Soccer Lessons

We enrolled Jack into "Little Classes" through the Rio Rancho Park & Recs Services.  This summer he'll be doing soccer (which he started today) and golf (because it was the only night time class left so Jimmy could take him).  The class is for 5 weeks 1 day a week.  The objective of the classes is to teach the kids the rules of the sport.  Jack had a blast today.  In fact the coach kept telling him he was doing a beautiful job.  And during their water break, he told Jack that he was #1 in the group at the moment (yes, proud Mama here...).  The park where the lessons are held, are across the street from Intel.  Jimmy was able to see Jack out of a window and watch him for a bit!  Next week Jack will start swimming lessons and will do another soccer lesson.  He'll start his golf lessons in July.  Here are a few pictures from today.  

Visiting Cousins!

The kids and I have just returned from a trip visiting each one of my siblings at their homes along with a stop at my parent's house.  We left Friday the 20th, with the first stop on our trip being Frisco, TX.  It took us 10 hours to get there (and that was with only a 30 minute stop in Amarillo!).  While we were in Frisco, Lucas and Rachel and their crew, and Mom and Dad came for the weekend as well.  And let me tell you, there were times when it got a little loud in that house!  We also had a nice short visit with Mark & Elaine and some McMenamy cousins.  (I never did get my camera out while we were at Rebekah's, but Mom & Bekah did.)

On Monday, we headed down to Houston (with Mom in tow) to spend a few days at Rachel's.  Jack was going to get to go to his first MLB game (Dodgers vs Astros), but 30 minutes before it was time to leave, Grant tripped on the kitchen tile and split his chin open.  So when Rachel & Brent got back from Urgent Care, they took the boys to get some ice cream and a new CARS book.  I think that was just as much fun.  We were also suppose to visit Granny & Grandad while we were down there, but they had to make an unexpected trip out of town, so we took the kids to Galveston for the day.  Jack & Kate can now cross off "seeing all oceans bordering the United States" and Luke just needs see the Pacific Ocean.  The wind was blowing pretty hard that day at the beach.  But the kids had fun nonetheless.  After playing at the beach for a couple of hours, we went to eat lunch, stopped at a gift shop, then headed home.  The kids were asleep before we left Galveston city limits. 

We left Rachel's house on Thursday and drove to Ardmore.  The kids had fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa.  They also thought it was great fun to go visit Grandpa at his office.  (Mom also took some more pictures than I did while we were at their house).

After lunch on Saturday, the kids and I drove up to OKC to Lucas's house.  We enjoyed a visit from our cousin Matt and his girlfriend and her kids that evening.  Then on Sunday, we met up with Grandpa at the OKC zoo.  Although it was windy, it was a lot of fun!  The zoo is completely different than it was the last time I was there.  In fact they have changed so many things that the "old stuff" really sticks out now.  I really enjoyed the "Oklahoma Trails" section of the zoo.  They have animals from each ecosystem found in OK, and the setting of it reminded me of the NW Pacific section at the Portland Zoo. 

Monday morning we were able to meet up with Matt and his crew again and also our cousin Jody and her family for breakfast.  It was a short but fun visit and we're all looking forward to seeing each other in July at the Howard reunion. 

The kids and I are having a somewhat lazy day today.  The kids did excellent with all of the traveling that we did.  And my parents, my brother and my sisters, we're kind enough to watch my kids for me so that I could have a Mommy break and do some shopping and/or let me indulge in some much needed Tex-Mex!!! 

Here are some of the pictures I took this past week. 

My newest "at the ocean with my kids" picture

not too sure about the waves yet

Grant & Jack

At first Jack didn't want to have anything to do with the water.  But then he realized how much fun it actually was, and then I couldn't get him out!

the beach in Galveston we went to

visitng Grandpa at his office

Kate found a plastic tub full of leftover binding strips.  She started calling it her "treasure box, argh matey!"  She then proceeded to take each strip out one at a time, unfold it, tell me what color it was and then throw it in a pile.  She had lots of fun!

the OKC Zoo

Grandpa and Kate watching the grizzly bear eat its breakfast

Jack & Haley watching the black bears "wrestle"

Turner Falls in the "Oklahoma Trails" section of the zoo

the newest member of the zoo, born in mid-April

The kids got to ride a carousel at the mall in Houston with Grandma, but we didn't take any pictures, so here are ones from the carousel they got to ride on at the zoo. 



Kate got to ride a dolphin, she was very excited!

Kate didn't want to have anything to do with the goats!

Jack was somewhat ok with holding the cup of nectar, but did not want the loirkeet to sit on his arm.  Meanwhile, Kate is in my arms watching this and when the bird jumps to my arm, she starts screaming and shaking....yeah, I took her out pretty quickly!

There was a wading river in the children's area at the zoo

That's one tired little zoo girl

Jack's favorite toy at Haley & Charley's, not sure he even noticed it had princesses on it

Luke wanting to figure out how to drive one too

Jimmy's Birthday

Jack & Kate helping Mommy make Daddy's birthday cake

I let the kids decide on the "theme" of the cake; Kate picked pink & black sprinkles and Jack picked out Transformers

the final product (my "34" white chocolate chips didn't turn out so hot..)

We celebrated Jimmy's birthday on Friday the 13th because the kids were too excited to wait until the next day to give Daddy his birthday cake, so here they are helping Jimmy open his present (a Kindle)

Yes, that is black that you see on Luke's mouth.  He found some spilled black sprinkles on the floor!

Painting in the New House

Luke helping Mommy paint the pantry

Justin, Liz and Ryan helped Jimmy unload most of our storage units the day before, so Jack and Kate are helping Daddy with what is left

a "before" look at the media area

an "after" look - the color is seashore fog - I thought it was more gray with a hint of blue (to go with my Oregon coast painting), but it seems to be the other way around....we'll see how we like it.

a "before" shot of the dining area in the kitchen

all of the orange walls have been primed

the "after" look of the kitchen 

the "before" shot of the living room - we have a painter coming out tomorrow to paint this room and the entry way, the stairwell and the playroom

Jack's Children's Day Out Graduation

Jack "graduated" from Children's Day Out last night.  It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when I would take him to the 2 year old room, then I would have to sit in the fellowship hall for a couple of hours because it would take him a while to calm down! 

The kids got to walk down the aisle of the sanctuary one at a time.  Then each class got up and performed a few songs.  Then the director called each child by name and had him/her stand up at the front while she read some questions that he/she had answered earlier in the day.  One question was, What do you want to be when you grow up? and Jack's answer was, "a superhero!". 

And no, I didn't cry....well I got a bit choked up when I started thinking that before I know it,  I'll be watching him graduate from high school! 

getting ready

listening to the director read his answers before receiving his diploma

after the diplomas were given out, both 4 year old classes performed a song (Jack is the third from the left on the bottom row)

Jack's teachers, Ms. Laura and Ms. Michelle

Daddy and Luke having fun with the balloons during the reception

Why We Love Kate!

her choice of jammies.....she refused to take off the skirts and shoes (which she had worn all day) and would not put a shirt on.....

yes, she has all of her princess skirts on again (luckily I got her to put a shirt on!)

yes, that wet spot is drool!