell to ring for the rest of the night, jumping up and down and squealing with delight each time it did. And when we ran out of candy, I suggested they turn out the light and get ready for bed but Campbell wouldn't hear of it. He emptied his treat bucket into the bowl so that he would have candy to give. I tried to get him to keep the yummy things like chocolate and give the nasty candy, like whoppers. In the end, the only way we could get him to go to bed was to leave a bowl of candy on a chair by the door, in case anyone came after we had gone to bed.
It was a Happy Halloween indeed.
Here is a look at Halloween's past....
The years are going by so fast! We are trying to not just enjoy but truly treasure each moment.
I know there are no pictures of Cooper in costume but trust me - they are coming!
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