Swim School!

We decided to put the kids in swim school!  Anna's taken to the water like a fish, and Wallace scares the crap out of me because he pretty much sucks at swimming, but for whatever reason he's not super scared of the water, which just totally freaks me out.  "/  Anyway, one of Josh's friends recommended a nearby swim school, and I was really impressed with them!  Because it was a slow day at the swim school Anna got a one on one class, which made for a great first lesson.  Josh handled Wallace in the baby and me class.  I am such a poor swimmer myself, I am honestly concerned that my timidness in the water will just rub off on him.  

I've had a lot of time to contemplate why I never really took to water and swimming, and I think I've finally figured out what went wrong...  I blame my vision.  My whole life when I've been in a pool I've either been blind because I had to take my glasses off or my glasses got covered in water...or I've been blind because I had to take my contacts out...or I've been shielding my eyes from other people splashing because hard contact lenses and water just don't mix at all.  For a while in college I attempted wearing goggles...call me vain, but they left imprints around my eyes for hours after I was done swimming.  Whatever...enough about me and my issues with water...let me show off my super cute kiddos and tell you all about their classes today!!!

Waiting for her class to start was just excruciating for Anna.  Wallace's started 15 minutes ahead of hers, and she was like "Am I going to get to swim???"  "When do I get to swim??"  Oh, and as I was snapping away, I heard her say to another little girl "that's my Mom."  And it wasn't an excited and proud "That's my Mom!!"...it was almost more like 'yeah...that weird lady over there with the camera...she's with me..."

Wallace was totally weirded out by his swim shorts, so Josh was trying to distract him by swinging him around until his class started.  We usually let him play in our pool naked, so the swim diaper was strange for him at first.

So, I know this is totally out of focus (stupid camera focusing on the pool depth numbers...), but you can see how excited he was!!!  They slowly get them wet for like 10 minutes, and then pretty soon they're all laughing and excited.  Oh...and on a side note, I was surprised to see that the majority of the parents in this class were men!  A serious departure from tumbling and many other toddler activities that I've heard about from other moms.

And this might look like torture, but they have the parents dunk them, and the kids come up pretty shocked, but excited and happy every time!  I was watching Anna for part of Wallace's class since they overlapped, but Josh assured me he didn't cry once.

Anna was sooooo ready for her class to start!  

Her teacher was awesome with her, and I think I've figured out the trick to feeling good about your kids' abilities in anything...start them one level too low!  I didn't do this on purpose.  When I called in and talked to them about where Anna and Wallace were when it came to swimming, the girl I spoke to suggested the preschool 2 class...Anna tested out of it today!  She got to stand on a podium and ring a bell!  She was so excited, and so was I!  And the teacher had her diving for rings at the end of the class!  I didn't know she could do that!  

So...other than that, I've been trying to get a picture of all 3 of my kids together, but I'm not having much luck....

Wallace is such a pill when it comes to this.  

I swear he knows what I'm trying to do....

This would have worked if I hadn't had the aperture wide open...but the room was dim...  Look at that face...he knows what he's doing!

Whatever....Anna likes to pose with Meredith, so I guess I'll have to just be happy my girls take pics together.  :)

Oh...and Wallace's tag sucking has gotten crazy out of control lately...  I googled it, and I guess it's somewhat common.  Similar to having a pacifier.  He'll grow out of it...right?  Not going to go to college sucking on tags I'm sure...

And...we're back! :)

I never intended to have a 3-month hiatus from photography and this blog, but life kind of happened....  And Josh unexpectedly packed the computer away in storage!  So, what exactly happened these last few months?  Well, I'll tell you. 

1. Wallace had a birthday

2. We had to move out of our house and in with my Mom (poor Granny...)

3. Anna had a birthday

4. We fell in love with and lost 3 potential houses due to crazy seller circumstances

5. We got a puppy!  Why not?  Everything else was pretty crazy for us, seemed like the perfect time to throw a puppy into the mix!

6. We went on a couple of trips

7. Meredith got baptized

8. We finally closed on a new house!

9. Josh's truck was stolen

10. Josh's truck was recovered

11. A lot more that I'm sure I'm forgetting about....

So, I don't really have pictures of everything that happened during the hiatus, but I got a fair amount of it.  I started to get kind of down on taking pictures since I wasn't really able to look at them and process them, so I caught myself just not really taking my camera with me to a lot of the places I normally would.  

Anyway...this will be a long update, but hey...it's been 3 months...what'd you expect?  :)

WALLACE'S BIRTHDAY!

Wallace turned 2!  This was one of the last things we did in our old house!  And you can probably tell life was already getting a bit hectic.  Poor kid got a rice krispie "cake".  "/ 

At least he got some snazzy candles!

Dallas and Madison were in town and stopped by for the festivities!

Wallace cracked me up at my Mom's house.  In good ways and bad...  He was a little off-balance I guess, and never really figured out that sleeping was to be done at night and running around the house was to be done during the day.  

But then he would do the cutest stuff...like try to help me with the dishes.  :)

So...we decided to get a puppy.  We hadn't really planned on the timing of it, but our dog trainer had organized a litter of drathars, and we honestly thought we'd be in a new house before they were born...

Josh was out of town for this, but when the puppies were about 4 weeks old our trainer had them all over at her house, so all of the perspective puppy parents and their families went to visit them.  We didn't even know which ones were ours yet, but Anna was drawn to this little guy.  Happens to be the one we got!  He was super adorable and calm, and nothing at all like he is now.  "/

Since we didn't feel right about bringing a puppy home to my Mom's house we would go visit Hoss at Tammy's (the trainer) place every weekend...and that's when Anna decided to fall in love with another little puppy.  She was the last of the litter, and just seemed to have so much love to give.  So after some thought...we decided to get her too!  I know!  We're crazy people!  The other cute little girl is Riley, Tammy's niece.  

Since Hilde is my puppy, I decided I could go ahead and bring her home to my Mom's house.  I don't think Granny was super pleased with me, but I think it was good for me and the puppy.  Although...she still isn't house broken...  "/  Arg....super frustrating having a puppy for the first time in like 15 years.  So, the vet had said I should let her run around with the leash on but not holding it for a little while so she could get used to it...

...yeah....she insists on holding it the whole time you walk her now....

We went on the annual family trip to the Frio with Josh's family, and I took a TON of pictures.  It was the first time I'd pulled my camera out in a while since we had moved in with my Mom....I got a little carried away.

Anna was thrilled to see it again.  ;)

I decided to pack my camera in a ziplock and brave the treacherous Frio River rocks (those things are sharp and slimy!) to get some pics of the kids in the water!

The kids were super cute as usual!

I honestly can't believe how good this picture turned out!  

The boys found a tree swing!  I can't believe Cy is the same age as Anna...she was not quite ready to jump from a tree swing this summer!  He was a maniac!

Totally worth it to risk $2K in camera equipment!  :)

Wallace is starting to look a little bit like a monkey...and he's so fair, we have to coat his entire head in sunblock, so his hair gets a little out of control too.  :)

Aunt Lynn made the trip this year!

Sarah painted like a hundred faces!

She's really quite talented at it!

She's so good even Anna let her paint her face!  And that's saying a lot!

Someone came up with the awesome idea for the kids to paint t-shirts for the 4th of July parade!

Some of them really got into it!

Erica brought awesome treats for all of the kids!  She's pretty popular with them.  :)

Yeah...they were just a little excited...  ;)

Uncle Mark came too!  But Wallace didn't want his picture taken with him apparently...  "/

Aunt Lynn brought an adult beverage concoction that required a good bit of shaking!  

Just about everyone took a turn "shaking the baby!"

It was so funny...no one wants their picture taken while shaking this thing, but their faces were so funny when they'd realize I was snapping away.  :)

It was finally ready!

I'm not so sure Joe liked it....  He might have just been swatting a fly though.  :)

A lot of ice cream was made!

All the kids took turns churning.

Even the grownup kids!

Ava was there!  And even though she closer in age to Wallace, she and Anna played together quite a bit!

So, I've been visiting the Frio since I was in middle school and used to go with a good friend every summer...  When exactly did the Frio become the Guadalupe???  "/

I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but the kids found a beer bong while tubing one afternoon!  And could not wait to try it out!

And then there was the pinata!

I got pics of each one of the kids taking swipes at this thing!

Ava never really did get the hang of it....  :)

Such fierce concentration!

Oh my gosh!  How cute is this!  She was so excited!

Some of these kids have amazing swings!

Tanner was so funny!  He managed to knock it down without cracking it open.  :)

Not to worry!  I was raised again, and Dillon took the first major swipe that got some candy to fall out!

The kids all grabbed up the candy in between major swipes like this for quite a while.

Wallace hadn't been feeling great in the week leading up to this trip, and it seemed like it took an eternity, but he finally started warming up to some of his cousins after a few days.  :)  Yay!

Ha!  Josh and I just seem to be constantly covered up in kids lately.  :)  I've never loved the way he holds the babies like he's all about to drop them off his hip, but they never really seem to mind too much...

So, there's nothing better than a water gun float at a parade in Texas on the 4th of July!

Except for maybe a Lawn Chair Brigade!  These people were awesome!  

And apparently award-wining!

I love these mad dashes for candy in between floats!

Wallace's sunblock hair again.  :)

I've been trying to get some good pics of Meredith since I've finally got a fancy camera and a baby!  I never find time to do this.  "/

Believe it or not....Anna actually took these pictures!  It was very sweet of her to offer.  :)

She's quite talented!  Managed to keep us in the frame!  :)

Lots of time just chillin

What a trooper!

Thanks for the Frio trip Big Momma!  

And then on to the beach!

So, I took Hilde to the beach, and I was so stressed out trying to keep her from peeing all over the house that I just didn't get very many pictures of this trip.

The girls all had a ton of fun playing together!

And poor Wallace is the only boy in this group.  "/

Meredith's baptism!

Meredith's Godparent's got her her Christening gown, and it was super fancy!  She even got a little bracelet!  Adorable!

And she didn't even really complain when she was woken up by the actual baptism.  :)

This was our baptism announcement picture.  It was a collaborative effort!  My Mom had to take the picture, and Jen had to process it.  I think it came together really nice!

Well...you made it to the end!  :)  Can't believe you stayed with me through all of that.  Hope you enjoyed the update!  

Refuge Bike Ride Weekend

Well...two weekends in a row the kids were loaded up in the car for a road trip.  This time we went to Josh's Mom's house, which is 6 hours away!!!  She was having a bike ride fund raiser for her charity Refuge International.  

I didn't realize that it would make for a pretty easy trip leaving at 6:00pm.  I certainly didn't intend to leave so late, but it really takes forever to get everyone going in the same direction.  My Mom rode with me, and Josh went on ahead of us in his truck so he could haul the BBQ trailer up there (he was cooking for the event).  As soon as we got in the car, my Mom started telling me she was hungry and wanted to stop, but I made it clear that as long as the kids were content, we were pushing forward no matter what.  She pouted a little but then miraculously produced a stash of emergency bananas!  :)  We made it to the other side of Austin before needing to stop, and ended up having this Utopian experience at a McDonald's of all places.  They had a brand new indoor playplace, and no other kids were there.  Anna and Wallace ran around like banshees (Wallace carrying around a chicken nugget to nibble on the whole time).  I let them run for over half an hour before we decided we better get back on the road, and then after just a little bit of crying, Wallace fell asleep for the rest of the ride.  It was amazing!  He's the difficult one in the car right now.  I don't think it's his fault...just his age.  

Stock image....No...I don't let him ride down the highway like this!  

We arrived crazy late!  1:30am.  The kids weren't phased though...just me. "/  The next morning we all got up and started prepping for Saturday's race!  Which means Josh works very hard to get the BBQ trailer ready, Granny holds the baby, and I take a bunch of pictures  :)  I helped Josh out some too, when Wallace was napping.

The kids played and played and played all weekend long.

A rare moment when Wallace wasn't in lock down in the pack on my back.

Tanner was super helpful getting the meat prepped!  Kipper was a little late arriving, so Josh was really grateful for the help!

OMG!  How cute are they! It's rare to catch them all just being calm....

This is more like it....

Sarah's kids are all about bunny ears and funny faces!

Anna got up there too, but geez, it's so high it scared the crap out of me!  So, it didn't last long... Oh, and it took her forever to put those gloves on all by herself.

So, Anna is totally in love with Kipper....this is the exact moment she caught sight of him walking up!  Haha!

The next morning the riders arrived!!  Let's just say...there was a LOT of spandex!  

Check in.

Strategizing!

And quite a bit of standing around talking and waiting...

This man was so nice!  He rocked Meredith on the porch for the longest time.  :)

Josh's Mom was pretty busy!

Then it was time to go to the starting line!

This guy was super focused!  I dig his helmet!

Bike gear seems to make everyone super photogenic!

See...crazy photogenic!

Anyway...then they were off, and it was back to chasing kids for me.

They just do such cute things!  

Feeding some fish!

Had to get some pics of Wallace while he had a chance to get out of the pack for a little while at the farm house!  :)

I just love this pic of Tanner!  

When we got back, my buddy Jen texted to ask if I happened to have a pic of all three kids for a photo thing she's putting together for her son.  *gasp!*  I totally didn't!  How did that happen?  Meredith's been here 6 weeks!  There's been plenty of time to try...  

So I tried....

This is going to take some practice....   "/

Easter Weekend

This weekend, for the first time, Josh and I loaded up all of the kids and went on our first road trip.  It was an adventure...  Unfortunately for Josh, with Meredith's seat right behind the passenger seat, he can't really fit comfortably over there, and was basically forced to drive.  "/  We ended up getting smart on the way home and adjusting the seating arrangement so that I could be back with the two little ones who are more prone to freaking out for no apparent reason.  So, the return trip was much better.  It may have just been better because the kids were all super exhausted after a weekend with their cousins though.  

So, I think I may have finally settled on a new filter.  I've sort of modified one of the ones I downloaded in an effort to make the color look a little more believable.  

Anyway, I got a bunch of cute kiddo pics!

I always like looking at pictures of myself with older relatives who looks completely different now.  :)  I think Meredith and Bodie will get a kick out of this someday. 

Wallace had a blast playing with all of Cy's trucks, tractors, etc. while we were there.  

Cy has an amazing assortment of toy vehicles!  Wallace was impressed.

I totally can't tell the twins apart now...their hair is the same length again...  "/

Although I thoroughly enjoy holding my baby, it was super nice to have so many people around who were more than happy to spend some time with her.  :)

The Easter egg hunt was pretty comical.  There were sooooo many eggs.  Leah and I ran out of places to hide them!

Once he caught on to the whole candy inside concept, Wallace was completely on board with the hunting thing.  

For whatever reason, if you don't get Anna's hair put up while you are in the process of dressing her, she will not let you put it up for the entire day...  "/

She got a little upset when her basket got too full.  Oh...and she wore these binoculars ALL DAY LONG.

Josh bought a bazillion cascarones!

Haha!  She doesn't really like it when they get smashed on to her head, so Anna prefers the pouring method.  :)

Ava joined in the egg hunting fun!  :)

What is it with kids and your sunglasses?

This scooter was by far the most popular toy among the older kids.

 Cy did some pretty impressive tricks for us on his tricycle.

And then he posed it up for me.  :)

Haha!  :)

We kept having to drag Wallace back from running in the street!  He thought this was an awesome game.

The big kids helped out with trying to keep him corralled. 

Toward the end of the day Josh played with the kids on the trampoline.  :)

Holy crap!  Look how high Dillon got!

These kids have so much fun together! 

Really makes me wish I'd gotten to grow up with a ton of cousins...

Thanks for hosting Leah!  We had a really good time!  :)

Easter Party at Anna's School

So after all of the other parties I've attended for Anna's class this year, I was pleasantly surprised by how she acted at the Easter party!  She was in awesome spirits the whole time!  No crying, no pouting, and she even ate and participated with the class...and talked to me!  I had to keep reassuring her that I wasn't leaving and I was going to take her home with me when I left, but other than that, she was fine.  :)

They did a washing of the feet.  Had trouble getting a good picture of this because of other adults standing in the way, but oh well...

Afterwards it was pizza and cookie time back in the classroom.

And while the rest of the class got up to do this super fun flower dance where Ms. Joyce sprays them with water....

...homegirl had a second slice of pizza.

She finally joined them toward the end though....with a mouth full of pizza.

Just in time to get sprayed during the final chorus.  So, I know she's standing closest to the camera and all, but I honestly think she is the biggest kid in her class!  Poor thing....pray she likes sports!  ;)