Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Swimming Lessons

Both kids took swimming lessons this summer, twice a week for a month. I love having them in one-on-one lessons because they learn so much with the individualized attention and instruction. Makenna took to the water like a pro. She is a fearless child (scary for me, in some ways) so my primary concern for her is water safety & survival at this stage of the game. She was eager to learn and mastered floating on her back, and being able get herself onto her back after jumping in the pool. And she LOVED it! Every night she'd ask, "Do we have swimming lessons tomorrow?" even for weeks after it was all over. Next summer, little fish.
Jacob had taken lessons last summer as well, so the basics of water safety came back pretty quickly for him. He moved forward in his swimming skills, and by the end of the month was able to do the back stroke the entire length of the pool without assistance. We were watching from above when he did it, and I was one proud Mama! 






Monday, July 21, 2014

Nana's Visit

Nana came for a visit in July and we had a wonderful time together. She took us to see the new Planes movie (which Jacob loved!), made crafts with the kids, introduced us to some fun airplane fliers at the park, and we took her to the zoo. As always, the time is too short but we sure are grateful for the time we had with her. Love you! Thanks for coming!









Friday, July 11, 2014

Birthday Number Six

Birthday number six for Jacob. He's a smart little cookie. He loves books, especially informational ones. He frequently brought home ones about animals, trucks, airplanes, etc from the school library. And he's reading at a 2nd grade level right now--its been fun to watch the love & skill of reading take off in him. Jake loves the concept of "fast"--his favorite animal is the cheetah, he loves to run and is quite competitive. In fact, he told me last year that his goal was to be the fastest kid in his class. The kid still loves to play on the floor with trucks, planes, and trains, though Matchbox cars have taken a back seat to Legos right now. He can follow the directions by himself to put something together, though it doesn't stay together very long as he races, flys, and crashes his creations. And he takes his role as the big brother very seriously--he is Makenna's protector, her playmate, and he loves to torture her. It will be very interesting to see how things play out when little brother is old enough to join in.  
Mmmm...frosting! I let him lick off the beater just for the messy face picture. :)
He requested a shark cake. I think it turned out pretty well. 
We had a family birthday celebration (no friend party this year--too much work) and Jake chose mini golf. 
Four little monkeys playing in a cage...
Being eaten by a lion.
I think he was in love with the present he was unwrapping. 
Yep, it was the Lego Movie!
A completed Lego birthday gift. 
"Happy Birthday to You!"
Love their cute little faces!
I don't remember what they were laughing at, but I love the looks of sheer enjoyment!