Willow Valley Fun!

So, since we are expecting a baby smack dab in the middle of this summer, Chad decided to take a week off now so we can do a few fun family things before it gets too crazy around here. One of the things we decided to do was to take an overnight trip to Willow Valley Resort in Lancaster. I had heard that they had a great indoor pool and kids water park, so even though putting on a swimsuit was not high on my list of priorities, I knew the kids would LOVE IT so off we went. They have some really good packages that include meals and such ... especially when you go in the middle of the week. We all had a great time! Audrey even cried when it was time to go because she really did not want to leave.

Anyhow, we arrived on Thursday, and the first item of business? Jumping on the bed, of course!

Next item of business? Check out the pool!

Carter doing what Carter does best in water ... SPLASHING!

Audrey checking out part of the water park.

AND .... more splashing ... big surprise. You should see our bathroom after he gets out of the tub.

We took a brief hiatus for checking out the facility, eating dinner at a local pizza place, and playing at the playground, and then we were back to ...

You guessed it ... swimming again.

By this time, everyone was way tired so off to bed they go. Well ... it took Mommy sitting next to Carter (aka the little instigator) but eventually they fell asleep ... at 10 pm. Shortly followed by Mommy & Daddy. Where do they get their energy?

The next morning we had a big breakfast at the "breakfast smorgasbord" and then once again, you guessed it, we were off to the pool. The kids couldn't get enough :)

Mr. "Up till 10pm and up at 7 am" is getting tired ...

Chad did this cool action sequence of Audrey jumping in the pool:
She is becoming quite the fish lately!

Hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day weekend!

I think I'm losing my mind ...

I apologize ... this post is very "stream of consciousness"...

...so today I was FINALLY going to do something I have been putting off for a LONG time. No really, I should have had this done 5-7 weeks ago. Drum roll please .... it's my favorite pregnancy test ... the dreaded glucose tolerance test. When I was pregnant with Audrey, I almost blacked out at the midwives office during this test (the problem with drinking that incredibly sugary disgusting drink is the blood sugar DROP shortly afterward) so I have some lingering issues with it all, I suppose. :) Anyhow, finding the time to do this has been tough. I sure didn't want to bring my beloved but wiggly 2 year old along for the 1 hour wait! And I feel like I have asked too many people to watch my kids lately (and I'm saving my favors for AFTER the baby, haha!), so I don't know, maybe I was hoping I could just skip it? Pretty please? I have to admit I am a little lax about everything this time around. Anyhoo, at the last appointment, the doctor says - "Can you go take this test... Please? Like, this week?" Okay, that was 3 weeks ago now, but this week Chad is actually taking vacation so I can go. I have no excuses. So I figured I'd go while Carter naps, Audrey "rests" and then Chad could finish painting our bedroom with few interruptions. So I leave the house around 2 or so ... then vaguely recall - doesn't the lab close around 3pm? Would I have time to do it? Maybe if I hurried .... so as I am walking from the car to the hospital, I remember ... I don't have my paperwork from the doctor's office with me. (Although I DID remember the orange syrup stuff that has been in my fridge for about 3 months now!) I decided to try to plead my case since we live literally down the street from the hospital and I could run home and be back in 5 minutes flat, but the nurse in the lab was having none of that. I guess she actually wanted to go home on time ... how dare she! :P So ...I went to the car and promptly burst into tears. I am so .... pregnant! What about this situation makes me want to cry?? It makes me laugh thinking about that now. I think I'm losing my mind ...

More information about my day than you ever wanted to know!! :)

The "graduate"

Oh so sad, I am (and beginning to talk like Yoda?) .... Audrey's preschool days are over. Not just for the summer. She won't be going back ever - since she'll be off to kindergarten this fall. I sure am going to miss my drives to Preschool in the Valley. It is an absolutely beautiful drive through the beautiful countryside of Chester County. I half wish that I had signed Carter up for next fall (but then when I think about driving a newborn and Carter off to preschool first thing in the morning, I think otherwise...) I plan to send Carter when he's 3 1/2, but that is another school year away. :(

Audrey had such a great year at preschool. Her teacher was the greatest. Really, she was. She's not going to be back next year and moms are up in arms! :) Audrey really blossomed socially this year as well and made a lot of friends, some of whom will be in her kindergarten too!

On Thursday, the kids had "graduation." It was very simple yet very adorable. The children marched into the sanctuary wearing little graduation caps, then they sang a song. Audrey said that the song was a surprise, but that it kind of sounded like "I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart" (... any guesses as to what they sang? haha) The pastor gave a "commencement address" of about 5 minutes (these are preschoolers, you know). Then each "graduate" went up to receive their "diploma". I wish that I knew how to do video on this blog, because Audrey very cutely skipped right up to her teacher to receive her diploma :) This is the only graduation where she'll get away with that ...

Audrey with her friend Kessa and Teacher Mindy

And all too soon, she'll be off to "big school"... then junior high ... then high school ... then college ... (sniff, sniff!) Please don't grow up TOO fast!

Chad is taking off this next week and we're planning to have a "staycation" of sorts ... some projects around the house, but some fun stuff planned in the area too. I'll keep you posted!

Dogwood Festival 2009

Okay ... here is my obligatory post about the Phoenixville Dogwood Festival. This is so eagerly anticipated by the kids here in this neighborhood that you can almost feel the block pulsating with excitement! There's not too much to say - as in previous years, there were rides, friends, and ice cream - what else could a kid want? I'll mostly leave it to the pictures to tell the story!

The bumblebee ride is usually the first ride we go on ... it's a favorite!

All the neighborhood kids - they always seem to find each other and stick together!

Waiting, waiting, waiting (It was kiddie night so some of the lines were kinda long, not that the kids noticed. They were busy being silly with each other!)

Carter's favorite ride - the swing that was already in the park and totally free!

Kid-isms

One from Carter:
The other day we were over visiting our friends the Wagners and after dinner we all had ice cream cones. Carter had an especially cute little bitty cone, just his size. He took a couple licks of ice cream, looked up, and declared it "da-yis-is!" (aka "delicious"). I had no idea that he knew that word! How cute is that, especially since most of what he says is gibberish?

Now one from Audrey:
The other week we were driving home from the Reading Phillies game. As we passed by the Limerick Power Plant (also known as the nuclear cooling towers, for those of you who don't live around here), Audrey looked out the window and said "Look Mommy! Cloud makers!"

We all got a laugh out of that one!

Mommy's Day

... because calling yesterday "Mother's Day" just doesn't seem to fit our family right now. No one calls me "mother"! I'm just good ol' Mommy, and I'm going to hold onto that for as long as possible.

I had a nice day with my family. I got to sleep in until almost 9! I KNOW! UNHEARD OF! But the kids were out late the night before so they slept till probably 8:30 or so too. I had a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast, and off to church we went. Chad had declared the day before that I did not have to cook anything :) so he brought home Chinese food for lunch (I am loving Chinese these days ...) then in the afternoon Audrey and I had ice cream cones together while Carter napped. I even got to lay down and rest too! In the evening we went to have a picnic with friends and the kids played happily with their buddies till the sun went down and everyone was dirty and tired and content... and full of more ice cream cones. Gotta love summery days!

On Saturday afternoon we and my brother went over to my parents' house and had a little early Mother's Day celebration with my Mom. Chad helped my Dad with a little landscaping and then we all went out to eat at Applebee's. I have to say, not to wish time away ... but I can't wait for the day that the kids sit nicely in the restaurant and eat contentedly. :) In our present day scenario, Carter is squirmy and requires constant distraction, and Audrey gets overly excited and talks way too loudly ... but at least they aren't sullen teenagers who look like they'd rather be anywhere but with us! It just would be nice to talk like grown-ups and have an uninterruped conversation though :)

And here's what I would say to my Mom in that uninterrupted conversation:

"Mom, thanks for all you have ever done for me. Thanks for believing in me as a kid, a teen, a young adult, a wife, and a mom. Thanks for loving me despite my character flaws and selfishness (which I hope have improved somewhat since my childhood...) I now understand how much patience you had to have each day as you raised me, but I also understand how deeply you love me too, since I'm now walking the same path ..."

Love you Mom! And I am so thankful that God has given me with Audrey, Carter & a baby girl to raise. I am so blessed!

My babies ...

...and the reason I now drive this. :)

Happy belated Mother's Day to all my Mom friends out there!

Muffins with Mom

Yesterday was "Muffins with Mom" day at Audrey's preschool. Each child had made a folder with a painting on the front, and a "gift of words" on the inside. This was mine ....


I think she wrote about the banana-chocolate chip muffins because she and I had just made them together... the truth is that right now I like to eat EVERYTHING! Especially ice cream, mmm, ice cream ... I'll be back in a minute ...

It's so fun to see Audrey and her classmates in their own little environment. I love that she gets so excited that I am coming to her class .... I gotta treasure this part of childhood because I know one day she will be embarrassed to walk through the mall with me. :)

And just for fun, I'll post this picture. I found Carter walking around the house wearing my sunglasses today ...