Dr Seuss

Once a month Benjamin and Hannah get a package in the mail. It's their book club from Scholastic. They get 2 books that are usually a good level of reading for them to sit through. They get a bunch from Dr Seuss but also from other authors. Today they got Snug Bug House and Six Sticks. They want to rip open the package when they see it in the mailbox and sit down to read the books as soon as it is opened! It is so exciting for them because it is for them!

excited...

Benjamin and Hannah are getting ready for a little brother or sister coming in October. We talk about it every day. They love to feel my tummy and have to baby kick their hands. They get tickled when it happens. Today Benjamin came up to me and said "I'm so excited!" and I didn't know what he was talking about so I asked hime why. He said, "I'm so excited for the baby to come!" I was so happy because it shows me that he is really thinking about the baby and connecting how he feels about it. They both will be a great brother and sister to the baby.

New pool...

Today we had to get a new pool for the back yard. It has been so hot here lately and the last pool popped. This new pool is so much bigger than the one we last had and the kids can really move around in it. It takes longer to fill but in the end they get in a splash around for a long time! They jumped in, dove in and swam around today. Of course this was all in the nude. They don't like to wear swim diapers or suits... I guess they're just natural babes! They had so much fun!!

Dogs...

When their cousin Marissa comes over to play and play she introduces many new games and things to do to our kids. They love having her over (as we do) and love to play her games because she is older she has more experiences. Today she came over and they pretended to be dogs. They crawled all over the place and barked and climbed around the house and back yard. They had so much fun. After Marissa left, Benjamin and Hannah continued to be dogs. They took apart the couch and pulled the beds apart...because I guess that's what dogs do (according to them)!

Ben's hammer...

Benjamin always seems to have a hammer in his hand. If it isn't an actual hammer it is something that he can use as a hammer. He bangs all over the house, the walls, the windows, the couch, the floor, the table, Hannah, the bed...anywhere! He would love a real hammer but we are afraid that he might seriously break something if he did! Come to think of it it isn't just hammers that he loves...it is tools (shovels, scoops, drills...)!!

Hannah's barrettes...

Hannah has to choose her barrettes every day. She loves to pick them out and have us put lots of them into her hair. She has a nice collection of barrettes; some clip and others snap together. She has plastic crayons, clips and metal ones that fold her hair in and...well you get the picture. She won't let us just put one in (which would be fine) but she wants all of them (which is fine too). She goes around to everyone and shows off her hair barrettes. Such a little girl!

Playdate...

With Connor and Aidan! We went over to their house today and Emily (their Mom) filled up the pool. Connors parents built a playhouse/castle in their back yard and the kids got to explore it! They loved it! There is a slide and a rock wall and a lookout point. There were wooden swords and rifles to play aroun with too. They jumped and splashed around in the pool and had sooo much fun!! We were treated to lunch and then we went home.

Father's Day...

Today is Father's Day and we had such a fun time! We went out to breakfast with Grandpa and Myrlene. The kids really love to see them. We don't see them very often but when we do the kids warm up to them pretty fast and aren't shy. We played around the house with Corey. Tonight we went to dinner with GranDad and my family. We went to a restaurant in La Jolla and the kids got stir crazy. They started to run around and cut crayons with knives. It wasn't a very relaxing time for us but they had fun. Today was also Uncle JP's birthday! So it was just a big party day for everyone!

Del Mar Fair...

We went to the Del Mar Fair today. We haven't been since the kids were born. It was quite fun! We went to see the farm animals first and then we went to watch Marissa dance in her folk dance. It was great! Then we went over to the carnival area for the younger kids and they got to do a few of the rides. They were so tired when we got home. But it was really fun and I think that they will remember it the next time we go!

Pooh video...

We bought the Heffalump movie today and the kids are glued to the TV. They love it! I sit with them and comment on it for them to understand the story a little better. There are a few scary parts but they don't seem to be affected by them. I'm sure this will be like the Little Bear videos and there will be some re-enactment soon.

Soccer...

Benjamin started to take soccer lessons today. He seems to like it. There are 4 or 5 other boys and a couple of girls in the group, so it's a nice little group of kids. There are 2 coaches who seem to know about teaching younger kids. Today they did some warming up and then some relays. They ran from one end of the field to the next and back again. He is just learning the basics and then at the end they have a 'game'. It should be a good experience for him.

dirt...

Well we finished the raised bed for our little seedlings but the kids LOVE to play in the dirt! They think it is a big sandbox to play in. I do have to remind them to be careful and not get any in their faces/mouths/eyes... They love to dig and toss the dirt to the side like we do with our shovels. I hope they don't get into it too much when the veggies are in it!

Little Bear...

The kids love to get the Little Bear videos at the library. They will watch them every day (if allowed) and re-enact the scenes for several weeks afterwards. They are the same scenes over and over that they re-enact. There are at least 10 videos available but they always choose the scenes that are acted out.

raised bed...

Today we have been building a raised bed for our little seedlings! They are growing soooo fast that they will need somewhere to go soon! Benjamin loves to build things especially when it comes to hammers and nails or screws and drills! We were busy getting it all together and the kids were helping to put it together too. They love to have the big box...they can use their shovels and it is OK to do that there. We need the soil tilled anyway so they might as well help with it!

This afternoon we are going to the nursery to get a truckload of topsoil to put in the big box!

(they like to work without shoes...such little workers!!)

YMCA...

We went over to the YMCA today to sign Benjamin up for soccer lessons. He was so excited to get to do something with other kids his age! After signing him up we went over and looked at the soccer field. This will be good for Benjamin because he will be in the lesson all by himself and he'll have to listen to the coach (not to us!)...kind of like a pre-cursor to school! Hannah was very interested in the field and soccer lessons too. She knows that she isn't old enough this year but that next year she will have lessons too!

seeds are growing...

The seeds are growing already! They are poking their little leaves out of the soil and reaching for the sky! Benjamin and Hannah are so excited! I don't know if they realize what this means...but they sure are excited about doing it! Since they are growing so fast we are going to have to have a place to put them!!!!

Here is a picture of the seedlings growing!

planting seeds...

Today we planted lots of vegetable seeds. Benjamin and Hannah got to put the soil into the tiny pots and then we waited for Daddy to come home from work to help us put the seeds in. They were so excited to do it! They were jumping around! Some of the seeds are only supposed to be 1/2 inch into the soil and others are put in an inch so we had to measure and poke holes into the dirt and put the seeds in carefully so that we didn't miss the hole! They loved doing it...now to watch them grow!!