May

This Saturday was "Berwyn Heights Day," our town's annual shindig. I'm not really into these things, but the kids like the parade and the free train ride (a smelly diesel-engine thing that goes up and down our street). I did not take them near all the junk food and games this year - maybe when they have their own money to blow...

Anyway, Erin wore a new outfit from Aunt Beth so we had to take a picture. It's my current favorite picture of her. The key to such a nice smile? Two seconds before I told her not to smile!


And of course Luke wanted in. And Erin's tongue wanted out. Doesn't he look like such a teenager in this picture? The hands in the pockets and the half-interested look.


But then he figured out that Erin was goofing around so he had to join in.


Sometimes I can get them to hug, too. It's rare, so enjoy it.


That afternoon Alec filled the pool for the first time. It was REALLY hot out and the kids enjoyed playing in the water (and dumping it out and on each other). And here Luke doesn't look like a teenager but a nerd.


Mom, that's the new suit you gave Erin. It's the best one she's had yet - fits just right and covers her buns (we've been having wedgie problems lately - she calls them "slivers").



"Mom, take a picture of me throwing this really hard!"



Snack time.

Erin's oddities

I thought I would write a little about the funny things Erin has been up to and saying lately before I forget them. She's talking a lot more now and picks up funny things she hears. Her favorite phrases right now include:

• "because" - when asked why she did something
• "come ON" - used at surprisingly appropriate times when she is frustrated or impatient
• "chupchup" - her favorite condiment
• "me too do it" - when she says me too she means she wants to do something, not necessarily that she wants to copy Luke - she says it at the beginning of every sentence of something she wants to do

She LOVES Luke's bed. I know she would love to have her own twin or toddler bed, but I also know that she would never stay in it long enough to fall asleep - so she still gets zipped into her crib tent every night and nap time. Also, she has - HAS - to be covered with her blankie. If we forget she tells us to "spread it." She is also quite good at making it very smooth over herself.


She likes to play the piano and, like Auntie Em, is regularly found singing little made up sing-songs. Or Twinkle, Twinkle.


Her choice of music? "Only One Woof" by James Herriott. Lovely little tune.


She loves bath time. I usually get Luke out first because he can go up and get dressed by himself. She likes to stay and play in the draining water. Lately she has been lying down when it gets shallow enough - this night her hair got a little too close to the drain. Reminded me of Alice with legs like toothpicks going "glug glug glug" down the drain.


She still loves the pool too, although after last night's injury she may be a little more careful. She jumped off the side of the training pool to Alec and when she got to the bottom kicked her legs a little too soon and scraped all the skin off the tops of 4 toes on the way up. She cried a little this morning when she first started walking - I think they were stiff, but at least they are starting to scab over a little. Now we have to hear about her "boo boo" all the time. At least until the next one.

Resident Fish

We have been enjoying a summer membership at a pool near us. Since Luke wanted to take lessons, I calculated the cost and decided it was a worthwhile investment. I've been keeping track of when we go just to make sure we get our money's worth out of it, but since we still have 7 weeks left of the membership and we're already halfway to the cost of it, I think we're doing OK. It has an indoor pool with a "training pool" where they have lessons for kids Luke's age - it ranges from 2-3 feet with the majority at 2.5 feet. There is also an outdoor pool with an attached "training" pool that is a little deeper and has a mushroom/umbrella fountain thingy, and also a hot tub (or "hydrotherapy pool" as they call it) inside.

The hot tub came in handy last week when Alec hurt his back and was in a lot of pain for a few days. He came with us in the afternoon once and went back a few times at night after the kids were in bed.

Erin is a real daredevil and I really have to keep my eye on her. The pool for the kids outside has a gradual slope and she has already learned the importance of walking, not running. The first few feet of it are slippery tiles and she has landed on her bottom several times, which she of course thinks is funny but I don't need a teen-aged lifeguard blowing his whistle at me because I can' t get my kid to walk at the pool. When she jumps off the side of the pool I let her head go under a little and she doesn't mind at all, unlike Luke who hates it.

Luke started his lessons yesterday. He has a half hour 4 times a week for 2 weeks. So far he has enjoyed it. There are only 5 kids in his class and the teacher does a good job of giving them individual attention.

He really liked these floats - called them weights because they look like barbells.

The little guy with goggles is his best friend, Mateo, who is in the same class.

The teacher had all of the kids jump in to her in the deeper pool by themselves at least once (not Luke's favorite thing to do). I watched him go first, very tentatively - practically sitting down first.

Stupid chair was in the way, but this is him in the air on the way down.

After she boosted them out she gave them the option of doing it again or going to get their towel since it was the end of the class. I didn't see any of them go again, but it may have been that they were all shivering by then and ready to go.