Dance Class

Natalya is taking a fairy tale dance class.  This week they acted out Aladdin. They learn little dance moves, get to dress up in a princess costume and read a book.  I like it because it is not all about getting the dance moves right and she can wear whatever she likes to class (no leotard or ballet shoes required) and Natalya really seems to like it.

Our little princess Jasmine

Haircut

I thought we were done with the haircutting but I guess not.  Natalya came down stairs this morning and her bangs looked a little different.  We have been growing them out and they had just reached a length that we could sweep them to the side without any clips. I asked if she had cut them and she said she didn't.  I knew that they had been cut and so I asked again and this time she told me she didn't cut them she asked Raquel to do it.  So I asked Raquel and she said she cut Natalya's bangs.  I asked why she would do such a thing when she knew it was wrong and her reply, "Because Natalya asked me."  I guess I should be somewhat happy that Raquel did it because she left enough of them long that it shouldn't be too painful of a process to grow them back out.   

Natalya with her new haircut

Showing off her bangs

Dress-up

 Marcus wanted to dress up with his sisters.

Princess Marcus

Snow White
Marcus & Raquel 

Eye up the Nose

Natalya learned a valuable lesson, Don't put things up your nose.  She came upstairs from the basement complaining that her nose hurt.  I asked her if she had put a bead up her nose since the girls were cleaning up beads that had spilled on the floor.  She said that she didn't have a bead up her nose and she was telling the truth. A little bead would have felt a whole lot better than the big googly eye she did have up there.  Luckily dad got home early from work and was able to take it out.  She was pretty up set and it really hurt her but I think she learned her lesson to never put anything up your nose.

Natalya showing off the eye taken out of her  nose

Marcus unfortunately didn't learn the same lesson and put a bead up his nose a few weeks later.

Raquel's ankle

Raquel has been limping for the past month and we were afraid maybe she had fractured her ankle.  We got an x-ray but it didn't show anything.  After a fun night with some friends she could hardly walk and so Mike put her on bed rest.  For an active 6 year old it was almost like torture.  She had to miss 2 weeks of camps she was signed up for and get carried around the house because we didn't want her to put any pressure on it.  She quickly got bored of watching movies and she was sad about missing her camps so we came up with a family camp and planned lots of fun activities to do during the week.  These were some of our favorite activities. We tie dyed shirts, played in the pool on the deck, made and ate cinnamon rolls and had fun with glow sticks.  

Natalya working on her shirt

Raquel tie dying her shirt

Playing in the pool

Eating cinnamon rolls

Playing with glow sticks in the tub

2 months

Erik turned 2 month.  He has become such a happy little guy.  He now sleeps through the night which makes me a happy mom.  He loves the attention he gets from his brother and sisters and likes to talk to me while I get him dressed and change his diaper.  He is happy and healthy!

Weight: 12 lbs 0.5 oz

Height: 23.5 inches

Head 14.75 inches

Father's Day!

We had a relaxing father's day, it almost felt like it should have been mother's day the way Mike helped out around the house and taking care of the kids.  He is a great dad and loves playing and hanging out with his kids.  He is always telling them stories, taking them swimming & to the park, making cookies and playing games with them. 

Unfortunately my contribution to Father's day lunch ended up looking like long pieces of charcoal.  Besides the over done hot dogs we had a good day.

Blueberries

Natalya & I went blueberry picking together this year.  Because of the warm weather the blueberries were really early this year.  Raquel wasn't able to come with us because of her hurt ankle and so she stayed home with Dad and the boys.  Natalya helped pick 4 gallons of blueberries taking only a little rest to sit in the shade and play on my iPhone.  She only ate a few blueberries while picking but all I could hear from her on the way home was smacking lips.  She had her own personal bowl of blueberries that she ate the whole way home.

Resting in the the blueberry patch

Picking lots of blueberries

Enjoying a few berries.

Super Size!

The kids and I took a trip up to Roanoke to Sam's club.  We spent time shopping, eating samples and having lunch.  

Marcus taking a drink. Do you think it is big enough?

Raquel & Marcus at lunch

Birthday Weekend

We celebrated Mike's birthday and had fun hanging out as a family all weekend long.  The kids helped make a cake for Mike and we took it to his office to share.  Some friends came over for a birthday dinner and the kids had fun riding bikes and playing outside.  We also went hiking at Pandapas Pond  and feed the ducks.  

Marcus wearing a bike helmet while taking a break from mowing.

Marcus loves his little brother Erik

Hiking to Pandapas Pond

Starting our hike to the pond

Marcus helping feed the geese

Raquel feeding the ducks

Flour

Lesson learned never leave a 1 1/2 year old alone with a open 5 gallon bucket of flour.  Marcus had a great time coating the kitchen and himself with flour.  He didn't like it when I took him on the back deck and gave him a quick shower and I didn't like the 2 hours it took me to clean up the mess.

Broken Arm

We were invited over to our friends house for a Memorial day BBQ.  The kids brought their swimming suits and enjoyed sliding down the homemade super slip n slide.  It was so big that 6 little girls could sit next to each other and slide down the hill in the back yard.  The girls really had a fun time until Raquel got hurt.  Raquel could still more her arm and fingers and so we waited it out to see if it still hurt in the morning.  The next day it still was painful so Raquel headed to the doctor.  The doctor evaluated her arm and thought it wasn't broken but ordered an x-ray anyway.  The kids and I headed to the hospital to x-ray Raquel's arm.  Well it ended up being fractured and Raquel gets to wear a brace on her arm for the next 2 to 4 weeks.  Raquel sure is a stoic.  She has had a smile on her face the whole time.

Raquel showing off her new arm brace and hospital band.

BBQ's

Family friends invited us over for a memorial day weekend BBQ.  Mike and Raquel rode their bikes to and from our friends house.  While there we ate yummy food and the kids had fun playing and climbing trees.

Raquel starting to climb

Raquel up a tree

Taking a rest on her way home

Aviation Days

The VT airport put on Aviation days. Mike and I took the kids to see all the planes.  It was a hot day and Marcus was scared of all the noise so we didn't stay too long.  We enjoyed seeing all the small planes and sitting in a few.

Last of Kindergarten

Raquel finished up kindergarten this week and it was a fun filled week of food and playing.  Monday Natalya, Marcus, Erik and I had a picnic lunch with Raquel at her school with all the kindergarten kids and their parents.  Natalya & Marcus felt like they were big kids too hanging out with all the kindergarteners.  The kids had fun running around and eating popsicles and playing.

Marcus, Raquel and Natalya having lunch

Marcus & our friend Gracie

Jackson and Marcus

Wednesday was field day and Raquel's last class party. We had an ice cream sundae party and the kids got to run around and play outside.

Nora, Raquel and Natalya

Emily (Gavin's little sister), Grace, Nora, Natalya & Raquel acting goofy.

Raquel and her teacher Mrs. Brooke

Gavin, Natalya, Mrs. Brooke and Raquel

After another day filled with a pizza party and ice cream Raquel finally had her last day of kindergarten.  She sure will miss her friends and wonderful kindergarten teacher Mrs. Brooke.

Raquel on her last day of school

Natalya wanted her picture taken too.

Marcus saw his sisters getting their picture
 taken and wanted one too.