Swim Lessons

Natalya has been playing in the pool by herself while Raquel had swim practice twice a week. After months of playing in the water she has started to get a little too comfortable and is venturing a little too deep. So we decided to put her in swim lessons once a week during Raquel's practice time. She is so excited that someone gets to play with her while in the water and hopefully she will learn a few swimming strokes as well.

2 Teeth!

Marcus has 2 teeth!

Raquel's 5!

Our little girl isn't so little anymore she turned 5 years old this week. Along with getting to pick out donuts for breakfast she got a new bike, lunch at the restaurant with the leaves on the sign (Olive Garden), and Tacos for dinner. She also had a fun Tinkerbell party with her friend!

Raquel trying out her new bike!

This year Raquel wanted a Tinkerbell party. We had fun coming up with things to do and games to play at her party. As the girls arrived they were given a fairy crown to wear and a Tinkerbell coloring page to color while waiting for everyone to arrive. Once everyone arrived the girls made magical bead necklaces or bracelets. It was amazing how focused and quiet everyone was while coloring and beading; you would have thought you had stepped into a library full of students studying for exams. The silence didn't last during out next activity and the true 4 & 5 yr. old girls came out.

We split the kids up into 2 teams, sprinkled them with pixie dust and sent them on a treasure hunt to earn their wings. The clues were everywhere inside and outside the house and up and downstairs, the girls had fun running around figuring out the riddles to each clue. Their prize at the end was their own fairy wings.

For lunch the girls made their own pizzas and ate fresh fruit and flower shaped jello. The girls played outside until everyone was done eating and then it was time for presents. Now I could have let Raquel sit and just open her presents but instead we had everyone hide the present they brought and played hot & cold to try to find them. I remember not enjoying it as a kid but Raquel had lots of fun doing it and I think it broke up the present opening time and gave the present giver a little more to do instead of just sit there.

We ate cake and ice cream, played a few more game and then sent the girls home full of sugar and energy with their parents. Just in case the girls didn't get enough Tinkerbell at the party Raquel gave each girl a goodie bag full of pixie dust (scented sparkly body gel), a balloon, Tinkerbell fruit snacks, stickers, tattoos and party blowers. It was fun planning and preparing for Raquel's Tinkerbell party but it felt good to send all 8 little girls home and be done for another year.

Pin the wand on Tinkerbell game

Pink, Green and Purple fairy decorations.

Raquel's Tinkerbell Birthday cake.

This picture was from the night before the party. Unfortunately the cake began to fall before the party. The kids all thought it still looked cool even though it had a big crack down the middle.

Singing Happy Birthday to the Birthday Girl!

It was a beautiful day for a party!

Playing games outside.

Happy 5th Birthday Raquel!

just a few of the reasons I love you!

1. You are fair. Always looking out for your little sister making sure she gets what you get.
2. You love your dresses, especially the ones Grandma Clinger gives you.
3. You are curious about everything. Always asking questions and wanting to do experiments.
4. Obedient! Whether it's making your bed or eating your dinner you always do what you are told.
5. You take initiative and do things with out being told like cleaning your room, brushing your teeth, helping clear the table or singing/entertaining your little brother when he cries until mom can come and get him.
6. You love art! Raquel always is coloring something and always wants to go out to eat somewhere they have a kid's menu you can color. The very reason she picked Olive Garden as her birthday lunch, because she can color.
7. Athletic! It is amazing to watch Raquel swim and run and swing and just play. She enjoys being active.
8. She knows what she wants and won't be talked into it if she doesn't.
9. She is willing to make new friends. A little girl was added to her preschool class half way through the year and her and Raquel became instant friends. And when I asked Raquel if she was afraid to ride the bus to kindergarten when she didn't know anyone next year she replied, "That's ok, I can make new friends on the bus."
10. You are excited that you are growing up but sad that you are no longer little. Raquel will bring clothes to me that say 4T and tell me that she can no longer wear them because she is now 5. But then the day after Raquel turned 5 she told Mike that she missed being 4 and all the things she could do when she was 4.

Riding Lessons!

Raquel has loved horses since she was a little girl. She is still my little girl but now that she is almost 5 years old she can now start taking lessons. Today was her first lesson and was a sunny but chilly day but that didn't stop Raquel from being super excited about riding a horse. Dad even got off work to come watch her ride. Dad plus Horses equals pure joy for Raquel. If only we could throw in a little water too she would really be in heaven!

Getting ready to ride!

Raquel got to help brush and saddle the horse before riding.

Half a Year

Marcus turned 6 months old today!

He is our smiley boy. Marcus is getting better at sitting and rolling over and loves to eat! I haven't found anything he won't eat, besides the baby food beef and rice which I tried myself and I don't blame him for not wanting to eat. For his half birthday we made him a Blues Clues Cake. The cake turned out really cute, but unfortunately Marcus is too little so didn't get to eat any, rest of us enjoyed it for him. Marcus had his 6 month doctors visit yesterday and he is doing great. He is growing normally and they weren't able to hear his heart murmur anymore. We love our baby brother!

At 6 Months Marcus:

Smiles & Laughs

Sits

Rolls around the floor

scoots backward

Sometimes sleeps through the night

Height: 26 inches (25-50%)

Weight: 17 lbs 10.5 oz (50-75%)

Head: 16 3/4 inches

Marcus' 6 months birthday cake.

Stroke School Swim Meet

I'm so proud of my little girl Raquel! She participated in her first swim meet tonight and swam so well. I'm proud that she had the courage to try something new even though she was a bit scared. She is the youngest swimmer at 4 yrs. old and did her best and kept up with the other kids. Being her first meet she wasn't too sure what to do at first. She is use to swimming at practice and didn't know that she had to touch the side of the pool to stop the clock or to start swimming at the sound of the horn, but she sure had fun. It was cute watching her skipping and prancing around the pool deck and playing with the other kids. Raquel had fun swimming but I think she enjoyed the goodie bag that they got at the end even more.

Getting ready to swim.

Raquel swam the 25 yard Freestyle, 25 yard Backstroke

and the 25 yard Freestyle Kick

Raquel and one of the swim coaches (Michelle Sudweeks)

Raquel with her goodie bag after the meet.

B week

Raquel is starting kindergarten in the fall and to help her get ready we decided to go through the alphabet helping her learn to write all her letters, both upper and lower case and learn the sounds of all the letters. This week we are on the letter Bb.

We spent the week having fun doing things that start with the letter B. Raquel got her Birthday pictures, the girls got balloons, we visited a bakery and made a Blues Clues Cake. Mike must have been feeling left out because he decided to join in the Bb fun and get rid of Natalya's blanket. I don't know if it was fun for Natalya but it's amazing how much her behavior improved and her finger sucking stopped immediately without the blanket.

It doesn't start with Bb but we also went to the Science museum in Roanoke this week. The girls had fun playing and learning about light, electricity, & sound.

Baby Brother that starts with Bb.

Enjoying the beautiful day with our balloons eating out treats from the bakery.

Blue's Clues cake for Marcus' 6 month Birthday.