On Monday, we headed to the Aquatic Center to meet up with our old friends: Jay and LeAnn and their two daughters, Ellie and Charley. Now I say old friends, but when I sat back and thought about it, I had never even met their kids and the last time I saw LeAnn was 11 years ago at her bridal shower! I was just a pesky high school kid then, but it didn't really seem like it was that long ago. Time flies I guess. Jay was flabbergasted that I was a mom these days (He is my Nana's son and has known me since I was born). It was great to see them all again and finally get to meet their great kiddos that I have only seen pictures of over the years. And of course it was so nice to chat in person with LeAnn, after years of emailing back and forth.
Corinne was ready for the pool right after her nap.
But I had to remind her that we were not headed to the nude beach down in San Diego.
Lincoln literally and figuratively "latched" onto Ellie. He was like a lost puppy dog, following her around the pool all afternoon. Ellie is a great "big kid" role model for Lincoln. She has awesome manners and was a huge help with corralling the little ones. Lincoln loved playing "shark" with her and going down the slides together.
After so much fun on Monday with no nap, it sort of set us up for disaster on Tuesday during Mommy and Me school. I could devote and entire blog to last Tuesday's events, but I will spare everyone the details. A condensed version goes a little something like this: Lincoln is a perfectionist who hates having his shapes even slightly crooked. He also hates when his name is not "just right". When I try to help him with my "righty" ways, his "lefty" brain insists that I am doing it all wrong. We left early after multiple meltdowns--myself included. I talked to his teacher later that day and discussed ways we can get over this hurdle. Pray for me for next week!
(Later on this week when we were working on his thank you notes, Lincoln told me he doesn't like other kids to see his shapes. He obviously feels embarrassed that they are not exactly right. So I told him that next class we will make "secret shapes" that only he and Mommy get to see. He said "Yeah, just like saying people are fat is a secret too!" This seemed to perk him up about practicing on the marker board at school. I just hope it works!)
The beginning of class went great, with him singing and dancing---it was all downhill after his rectangle was off by a few millimeters.
In an attempt to salvage the day, we headed outside to play with Lincoln's new rocket blaster from Papaw and Amber---after both he and Corinne had a long, long nap!
We literally had a blast and it was the perfect opportunity for him to practice counting. He can almost count backwards from 10 now!
We literally had a "blast" playing with this. He kept telling me he was going to hit an airplane. It does go up to 100 feet!
I put Corinne in the backpack carrier while we played and she enjoyed watching it just as much as we did. During our clean up, I decided to let him blast each rocket one last time and then we would try to catch them. Luckily they are nerf and a missed catch is no big deal, but I couldn't help but be reminded of a lovely childhood story of Nathan's: He and his best friend, Andrew, shot arrows up into the sky and then proceeded to try and catch them in their ball caps. Luckily both Nathan and Andrew still have both eyes, and are much older and wiser now. I just pray that Lincoln and Corinne don't come up with crazy "fun" games to play like their dad did as a kid.
On Wednesday Corinne had another dance class, but was feeling tired and a bit under the weather, so she spent most of the class in my arms. Lincoln was the model child at her class--sitting quietly, using manners, and politely demonstrating for the younger kids when asked. Why can't he be like that on Tuesdays???
In the midst of the chaos, I did a little sewing therapy and got the valance for the playroom finished!
Wednesday night, we spent cuddled up on the couches together. It was a high of 76 on Wednesday and we welcomed the cool weather with some snugly jammies.
Corinne decided to relax and read.
After laying Corinne down for bed, I broke out the Toy Story Memory game we got Lincoln for his birthday. We only used about 2/3 of the deck to help him grasp the concept more easily.
He really seemed to be getting the hang of it and was actually beating me at first.
Then I turned over a Rex card and he said, "Oh Rexy!" and ran off to get his Rex. It was all downhill from there because he didn't pay attention during my turns. I had to help him remember where some of the cards might be. But in a few more rounds, he will be a champ.
On Thursday we hit up the commissary to stock up on food for our play
date on Friday. We made stromboli and the kids enjoyed the sunny, cool weather outside. There were a total of 6 kiddos at our house. Lunchtime looked like we could run our own daycare.
Colton brings out the wildness in Lincoln. It only took seconds after finishing lunch for them to get digging in the dirt.
Mabel and Luke stayed away from the little mud monsters and enjoyed some time with the outside toys.
Poor, polite little Mabel was slightly scared off by the rowdy boys.
And Weston slept through most of the playdate.....
That is until Corinne decided to point out all his parts. "Eyes, eyes, eyes!" I think she was a little confused that this "baby doll" had to be handled with care.
We wrapped up the fun with some keylime cookies!
After taking a turn in Lincoln's booster chair at lunch so Luke could use her highchair, Corinne decided she wanted to use it from now on and has since put up a bit of a fight about getting into her highchair. Lincoln is not too happy about this.
But a little bribery with donuts always seems to do the trick.
I just think she is trying to grow up too fast--ready to move into a booster chair, wear Mommy's shoes, etc. I want her to be my little baby forever!
We spent Saturday shopping for fall clothes for the kids. It was a long exhausting day. I ran upstairs to open the windows and came down to find Corinne dancing on the table with her necklace on, trying to drink from my water bottle! These kids really wore me out this week.
Saturday night, Lincoln enjoyed some popcorn out of his special holders from Grandpa Jinks while we watched Toy Story.
On Sunday we headed to church in some of our new duds. Corinne had the cutest pigtails in her hair. Her hair is at this odd length that if I don't do it every day she looks like "the little girl that no one loved enough to brush her hair" or as my mom would call it a "ragamuffin". Lately she has been pulling her pigtails out and since I use the "ouchless" kind, it was really not a big deal. I didn't want her to pull them out during Sunday School, so I put them in extra tight. Upon arriving back at the house I go to get her out of the carseat and find her pigtailess and covered in hair. It literally looked like I let the old hairy Chomper rub all over her carseat. Apparently she is not tenderheaded, but she now has much less hair and looks even more like a ragamuffin!
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Quote 1: After eating and talking with his fingers in his mouth.
Lincoln: "Mommy, I have one of those foodgetteroutters?"
Me: "Huh?"
Lincoln: Tongue working on the side of his cheek, with a head tilt. "I have one of those food-getter-outters?"
Me: "Oh a toothpick!"
Quote 2: On our way to the pool.
Lincoln: "Who are we going to swim with?"
Me: "Our old friends, Ellie and Charley."
Lincoln: "They aren't your friends! They are my friends!"
I love that at this age, any kid qualifies as a friend.
Quote 3: While I was vacuuming and he was watching tv.
Lincoln: "I can't hear my movie. Doesn't everybody know it's not nice to vacuum when somebody's watchin' a movie!"
Quote 4: While cruising the aisles of the dollar store for little green Army men.
Lincoln: "I want one of those wakeruppers!"
Me: "Huh? A waker-upper? An air horn?"
Lincoln: "Yes!"
Me: "No way, not now, not ever!"
Why do they even make toys like that?
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