Swimming and Playing at the Park

Saturday we went to a birthday party in Moundridge (a good friend of Nate's, Shawn and Leah Hust, their baby Casey turned 1). We had dinner, played at the park and went swimming. While at the park the kids played hard, as you can tell by their red faces. Also, Alex has a special affection for her cousin Jacob. She pretty much follows him around all the time, picks him up and plays and loves on him. Here they are sitting together, Jacob surrounded by cousins as usual.
Tricia's camera can take pictures under water, which is pretty cool. Here are pictures of Nate and Lolo at the Moundridge Pool.

Alex the Swimmer

Alex learned to swim under water for the first time on Wednesday. She figured out that she can hold her breath under water, and she just decided to take off. She could right away swim about 5-7 feet under water to me from the steps of the pool. The pool we were using is a salt water pool, which helps with the stinging in the eyes and the burning of your nostrils when water gets up there. It also has buoyancy benefits. The pool is a lap pool so it's about 4 feet deep and 6 feet wide. Also, a major plus, it helps with her eczema! We went again last night as a family and really had a blast. I hope Kim and Jeff don't mind us intruding on them!

Backyard Watering Hole

Yesterday I bought the girls a little pool. They enjoy playing with the raft, as well as jumping off their "rocks" and being mermaids.
I conveniently set it next to our garden, so when we're ready to take a break or change the water we can use the water in our garden. :)

Rolling Hills Zoo and Soapy Hair, Part II

We went to the zoo yesterday. The girls and I, plus the Shugart Clan (Suze, Brent, Ashlynn and Lazarus) and Suze's mother Syliva Wolcott. We had fun looking at all the animals, but mostly the girls were the most entertaining for the adults. Every stop we made was like a chinese fire drill, because no one could sit or stand on the stroller for long. At some points there was no one in the stroller, but that's to be expected.
In one picture, notice Sylvia in the background reading about the camels. She noted that when camels get excited, they inflate a gland (or something) in their mouth which protrudes from the side of the mouth resembling a red balloon. Suze then challenged Sylvia to "excite the camel."
Moving on the giraffe feeding station, Alex and Suze had fun feeding the giraffes. Suze said it was "like, whoa" standing under them because they're so tall.
Alex also had fun picking up Ashlynn and carrying her much like she does to baby Jacob. I thought it was particularly hilarious when Alex told Ashlynn to get on her back, but couldn't support her weight and toppled backwards. The girls didn't really get hurt, but I was probably the only one that thought it was funny.
After the zoo, we all went to Carlos O'Kelly's. I then got some shopping done in Salina, and went home to nap. We were then invited over to Uncle Royal's and Aunt Kimber's house to watch things blow up (oohh....ahhhh). We then got home really really late.
This morning George and I slept in later than the girls, which poses a slight risk. When we got downstairs, we discovered the girls (probably just Samantha) had evidence in their room of naughtiness. #1: lotion bottle. #2: conditioner bottle. #3 *shocker* handsoap!!
They also both had on a couple of their nicest dresses. I took line-up photos showing her front and back. Note the white goop her her hair.

Just say "No!"

I am now speaking directly to the Samantha of the future. Just say "No!".... to hand soap. You came upstairs to see Mommy while Mommy was reading the Bible (which happens to be your favorite time to get into things). "Look Mommy, I've got soap in my hair!" words I just love to hear. So I went downstairs and saw the pretty blue all over the bathroom sink with my expensive Stampin' Up marker and hand soap spread every where like paint.

Just a few minutes ago, around 11:45 p.m. I heard you downstairs. I went to check on you. You had MORE hand soap in your hair, and all over your sheets, and in your stuffed animals' hair. Yippee.

Mascara, freeze dried brine shrip, and soggy graham crackers

It amazes me how talented my two year old is at making messes. I know something is wrong when I don't hear anything from the girls for more than a couple of minutes. I was upstairs reading my devotional and had the feeling that I better check on the girls. Alex was playing placidly and Sam was....not. I discovered her in the bathroom with a wring of black around one eye and mascara carefully (with talent, I might add) painted on her blonde eyelashes. With the tube and applicator in hand, there was little doubt as to what had happened. I wiped most of it off with face lotion and toilet paper.
It wasn't too long after that when Alex came and got me. "Look, look Mama. Come look what Samantha did!" I followed her into their room and saw Samantha standing in a drawer feeding the fish. I didn't notice that the bottle (previously full) was almost half empty. While I don't think too much actually got into the tank, most of it was on the carpet. Man, nothing like the smell of freeze dried brine shrimp.
For snack, the girls had graham crackers and milk. I was busy talking to Trish and doing some other things so I didn't notice what exactly Sam was doing at the moment. The girls both got down from eating and, low and behold, a mountain of soggy graham cracker! Amazing Samantha, you are a masterpiece.

Other than cleaning up after Sam, I ended up taking her to the doctor. She had puss running out of her ear. Turns out that means something. And it's really smelly.
So the P.A. said she's got swimmer's ear.
Amazingly, her weight registered her on the chart. She fell off the chart at 3 months and 1 week old, and returned today. She weighed in at a hefty 23 lbs. and some odd ounces. She's two and a half now. Yeah! I guess that means something.
What's really funny was the nurse's reaction. After she was weighed, I asked the nurse where that would put her on the chart. The nurse charted her weight and looked at me with concern, "She's barely on the chart." I was excited, "She's on the chart? No way!" So she flipped back on the previous chart and then understood why I was excited.

It was a good day, complete with a brief visit from Dad and Jane. I needed Dad to come over and pick out some pictures of the girls that I had not handed out yet. I guess I finally realized I didn't need 12 wallets of Samantha when she was a baby and several other assorted sizes and poses of both girls. I guess pictures are basically useless if they're kept in an envelope.
Jane, Dad and I were talking about what happened to Jane's ankle (a vicious weed eater attack) when I was about to tell about my mishap with a Cutter Bug Repellent Wipes container. I was going to top your story, but for some reason got interrupted and couldn't finish. Well, what happened was... I got my finger stuck. I had just finished reading the warning label about how you're not supposed to stick your finger in the hole where the wipes come out of. Well, come on, the wipe was pulled too far out for the lid to close properly. So I tried to help it. I didn't know it would bite my finger and not let go until George finally got a pair of scissors that would cut worth a darn (several pairs later). We showed that lid who's boss. All I have to say is that it is important to read and abide by such labels. I liken it to a child sticking his finger into the hole where the straw goes on a fast food cup lid, but this container had so much more bite to it. Thankfully, that particular lid will not feast on any more unsuspecting people. So Jane, does that make you feel any better about your weed eater?

I had Bible study tonight, and George said he had a really good time with his girls. I guess they caught fireflies. I don't really feel like I got too much done, considered all I was able to do was basic upkeep. Oh, well. Such is life.