Hot Weekend

Just a cute picture of Ainsley and Reggie:

It was in the high 90’s this weekend and way too hot…too hot to be working on building a sandbox. I had the bright idea that the kids needed a new sandbox because the one they use is so small and it seems to be a kid magnet. At playgroup, there will be 4 kids in our tiny frog sandbox. Ainsley and Reggie often play in it by themselves, so I thought it would be worthy investment. I looked on craigslist for awhile, but didn’t find what I was looking for, so I decided we could easily make one for a fraction of the cost. So, we did and it turned out great!! But, trying to do that on a hot weekend, while entertaining the kids, made it a really long project. If we’d had a solid block of time, we probably could have finished it in a few hours, but instead it just drug on. The kids love it and have really enjoyed it. It will be even more fun when our ship wheels arrive from Ebay. Thank goodness for the internet!!!

Here's some pics of our playgroup at the park and on our train ride. Ainsley has a thing for Kaylee and follows her everywhere :o).

For those getting automatic updates, here's the blog link to see pic's: http://arrtwade.blogspot.com/

Happy Mother's Day!

What a wonderful special day :o). Ryan prepared a nice breakfast for me and Reggie brought me my gift in bed. All my favorite treats and a temporal thermometer that I’ve been wanting forever! It will be nice when the kids are a little older and can actually be more involved. Ryan is pretty tired, trying to keep the house in order and do a little extra :o). It has been a nice restful day for me. I went to the gym and then laid outside in the sun for a few minutes before my lovely dinner!

Babysitter

We found a great babysitter today and we are super excited!!! Ryan and I were invited to participate in a golf tournament and we decided to go for it. The other family dropped their kids off at our house, so the babysitter, Alyssa, had all four of them and it went great :o). It was a little rough waking up at 5:45 and then having to wake up the kids at 6:30 before we left!
Golfing was great, other than our 7 o’clock tee time. It was a best ball tournament, so it went quick and we played with a really good couple and it was fun getting to know them better. Shawn was originally from Snohomish, so it was good to talk to another northwesterner! I was totally bummed that I forgot my camera because we saw all kinds of wildlife on the course, a bullfrog eating a crawfish, a fox hunting and eating mice? (it was fun to watch him hop and pounce) and a coyote wandering the course. Oh and a groundhog popping in and out of a hole. Who needs the zoo?!!!

10 year Anniversary!!!

Crazy to think we’ve already been married 10 years :o). Ryan took the day off and we went to the pool and had a great time. Ainsley is afraid of the slide this year and said she wanted to do it, but she couldn’t get up the nerve. She’s already talking about doing it next time, but I’m not so sure. That night, we went to movie night at our church and had some gummy worms, popcorn and watched a Bug’s Life. We met up with Sarah, Michael, Sam and Cooper and Ainsley was shooshing them during most of the movie!
I have to say I might be married to the best guy out there :o). I’ve been wanting to print our blog and put it in a binder to have as a family diary and that was my anniversary gift! Pretty thoughtful.
We had a little reflection time on our trip a few weeks ago and we remembered what life was like before kids. Our lives have changed a lot, but we’ve only gotten closer and we can still talk for hours, just like we used to :o). We started dating 17 ½ years ago…is that crazy or what!!!
Just a few reasons I love Ryan:
His big bear hugs
His happy smile when he comes home
His giving heart
His willingness to listen and change
His nighttime wake-ups (can’t believe the kids are still waking up!)
His affirming words
His positive outlook
His love for his children and me

Car accident

Well, I was in my first at fault accident :o(. I was taking Reggie to a birthday party at the bowling alley and a car nicely left room for me to take a left hand turn and was waving me on, so I went. The problem was someone was coming in the other lane! I thought the impact would have been much worse, but it wasn’t too bad, no airbags or anything. His car had minimal damage, but Ryan’s was not drivable. Yes, I was driving his work car, which worked out to be a really good thing. It was all taken care of in about an hour and he had a rental the next day. What a hassle, but at least we were all o.k.

Fun with the Rinehardt's!

My sister and her family came for a visit a couple weeks ago and we had a wonderful time. They drove late into the night on Thursday and arrived around midnight, so we took it easy the next day and let the cousins hang out and let Maggie rest. We did make it to the park, which just keeps getting more fun. Amazing what a few months can do for their climbing and maneuvering ability!

Sat. morning the girls went to gymnastics and the boys went for coffee (and donuts). Ainsley was so excited and wouldn't stop grabbing Maggie's hand. It was really cute, but I think Maggie was ready to have her hand back! That afternoon, we were off to Six Flags, until someone forgot their eye drops and we had to turn around (oops, my bad). By that time, it was too late to go :o(. Reggie was pretty upset about the change in plans, so we decided to go to the Jungle instead because it was a lot closer and there was a Sweet Tomatoes (all you can eat soup/salad bar) a couple miles away. We plan many of our outings around food...do you think we like to eat!!! The Jungle was just that, a maze of tunnels, slide and climbers. It was like the biggest McDonald's playland times 100! We couldn't keep track of the kids. Thank goodness for Reggie. He made sure everyone stayed together and helped them through obstacles they couldn't quite do. He is such a good boy :o)!

The next day we went to church in the morning and Six Flags in the afternoon. We love that place! Every time we go, we explore something new. We went to the elephant show and it was amazing. We sat just a couple feet from the elephant and got to touch it at the end. It felt very strange, kinda like a thick callus. They are sure amazing animals. We also finally made it to the orca whale show. It was neat, but I think I like the dolphins better. The kids were starting to fade, so we grabbed some dinner and then rode on some rides. The kids were in awe of the huge roller coasters. Maggie was ready to go, but mine, not so much. Next time Liha and Wade come, I think we'll get a babysitter and enjoy Six Flags from an adult perspective :o). We closed the place down and were hoping the kids would fall asleep in the car, but they had other ideas. We brought some banana muffins and they wanted to eat. Uncle Wade cut them off by telling them they were all gone and leave it to Ainsley to ask if she could, "see". As he was showing them the empty part of the bag, Reggie was yelling, there not gone. Sometimes, you just can't win! They were sleep deprived the entire visit, but managed to be in fairly good spirits.

Monday morning, Liha and Wade packed up and went to Napa for a night. It was good because I didn't take them anywhere and we just hung out. The cousins have so much fun together! We had a couple more activites planned, but Ainsley came down with a fever and nasty cold. She wasn't a happy camper and we were kinda wondering if she had Swine flu because she had all the symptoms. Then I got it, Maggie got it and now Ryan has it. This has been a rough few months for us and I keep waiting until the end of cold season!!!

Enjoying the bounce house:

Watching a movie on Uncle Wade's Ipod:

The visit went fast and we were sad to see them go. But, Ryan's mom is coming in 2 weeks, so we have something to look forward to.

Visitors in, visitors out

My parents were here 2 weeks ago and 4 days after they left, the Rinehardt family came for a week! It has been busy around here and I'm just now getting organized.

We had a very nice visit with my parents. We didn't do a whole lot because my dad's back is all out of whack and it looks like surgery might be his next option. It was nice to just hang out and visit. They were at it again in the yard (dad's bad back an all), weeding, clipping, raking....CRAZY!! The sad thing is that it has been so dry here, so we turned on the watering system and all the weeds are already growing back. The yard it extremely overwhelming and it is pretty small. I don't get it. Anyway, we're going to have to spray or put some mulch down to try to control all the weeds because I just can't keep up, nor do I want to! My parents were a little disappointed that we didn't have lounge chairs for sunning, so thanks to them, I went out and bought some! Even more of a reason to figure out a weed solution :o).

We made it to the park a couple times during their visit and mom and dad took them to the jelly belly factory. Turns out that wasn't such a good idea because it was spring break. Reggie and Ainsley were very patient waiting in line for an hour, but my dad was worse than a child!

We also had a fun bike ride on the trail with my dad (biking is about the only thing that doesn't hurt his back). It actually was a very stressful ride because I forgot Ainsley binkey and she screamed the entire time. It was a tough lesson, but 2 days later I forgot her binkey in the car and she handled it fine.

Easter fun....they patiently waited 3 days for these to "hatch"
Easter party at Reggie's school

Loving grandpa's shoes

Dad did his usual exploring and on an outing to get propane for the BBQ, he and Ryan came across the donut wheel. Let's just say we had our fair share of donuts while they were here. Mom made us a great early anniversary dinner and cake, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed! We had lots of great food, including fresh oranges off of our neighbors tree :o). Nothing better than a fresh orange. Dad was up on the ladder trying to reach over the fence to grab a few....no wonder he has back issues!!! We all had a lot of fun, ate great food and visited a lot. The kids are already talking about going to the lake this summer :o).

Think Reggie is excited for cake???

Vacation

Well, our vacation started out a little rocky. I looked out the window the morning we were leaving and my right eye was sensitive to the light. I have a history of Iritis (inflammation of the Iris), but was hoping somehow I was wrong. Not so....as the day went on it got worse. Unfortunately, it is a pretty serious condition and needs immediate treatment. Being a Saturday in the middle of nowhere at Angels Camp, CA made that a bit difficult. Luckily, my Kirkland doctor called in the prescription and they filled it (many times they won't cross state lines). I was feeling better after the first steriod drop!

After getting that figured out, we had a wonderful time. There was a lot to explore in the little town. We went zip lining, horseback riding, visited the Big Trees State Park (which was 37 degrees!) and toured the Sutter Gold Mine. The gold mine tour was very educational and super interesting. We panned for gold and jewels and brought the kids home some treasures. It was so nice to stay up late and sleep in, not to mention having uninterrupted sleep!!! We stayed at the Worldmark, which had tennis courts, a basketball court and ping pong. We dualed and Ryan was limping most of the trip because of sore muscles and foot pain, but he managed to win most :o). We also went golfing on a great course and I think I had my best day ever!

Ryan ziplining!

Busy, busy!

Last Sunday we had a nice visit with Cathy, Michael and Kellen! Reggie had so much fun playing with and seeing his old buddy :o). It is always strange to see people from home here....I'm not sure how to explain it, but we don't feel as far away. It was great to catch up and hear how things are going at home.

The week went by so fast...seems like the days go by very quickly lately. We biked to school almost everyday last week and enjoyed the nice weather! We finally decided to get out in the yard and get it cleaned up. The amount of yard waste is amazing and we're not even close to being done. It has been overwhelming, but we are slowly making progress and I don't cringe as much when I go into the backyard. Now we just have to stay on top of it!

Saturday we went to an egg hunt that the Livermore Moms Club was hosting. It was lots of fun and Ainsley even got her face painted. She seems to really like that. Reggie was all over the bagels, so everyone was happy. They were very excited to see what prizes they got-pennies and candy. The egg hunt just happened to be at the rodeo fair grounds and the first sat. of every month, they have horse riding competitions. So, we ended up spending more time over there looking at the horses. Ainsley wanted to ride one, but couldn't get the courage up to touch one; not sure how that would work. The owners of the horses were so friendly and offered their horses to be pet, but I was the only taker. Reggie just loved to watch them run. It will be fun to go to the rodeo in June!

Checking out the loot....

We came home for lunch, then Reggie had his baseball game and we worked in the yard. After that we did haircuts and Ryan took the kids for a run and I went for a bike ride. It felt so good to workout after such a long break. I hate being sick! Sunday was a little more mellow, church, then yard work and then we finally finished our taxes. By the end of the weekend, we were pooped, but felt accomplished.
We are looking forward to a visit from Grandma and Grandpa on Thursday, that is if I can pick them up! My car has had a battery issue for about a year and yesterday it wouldn't start again, so it is in the shop. They haven't been able to locate the short, but they know that is what it is. I'm hoping it it ready by the time they come or things will be a little interesting!

Bad genes and some fun...

Well, we had a short break of health, but we're right back into being sick. I have a fun little cold that I'm hoping doesn't turn into a sinus infection and between Reggie and Ainsley, I think we've been to the doctor 4 times in 2 weeks. Reggie had his 5 year appt. a little late and I decided to ask about his snoring because we can hear him in our next room. She said it was o.k. as long as he didn't stop breathing. She recommended we sit in his room for 10 minutes and listen, so I did. I could only handle 5 minutes because it was soooo disturbing. He never had a regular pattern of breathing and would pause for 3-5 seconds several times a minute. It was such a struggle for him to breathe and I couldn't make an appointment fast enough. Our doctor referred us to an ear, nose and throat guy. In the meantime, I took Reggie to the dentist (all kinds of things to get ready for kindergarten) and he looked into his mouth for 20 seconds and the first thing he said was, "what are you going to do about those tonsils?" He was very informative about the issues with large tonsils and Reggie already has some possible jaw/teeth movement due to not having enough room in his mouth for his tongue. So, we saw the ENT specialist and to no one's surprise, he recommended getting both the tonsils and adenoids out. So we're going to do that sometime in May :o). And we thought shots were tough!

And Ainsley....she had a pretty good fever early last week that lasted for 3 days, but she had no other symptoms. We waited and waited for Reggie to get it, but he didn't. They ALWAYS share viruses. So, this week, she had some very cloudy urine. I made another appointment and sure enough, she has a Urinary Tract Infection and that could be why she had the fever. What is it with UTI's and our family? Can our children not escape having one (for those of you that don't remember or know, Reggie was hospitalized at 3 weeks of age with one)? She has been sleeping very poorly for the past couple months and since she started the antibiotics, she's been great, so I'm wondering if she was waking up because it hurt when she peed. I feel bad because I think she's had it for awhile :o(.

Ryan has been healthy! Other than his Plantar Fasciitis, which is partly his own fault because he won't do the things that will make it better. I feel bad because he'll probably never run again...his feet just can't take it. I suppose we'll all be better one day!!!

We have managed to have some fun the last couple weeks. We had a really windy day and since Reggie and Ainsley got kites for one of their gold star prizes, we decided to walk down to the park and see if we could make Optimus Prime fly! It was too easy. We could have stood there all day and they never would have come down. It was cold, however, and the kids didn't last long, but it was fun for Ryan and I!

They also built a train one morning and decided to go to grandma's house. I get to play the role of whoever they decide to visit...it is pretty entertaining. Ainsley decided she was going to take a rest in it while I was making lunch. I am so glad they love using their imaginations and they use them together :o). The box has been used strangely often-I guess you never know what they are going to find fun to play with.

I also had a birthday this week and boy did I feel old. I couldn't get a deep breath because my cold was in my chest and I felt like I was 80! I'm much improved now and can taste o.k., but we did postpone the cake because I want to fully savor every bite :o). It was fun to hear from people and feel special for the day. Ryan does a very good job of that and I'm lucky to have such a great husband!

This morning we decided to have a picnic at Shadow Cliffs park with our friends the Bliss's. I was trying to get lunch ready, while Ainsley was at gymnastics and Reggie was being his usual self, asking to play every 20 seconds and that is not an exaggeration. I always remind him that if he helps me, I would have more time to play. So, today, he decided he was going to make his sandwich. He did a pretty good job and it was nice to have him help! Tonight he decided he was going to wash his own hair, dry himself, lotion up and get his p.j.'s on. Not the best strategy on his part, letting us know he can do all these things! I could get used to this!!!

Look at the concentration....

Back to Shadow Cliffs. It is a man-made lake with a sandy beach and picnic area. It was a very warm day (almost 80), so it was great, except the water was freezing. The kids didn't seem to mind much and enjoyed digging in the sand, making rivers and just being in the sun. When we first got there, Ainsley layed down on the blanket, like she was sunbathing, CRAZY! I didn't think it was going to be quite so warm, so she didn't have her swimsuit-I'm glad she's 2 and can get away with underwear. Here's some pics of Ainsley, with her buddy Sam and Reggie with Michael.

Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a nice visit with Cathy, Kellen and Michael. They flew in for a wedding and are staying an extra day to visit us!!! It has been a long while since we've had visitors and we can't wait to see them :o).

While mommy's away, the kids will play :o)

I went to Vegas last Friday through Sunday with my mom and sister and I think every time I called, the kids had gotten a new toy or were eating out. Needless to say, they didn't miss me a bit. They had a very busy weekend. It was Reggie's opening day for t-ball and they had pictures and a game. Of course, the times didn't work with Ainsley's nap. Thankfully, Sarah came over and stayed at the house while she took a little snoozer. She was very happy to see Cooper when she woke up.

Ryan was driving back and forth and trying to keep everyone on schedule. I called close to the kids bedtime to say good night and woke him up (he'd fallen asleep while they were watching there show). After all that fun on Saturday, he decided to take them to Six Flags on Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure I'd even do that by myself! They had a great time and found a kid friendly play area and of course, watched the dolphin show. The time change helped a lot because they had to pick me up from the airport at 8 o'clock and their bedtime is usually 7:30. Ryan was very glad to see me and I was very glad to see them.

Reggie is getting more confident with baseball and more confident at school. His teacher pulled me aside yesterday and said he was really raising his hand more and participating a lot in class :o). I'm sure we'll start all over next year :o(. He was Star Student of the week last week and got to do all kinds of extra stuff and bring a big bag for show and tell. He loved it!

We had to get Kindergarten shots yesterday and what an ordeal that was. Sometimes, I think it might be worse to tell kids in advance. He was nervous all day and started crying before we even got out of the car. I had to pry his hands off the chair in the waiting room and drag him, kicking into the exam room. When it finally came time for the shots, he was flailing and screaming, so the nurse and I had to hold him very tight. Once he got the first one, he calmed down a bit and was surprised it didn't hurt more. He got 2 lollipops and was happy as a clam. Ainsley will be traumatized forever....glad we don't have anymore for her until Kindergarten.

Vegas was a lot of fun. It was so nice to get up in the morning and do absolutely nothing. I only had to worry about myself! We ate at a couple buffet's, layed by the pool and floated in the lazy river (I even got a little pink), shopped, toured the hotels and gambled a bit :o). I finally was able to go on the Big Shot ride at the top of the stratosphere. I've been wanting to go for about 5 years and everytime we're there, it is too windy. Not so this time!!! It is similar to the ride at the Puyallup Fair that shoots you straight up and then you fall down. I have to say, this was way scarier!!! We flew up and couldn't see anything below...kinda felt like I was flying. On the way back down, my butt was off the seat because we were falling so fast. After a couple ups and downs, I was ready to get off. They guy sitting next to me was trying to conquer his fear of heights and it didn't work so well. I saw him gripping the side of the building, so he didn't have to look down to get to the elevator. He had bought a ticket for the roller coaster, X-scream, that hangs off the edge and decided he didn't want to go, so he gave it to me. I had seen that ride and really didn't have any desire to go, but it was a free ticket and his friend needed someone to go with. We sat in the front and that is a ride I won't be going on again. My mom took all the pictures and will have to send them to me, so no pics for awhile.

Oh, I almost forgot....I got carded :o). Made my day!!!

Yikes, 2 weeks went by?

Crazy how fast time goes! We've had a nice couple weeks. Lots of rain, which has been much needed. There's nothing like hearing the rain at night :o). We've had a lot of inside play time and the kids have gotten a little creative in their play. Here's a picture of what they were doing today:

We also implemented a gold star reward program a few weeks ago and it has been such a success. Reggie has been very good about getting dressed in the morning, helping me with the laundry/dishes and cleaning up his room! I got up one morning and he was already dressed, had picked up his room and the living room and had put the dishes away (too bad they were dirty!!!). When he gets 10 stars, he gets a surprise toy. Ainsley participates, but isn't as into it. She doesn't seem to mind helping just for the sake of doing it.

Last week we had teacher conferences at Reggie's pre-school. It was great to get some feedback on how he is at school. He is definitely ready for Kindergarten, but we need to work a bit more on sounds and reading retention. It was interesting to see his self portrait at the beginning of the year (looked similar to a snowman with eyes) vs. now (he had arms/legs/hands/hair). He has grown leaps and bounds in his art ability :o).
We had some extra time since he didn't have school, so we hit the bike trail and went for a ride. I thought it would be fun to throw rocks in the overflow drainage area that has only had water in it twice since we've been here. Reggie wanted so bad to get to the other side and there was a big branch in the water and he thought he would try to walk out on it. I turned my head for one second and he fell off it. Thankfully, it was only calf deep, but his pants and shoe got soaked. Last year that would have sent him into a crying fit, but he laughed about it. And then, he took his socks and shoes off and waded to the other side. He got full of mud and didn't even care. I was smiling the whole time, wondering who this little boy was! Ainsley wanted to follow Reggie, but she put her feet in the water and decided it wasn't for her. She managed to get plenty dirty, just throwing rocks and sitting in the dirt. We had a nice fast ride home (last year I couldn't pedal slow enough and I was constantly waiting for him), even venturing off the trail to ride up and down a hill :o).
We had Ainsley's gymnastics class this morning. She has been doing so great and I'm amazed at all of the things she'll try and that she can actually do. It is really fun to watch her!

Reggie's baseball has been quite the committment. His team practices twice a week and this Sat. they had a practice baseball game. It was during Ainsley's nap, so Ryan took Reggie and he did great. Doesn't he look good in his uniform, cup and all?!

Ainsley loves it when I tell her stories about babies and a couple days ago, I was telling her about how she was born and then Reggie came over and wanted to hear about how he was born. Of course Ainsley was asking about Grandma baby and Daddy baby and I had to explain to her that I couldn't tell those stories because I wasn't there! Anyway, Reggie somehow remembered that we had video of him and he wanted to watch some of it. I put it on and Ainsley was in heaven!!! After about 10 minutes, she wanted to watch herself. Yikes! We haven't transferred her videos to DVD's and I didn't even remember taking much. So, last night, Ryan and I got out the movie camera and were watching fun family videos. We found some of her, but I think our next project will be sorting that out (we made the mistake of using 2 different cameras, partly because we couldn't find the power cord to one of them. Ryan found it a month ago in my car glove box....hmmm). We have not done as good of a job capturing video of her and we need to be better about that. Movie night this week was watching baby Reggie and baby Ainsley.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

We had a few Valentine parties this week and I'm happy to say they are over. Reggie painstakingly addressed all of his to his classmates. It took 45 minutes to do 5 (and that is no exaggeration!) and I have to say Ryan and I lost our patience a few times. We've had a very nice day today. We went for a drive and visited a huge Bass store in Manteca. The kids had a great time looking at all the animals/fish, climbing on the party boats and finding anything that looked like a toy.

We've had a crazy couple weeks, between Ryan working long hours, Reggie's baseball practice, gymnastics, Ainsley's class and all of us being sick! I had a nasty cold all week and am just starting to feel better (I even lost my voice one day, which I'm sure the kids enjoyed). Ryan has the same cold, but seems to be handling it better. Yesterday, I woke up with my eye crusted shut! So, I had to load up the kids and go to my Dr. to get a prescription. It looks like I gave it back to Ainsley, so we're starting her drops again, grrr!!!

I missed blogging a huge milestone a couple weeks ago....Ainsley moved into a big girl bed. She used to have major issues falling asleep and some nights are still a challenge, but it has been so much better since she moved into her bed. Very strange, but we'll take it! When we were setting it up, we talked about having a sleepover in Ainsley's room because her bed has a trundle. I told Reggie maybe after movie night. He, of course, reminded me after the movie last week, so they had a sleepover and it went really well. So, we now have movie and sleepover night :o)!

Reggie had 2 evenings of t-ball practice this week and Ryan spent an hour or so working with him today. They were pitching to the kids on Thursday and Reggie didn't hit a single ball. He did great when Ryan worked with him:

We tried a couple gymnastics classes this week and Reggie decided that he doesn't like anything about gymnastics except the pit, so we won't be signing him up (which is great because they cost $15/kid per class!). Ainsley, on the other hand, loved it. She doesn't do any activities, so this will be good for her.

First t-ball practice and movie night

Reggie's first t-ball practice was last week and it started out like every new activity. Him sitting (actually, he was laying in the grass) and watching, refusing to participate. The coach was quick to try to get him involved and paired him up with a fellow teammate. He and Christain played catch and they both had a ball! I think he forgot I was even there. They did a circuit where he hit, caught fly balls and fielded grounders. He did amazingly well for not ever practicing. He had so much fun, he didn't notice until we got to the car that Ainsley had been picked up by Ryan! When we got in the car, he said, "I love baseball! I didn't think I was going to like it, but I do. I want to play everyday." He was very excited to tell Ryan all about it. I was commenting on how good he did at catching and hitting and he said, "yeah, I think I'm a professional!" I was cracking up :o). We are both really excited he liked it, but since then, he hasn't wanted to play with us. I think he just likes to play with other kids?

We started a new thing last weekend, movie night. We usually watch about 1/2 show per day, but I thought it would be fun to actually watch an entire movie and pop some popcorn. No surprise, it has been a huge hit. Ainsley was chanting tonight, "movie night, movie night." They alternate picking the movie, but Reggie seems to influence Ainsley a bit.

We are still sick. Both of them got pink eye, so we've been dropping their eyes 3 times a day....oh, what fun that is. We had a bit of a mix up a couple days ago because Ryan couldn't find the eye drops. He grabbed what he thought was eye drops, but was actually ear drops! They totally freaked out, but I was at a Kindergarten meeting, so Ryan didn't figure it out. The next morning, he did it again and I quickly figured out something was very wrong. Thankfully, the natural ear drops are very mild, but the pharmacist said it would probably feel like putting orange juice in your eye. Ryan felt terrible, but it was a good reminder to always check the label before using anything. Ainsley has another ear infection (that's 2 in one month) and we're trying to let her work it out on her own. She's been doing great, but we're tired of high night fevers. We'll give it a couple more days and see what happens. I just got the cold last night, so I've been laying low today-I'm glad Ryan is here!

Big man Reggie!

Yesterday we adjusted the training wheels on Reggie's bike. They are so high that they really only catch him if he is going to fall. He rode on the bike trail and to the park and was very proud that he didn't hear his training wheels. He did so good and it seemed effortless. I guess he was ready! He's been a bit obsessed with it since. We're going to go again this afternoon and I'm going to run (this might be a really good thing-I could push Ainsley in the jogger and he could ride his bike!).

Ryan took the kids to the zoo in the morning, while I ran some errands. They had a great time and got to see a big elephant unload...Ainsley thought this was very funny! There's also a small park with rides next to the zoo that they enjoyed. Ryan had to fib a bit on Ainsley's height.

We've had a bit of an unhealthy run lately. We had two weeks of the stomach bug, rotating from person to person. Ryan had it the longest, but Reggie had it the worst (we were changing sheets like crazy in the middle of the night). Ainsley only threw up once and I never got it. Must have been a man bug! We capped it off with some brutal food poisoning. Ryan got most of it out in 1/2 hour, but I was sick for about 3-4 hours :o(. It has been a long time since I've thrown up and I don't care to do it anytime soon! We're now back to colds. Reggie is complaining of an ear ache and he's never had one, so I think I'll see if I can get him some drops. It seems strange that he would get an ear infection at 5 years old when he's never had one.

My friend Sarah had her baby (Cooper!), so I had Sam and Michael one day last week. It was very busy, but they all had tons of fun. They were a bit disappointed they weren't able to do a sleepover, but I think they were all worn out from playing so hard all day. Ainsley is very excited about the baby and spent a good 1/2 hour holding him when he was 3 days old. She has a new excitement for playing at their house :o).