Five Mile Park

Over spring break, the beginning of April, Kayden and I went to Five Mile Park. 

We met my parents, sister, Christy and all the kids there and it perfect.  The kids played so well together and had a blast.  And the adults had a great time soaking up some much needed vitamin D and watching the kids play.

There was a special treat involved with this trip to the beach on this unusually warm April day...the kids got to "put their feet in the water" which amounted to them being submerged in the water up to their knees and maybe, thighs.  Kayden rode home with just his underwear on and there were others who were stripped down before being allowed in cars.  I wish we could live everyday at the beach. 

Swim Lessons

I hesitantly signed Kayden up for swim lessons after last years swim lessons ending with me pulling Kayden out, and me silently crying to myself wondering why my child wouldn't participate in anything!  At this point he had broken the arm rest in the dental chair, been kicked out of the eye doctor's office for not following directions and would scream at preschool when I would drop him off.  So, by the time swim lesson had come and he refused to participate, in yet another, activity, I was all but frustrated and exhausted with my defiant, strong willed three year old.  He had cracked me.

So a couple weeks ago when a friend mentioned she signed her child up for swim lessons, I thought, maybe we should try again.  Kayden had done well last summer at the swimming pool, gotten better in the bath, as long as we didn't wash his hair and was a little easier in our everyday activities.  I figured it couldn't be any worse than last year, so I signed him up.

I was prepared for Kayden to not participate in swim, refuse to get in the water and screamed with any attempt at getting him in the pool, I was ecstatic when he happily and willingly got in the pool and continued to participate the whole lesson!  Ecstatic, I tell ya!

You can see the joy on his face.  And if I would have taken a picture of my own face you would have seen the same joy on my face! 

 

We have had two swim lessons thus far, and have four more weeks to go.  And I can only hope the remainder of the lessons go as well as the first two have!

Egg Hunt

Kayden attends a Christian preschool and the church extended the invitation to their Palm Sunday church service, pancake breakfast, Easter Egg hunt and Silent auction to their preschool families. 

We of course attended and had a really nice time.  Kayden and I met our friends, Shelley, Linzie and their families at the service, where the kids got to wave palm branches down the church aisle.

I think Kayden was confused by this.  He held one of the leaders hands during the whole parade around the sanctuary.  Thankfully it didn't last too long, maybe a minute and a half or so.

After the service we headed downstairs to the "gym" where we enjoyed a pancake breakfast, while scanning all the silent auction items.  They also had a live auction, where Kayden got excited raising the paddle and won us two tickets to a Seattle Mariners game.  Whoop whoop.  Way to go Kayden!

After being the winning bid on the Mariner tickets we took the paddle away from Kayden and enjoyed watching others win!

We finally headed outside and the kids searched for eggs.

 

Trying to get all four kids to look at the camera was next to impossible.  I gave up.

Kayden really had a great time today, as did Kyle and I.  We're grateful for the churches invitation.

Family Pictures

Back in January Christy and I snuck around and got family pictures done for Cindy for her birthday, as well as Uncle Robby, and Aunt Sissy's birthdays.

To say they loved them is an understatement.  Christy and I were happy with the outcome for the most part also.  The photographer got some weird family set ups, where I would be standing next to Dean, and Christy next to Kyle, and then the kids could be anywhere, close to their real parents or not, but over all, the kids did awesome, the shots that made the most sense turned out great and there were zero meltdowns, and I'm not talking about from the kids, I'm talking about from Dean. We scheduled the pictures, on accident, during one of the Seahawks playoff games.  It really did happen by accident, I scheduled the appointment long before the Seahawks were ever in the playoffs, so I'm proud of Dean for sticking it out, even though we all know he would have been happier at home...in his chair....with a cold beer in his hand...watching the Seahawks game! 

Here are some of our favorites from the photo session.

 

Because the Seahawks were in the playoffs we had to support them.  Dean and Charlie came dressed in their gear, while we borrowed a jersey from the kids section at JCPenny.  And there you have it, family pictures.