Swimming, Skiing, and Sun

It's summer, so that means we've been at Lake Cumberland. A lot. I am so thankful my parents kept their condo at Woodson Bend even after moving to Dallas. Besides being my happy place, it's a great spot for family to gather during our annual July 4th celebration. I can hardly remember summers without Woodson Bend. Entering the gates of the resort is like coming home.I'm pretty sure the kids enjoy their time at the lake too. Both have become water bugs this year, with Warner navigating the shallow end of the pool without floaties. Maren (enthusiastically) jumps into either the big pool, baby pool, or lake the minute she's near the water, announcing:
"two, three, two ... jump!". Abby and Ashley joined us at the pool last week and my kids were thrilled to have their cousins join them in the water. After their visit Maren would ask if Abby and Ash-Ash would be at the pool whenever we went.
They are such sweet girls and play so nicely (and patiently) with my kids. Watching Warner and Maren's relationship with their cousins blesses me in more ways than one. I am so very thankful for my cousins and the close relationships we enjoy, even as adults. The fact that my kids won't have cousins on my side of the family is still hard, but knowing they have such great cousins in Abby and Ashley makes it easier to handle. The boat was also a hit with the kids. Warner has the whole routine down. He wants to help tie and untie the ropes at the dock, pull in the ski rope, help with life jackets, drive the boat, etc. Both kids love the tube, and most days it's hard to fit in a ski run for the adults because the kids want to swim or tube every second they're on the water.
One of the best parts of the summer so far has been seeing Warner learn to waterski on his ski trainer. He got up on his first try behind the boat and hasn't slowed down since. I know I've said my kids would ski as soon as they could walk, but 3 years old is pretty close, right?He was SO excited and proud to have skied like the rest of us. The sweetest thing he said to my mom (as she helped him into the ski boots) was "Bobbie, do you think I need soap for my ski?". That probably means nothing to most people ... but for skiers with tight bindings (like myself), a little dish soap is needed to squeeze your feet into the ski. I guess it only made sense to Warner that he'd need soap for his feet as well.Maren, being the daredevil in the family, wants to do everything Warner does. She gets completely frustrated when we won't let her tube by herself or try to ski. I have a feeling she'll be skiing behind the boat next summer.
Other highlights of our trip included Warner's first fireworks experience at the Bend (he thought he was one of the boys while Timothy and his friends were here) ...... celebrating Dad's birthday ...... cooking, baking, and eating (a lot) ...... and of course, the Fourth of July golf cart parade. I keep saying we'll do something creative for the parade but it never materializes. There's always next year.Now that we're home I'm up to my ears in laundry, housework, yardwork ... and can't even begin to think about weeding my garden. I'll be ready for another vacation soon once I've recovered from this one.

Cars 2

We took our first family trip to the movie theater last night to see Cars 2. Up until yesterday Kevin was in serious study mode for his latest financial exam. His test was yesterday and he now has his series 66 license (yay!). With the exam behind us, we thought a celebratory Cars 2 adventure was a great way to end the day.

The kids were beyond excited to see the movie. Maren kept yelling "dars!" all the way to the theater and until about 10 minutes into the movie. Thankfully the theater was filled with plenty of other young, restless, and sometimes loud children so I don't think Maren particularly stuck out.
We had plenty of snacks and drinks, and Maren was allowed to take her blanket and paci (my decision to keep the peace). Warner stared intently at the screen for the entire two hour movie. Maren sat fairly still, taking turns sitting on my lap, then Kevin's. She had me wander around the theater once during the movie, but for the most part, I think she did great given her age and attention span.
After the movie we got the kids two new cars from the movie: Finn McMissile and Holly Shiftwell (as if we need more cars, right?). After waking up this morning, the first thing Warner did was thank me for taking him to see Cars 2 and asked me if we could go again. I'd say the adventure was a success.

God and Cars

Me: Warner, what did you do in Sunday School today?
Warner: we learned about Jesus and God. And God makes things grow.
Me: what things does he make grow?
Warner: apples, trees, chickens.

Chickens? Really? I'd love to jump inside that little mind and take a look around sometime.

Then tonight after bath, Maren insisted she sit on the potty. This has been happening randomly for a few weeks now. She very rarely potties but thinks she's really big when she sits there like her brother. Tonight was a rare evening in which she actually went a tiny bit, so I made a big deal: cheering, telling her how big she is. She then looks at me and says "me - dar!" (read: car). Surprised, I tell her that yes maybe she can earn a car by going potty and poop. So then she gets back on the potty and says "poop" - clearly thinking if she can poop, she will get a car for sure. After trying for about 30 seconds she realizes she doesn't need to poop and gets off the potty.

Oh boy. Here we go.

Gymnastics

The kids have been taking gymnastics at the Y once a week for the past few months. Warner's class is a "parent observation" one, and actually it's only him and two other boys with the instructor. I wasn't sure if he'd like it, but he loves it, telling me he wishes he had "ganasticks" every day. The instructor is teaching them things like forward and backward rolls, cartwheels, handstands against the wall, and pulling themselves up on the bar.While Warner is in class, Maren is in the child watch room. She cries each time I put her in there, knowing Warner will be playing in the gym while she's stuck in the playroom. Even though I assure her that her class is right after Warner's, she still puts up a fight. I think Warner likes the fact that his class is first and he gets me all to himself for 30 minutes.

Maren's class is a "mommy and me" format for 18 month to 3 year-old's. While Warner's class is pretty organized and structured, Maren's class is basically 30 minutes of toddler chaos. There are about 8 kids in the class and they just run from station to station, spending a few second in each spot. Maren's favorite part is when the instructor pulls out the parachute at the end of class. She runs under the parachute and usually lies on her back in the middle of the floor, staring up as the parachute goes up and then down ... the entire time.There's only one week left in the summer session for gymnastics, but given their fondness for it, I think we'll be signing the kids up again in the fall.

Mommy guilt: it comes with the territory, right?

Whenever I get behind on blogging I get stressed out. I think of everything that has happened since my last post; the pictures I haven't taken, and the entries I should have made. Add in the fact that I still haven't finished the 2010 blog book that was supposed to be Mom's and Linda's birthday gift (in February) and you catch a glimpse of my guilt-ridden feelings toward my blog.

Lately I've felt overwhelmed. While some aspects of parenting have gotten easier as the kids are now almost 2 and 4, other aspects have gotten more difficult. I'm not just concerned with what they eat, how much they sleep, and how often they poop. Now I'm concerned with Warner learning his letters, being more polite and interactive with adults, playing kindly with his sister. I'm concerned with Maren's speech, her motor skills, and her aggressive behavior.

Side note on the aggressiveness/hitting issue - Warner told me this today: "Mommy, sometimes Maren tries to hit me when I take a toy away from her. So then I run away from her, and she chases me, and we run in circles, and then we start laughing, and then we get the hiccups". I had to laugh.

I haven't gotten Playdoh out for them to play with in months. They don't know as many Bible stories as I'd like. They don't color that often and Warner still can't hold a crayon the correct way. The list goes on and on and on. And then I often think I want a third child. So yes, what you're thinking is correct: I'm crazy.

I'm trying my best to get through each day as gracefully, happily, and engaged with my children as possible. Even though they're currently watching Caillou as I type this. I promise it's the first show they've watched today. So, as with my other catch-up posts, here are a few random pictures ...We took the kids to JumpZone last week. They both ran around like crazy people. Warner was a hot sweaty mess 10 minutes into our visit. Maren kept up with Warner, even going down the BIG slide (on her belly) with him. I've since purchased a Groupon for more visits to JumpZone. Since we can't go to the pool (Shigella outbreak in Northern Kentucky: no un-potty-trained kids allowed in public pools. Ugh) JumpZone, the Zoo, and the Children's Museum will most likely be hot spots for the Platt kids this summer.
Picnic lunch last week. It was a bit bright - hence Warner's face. I think it was a better idea on paper than in practice. But we had a nice time.Maren treats Larry the Cucumber like one of her babies, pushing him around in the car seat on top of her grocery cart. She's a mess.This is one of my favorites. Rachel, our babysitter, took this while Kevin and I were out celebrating my birthday. They love Miss Rachel.And, the reason I haven't gone completely insane: Kevin. My sweet, supportive husband who also happens to be the best dad on the planet. This was taken at church Sunday - Father's Day. I'm bummed that you can't see his shirt. He is wearing a "#1 Dad" badge that Warner made for him in Sunday School. Precious.

Garden

Kevin's parents came up Saturday to help us get our garden planted. With all of the rain this spring, this was the first opportunity we had to till and plant. Better late than never, right?

Our dirt looks just lovely this year. We rented a big tiller again, but the dirt broke up so much better than last year. After adding lots of topsoil, lime, sand, and manure, we were in business. I never thought I'd be so excited about dirt. The tiller was seriously hard work, so Joe, Kevin and I all took turns.Kevin also planted his Arbor Day trees in the yard. Although Linda tried to keep the kids in the house/out of our hair, they couldn't stand to not be a part of the action. Please excuse the fact that they're still in their pajamas. In all of the garden excitement I neglected to dress them that morning.And here is the finished product. It's much bigger than last year, so we squeezed in: three tomato plants (including one cherry tomato plant - I'm very excited about this one), three bell pepper plants, one hill of zucchini, two hills of yellow squash, a row of white onions, one okra plant, and four rows of green beans. Here's to hoping it actually grows!

My, how the time flies

I blinked and suddenly, it's June. How did that happen? Warner's preschool year ended last week, not without tears from yours truly. Mrs. Eubanks made a book for each child with pictures and crafts they'd made throughout the year. I was a complete mess as we walked out the doors of Lakeside Presbyterian Preschool for the last time this year. Maren has graduated to a booster seat at the dinner table. This was primarily due to me being sick of the highchair taking up too much space in the kitchen, but she's thrilled with her new spot. I still have to strap her in most of the time because she tries to climb out otherwise. I have a feeling this girl will be strapped in/down a lot before it's all said and done.And, the kids have figured out the computer. I was in the shower a few weeks ago and came down to see this. Warner somehow opened a new tab in Firefox, clicked on the Playhouse Disney bookmark, and started up the Cars games section. I have since set the computer to be password protected just to be sure he doesn't go online and buy new cars for his collection without me knowing. I wouldn't put it past him.We participated in the Autism Awareness walk at Coney Island a few weeks ago. One of Kevin's coworkers recruited us to his team. It was a wonderful event, followed by free rides at Coney Island. I had to peel Maren off this ride once it was finished. I believe we have a dare devil on our hands.Our first official trip to the lake was Memorial Day weekend. Golf cart rides in the morning (or afternoon, or evening) are the best. Don't worry, the kids don't ride on the back while we're driving.Riding Grandpa's boat. The water was chilly but that didn't stop the kids from swimming (or me from skiing) in the lake. Perhaps Warner will waterski this year? Kevin would probably kill me but I did always say my kids would ski as soon as they could walk. At the very least, both kids love the boat and are not afraid of the water. That's a good start.

Surprise Visit

The kids and I surprised my mom last week by showing up at their house in Dallas on Thursday. Dad and I made the travel arrangements without Mom knowing. The look on her face when we walked in the door was priceless. A second surprise came the following day when Kevin arrived for his first visit to Texas.

I was a bit apprehensive about flying with the kids by myself, but both flights went without a glitch. Maren had her own seat each flight (thanks to nearly empty flights) and was strapped in with our travel lifesaver: the CARES Kids Fly Safe child restraint (http://www.kidsflysafe.com - if you are flying with a squirmy child, don't leave home without this). It was also tremendously helpful to have a DVD player and an iPad this time around. One device for each kid is a much better ratio than one device to two kids. Mom and I took the kids on a real train ride from Grapevine to Bransford Park on Friday. We had so much fun! It was a shortened version of their longer train ride to the stockyards in Ft. Worth, but the 60 minute duration was perfect for my squirrely ones.We went to the Ft. Worth Stockyards on Saturday. We saw the live cattle drive and the kids even sat on one of the longhorns afterward. I'm not sure if they were impressed, but I thought it was really cool.We ate lunch at Riscky's Barbeque (YUM) and got the kids balloon hats before we left. Longhorns for Warner and a flower for Maren. The rest of our trip was spent playing at parks, swimming at the Larson's pool (my parents' friends), and eating. Texas has some darn good food. It's probably best that we don't live there. Mom said our visit was the best surprise she's ever had. Mission accomplished.

The Ice Cream Truck

The kids and I were playing outside Saturday evening while Kevin was mowing the yard. Suddenly I heard the Kona Ice truck's music and went into a bit of a panic. My wallet was inside, the front door was locked, and the kids were in the front yard. I told them to stay put while I dashed around to the back of the house, grabbed my money, and ran out the front door. I felt like a kid again myself - the ice cream truck was here! Is it me, or does anyone else remember that feeling of excitement when the ice cream truck paid your street a visit? I was so excited to share that with my kids.

I told the kids the truck had ice cream in it and they gave me these looks like "you've got to be kidding me. This is so cool". So they got the ice, and the truck had the flavors on the side so the kids applied as much as they wanted. This was a poor design decision in my opinion, seeing as my children made soup out of their Kona Ice, but they loved it.
They ran around back to show Kevin their ice cream, screaming the whole way. As we sat on the deck eating (I was monitoring the dripping but wasn't very successful - sure hope Tide gets purple Kona Ice juice out) Warner says "I so happy the ice cream truck came to our house. Next time, I want you and Daddy to get ice cream". Probably so we won't eat any of his. Smart kid.