Delaney's 7th Birthday

Delaney turned 7! How can this be? She got to choose to do whatever she wanted for her big day! She chose to go to Chik Fil A for lunch, and Nana and Papa decided to treat us to Time Out frozen yogurt for dessert. Then just the girls went to Whim Wham to paint pottery. We had such a great time! Nana and Papa took Finn home so we didn't have to worry about him terrorizing the shop! We painted for about 2 hours! Delaney made a cup/vase/pencil holder, Lucy made a pirate mug and I made our family a birthday plate. We had dinner (lasagna, salad, garlic bread, and ice cream cookie sandwiches per Delaney request and had Nana/Papa and the Owens family over!   What a fun day! shes such a cool kid! We are planning a sleepover birthday party on Saturday for 5 friends with a big slip n' slide and art project. 

Softball Fall 2013

Kenny and I decided to have Delaney play softball this year! Ormond does not have girls t-ball- they start them out at softball.  Delaney got placed on Dean Kelly's team, and he encouraged us to let Lucy play as well, and she would be allowed to hit off of a t, since she is 5.  Boy, have things changed since Kenny and I played!  Girls wear fielding masks in the field to prevent injury, each player has their own bat and helmet, etc. The kids use fancy backpack bat bags, too!  There were only 3 teams for the U8 (under 8) divioin, so we played the same teams over and over.  Delaney has become such a good, coordinated player! She's definately a hitter.  Lucy is still learning, she's one of the youngest kids out there, by far, playing against 8 year olds!  She still needs some encouragement to run fast and hustle, but she does so well and has learned ALOT!  Her coordination has skyrocketed!

After our regualr season was over, Dean rounded up an "All Star Team" from Ormond Beach.  Lucy and Delaney decided to play, so now we are at our first tournament in St Johns!  Lucy as been assigned pitcher and right field, and Delaney caught the first game, played catcher and 1st basae the other 2 games.  We have played 3 games so far, and are waiting for our last game of the day.  We are currently in 8th place (out of 8 teams)! We have gotten beat pretty badly each game, but the kids are having fun and I can see that they've improved alof over the 3 game!  We plan to have a fun night (maybe Chuck E Cheese since we are close to one)! I'm proud of the girls for trying so hard and still loving them game!

TROUBLE

So Finn has had some "incidents" lately...such a BOY!

While playing around before bedtime, Finn is climbing on me like a jungle gym while I am sitting on the floor, he gets himself sitting on my shoulders and throws himself backward.  I'm holding onto his legs, while he is hanging upside down, so Kenny has to come and help me get him off of me.  A minute later he's clibing on me again, but this time I'm going to be smart and hold his hands so he can't throw himself backward.  So he tries to throw himself back again, but I'm holding onto him- until I feel a pop in his wrist and he starts screaming!  He's holding his arm and not letting us touch it. So we start trying to ice it and I give him some ibuprofen, and we get the girls to bed.  We call Dan over, and he suggests taking him to urgent care.  WE even made him a little splint made of a toilet paper roll.  So Kenny and I throw him in the car to try and get to urgent care in time to get an x-ray.  We get there and Dr. Quinteros feels around and then literally pops it back in- I had dislocated his elbow (Nursemaid's Elbow).  Finn was immediately out of pain and totally fine!  Dr. Q taught me how to pop it back in because he will be prone to it again since his ligament are stretched out.  I won't mention the tears of joy when that's all that it was!  I wasn't ready for a broken bone for my baby- which I caused!

I get home from work and Finn had slammed his finger in the dog run door while playing outside with Papa.  So now we are basically waiting for his finger nail to fall off...

And a good one- now that summer is here, the girls wanted to make a tent in their room.  Finn of course wanted a tent in his room, so we brought one of the pop up tents in there.  I gave him his pillow, blanket, and binky and said goodnight.  He was curled up in the tent, and so happy!  We never heard another peep from him!  He fell asleep immediately and woke up so proud of himself!!!

Lucy's Daytona Lagoon Incident

To celebrate the first day of summer home with the kids, I decided to use our Daytona Lagoon passes.  We invited Erin and Elizabeth to join us.   Finn was a bit skeptical of the kid area, especially after he and I got dumped on by the water gush! I followed the big girls around and we all went on the Lazy River.  I kept making a point of keeping a close eye on Lucy because she was trying to keep up with the big girls, especially on the water slides, and its always hard to have 3 kids, someone is usually left out.  So we went to the wave pool and the girls were playing on a double raft.  I saw that Delaney and Elizabeth were headed out to the deep end as the waves started in a doouble tube.  i noticed Lucy trying to make her way out to them, but struggling to get into a single tube.  She was getting deeper and deeper, so I asked Erin to keep an eye on Finn as I walked out to bring her into shallower water.  As I'm walking to Lucy with my eyes on her, all of a sudden I hear the whistles and see a lifeguard jump in to rescue Lucy!!! I am immediately there, knowing Lucy was really ok, but Lucy started to cry, then I started to cry!  She was so scared! I think the rescueing really freaked her out!  She did say that she was in water that was too deep, but I think the worst part was that she was trying to get into a tube so it looked like she was struggling to tay afloat.  So I carried Lucy out of the water, then had to meet wiht the manager.  We called it a day after that, but it was really scary.  I knew she was ok, but it was still so "official" and I hated seeing Lucy get so nervous!  We won't be going in the Wave Pool when the waves are going for a while!

Big Man

Big day today for finn! Swimming across the pool and floating and jumping in, going peepee on the potty for the first times, and getting himself dressed! he got the shirt on backward and both his legs in one leg hole, but he tried so hard! And he even went to bed in Lucy's leftover pink princess pull-ups!

A Finn Story

Finn gave us quite a scare last night. he and i were playing with him sitting on my shoulders. he threw himself back and thought it aas a great game. Then he climbed back on my shoulders and i decided to hold him by his arms this time. but finn decided to throw himself backward again! As he did, I felt alittle pop in his right wrist. I called for Kenny to get finn off of me and right side up. Finn cried and clutched at his wrist. We tried to ice it and let him rest, but he continued to cry if we touched it. So I called Dan and he and Rhonda came over and advised us to take him for an X-ray. So we made him a little splint out of a toilet paper roll and raced to Twilight pediatrics urgent care.  We had to get there by 8:30 to get an xray, so kenny and I sped there! Dr. Q moved it around a bit, then tried to bend it in. he told us he thought it was dislocated and he was going to try a maneuver to put it back in place. As soon as he did it, Finn was fine. He called it Nursemaid elbow and he'll be susceptible to it until he's 3 or 4 because stretched out his ligaments. I cried tears of joy and relief! and hugged the doctor! 5/14/13

Funny Story...

So, we had gone out of town for Gabrielle's baby shower and came home to a brown front yard since the oak trees had decided to rain down leaves. I couldn't stand it anymore! While Kenny was at work on Saturday, I decided to use the mower and get all the leaves up. The three kids and I all headed out front. I got the blower and blew the leaves out of the planters. Then decided I should blow the leaves off the roof because what was the point of getting leaves off the ground when with one gust of wind there would be more on the ground?!? So the girls and I haul the extension ladder to the front of the house and I climb up. All three of them were on the ground waving at me. So I'm blowing the leaves off and pull the electrical cord and hear a crash...down goes my ladder! So I'm stuck on the roof and all three is my kids are on the ground! I had my cell phone, but was able to talk the girls through getting the ladder up to me! They saved me! I'll never do that again! What a disaster that could have been! But we got 4 garbage cans and 4 bags of leaves off the ground and can now see green grass!

Delaney Made Us Lunch

Delaney decided to make herself, Lucy, and I lunches for the day. She wrote special messages on Lucy and my baggies! So cute!
Mine says: "I love you Mom. You are so nice. I love you. Love, Delaney, Lucy, and Finn"
Lucy's says: "I love you Lucy. You are so nice. I wouldn't want anybody to have you. Love, Delaney."

Happy New Year

We spent a great New Year's Day on Papa's boat with Sarah and Jeff cruising north in the Halifax River. We has two dolphin follow us and play in our bow wake almost the whole way home!! I'm taking it as a sign that they will bring us many blessings in the New Year!

Our Two Year Old!

So Mr. Finn is 2 today! I can't believe it! I've enjoyed watching him mature, especially in the last month! He tries to talk, and most of it doesn't make sense, but he understands everything! I have to make sure I'm explaining things to him because he's not just a baby anymore! He really is starting to say more things and put words together. He screams "AMEN" at the end of the food blessing each night. He says alot of things that I understand and can translate! He got a tricycle, small bike, clothes, cowboy boots, and cars am a car garage. He loves walking around holding tiny cars in his hands! Kenny and I bought tickets to the circus for a present from us!
Finn is now wearing 2T clothes, size 4 diapers, weighs 28 lb. (50th percentile) and is 33 3/4" tall (below 50th percentile). He really still loves to play with his trains, he loves his Papa (or "Baaba" as Finn says) and playing outside. He always wants to do what his big sisters do. He's had many a tantrum screaming "GO" when they go someplace and he's left behind, especially to Nana and Papa's house! He takes one long nap a day, usually around 2pm, once Delaney is picked up from school. He goes to bed around 8pm and sleeps usually until 6:45 or 7 am. He sleeps with his binky, Gator blanket, and an Elmo doll. He likes his fan and music on, and his turtle night light. He'll yell at you if you try to leave the room and it isn't just right!
He is still a picky eater- I offer him vegetables every night and he rarely will take a bite, although he does like raw red peppers! He loves his fruits, especially apples, grapes, and oranges. He's not a big fan of meats,