Hot, Crazy Day

The kids were crazy yesterday when the teperatures hit the 80 degree mark. I think they were ready for a change and went with it. I didn't mean to put this picture up sideways, but it wouldn't let me rotate it, so oh well.

Escape to the Beach

This past Saturday and Sunday, the weather was so so so nice, that we couldn't not go to the beach. Kambree walks about the house all day saying "I wan beach" This picture was funny, because Kambree was scared of the sand - sometimes. When she initially walked on it she was fine, and then she would start crying when it got in the shoes - so we took them off. That was worse, because she just sat crying trying to hold her feet up in the air. Eventually she would forget and start to play - but randomly would sit down and remember that she was scared of it. It was funny, yet so annoying too!

A choice moment where she had forgotten about her fear and was having so much fun filling up the bucket with sand.

Dominick and Dad were scoping out the perfect place to build a castle, or at least that is what Aaron thought. Dominick would just rather dig the biggest hole he can - and that is it. He's a digger.

This was a cool volcano that he did build from the pile of sand he had piled up there from the big hole he was digging.

I was teaching Kambree how to look for pretty sea shells and put them in the bucket. I am so excited, because I love to do this, but Dominick was never interested in them. So, now I have my little Kambree to go and collect sea shells with!

Beautiful Day in the City

I was so glad the by Friday the weather had turned nice. This was such a beautiful day, and for some reason everything went smoothly (I should really knock on wood, because that never happens and I really want it to happen again). Anyway, Dominick has been so happy that we got this double stroller and is so sweet to Kambree in it (most of the time). Here, he is sharing his Sponge Bob ice cream with her. It got a bit messy, but well worth it.
After we got home from the museum, Kambree and Dominick still wanted to play outside. Kambree was just taking a break here on the chair while Dominick and I played soccer.
Kambree has become quite attached to really big animals (Elephants, Dinosaurs and this huge Walrus). She liked this one the best because he was sleeping.
My friend Ashley and Dane came with us to the museum and Kambree was so cute with her. She usually never wants to go to other people, but she only wanted to hold Ashley's hand, and crowd onto her lap. She and Dominick love Dane so much it is so funny.

Catch up Time

I have not been able to blog for a while, because last week was spring break for Dominick - which means no break for Mom. When the kids would finally go to bed, that is when I would frantically clean up the house and prepare for the tornado coming in the morning. The week started with a real natural disaster one neighborhood down from us. We had a big "nor-easter" (which I am guessing just means a big storm on the east coast) which brought rains, and of course the floods. It was crazy to watch the river in back of our house. The kids were upset, until it stopped raining and I let them go play outside.
The two of them (mostly Dominick) were so enamoured with the worms. Dominick was really excited about touching them and watching them squirm. He eventually did get brave enough to pick them up, I just don't have those pictures downloaded yet. Kambree was content just to look!

Kambree was thrilled about the flowers coming out to nod at us. Really she was most excited about wearing her rain boots and finding puddles to splash in. It was a real nightmare to get her inside that afternoon, and an even bigger challenge to take her boots off for bed. More than a week later she still wants to wear her rain boots outside and find puddles to splash in.

Here he is - so happy about his discovery.
I wish I would have taken a before picture, but this is not even at it's highest. Those trees are normally not under water, and the water did come up past that little bird bath as well.

The little waterfall is all but gone here, and you can see that the water is already over the top of the island. It rose even more which is so crazy because the river usually flows 4-5 feet below the island.

It's Easter!!!

Unfortunately, this picture was after a grueling morning of mishaps. We woke up early, so we could be on time to church (you know, because it's Easter and all) and ended up leaving the house almost 40 minutes after church started. Oh well, better luck next year! But, loo, how great we all look - and by we I mean those three! I was really bummed, because it is tradition for me to put Dominick in shorts for Easter (even though Aaron thinks he is too old for shorts to church) but our awesome weather (39 degrees for the high) kept me from letting him wear them.
This was a confused little Kambree when she woke up on Easter. She was excited, but still confused!
Dominick and Kambree got this aquadoodle mat, with pens. I think it is the greatest! Mothers out there - there is not mess, seriously. It is only water, and they can both color at the same time.
Dominick was really excited to get into his Easter basket - that is because when he went to the bathroom at 3:00 a.m. he spied, and had to wait another four hours to actually go get his gifts. He was most excited about an ocean book he got. Oh, and just so you know, he really does have "normal" jammies, but after an accident in the night eneded up in my t-shirt.
Kambree had to observe Dominick for a while to even understand what she was supposed to do with her basket.

More Easter Fun

Here she is! I love this dress so much, and was so excited for her to wear it - only she threw one of the biggest fits known to Mothers when putting it on her. Unlike the Halloween costume fiasco, I was not going to give in to her on this one. As you can see, I did get the dress on her, and the hair, shoes and socks to match. It was not pretty at first, but worth it in the end.

After a nice afternoon nap (for everybody) we were able to relax and enjoy eachother's company.

Dominick got stuck in the drum, and thought he was so funny - that is until he really couldn't get out. We were teasing him for a while, and then decided to get him out for dinner.

This was actually last weekend, when Aaron and Dominick made the "veheggles" that Grandma Cowan sent. Dominick had so much fun with Aaron, and they turned out so cute. They lasted for a whole three days, until each one of them were involved in separate fatal crashes :(.

Here they are at their prime, and even now you can see that our fire engine has already had a fender-bender.

"The Greatest Show on Earth"

Sorry, the pictures came up backwards. So, this was after the awesome day that we spent at the Circus. It was not the most beautiful day Manhattan has given us, but thank heaven for rain covers! Kambree and Dominick were not thrilled at first, but eventually saw (and felt) the purpose for it. Aaron took the day off, and took the family to the Circus! He was so nice, and got Dominick a sword, and Kambree an elephant cup - they went crazy.

Mom and Kambree enjoying a moment. I was actually trying not to get Kambree wet from the apple juice that Dominick so generously shared with my lap. It didn't matter, because the show was too cool to worry about it.

This was the finale of the elephant show, and it was so awesome!! Kambree was so so so excited, and so was Dominick. This was such an amazing show, we were never bored.

Kambree and Dominick were not as excited about the clowns as Aaron obviously!

This was the first sword that Aaron got for Dominick. He was so excited the entire time, until the lights came on, and Dominick spotted another sword that he liked better. Aaron, being the greatest Dad ever, actually went and waited for 10 minutes in line to exchange this sword for another one. Dominick was so happy, and has not put it down since (not even for bed).

We had the best day together, and after we got home Dad was even able to come to Dominick's swimming lesson. He was so brave this week and swam (doggie paddled) all by himself. It was an awesome day!!

Lazy Sunday

Conference Sunday finds Dad building forts and reading stories to pass the lazy, cold afternoon waiting for conference. The kids loved it so much!

Dominick's First Swimming Lesson

This is so so exciting!! He has been so excited about swimming lessons for several months. Unfortunately, these are one night a week for half an hour, but it will still help him. You can see here that he is a bit timid, but I think it is because the water is like 40 degrees - you couldn't pay me to get in!

After taking the plunge, he practiced kicking on the kick-board (needs a little help i'll admit)! The teachers, who are high school swimmers, where actually very good with him. I was so impressed and happy to see the personal attention they gave to him and how they helped him to improve so much in 30 minutes. And in case you are wondering - yes, he wants his arm to look like his teachers, and no - not if I can help it!

How cute is he?!!! I was kinda nervous about the head band (which is necessary to keep water out of his ears), but he totally embraced it. He picked it out at the swimming store, and thought he was the coolest kid in the class because of it. He was sure that water got in all of their ears, but not in his! None of the other kids said a word, which was such a relief to me - he is so cute in it!!

Not really sure what that face means, but she was not happy just sitting on the bleachers with me. The people around weren't that happy either with her screaming and the echo in the pool room making it hard to hear themselves think. Oh well, what could I do - I wasn't about to miss Dominick swimming. She will have to just learn to wait her turn.