Recent Outings

***Yay!  I was finally able to add pictures here also!***
On Labor Day, we decided to go to Apple Annie's to pick produce since the kids were out of school.  We also went there last year on Labor Day (I think).  The picture that is on the header was taken there.  It's not a great picture.  Bristol was way too interested in her drink, and Jade wanted to make silly faces.  That's what I have for now, though, but I am hoping I'll get a better picture there soon.  Anyway, this year it was hot when we went to Apple Annie's.  It was like 95 degrees, and the sky was pretty clear so there was no hope of rain to cool things down.  Bristol, Aspen, and I ended up sitting in a covered area for quite a time while Trent, Brooke, and Jade picked vegetables.  I don't think it was the best day to go, but it was kind of fun.  The best part (note sarcasm) was when Bristol managed to find the only mud puddle around, right after we arrived, and then fell in it.  Luckily, I brought her an extra outfit.

This past Saturday, September 15, we went to Oktoberfest in one of the parks here.  There were rides, and it seemed like it would be fun.  However, I was reminded of why I don't go to these things.  For one thing, they are expensive.  We bought $20 in tickets which paid for Trent,  Brooke, Jade, and Bristol to go on one ride.  There were enough tickets left for Brooke and Jade to each play one game, and that was it.  Also, it seems like there are so many smokers there, and I cannot stand cigarette smoke.  On our way back to the car, we let the kids play on the equipment at the park for a few minutes.  There was a merry-go-round, and it turns out that the kids liked much better (and it was free!).

 

We're Back (to blogging, that is)

***Yay!  I was able to add pictures!***
I am so infrequent about posting, and I wish that I wasn't because I don't really keep a journal (though I always intend to).  There are lots of things that we do that I would like to write about so we can remember them well, and then I never write about them.  Anyway, these are some things that have been happening with us lately.  On August 6, Brooke started third grade and Jade started kindergarten.  Brooke is doing really well in school and is reading on a sixth grade level.  She loves to read and reads several chapter books a week.  Sometimes we have to take away her books so she will do other things, like chores.  Jade was really excited to start school.  For weeks beforehand, she would ask me if school was starting tomorrow, and I would answer, "No, not for three weeks" or whatever.  Then the next day she would ask me again.  I think that school has lived up to her expectations because on a recent Friday, she was so disappointed that there would be no school the next day that she told me she was running away.  I'm not sure how that would have solved the no school on Saturday problem, but I guess it made sense to her?  Jade also goes around calling me Mrs. Delgado, the name of her teacher.  A great thing about her attending school is that it makes her really tired so that she goes to sleep quickly at bedtime. 

Bristol is fun, but she is certainly a challenging little girl sometimes.  At the end of July, we got bunkbeds for Jade and Bristol.  We decided it was finally time to get Bristol out of the crib since she is almost three.  I was really nervous about putting her in a bed because even though she could climb out of the crib, she stayed in it pretty good and usually went right to sleep at bed and naptime.  I was worried that she wouldn't stay in a bed the same way because it is so much easier to get out.  Bristol was actually really good for the first month or so of being in the new bed.  She stayed in most of the time, but unfortunately, that hasn't lasted.  For the last month or so, she has been getting out of bed more and more, and it has been making me crazy.  At first, it was just a few times a night, and she would do things like put on Jade's school clothes.  One night I checked on her after she went to sleep, and I saw that she had put on Jade's outfit for the next day including the shoes.  Anyway, last week, I decided to make a concerted effort to curb this behavior so I would put her right back in bed without any interaction (no talking, no eye contact, etc.).  That was kind of trying.  One night, I had to take her back to bed over seventy times.  Yes, seventy!  I have pretty much been doing this every night now, and I am not sure if it's working.  At this point, though, I don't know what else to do so I am sticking with it.  Tonight,  she only got out a few times before she fell asleep so that was nice.  She also wouldn't take a nap today so I wonder if that is why tonight was better.  Hopefully, the situation permanently improves soon for my sake.

Aspen is doing good.  She is cute and still so small.  Recently, at the gym childcare, another woman asked how old Aspen is and said she looked about the same age as her son.  Her son is four months, and Aspen is almost eleven months so maybe that gives an idea of her size.  She has been crawling around for more than a month now.  She actually does more of a scoot where she is sitting and uses her left leg to push herself around.  She can move really quickly this way.  She is also pulling herself up to things and can even stand alone for a second or two.  I think that she could stand unassisted for a few seconds longer, but it seems to scare her a little bit.  We keep waiting for Aspen to get teeth, but so far, it hasn't happened.  There have been lots of days recently where she has been fussy, drooling, and chewing on her hand so maybe it will happen soon.  I'm not counting on anything, though.

So that was an update on the kids.  I don't really have much to say about Trent and myself.  Nothing is really new with us.  If I think of anything, I'll post about it.  Maybe.
***I thought of something and actually added it:  Trent's birthday was August 22, and he turned 33.  Not super exciting, but it's something.