The 1st Day of School 2008

Kindergarten is finally here! Madeline has been counting down to the big day. Kindergarten means 5 days of school, something Madeline looked forward to all through Pre-K. Madeline woke up just as the sun came up and told us it was her best day. We have a few little kinks to work out in the get-out-of-the-house routine for school...the baby does like to eat in the morning too! It went pretty smooth. No tears. Madeline is a confident student, never looking back.

Ivan, on the other hand is a little lost without Madeline. I am enjoying some extra cuddles the last few days as he gets used to being without his best buddy, Madeline. This is Ivan watching as she leaves for school. The classic window picture...

In Preparation to End the Summer

It was such a hot day that we decided to spend some time in the car and go on a day trip to Spokane to go to the River Park square area in Spokane, WA. It was a good way to wrap up the summer. We have not gone on vacation this summer with a new baby and a new home to keep us busy, so this was all for the kids (except a quick trip to Target)! We went to Red Robin, the candy shop, the merry-go-round, and for a walk in the park!

Madeline and the elegant horse. Those red cheeks show how hot we are! It was the one portion of the day when we were not in air conditioning.

Ivan chose a giraffe, obviously, but he later realized there was a tiger. That would have been pretty cool, he thought.

The clock tower.

Ivan chased hundreds of ducks and geese back into the water.

Fiona took interest in something her own size. I really enjoy watching a 2 month old discover newness.

Madeline's Amazing Spin Moves

Ivan's Fantastic Diving Moves

Happy Birthday to Madeline

Madeline turned 5 yesterday. Madeline informed me this morning that she is a grown up now and that she will no longer be needing any spankings. I told her that I hoped this was true based on obedience. I am thankful that God gives us more than 5 years to train children!!

This year was a little different for Madeline's birthday fun. She didn't have all her little girlfriends over this year, but I think she still had a blast. I decided that the state of our house and my general disorganization as a new mom of 3 was not a good mix with a dozen little girls. She did manage to have two family parties and a date with her friend Olivia. We took them to McDonalds and to see Wall-E. How weird to think that I have a 5 year old.

At 5 Madeline is unpredictable, energetic, devoted, determined, passionate, and creative.
She is a swimmer, a reader, an artist, a helper, and of course a joy. We are very thankful for 5 wonderful years with her and approximately 1,825 blessed days with her.

Pictures by Madeline

Madeline had her 5th birthday today. The big present she got was a camera from Deacon and Me and Nana and Grandpa. So today we announce her new blog: Pictures by Madeline. Check it out!

Lifeguard to the Rescue

I wish I had taken my camera to the pool today...more than most days! Deacon and I thought it would be so fun to have the kids jump off of the diving board. It was every bit as much fun as we had anticipated with a little extra drama. Madeline took a little convincing but quickly conquered her fears.

Ivan took a running start and leaped into an amazing belly flop that earned himself an obvious "ooh," and "ahh," from the crowd that had quickly become his biggest fans. There were many, many jumps this afternoon. The belly flop was definitely the funniest, but second to that (maybe first depending on who you ask) was the moment that the lifeguard whistle blew. It was not from a lifeguard that was not on duty, but one standing near the office. I was wondering what was going on when I next noticed and amazingly fast running lifeguard diving in to save my crazy three year old swimmer. Ivan was baffled and we were fairly confused too. Ivan was pulled safely to the side (instead of swimming like he had 10 previous times). The lifeguard was completely embarrassed to say the least. It did not help that Ivan had won quite an audience by this time and many were watching. We had Ivan thank the guard later for watching out for him. I really am happy to know that lifeguards get to kids quickly. I had never seen a rescue...even if it was unnecessary. It made me feel better.

Monster Toast

The kids loved making this monster toast for breakfast. The idea came from an old children' s cookbook. All you do is get a paintbrush and add some food coloring to milk. Then paint away. Fortunately, Madeline and Ivan enjoyed their blue and green faced toast so much that they didn't mind the sogginess.