Update on the busy bees

Lots of posts about visits and events, but I figured it was time for an update on what the kids have been up to on the day to day.  Cate is fully potty trained during the day (has been for a couple months now) and is becoming an expert on getting herself dressed.  She is little Miss Independent and feels so strongly about her capabilities that she will literally take off an item of clothing if I help her put it on and start over - even if it ends up backwards and inside out (as evidenced below). She has also become very fashion-conscious and chooses her own clothes and shoes (and changes multiple times a day!)

While Caitlin loves her days with Mayensi, we wanted her to spend more time with other kids so we signed her up for some classes.  She could spend all day drawing pictures and coloring, so Bill found an amazing art school and she can't wait to go to art class every week.  They use all kinds of materials and she comes home with amazing projects that she is so proud of.  She's the youngest in the class, but she's so happy to sit still and "do art" the teacher said she can join the older kids at camp this summer.

She also loves tumbling, so class #2 is gymnastics.  She is great at the balance beam and has learned to "stick the finish" every time she lands (well at least she says it, even if she forgets to do it).

She also loves to help around the house doing whatever she feels "grown-ups" do - even vacuuming, and helping clean the dishes!

Finally, she is a total diva and loves when Mayensi does her nails.  Every day I come home she has a new mani/pedi with very creative color choices picked out by her!

Isaac has also been busy.  He still loves school and is really showing improvement lately writing his name, counting all the way to 100 and drawing pictures that we can actually make out as real things!  He plays soccer on Wednesday mornings and has had some playdates with new friends that he is getting close with.  He's 50% out-of-control animal and 50% sugar.  One minute he is running around and tackling his sister, and the next he is asking me about my day or helping Caitlin find a missing toy.  He is very observant and perceptive and constantly surprises me with how much he "gets it".

Isaac finished up his second season of hockey...and got a little better :)

T-ball went a lot better, he actually has some potential and loved going to games and practice

He is amazingly quick and confident on his bike. Uncle Even set him up with an obstacle course with jumps and he can't go fast enough!

Isaac also loves to help around the house, he figured out how to use his John Deere to take out the garbage.

Finally, the kids are having a blast together.  We signed them up for swim class together which seemed like a good idea at the time (because it's too hard to coordinate all these classes!), and while they had fun, they didn't progress too much in the learning to swim department so they are going to start lessons at the house in June.

Now here are just some cute pictures from the last few months.

Mother's Day Weekend

We were supposed to be going to a wedding for one of Bill's best friends in Boston, but Caitlin came down with croup on Thursday and was in pretty rough shape, so Bill went solo and I played single mom.  Caitlin recovered quickly once the steroids got in her system, and although the nasty cough stuck around, her 103 fever broke and she was back to herself by Friday night. The kids were great, and Grandma came over to hang out Saturday afternoon which helped a lot too.  

The kids ran as far as they could but couldnt reach the end of the rainbow on Saturday once the rain stopped

Grandma enlisted their "help" making brownies for the M-day picnic

Looking super-cute and humoring me for a pic because "you're supposed to do what mom asks on Mother's Day"

First stop - a visit to Grandma Rhoda with cousins

After a nice visit with Grandma Rhoda, we met up with the whole family for a huge Mother's Day family picnic.  The kids had a blast running around with their cousins, flying a kite, and chowing down on the feast catered by the dads.  Bill landed on the early side and met us at the park with flowers for all the mamas- so sweet!


Uncle Max showing Isaac the art of flying a kite

Mamas enjoying some mimosas :)

They stayed still long enough for a (mediocre) family picture

After the picnic, Bill took the kids home to nap while Grandma spoiled her girls with a pedicure.  Once they woke up, they helped Bill plant tomatoes in the garden, and then they helped me open presents (including my beloved vitamix!) and enjoyed the cupcakes Mayensi brought for me. 

Cate lasted 2 seconds and was done with gardening, but Isaac was a trooper and helped Bill to the end 



Mayensi and the kids helping me open presents

Isaac made me these adorable presents in school!! So cute!

Overall is was a perfect day - I'm a lucky woman!

Opening Day and the "Cardinals" at Coors Field!

These posts are in reverse order - read the second half first!

Isaac's baseball league got to walk the warning track of the Rockies baseball field at the Tampa Bay game so we made it into a family field trip with Mayensi and Grandma joining us.  Coach Jeff and Bill escorted the kids on the field and worked very hard to keep them off the grass per field rules.

After showing the name of the leagues, (Isaac is Monarch) they showed pics of the kids walking - it was so much fun to see Isaac up there. Maybe again someday... :)

Pre-walk, the Coaches and kids were super-excited

The Cardinals waiving to their fans up in the stands

Isaac getting busted for violating the "no running on the field" rule :)

Mayensi and I keeping Caitlin entertained (and well fed!)

Grandma came too and spoiled the kids with lots of Rockies gear and funnel cake!

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Isaac started playing t-ball for the Monarch Youth Baseball league and is loving it.  He and Bill have been practicing hitting and catching (the hitting is definitely going better than the catching) and Bill agreed to serve as Assistant Coach for the team, which is super-cute.  Opening day for the season was a community-wide event with every local business sponsoring the teams and hundreds of families in attendance along with the Dairy Queen and Rockies' mascots! They introduced each of the big-kid teams individually, and then when it was time for the t-ball kids, all of the older kids lined up and gave a high-five to each of the little ones - the little ones felt so important! Isaac's team is the Cardinals, he's number 1 (alphabetical).

Isaac's team lining up for high-fives with the big kids

Coach Daddy and Isaac 

Caitlin felt a little left out of the festivities, so she was thrilled to get to hug the Rockies mascot

The focus of the games is to get the kids comfortable with the game and to teach them how to hit and catch, not so much about the strategy and competition, much to Bill's chagrin.  After the first practice he came home and asked me when the kids would actually learn how to play baseball :)  Each game has miraculously ended up a tie with each kid hitting a home run and no one getting out (possibly as a result  of the fact that the kids in the outfield are piling dirt in their gloves) but they are really cute to watch.

Easter week

We had a wonderful week with Grandma, Grandpa and Great-Grandma Jo who came to visit for Easter.  They arrived on Friday afternoon, and the kids were so excited to have them all there, they barely even noticed when Bill and I left on Saturday morning for our overnight in Colorado Springs.  There was a lot of time spent hanging on the farm, but in between, there was a trip to the butterfly pavillion, a gymnastics trip, hockey practice and several trips to Isaac's school to name a few.  The kids dyed eggs and had an Easter egg hunt and we had a nice extended-family dinner on Easter.  Around the farm there was lots of quality time and DELICIOUS food.  We managed to convince Great-Grandma Jo to make sauce (with braciole), rice pudding, and fudge (YUM!).  Grandma almost made osso bucco, but escaped after opting with Grandpa to take the entire crew out for a delicious dinner in Boulder--we intend to cash in our rain check in a few weeks when she returns.  Grandpa also proved extra useful (as always) by repairing lots of stuff around the house and inspiring us to plant veggies and sunflowers in the big garden.  Overall, it was great to have everyone together out here in Colorado and we can't wait till the next visit.

we all sang happy birthday to Daddy (again)

The kids loved collecting the eggs Grandma hid all over the yard 

everyone pitched in for the delicious Easter feast for 15!

the kids loved decorating eggs, and we loved that they did it outside :)

Although it seemed like an 8 day visit would be long, it went by so quickly that none of us was ready for their trip to end! We are looking forward to seeing Grandma and Grandpa again this summer and hope we can convince Great Grandma Jo to come again soon!