Swim Star!

Wahoo-We made it!! Today was the First lesson that Reese didn't cry, this is huge. The past four lessons she would do everything Miss Cerra asked but did so with a cry. Today was awesome and she even allowed me to watch for a few minutes! (normally I sit on the side of the house and watch on a baby monitor) so this was a real treat!

 I could not be more proud of this little swim star! Keep it up!

Here is a short video of her diving for her toy turtle. She missed it but she is getting close!

and this one is for the those of you who want to watch a full 4 minutes! Just be warned its long:)

and here is Proud Sister! Waiting so nicely for her turn! More of her lessons to come :)

Happy Swimming!

Schools out for Summer!

Teaching this year taught me so many valuable lessons. 

The 34 third and fourth graders that my teaching partner and I were given this year was an extraordinary group of kids. Kids with stories that broke my heart and at the same time inspired me to be a better person and teacher each day. Some days I just was in awe of them getting to school and just surviving. I don't want to get into details about their personal stories but I will forever remember these smiley, hard working, passionate little people. We laughed a lot because of my silly math lessons or science experiments gone wrong and shared life together as we said good bye to a father in our class and saw loved ones in the hospital. Kids welcomed new brothers and sisters and shared joy in finding friends that love them for them. It was a special year. Sharing a contract and working part time was a blessing, and I can't say enough good things about my partner. She. is. amazing. I feel like I get the best of both worlds - first and most important is raising my girls and being there for them and second teaching is something that I lo and is a creative outlet for myself. Looking into the future next year will probably be my last year teaching for a while. With the end of Kevin's residency quickly coming I can't think of anywhere I rather be then home. But that is a decision for the future! I know that I  will always be involved in education in one way or another. Heres to a great school year and  I look forward to next year and meeting so many new faces and families! 

Little Sister

Sometimes its hard being the little sister! Stickers and Paint are nothing compared to what this little trooper has been through. Hand, foot, mouth disease is a very evil little illness that made our happy go lucky girl miserable for three days. She is finally bouncing back and no one is happier than Addison!

See she is already teaching her a new trick!

I am so grateful to have our dancing little Babe healthy and happy again!

Now I am back to sanitizing all the toys!

Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This!

When I played basketball at Davis every year at our final banquet we would watch a slideshow on all the sad, funny, silly, and heartbreaking moments of the season while listening to the song 

"Mama Said There Would be Days Like This" 

This picture of Reese sums up our recent feelings (just look at that lip)!!

Not so fun things!

1. Nose Bleeds and Packing (Kevin) - 1 surgery 3 visits to the Emergency Room because of complications (mentioned this before)

2. Bladder Obstruction (Kim) - 1 ER visit and a catheter for 1 week! (worst.thing.ever)

3. Car Trouble - Had to rent a car for a week to ensure Kevin would return from Fresno and survive the Grapevine! Thankfully Kevin's parents generously offered to drive our Jeep down once it was fixed. love them.

4. Canceled Vacation (no camping)

5. Addison went for a walk with her Dad and packed her 65 pound backpack and fell  

6. Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease (Addison & Reese) - Unconsolable crying and three sleepless nights. Finally we are recovering and on the up and up!

7. Missed my best friend's daughters 2nd birthday

Silly/Fun

1. Every time Reese goes potty in the toilet Addison tells her how proud she is of her! Love that.

2. Redecorated the house for 4th of July - love being festive and stalking pinterest!

3. Kevin and I had spontaneous "date-days" and time re-couperating together where we watched movies, ate by the t.v. and slept. 

4. School is out for summer!

5. Addison loves to laugh and has developed this new super loud hysterical laugh!

6. Reese continues to dance, sing, and be super Independent! She definitely is a Daddy's girl in ever sense of the word!

7. Auntie Elisa, Grandma, and Papa came to visit!

8. Getting to know our neighbors more and taking nightly walks and making more play dates!

9. The girls are playing more together and are pretending doctor, school, and playing lots with babies!

* More to share later!

* So although things don't always go according to our plan we definitely have faith that things are happening for a reason. Joy's Hope is one of my favorite bloggers and each week I feel like the verse was just meant for me to see. Check our her story it is amazing. 

We feel super blessed to start the summer with happy and healthy hearts! More pictures of happy moments to come! But this is one of my favorites because we are truly in this together!

May!

We did so many exciting things the last couple of weeks, can't you tell!

I mean doesn't this picture just scream excitement!! Haha... we were definitely fighting some colds in our house and spent some time in our sleeping bags and watching movies. 

Luckily the Doctor makes house calls and saves Mommy lots of trips to Urgent Care

As soon as we peeped up we headed to Disneyland, just the girls! It was a first for me to take them by myself and a first for Reese on the carousel all by herself.

we attended our weekly ballet and tap class! Here our little ballerina is looking extra Pink-erffic!

We swam with ducks

and together!

Gardened in the yard

and learned how to make a total mess in less than three minutes!! (try to find Reese) Total Stinker!!

We spent some time hiking at Newport Back Bay 

Did I mention that the girls love to be outside!

and celebrated a special birthday! 

I had Open House for my 3rd/4th Grade class

This is a very special class where we have shared so much. Here are some fun class books a Scrapbook of our memories!

Collage of all my kids!

A bulletin board on going to College! Our goal is to get these kids going to college. My favorite paper was by a third grade boy who said he wanted to go to UC Davis because his teacher went there and she is really really smart! Love that kid!

Addie had her 1st Haircut! She loved it so much - the funniest part was when I was taking pictures she asked me to sit down! Yikes - is she embarrassed of me already!

Her serious face!

and her first glimpse of her new hair

We visited Huntington Beach for their Annual Duck festival - and found a pet!

and painted one

The finished product that is sitting proudly on our table

and met one our favorite little girls at Wahoos!

We visited Disney again! And this time we ran into one of our favorites! This was magical!

Started swim lessons! Addie had a great first lesson, I was so proud of her! She did everything Miss Cerra asked and listened to directions. Although I couldn't "see" her do it because I was around the "mommy wall"I could hear everything. I am in love with the set up of her pool and most important I don't have to get in it! Last summer we did the Mommy and Me and we really didn't get to much out of it. These private lessons have been a blessing. Addie jumped, kicked, and dove for her little toys with such excitement. She was a little scared of the googles but I enlisted the help of my friend Colleen in hopes that seeing her kids, Davis and Dylann, in them it would make her a little more comfortable. Time will tell! One thing I found funny is that the more Addison goes to swim lessons the more she gets comfortable and wants to become the teacher. Miss Cerra commented on how she has never had such a young student try and "run" the lesson herself. Addie will count and tell herself when to kick or go under the water. We will work on being less independent and let the swim teacher run the lesson!

Then it was Reese's turn! She might have cried the entire first and second lesson. The cries have turned into a little whimper but they are still there. Miss Cerra is so patient, caring, and wonderful with her. Reese does everything she is asked of but is just a little uneasy around "strangers". I know she is young but I think this is an excellent way for Reese to trust others and become less dependent on Mommy. I love that I can watch the lesson on a baby monitor and that she is making great progress!  

and our last big event for the month was when our Doctor needed a Doctor! Kevin had a "deviated septum" and had to get it fixed. After years of wrestling and breaking his nose multiple times and not getting it fixed, along with his extremely loud breathing and lack of air supply he decided to finally get it done.  This was the real thing and not the "OC I need to have an excuse to get a nose job." Here he is post operation and doing great! This lasted for close to three weeks and we thought we were out of the clear!

Until I got the call that I needed to meet him in the Emergency Room because he had a severe nose bleed. I will spare you all the details but God protected him and kept him safe. After multiple trips to the ER I would not let this guy out of my sight so we did everything together! 

and to be honest I am pretty sure he loved it (Jen if you read this please show J.J)

and all his girls were excited to spend lots of time with him! Addie even painted him a special fishy to make him feel happy and more healthy!

We had a great couple weeks and I will share some more pictures soon! Its time for this cowgirl to get up from a nap so no more blogging for me! And only one more day of teaching and its summer!

 Thanks for reading! xoxoxox