The kids continue with swimming lessons at the Y. I went to their last classes this last session - they are both doing really well!
Ellie is a Perch now, and is getting braver and braver with each class! When she started swimming she absolutely HATED getting her head wet, and now she's going completely underwater on her own. She still doesn't like keeping her face in long, but it's getting easier as she continues with classes. I can watch her class from within the pool room, so here are a few videos of Ellie in action =)
All smiles! She loves her teacher.
Emmit passed his first class with flying colors. Unlike Ellie, he is FEARLESS around water, and has no hesitation jumping in, submerging under, not being held (he tries to wiggle away)....he loves the water. I think I have said this before, but I will be happy when he can swim! He takes his lesson at a different Y so here I can only view through the glass. You can see by the look on his face though how much he's loving it!
Chilling on the corner, waiting his turn.
Having fun with his friend Eli
Swimming with the teacher
This is a terrible picture, but you can kind of see the blur jumping to the teacher - that's Emmit. He always wants to 'move back further' when he jumps in...he likes to go underneath!
Underwater!
Swimming with teacher
Just being silly I think - he was showing off for me =)
I have been very emotional these last 3 days. I cannot remove from my mind the fear those little children felt...my mind goes to Ellie at school and her friends and being in that situation. It just makes me sick. I cannot imagine what the parents are now feeling. I want to put my kids in a bubble. I want to watch the news and read the articles but am a basketcase doing so. I don't know what the solution is, but I do believe there will be change as a result of this. I sure hope so.
My Mom reminded me this weekend that I haven't updated in a while. My only excuse is Christmas craziness. I thought I'd do a timely catch-up with happy thoughts to take my mind off things.
I've collected a few funny stories from the kids lately. They do say the funniest things =)
Ellie is at the Feedmill (work) with my Mom, and they are looking at my blog. Ellie wanted to watch some videos I posted from the Fresh Beat Band, but my Mom told her the speakers aren’t working. Ellie took the mouse and clicked something and the sound came on. She then showed my Mom that the volume was on mute =) (Telling Colin this story, he asked if Ellie could check the virus protection while she's at it!) =)
Eli (neighbor boy) and Emmit were playing hide and seek. Eli found Emmit so Emmit froze and said in a monotone voice, "I'm not Emmit, I'm just a decoration..."
Emmit and I were talking about being thankful and I told him that we're thankful for things that make us happy. He then says he's thankful for his 4 wheeler, candy, and his body pillow =)
On a road trip with Daddy, Ellie and Emmit were sleeping in the car. Emmit woke up and got upset because one of his toys had dropped on the floor while he was sleeping. Ellie, seemingly out of dead sleep wakes up then too, and says to Emmit, "It's ok Mr. Twister, your toy is right there!"
Emmit insists on dressing himself - you never know what he'll put on! He goes a little 'layer happy' at times...4 shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, things like that =) This was a shorts over pants day.
Thanksgiving dinner! As always fabulous food and fun with family =)
Two of my favorite people =)
Grandma's pies - always a hit!
We might not have a white Christmas, but we had a white Thanksgiving. The kids loved it! We played outside a lot!
The Dads were getting their workout!!
Hot chocolate and cookies with Great Grandma after sledding.
Cheers!
For whatever reason the kids insisted on wearing my Dad's hats all weekend =)
I have so many pictures like this...they're just so cute when they're sleeping =)
Building a fort in all the pillows and blankets. I think we had every pillow in the house in this pile!
Look at me! Princess in an Iron Man mask!
Emmit had his first dentist appointment a few weeks ago. He did not want to go all morning long. I debated on cancelling it, but decided to follow through. Well we got there, and he was still clinging to me through the whole waiting room wait. We then went back and he was sitting on my lap. The hygienist checked his teeth right there, and he did great! She cleaned and flossed his teeth (while he was sitting on my lap), and then painted his fluoride one. He let the dentist check him out too. This was his big happy smile after it was all done =)
We had gone almost 2 years without a professional family photo, so it was definitely time. My friend Melissa did a great job capturing the moment for us. You'd never know it, but Emmit was a total stinker for this - not cooperative AT ALL. We are holding him in every picture for that reason. Ellie really had fun with it though. The photo shoot was literally 10 minutes long, but it was just enough to get some great shots of all four of us, which was my only goal! =) We had just gotten the kids pictures taken too, so didn't really do just them, but we did get a couple cute ones as a bonus anyway.
