Build-a-Bear

This was a full weekend starting with two soccer games Saturday morning. Then we had the twins' party at the soccer field after the games.


That would have actually been enough celebration for the twins, but of course we had gifts from family members that we opened at home.

Then Sunday we went to Build-a-bear two hours away but were back in time for Jasmine's rehearsal and church program. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of that. But I do have many from the Build-a-bear trip.

Jessica and I had stopped at B-a-B on the way home from Pensacola last month and had our favorite animals for the twins, but of course the choice was theirs. However, they chose the ones we'd liked.









We walked around and looked at all the ones they had dressed up, but they didn't have the bunny we liked on display anywhere. Kayla liked the Hello Kitty one but I didn't like that choice because it has such a big head that you can't get any hats or glasses or anything for it and it's, ummm, just not that cute (tyring to be polite here). When we showed her the bunny she immediately wanted it instead. She didn't really pay attention to the other ones. Whew. There were other ones that would have been cute for her too--bears in pink, pink cami or yellow and a brown bunny. I just liked all the colors on this bunny.



We thought the scruffy dog would be a good match for Kaleb and they had it dressed up in a beach outfit. He liked it right off.



The stuffing and heart station.




The bath station.

The dressing station.

Kaleb with "Juvenson" dressed in his new soccer uniform.



Kayla with "Hannah" in her new outfit.

(Hannah was the third name I'd suggested to her. I suggested Monicia after an older girl at the O. she really liked, then Esther, then Hannah--no Hannah at the O. that I know of, but it popped into my mind after I said Esther)

New outfit for Jasmine's bear at home.

Biker shirt for Jessica's tomboy bear at home and Class of 2010 for the one I got her for her senior year last August.


The lady could have told us that if we'd checked Jessica and Jasmine's clothes out with the twins' animals we'd have saved 20%!

Ready to go.

Stopped to eat a late lunch on the way home.

Peanut butter carmel crunch ice cream. They took a big hunk of vanilla ice cream, added a smashed up butter finger bar, carmel sauce and mini chocolate chips to it and "folded" it altogether. Yikes!!

We went to Jasmine's program after this.

Twins' birthday-done

Jasmine's soccer party-missed

Build-a-Bear-done

Jasmine's rehearsal and church program-done

Last day of soccer/tournaments-next week

End of year soccer awards/inflatables/lunch-next week

Jasmine's dance dress rehearsals-23&26

Jessica's senior night at church--23rd (same as Jasmine's dress rehearsal)

Jasmine's dance recital-28th

Relatives arriving-May 30 & after

Jeff comes for visit-June 2

Jessica's graduation-June 3

open house-June 5

Concert at church (Jessica in orchestra)-June 6

all company leaves-June 7?

last day of school-June 8

total collapse--June 9--oh, wait, I think we are taking the twins to an amusement park/water park that day!!

Happy Birthday Twins!

First time for the twins to have a real celebration.
The twins first birthday in the USA.
First time for us to celebrate with twins. We did take presents down to the twins twice for their birthday but never actually on their birthday or with all the festivities.


Tyler and Joy demonstrate the balloon stomp game. This is after a few rounds of Duck-Duck-Goose played sitting on soccer balls.



Ready to stomp ballons.

The food!

Presents. They got lots at the party and more at home. Makes tomorrow's trip to Build a Bear two hours away a little anti climatical (is that a word??).

Burning off all the sugar at the skate park with dad while mom writes her devotion book for Tyndale.

State Parade

Today was the third grade state parade. It was interesting to see all the other "floats." They had to be on wheels and had to have about 10-15 things on them. There was a list to choose from as far as what was on it--the state, capital, governor, tourist sight, license plate, famous activity, sports team, industry, famous person and so on.

She doesn't look very thrilled about this.

Aunt Lou sent us a license plate.

Here are several of the "floats"

Could she get anymore excited?????

Finally a smile!

Jasmine

I cannot imagine life without Jasmine. I met her in the hospital nursery when she was less than three weeks old. I took her home a few days later as a foster child, and she's been with us ever since.


Jasmine has some physical and learning challenges, but we are here for her. She's been through several surgeries and has three more coming up in the next few months.
Although it's not always easy, she's my joy and song, and she brightens my life.



Jasmine's my little sport but she's not as competitive as I thought she'd be. When she played soccer as a 4 & 5-year-old she would just go after the ball and take it to the net each time. She was the high scorer. Then when she got around 6 or 7 she started being one of the players who just watches everyone else get the ball. I don't know if it's because many of the players are bigger or if it's because there are so many of them on the field as the same time. She'll run and keep up with whoever has the ball but won't go after it--sometimes not even if it hits her! But she enjoys it and it exercises both of her legs which is very important since her left side is much weaker. There is a big difference in how big around her legs are.





Jasmine is finishing her fifth year of dance. She enjoys it but isn't serious about it. She just has fun with it.




Jasmine is enjoying the new trampoline.













Third grade is a lot of work! We've done a penguin project, made a mask out of a paper bag, did book reports and a president project before this final three-part state project--a written report, an oral report with ten props and now this parade float. The box is going to sit in a wagon.

Mother's Day

We had beautiful weather so we headed to a nearby bay. Tyler had to work, but went for lunch and some jet skiing first.


Tyler

Kayla decided she needed to wash her water shoes.

We tried all the new flavors of Mountain Dew. Think I'll stick with regular, well, actually lately I've been drinking mostly diet Sunkist.

Everyone loved jet skiing. Tyler, Jessica and Jasmine went on the airhead behind it. I may have videos of that but no still pictures. My spotter always sits backwards on the back of the jet ski to tell me if someone falls off.

The twins tried kayaking on their own.

Tyler after work.





Jeff called while we were gone but thankfully he called back later. He can only call on holidays. Since the letters I send him are read by the dorm leaders and I think his to me are read, there are some things I only ask him by phone or in person. He will be coming home for a few days for Jessica's graduation. He really wants to move back home but he's so much closer to graduating if he stays there, and he's never done well in public school. I have doubts he would actually do the work to graduate here. He should graduate next spring if he can get his math paces done. Jeff, unlike the others, doesn't like water. He will meet the twins for the first time in June.

Kaleb

Kaleb is social but is sometimes slow to catch on to things (but not Wii). Sometimes he just doesn't get it. Since we're in an accelerated public school, it will be interesting to see how things go when he starts kindergarten next year. He has lots of people to help him both at school and at home.

Kaleb has less energy than Kayla and wears out easily!! I think he'll get up to speed. He may have not been very active at the O. He tends to just sit unless urged to get up and do something. He will just sit down on the trampoline while the others are playing on it.

This is Kaleb's favorite part of soccer!

Kaleb has come a long way. He understands the routine. He interacts with the children at his preschool. I get the feeling that he will need extra help in school because he seems to be running behind, but I've thought that since I first met him in
May 2007 and it doesn't at all change how we feel about him or his value to us. He may just have missed out on common sense. Who knows?

Kaleb is a sweetie and affectionate but he can be very stubborn and throw quite a fit. He gets a major attitude when put in time out, but he gets over it.

I'm looking forward to doing some new things with the twins this summer. We are driving up to northern IN and it will be the first real trip with them. We actually have a lot of fun on long drives because we stop along the way to see whatever we want and whatever looks interesting. So, it's really as much about the journey as the destination.