Swimming Lessons

This year we opted for a low budget swimming lessons, the boys are both in the same class at the public pool in Virginia City.  The class is an hour and has about 15 kids and 3 teachers.   I can't honestly say they are learning how to swim but they do have a lot of fun.  

Reno Rafting Fun

Brianna turned 16 in June and we wanted to do something fun. Since nobody could make up their mind on what, where or when it turned out to be a last minute adventure. Susan came to town and brought her raft so we decided to take it down the Truckee. We started at Mayberry park and ended in downtown Reno. Here are a few pictures!

4th of July

This year for the 4th of July we decided to visit the parade in Virginia City. We had a blast and wanted to share a few pictures.

Waiting for the parade to start with the streamers they made at Darcy's house.  They had so much fun with the streamers!

Tyler excited to watch his first parade!  And on the right was one of my favorite floats (however not exactly a float?)

 Dominik and Elijah enjoying their first parade.

Riding in Cars with Boys 3

Today my little Elijah earned a treat for using the potty.  We had some ring pops in the stash from a birthday party we attended a few weeks ago (thanks Monica), so I gave each boy a ring pop.  Elijah sucked on it for a few minutes then said with a very sad voice "It's not working, not working."  That's what he used to say when he would chew up his paci's and he would no longer get a good suck out of them.  I tried to explain to him that a sucker is just for licking, and it's not a paci: however every 2 minutes or so he pulls it out of his mouth, holds it up and says "My paci not working mommy."

Riding in Cars with Boys 2

Yesterday, while dad was watching the boys, Dominik found a brown marker and drew all over Elijah.  Elijah had spots from his hair to his toes, including his clothes!  When I questioned the boys about what happened, Dominik said he made Elijah into a puppy.  This morning when I got the boys up I put Elijah in the shower and washed off the spots the best I could.  When Dominik saw Elijah he said "Mom, his spots are disappearing! Elijah is turning back into a kid!"

Here is one from a few weeks ago:

Dominik: "Mom, Jesus made everything, he made the trees, and the cars and the sky!  He made me!  He put my head on and put my bones in!"
Mom:  "Yes he did and he did a good job!"
Dominik: "But Santa, he just brings presents."

Riding in Cars with Boys 1

I've had the best form of entertainment lately, listening to the silly things my kids say.   Most of the time our best conversations are in the car.  I'd thought I would start to share the fun with everyone.

Today Dominik put Mickey Mouse stickers on his knee's and elbows came running in the kitchen and said "Mommy I'm like a princess!"  I said, "you what??"  "I'm a princess superman."  He then continued to run around the house asking everyone "What's your problem?" so he could save you.  After about 30 minutes or so he came back to the stickers and covered his body in them, came back into the kitchen and said "Mommy, I'm a car!" once again I said "What?" As he put his final goofy sticker on his forehead he said "See Mom, I'm a car just like Lightning McQueen!"   How did I not see it??

Blogging

I have spent the last few hours reading a blog of someone I don't know. This person has written everything they think and feel...and it's exactly the same as what I think and feel. I would like to write that but I feel as if I have to screen everything to not offend the "sensitive" people who know me, find my blog and get all upset about it. I think I want to start a blog with a fake name and find some fake friends who can get to know the real me...that's just sounds really wierd (it's also probably how people get crazy addicted to their "fake" internet lives).

I want to get more into blogging but I usually just end up posting pictures and cheery things to make everyone so happy.  I've been debating if I should "lock" down my blog so only who I want can read it, to help me be able to be more open with the ones I want to be, on the flip side when you ask to join and don't get accecpted I'll have to deal with you then.

As I'm typing this all I can think about is what everyone is going to think and say about it.  Who is going to think I'm talking about them and how my life dosen't live up to their standards...is it really their standards or is it what I think they expect of me??  I just want to be more honest but for some reason I feel like I can't.  I can't tell people how great things are, because things might not be so great for them.  I can't tell people how bad things are because then I'm just complaining.

So when you get invited to a strange blog....it's really me and you are my new fake friend.  When you don't get invited it wasn't you...I probably never got around to making it anyways.  Oh and BTW my husband has a fake FaceBook with a fake name...so I can have a fake blog!

Fun at the Park

Susan and her kids have been in town this week so we took the kids on a few playdates.   We spent a day at Jump Man Jump but my camera batteries died.  We also spent a day at the park.  Here are a few park pictures.

Ashland Part 2

While in Ashland we also visited Lithia park to give the kids some time to run around. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the park and Grandpa's house.

Blaine playing on the playground.

Dominik with the creek

Blaine on the Bridge.

Family picture with the creek.

Kids playing in Lithia water, even got dad to drink some.

Family picture at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Dominik on the bench that sat by the pool for so many years.

Science Works in Ashland

We visisted Ashland Oregon recently and spent a day at the Science Works museum.  The kids had a blast! Our favorite room was the bubble room where they got to make a mess.  Dominik asks almost everyday if we can go back to the "bubble house."  I hope you enjoy our favorite pictures.

Burney Falls

Our family stopped for lunch at Burney Falls on Thursday and took a short hike. The kids needed to get out of the car and stretch their legs. It's the first time I remember going there and being the only ones around. It was a little chilly but we had a blast. Enjoy the pictures.

Snow!

We recently had some snow in town and the boys had a blast plowing the driveway.  Elijah refused to wear his gloves so after 30+ minutes James brought him inside.  He spent the next few hours laying on the ground by the door crying to go back outside. 

Disneyland!

We went to Disneyland a few weeks ago and had a blast.  We met up with a family we know from church who also have 3 kids ages 3 and under.  We were lucky enough to also have grandma Kathy join us to stay at the room with the kiddo's during nap.  It rained most of our trip so we are limited on the pictures. Hope you enjoy!

3 Day Potty Training

Believe it or not the 3 day potty training thing works.  I am the biggest skeptic of things you buy online and I never follow the rules completely so I was sure it wouldn't work for me.  Today is day 3 for my 2 boys, Dominik (almost 3) who is sorta potty trained and Elijah (20 months) who never has even sat on a potty.  Dominik had no accidents yesterday and Elijah had 2 but 1 was my fault.  He kept pulling at my leg and saying "oo, oo"  I thought it was "Choo, choo" so I had taken him downstairs to play at the train table...it had only taken me a few minutes to realize he was actually saying "poo, poo." The best part about this is my boys aren't really into the little potty so I don't have to clean it out all the time.  Email me if you want the PDF I used for help.

Blaine's Room

 Joey bought a new house a few months back and my mom and helped him paint and fix it up. I've been to chicken to do anything to my house so I practiced on his. Here are the results of his baby Blaine's room, I hope you enjoy it.