Unexpected gift of love!!

My sweet baby boy pulled these flowers from the yard by the roots and came inside gleeming with joy!! He insisted that we get a vase right away and "make them look pretty!".

Spring Discoveries

Z with her first caterpillar on her hand
M's turn. She kept saying, "It tickles!".
The gentle switch-off
C's turn. It climbed all the way up to his sleeve!

Spider's Program

Z in her bungee suit
Working the stairs
Enjoying the big swing
Posing with her new friends.

For the last 3 weeks, Z has been attending an intense physical and occupational therapy program called SPIDERS. The program is 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 3 weeks. She is working on strengthening the right side of her body, becoming better coordinated, and mastering everyday skills that are difficult for her but come easy for M & C.

The above pictures show her wearing her bungee cord suit. This suit helps with her body awareness and provides resistance, which makes her work her muscles more. She wears it while climbing stairs, running and walking outside and on the treadmill, swinging, riding her bike, and throwing and kicking balls. She did lots of muscle toning and coordination activities and she she got to have some fun in the "Jammin' Gym" every Friday. The Jammin' Gym is a gigantic indoor playground with slides, obstacles, ball pit, stairs, inclines, and different levels to crawl on. M and C even got to play with her one day. That was the highlight of every one's week.

Now that she is done with the program, we are noticing that her confidence in doing physical activities is higher. She is more coordinated and isn't falling and stumbling as much when she walks outside or up and down stairs. She can ride her bike independently!!!!!!! She has built her endurance up to play longer, and asks to play outside more!

We are so excited and blessed that she was able to participate in this program. I think it was exactly what she needed. We now have an intense home program that we have to follow to continue to strengthen her. This program is fun for her though b/c it involves C and M. She will go back in 3 months for a follow up evaluation to see if she needs to continue therapy or if she can be dismissed. We are praying that she will be dismissed!!!!!!!!!

Rag Ball

C at bat.
M on first base.

We signed the kids up for their first year of ragball. In case you don't know what ragball is (neither did hubby or I), it is a step under T-ball. They hit a very soft ball off of a tee and there are no outs or score. Each team allows all of its players to bat and then they go out into the field while the other team bats all of its members. It is hysterical to watch. Nobody knows where to run or how to stop a ball.

At their first practice, the coach told them to tag the bag when they had the ball. Everyone looked blankly at him and then one child said, "I don't see a BAG". (They were all looking for a paper or plastic bag to tag). He then told them to touch the sack. Again, they all looked around for a sack. Once they understood what a base/bag/sack was, they literally went over and touched it. Boy, did he have his work cut out for him.

I hope to post more pictures and stories next week. Our digital camera was acting funny and it only took the 2 pictures seen above. They have a game every Saturday through May so I know I will get some more great shots.

ARR Mateys!!!

Defending their pirate ship from the enemy.

Daddy opened to mast to their "new" pirate ship.
C holds the mast while Z poses.
C's best picture ever!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't he handsome???
M's silly pose with crazy hair!
The side view of the pirate ship.

C is really into pirates and pirate ships right now. We decided to make him a pirate ship out of some empty boxes and the patio furniture cushions. They loved it!!!!!!!! They defended their ship from all of the real and make-believe "bad guys"!!!!!!

Easter Party at School

M going down the slide with one of her friends.
C at the top of the slide.
Z.....always on the go!!
Their classmates during their party.
More of the kids and their friend at lunch.

The kids had an Easter party and egg hunt at their Mother's Day Out the Thursday b/4 Easter. Their teacher was absent that day so I got to be their substitute. It was fun but VERY stressful. I don't mind being a sub for other classes but there is something really stressful about being in your own child's room. They were overly excited b/c it was "party day" and there were no activities left for me to do with them!!!

I missed snapping pictures of them actually looking for eggs b/c it happened so fast. Each child was only allowed to find 6 eggs to make it fair for everyone. Needless to say, they found their 6 eggs b/4 I could even get my camera out. Each egg was filled with a little goody.

Easter Sunday was a great day!! The kids played music instruments and sang a song during the Easter program. They were so excited about being able to sing in church. They were even more excited that PaPa, MiMi, Uncle A, Aunt N, and the cousins came to see them preform. After church, we went to MiMi and PaPa's house for another egg hunt and lunch.

This year we introduced the resurrections eggs to them and they really got it!! It was amazing to watch their little minds work and process each story. We wanted to focus less on the Easter bunny and more on the true meaning of Easter. They all know now, how and why Jesus died on the cross for our sins. GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Snow Day!

Looking off our back deck last weekend
Another view off the back deck looking at our field
The deck had the most snow. The table had about 1 1/2" of snow on it.
One last view.
The boy's snowman
The girl's snowgirl
My attempt at a group shot. They were too anxious to play in the snow.

M concentrating on building her snowgirl.
C with his typcial courtesy smile.
The picture is Z is a little blurry but it was the best one.

M putting the finishing touches on the snowgirl.
Mommy and her girls!
M shaking the snow off of her gloves.

Z having her first taste of snow. She liked it.
The Snowgirl!
Daddy and C

The creek behind our house. The snow had already started to melt by this point.
C's idea of "snow boots".
C getting hit by a snowball.

Our Valentine's Day Celebration!!

Heart pancakes

Z, C, M help us make dinner
C stirs the pink pancake batter
A table set for 5 with mommies flower surprise in the middle.
Our pink pancakes, bacon, and pink eggs
My Love Bug!!

We had a Valentine's Day celebration at house for dinner. The kids helped us make pink pancakes, bacon, pink eggs, and strawberry milk. They thought it was hysterical and we even lit a candle to be "romantic". The kids kept asking whose birthday it was since we had a candle. After dinner, we enjoyed a movie from the comforts of our couch!! It was the best Valentine's Day ever!!!!!!!

Bath Night

C
M
Z

The kids love bathtime. We told them to make silly faces and above is the outcome!!