Strawberry Picking

We went strawberry picking this week at a little farm nearby. I've never done anything like that and I thought it was a lot of fun. Matthew didn't quite understand about only picking the red berries, and he usually took a bite of the strawberry before putting it in his basket. But we still had fun.

Matthew starts to fill his basket. I see a little green berry in there.

Now he's getting the hang of it.

Anna had to sit at the end of the row in the stroller. I think she knew she was getting the short end of the stick.

The basket is almost full.

Tasting some berries.

This picture reminds me of Blueberries for Sal

By the time we got home, his shirt was very berry stained (much worse than this picture) but we had fun and lots of berries to show for it.

Outdoor Pool Party

A few weeks ago I tried to have a little pool party with the kids. It didn't go so well. Here's our second attempt. We eventually got the pool filled with warm enough water. We had to tote some water from the house.

Anna loves being in the water and splashing.

My brother, John, and Matthew play catch. Matthew really liked having John come visit us.

Anna decided she was done and had to get out (and get into dry clothes). It was a short lived pool party.

Matthew played a little longer, until it started getting windy and cold.

Then he gave it up for dry clothes too. Not a total success, but better than our indoor pool party for sure.

Gymnastics Class

Matthew and I have been going to a gymnastics class at the YMCA this spring. Today was our last day. Matthew really enjoyed the class, which was only for 1-2 year olds. Pretty much it involved just crawling over foamy things and jumping on the trampolines. All the little kids in the class loved it. Here's Matthew in "the tunnel."

After walking on the balance beam crayon, Matthew bounced on the tiny trampoline.

This long trampoline was a favorite with the kids. Matthew loved running down it and called it the "mattress."

These big circle things were fun to crawl in. Matthew liked to hang on inside while I rolled it over and over.

Matthew walks the toddler balance beam.

My personal favorite: the big pit of foamy cubes. Matthew and I would run and jump into it together. It was hard to get out of, and I almost lost a sock or two climbing out a few times, but so worth it. Matthew liked to "jump" in by sitting on the edge and sliding gently down into the pit.

And the tower that Matthew built, and then destroyed, made out of foamy cubes.
It was a fun class. Next week we start swimming lessons!!

Wheels and Teeth

I have to give Anna a little shout out today 'cause she got her first tooth (well on June 5th she did). She has been having a hard time with the teething for the past week or so but now that the first tooth has broken through she seems to feel a little better. Since getting a picture of a new tooth is really tricky, here's a picture of her eating her big girl solid foods. Oh the wonderful world of teeth!

And speaking of growing up, here's Anna riding her little bike.
She can only go backwards, but she doesn't mind too much.

She's just trying to keep up with Matthew.
You can see Anna has backed herself into the piano and needs assistance. So fun.

Wild Animal Park

Our wild animal park in all it's glory!!

File this under "More lame things I do as a mom"
Today we made a wild animal park out of Matthew's train track and an animal puzzle. It was originally going to be a zoo, but evolved into a cageless park where the animals can roam around, like San Diego's Wild Animal Park or Disney's Animal Kingdom.

A closer shot of the park. Matthew decided the giraffe and lion would live together on the mountain. And the elephant would live amongst the trees. I put the hippo and alligator in the very fancy paper lake I made. Anna was very concerned about the airport building. I think she's about to relocate it.

Matthew took this picture all by himself. Good job buddy. The train part was more exciting than the animal part to the kids. Oh well. It was fun.

Indoor Pool Party

A week or so ago I did a really dumb thing.
I announced to the kids that we would go outside and swim in the kiddie pool before double checking what the weather was like outside. Earlier in the day I had gone out and it was nice and warm. Just right for a little swim.
So I got the kids ready and I went to set the pool up outside but it had gotten mega windy outside and I quickly decided it was not good pool weather anymore.
Matthew was disappointed and even Anna seemed to sense that she was getting a raw deal. So I tried to salvage the situation by taking the pool into the basement and having a little pool party down there. We went down there, still in our swim suits, sat the pool on a little mattress so it would be soft and threw some soft blocks and toy fish in there. We played and tried on some clothes that were in the basement, but all in all it was sort of lame. Oh well. Now I know to do a real time physical check of the environmental conditions before I announce a pool party to the kids. Live and learn. Here are some pics of our adventures in the great indoors.

Anna looking smiley

Trying on some bandanas

Matthew models some of Scott's old PT gear. I think both legs are in the same hole.

So handsome!

We miss you!

I got Scott's picture down for the kids to look at a few days ago. Sometimes we can see him via video chat on the computer, but lately the picture has been really bad. The kids get a kick out of seeing pictures of Daddy. To see another pic go HERE.

A family resemblance?

Anna after dinner. Her shirt is a little besmirched but she's happy.

My mom thinks Anna is chubbier than I was as a baby. In response I submit the following picture:

Me and my brother Matt at probably close to the ages Matthew and Anna are at now.

My head looks rather bulbous. And it appears I have many chins. I think I might win in a chub-off, Anna.

Outdoor adventures

Things here have been a bit boring. It's not really that warm out yet although we have a few good days here and there. I'm hoping real warm weather is on the way. We have been able to get out a little bit. Here are some of our outdoor adventures from last week...and a couple indoor moments.

Matthew running around in the yard. He was very excited to be outside and watch people mow their lawns.

Climbing the rocks

Me and Anna hanging out

Matthew found a cat hiding under the tree

I put this cupcake liner on Matthew's head as a tiny hat and it reminded me of those monkeys that play the tiny cymbals. It made me laugh. To see another picture go HERE.

Playing in the yard

Like so many things these days, Matthew prefers to put his sunglasses on all by himself.

Anna found my watch. It kept her entertained and happy so I was ok with it. It's supposed to be water proof.

We ventured out to the beach one afternoon. It was foggy and breezy but we had fun walking along the water (and seeing dogs - a plus for Matthew).

Anna took it all in from the comfort of the baby bjorn. Her hair fuzzies were being blown back by the wind.

Anna's Skills

Here's Anna showing off her skills. I had to clap with the camera to encourage her, so things get a little shaky in the middle there. Sorry about that. Enjoy!

Touch-A-Truck Day

Last weekend we went to "Touch-A-Truck" day here in town. Matthew got to get up close and personal with all the biggest trucks of Portsmouth. :) Matthew loved it. He got to honk horns, press buttons, and steer all those BIG steering wheels. Here we are in front of a fire truck.

One of Matthew's favorites, the school bus. He immediately pressed and pulled every knob and lever he could find. The real bus driver had to come and undo a lot of what he did. Oops. He also liked sitting in the big kid seats on the bus. Someday this won't seem so glamorous, Matthew.

The construction vehicles were also a big hit.

He liked the tractors too!

Big tractor tires!!

Another favorite was the fire truck. We had to wait in a little line to sit in the fire truck drivers seat. Matthew got a hat to wear while we waited. He also got to sit in back by the axes and he liked that too.

Driving the fire truck. Can life get better? It was a fun little outing.

Nine Months Old

Anna turned 9 months old this past week. She has now been away from Okinawa and "traveling" for half her life. Poor girl. She crawls, pulls up on things, points, jabbers, follows Matthew around and tries to eat anything she finds on the floor. Such a big girl. Before we know it she'll be turning 1!! Happy 9 months, Anna.

Getting a haircut

Matthew gets a haircut. He had a new crop of unruly pointy hair that really needed trimming. He was hoping Daddy would give him a haircut, as he has in the past. :( But since he couldn't, my mom stepped in. She has a lot of experience giving little boy haircuts. Thanks mom.

Matthew showing off his new do.

Top view. That hair's kinda hard to see, isn't it?

He looks a lot more grown up...at least I think so.