Summer swimming

June has been so hot!  We have been anxious to get in as much water time as possible this summer!
First stop - Hilliard Station splash pad.  These pictures are actually from May (also a very hot month!).  As you can see, I did get Laney her own suit so she doesn't have to wear her brother's.

Laney wasn't so sure about the fountains. She didn't mind them when they were small, but they would unexpectedly start shooting high again, which she definitely did not like. I think the fact that they changed was the hardest part for her.

Laney decided the best way to play in the fountain was to drink it. She was in for a bad surprise when it started shooting up higher again!

Our first trip to the pool! I learned an important lesson on this trip - Laney needs a floatie.  I had taken all three kids to the pool last summer by myself, and didn't really have any issues.  Eliana could swim fairly well, while Will hung out in the baby pool, and Laney was not mobile yet and let me hold her.  This summer, however, Will and Laney both want to go in the deep pool!  And silly Laney has no fear of the water (I don't think she has a very strong survival instinct. She tried to drown several times and that did not deter her one bit).  Unfortunately, the puddle jumpers that I own are too big for her.  I will need to invest in an infant life vest so we can venture back to the pool again.  I've never had a baby like the water so much!

Swim Lessons
Eliana and Will both took a week of swim lessons. I actually signed Will up for the same level as last year because he had been so scared and had such a hard time.  But this year after a couple of lessons, the swim instructor said that he was swimming so well, she thought he should move up to level 2.  They actually let us switch mid week, which was great because then he and Eliana had lessons at the same time.  

Eliana showing off her loose tooth while waiting for Will's lesson to be done.

William swimming. So proud of how far he has come!

Eliana swimming (although she looks like she is sinking in this picture...). By the end of the week, Eliana could swim from one end of the lap pool to the other without stopping!! She is like a little fish now!

Playdough

Always a favorite, and fun to make too! Will especially likes to make rattlesnake families (with a mother, a father, a big sister, a brother, and a baby) with his playdough.

Father's Day

For Father's Day this year, David unfortunately had to work at noon through the evening. So we planned him a special Father's Day breakfast. He got his two favorite things - donuts and Subway! The kids and I let him sleep in while we drove off to collect all of his favorite foods.  When we returned, it was a "Breakfast in Bed" ambush!

While breakfast in bed might be nice in theory, it can be difficult to eat when you have three kids jumping in your bed. So David opted to actually eat his meal at the kitchen table.

Unfortunately as a summer holiday, David did not get the many handprint gifts like I did that the kids made in school.  But we did give him a subscription to the monthly magazine The Magnificat, which David was quite happy about. Happy Father's Day to one amazing Dad!

The Count

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Will attended Zoo Kids preschool zoo camp last month. On the last day of zoo camp, the kids attended the show Surfin' Safari, which featured many many rescue animals doing tricks plus several exotic zoo animals like kangaroos and emus.  During the show, animals like cats, dogs, and birds would go from one point on stage to another, like having cats climb a ladder to enter a door at the top of the stage. After the show, the animal visitor for zoo camp was The Count, a retired show cat.  He was very friendly and allowed 15 preschoolers to pet him all at once.  As part of the announcements after camp, the instructor let us know that Count was actually up for adoption since he was "retired." David and I have talked a long time about getting a pet (Eliana has wanted one so bad), but we had agreed to wait for another year or two.  However, after hearing about The Count, I was just drawn to him.  He sounded so friendly, was already well trained, and the zoo was giving him away for free to a good home.  So I broke my own promise and we got a cat on June 5th, a year and a half before our agreed on timeline!  It also happened to be mine and David's 8th anniversary, and we decided that was our present to each other. 

It's not often that you go to the zoo and leave with a pet!  This reminds me of the story "Dear Zoo" by Rod Campbell.  In the children's book, a boy writes to the zoo and asks for a pet.  The zoo then sends him many pets like an elephant or a camel or a lion, which don't work for obvious reasons, and all have to be sent back.  The last pet the zoo sends is a dog, which was the perfect pet.  So now when I read the book, I end it by saying, the zoo sent us a cat named The Count, and we kept him because he was perfect. (Also check out "How do Dinosaurs Choose Their Pets" by Jane Yolan - funny in light of our zoo pet).

Count has adjusted well to our family. He has not been shy at all, and only hid for about a day before he seemed to make himself right at home.  Eliana does great with him and has been a big help in feeding and caring for him.  Will pets him nicely for a while, but then seems to get a little mischievous and will push him or pull his tail.  Getting a little too excited, Laney doesn't know what to do with Count.  She is completely in love with him and squeals with joy, but she is pretty rough.  She mostly pets by hitting, so we are trying to go slow with Laney and give poor Count lots of breaks.  Hopefully she will grow used to him and learn from her big sister better ways to interact with your pet.  My favorite time with Count is in the evenings after the kids go to bed.  Count will come upstairs and sleep on the couch next to me as I fold laundry and watch TV.  I find it so comforting to have him there beside me, sweetly sleeping. I'm glad I broke my own rule and got a pet early. He's just what our family needed.

Pretty Kitty