first half of April

Jensen and Remmy - I was watching Jensen who is my friend Mandy's little boy and needed something at the grocery store.  I thought they looked so cute in the cart together.

Brooklyn and Jake did swimming lessons.  Brooklyn's preschool teach Miss Katelyn taught them and is amazing.  They went 6 times and were swimming by the end.  Katelyn does the "survival" swimming, where basically she teaches them how to float on their back and to get to the side.  They both cried the first few times, but she makes them do it anyway (which I was all about) and by the end they loved it.  Now they are little fish and SO FUN to take to the pool.  Jake especially, has no fear.  Katelyn told me no more floaties for them, so I put them away.  Brooklyn is really good at floating on her back and Jake jumps in over and over and over again and swims back to the side.  I am a really proud mom of both of them.  I'm excited for this summer of tons of swimming and watching them get better and better.

John's sisters Heather and Shari came to stay with us for a week!  They brought all their kids, so we had a packed house!  I didn't know hosting 11 more people was possible, but it was.  My kids had lots of fun with their cousins and it was so nice to spend more time with both their families.  

Brooklyn and Emma

Brooklyn practicing on the kick board

Jake and Aleks - two of the cutest boys I know.  Literally.

Brooklyn started soccer.  It was actually a dad that lives on-campus housing that put it together.  It was every Saturday, free, with some instruction and then a scrimmage at the end.  I was so grateful it was free because I really didn't know what Brooklyn would think of it.  She is coordinated and pretty good at most things she does, but lacks confidence when something is new.  She blew me away though!  She was aggressive and good and so fun to watch.  Anyway, now that I know she loves it I'm going to sign her up for a community organized team in the fall.    

some of the kids streching

Jake's nursery leaders came and got me one Sunday and said they had to show me something.  I walked in to their class and Jake was like this, sound asleep on the floor.  He slept the entire time.  Doesn't look comfy at all to me, but guess he was tired.

Play group - the kids each made their own ice cream in a bag and played at the park after.  My friend Kandas is in charge of this and always plans fun things like this.  My kids thought it was so cool after the shook their bags for awhile, it turned into ice cream.

Jake, Reese, Brooklyn, Parker, and Jackson

happily sitting next to the action

My friend Kali came to visit and stayed with me for a few days.  I can't believe I didn't get ANY pictures, but she's the one I made a quilt for that my mom hated.  Kali used to live here, but moved last year to Boston for her husbands residency.  I threw her a baby shower.  Remmy found the fruit and dip and went to town.

sidewalk chalk on the driveway