Category Archives: Videos
Katie took a car nap today.
We got stuck in traffic on the way home from an errand and this happened:
When we finally got home it was very close to the time when I needed to pick Owen up from the bus so I assumed she would wake up when I turned the car off. Nope. Okay then…when I opened my door. Nope. Okay then…she’d have to wake up when I opened the rear liftgate and it beeped. Nope. Okay, seriously? She’d HAVE to wake up when I opened HER door. Nope. Wow, she was really out.
Snoring, even. 🙂
So, I figured I would just leave her in the car (since I could see her from the bus stop and it was a wonderful 70°)—buckled in with the doors open—and I would be back from the bus stop in about 10 minutes. So I opened Owen’s door so she would get cross-ventilation…and of course that’s when she woke up. And she was, as expected after a too-brief nap, a mess. 🙁
Owen leveled up to Turtle!
I wanted him to practice floating before his lesson…but it took some bravery to actually get in. He loves the water (and he could touch the bottom) so I have no idea why he was so nervous.
So the lesson started and I was poolside, half watching him and half talking to another mom. It looked like he was doing all the same things he’d done at his last lesson, so I wasn’t watching THAT closely. Then all of a sudden he’s in front of me with the instructor and he’s holding a red ribbon and a red swim cap and she’s telling me that he passed into the next level! (To do this, he had to successfully jump into the pool, flip himself over, and float for 15 seconds…three times.)
Then as a new Turtle, he started to learn actual swim strokes! He was actually in class with his friend Gavin!
Game 9: Raptors vs Timber Rattlers
Katie off playing with another friend!
She gives me heart failure.
So I look over to see this. EEK! Owen never did anything like this at that age…and still doesn’t. She just might be the death of me.
Reading to Maggie
She discovered the spray bottle
I use the spray bottle to do her hair in the morning…I forgot it on the table today when I was done and she discovered it at lunch. I had left the room for a minute and came back to this.
Owen ROCKED his first swim lessons!
Holy cow. I’m still gobsmacked.
So, Owen gets terribly freaked out being on his back trying to float. We’ve been trying for two years to get him to do it and he hasn’t. So my thought was that if the entire 16 lessons were spent getting him to float on his back I would be perfectly happy with that.
And he did it in the first 30-minute lesson!! (Well, technically within the first 15 minutes… But by the end of the 30-minute lesson he had earned his yellow ribbon!)
At 14 minutes into the lesson. FOURTEEN.
12:19
And his swim cap which denotes his group (he’s a Minnow). When he advances to the next level (after he can swim the length of the pool by himself by doggy-paddling and flipping over to rest/float/breathe) he’ll be a Turtle 1 and get a new color.
Daddy was keeping Katie busy so they were walking around the complex. They stopped to wave down at us!
He had a great time and loved every minute! We are SO proud of him!
The only bad part was that Katie really wanted to go in the pool. But, we learned that she can go in the other end of the pool for free swim at the same time! So we’ll try that the next time.
Splashing fun!
Game 7: Raptors vs Scrappers
One of Owen’s teammates (surprisingly, there’s not too much of this with his team):
Katie’s same friend was there with her purse—and an Elsa/Anna doll—again today which kitty quickly co-opted as her own. The mom had no problem with it because she was just happy her daughter was sharing. 🙂
Katie off playing with her:
Our little catcher!
Owen’s two at-bats:
Cuddles!
Owen wanted to cuddle with both of us. After we all cuddled, this happened:
Riding bikes. Or, rather, attempting to.
Both kids wanted to go ride bikes. I knew it would be a challenge because Owen has not ridden his bike since last spring before we moved—and at that point he was still just learning and wasn’t that great at it—and because Katie has never successfully ridden either of the tricycles we have for her.
And that was it for Katie. Grand total of time spent on the bike, 95% of it whining that she couldn’t do it while being pushed by daddy? Five minutes. However, she did love running! She spent the rest of the time chasing after Owen or running ahead of him or just randomly through the parking lot. 🙂
Taking a break to stretch…and take a drink.
Owen was a hot mess for most of the time. He’s grown so much that he is really way too big for the bike we have and we obviously didn’t have another one for him so he had to use that one. And it’s been so long since he’s ridden that it was, in essence, starting over from day one. I’m glad Tom was there to deal with it because I DO NOT have the patience. That said, by the end of our time, he had started to get the hang of it again.
So now I’m on the hunt for a cheap used bigger bike.
After bikes, the kids wanted to go to the “playground” even though I knew they hated this playground as it’s not a real playground. It lasted under five minutes.
Game 5: Raptors vs. Rock Hounds
Owen was excited to use his new bat. He had a bat that Papa had bought him, but he’s grown a lot since then and it was too small—and all the other team bats were really too small as well. Daddy said this bat should last him through actual baseball (if he stays in that long).
(In t-ball, when the last batter hits, you just bring all the runners in.)
Visiting Owen at school
For some unknown reason, Owen really wanted me to come to his Friday morning program. So we did. This is some of what happened: getting the sillies out and then dancing along to a video. Owen’s dancing is hilarious.
He says he saw me when he walked in, but I didn’t even get a wave until the very end when they were filing out.
Afterwards we went home, but I had to be back in a few hours for a luncheon the teachers were throwing for the classroom volunteers…and I was going to time it so that we’d be able to go see Owen at lunch!
Katie looking at her pretty headband.
The luncheon was nice. I knew a few people there so we were able to chat for a bit. Katie knows the library well so she kept herself busy playing.
Then it was off to see Owen. Katie loves visiting him. 🙂
Then I heard him say something about he had to do his job at 55. I had no idea what he was talking about…but he kept watching the clock and at 1:55, he started his job: Floor Sweeper! (The other jobs are table washer, line leader, door holder, etc.)
Then it was time to head home…and deal with Katie’s typical tantrum because she desperately wants to play on the playground but I won’t let her whole school is in session (and kids are outside)…
They love a water table!
We tossed their old water table when we moved since it was old and gross. We managed to get by last summer without one, but I know the kids missed it. So I got another (actually identical) one. And both of them LOVE it.
Katie got to play first as Owen was still at school.
But as soon as Owen got home, they were right back out there.
Owen went to the zoo!
A bunch of classes from Owen’s school went to The National Zoo today. I really wanted to experience it with him (and—who am I kidding?—be there to document it) but I would have had to take Katie and then it wouldn’t have been quite as fun since I’d be corralling her the majority of the time.
When he got home I asked about it, and this was what I got.
Mama, you’re Rapunzel.
I only let her brush my hair when it’s straight. And she always calls me Rapunzel. 🙂
Random Katie
She had her ballerina on today, but a friend brought over some hand-me-down clothes…and as soon as Katie saw there was a skirt, she HAD to have it on.
A while later, she discovered the rest of the bag…and this dress which she then HAD to have on. This was her look as she watched me pull MORE DRESSES out of the bag. She’s definitely my girly girl. 🙂
Fun with daddy. 
The tunnel got dragged upstairs today. 🙂
Time to jump!
I took Katie to Flight today. Wearing a tutu, of course. 🙂 
Katie gets new shoes!
Her favorite brown shoes broke so I ordered her two new pair.
“Look mom! Pac man apple!”
Morning walk with Katie
After we took Owen to the bus stop, Katie wanted to go for a walk—so off we went.
Along the way, we found a new-to-us playground. It has some similar pieces as our usual playground, but different enough that Katie was thrown for a loop. She kept asking if daddy painted it. 🙂
An hour with Katie
She also learned how to flick flowers and had a GRAND time doing it.
Then it was off to the playground.
“Mom, the panda is hot!”
She found the only puddle in the middle of the wood chips…in white pants. 🙂
Hanging like a monkey…again.
Her rock collection.
Game 3: Raptors vs. Bats
Owen in his new shoes. I didn’t buy them specifically for t-ball, but when we realized they had mini cleats on them (they’re actually men’s race shoes) we figured they’d be perfect. He loves them.
Getting ready to bat!
And as a bonus, I made two new mom friends (and they’re friends with a few people I already know)!
More puddle fun!
No puddles on the uphill road but he gave a jump anyway.
Snails at feeding time
Tom wasn’t specifically feeding the snails but they were going crazy with the food he was feeding the corals. They’re fun to watch!
Game 1: Raptors vs. Storm
I apologize ahead of time for the volume of photos…but this was his first real game so I wanted to show it all. I promise there won’t be nearly as many from upcoming games. 🙂
Practicing with daddy beforehand.
Typical Owen. He had grass-stained knees before the game even started!
Tongue out!
Not a kid from Owen’s team, but so cute I had to take a picture. 🙂
He had SO much fun and was SO excited about everything—it was awesome to see. And Tom had a great time, too, as he’s envisioned this for SO many years. 🙂
Reading interrupted
Puddle Jumper!
I promised Katie she could jump in the puddles when we came out of the store. She was having sooooo much fun I just let her keep jumping and jumping and jumping. My quick run to the dollar store morphed into over an hour once the jumping was done (she was jumping for almost half an hour!)!
I couldn’t decide on the best in-flight pics—it’s amazing how high she actually jumps (which you can’t tell just watching in real time)—so I included all of them. 🙂
If you just want the slow motion jumps in one video:
And if you want them as individual gifs you can copy and paste elsewhere:
Light saber battle!
Katie is a force to be reckoned with.
Twirling and drama with Katie
This is a typical 15-minute time period of any given day.