Visiting Aunt Ashley

We did our share of shopping while visiting Aunt Ashley last week and were surprised to find the splash park open at one of the nearby shopping centers. The kids were thrilled with a chance to cool off in the 90 degree heat. The boys just took their shirts off and played in their shorts but I had to run into Gymboree to purchase a swim suit for Piper.




And Abe chilled in his stroller (with his leg propped up) for a while...

then ventured into the water sprinklers with the others!

He was a little unsure what was going on, but he gave it a try. The Piper grabbed him and ran through the wettest part; he did not come out happy!

Adventures in Wildlife

Piper had some great finds last week! First, Roamie found this turtle right outside the woods. Piper always takes them and keeps them for about 24 hours then lets them go back into their natural habitat. We had one a few years back that was so friendly and ate all the fruit and veggies we put in its box, but this one was not, so he had to be released.

Then she came across these abandoned goose eggs by the creek. She brought them home so excited about having some baby geese, but I had to explain to her that they would not hatch without their mother keeping them warm. She went so far as to wrap them up in blankets and sit on them herself but finally accepted their fate. I think she used them in a mud pie the next day!

Look what the dog dragged in...

Roamie came running back from the woods with this treasure last week!

Just random pictures...

from the beach (I sure can make a lot of blog entries from one trip!).

Abe's silly smile:

My kids can never resist a tree suitable for climbing:

An awesome toy in the front yard; the hammock was a crowd favorite with all the kids. I was trying to get a picture of their feet but Cohen came tumbling out as the picture snapped.

And scaling the lattice next door, thank goodness their was no one staying there!

An evening spent at the park

I guess it was Wednesday evening after dinner, we took the kids to the park nearby to blow off some energy before bedtime. We didn't have much trouble getting everyone to bed each night. They played so hard everyday!

And in true Jennings' form, Piper was not deterred from the tire swing just because of the nasty swamp water beneath. She trekked right through it which shocked my college roommate! Her kids are so cautious and clean-minded, and mine are the polar opposite!

Aquarium

We took all the kids to the aquarium on Tuesday because it was raining outside. They were getting stir crazy and needed a place to explore. We were able to see the divers in the large aquarium and watched them feed the fish and then feed the sharks (which I had never seen).

Everyone's favorite was the sting rays which are in an open aquarium where you can reach in and touch them. Cohen was beginning to get a little out of hand, hence the wet shirt and the look on Cheree's (college roommate) face!

I actually thought Cohen was going to get in the aquarium with them. The volunteers working in that area kept warning me that he was getting a little too "curious" which is saying it nicely :)

Spring swimming

We took the kids to the beach twice during our stay, although the weather was not perfect. What it is important to know when looking at these pictures is that it was a chilly 60 degrees outside and windy (the news said the water temp was 62 degrees, brrrr)!


The boys just stood there shivering after their swim, it was pretty funny. And to be fair, we did warn them before they got in!

Then they turned to the sand to warm them up. The weather was not so bad when you stayed dry.

Bicycle gang

The kids and I went to the beach house last Monday and ended up staying all week. Chad had a job in a neighboring town, so he came down Wednesday and worked the rest of the week, spending the nights with the kids and me. My college roommate met us there Monday and stayed until Thursday. We had such a wonderful time, and the kids played so well together. Her kids are 7 and 4, so Piper and Cohen each had a playmate close in age.

The kids spent little time on the couch but I was able to catch a few pictures of them all together. Left to right: Cohen, Ethan, Piper and AbiKate.

Piper and Cohen stuck to Ethan (the 7 year old) like glue. It took him a few days to get used to my kids gathering around him every time he got still!

There were also some kids in the neighboring houses that would come out to ride bikes and play with our kids. It was nice to sit on the porch and keep eyes on the kids while they played with friends.

The New Dog

Somehow, Rovert (yes, Rover with a "t") ended up at the beach with us last week. I had no intention of taking him but Chad brought him down when he came to work in the neighboring town. He was actually really well behaved and LOVED the water.

One other thing we have learned about our new dog is that he likes digging! He dug a huge hole in the yard and Cohen started a competition with him. Cohen was digging a few feet away and kept asking whose hole was bigger. Rovert's was definitely bigger, but I didn't tell Cohen that :)


By the way, we are *trying* to change his name to Roamie (not sure how you spell it??) but the transition is hard since we have always known him as Rovert.

More beach pics to come!

Happy Easter

So I found a cheap camera on Craigslist, to get me by for a little while. I am actually quite pleased with it, it is nicer than the one I broke!

Anyway, on to more important things! We had a wonderful Easter day. We started the morning with some treats from the "Easter Mommy." We do not get too crazy with the Easter baskets, because I want the kids to realize the true meaning of Easter. At their ages though, that desire is lost on them. After Oreos for breakfast (yes, my kids had cookies for breakfast) we left for church. Here are a few Easter basket pics:

I got Piper the Marley and Me movie, eventhough she had already seen it. It was an adorable movie but the PG rating was deceiving, since most animated movies are PG these days, I assumed it was fine. I thought it was a little racy for kids, I think I will have to find it a new home.

Piper performed with her dance group at church. They did an awesome job! Piper was so excited about the dance, she made sure we sat in the front row of the church so we could see her really well :) She even recruited her Aunt and cousins to sit with us. Looking at the first pic, Piper is the 3rd from the left.

We finished the day at Nanny's house with a delish meal and lots of visiting with family. The kids always enjoy Nanny and Papa's house because there is plenty to do outside. Outside play seems to agree really well with my big kids!

Busy Easter

No pictures today as my camera is out of commission. I have been wanting a new one, maybe this is my chance to get one!

We have such a busy weekend coming up, so I am trying not to get stressed out about it. Last night Piper spent the night with Grandmommie. Grandmommie picked her up from gymnastics yesterday afternoon, so I had a house full of boys last night. Today, I am taking Piper to meet her best friend Hannah at noon to watch the new Hannah Montana movie (ugh, not my first choice, but it is rated G so I am trying not to complain). I think the boys and I will head to the mall while Piper is with Hannah since I have a few coupons for one of the stores. This afternoon, Piper heads to my mom's (Nana's) to spend the night.

Tomorrow morning I am heading to my last day of tax work, I am really going to miss getting up and out on the weekends. Chad is going to take the kids to the Easter Egg Hunt at church in the afternoon and then to his Grandma's for dinner. Hopefully I will finish with work in time to meet them, but I anticipating long day at work tomorrow.

Sunday, Piper dances for the Easter Service at church. She used to get so nervous, but now she looks forward to dancing on stage! That afternoon we are heading to my Nanny's for lunch/dinner.

Monday, we are off to the beach for a few days with one of my college roommates and her children. I think Chad is going to meet us later in the week, so I am not sure how long we will stay. I guess I will breathe a sigh of relief when we get there after all the activity of the Easter weekend.

One exciting note, Abe slept through the night last night, PRAISE GOD!!! After 10 months of sleepless night and 10 nights of "sleep training" there was peace in our house all night long!!! Oh yeah, and we adopted a dog from some friends. They were throughly put out with him and offered him to us. Chad and I were not ready for another dog, but it was either take him or let him go to the pound. So far (we've had him for a week), so good. He is the polar opposite of Max, he hardly even moves when we walk outside. He doesn't jump on us or the kids and just stays right with us outside. He is no Max, but I guess I will learn to love him over the coming months???

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Playing house

Piper loves to set up a "house" in the living room. I am always fussing at her as she gathers cleaning supplies, clothing, furniture, towels, toys, etc. for her house because I know how much I will have to fuss to get her to put it all back up. Thursday was no exception; she had a blast setting up her home and playing in it for an hour or so. But then, I spent the next hour or so begging her to get it all put up.

In all truth though, she is so creative and detail oriented. There is always a different section of her house for the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. She has cleaning supplies tucked away in the small wooden piece of furniture, just like our cleaning supplies are under the kitchen sink. Towels are laid all over the place for wallpaper and rugs. There is a flower on the table to decorate. It's just really interesting when you get her to show you around in her house.

She even covered the child's recliner with a red towel because it needed to be reupholstered! And the brown pillow next to it is the front door which cannot be opened without a key.

But this last picture is my personal favorite. That is her pet horse, Baystar, drinking water out of a glass pitcher :) Baystar's size pales in comparison to the dog (Scooby in the floor in the 2nd pic) which makes me laugh too!

Abe's first real banana

So this is not a typical milestone for most kids, but Abe was so cute with his first banana! He is always so proud when he gets into his high chair at the table. He smiles and squeals and grunts, knowing he is at the big table like the rest of us. Reluctant to let my last baby grow up, I have held off on solid/textured foods a lot longer than I did with the older two. But Abe is so ready for it, he smiles with delight when I give him those melt-in-your-mouth baby puffs, so the banana was a thrilling experience indeed!