a refresher course

 So just when I thought we were going to have a great summer of swimming and playing.......it happened. We went swimming for the first time this year - aside from jumping in Lake Pleasant with lifejackets on - and the kids were sooooooooo excited!! Went to the Beckers new place with a pool, Lucas had said on the way there: "I'm going to do a cannon ball"
 

As  Jeff and I were walking out the back door after telling the kids we were going to swim, we hear the other kids saying 'swim Luke, swim!!" I may have pushed Jeff out the door as we saw him (after doing the cannon ball), struggling to get to the step. Jeff tossed his hat and shoes and jumped in to save him. After that, he would barely get back in (being the first time back in the pool and it being colder than he expected, added to the shock of the cannon ball).

The week before, they had just had swim/water safety lesson in preschool. I guess the next week, he was telling his preschool teacher (who happens to be very good friends with Miss Erin, a previous swim instructor), he cried as he told her what happened.
 

A couple Sundays ago, Miss Erin, approached me and wanted to know what happened - we had not been swimming since and were going to start swim lessons at the public pool in June. Lucas and Lea had done swim lessons with Miss Erin (Aqua Babes), but last year they did swim lessons at another pool and were swimming laps, jumping off the board and swimming to the edge - tirelessly by the end of summer. She wanted to have him come over to help him so he wouldn't be afraid of the water. She was great and he did great too - even after riding his bike to her house, then home after swimming constantly for a half hour.

 Use your 'big arms'

 

He gets nervous being on his back, but 'back floats keep us safe!'

getting ready to swim the length of the pool

The video is sideways - holding a baby, trying to supervise a toddler and take a video through the gate......not as easy as you might think. :)
Thank you Miss Erin!!

And as much I would love to have a pool, I'm not sure my heart could handle it......that same day Lucas did his cannonball, Abbey ended up in the pool after they were getting out, Jeff had to get in to save her. ugh.

I survived a 2nd grade field trip

Oh the drama among girls and the noise……the noise – so loud! If I wasn’t a chaperone, I would have curled up in a ball and gone to sleep. We went with the 2nd graders to see a play called ‘The Borrowers’. AZ Childs Play had come to the school to perform one night a play called “Imagineers” or something like that. It was really good. ‘The Borrowers’ seemed a little over their heads, well mine too at first, but it was very good and the props were very creative to tell the story of the people under the stairs. Also survived the bumpiest bus-ride home – again I would have been asleep in minutes had I not been there to help. :)

 (Jalyn, Laura, Lea)

 Lea & Charity

Bless this woman for all the hard work she put in every day to teach these kids and still be sane by the end of the day. Much love Mrs. Zwick!

Party at my crib

Not sure who's having more fun!?

Proof:

Theory: your prayers are answered through another person.

Proof: Tonight Lucas was saying his prayer (we’re working with him on not saying repetitive prayers)

Starts out great, then gets to a thank you.

‘Thank you that I can graduate (from preschool). Thank you that mommy can come to my graduation. Thank you that mommy can make me cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles for my graduation’

Looks like I have work to do. And if I didn’t do it, would the cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles get made?? No. Therefore I need to make the cupcakes to help the Lord answer my son’s prayer.

Theory proved to be correct. (I knew my Statistics major would come in handy some day!) And I’m grateful for the simple faith of my son.

Scooptacular!

Dear ,

Thank you for letting us come on a tour. We love ice cream!! We had soooooooo much fun! Thanks for letting us add oreos to the ice cream, taste the pre-ice cream mix and stand in the really cool freezer. Well, I just watched, but next time……next time I’ll be big enough.

Lucas had bubblegum and he ate.it.up. No really, we had a great time……..see:

My sister especially loved it – seriously. Tears of pain that our mean mom made us leave the store and wouldn’t share the ice cream she bought for dad and Lea. Even though she’d already eaten a cookie monster ice cream cone and didn’t share with me. I didn’t complain.

Love, Ammon

Happy birthday - Reynolds/Risenmay style.....wait for it.