Swim, More 4th Birthday Fun, & Mammoth!

One of these days I will be caught up!

This summer we did a lot of swimmimg! M-Th for 3 months.  Both big kids are just fish now, and it has been so fun to watch them swim all over the pool.  Giada had a few swim meets that were fun to watch too. She is getting pretty good at all 4 main strokes.  She will happily critique you when you attempt Butterfly, for instance.  That stroke is NOT easy, I'm sure it was easy to come up with ways I could improve.  Gino is working on breathing and should have it down next year. It is nice to feel so confident with them in the water. 

Thanks to Lodi City Swim Club, Julie S and Nicole G for all their hard work with the kids the last couple years!

 Giada was so funny on picture day, she said I need to wear my cap and goggles; that's what I wear in the pool. So that is what I let her wear. She may have been the only swimmer with her cap on out of 150 +  kids; but that's okay in my book!

 Since all Gino wanted was a dinosaur swim party, we had a little weekday get together with family and a couple of his buddies.  The kids swam until it was dark! ROAR I'm 4!

 

 Part of our summer shenanigans included a visit with the softball girls. So great to see everyone and to meet Red's little man, Kevin Branch.  A couple more babies to add to the crew soon, KC and Dub have growing tummies!

Lorenzo and Kevin will no doubt be buddies! 

 HUGS!

 Tea parties with real cups, and Marissa's baking, I will always say yes to those invites!

 SF Half Marathon with KR.  It was a beautiful day, and so fun to run across the bridge.  Thanks for making it happen KR.  Mom, thanks for joining us and watching Lorenzo!

 In July little man turned 5 months. 

 All the kids have similarities at this age. That big gummy grin for sure. Lorenzo wins in the hair contest. His hair is getting lighter in color by the day. He loves to laugh at his big brother and sister.  I wish I could report he was sleeping better or through the night, but nothing to report there ;-). 

 One last celebration at Ran and Buddy's. So fun to have them living in town.  

It is a must to wear the official birthday hat.

 We finally got to go on a little adventure with the Schweitzers!  We met them in Mammoth for the Beers & Blues Festival.  Neither Mike or I had ever been there, what a gorgeous place.  The kids got along beautifully, another plus.  I have mentioned this before, but every trip we went on this summer it poured rain. This festival has never seen rain...until this year. Day #2 we got soaked, but the kids had a blast dancing in the rain, the bands played on and the brewery's kept pouring beer!

 Ella the eating machine!

 Nice to see James too!

From WAY on top of the mountain!  Neat Gondola ride. 

I had to pretend I wasn't freaking out; we were SO high up!

 Story time; Movie time!

 Such great memories made. So glad Jen left Arizona to come to Cal Poly!!  GO Mustangs!

Rainy days, Ella Schweitzer, Chickens & Videos

This is kind of a catch up post!

Rainy day fun!

 On Feb 3 Jen, Garreth, and little brother Ben welcomed Ella Rose Schweitzer.  Born in the evening at 11:45, and shade under 7 pounds – despite being three weeks early she’s been lively right from the start.  And she has a full head of black hair, it is adorable. Congratulations to all 4 of you!

 

On the way to Disneyland we made a quick detour to Venice to meet her! Never a long enough visit but thankful for a couple hours. I held her the whole time and she never made a peep!

 One night after Gino went to bed, Giada had a serious tea party going on.  Criteria was everyone had to have a necklace on. Everyone received a hairbrush, bread and toothpaste along with their tea set. When I asked to join the party, there wasn't any room, so I got my own separate blanket.

 The weather has been incredible...lots of park fun.

 Bedtime takes forever sometimes in our house. The QUEEN of stalling lives at our house.  ON this night every stuffed animal and doll she could find needed to be "put to bed with a bow and necklace on"

 Happy Birthday HILDER! Night out to dinner in Sac. Ella never disappoints; delicious!

 Happy 2nd Birthday Chloe!
 Gino gave the kids tractor rides, they were thrilled. As we rode through the fields, the cows thought they were getting fed, they were running after the tractor for a bite. The kids thought it was awesome.

As you may or may not know Giada is obsessed with my parents new chickens. They have been named Boo, Sully and Mikey.  She wanted to take one to school and show her friends, so of course Pops said yes. They painted its nails before school and she shared the chicken with her friends.  They all enjoyed the fun show and tell!

 

The kids want to go to my parents everyday to check on the chickens and the eggs. On this particular day Giada said, "Mom, quick take a picture Gino caught his first chicken"

 

One day when I went to my parents to get the kids, I see my mom is holding a chicken. I asked her why and she said because the artist asked her to do so.  Turns out Giada asked my mom to hold the chicken so she could accurately draw each of them. She then placed the appropriate egg next to each. Blue, white and brown! 

We have been keeping up with some maintenance swimming over the winter.  Giada is a little fish now and can't wait for the summer for more lessons.  We will get rid of that float this summer and work on strokes. She is swimming across the whole pool and learning to dive to the bottom! Fun summer ahead.

Gino is working at it too. I had to share this rare moment where he isn't crying in a lesson. We have been doing ISR since last summer and he is much further along then Giada was at this age. He loves swimming with us just not lessons. He is stubborn about the floating and does NOT like it. But the swimming he enjoys.