Wobbly in the Pool

Natalie was kind of wobbly in the pool like she is when she walks, but I'm sure that being in the pool will only make her muscles stronger.

Watching Natalie in the Pool

Joseph and Bailey watched as Natalie figured out how to float in the pool without tipping over to much. Natalie took a good nap today after playing in the pool for about 30 minutes.

Jumping in the Pool

Mallory was able to get Natalie to jump off the side of the pool.

Swimming in the Pool

Bailey wanted to show off her ability to "doggy paddle". WTG Bailey!

Colorful Cloth

Do you like Natalie's colorful diaper? She's got a very bad rash caused by the heat and too much juice. So today I dragged out the very cool and colorful fitted cloth diapers I used with Bailey and Joseph and started using them with Natalie. I am using them without any cover to let her bottom breathe as much as possible. I did put a cover on her for bedtime. Hopefully her bottom will start to look better soon.

New Plants by the Pool

I planted 7 hostas today between the fence and one of the long sides of the pool. Here are two of them. I will plant 5 more between the fence and one of the short sides of the pool. I have been wanting to plant something there since we got the pool almost 12 years ago.

Welcome

Welcome to the a glimpse of the Stratton gardens.

What are these plants?

These fuzzy plants came back from plants that Joseph brought home at the end of second grade. Last year they were about a foot tall. As you can see, this year they are over two feet tall. They are being moved this weekend as they are hiding everything I planted behind them. We have no idea what type of plant they are, Joseph does not remember.

Strawberries and Mint

Last year I planted three strawberry plants for Bailey. This year the strawberry plants have taken over more than half of the flower box. As you can see, there are a few red berries almost ready to eat. The other plants among the strawberry plants are mint plants. I planted a few mint plants in the left back corner of the box and they have spread like crazy too. I put a few other flowering plants in the bare spots a few weeks ago, but they have been mostly buried under the strawberry and mint plants.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes

Natalie's favorite thing to do these days is finger play songs of any kind.

What a nice looking block!

Mallory is also jumping higher than she did last year. Here she made an attempt to block the hitter on the other side of the net. WTG Mallory.

Up, Up and Away

Mallory is getting better and better every time we see her play. Here she shows great form while spiking the ball.

Level 4 State Gymnastics Meet

Taylor and the other 11 year olds in her group waiting to compete in the Level 4 State gymnastics meet. Out of 56 competitors in her age group from across the state, she ended up 14th on Vault, 12th on Bars, 12th on Floor, 9th on Beam and 9th All Around. Not too shabby for a little girl from the South. LOL

First place in the Team Competition

Taylor's gym also won 1st place in the Team competition so she got 6 medals in all.

5th grade PE Extravaganza

Taylor performed a back handspring as part of the 5th grade PE Extravaganza. She also tumbled, jump roped, double dutched and danced along with the whole 5th grade class.

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day tradition at our house involves me sleeping in until my children bring me breakfast in bed. This year, Joe made the kids make breakfast, since most of them are old enough to help. I got a box of chocolate and one photo album from each kid with some of their pictures already in them.

On and Off?

I found Natalie sleeping half on her bed and half in Bailey dresser when i went up to check on her before I went to bed. I had to take a picture and get back online and add this post.

New Bike for Joseph

This weekend was time to pass outgrown bikes down to someone smaller. Joseph got Rachel's old bike. Rachel will be getting a new 26" bike when she and I get a chance to get to the store and pick one out.

New Bike for Bailey

After almost two weeks of riding a bike that was too small, Bailey got up the nerve to try Taylor's old 20" bike. She loves it and can't wait to ride as much as possible everyday.

New Bike for Natalie

Natalie got a new bike too. She kept trying to ride the only trike we had which was too big for her. So I got her a smaller trike where her feet could reach the pedals. She like it when someone pushes her around.

Skateboarding Taylor

Taylor was trying to skateboard while everyone else was riding their bikes.

Skateboarding Natalie

Natalie wanted to try out the skateboard too.

Rollerblading Rachel

Rachel wanted her picture taken too. Here she was on her roller blades while taking Freckles for a walk.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.

Down Came the Rain

Down came the rain and washed the spider out... Natalie loves this song. Here she was getting us to sing to her while she waited for the bus. She must have been cold as she insisted on sitting by the door under this blanket. Joe told her that she only got 10 times to sing the song a day and that she shouldn't use up all those times before she got on the bus. LOL

Automatic Table Cleaner

We took this picture of Natalie after she climbed across the table after dinner. We had Chinese for dinner and she got most of the fallen rice stuck to her shirt and pants.