Every day Happenings

Molly let us take xrays!!! And yes, I'm sitting right beside her, and yes, I'm pregnant, and yes, they have the new technology digital camera that emits practically nothing and was perfectly safe. Not worried over here. I was probably exposed to more when I was working this summer and I didn't stand fully behind the wall or something. There were ZERO cavities! Molly had a very slight indication of one that *might* form and so the ped dentist asked me if I wanted to put this stuff on it that would arrest a cavity from forming. He was explaining in great detail and said it was a brand new thing and I was all excited because "I learned all about it this summer at a dental conference I went to! It's super cool stuff! Yes, sign us up!" so now Molly has a black circle inbetween her two back molars that makes me so happy every time I see it when I floss. Science is cool. Also, I consider it a win when we are walking away and Will asks when we get to come back again and I say six months and he says "That's too long! I want to come back tomorrow!"

I tried artisan bread. It was amazing. If ugly.

Last day of swim lessons at the Y is always a boat safety day where they take you out, tip you over, and make you recover the boat and swim to shore. I just have to say that I am so amazed by my kids this swim lesson round! I know I have pushed swimming a LOT more because we have lived in Florida for 4 1/2 years and risk of drowning is astronomical. Everyone has a pool and you can swim year round and there is water everywhere. Most of my kids are huge water babies (I only say most because of Russ--he's not jumping in like my others did, and while thats okay, it's definitely not as easy.) and Will has been floating around on his back since 18 months. They have improved each time I put them in lessons, but this time took the cake. The little classes swim the width of the pool, the older classes switch to the pool beside this one and swim full race laps. Ruth had 50 minutes of FULL RACE LAPS each and every lesson. Sometimes they worked on diving, but level 4 was a true concentration on perfecting strokes and correcting breathing, and that's really all the did. And it makes me so happy to watch her to do the free style and perfectly turn her head and breath while her arms are up in the perfect position. Or see her back stroke and watch her hands turn directions at the exact perfect timing in mid-air. I don't think they've ever been old enough to be this good at something and it is such a fun and delightful thing to watch!!! Will went from swimming the width of the smaller pool and not even being able to lift his arms out of the water for free style, to doing full laps in the real pool and doing free style pretty great (getting that second arm as high as the first arm takes a lot of muscle!). He passed level 3 with flying colors and will be in stroke perfection level 4 with Ruthie next time. He built up his stamina so much this time around. I still worry about his baby asthma and notice wheezing when he has been working really hard, but his last few lessons he was FLYING down the pool and lengths ahead of the other kids in his class. Maybe he is a bit competitive? HAHA. Molly is still in level 2, but the only thing holding her back is treading water for 45 seconds. She's got to get muscle on those skinny bones and she'll be there! But she can swim 25 yards and is working on going under and coming back up for breaths and can back float and was just taking her little doggy paddle up a definite notch. Now I've just got to keep them swimming in our pool so they don't forget it all!

They loved it. And I am so glad!

Why yes, yes she did just put lipstick on with a black marker.

My friend called me to tell me that a specific Target was having phenomenal discounts on all their summer items--swim goggles, trikes, scooters, etc. Things we use ALL YEAR ROUND here, so I had to go. Got this little trike for 8.98 and Russ is in LOVE with it. Cute guy.

Waiting at the elementary school to pick up Will and Ruth.

My kids have been wearing Halloween costumes for a week straight now, and I don't see it ending anytime soon.

So with swimming lessons ending I debated doing another round of swimming lessons or letting them try something new. I decided on gymnastics purely for ease of scheduling. Dance had too many time slots for different ages so that I couldn't get Molly and Ruth in similar days let alone similar time frames. Will wanted to do basketball but that is three times a week plus a weekend game and that was more than I wanted to do right now. But gymnastics was available for a once a week class and even though Molly would be in the younger class, both classes go at the same time. Once a week, one hour, same time for all three kids---sign me up! Haha.

Poor Will worried for an entire month beforehand that they were going to 'make' him do backflips. I don't know where he got this worry. I reassured him over and over again that beginning gymnastics will be much simpler and if he didn't want to do anything all he had to do was say no. LUCKILY the first day was a huge success and all three of them loved it. Our living room rug has seen a LOT more practice cartwheels and rolls and stretches in the last week than ever before!

Our collection of Halloween books from the library. I haven't read all of them (Sterling read most of them one night) but off the top of my head we really like Big Pumpkin, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not AFraid of Anything, Monster Trap (that mostly for the beautiful illustrations, I'm not sure my kids like it as much, I love it though!), By the Light of the Halloween Moon, and I liked Druscilla's Halloween--it has a cute twist. We own Popcorn and Witches Four so obviously we like those ones. The little chapter Level 2 reading book on the left side is called, I think, In a Dark, Dark Room. I was delighted that it had all of these old scary stories that I remember being told at sleepovers and things--like the girl who wore a ribbon and no one knew why and when it finally got undone her head fell off. Ruthie has been reading it and likes it, but it's definitely not a tiny kids book haha. I've actually picked up 6 more off my holds list since this picture, so I'll have to take a pic of those ones too!

Russ got three shots. He's had a rough few days since then. But he looks super angelic right here! He has never had a frowny face in his life, but he has JUST started doing this glare with his eyebrows that has me CRACKING UP every single time. Which probably encourages him, so I should stop, but it is so overdramatic it is the best. He also has quite suddenly become hugely angry about diaper changes and clothing changes. Usually I hold him by his shoulders while he kicks and screams for awhile and then call for whoever is around for backup to pin down his arms while I go as fast as I can. This does not bode well for me, as I just started 3rd trimester, but we still do love his adorable little self so much!!!! This morning he threw his own diaper away after I said "here Russ, go throw this in the garbage" and there was much clapping and praising. He was very proud. And I am wondering how in the world my baby got big enough to understand directions?!?!?! Grow little, baby Russ! I can't handle it!!