Busy Day

This morning Nell had a haircut (picture forthcoming) then we came home and played with a bouncy ball on a track and tube. Then Nell and I played a game pretending to be a baseball team raising money for our team by scrubbing dogs boxes. We got Fredo's box really clean, and "raised" $100 for our team.
Then when Esmé woke up, we went to Subway for lunch then to the grocery store. Then we met up with Nell's friend Miles and played on the playground. Then it was back home for Esme's afternoon nap

After picking up Zaven from school we went out to Governor's Land for Zav's lacrosse party. It was a nice gathering. The coach had messed up the order for the trophies and came up with the great idea to go through and write a nickname for each player on a lax ball and he presented those to the kids. It was way better than a trophy I think and so thoughtful of the coach. Zaven's was "Ankle Breaker" for his cutting in and out of many defenders. He was happy with his!

Evening update

This afternoon we did make it to swim practice. But not before I decided to try again to give Nell French braids. I was the most successful as I have ever been. I thought she looked very cute. She is scheduled to get her hair cut in the morning so it probably won't be long enough to braid after that, oh well.
At swim practice Esmé played in the baby pool and then walked/pushed her bike around the whole pool! She had a blast. And there is a cute pic of Mell at practice. She did great again. As did Zaven.

Esme's food

I am glad that I read somewhere that you should offer a food as many as 15 times to determine if your child likes it. Because yesterday I gave Esmé cantaloupe for probably the 10th time, and she loved it! Granted it was a perfectly ripe melon and particularly delicious, so who could blame her! Then today at lunch I gave her tomatoe which she proceeded to decide was a hair care product and wipe through her hair!
Yesterday was the first day of swim team. The kids went to practice from 5-6. Nell did great and made it through practice which is not always easy and I think Zav did great too. He will be swimming 50 meters this year do practice will be harder and he will be expected to do flip turns so he is practicing those.
Tonight we were supposed to go to a lacrosse party but it has beenoced until tomorrow because of rain. I imagine that my tennis will be washed out as well. But I think I am still going the have the new babysitter, Sarah, come anyway to meet the kids. I will run some errands and let someone else do bedtime. Chris has a dinner out for work.
Today was Nell's last day of pre-school! no school tomorrow and then "graduation" on Friday. That should be fun. My sweet, silly girl growing up

A great Memorial day weekend

Saturday the pool opened and we went for a swim. It was fun to see friends and for the kids to be back in the water. Esmé loved swimming, even though the water was cold. She met some other babies.
Sunday Chris preached and It was a good day. We played lacrosse in the yard and Nell put on a cheerleading show and we went to the pool again.
Then today Nell and Zaven wanted to go to the Blue Talon for bfast. Chris and Esmé stayed home. We had a nice time. We came home and made shrinky dinks. Then I made brownies for the cookout at the pool.
I have never made them from scratch. I had heard it was easy and better than the mixes so I tried and they were good!
So at 4 we headed back to the pool to the cookout. It was hot! A good crowd and a fun time.
Esmé has really taken to walking behind her push toys.

Zaven's 9th Birthday

Well we were up and at 'em,Zaven was up at 5:30 am and the rest of us soon followed.
I had decorated with balloons and signs and we had French toast (made with the ends of bread from the Cheese Shop) and bacon.
Then we were off to shool. Zaven had his last standardized test and then the whole family went to school to have lunch with Zav. That was fun and our friend Mr. Kee had the whole lunch room sing happy birthday to him.
Then Nell and I went to meet up with Miles and his babysitter the William an Mary Barnes and Noble has new escalator so they rode that, we read some books then went to the church playground and played. While we were there Esmé did some practice walking, she pushed a shopping cart and walked behind it!
After school Zaven and Nick came home and played Zaven's new wii game skylanders. Then we headed off to Plaza Azteca for dinner. Nell arranged for them restaurant to sing to to Zaven. Then we came home and the kids played lacrosse outside for a long time. Then we had cake and ice cream, more outside play.

It was a good day and I enjoyed remembering the day 9 years ago that I became a mom. Zaven liked hearing about that his due date was May 16 and that on May 22/23 I was induced, went home from the hospital, still pregnant, and then he finally came on Sunday, May 25! A very happy time. 5:46pm an 8lb 10oz

Getting ready.

Today after picking Nell up at school the girls and I ran to Target to get some surprises for Zav's birthday. We ate lunch in the cafe.
Now the challenge is the keep what we bought a secret.
Tonight Zaven is at lacrosse practice and I am headed out to play a tennis match. It promises to be the hardest one yet. Hopefully I won't be too tired from last night's match.

Lax

Today was a full day of lacrosse. Zaven played well. His team lost two and won one. It was a beautiful day. Nell is not feeling well but hung in pretty well. It is fun having Milla and Poppy here with us.
Esmé has started climbing stairs. It makes it extra important to keep an eye on her. Her other favorite thing to do is stand at the screen door and look out.
Last night at the frozen yogurt shop Ni was adding sprinkles to Nell's yogurt and the top came off and the whole canister went in! Oops.

A fun day

Today was a good day! I picked Nell up from school with Esmé and we went to lunch at the Cheese Shop. We sat out in Merchant's Square to eat and had a nice time. There is a Classic Car Club convention in town and they were displaying Packers, Cadillacs etc from the 1930's and 40's.
We walked through to check those put and ran into a friend of Nell's, Miles who will be in K with Nell next year and whose mom reached 3rd grade at Matthew Whaley. So that was fun and Nell and Miles looked at the cars and then tried to gain the attention of the Thomas Jefferson statue, one of Nell's favorite past times. Then we came home and Esmé had her nap while Nell tried out the new picnic blanket on the den floor while watching tv. Then it was time to get Zav from school.
The cars were to be in the square until 4pm so we walked up there and then went to the candy store for a treat.
When we got home Nell's, long-awaited, pogo stick was here! That was very exciting. She and Zaven both took to it quickly and are bouncing away!

Friendship bracelets

At Christmas I have Zaven a friendship bracelet making kit. We had a flurry of making them and then it died down. He wore several for a while and then had to cut them off during a basketball game. Recently, at school some bracelets were in a prize box that the kids got to go in if they get 100's on quizzes. Happily Zaven had been in the prize box a lot as they review for the VA Standardized tests.
So he has been wearing bracelets again. He told me yesterday that he was a trendsetter at school, starting boys wearing bracelets.
His tests began yesterday and he has his second set today. So this morning, with a little extra time on my hands I made him a bracelet for good wishes on his testing.
It brought back good memories making the bracelets. It is a fun project. Will have to keep it in mind for the summer.

Playmates

Nell and her friend Emery have gotten in the the pattern of having a playdate every Tuesday. One week here and then the next at Emery's house. It is great. They are good friends. But honestly sometimes the time goes better than others. Today it took a little time to get started. They were having a hard time deciding what to play. They kept trying to gets involved. But I just told them that they are good friends and wanted to play together so they needed to work it out. And they have. They are now outside and I have bobby pinned leaves in their hair and they are pretending to be fairies in the woods.
Esmé just went down for a nap and I find myself with a quiet minute to do some laundry. I have two loads to put away but Esmé is asleep where a lot of it goes so that will have to wait.

Going mobile

I am trying to see Ido can post from my phone. In hopes that i can post more often and capture more moments with the kids to share with you.

Here is Esmé this morning on the couch.

Sunny Days

we have been having great weather. with Nell wanting to ride her bike a lot. Esmé and I have been happy to go out for walks while she does that. Here is Esmé in her stroller making funny face. She squinches up her face and sniffs it is funny and she knows it. 

Esmé has been eating a lot of new foods. She tends to like a lot of things, but not every time she tries them. Some of her favorites are broccoli, green beans and peas. 

Nell and Esmé have a lot of fun together. Nell enjoys being silly and getting Esmé to laugh. 

At the playground Esmé crawled through the tube from one side to the other. 

I love this picture of Esmé. Though, she has a little rash around her mouth from eating hummus.

On Friday, Nell's school had a Mother's Day luncheon. It was really fun being with her. Esmé stayed home with Chris. 

Here's Nell with her friends Kamryn and Holly. Her other good friend Emery was out of town. 

Later that night, Zaven's school had the Strawberry Festival. We all had a good time. Nell wanted to sing karoake, so we got some kids together and they sang Adelle's "Rumor Has it" Here they are doing "test, test" into the mics.

After the festival Chris and I went to the Easton's for dinner and it was really fun. Then Saturday we went to the OBX for Zaven's lacrosse game. He played well. Then we had lunch at a local spot and came home. 

Mother's Day was great. My first as a mother of three. I wish I had gotten a photo of me with the three of them. But we had a nice time at church. Chris gave me a beautiful bracelet with three ginko leaves on it, I decided it was one for each kid. It is really pretty. 

We played a lot of lacrosse in the yard and then went out for dinner and frozen yogurt. It was a great day.