Summertime Week 1

This is our first summer with 4 and we plan to make it a summer full of fun and learning while not traveling too far from home.  Our first week of summer started off with a Memorial Day party.  Lots of food and friends from work and school.  It was HOT...approaching 95 degrees, but the 10+ kids were able to stay cool with water balloons and the hose.  I'm sure their parents loved us sending them home soaking wet and exhausted from the heat!

Monday we went to Indiana to visit Kyle's parents, Tuesday was wee-rock.  Wednesday I took the kids to the zoo.  We visited Vin's favorite animal, the polar bear, and saw lots of baby animals.

 

Polar bear training session.  Zookeepers almost had to do the Heimlich on this poor bear after she started choking on her meat.

Thursday I had to go back to work for the day.  Kyle had his solo first day with all the kids.  Olivia did ok with her first bottle and drank 2 ounces..but then got wise to it and refused the 2nd one.  Kyle said she was batting it away and screaming mad.  Luckily I got to leave work early and was home by about 1.  She was fine of course.

Friday was a mall shoe shopping day.  The boys got matching Keens..the best shoes ever for kids!  

Saturday was free fishing day!  Wow!  I'm surprised I can remember every day this well!

That morning we hit up Walmart for fishing gear.  We bought hooks, worms and line.  Then we headed out to Bernheim forest after Isabella's dance and Vincent's nap.

The pole we bought from Walmart was a tangley mess!  Luckily my mom had a pole that worked.  My dad also loaned us some cane poles that used to belong to my grandpa.  

We got there and had a picnic dinner on the large lake.  We decided it wasn't the best place for fishing because there was a lot of plant matter in the water..so we moved to the smaller lakes near the visitor center.

 Feeding the geese.  The kids named the dominant one "Hissy"!  He wasn't so friendly!

Our first fish was a tiny 2 incher that I caught on a cane pole..but when we pulled him up through the bushes (literally) the hook yanked off.  Somewhere in Bernheim lake is a little fish with a hook in his mouth. 

Isabella with a cane pole!

 It took a while before mom caught a fish.  The fish kept eating her worms as soon as she'd throw it out.  Then mom and Zach caught a nice size one! I love the pride the kids show when they held up their fish!

Vin and Mom caught the largest one!  A nice sized blue gill.

 

"Blindy"

So Proud!

This magnifying glass ended up in the water when Vincent pitched it out there!  Luckily our cane poles were about 30 feet long and I "fished" it out!

Olivia's first fishing trip!

I wonder what she was thinking??

It was a really fun fishing time!  It was nice to sit on the water, relax and listen to the birds.  Bernheim is one of our favorite places in the Louisville area.

We've got lots of fun things planned for this week...I'll keep you updated on Week 2!

Fairy House

Last week we saw a page in Ranger Rick magazine asking for kids to send in pictures of a fairy house that they made.  A few months ago, Bernheim forest had a fairy house day and we saw about 30 house that kids had built.  Isabella thought they were really cool.  So we decided to make one to send in a picture to Ranger Rick.  We went to George Rodgers Park and collect nature stuff.  Then the next day Isabella built one in the back yard.  We already got a response from Ranger Rick thanking us for our photo (and asking us to send it again since I didn't attach the file right the first time), so I think we have a good shot!

Here are the pics from the activity.

Starting out

The finished product!  Can you find the tree swing and the owl??

The photo we sent into Ranger Rick!

Also this week Dad brought over some antiques, passed down from my great grandpa.  The kids got to see how the old-timers used to grind corn to make chicken feed.

And here is just a cute picture of Vin working in the garden with his Daddy!

What day is it?

It is about that time of the week when I start getting lost in all of the chaos and have no idea what is coming up next.  The kids have a crazy tee-ball schedule and Kyle is still only semi-retired from track, so every evening we are busy with something.  Isabella has been begging daily to begin dance lessons, but I can't bear to add one more thing to the schedule.  It will have to wait till summer.

This weekend was busy too.  Friday...i can't remember.  Saturday morning I went running with my running buddies, then Kyle mowed grass at church, then I had a friend's baby shower, then we went to church, and then to a friend's daughter's 1st communion party.  It was all a lot of fun but the kids were worn out!  Sunday was the Germantown parade and Zachary first t-ball game, which started 40 minutes late, so we were up there forever!

Did I ever write a post about our spring break activities?  I don't think I did.  I'll just include pictures to catch you up.

This week Vincent has began attempting to pull up...mostly unsuccessfully.  He also said his first words..."Ma Ma, Ma Ma."  I'm not sure if it's aimed at me, but it counts because I said so!  I also decided I would begin making my own baby food, somewhat for fun, also for cost, and because a friend convinced me it was healthier.  I don't know that it makes a difference in the long run, but I'm trying it.  My first attempt was again unsuccessful.  The carrots were a little too chunky and at first Vincent gagged and then he puked them all up.  So my next batch was pureed much smoother and I think they will go down better.  We'll try them tomorrow.

School is going well.  Classes are full and kids are failing.  They just all stared at me blankly today when I announced they were not getting something for nothing and most of them wouldn't pass if they didn't get their stuff together.  I had another student shot and killed this week.  It's the second student I have lost and there is no way to describe how it feels when you open up the paper and read that news.  It's just a sick feeling.

Anyway, enough of the grim.  I have been working on my photography skills and I'm proud of lots of the pictures I've been taking.  I hope you enjoy reading about our family!

My favorite photos:

Spring Break:

The Zoo, enjoying a picnic lunch

Dino's at the Zoo

Zoo playground!  Vincent's first time in a swing!

Zachary with his favorite animal..the ostrich!

Bowling with Syd and a overcast day!

Vincent's first hike with Dad at Bernheim Forest.

A treacherous stream crossing!

Vincent's first ice cream cone!

Enjoying Louisville's best pizza..Papalinos..after Bernheim.

Germantown Parade