Father's Day

For father's day we got together with my parents at their house. Unfortunately we weren't able to get together with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew due to a schedule conflict. I was bummed that I missed my brother's first father's day, but it is sometimes hard to coordinate schedules. Despite that we had a really nice visit. Kelsie is always excited when we get together in general, but she really loves it when we are celebrating something! To her it really doesn't matter what we celebrate, she just loves "special days". We had a great time! I am so blessed to have my family close enough to us that we can get together like this. I am looking forward to the next get together!

Roller Derby

We always get together with our neighbors with the kids. Well we decided it was time for us all to "escape the cul-de-sac" and go out for an adults night out on the town. We decided to check out the roller derby. We weren't sure what to expect as none of us had ever been to that one before, but it turned out to be a really fun night. It was great to watch the games and we were amazed at how strong some of those women are! We sat up above the rink and were able to see everything really clearly without being in danger of getting run over. We will remember next time to bring our own chairs, because there is very limited seating unless you want to sit in the "danger zone". Other than that we had lots of fun.

Afterward we went out and played some darts. Mike and I won which is pretty amazing considering it was my very first time to play darts!! I have to say though I definitely had some beginners luck. I got at least two bullseyes and made some other pretty good shots. It was a great night and I hope we get another opportunity to "escape the cul-de-sac" soon!

Our Trip to Mike's Work

Mike took Heather, Heather's sister Sonja, me, and the kids to take a tour of NASA. None of us had ever gone before and it was very exciting to see everything that you usually see on TV up close. I had worked there before, but Mike was able to take us in places even I hadn't seen before. The kids enjoyed it, but I think the adults had even more fun. It is really neat to see and hear about the innerworkings of NASA.

The highlight for everyone was when we went into the old mission control room. We could touch and play with all the equipment and pretend like we were working a mission. To top it all off the kids had a chance to run around and were able to explore more than anywhere else, which made for a good break for them. I am so sad that much of what we learned about may not exist if the current administration has thier way. I am glad I got to see everything before that happens!

Maja's Birthday Party

We went to Jump and Jungle for a friend's birthday party. Kelsie had so much fun!! As always she wanted us to accompany her on most things, but we were very pleased that she handled the party so well. The only hiccup we had was when it was time to move to the party room from the play area. She of course wasn't ready to stop playing, but after a little consoling we were able to get her into the party room. Considering this is the first birthday party we have had in a while I would say it went great! I will definitely consider taking her to Jump and Jungle more often now that she doesn't seem to be as bothered by the noise.

First Time on the Zipline

At occupational therapy one of our main goals is to get Kelsie to try new things and take risks. We have been going for about a year now and she has never even considered trying the zipline until the last time she went. Out of the blue she said she wanted to do the zipline! Although it is hard to tell Ms. Mary is barely helping her at all. I was so happy that she asked to try something new without prompting!!! I hope this trend continues!

Kelsie's First Family Portrait

Kelsie decided to draw a picture of our family, which is a huge deal for her since she hardly ever wants to draw. She drew a family portrait of the three of us and I think she did a great job! She was very proud of herself and so were we!

Swim Lessons

We started swim lessons at the YMCA this week. We thought she might do a little better if other kids were around for her to watch. She seems to enjoy them and she loves her teacher Mr. John. He is really patient and kind to her even when she doesn't want to do what he asks of her. I am pleased that he knows how to push her just out of her comfort zone without getting her too upset. He already has gotten her to put her face in the water which is always a battle with her!

Also, unlike last summer, she says she really likes swim lessons. She asks all day when she gets to go. She even discusses them with the child watch folks apparently. I am so happy that she is really having a good time. I think it is so important for her to learn to swim and it is so much easier to take her to lessons when she enjoys them!

Kelsie's First time at another YMCA

Today we went to the other YMCA I am a member of for the first time. I was so proud that Kelsie walked in like she had always been there! She is really enjoying the YMCA child care areas and I couldn't be happier for both of us. It allows me to workout without worrying about how she is doing and it keeps her in the habit of having someone else care for her for a little while. I hope it continues to go this well all summer!!

I finally reached my weight loss goal!

I started my weight loss journey in March of 2009 at 10lbs overweight and essentially no exercise besides normal activity. I began by making small changes to my diet and exercising a few times a week. Those changes slowly became big changes. As I continued to alter my diet and began exercising daily. For the first year and a half I exercised exclusively at home, but hit a plateau and found myself unable to lose those last 5lbs. Well, in April I joined the YMCA and I am extremely happy to report that I finally reached my final weight loss goal! While I will still continue to work on toning up and getting even more fit, I am able to proudly say that I do not feel that I need to lose any more weight!!!

I have now lost a total of 32lbs!!! I can't believe it! I never thought I could get this far. I am so proud that I have finally made it to where I am today and I am excited about looking into a way to help others reach their goals.

Before

After

Sprinkler Fun

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First Time on the Slip and Slide

Our friend Nick from next door got a slip n' slide and had it setup for the neighborhood kids. Kelsie wasn't too sure about it at first, but she decided it was a lot of fun. She didn't really try to slide on it by herself, but she would let me help her slide on it into the little pool at the end. All the kids had a blast! It was a perfect way to spend a warm summer evening!


Ms. Heather was getting frustrated that none of the kids slid correctly, so she decided to show them how it was done despite the fact that she was fully dressed. It was pretty funny!

Kelsie's End of Year Program

Kelsie has been excited about her end of the year program for weeks. She comes home singing the songs and talks about practicing at school all the time. She asked almost every day if the program was that day. I love to see her get so excited, but it is really hard to explain time to a four year old.

They finally had the program and it was adorable! They had the youngest kids perform first and I think only one of the kids actually sang, but it was very cute to watch them all do the hand movements. Then the rest of the school came out to perform. They sang songs and said a bible verse or two. Kelsie was so happy and proud! She sang and did everything she was supposed to. We were all proud of her and loved watching her shine! :)

Afterward they had a slide show of all the kids throughout the year. It was wonderful, because we got to see the kids in true form at school. As a parent you only get to see them at school during parties or special events, so to see them captured at times when you can't be there is a special thing. It also reminds you how much they have grown throughout the year. They get big so fast!!

Unfortunately, the end of the year program marks the end of the school year. Kelsie loves her school and her friends and school so much that it is hard to see it end. She is very sad that she won't be in Ms Jana and Ms Cristina's class anymore. I hope she enjoys next year as much as she has this one!

Mother's Day Part 2

On Sunday we got together with Mike's mom to celebrate Mother's day. We fixed enchiladas, Grammy's favorite, for dinner. Afterward we visited and exchanged gifts. Kelsie as always was being a turkey about taking pictures, but she did better once we had her take a serious picture and then allowed her to take one with a funny face. For some reason that is her favorite way to take pictures right now.

It was a really nice way to spend Mother's day. We had a very relaxing and fun evening. I am so glad we were able to get together with everyone over the weekend. We are so fortunate that both grandmas live so close!

Mother's Day Part 1

On Saturday we celebrated Mother's Day with my family at my mom and dad's house. We had a nice lunch and then my brother and sister-in-law took the kids (and Lola their lab)swimming for a little while in the pool. Kelsie was so excited about going swimming until it came time to get in the water. For some reason she didn't want her swimsuit to get wet. She eventually did get in the water at the steps, but that is as far as she wanted to go. I think she may have been a little afraid that Lola might knock her in, but she got over that after a while. She had a good time throwing the ball to Lola and watching her jump in and out of the pool. She had even more fun when my mom brought out the water guns. She enjoyed squirting everyone!

As always it was a great family get together. After swimming we went in and opened gifts and had some dessert. (Kelsie's favorite part) Then we visited until it was time to go. It was a lovely way to spend mother's day with my family!

Maja's Birthday Party

Kelsie was invited to her friend Maja's birthday party. I wasn't sure how it would go, because it was at one of those jump places and Kelsie sometimes loves them and sometimes hates them. Luckily this time it wasn't too bad. She wanted someone to come with her at first, but eventually she got to the point where she would go down the smaller slide by herself and she would go jump by herself. She seemed to have a really good time until it was time to stop playing. By that point I think all the commotion of the party caught up with her. She had a little meltdown, but she recovered fairly quickly and we were able to go enjoy the pizza and cake at the end of the party. Overall I was very impressed with how Kelsie did and we all had a great time!

Playdate with our Mommy's Group

With the weather being so nice lately, I decided to host an outdoor afternoon playdate for our mommy's group. I limited the number of kids, so that it wouldn't get out of hand and it turned out wonderfully. All the kids played very well together and it was nice to see them all having such a great time. We ordered pizza for dinner and the older kids were thrilled! I hope to have more playdates like these before the weather gets unbearable this summer!

Playtime at the Park with Abbie and Timmy

We went out to luch with our friends Denise, Abbie, and Timmy. Afterward we went to a park we had never been to before that the kids all loved. It had several hills, some ball fields, and lots of playground equipment for the kids to play on. It was such a perfect day to be out at the park and the kids had a blast. Kelsie didn't want to leave when it was time, but we had been out there so long that it was way past naptime. She was definitely worn out, becuase she took an extra long nap. We will definitely be going back to that park soon!

The YMCA

The YMCA was having a special that allowed me to join without paying a membership fee, so I decided to join at least for the summer. I was very hesitant about putting Kelsie in the childcare area, because I didn't know how she would react. Mike and I decided to take a tour of the facility and while we did we put Kelsie in the childcare area. She walked in like she had been going there for years! I was so impressed that she didn't even look back when we left the area. When we came back she was busy playing with a puzzle and they said she did great the whole time! I can't wait to start working out there!

Easter Sunday

Kelsie couldn't wait to see what the Easter Bunny brought her when she woke up on Easter Sunday! She came and got us out of bed and kept saying let's go see what the Easter Bunny brought me. She really loved it all. She got lots of cute stuff including a sticker/coloring book, some figurines, a fishing game, a mini bubble machine, and a stamp set. She couldn't wait to try it all out! She played with it all morning and was looking forward to showing everyone what she got when my family got here.


Through some of this video Kelsie was being a turkey and closing her eyes. That is her new thing when she doesn't want her picture taken!


Kelsie showing us what she got from the Easter Bunny

My family came over to celebrate with us around lunch time. We all had some BBQ and then did an Easter Egg Hunt for Kelsie. All through the hunt Kelsie kept asking if there were more eggs to find. She didn't want it to be over. It didn't take long for her to find them all with a little help from everyone. After the hunt we went back in to let her see what was in her eggs and we all opened our gifts from my mom and dad. Kelsie and Riley both got cute Easter Baskets filled with goodies from grandma and grandpa. They both seemed to like everything they got.


Kelsie hunting for Easter Eggs


Kelsie opening her Easter Eggs

I was pleasantly surprised that Kelsie wanted more to do with Riley this time. She gave him hugs and kisses and she wanted to know what he was "saying" the whole time. She got really upset each time he would cry and wanted to know how to make him stop. She was a very concerned older cousin. I can't wait until he gets a little older and they can interact more. I think Kelsie is going to love having a little cousin to play with!

We had such a great day! The weather was beautiful and everyone had a wonderful time visiting. I can't wait for us all to get together again soon!

Timmy's Birthday Party

Our friends Denise and Martin's son Timmy turned one and we went to his birthday today at the park. It was a perfect day for it and the kids had a blast. They got to play on the playground, bust a pinata, and have cake what more could a kid ask for! :) Although it was during nap time Kelsie had a great time. She wasn't even ready to leave despite the fact that we were there for almost 3 hours! She just loves being outside anyway, but when you add a playground and party she was happy as could be.

After the party Kelsie still wasn't tuckered out. We ate dinner and she spent the rest of the evening playing with Nick and Sophia outside. I couldn't believe she had enough energy to run around with them after all the activity that went on today. I am not complaining though, because we all had a wonderful day filled with lots of fun!