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.