Every year we play at the same Putt-Putt place. They also have a good restaurant that we usually eat at before hand. I didn't get a lot of pics of Jack this time because he loves to play Putt-Putt and he doesn't have the patience to wait for everyone to take their turn. Instead he was racing ahead of us on all the holes.
Check us out at the same place last year.
Here Tor takes a break from jumping on the trampoline and he and Daddy watch Jack while Daddy help him get his flip-flops on.
We have been really busy since Jack finished Summer Camp. He did really well this year, learning how to swim underwater. I signed him up for swim lessons through Christmas so that he won't lose the skills he learned. Tor is also going to take swimming classes.
I have quite a few more pics to put up from our Cape Cod trip. Better start.
Jack is 5 and a half and he has been breaking wishbones with me for years. With a little help from Mama (that he doesn't know about) Jack always wins :). We had chicken the other night and the wishbone has been drying out on the windowsill. Today for the first time Tor broke the wishbone, he did it with Jack. Tor won, Jack lost. Tor liked it, but didn't particularly care and moved on to do something else. Jack couldn't believe he lost. He was not very happy.
I don't let Jack win at everything. I win a bunch too and of course Tor wins sometimes too. I just didn't see the harm in letting him win at the wishbone. Oh well. He'll be fine.
With my cousin Maggie outside Doak (before kids)
At The Swamp
At Yiayia and Papou's house
For some reason, I came upon these pics of Jack with Papou and with Brian at his first FSU game. It was FSU v UNC in Chapel Hill (Papou's Alma Mater) way back in 2003 and the game was broadcast nationally on ABC. Jack was so cute the camera found him in the stands and he was on TV! Go Seminoles!
I had taken some library books with me to Cape Cod to read. I read two of them and the third was just inappropriate for a beach read so we HAD to go to Barnes & Noble -- that it had the only Starbucks around for miles was just gravy :). Anyway, one of the employees there recommended I read the Stephenie Meyer series. I didn't take her recommendation that day but when I went back the next day, I went ahead and bought the first book. I read it in one sitting, it was that good. Of course I love vampire novels :).
One of the vampires is named Emmitt. The only Emmitt I have ever hear of is Emmitt Smith of the Florida Gators (and later the Dallas Cowboys). I wondered if the character was named after him. I wonder no more. Last night I was reading the fourth book in the series, Breaking Dawn, and Emmitt was watching a college football game. When one of the teams scored Emmitt yelled, "Go Gators!" Coincidence? I think not :).
Earlier in my life a revelation like that would possibly sour me on the series (I am an FSU fan) but after living in NY for 10 years I have mellowed a little about that rivarly. Now I just hate really really dislike the Red Sox.
We had a great day today. I actually slept well last night despite sleeping with three kids (one nursing) and two dogs. It was probably because Brian paid us a surprise visit as I was getting the kids to sleep. I fell asleep with the kids and Brian woke me up just before he left again. We were all in such a good mood this morning after seeing Daddy that this morning went really smoothly and I was able to get Jack ready for camp easily. Then Tor had his last music class. I will actually miss it more than he will, he likes his tumbling class better. After that he had soup for lunch -- his favorite. Then we went the Starbucks downtown next to the dancing fountains. I got my green tea fix and Tor chased a lot of pigeons and threw coins in the fountain. After I got my refill, we pet the police horses Cole and Fenway. Fenway's officer said he came with the name when I asked why a NYPD horse had that name :).
Then as I was making dinner, Grandma Jackie walked in and surprised us. The dogs announced her presence so I wasn't as surprised, but the boys were playing their video games and didn't notice the dogs going insane. They were overjoyed to see her. They adore her. She was supposed to come tomorrow, but she came a day earlier. I didn't mind but I was going to make rack of lamb for her tomorrow -- although Brian doesn't like lamb, his mom does. Oh well. Maybe she will stay for lunch tomorrow.
Jack was so excited to show Grandma Jackie how he can swim underwater he disappeared for about 60 seconds and reappeared in his bathing suit. That was record time for changing. Tor said he did not want to go swimming, he just wanted to watch. Luckily I took his swim stuff with us because he changed his mind as soon as Jack got in the pool. We had a lot of fun at the pool. Liv enjoyed being in Grandma Jackie's arms and watching her brothers swim.
We played on the wood chip (as opposed to sand) playground before we left and Jack showed her how well he does the monkey bars and Tor showed her how well he jumps from the rock wall. Grandma Jackie chased them around, while I nursed Liv. After dinner the kids took a quick shower with me and Jack feel asleep with Grandma Jackie and Tor and Liv with me. Tor is with her too now.
Schenley, Jack's senior counselor at camp, has been working with Jack all summer long to get him to put his face in the water. Last Wednesday he not only put his face in the water, he put his whole head underwater! He got a sticker and was so excited. We all went back to the pool that night to watch him practice. By Monday he was swimming underwater. Amazing, huh? We went last night to watch him and he really swims underwater. We were throwing the weighted rings for him to retrieve and he swam the width of the pool once to get one. He came up that time after getting the ring and out of breath said, "that was a long swim." The next few times we threw it, he walked halfway to it and then swam underwater for it. Smart kid.
Brian came home last night for a couple of hours and I showed him the videos I took. Daddy was very very impressed. Then tonight Grandma Jackie came over for a surprise visit and we took a surprise visit to the pool to show her. She was impressed too. Jack is a great swimmer. I am so proud of him. Yay Schenley!
The other day I put up three small pics of me and Liv. I put up all three because I thought she looked good in the first two and I didn't but I looked better in the third but she was making a funny face. I guess everyone likes that funny face :). Here is a bigger pic.
We went to the Gap Kids and Baby Gap today and got Jack some solid thermals for the fall. I got those because he likes to wear his super hero t-shirts over long sleeved shirts in the winter. I also got Liv a few items mostly for next summer that were on sale. Tor is getting Jack's old clothes so he was set from there. Then this afternoon I got Jack some Levi's online from Kohl's. I did a little bit more shopping for the kids (mostly Jack) tonight from Chasing Fireflies, Hanna Andersson and Mini-Boden.
Jack is set with all new clothes, Tor is getting all Jack's stuff and a few new things and Liv is getting Andi and Caroline's stuff and a few new things too. Yay I am done with the clothes. Now all they need are new shoes and then snow suits later on. I usually wait until it is actually Fall and then all the cute stuff I want in the colors I want are gone but not this year. It took a few years and three kids but I am learning :).
Jack was so excited when I picked him up from camp today. He put his whole head in the water and he got a sticker! He begged to go back to the pool to practice so when his brother woke up from his nap we all went back to the pool. Jack did it over and over again, without any prompting. I think he must have done it at least 50 times and I am not exaggerating. It was amazing. He actually dunks his whole head, not just his face. Brian came over when he was done working and he watched Jack too. He got a few pics and some video as well. Jack is just too cool!
The Lighthouse Inn was formerly the Bass River Lighthouse. Brian took these as the sun was setting on our 10 year anniversary.
