Kids Camera

Our girls always want to take pictures with our digital camera. I am thinking that this Christmas I need to get a real camera for them (so they don't break ours). The question is, should I get two so I don't have to deal with any fighting? Reili actually takes really good pictures. She seems to center them really well most of the time. (Tom often adds the caveat that they are better than the ones I take.) Amberly...well that is another story. We get some really interesting pictures on the camera when she is taking them. (The ones shown below are ones not taken of things at her height...we erased all the ones of the kitchen cabinets). Here is a sample of some of their work.

Reili's:





Amberly's:

Fun in the Sun

This weekend we had some much needed family fun. Friday night we went to a birthday party for our neighbor's daughter, Teagan Springer. They had it at the place where Teagan takes horse riding lessons, so all the little girls got to ride the horses. We went as a family because I couldn't leave Wesley home for that long (he doesn't take a bottle). That afternoon it was really raining so the party was moved to inside. Even so it was so much fun for the girls, especially Reili. Amberly wouldn't ride the horses or anything connected to the horses. In fact, picture shows the closest we could get her to a horse. We all enjoyed the party and the hot dogs and cupcakes.
Saturday we went with a few friends from church to St. Joe's state park. The guys had fun dirt biking in the heat (too bad I didn't get any pictures of them, I had to watch the kids), while the ladies chatted and watched the kids play in the sand and swim. The kids really wore themselves out (and we were worn out too). It is as close to a "beach" as you can get here in this land locked state and the girls had so much fun swimming and playing. Wesley had fun sleeping and also managed to get a few handfuls of sand now that he is grabbing onto everything in sight. We certainly hope to do more traveling around the state while we are here.

Ode to Tom...grocery shopping and other thoughts

Army life certainly has its ups and downs. They seem to have their own crazy ways of accomplishing "the mission". One of the greatest things about being in the Army though, is that Tom has taken over the grocery shopping! This is accomplished by the fact that we live about 35 minutes from the base, so it makes no sense for me to go all the way there to shop at the commissary. Some of you must know letting your husband loose in the grocery store can be dangerous. He has definitely learned to recognize the different types of lettuce. It has also really forced me to be more articulate as far as what we need from the store (with the added bonus of forcing me to put together a menu for the week, which has really been good for me). If I want something of a certain type, I must be completely explicit in its description (and even so, I may end up with white vinegar instead of white wine vinegar because it was the only white vinegar he could see). I also have to be very accepting of what I get if I am not good in my description (or sometimes even if I am). However, if I want a really good soft toilet paper, I make sure not to get toilet paper myself, because Tom always seems to get the best without regard to price. I am so lucky that way. Well, I count myself blessed overall to have such a great husband. He really does a great job of taking care of our family. (And I am not just saying that because I want him to continue doing the grocery shopping...even after he gets out of the army).

This week has been a hot and sweaty one here in Missouri. We really get the extremes in weather here. It wouldn't bother me that it is so hot if I knew I wasn't facing a winter of ice storms and frigid wind. Reili comes home from school on the bus (which I imagine is very hot since there isn't air conditioning on it) sweaty with bright red cheeks. So far her words to describe kindergarten are "long and boring". Doesn't give me much hope for the next 13 years. Maybe it will be better this week. I think it is hard to get used to going a full day at first and I am hoping she will get used to it and it will become more interesting as they learn things she hasn't learned already. We had to get Reili some new tennis shoes this week because that is what they requested that the kids wear everyday. She of course chose the Dora shoes. So guess who has the more expensive tennis shoes in the family! Yup, take a look at this picture. Here are my Asics running shoes that are at least twice as large as her shoes. Tom bought them for me at the PX and they were cheaper ($15.97) than those Dora shoes at Payless ($17.99). Now I know that Asics are typically more expensive, but still...you'd think that little shoes should be cheaper since they use so much less material. I know this is really a trivial matter, but I just had to point it out.

Amberly tells me she misses Reili everyday. I actually think it has been harder for her to adjust to Reili being in school than it has for Reili. She has cried some mornings when we drop Reili off and it makes me sad. She loves to go to the bus stop and wait for Reili in the afternoon and they always give each other a hug when she gets off the bus. It is so cute. I think we will all get used to this new routine soon though. In a few months, Wesley will be moving around and causing enough of a ruckus to keep us all entertained (and me constantly on the move).

First Day of School

Today was Reili's first day in Kindergarten. She is growing up so fast. She picked a princess backpack and a Dora lunch box. There were no tears shed by me or by her when I dropped her off in the classroom this morning. She seemed a little shy, but once she found a seat next to her friend Serena from church she was ready to get started. The only thing that worried me was a conversation we had in the car the other day. She expressed the feeling that being at school for so long everyday would be "boring". I asked her where she got that idea (thinking she must have been hanging around some older kids at church or something). She assured me that she had come up with that idea on her own. I responded by saying it would be fun to be with her friends all day, but I don't think she was convinced. I told her that she has at least 13 more years of school, so if she is already thinking it is going to be boring that is not such a good sign. I am hoping today changed her mind.

Amberly has missed Reili already today. She is looking forward to meeting her at the bus stop this afternoon. When I went to work out this morning and left her with Wesley at the stay and play, she started crying and wouldn't stop. I had to cut my workout short. I think this is going to be as much of an adjustment for her as it is for Reili.

Wesley is as happy as ever. He is so good natured. Thank goodness for the BabyBjorn, that is how I finish any house chores most of the time. Whenever he is tired of his swing or the couch or floor, just strap him in and he is ready to see the world. At three months, he is already a big boy (over 16 pounds). Mommy is going to have some strong arms and shoulders that is for sure!

Today is the first day posting to this blog site. Tom wonders if I will really have the time to keep it up. I wonder too (actually), but it is worth a try. Mostly I hope I can come up with some good content that anyone is interested in reading.