3 little ducks went out to play

Today is a beautiful day here in Northern California. I took the kids out to one of the lakes out by our house after Charlie got done with school to feed the ducks. We didn't have much luck getting the ducks to come close to us but we had fun none the less. Audrey was so cute pointing and saying "duckkk". Annie was fearless and ran right out to the edge of the fishing dock and then she was off to the swings. Charlie tried as hard as he could to get the ducks to come to him. Charlie did see a bass swimming in the grass on the bottom of the lake and is excited about the fishing day coming up on Saturday.

The Kiwanis club out here is stocking the lake with trout (they will net off a portion of the swimming area) and then they give fishing lessons to the kids 5-10. We are so fortunate to live here and to be able to take advantage of all the fun things to do.

Sometimes I have to remember to update the blog more for me as a journal than anything else. I hope it will help me look back and remember all the things we did (obviously I am not as up to date on my scrapbooking as I would like to be so this will have to be the 2nd best thing).

The Great Egg Hunt

Today we had a big egg hunt out in our neighborhood that we took the kids to. Annie & Charlie each got to decorate cookies and Annie got her face painted. They divided up the egg hunts so Audrey got to go in the 2 & under group. It was awfully cute to watch her look around at all these eggs wondering what the heck she was supposed to do with them. She loved to open them rather than put them in her bucket.

Annie & Charlie were in the next group and off they went with the masses, I couldn't even see them once the ran into the field. But no worries, they both got lots of eggs and had a great time.

We have an afternoon of egg decorating ahead of us!

Spring Break

We are having a very low key spring break this week. This last weekend John & Charlie spent the day at the Sacramento Air Show and had a great time - I am not sure who like seeing the planes more. Charlie loved seeing the Blue Angels and he loved getting to go inside all the planes they had on display at the event. He even has been saying he wants to fly planes when he grows up (I don't think it could be a genetic thing could it?)

That was the great start to our week, then on Sunday I started to get a sore throat. By Monday morning I was so sick I could hardly move. It turns out I came down with Strep Throat. You have to love being in our house lately. The kids were so great on Monday. I layed in bed all morning and they just played quietly and Audrey took a nap with me. I went to the Dr that afternoon for a throat culture and to get some medicine. John took care of the kids the rest of the afternoon and evening and I got to rest. On Tuesday my sister Courtney came over and entertained the kids for me all day so I could rest. While I wasn't feeling great it was so weird to just be laying in my bed for the day. By last night I was feeling 100 times better than I had on Monday so I got up and have been getting back in the swing of things. While my throat is still sore I think I caught it early enough that the worst is over.

Tomorrow the kids and I don't have anything planned. We may go grocery shopping considering we are out of most things then on Friday John & I are going to celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary!!!!

We have a sitter for the night and are going out to dinner and away for the night. It will be such a treat.

Eggs, Alevin, Frys....

Charlie's kindergarten class has spent the last few weeks raising Steel heads from eggs. They did a science experiment where they all guessed how long it would take for the eggs to turn into Alevin's (little fish with the egg sac still attached). The class guessed it out take 10 days for the Alevin's to turn into fry's but it ended up taking 14. Then today his class went on a field trip to the Fish Hatchery to release the Fry's (the fish without the yolk sacs). It was really neat, we walked down to the American River and let the fish go. All the kids said goodbye to the 68 fish the class had and then they walked up and saw the holding tanks with steelheads in them (they were about 4 to 5 inches long - but the ladders weren't running yet).

It has been neat to hear him come home and talk about the process and to hear him explain the life cycle of these baby fish. (seriously John and I had no clue what fry or alevin's were before this whole experience).

Charlie Looses a tooth!

It's official, Charlie lost his first tooth this morning!

Life in the fast lane

We have had a fun and at times crazy week!

The high light was that Nan came to visit us last Tuesday and stayed for 5 days. We all enjoyed visiting with Gerry and the kids had a great time seeing Nan. Audrey got to go on a few of Nan's long walks and loved sitting in the stroller seeing all the sights. Charlie & Annie were so proud to show Nan all the things they do like going to the bus stop, park, Karate, Annie's preschool and the rest of their daily routines. Friday Gerry & I took the girls into town to Costco and got the girls Easter dresses and went to lunch. It was fun to have a girls days. Saturday morning while Gerry went to visit a good friend John & I took the kids to town to get Charlie outfitted for Tee ball. Charlie got new cleats and a baseball bag for his big season. He is on the A's this year and John and Dante are going to be his coach. Saturday night Gerry took John & I out to dinner at a nice restaurant outside of Jackson and it was a fun adventure finding it and a great time to be out visiting with just the adults.

Everyone seemed over being sick then Audrey has sprung the Flu on us again (at least that is what we are guessing it is - a high fever with some vomiting). She has been so cute lately, it seems that right before our eyes she is turning into a little girl. She has been waking up super early lately so I have recorded a bunch of Barney's for her and she will dance with "BarBar" as she calls him for half an hour or so until I have my barrings and am ready to start the day.

Charlie is about to loose his first tooth - it is barely hanging in there! He is also reading really well. We were watching the kings game one night last week and he asked John if the Kings had a player named Salmons. Sure enough they do and he told us he knew that because he read the jersey!

Annie is now walking everywhere on her toes. Last week they twirled in Ballet and since then she is walking En Pointe! Annie has been in a "I won't wear it if I don't think it is cute enough phase". We are already having serious battles about what she will and won't wear. Last week it was overcast and she insisted on wearing one of her little sun dresses and jelly shoes. It can be cute at moments that she really has an opinion on what she likes - just not when we are in a hurry to get out the door.

Mother Son Bingo Night

Last night Charlie & I went on our first Mother/Son school activity! Charlie's school had a mother son bingo & dinner night that was just so much fun. Charlie is such a social little - well getting really big now guy and we sat at a table with a bunch of his friends and their mom's and had pizza and salad. Then we played bingo. Charlie was so cute, he won a few times and every time he got bingo he would jump up with his hand in the air and scream "BINGO!!!!" It was a great evening. I feel truly blessed to have Charlie as my son and to watch him grow into such a great person!