SeaWorld

We didn't realize how long it had been since we went to SeaWorld. In fact, it was like Thomas was going for the first time since he hadn't been since he was 3. We got to see several shows before the weather got yucky. Nathan walked more than I thought he would. We got him a special "backpack" with a long monkey "tail" to help him stay safe when walking around. We don't like to think of it as a leash but rather giving him "indepence with limitations". ha! They were so good and enjoyed seeing all the animals. We already have our tickets for our next visit and we can't wait to go back!

watching the sealion show

trying to climb in with the sealions

pointing to the sharks

trying to join the flamingos

goose

Thomas in front of the Shamu tank

Nathan's turn

My favorite picture of the whole day!

"come on boys, please smile."

Then they go back to hitting.

Trying to join the ducks.

Ending the day with some ice cream.

Founder's Day Fun

On Friday we celebrated at school for their Founder's Day. The boys had the most fun at the Dunk Tank. Thomas almost hit the buzzer with every throw. This made him happy but I'm not so sure the teacher in the dunk tank felt the same excitement. Nathan even wanted a turn and sure enough he hit the target, too! We were hoping to win during the basket raffle, but for the 9th straight year, no luck! Maybe next year...

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Ward!

Thomas' teacher had a special present waiting for her on the day coming back from Spring Break. For her birthday I made her a balloon wreath as a gift from her whole class. She loved it! We are so blessed that Thomas has such wonderful teachers!

Time to Get Up

Yeah, the Monday after Spring Break was the worst! No one wanted to get out of bed. And when they did, they laid on the couch until we were almost late for school. It's hard getting up at 6:15am when they were finally getting the hang of sleeping in!

Having Fun at Nana and Papa's

Over Spring Break Ken went to Venice, FL to help a friend move into his vacation house. Since we didn't want to be alone for three days we camped out at Nana and Papa's house. It worked out great since I had headache the whole time. The boys had fun making a mess and staying up late. It was a great way to end our Spring Break!

Playing Some B-Ball

Since Nathan was not allowed to get his ears wet after the surgery we knew that we needed to hide all the water toys or else he would be disappointed. Ken set up the "new to us" basketball hoop for Thomas while Nathan was inside resting. The boys LOVE to play and it's fun to see how much better they are getting compared to last summer.

Nathan's Surgery

We couldn't plan too much fun for Spring Break since we scheduled Nathan's surgery. He got his second set of tubes and also had his adenoids removed. He came through it like a champ just a very grumpy champ. It took the whole day for him to start feeling like homeself. We noticed right away that his runny nose stopped which made me glad that the tubes were draining correctly. We hope that this surgery stops the ear infections and helps him progress with his speech and language development.

Showing where his IV went in his hand.

Taking it easy on day 2 of recovery

The Beginning of Spring Break

The boys started off Spring Break with lots of splashing in the backyard. They had fun with the Slip-n-Slide and playing with the sand & water table. I was able to plant some new flowers and put down some new mulch. I wish I had more time to keep up my flowerbeds! The boys played on the new swingset and we had some picnic lunches. It was nice to clean all the closets in the house and pack away winter clothes and get ready for summer! Spring Break came at the perfect time!

A New Smile

Two little monkey's jumping on the bed. One fell off and lost his tooth!

Thomas and Nathan were having some fun when Thomas ran to me and said, "My tooth fell out!!!!" Thankfully, the tooth was already lose and almost ready to fall out. Thomas said that Nathan pushed him off the bed and then fell on top of him. Nathan's head bumped Thomas' mouth which caused the tooth to come out.
Thomas said to Nathan, "I have two things to say to you! Number 1: Never do that again and Number 2: Thank you!" It was priceless. Here is his new grin. (The other big front tooth is lose so this new smile may be changing again very soon.)

St. Patrick's Day

It was yet another year that we did not trap those sneaky Leprechauns! Thomas made a cleaver trap. The Leprechaun was supposed to climb up the ladder and fall into the tube-like trap. The block on top was to weigh it down so that once he was inside he wouldn't be able to lift it up. Sadly, the block fell into the trap and created a way for the Leprechaun to jump out andescape. Darn! Thomas was thrilled with the chocolate coins and is already planning a new trap for next year.
Nathan on the other hand saw green footprints at school and completely flipped out. The Leprechaun who visited our house must have known that and didn't make a mess or change anything in Nathan's routine. whew!

Fishing Trip with Dad

On Friday, Thomas was out of school for Spring Break, but it was a work day for me. Ken and Thomas decided to take the boat out and go fishing. This is the first time that Thomas has been on the boat without me. (Or should I say, the first time Ken had to be the lifeguard and boat driver.) Nathan wanted to go too but he had to go to school. They stayed out on the water until lunch time and Thomas caught three fish. (Dad got zero.) All in all, I think they had a fun time and Ken has found the perfect fishing partner.

Big Boy Bike

I am trying to come to grips that Nathan is no longer a baby. Although it's exciting that he is becoming more independent, it's sad for so many other reasons. He has been practicing riding a real big kid bike. He is doing awesome. He is learning to pedal faster and tries hard to keep up with Thomas. It's funny to think that the bike he is riding is Thomas' old one from when he was three. These boys are growing up too quick!

Thomas' Off-Off Broadway Debut!

Thomas performed in his very first play! The first grade divided up and performed the BUGZ play to a live audience last night. It was wonderful. I was super lucky since my class was invited to the dress rehearsal in the morning, so I got to see it twice! Thomas was a brown bug and had the opening lines to the show. He loved listening to the soundtrack every night preparing for it. Nathan learned the words, too and seemed amazed that the other kids were singing the songs. Thomas was not afraid and seemed to enjoy the stage lights. He brought his teachers some tulips for all her hard work. We were thankful that Nana, Papa and the Coffaro family could join in his debut.

Thomas and his wonderful teacher, Mrs. Ward

Leading the line of cast members

Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom!

Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom is Nathan's new favorite book! He loves the story and loves identifying the letters. We have it on DVD too which is neat since they "sing" the book rather than read it. I have this Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom tree in my classroom and I only use it at the beginning of the year. I brought it home and it was an instant hit. Nathan loved it and doesn't want me to take it back to school!

New Baskets

I found a couple new baskets for the playroom and so far this is all that has been in them. Nathan and Tinkerbell have new "boats"...I mean baskets.