Father's Day Weekend

Since we were meeting up with Christian's family on Sunday for Father's Day and to celebrate some birthdays, we decided to make a weekend of it. We went down on Saturday and we spent the afternoon at the pool with Christian's brother. We wanted the kids to show Uncle Mark how far they got in their swim lessons and continue a bit.

Caitlyn with a kick board

Uncle Mark helping Emily with her form

Caitlyn swimming a short distance without any support!

Emily practicing her backstroke

Caitlyn jumping in without holding anybody's hand
(or without being thrown in)

Emily doesn't jump in feet first, she jumps in like she is pouncing on something!

After a few hours of practice and extra instruction, Emily was able to do a few things they showed her at the end of her lessons for level 3. And Caitlyn made some real attempts at actual swimming. I was so excited!

We spent the night at Uncle Mark's house. The girls love it. They get to camp out with their sleeping bags on his floor. I guess anything different is fun for them! It was Mark's wife's bithday so we had a nice bbq after we got back and cleaned up. I offered to make a cake for her since I thought it would be wrong for her to make her own cake for her birthday (although, I think I do the same thing for my birthday). We had a pretty late night. We put the kids to bed at some point and stayed up quite a bit longer watching a movie.

We were all pretty exhausted when we got up on Sunday for church. Afterwards, we headed over to Christian's sister's house to hang out and prepare for dinner. I think the exhaustion got to Christian by then and he wasn't feeling too good by the end of the night. He caught the bad cold that I had been fighting for the last half of the week.

The kids earned a free swim pass through the summer reading program at the library, so we met up with some friends this past week to go swimming again at the local city pool. I was so excited to see Caitlyn make some more progress in her swimming. It didn't quite happen that way. She pretty much regressed and would not do any swimming or anything unsupported. She spent most of the afternoon, hanging out in the shallowest corner of the pool. I was pretty frustrated.

What We've Been Up To...

We got invited to a Luau last Saturday. The girls were so excited to attend. We thought it would be a great opportunity for the girls to see some real Hawaiian dances (plus they get to dress up).

There was lots of Hawaiian food and then came the dancing. It was really fun. There were many different dances with corresponding costumes. It was hard to believe that this was just someone's backyard!

The girls' favorite was the last dance for the evening...the ones with the fire! But everybody did a really great job and we had a great time.

On Sunday, after church, we went to visit my family for an early Father's Day celebration as we are planning to spend the next weekend with Christian's family in San Diego.

Swimming lessons are over. We finally got some sunshine for their second week of swimming. They actually had to reschedule one of the days last week because it was just too cold. Both the girls did great. We found that Emily started as a very high level two so by the last couple of days of swimming, she got to try her hand at a few level 3 skills since they finished everything that they needed to for her current level. Caitlyn also is advancing from level 1 to level 2. I can't say that she learned a great deal though, as the class is merely designed to make kids more comfortable in the water. Not a whole lot of actual swimming is involved.

I was hoping that Caitlyn would at least try jumping of the diving board again, but alas, it was not meant to be. Then I hoped that she would at least jump in off the side without holding on to the teacher's hand, but she wouldn't have any of that either. I was starting to wonder if she got anything really out of the class but I know she is more comfortable in the water now so hopefully I can get her to really start to put some of the skills she practiced to use and try some actual swimming on her own now.

Emily has definitely honed her skills more and is comfortable and strong enough to jump off the diving board and swim back to the side without the assistance of her instructor by the end of the lessons.

Thank you Auntie Marian for the lessons again. It gave us a great start to our summer vacation and the girls had a great time (despite some cold days). Hopefully we will have plenty of opportunities to practice more this summer.

And lastly, since it was such a nightmare to wash Emily's hair every day after all the swim lessons, I trimmed a couple of inches of her hair to make it more manageable. I had not been having problems with Caitlyn's hair but I thought it might be good to trim an inch from hers as well so I asked her if she wanted a trim. Because she had seen an old picture of herself at grandma's this past weekend, she decided that she wanted to cut it all off again! 

So, Caitlyn is back to her sassy self. I think I could have done a better job with her hair but a squirmy 6 year old is not easy to deal with when you don't really know what you are doing to begin with. Oh well, better luck next time. I will try to give her a trim before school begins again.

Swim Lessons

The girls started swim lessons today. It's not quite warm enough to make the water comfortable. Even the swim teachers were shivering. But the girls did great.

Apparently, even though she only had one real lesson last year, her uncle prepared her pretty well. I signed her up for level 2 swim lessons. She will easily be ready for level 3 by the end of next week. Today, they pretty much tested her so that she was enrolled in the appropriate class. She is fortunate enough not to have to share her instructor with any other kids.

Unfortunately, Caitlyn has to share her swim coach with 3 other kids...most of whom are younger than herself. She has not been motivated or bold enough to have any real lessons thus far so I started her off in level 1 so that she will be comfortable in the water enough to not want her floaties any more. Her uncle also did a few of the things she had to do today with her already like putting her head in the water and blowing bubbles and stuff but she hasn't really been open to learning more than that.

30 minutes a day of lessons does not amount to very much. Especially if you have to share with a bunch of other kids who have to be coaxed into the water. For once (because she's the oldest), Caitlyn is the bravest out of her class. She's the only one to put her whole head under water and the only one to jump off the diving board into the water (well, she got a little help but she was mostly willing...she just needed a little help).

Emily was a little afraid to dive off the diving board as well, but she got a push of a different kind. Her little sister went in just before her so she couldn't NOT jump!

Last Week of School

The girls started their last week of school with ehem...a holiday (Memorial Day). On Tuesday, the 2nd graders enjoyed a fun water day as a bribe to behave during the last month of school. I guess kids tend to go a little nuts when they are in their final stretch of the school year. On Wednesday, it was the kindergarteners turn. On Thursday, parties broke out all over school. So I spent nearly all day at their school going from one party to another.

The second graders had a big family bbq party in the park in the back of the school. They were there pretty much the whole day.

I had to leave part way to attend Caitlyn's party. I have to say that Caitlyn has been extremely blessed with great teachers thus far. A good teacher makes all the difference in their experience in a school. Caitlyn has learned a lot. Her teacher made all the kids a memory book with samples of their work and pictures of them. Plus she had all their hand prints cast for all their parents as a keepsake. I will cherish them. She said a few encouraging words about all her kids as she handed them out to each and every one of them. I wish I could have gotten a video but I was helping her teacher at the time and did not think about it fast enough.

Their last day of school was minimum day, so they got out at noon. But all they did was clean out their desks, crafts, movies and had more treats.

We headed to the library to sign them up for the summer reading program but found out that they were a day early, so we still ended up getting them a bunch of books and movies for the next week or so.

We had a surprise for the kids for working so hard during the school year. Their Auntie Marian decided to sponsor them in a fun summer activity. So they are getting a session of swim lessons (which lasts about a week and a half). The girls are super excited about it. I hope that they take full advantage of it and learn a lot.

Christian and I got them a few odds and ends as well. We got them some cute swim cover-ups for when they get out of the pool, a fun water toy for the summer and a little set of new movies.

Christian always lets them stay up as late as they want on their last day of school watching movies. They stayed up later than I would have possibly imagined. I could not stay up past 1:am. Caitlyn tottered off to bed around 3:am (she did take a short nap in the afternoon though). Emily fell asleep watching. I have no idea what time she actually fell asleep. I went in and turned the tv off at 6:am.

I thought we would have a leisurely morning and the kids would sleep in but I was mistaken. Caitlyn was up again at 8:am and woke her sister up since she was still sleeping on the couch in front of the tv and they started watching cartoons all over again. They are totally insane.

Of course, by Sunday, they were exhausted and it took a bit to get them up and ready for church this morning.

5 things...

1. May 19th -Kindergarten Singing program

Crowded. Twice as many parents came as there were seats.

2. Weekend family hike Saturday morning.

We thought since it was still cool enough, we'd hike up to the ranger station again before it gets too hot. It was still pretty warm but overall, it was the perfect time to go up. Lots of wildflowers blooming. The girls favorite things to do on our hikes: climb rocks, pick flowers and inspect the wild life.

We had breakfast before we went up and brought some juice and snacks for when we reached the top. We were pretty out of shape. Even the girls' legs hurt a bit on the hike up. And mine were a bit sore the next day.

We had our picture taken after we got down by the Press Enterprise. They wanted a picture of a family hiking, but we were all done. We had to tell them how to get to the actual trail head. If they weren't able to find another family on the mountain, I think they were just going to use ours. If anyone sees it, let us know!

3. The girls in the sprinklers to cool off after our hike (the first time this year).

4. Sunday the girls' had pestered their dad into making them char siu baos (chinese bbq pork buns) for dinner.

They were really tasty. I love it when he cooks on Sunday (not only so that I don't have to, but we get to try new things).

5. Today, Emily went with the 2nd graders on a walking field trip to Stater Bros. Emily was so excited to get a cookie credit card. The bearer gets a free cookie every time you produce the card at their bakery.

Last week, she watched a movie in their class. It was not educational. You think I'm kidding about them just coasting through the rest of the year?

The Calm Before The Storm...

Three more weeks before school is out for the year (scary). I think the teachers are more ready for summer vacation than even the kids. All the library books have been turned in last Friday so that they can close the library already. That was also the last week of homework for Emily. Caitlyn still has some token homework assignments until the end of this week at least.

The school sent out a note a couple of weeks ago saying that although the CST testing is done, there was still a lot of work to be done and a lot more that they need to teach the kids but I don't see it. I think the teachers are just going to coast through the rest of the month (at least for the older kids). The younger kids still have Benchmark tests this week.

I went to a PTA meeting a couple of weeks ago to meet the new principal. I still don't know what he is going to be like, but I'm looking forward to the change. The old principal was like a politician...talking and saying nothing. At least the new principle was somewhat interested in my concerns. I had regretted that I did not make more of an effort to get to the PTA meetings but I felt better after the meeting as they really didn't do anything and that's two hours of my day wasted that I will not get back.

Mother's Day Rant

Warning: If you don't want to hear it, don't read it. 

I have a bone to pick about Mother's Day...which has inexplicably become Women's Day. What is so offensive about honoring your mother or motherhood in general that the politically correct society we live in feel impelled to change? It diminishes the self-less sacrifice and devotion mother's all around the world have made to care for their children and families...putting our children first (as it should be).

Oh, but we can't offend the women who don't have children for whatever reason...What woman is offended by not being included in Mother's Day when they are not a mother?!

If a woman has decided not to have children yet or is not in a situation yet where she can have children, well, that's kind of up to the choices they make in life. I chose to have children later in life. I was never offended in not being included in Mother's Day celebrations for the simple fact that I was not a mother. Pretty simple, you would think. I had my own mother to celebrate for all she did for me. I had friends who were mothers who could use help or a surprise to brighten their day.

If a woman is unable to have a child for whatever reason or has lost a child, does this lessen her pain? I think if anything, it would make a mockery of their pain. I think they feel the pain every time they see a sweet child or family together. Are we to ban children in public as to not offend anyone?

Are people offended on Veteran's Day when people pay tribute to Veteran's because they don't happen to be one? I've never heard of such a thing. And after all, there have been people in the world that have not been able to serve their country because of one reason or another.

The ridiculous notions people come up with in the hopes of not "offending" a few, ends up offending the very people Mother's Day was established to honor.

So, what's the big deal you say? It's just a made up holiday perpetuated by greeting card companies and florists, right? Being a mother is sometimes (or more often than not) a relentless and thankless never ending job. Can you just leave Mother's Day alone? Is that so much to ask?

We may all have a duty and responsibility to "mother" others and succor those in need, but it doesn't actually make you a mother.

It is bad enough that our kids don't really honor and respect us as we would like them to. Mother's Day is just kind of a reason to party for mine. They like to make all the Mother's Day crafts and other fun things, but they don't really see a need to be any more thoughtful and obedient in matters that count...even just for one day.

In the end, it puts a lot of pressure on the Dad's to jump through hoops to try to make Mother's Day special for the mother of their children. To try to coax the kids to behave and plan surprises for the "kids" to give mom.

Christian, I mean, the kids got me a cookbook that I've been waiting for for years now (ever since I heard that it was in the works. It sold out to quickly for Christmas apparently because it was out of stock every where. I know I have a lot of cookbooks but I do love them and I can't wait to use it.

After watching a little video on how to make Cream Puffs on my computer one night, Emily was determined to help Dad make this for me for Mother's Day. My own dad used to make it for us when we were younger and they are so good!

They turned out great! Christian made Paella for dinner and we had cream puffs for dessert. There is no picture of the finished product as we inhaled them too quickly!

The girls licking the
beater from the whipped cream.

Christian checking
the cream puffs.

We went on Saturday to have dinner with my mom with the rest of my siblings and their respective families. We usually do a potluck with all the kids bringing something so that my mother doesn't have to cook. Christian, bless his soul, did all the dishes for us while we got to visit with each other and cleaned her stove and everything so that we left it cleaner than when we got there. What a great husband!