7/3/08: The kids are doing fabulous at swimming lessons. Maddy is in a class where they are perfecting the side-breathing technique, diving, and back-stroke. Emma is in a class where they are building confidence and stamina in the water. She can swim pretty well, but could use the instruction. Landon is in the beginner class. He is learning to kick on a kick-board and while holding the side of the pool, he's learning to float on his back and blow bubbles under water. All 3 of them are loving their classes! We go twice a week for the whole month of July. What fun!
6/26/08: We just got back from the doctor. Ava had her 6 month immunizations and well-baby check-up. Our little peanut just keeps getting lower and lower on the growth chart. It's wierd for us to have such a tiny baby. Maddy and Landon were always in the 80th and 90th percentile and Emma was usually around the 40th-50th. But, Ava... she's tiny! She is 13 lbs, 6 oz. (25th percentile) and she is 24.6 inches long (6th percentile). Maybe she'll catch up sooner or later...either way, I don't mind. I'd like her to stay small forever!
6/26/08: The greatest little water park was just built right around the corner from our house! It is so perfect...and free! It's at a regular park with a playground and sand. then, they added all the fountains and water toys too. We love it! We went twice last week when it was 95 degrees! We look forward to using it a lot this summer. The coolest thing is it's walking distance from our house.
This past weekend we went to Ventura Beach with the Landers. We all managed to stay at the beach for 4 hours and not get burnt! Yeah!! The kids played in the sand and water the entire time. They loved it! Even Ava went in the water awhile. It was a perfect day.
We were at the YMCA this week and after swimming awhile in the indoor pool, Landon's eyes were red and foggy from the chlorine. He looked up at the lights with water dots on his eyelashes and asked, "Do they sell rainbows here?" He he he!!!
06/19/08: Ahhh! I have a few minutes to do a story update. I have lots of pix to add, but no time to do it! We have been sooo busy already jumping into summer full force! The kids are signed up for Karate, Hip hop, Polynesian Dance, Piano, Mom's club, and swimming lessons. I feel like a taxi! I'm taking "Boot-Camp Kick" and Christian and I just statrted a 12-week work out program at the Y. We are on the go all the time...but that's how I like it. We are doing chores in the morning and then leaving the house til nap time. That way the kids don't have time to mess it up again. We are fitting in play dates where we can and keeping ourselves busy and moving. Happy summer!
6/15/08: Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Husband and to my Dad (aka. Papa) and to Christian's Dad (aka. Lito)!! We are blessed to have these men in our lives.
Christian had been looking forward to today for a few weeks now. He had planned a fun-filled day for the kids to go to a kids' rodeo in Anaheim and to go horse back riding afterwards. For Father's Day I got him and Landon matching Cowboy shirts. He also wanted to be able to "deck out" the whole family in Western wear. So, I got Wranglers and shirts for the girls too (I even found a cute little western onesie/dress for Ava!). His Rodeo Day unfortunately did not include me. I had plans to go to my cousin's baby shower for the day. I took Ava with me and we had a great time with Jessica and the rest of the ladies at the shower. Christian enjoyed day with Madeline, Emma, and Landon; they had a FABULOUS time! He took lots of pictures, but I haven't posted them yet. We will all go to church tomorrow in our cowboy/cowgirl clothing for a Happy Father's Day to Christian! Wait patiently for pix....
This past week we joined the local YMCA. Our YMCA facility was just remodeled and they have been doing tours and to drum up more business. We are soooo excited to be a part of it! What a great value for a large family. The membership cost the same if you have 1 child or 4+ children. Score! It will be so nice for the summer to be able to go swimming whenever we want. They have free child care for parents to work out or swim. It will also be nice when I take the kids to the pool. I can put Ava in childcare (it's an awesome facility with many skilled caretakers). That way it's not just me watching my 4 kids in the pool. Although there are always lifeguards on duty. Anyway.... the kids will take karate and they offer soccer, basketball, water aerobics, yoga... you name it! It's all included with our membership! I think it will be a lot of fun. We went swimming at "the Y" already today. All 4 kiddos LOVE the water. What a great place!
6/13/08: Wow, it certainly is harder than it used to be to catch a few minutes to sit down and update this site. I don't know how I used to have time to update a few times a week! I'm having trouble getting here once a week lately! Now that the kids are out of school, maybe I'll have a bit more time.
Emma graduated preschool yesterday. There was a cute little musical program and a picture slide show. Emma got a new dress and new shoes for the occasion. It was obvious by her disposition and the bounce in her step, that she thought she looked good. She loves to feel pretty! I guess we all do. I held it together during the whole program until her Pre-K class started singing, "Kindergarten Here We Come" to the tune of "She's Coming Around the Mountain". It was so cute... I couldn't hold back the tears. Baby #2 is off to kindergarten. Christian was able to come to the program as was Gramma. Thanks Daddy and Gramma for making it a special day for Emma!
Madeline had her Spring Piano Recital on Sunday afternoon. The 5 of us plus Lita and Lita's student, Taylor went. Maddy played beautifully with no mistakes. She played: "Yankee Doodle", "Trumpet Song", and "Horseback Riding". She is now moving to the next level in her books. Robert says she is moving along beautifully. Hooray for Madeline! She loves playing piano when she knows the song. But, she hates practicing until it's memorized. I love to listen to her practice once she has the songs down. Emma will start piano in September. I hope she enjoys playing too. Thank you to Lita and Taylor for coming to the recital for Maddy. She loved sharing it with all of us!
Last week Ava came down with a 103 degree fever. After 2 days of it, I took her to the doctor. Doc said it was just a virus that would have to run it's course. The next morning she broke out into a horrible rash all over her face, tummy, back, and diaper area. A nurse friend saw Ava that morning and said she had Roseola and that it was "going around". She said it will pass on it's own, but keep her out of the sun. So we stayed in for a few days with her and yes, it did pass. She's fine now. Wierd!
Landon is his usual talkative self. He is rarely ever quiet! He is talking and talking, and talking..... non-stop!! His new love is "Toy Story" the movie. We Netflixed it two weeks ago and he has watched it about 15 times and has many parts memorized. He LOVES it! I'm not sure when we will be able to send it back. I think we may need to buy our own copy. And Toy Story 2.... Wait til he sees that!
6/02/20087: Madeline learned how to ride her two-wheeler bike yesterday. It was exhausing, but worth it. She has been wanting to know how to ride a bike, and she has started MANY times. But she always quit when she got scared or fell off. Madeline is very cautious and always has been. Yesterday, I didn't let her quit. (Even though she was extremely frustrated and told me 100 times she didn't want to do it!) I made her do it until she could ride and stop on her own. It took about an hour and half from strart to finsh with lots of tears and lots of falls. But, she did it and she couldn't be more proud of herself! We are proud of her too!
13 lbs, 5 oz and 24.5 inches long. She's moving into size 6-9 month clothes and in a shoe size 1. She wears size 2 diapers. Her size is pretty average, maybe a little on the small side. She's just perfect in every way!
She is babbling a bit, but usually a pretty quiet baby. She doesn't make a whole lot of sounds. She rarely cries and smiles at everyone. She is starting to cry when Mommy is out of site (which is a new thing), and she is rolling both back to front and front to back. She can sit up for about 5-10 seconds but leans forward quite a bit. Her siblings are crazy about her and still after 6 months, they fight over who gets to hold her and talk with her.
Ava sticks to her schedule just about every day. She has had formula, but is breast fed almost every feeding. Here's her schedule at 6 months old:
7AM wake and eat
9:30AM nap
11:00 eat
1:00-3:00 nap (along with Emma and Landon too)
3:00 eat
6:00- short nap
7:00 eat
8:00 go to bed at same time as the rest of the kiddos!
What a life! Eating and sleeping with playtime in between. I wish I was a kid!
5/26/08: Amanda's graduation was fabulous! Maddy and Emma surprisingly enjoyed the ceremony. They both are saying that they are going to go to the college where Auntie Manda went (Sounds good to me! Just don't go to a private $$$ school like Mommy and Daddy did.) I wouldn't have missed her graduation for the world. It was great to share it with her and the rest of the family! Thanks Mom and Dad for the dinner afterwards too, it was very fun!
Today for Memorial Day we took the kids to the park. It was a great day to be outside and spending time together- the 6 of us. The weather was nice (it's been in the 60's the past week or two. Raining some days...in late May???) But, it's nice to have the cooler weather!
Christian left for a short business trip to Dallas, TX today. He'll be back late Wednesday night. That makes for restless and sleepless nights for me. I do fine all day and evening...it's bedtime when I have a hard time. Sometimes I have Maddy and Emma sleep with me so it's not so quiet and still in my bed.
Ava has had some Cheerios lately. She can't really pick them up yet, it's mostly just for my entertainment. She likes them a lot! They just disolve and she opens her mouth for more. It's so cute! She's going to start on solid (rice cereal) next weekend. I know, crazy that she had Cheerios before rice cereal- it's a 4th baby thing! Anyway, she's doing great! She's becoming so much more mobile (scooting backwards on her back), but not crawling yet.
5/20/08: Happy Birthday to Emma Grace!! She turned 5 today. We started the day off at 5:45 AM so that Daddy could see Emma open her presents. We wanted her to do it this morning so that she could have all day to play with her new presents (on a "stay at home day"). If she would have opened them tonight, she would have to wait til after school tomorrow to play...that would be entirely too long to make her wait. This way whe has ALL DAY. She got a dress-up night gown that is the "Giselle" dress from the movie "Enchanted". She also got the robe and slippers to match. She has had it on since she opened it. It won't surprise me if that's what she wears out to dinner tonight. She also got a Dora the Explorer purse and accessories that Madeline picked out for her. Emma is one happy little princess. Tonight we are taking Maddy, Emma, and her friend, Lauren to get a manicure and pedicure at the mall and go to dinner. It's Emma's special request.
The picture section is going to be all about Emma for a bit. She had her Open House at preschool last week, birthday at school, presents this morning, party tonight and this weekend..... Must be nice to be the birthday girl!
Tomorrow I'm taking Maddy and Emma to Auntie Amanda's college graduation at California State University of Northridge. We are so proud of Amanda and her achievement! I want the girls to be there for the ceremony to support Amanda. I also want them to see that it is a very special and honorable achievement to be a college graduate. It's never to early to have them set attainable goals for themselves. Go Auntie Amanda!!!
5/16/08: Christian and I had a great time away and the kids all did fabulous without us. Thank you to Jen, Shannon, and Auntie Tete for taking care of our most prized posessions. They all enjoyed their days spent with you! Now Ava has been away from us 2 times for an extended amount of time (Disneyland and this past trip). Both Pam and Montse said how she follows her schedule to a T, and never cries. Ava is truly such an EASY baby! She is so pleasent and agreeable. All of our babies were easy, but if it was possbile to get any better...Ava did it! Am I a proud and boastful Mommy or what?!?
The Trace Adkins' concert was so good! I love his music, I love his voice, I love his values and personality, and oooh is he HOT! It was sooo much fun! It was a pretty small venue. Our seats were near the middle, but that still wasn't far. At the end of the concert when he did his oncore, Christian and I went all the way up the stage and we were less than 10 feet away from him! So fun! We spent the day at the Lake Elsinore Outlets and in our hotel. We headed to the Valley View Indian Reservation Casino early to have dinner there before the concert. We each had $10 to gamble away; niether of us are gamblers, but it was fun to play a bit. I was actually up to $22 at one point. But of course we didn't quit til it was all gone... lol! It's always nice to get away without the kids, time to reconnect with Christian without the constant talking, laughing, crying, fighting, and playing of our 4 precious kids. I highly reccomend dating your husband! I love dating mine!!
5/13/08: We had a beautiful Mother's Day this year. Before church Christian and the kids gave me presents. Maddy and Emma had both made presents at school and Christian had taken them out to purchase gifts too. Among the gifts I received a silver western belt buckle with 2 hearts on it. It's really cute! I have worn Christian's belt buckle to concerts and country dancing in the past, now I have my own ladies' one. After church we went to El Dorado Park in Long Beach with Lito, Lita, and many family friends of ours. It was a gorgeous day with perfect weather. It was a pot-luck lunch and time just to hang out and catch up with friends and family. Nice and relaxing!
Tomorrow morning Christian and I will drop off the Madeline at Miriam's, Emma at Lauren's, and Landon and Ava with Tete. We are headed to San Diego to see Trace Adkins in concert!! We will have the whole day to spend together just the two of us in San Diego and then we have the concert at 8PM. We will stay in a hotel tomorrow night and drive home on Thursday late morning. This will be the first time for us leaving Ava over night; I'm sure she'll be just fine! I'm really looking forward to the little romantic get-away! (and pretty excited to see Trace too!)
5/6/2008: Torresluna Family, You just finished a successful 2008 Girls Softball season. Where are you going to go? "We're going to Disneyland!!!" Yay!! One of the parents on our team is a manager at the ESPN Zone at Dowtown Disney. He asked Christian if our family would like him to "sign us in" at Disneyland for the day after the softball party. We of course said YES! We were planning on taking Emma to Knotts, Disneyland, or Sea World for her 5th birthday, so this worked out in perfect timing! We made it her day...she got to pick the rides we went on, what to eat, what to buy.... It was a great day!
We had some friends of ours take Ava for the day; we just took the other 3 kiddos. It's tough to have a baby at Disneyland because one of us would always have to sit out on each ride. Ava will get to experience Disneyland when she gets older.
We decided to take the kids on the Matterhorn ride (a roller coaster). Even Landon was tall enough to ride it. We thought that one of us would sit with 2 kids and one of us would sit with one. When it was our turn we found out that we could only sit 2 people per seat...uh oh! We decided that the girls could sit together and I would go alone. Not good... Madeline totally freaked out as soon as it got dark. She cried the rest of the ride (and I don't mean just tears- she screamed!) At first I was saying "Don't worry emma. It'll be over soon Emma... Then Christian shouts, "It's Maddy that's crying!". Oh... well, Emma and Landon liked it, but Madeline said she'll never go on that ride again.
One of the major highlights of the day was when we saw Ariel, The Little Mermaid. Both Maddy and Emma were extatic that she was there. They both believe with all their heart, that she was the REAL Ariel. Madeline brought her autograph book and they both talked to her and took pictures with her. Landon stood back and watched from a distance and then the last few seconds he went in for a hug. When we saw Mickey Mouse, Landon was all over that! He ran right up to him to show him his new car that he got at the Disney Emporium. Seeing Mickey was a great end to the day.
Our favorite rides: Christian- Pirates of the Carribean, Mine- Space Mountain, Maddy- Haunted Mansion or Jungle Cruise, Emma- Matterhorn, Landon- Finding Nemo.
The kids had $$ to spend. What they bought: Madeline- a Disney Princess pink diary with a lock and key. Emma (she had extra for her birthday) A princess purse that came with keys, glasses, a phone, and lipstick. And a princess brush and mirror. Landon- a Nitroad car from the Cars Movie.
All 3 of the kids did great! They were tired but in really good moods. Aside from the MAtterhorn experience, there were no tears all day! We were all exhausted by the end of the day... but it was worth it; We were at the happiest place on earth!
5/2/08: Happy 5-Month- Birthday to our little Claire Bear!
Tonight is the Dad and Kids Campout at church. We are all looking forward to a fun-filled night of tent camping, campfire, raosted hotdogs and s'mores! Yummy! (I'm the only Mom that gets to be there cuz I'm in charge of the event).
Landon is totally into asking what color things are these days. He knows his colors pretty well, but now he's testing us to see if we know our colors. Yesterday in the van he was asking..."What color is that truck?", "What color is the sky?", "What color is your shirt?".... Then he askes, "What color is the red-light?" Uhhhh...hello?? It's red! Silly boy!
04/29/08: Man was it a hot one this past weekend. It was in the high 90's and up to 100 Friday, Saturday and Sunday... OOh whee! It's too early for that! I don't like it that hot at all. Temp in the 70's, that's how I prefer it, like today! I hope it stays this way for a little while anyway.
We are winding down the softball season here this week. We have a game on Thursday night and then our last game on Saturday. We have our end of the season party on Sunday afternoon, closing ceremonies on Saturday the 10th, and we're done. It went so fast! I love softball season. It's such great family time to go to the games and support the team. We all really enjoy it. Madeline will play "Fall Ball" to get her ready for moving up to the next division. They don't have Fall Ball for Emma's T-ball division. Next year Maddy and Emma will be on different teams; that's going to be sooo busy! The Cheetah Girls were a great group of kids. We're gonna miss this team!
Ava is now at the "Grabby" stage. She is loving her toys and rattles and sucking on everything. She likes to grab our fingers and arms and suck on them, but best of all are her "plastic ring toys". She loves her toys! She is also getting into hair pulling. The girls and I can attest to that! Ava is more playful than she was, so the kids are all talking and playing with her even more. She'll be 5 months old on Friday. Where does the time go??
04/25/08: Christian went for the "snip-snip" this morning. The end of an era- no more Torresluna babies. So sad!
Christian is doing well; he's very soar (both from his bull-riding endeavor and now this). He will be laid up for a few days, but I'm here to take care of all FIVE of my babies. Tah-tah... wife and mother duties call...........
04/24/08: Ava had her 4 month well-baby check up today (she's almost 5 months). She got shots and cried her little eyes out! Emma and Landon went with me. They were very sad for Ava. She recooperated quickly and was back to her happy lil' self in no time. A couple of weeks ago I guessed at her height and weight...I was off by quite a bit. Today she was weighed and measured. She's 12 lbs., 13 oz and 24 inches long. She is our smallest baby at this age. She is wearing 3-6 month clothes, size 0 or newborn shoe, and size 2 diaper.
Madeline and Emma went to work with Christian today. It is national "Bring Your Child to Work Day". Christian's work put on a kids pizza lunch, game time, a tour of the office, and they get to sit with Christian as he "works" today. They were both really excited about going. I'm sure they are having a great time!
Christian is having the "loosing his manhood" surgery tomorrow morning.... You guesed it, he's having a vasectomy. There is some sadness on my part. I have to come to terms with the fact that we will not have any more kids, but we are thrilled beyond words with our four precious children! He's not really that nervous for the surgery. The time has come to take care of it, and this time he gets to be the one in the hospital, not me. He'll have a weekend with frozen peas in his lap, watching movies, and figuring out how to explain this one to the kids... Maybe they'll think he's still laid up form his bull-riding injury and they won't ask too many questions.
I may be crazy...but I just may be the lunatic you're looking for," To quote Billy Joel. I am back from rodeo school, and I am still alive, as you all have heard and seen. It was an absolute blast, on top of the world experience. It was an incredible couple of days, surrounded by snow capped mountains, fresh air, and the sound of bulls and broncs in the holding pens. Just as Julie says the pain of child birth is the best pain, the pain of having ridden 2 bulls (with injury) is the best pain I have ever felt.
Many, many, many have asked why I would do such a thing. It would be easy to dismiss it as a macho and crazy experiential thing and to some extent that is true. I have been on the backs of bucking horses and eaten my share of dirt and sand. But the one thing I had never done is eat the dirt and sand after coming off the back of a bucking bull. I can't say that anymore. I have done it. I am forever grateful to Lyle, Ed, and Cliff my instructors. And most assuredly to Dan who was a great support to me as he watched me get on those bulls...on purpose. I am sure it was painful for him to watch.
Two major revelations came to me on Saturday night while sitting in a Mexican café after my visit to the E.R.. Dan asked me, "What does all this mean to you?" The first thing is that there is nothing like the feeling of strapping on to unbridled brute force. Even just sitting on the bull in the chute is absolute amazing. In the brief moments before the boys swing that gate open, I realize that in order to ride this bull I must play by his rules: stay up on his shoulders, keep my free arm up, keep lifting up on the rope and drive forward with him as I dig my spurs in for added advantage. (ha!) It is more than just joining the bull for the ride, it is all part of becoming a part of him, an extension of his power. And I have no idea where that is going to take me. All I know is that it is an adventure and it is wild and violent, completely unbridled and untamed. It is a metaphor for walking with God.
Second, my ride...my participation in the school was less a testament to being a cowboy and more a testament to my wife's love for her man. When she fell in love with me I was her cowboy and she knew it. And it is that love for me that let me go and live my dream. I am sure she does not understand the depth of meaning to this experience for me but that did not stop her from supporting me. And knowing that hurt and pain were a definite part of the experience, she quietly hugged me and kissed me goodbye as I drove off in the early morning. At that point it was my obligation to fully experience the weekend as an expression of my gratitude for her love for me. And I did. That is why I rode a second time after my injury and continued through to the end of the weekend. And now while I tell the story, several men express how jealous they are that I have a wife like Julie. I smile and say, "Yep she's mine, boys...all mine."
So today I limp and whince at the pain but keep on smiling and can't wait for the next opportunity to tell the tale of the deeply loved cowboy who went north to ride Sankey's bulls.
4/20/08: We had a family fun night at church last weekend. We played a game like "The Newly-Wed Game" with the kids and their parents. It was so much fun! In game #1, Christian played with Maddy. They got 5 out of the 12 questions right. Here were their questions and their answers...pretty funny! ("C" stands for Christian and "M" stands for Madeline.)
To the Dads-
1. What kind of toothbrush did your child use today?
C- Aly and A.J Tooth Tunes from Santa M- plain blue one from school
2. What is your child's teacher's name? both said Mrs. White
3. What is your child's favorite dinner? C- Baked Ziti M- Papa John's Pizza
To the kids:
1. What is the name of your dad's work? M- ECCU C- First American Equipment Finance
2. What is your Dad's favorite TV show? They both said "Rachel Rae"
3. For desert, which of these 3 would your dad choose: Brownie? Strawberry Shortcake? Apple Pie? M- Strawberry Shortcake C- Apple pie
To the Dads:
1. What size clothing does your child wear?
C- 6 M- 7/8
2. What is your child's favorite TV show? They both said "Hannah Montana" (duh!?!?)
3. What does your child want to be when he/she grows up? They both said "a doctor".
For Game #2, I played with Emma. Her answers were even funnier! We got 3 out of 12 right.
For the kids:
1. What is your mom's mom's name? We both said, "Leslie"
2. What is your mom's favorite flower? E- Morning Glory J- Rose (It actually is a Morning Glory, but I didn't think she knew that.)
3. Which does your mom prefer: sandles, high heals, tennis shoes, or barefoot?
E- tennis J- bare foot
For the moms:
1. What is your child's favorite thing to find in their lunch box? We both said "Dora Fruit Gummies"
2. What chore does your child do best? J- folding laundry (she loves to help with that) E- picking up the toy area
3. What is your child's favorite toy? J- Barbies E- make-up (I totally should have gotten that one!)
For the kids:
1. What is your mom's favorite meal to cook? (Her answer on this one cracked me up!)
E- Mac n cheese J- tacos
2. What kind of car does your mom drive? E- Toyota J- Toyota Sienna Mini-van
3. How old is your mom? Get this.... E- 55 J- By the laughter in the audience, I guessed she had said 60 (I'm really 34!)
It was fun to hear what our kids were thinking! We had so much fun playing!
4/20/08: Christian is doing well at bull riding school. He is having the time of his life! No major mis-haps.... lots of bumps and briuises, a puncture to his calf from his spur....... he's fine though. The "boo-boos" will just give him more stories to tell when he gets home. He loves this kind of stuff! He calls every morning and night to let us know how he's doing. We are all missing him. But, there is one perk to Daddy being gone- frozen pizza, mac n cheese, or corn dogs for dinner. We don't eat like this when Daddy is home. But it sure is nice to not have to cook. The kids could get used to this unhealthy junk for dinner... luckily for our health, he'll be home in tomorrow night.
Maddy is feeling better now. She didn't play in the softball game yesterday, but she wore her jersey and cheered on the team from the stands. She'll be fine for church today and go back to school tomorrow.
4/18/08: Madeline came home sick from school yesterday saying whe wasn't feeling well. I didn't totally believe her, although she had kinda been saying it for a couple of days. She proved me wrong. Last night she got up about 3AM and asked for a bowl to put in her bed. I gave it to her. Not 10 minutes later.. she threw up. Good thing she had the bowl! She's home today, we'll see about practice tonight and the game tomorrow. It's a tough call cuz Christian is gone this weekend and Emma should be there even if Maddy can't be. We'll see what happens.
4/17/08: Here it is, 11PM on Thursday night. I'm exhausted, yet I can't sleep. I have been up since 5AM when Christian left this morning for a trip to N. California. He is going to bull riding school..... that's right, you read it correctly... Sanke Bull Riding School. He has always wanted to try bull-riding and we said when he got a great comission at work, he would reward himself with going to bull-riding school. Well, he did get a really good comish about 2 1/2 months ago and he registered! It starts tomorrow at 8AM and goes til Sunday night. He'll be back home on Monday eve. I'm on my own for 5 full days. He has the Canon, so you'll be sure to see some pix early next week. (Lita and Lito...if you are reading this ...we didn't tell you cuz he didn't want you to worry... Montse, if you're reading this...don't tell your parents about it til Monday...lol!!)
Potty traing didn't go well at all. Landon was only successful when he happened to be sitting on the potty because I made him sit there. He became extremely stubborn and obstanant about sitting on the toilet. He was crying every time he had to sit there. I didn't want to push it, especially since he didn't seem to have a clue when he had to go. We'll try in a few months again. Ugh... I hate potty training! You'd think MnM's and Thomas the Train stickers would do the trick...nope!
Emma is registered for kindergarten in the fall. She will be going to Fern Drive too. Madeline will also be at Fern Drive next year, in 2nd grade. Emma is really excited and more than ready. She can't wait to go to "Maddy's school".
The Kaboom playground didn't work out. Our church did not get the grant. It was awarded to an organization in L.A. It was extremely disappointing, but there is a possiblily we may qualify for a different grant. We'll see?? We put so much prayer, time and energy into the grant process; it's really discouraging to not have gotten it. We'll move forward; it's all in God's hands.
Ava is doing well. She is our little peanut. She's sweet as can be. She's still such an easy baby...go with the flow. She's eating about every 4 hours and sleeping less and less. She has not had anything except breast milk so far (with the exception of a few finger fulls of whipped cream- thanks Gramma!) We will probably start her on rice cereal at 6 months old. She is about 13 1/2 pounds and 26 inches. She's in the 40th percentile for weight and length. Here is her daily schedule... most days:
wakes up around 7 AM then plays happily in her crib til I feed her at
7:30 eat
9-11 nap
11AM eat
1-3 nap (naptime for Emma and Landon too- Nice!)
3:00 eat
5-6 nap (usually sleeps through our dinner time)
6PM eat
8 PM This is the last feeding before laying her in her bed.
She goes to down between 8 and 9PM and stays asleep til morning.
She pretty much sticks to this schedule daily. It's nice to know what her schedule is, especially when we have a babysitter. All of our children were on schedules (actually, they still are), and it works very well for us. I think my life would be too crazy without the children on a routine. I don't know how moms do the whole "on demand" feeding. I know it works well for some... but that would drive me nuts!
Now that I have written a novel to catch you up on our lives, I'm going to try to go to bed (I hate sleeping withthat empty spot next to me). Tata for now. Lotsa love! ~Julie
6/26/08: We just got back from the doctor. Ava had her 6 month immunizations and well-baby check-up. Our little peanut just keeps getting lower and lower on the growth chart. It's wierd for us to have such a tiny baby. Maddy and Landon were always in the 80th and 90th percentile and Emma was usually around the 40th-50th. But, Ava... she's tiny! She is 13 lbs, 6 oz. (25th percentile) and she is 24.6 inches long (6th percentile). Maybe she'll catch up sooner or later...either way, I don't mind. I'd like her to stay small forever!
5/20/08: Happy Birthday to Emma Grace!! She turned 5 today. We started the day off at 5:45 AM so that Daddy could see Emma open her presents. We wanted her to do it this morning so that she could have all day to play with her new presents (on a "stay at home day"). If she would have opened them tonight, she would have to wait til after school tomorrow to play...that would be entirely too long to make her wait. This way whe has ALL DAY. She got a dress-up night gown that is the "Giselle" dress from the movie "Enchanted". She also got the robe and slippers to match. She has had it on since she opened it. It won't surprise me if that's what she wears out to dinner tonight. She also got a Dora the Explorer purse and accessories that Madeline picked out for her. Emma is one happy little princess. Tonight we are taking Maddy, Emma, and her friend, Lauren to get a manicure and pedicure at the mall and go to dinner. It's Emma's special request. 
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