Splish Splash

Much to our surprise, we were unable to do much last Saturday because of the storm.  As much as we love the rain, the kids were not so thrilled about being inside the house for the day.  Right before dinner the rain stopped and we went out into our flooded green belt to splish splash in the puddles! It was awesome!! (I know there are a million photos -- but I just couldn't pick my favorite).

Summer 2012

It has a been a busy summer so far -- we have been spending a lot of time in the pool, so our swimming skills are improving.  Isobel is swimming on her stomach, on her back, and diving for rings -- and just passed her 'I can save myself if I fall in the pool fully dressed test'!! We are so proud! Sonya is still a little daredevil so we have to really watch her underwater -- she will just go under to look around and not come up for air! Yikes! She is able to swim about a foot without help.  Mr Max is doing so well! He has just started swimming about a foot on his own also.  It is amazing to watch the progress.  

The kids are also improving in their verbal skills, so their conversations between each other get better and better. I love listening to them coommunicate.  Lets look at some photos of our summer fun:

 I have discovered instagram!! I love the effect of the filters on the photos.  

Here is on one of Izzie at the zoo.  

 Max at the dinosaur museum looking for bones.

 A super cute photo of Soni.

 Max in his cool Indian clothes.

Playing with Soni's hair :)

 We had a fun visit with the Grandparents.  

Here is everyone working together to make lunch.

 Isobel has been participating the her schools summer program.  

This week was animal week, and a local vet came and talked about 

her profession.  Izzie wore this outfit all day!

 This is reptile day during animal week.  I was thinking a frog, maybe

a gecko....... 

Swimming

So far we have been in the pool almost everyday -- the kids started swim class at the beginning of the year and they are doing so well.  Izzie is already able to swim 50 ft!! She loves the water and we have a hard  time getting any of the kids out of the pool.

 All the little fish in the cave -- or house, as Max likes to call it.

Sonya put caution tape all over herself and Max. 

 A funny thing she does is put a hat or something (like tape) on 

and walk around saying 'cute, cute'.   

Dinosaur Museum

We have had a fun month so far -- Mother's Day Tea at Izzie's school:

And a fun visit with Auntie Vesna from Chicago.  We went to the Dinosaur museum and out for Spaghetti.

 That is a pretty big chicken bone....

 Teamwork!!

 Digging for bones :)

While the girls are working hard...... 

 Max is looking good!

 Adam taught all the kids to suck up spaghetti :) 

Max cuddling with Vesna Auntie!

Summer Fun!

Let's do a bit of catching up.  We are just starting the summer and I feel like so much has happened already -- why don't we just launch into the photos:

We had a fun visit with Nana and Tata.  For some reason the kids 

love to clean -- lets hope this continues :)

 Adam has been traveling a lot -- which has not been fun, but the gifts he brings

home are fun! Here is the awesome airplane he brought the kids from the company

he visited in France.

 Hello......Hello???

Awwwww! So cute!

 Izzie.... what are you doing??

Pilates... (I showed her this photo from a few months ago, she has some memory!)

Max and Sonya are now saying two and three word sentences -- and listening to the three kids have conversations is hysterical.  Sonya is awnry and charming all at the same time.  She says 'go away' and 'oh! no!'  Max is such a funny little boy -- 'freeze bobos' and 'Aw Man' -- which sounds like Amen.   He runs on his toes and looks like he is bouncing around the house.  Izzie said the funniest thing the other day.....'Mom, I am not a princess! Soni is a princess, Max is a gentleman princess, and I am the King'!  Then a week later she said she was a fireman princess!  Is it any wonder we laugh all day every day? 

We all scream....

When I imagined family life several scenes popped to mind -- one of which was everyone crowded around a little wobbly table at the local ice cream shop.  Sticky fingers and faces and discussions of favorite flavors and toppings.  Here was our first ice cream (frozen yogurt actually) outing, and it was everything I'd imagined it would be.

Garden

I have been thinking about starting a garden with the kids for a while -- when Izzie cam home with a little planter full of seeds and a lot of questions we thought now was the perfect time.   Sadly, there wasn't too much variety at the plant store, I guess we were starting a bit late -- but we still managed to make some exciting selections -- we planted herbs, aloe, berries, eggplant, and squash.  We also got some sunflower, watermelon and cucumber seeds.  I think Max and Sonya think the planter is a sandbox -- but it is still fun! We also planted a fig, apple and pineapple guava tree.

Our watermelon is already starting to grow! The kids are so excited to see this process.

We are outside several times a day to check for changes.