Happy Father's Day

We like daddy because

• he's silly
• he knows how to help us with video game levels
• he makes funny voices when he reads stories to us
• he tucks us in bed and he lets us buy stuff

Daddy, thank you for 

• taking us to the candy store
• taking us to the game barn
• getting baby chick and letting us look at the baby chicks and feed them sometimes
• playing with us a lot
• for letting Paul join scouts and taking care of a bunch of stuff
• taking naps with Nathan

Mommy likes daddy because he

• coaxes the children into trying new adventures
• dares crazy things like taking 4 young children on long car rides to see new places
• teaches as he plays and plays when he teaches
• grocery shops successfully to make my meal plan work out
• doesn't mind the way I look after a week of swimming, hiking, and vacationing with 4 children in a cabin
• doesn't get mad when Paul beats him at a dice game
• stays in the shallow end of the pool or pond sometimes with the little kids while I get a turn in the deeper water
• laughs with and not at me

Vacation '15 Pictures 1

Paul Fishing Off the Tugboat

Julia Swinging

Petra Swinging

Steve Introducing Nathan to the Creek

Vacation '15 Julia's Meatloaf Monday

In one of Julia's book, the main character complains about Meatloaf Monday.  Everything goes wrong that day - from missing her friends in the city to having to suffer through her father's Mystery Meatloaf.  Our first Monday of vacation was a Meatloaf Monday for Julia.

It started Sunday afternoon as we were driving through the mountains in Tennessee and the pressure changes were hurting her ears far worse than the rest of us.  When we stopped at a park to stretch a while, she lay out on a park bench.

Swimming Sunday night didn't seem to bother her, but when we got back to the cabin she was feeling exceptionally chilly in the A/C and was in a hurry to get to bed.  Then she discovered she forgot to pack her pajamas, and had to sleep in her clothes.

Around 2 a.m. she said, "Mommy, my ear really hurts."
And I said, "Oh, Julia!  You are right by my bed!"

Fortunately we had some tylenol on us.  She described hearing hissing and popping in her ear, so Steve and I were concerned that she already had a perforation in her ear.
Monday morning, while Paul, Petra, Nathan and I played on the rope swing and the tug boat, Steve took Julia to an urgent care.

The doctor looked in her ears and said, "I see you have a middle ear infection..."
The doctor looked in her nose and said, "... and a runny nose..."
The doctor looked in her mouth and said, "... and a sore throat."

A prescription, new pajamas, and a massive grocery shopping trip later, Steve brought Julia back to the cabin where her siblings were chomping at the bit to go to the candy store.

Julia seemed to be feeling better, so we all went swimming again.  After swimming we had a late supper.  Julia lapped up a bunch of her favorite cheeseburger soup.

She then proceeded to get sick to her stomach all over her sheets and new pajamas.

Tuesday went much better.

Vacation '15 Starting at the Pool

We went to the pool the first night we got to Georgia.  There were several people there at first, but they left soon (I'm sure it wasn't us) and we had the pool mostly to ourselves.

Steve and I were particularly interested in seeing how Petra and Nathan did in the water.  Petra took up right where she left off last summer, jumping off the steps and paddling into our arms, over and over again.  She opens her eyes underwater and can adjust course when swimming back to the steps.  She can now put her feet down in the shallow end and keep her nose above water, so I hope that she will do some more exploring.

Steve took Nathan into the pool and got him introduced to the water.  He did a great job of persuading Nathan that the water was fun and not scary.  He even got Nathan to to stretch out and do some kicking.  Later I took Nathan and we played "Humpty-Dumpty" off the edge of the pool.

Paul and Julia went to swimming and playing, and splashing.  Steve is working with Paul on and off to strengthen his swimming skills so that he'll pass his next scout swimming evaluation.  He can swim on his back okay, but he still struggles with swimming face down or going to the bottom of the deep end.  Paul offered to carry Nathan around the shallow end of the pool, but Nathan wasn't feeling quite confident enough for that yet.

Interior Design - by Petra

Petra and I played with Legos a fair amount this winter, especially on Friday afternoons when her siblings were either in school or napping.  Above is her design for a girl's bathroom.

It is mulberry season

Spotted pants

Purple feet

Girls like math

While I was busy making supper one afternoon, Petra went of on her own and amused herself.  Five and a half years old, she practiced some math, all of her own volition.  

Petra's Addition Practice

She wrote with a highlighter in 1 and a half inch tall characters:
(backwards) 4 + (backwards) 1 = (backwards) 5
6 + (backwards) 1 = (backwards) 7
(backwards) 9 + (backwards) 1 = (backwards) 10
(backwards) 99 + (backwards) 1 = (backwards) 100

That's my girl!

Family Picture Take 1

This is the picture the family took for a photo directory for church.

Steve had a little talk with Paul.  We will try again.