Little House

I finally found some "chapter" books that the boys will read with me every day. We are well into our second book of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the boys look forward to reading the whole series.
I set a goal to start reading more "substantial" literature with them and I think this is a great first step.
Some books we tried had too much abstract description for their limited attention spans or the subject matter just wasn't interesting enough.
Michael loves Little House because there is "adventure and exploring." Jordan finds more fuel for his vibrant little imagination. I think the books are so fun. I laugh and cry through them. and I could always read more, but at least the boys look forward to their one or two chapters a day. What a fun way to learn history and vocabulary and everything in between. I'm so glad to be entering the world of reading with the boys. We have so many more great books to dive into after this.

I got excited one day to add an art dimension to our reading topics. So here are the crude results of our log cabin projects. The outcome of a fun morning and the great inspiration of The Little House on the Prairie.

Ahhh!! Whew ....

Three days ago I wouldn't have believed that Tessa would be sleeping in a toddler bed so sweetly and willingly at bedtime tonight. I'm amazed how quickly kids can make changes and transitions.
So, Sunday night Tessa consistently climbed out of her crib...time after time. Monday nap time was a disaster also. I took the bookshelf and toys out of the boys room, changed the doorknob lock around, and settled her in for a nap there instead. After 40 minutes of crying with periodic reassurances from me, she fell asleep. Bedtime that night was a little rough too, but it worked. And today was surprisingly easy. Tonight with no tears at all!
I hadn't anticipated the challenge of crib to toddler bed just yet. The boys slept well in their cribs till much older, but at least we can tackle this lesson now and have it behind us.
Tessa is such a fun and energetic little girl, we have to take the whole package --however troublesome at times. Thank goodness for her trusting and happy spirit that help her ease right into the chaos of life. I have learned a lesson that I shouldn't let my fear of a possible negative reaction hold me back from breaking bad habits or just doing something new or better. If kids are so adaptable, I can try to be too.

"Experiencing Florida"

Renee doesn't mess around when she goes on a trip. "Experiencing Florida" is serious business. In four and a half days, with sleepless nights up with the little one, and baby #2 on the way --Renee and Ben can fit in a whole lot of fun. Here's some of their agenda: swimming at the pool, a wet backyard campout, deep sea fishing, art festival, date night in Old Naples, Everglades "safari," and manatee viewing at the park by the power plant. (The only thing she didn't do all the time was take photos. --so some of these are for her..) This young family has endless energy!


Enjoying the aquarium at Rookery Bay






We tried some grilled fish, and enjoyed Jared's seafood specials --including the fish he and Ben caught!

REALLY yummy oven smores for the "campout"
Renee helped make a key-lime pie for Sunday dinner also. :)



This is my favorite spot to photograph at the zoo.
We havn't seen Donna there yet -- but we love her giraffes!



Ben asked Jared what he wanted to do most of all before he left Florida...and Jared answered. Thank goodness for Renee and Ben's drive or Jared may not have had his "fishing experience."



These pelicans were begging or bits of bait on the men's fishing excursion.


Ben and Jared got to keep the in-season fish that they caught--two red snapper. They also caught some grouper and another type I don't remember.



Michael's spaceship creation at the art fair was pretty cute.

Wildlife viewing in the Everglades




Renee made it to the airport this morning and she is headed home with her little family. They got every minute and mile possible out their rental car. Whew! They came and conquered! Thanks for enjoying our State and sharing your enthusiasm with us.

Sharks at the Pier?

Going to the pier is all about seeing the view of the horizon and watching the fishermen. And fishing here is a strange sport.

The man that caught these rays cut a chunk to put on his hook for bait. His poles was twice as long and thick as our dinky ones. "If you want to catch a big fish you use big bait." I don't think the boys will forget some of their experiences here..

When did February hit us?

Last Tuesday night Renee called and said, "We got the dreaded phone call. Our flight was canceled!" And so the whirlwind started. The next morning the airline finally rerouted and rescheduled the flight and Renee and Ben rushed to the airport. This time they called with the news, "We're comin' to Florida!"

The first thing we did the morning after they arrived was head to the beach.

Baby Beth was the champion of the trip! It is so fun to watch kids enjoy the world around us. Beth LOVED the sand!


Pretty cute family!


Ben is a super uncle and made the sand games so fun for the boys. Jared hasn't been with us to play at the beach for months and that made the trip special too.
Tessa caught on and sprinkled sand on those that got buried (although usually on their heads-since she couldn't see any other body parts).


When Ben took his turn we noticed the sand was cracking on top of his belly as he laughed. He had some good definition from his "six pack" showing through. Then he made his belly roll and everything moved. Isn't laughter contagious?!


In this picture with the boys, Ben isn't actually laying down in the sand! They dug a big enough hole for him to fit in mostly upright!

Here's Tessa in the hole..


Then we let it fill with water and built some trenches and "swimming pools." Water play without crashing waves was a hit!




February in Florida really does feel like another world. Renee managed to escape the cold and storms of the west and mid-west! And we got to enjoy some of our neighborhood with her. Thanks for the visit!