A few random photos

Sometimes events happen and then we lose track of time...
It seems only yesterday that this workshop started...

 and now look how far it has come!  Jim and Clare have been working so hard!

And the children keep themselves busy while Jim and Clare are working...

With a little help from MD -- I mowed the lawn!

She has become quite the expert tree climber recently...

And swim lessons continue... the next session just started and everyone has been promoted - including this fella who has since stopped crying!

M&M are in there.. somewhere!  Sorry it's not a very good photo but it's hard to keep an eye on all 3!

We are busy... really busy these days!  Family portraits are turning out to be a blast!  The children spend the day outdoors while Daddy takes pictures of their friends and their families.  I am getting better at using MG's scooter now.  (haha!)  We've all learned the rules to Simon Says, Mother May I, Red Light Green Light, and a few other outdoor games.  Honestly, it's hard to play these games with only 4 participants, but we do our best!  Before they would play these games for the sake of playing and rules were disregarded - merely a basis for a sibling gathering/argument (however they saw fit!).  But now we are playing by the "rules" and learning not to cry when we are told to go back to the start!  Slowly...

More events are taking place -- Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Life has kept us busy and me away...

I am back and there's a lot of catching up to do...
They were finally able to get back on these things... after a YEAR!  No kidding!  After packing them up, putting them in the shed/storage, trying to figure out the best way to use these in our new setting...  I sucked it up, cleaned up an area of the garage and made room for these so they are more accessible to them.  They are enjoying them very much!

It has taken him awhile.. but he is finally a bit happier about going to school and making various projects!  (I hate that bowl cut look!  Often times I can fix it so his hair moves to the side... but today.. bowl cut -- ARGH!!!!!)

Jim's workshop now has frames... (October 8, 2010):

MD LOVES working in Jim's garage!

Of course, E is always near by trying to do all these big boy things!  (And of course, Uncle Jim is never too far to lend a helping hand.)  Today Jim watched the boys while I walked Morgan to school.  When I returned, they were all busy doing this...  (Melts my heart that they do these things together... Something I can totally imagine them doing with my dad if he were still here with us.)

(October 9, 2010) For the 6th year, we attended the Pumpkins in the Park event at Discovery Meadows Park in Downtown San Jose!

 But this year... Daddy was able to join us!!!!

While there, we ran into the Yeh family... and we invited ourselves over to their house for dinner!  (I do that often so I don't have to cook -- hee hee)

 While the children played...

 Ed and Uyen made this delicious meal -- awesome!  It's one of my favorite Vietnamese noodles dishes.

(October 11) After many tries.. we finally figured out what he needed to enjoy his swim lessons... his siblings!  E's instructor allowed M&M to join him and he had a BLAST with them!

Check out that almost smile!  :)

October 15, 2010 Check out the progress on the workshop!  It's coming along, isn't it?!

October 17, 2010 -- They made some more Halloween decorations for their room.

 And guess who stopped by with dinner?  Grandma!!!  E made her a bat to take home.  :)

October 20, 2010 -- They had "dress like your friends" day at school.  These are her new friends Lyra and Katrina.

 Look... the roof is getting started!!!!!

October 22, 2010 -- Due to potential rain Jim was motivated to act fast... first stages of the roof coming along just fine...  and FYI -- the roof raising ceremony is scheduled to take place October 24, 2010 at 11 AM!

October 23, 2010 -- Just hanging out today...  More practice on their bikes and scooters.  Rain came pouring down this early evening so we are all hanging out at home and staying dry.

MG's costume is finally done.  (Mom would have done a better job, but I didn't do that bad a job.  She is so thrilled that it looks like her drawing!  Hmm... is that a compliment for me?  But then, she is 7 and her drawing is pretty basic...  Oh well, it's done!  MD's hat is finished.  His overalls need to be dyed (I think?) and he needs yellow buttons sewn on them.  E's costume was store bought from a few years back, so he's done. (Phew! Not sure I could've handled 3 home made costumes!)  Now I have to figure out what I am going to dress up as...  Yee-haw is what i was aiming toward.

Swim lessons #3

These two are doing very well and having a blast!

The two boys in her group make her look very graceful when she swims!

He can't get enough of the lessons and ask EV.ERY.DAY when Monday will arrive... that is an awesome sign!  I love hearing that!

 He, however, would rather sit on the sidelines and watch... I might just have to grant him that wish next session.  Don't let the photos fool you... He cried when he went in, cried when I walked away to get the other two showered and dressed... and was sulking during the rest of the lessons while I watched from the outside.  Then I came in to take a few photos before the end of class.

  What did you do at swim lessons today, E?  "I cried. We talked about movies.  And that's it."  Gee... I paid good money for you to do that?  I must be pretty wealthy!

The zoo, a swim, a few lost photos, and a postcard swap!

The boys dug for dinosaur fossils this afternoon... it was a successful dig.  Don't look for them on the front page news though -- the fossil was place there by the zoo developers of Happy Hollow Park and Zoo!  Oh, well.  We'll have to seek our fortunes elsewhere!

For some unexplained reason E cried today at lessons.  Don't know what happened. He started out happy as a clam while waiting for his class to start and could hardly stand to be out of the water while M&M were in the pool.  The second his teacher came to get him, he almost ran away from her!  But of course, I made him stay and walked away while he cried... but went to him after I showered and dressed the other 2 after their lessons.

M&M had a fantastic lesson today.  They are by no means great swimmers, but they are surely more confident now than they were last month!  I look forward to seeing their progression this year.  They worked on their free style and breast strokes, then ended the day's lesson with treading water.   Both were able to stay afloat for 12 seconds! I thought that was a wonderful goal to reach for them both.  I forgot the camera in the car, so these few photos were taken from my phone.  I use it a lot these days!

While uploading the above photos I found the following in my phone too!

Last Friday we hung out a bit at Jim and Clare's.  Look how the back yard is coming along...  Jim and I just moved that big slab of concrete onto the dolly.  It may look small but it sure was heavy!  He couldn't move it further so that's where it stayed until Saturday when someone stronger would come by to help him move it further away!  MD is surveying the work.  I think he approves!  Just get it done so he can play in the new building!  :)

Just so you know, MG is not at all a typical girl!  She loves being a girly girl... but she can also hammer and make as much noise as her brothers!  (Even while wearing a pretty girly girl dress!)

This is the dress she chose to wear for picture day at school Friday.  Jim and Clare bought her this dress for her birthday.  Uyen says it reminds her of Sailor Moon.  

I've signed up for a postcard swap -- something for MG and I to do together.  We were given the country of Egypt.  It sounds fun!  And you know what's cool?!  The example she gave was the from the country of Cambodia!  See here.  Anyone want to join us?  The deadline is September 30, 2010.  Go check it out here!

Swim lessons in Fall?

Yes -- because they requested!  How can I say no?  It's an activity I do not "love," so if they love it -- I am more than happy to accommodate their request.

So I had no idea that it was so difficult to find a year round swim school that was within our budget!  Our budget is pretty limited right now... so, although I really like AVAC, they are definitely not within our budget right now!  I tried calling a few other community centers but they were either closed for repairs, the season, and/or still too expensive... I finally stumbled upon a school that I remembered another mom from soccer class had casually mentioned...almost a year ago!  I called today and found out they were indeed open for lessons (year round)  but lessons start TODAY!  Wow, I had to make a decision without any knowledge of the school!  Since it was within our price range - I went for it!  MD was SOOOO ( I mean it!) SOOOO excited when I got off the phone and told him we were going to lessons after we pick up MG from school.  He was ready to load himself in the car right then and there -- it was barely 1:00!

Well, they went and they had a GREAT time!  AND the pool is heated AND indoor!  Score!!!!
Lessons were 35 minutes long with a 5 minute free play time at the end.  The pool was quiet.  The teachers seem nice.  They staff members are definitely really nice and professional.  So far, so good!

See for yourselves!
Their teacher's name is Brian.

MG

MD 

E with his teacher Danielle -- he was lucky enough to have a private lesson today.  We're not sure he will be this lucky next week!

I asked for a picture and this is what he gives me...

Why can't he be like her???  See how cute she is???

And then I tried once more... and this is so much better... right?!  Lucky me... I'm stuck with him for.. how many more years of this?! :)

Great day!  I walked over 13, 000 steps today.  The boys and I had a great afternoon around the house.  Then it was rush, rush, rush to get MG, go to swim lessons, shower them at the center, rush home in traffic...SCREAM at E to wake up because we are almost home, promise (and at one point asked MG to lightly pinch him awake!), rush in the house to make dinner, help MG with homework, eat dinner, skip dessert because the whole weekend was spent eating birthday cake!, clean up, brush teeth, read bedtime stories (it's now back to Magic Tree House's Haunted Castle - did I mention we are loving DSA - Dragon Slayer's Academy (thanks Jen!) and they can now speak and understand pig latin?!  Well, I will next time!) , tuck them all in bed... and collapse!  But back to editing....

last day of swim lessons

July 22, 2010 -- last day of swim lessons!!!  (backtracking)

They have learned so much!!!!

Jumping in a pool is NOT her favorite thing to do!

He loves it though!

Ahhhh....

He was on his back for over 12 seconds on his own!!!!

She did pretty well too.. maybe 8 seconds!

He can put his face in the water without getting upset!  :)

They had fun during their last small group lesson.  I was pleased with this summer lessons.  They learned a lot and we will use this swim school again.