Samantha's First Soccer Game

Samantha: 51 Months, Week 4

Aedan: 16 Months, Week 2 (Week 72)

After being gone for the weekend in Upland, I needed a week to just be around the house and get things done.  We were busy doing something pretty much every day of the week the week before, and I wanted more downtime.  On Tuesday I spent the day cleaning the house.  It desperately needed to be cleaned, but it's amazing how long it takes to clean when I have two kids making messes and needing me throughout the day.  They are fairly good at entertaining themselves and playing together, but only for segments of time.  I know I've said this before, but part of me wonders if I should just make up a cleaning schedule for a certain thing to do each day, rather than tackling it all in one day.  However, I just really like the feeling at the end of the day when every room in the house is clean and fresh, makes me feel like I have accomplished something, but it certainly wears me out.

That evening once Ben got home from campus and we had dinner together, it was time to head off to Ben's last softball before the play-off games next week.  Daddy took Samantha in his car, and Aedan and I were going to follow behind.  However, Aedan was very upset that Daddy and Samantha left without him.  He didn't understand that we were going to be joining them soon, so he pouted and cried by the door as soon as it closed.  In the video you can even hear Aedan doing what we call his "puppy dog" cry.  Aedan loves to be included, especially with his Daddy and sister, so he was very sad to seemingly be left out. 

We had a good time at the park playing while Daddy played softball that night.  He had a game at 7:00 and and 9:00, so we planned to leave a little before 8:00 so that we could get back home for bed time.  We started off at the small park and then played at the big park.  Aedan and Samantha even scored a free piece of pizza from a family that had eaten dinner at the picnic tables and had plenty of leftovers.  Tuesdays always feel like long days once I get back home, get the kids in bed, and then have a little time to myself.  However, really the worst part about it is that I don't get to see much of Ben, pretty much just for dinner and then he's off again for the rest of the night.  I was really tired on Tuesday night so I was already in bed when he finally got home from his last game, and then he still had to take a shower and wind down for the night.  I always miss our nights together with time to talk and reconnect with each other.

Wednesday morning Ben woke up not looking too great.  He developed a cold over the weekend, and it seemed to have gotten worse.  There was a chance of rain that afternoon/evening, so both of us were kind of hoping that Samantha's practice would get rained out so that we could have a more relaxing night at home together.

Wednesday is my day to watch Bennett, so we went back to the house and played inside for awhile.  There was a chance for rain, so I kept expecting it to rain but it seemed to skip right over us.  However, it was very overcast and humid.  The boys were antsy to get outside and play, so after having snack and changing diapers, I put the boys in the double stroller that I borrowed from Andrea so that we could go for a walk together.  I pushed them down our little frontage road and into the next area with single family homes.  Then, I noticed the cows across the street and decided to cut over there and let the boys watch the cows for a little while.  All the cows came up to the fence in a line, staring out at us, probably wondering what in the world we were doing.  Aedan thought they were pretty fascinating, pointing to them, and really wanting to touch them.  I'm not so sure what Bennett thought as he was sitting quietly observing them.  On our way back from visiting the cows, Bennett fell asleep in the stroller.  However, once we arrived back at the house he woke up quickly, ready to play again.  We played in the front of the house with balls and the water table.  Bennett was really enjoying the balls and dropping them down the spiral at the top, so I figured I would clean it out and fill it up for them.  I should have planned ahead a little bit more because both boys got soaking wet right before it was time to head back to preschool.  I didn't want to send Bennett home all wet, so I decided to just take his clothes off and put him in a dry diaper in the car seat since I didn't have an extra outfit for him.  I changed Aedan's diaper and clothes, got him buckled into the car seat, and we were on our way.  However, that little diversion added time, and we arrived at preschool a few minutes late.

Wednesday night was Samantha's soccer practice.  However much the forecast predicted rain, it hardly rained at all.  We met Daddy over at the soccer fields to watch Samantha and her team play and get ready for their first game that weekend.  I don't have any pictures or videos from practice, but Aedan did an okay job of staying in his stroller for part of the time while I sat in the camping chair next to him.  After practice was over, instead of going back home to eat, we decided to eat dinner out at Chipotle.  The kids eat so well there and the food is so fresh, we just couldn't pass it up.  However, it did make it harder getting home later and pretty much putting the kids right to bed, so I think we will go back to eating at home next time.

Once back home for the evening, it was already about 7:45, close to bed time.  We got Roscoe fed, and I took him for a walk.  As I was walking I noticed this beautiful sunset and thought about how much I love living in the country for moments like these.  I am not surrounded by houses, concrete, noise, and cars, but instead I can look out over the grass and see the beautiful sky that was painted in so many brilliant colors.  God's Creation is so breathtaking, if I will only take the time to stop and observe it.

After a couple of late nights with softball and soccer, Thursday was another day that we didn't have any plans.  I needed to go grocery shopping since I had other plans to get breakfast and go shopping with Maggie on Friday morning, so I decided I would try to bring Samantha and Aedan along with me.  They really did pretty well, and in some ways Aedan did better than normal because his sister was there to keep him company.  We got a special cart with a car attached to the front and normally I just let Samantha sit up there while keeping Aedan in the seat in the big cart; however, this time I figured he was big enough to try sitting in the car with Samantha.  The car had working seat belts so I knew that I could strap him in.  The kids were fine and pretty well amused as long as I kept moving, but when I lingered to check prices or find something different that I don't know where it's located, they started to get antsy and whiny.  However, the highlight of the trip was getting the free cookie at the end of the shopping trip.  So here they are sitting in the their little car, eating their sugar cookies. :)

Since Monday was Labor Day, Andrea volunteered to watch Aedan on Friday for me instead.  I made plans with my friend, Maggie, to get breakfast at Bob Evans and then go to a children's resale shop out in Fairfield that I have never gone to before.  Daddy took Samantha to preschool and gave Aedan to Andrea so that I could meet up with Maggie.

Andrea took Aedan and Bennett to Hueston Woods, to the Nature Center and on a walk in the stroller.  I was glad to see that she was comfortable taking the boys out together because I think I may take them somewhere next time I have them as well.   She said that Aedan touched the turtle's shell and leg, but Bennett wouldn't do it.  However, she said they both liked the 30 loud geese in the parking lot the most.

While Samantha was at preschool and Aedan was with Andrea and Bennett, I met Maggie for breakfast at Bob Evans.  It was nice to talk and catch up, especially since her baby is due in two and a half weeks.  After breakfast we drove to a children's resale shop in Fairfield.  I had never been to this one before, just Once Upon a Child down in Colerain.  In looking towards cooler weather coming in the fall, I knew that Samantha and Aedan both needed new clothes.  We got some hand-me-downs for Aedan from the little boy down the street from us, so we were pretty set on pants, but he needed some long sleeve, warmer shirts, warm pajamas, as well as some new tennis shoes.  We don't have much for Samantha, so I found some long sleeve, warmer shirts, warm pajamas, and a couple pairs of pants.  She also needed some new shoes as she was growing out of many of her old shoes, especially the tennis shoes that she wears pretty much every day for preschool.  Shopping for her is always so difficult because I never know what will fit her.  I bought some stretchy leggings in a variety of colors from a mom in Oxford who was selling them, and those pants fit her pretty well.  However, other pants, especially non-stretchy pants like jeans, I can't ever seem to find any to fit her.  She has such a tiny waist and a small tushy that no pants will stay up on her.  If you go down a size, then they are too short, as her legs are pretty long.  She always complains about jeans being uncomfortable, and we don't want to have to deal with always reminding her to pull up her pants so that her tushy isn't hanging out, so I guess leggings and sweatpants are going to be the way to go, at least for now.  Even in shopping for shirts, it's difficult to find the right size.  Size 4 is too small, short on her arms and in length.  However, then she transitions into some clothes being 5 or 5t and some being in the girl's department which lists sizes as 5/6 and often those are too long on her arms and in length.  I ended up getting some that I knew would be a little too big for her because then she can grow into them and possibly wear them again next year as well.  I definitely don't want to buy new clothes and then have her grow out of them right away.  I spent way more money than I would have liked to shopping that morning, but it's hard when we are transitioning into a new season, have no clothes in reserve, and are not getting any hand-me-downs anymore.  I can't imagine how much people must spend on clothes when they buy them full price in a department store!

The best things I found at the resale store were Halloween costumes for Samantha and Aedan.  Originally, I was just looking for Aedan because Samantha has lots of dress-up princess dresses that she could wear.  However, I found a Superman costume with a cape attached to the back for Aedan, and then I found a Wonder Woman costume with a cape attached to the back.  I figured Samantha would love the idea of dressing up as a superhero since she has been really into superheroes lately, but she also would really love to be dressed similarly to Aedan.  They will be cute trick-or-treating together.

Daddy had Samantha and Aedan for lunch on Friday, but they gave him kind of a hard time in eating their picnic lunch at the TRI playground.  Samantha threw a fit towards the end, and Ben had to ask her calmly if that was the type of behavior she should have.  She said "No" and calmed down pretty quickly.  It was a good time that just ended on a sad note.  Luckily, just talking to Samantha like that has worked well lately in getting her to think about her actions and calm her down rather than escalating her reaction.

After finishing Zumba and getting the kids from Ben, Aedan actually fell asleep in the car on the way home because he was so tired from his morning with Bennett and Andrea.  Once we got home, I showed them their costumes and they just had to try them.  The costumes fit them really well, and they were so cute together as superheroes.  (Aedan was pretty tired as he had a long morning and it was almost nap time, which is why he has his pacifier.)  Here are some pictures of the kids dressed up and playing in their Halloween costumes.  :)

After trying on the costumes, Samantha wanted to try on more clothes, but I told her we weren't going to try on anymore at that time because it was time for them to go down for their naps.  She got upset and threw another fit and yelled at me.  However, I took Ben's approach and calmly asked her whether she was acting right, and it seemed to calm her down quicker than even sending her to a time out.  Then, she apologized later without me even having to ask.  It's nice that we have been able to handle her meltdowns a little better lately, and the meltdowns have been happening less frequently.

That evening it was rainy and chilly outside, so we spent the evening inside, much to Aedan's chagrin.  Aedan has gotten used to playing outside every evening after dinner and was really disappointed that we couldn't go outside.  He didn't understand.  It will be hard for him as we transition into fall and winter, when the evenings get cold and dark, and we will have to spend more time playing inside.  That evening, I had the kids try on the new clothes I got for them to see if they would fit and to see what items we would have to return.  Then, we just played together.  Samantha wanted to get the fishing game out, and Aedan thought the fish were pretty interesting as they went around and around.  It was a great family night at home together.

Ben is a very thoughtful and caring husband.  Friday evening when he got home from work he came bearing two bouquets of flowers, just because.  They were very beautiful and were a nice touch to our kitchen table.  I love having fresh flowers in the house.  Ben and I even got to spend time together watching a silly movie once we got the kids in bed that night.  We watched Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and it was pretty ridiculous, but it also made me laugh at the insane predicaments they got themselves into, the perfect way to relax after a busy week.  It's nice to have a night at home with nothing particular to go out and do.

Normally we have pretty relaxed Saturday mornings, but this Saturday was Samantha's first soccer game.  After she woke up, but before Aedan got up, she wanted me to play with her, so we got all her princess paraphernalia lined up on her Elmo chair because they were getting ready to take a picture.  I let her push the button on my phone in order to take this picture.  She thought that was pretty fun and really enjoys one-on-one playtime when Aedan is sleeping.

We ate pancakes for breakfast while Aedan continued to sleep.  For the last week or so, he has been waking up early in the morning, sometimes between 5:30 and 6:00, talking and making noise in his crib, and then falling back asleep again for awhile.  Saturday was one of those mornings, sleeping long enough that it was getting close to when we'd have to wake him up so that he could eat some breakfast before we needed to leave for Samantha's soccer game at 9:00.  A cold front came through, giving us a very chilly, cloudy morning at the soccer field.  We wore pants and sweaters, and Aedan and I sat on the sidelines watching the game.  He didn't have much of a chance to eat breakfast, so we brought a couple pancakes and a banana with us for him to eat, and to keep him occupied in his stroller so that I could actually watch Samantha play in her very first soccer game.

Samantha was so excited for her first game, but also a little nervous.  She did a really good job of listening to her coaches and trying to get to the ball.  In fact, right at the beginning of the game, she got her feet on the ball right by the goal but the mass of kids got the best of her and she wasn't able to kick it in.  There are a couple boys that are really into soccer and had a hard time feeling mad when their teammates would kick the ball out of bounds or run the wrong way down the field.  Samantha wasn't at the front of the pack, but she also wasn't at the back of the pack either, which made us happy.  She was trying hard and giving it her best, which is really all we ask for.  We want her to try hard, have fun, and do her best at giving soccer a try.  They played four ten minute quarters, so that was a pretty long time for four and five year olds to run around and play for their first game.  I enjoyed watching Samantha out on the field, becoming more athletic, and enjoying her first team experience.  Here is a picture and some videos of her very first soccer game.

After Samantha's soccer game, we stopped at the Farmer's Market in Oxford to get our free checks from WIC, and then spent some of them on fresh corn, apples, and apple cider.  Our kids were extremely tired that morning, acting like they could go to sleep when it was only 11:00, so we decided to have an early lunch and get the kids down for early naps.  Both were asleep by 1:00 which is practically unheard of lately.  Since they took such a good rest, we decided to go out as a family that evening.  We needed to return the clothes that didn't fit them that I had bought the day before.  The store was most of the way to our favorite restaurant, Chuy's, so we decided to eat dinner there before going to the store to return the unwanted items as well as let Samantha pick out something special for Brielle whose birthday party is next weekend.  It was nice to go out together and our kids did pretty well while we were out until it was time to go home and they were getting tired.

Sunday was a full and busy day.  We had church in the morning and also volunteered in the elementary room at the 10:45 service, so we were there for both services.  We are in the middle of trying to get a new community group started up and had plans to meet and talk on Sunday afternoon.  Because of that, we got home, had a quick lunch, and then got the kids down for naps as soon as we could.  However, we still had to wake the kids up at 2:50 in order to get to church as close to 3:00 as we could.  Both of our kids get cranky when we have to wake them up from their naps, so that resulted in some crankiness for the rest of the evening as we got back and still had to make dinner.

Since Samantha didn't get a chance to watch a show when she woke up, we let her watch it while Daddy and I made dinner.  Aedan decided to join Samantha on the couch.  This is a new thing for Aedan in the last week.  He now knows how to climb onto the couch as well as the black chair next to the piano.  I think he likes sitting on the couch because it makes him feel more grown-up like Samantha.  He may want to take part in Samantha's show watching more often.

Monday was another day of preschool for Samantha and back to our regular schedule of Aedan going with Andrea.  I had a couple errands to run and then went home to get stuff done around the house and do laundry.  It's amazing how fast time goes, but it's much easier getting this done in a quiet house without kids underfoot.  We had a good day, a good nap time, and a good time at home as a family that night.  We even got to spend a lovely, warm evening playing outside, riding bikes, and playing with balls.

(Blog about September 8-14, 2015)

Fun Day Trips Together and Labor Day Weekend

Samantha: 51 Months, Week 3

Aedan: 16 Months, Week 1 (Week 71)

This past week on Tuesday it was going to be a very hot day, so I decided to would be fun to take the kids to the Cincinnati Museum Center.  They woke up in good moods, so I packed up some sandwiches for us to eat for lunch, and we made our way down to the museum.  We always start off in the children's museum area, stopping off at the ball area first.  Aedan really likes that area, and when he wanted to make a basket with a ball, he would grab a ball and squat down, waiting for me to pick him up so that he could dunk the ball in the basket.  It is not Samantha's favorite area, but she tolerates it because she knows Aedan likes it.  Then, Samantha wanted to go off to the left where they have pretend homes from children around the world.  Samantha put on a little puppet show for us.

Aedan's favorite area is the place with the various drums and other instruments that make a lot of noise when he bangs on them.

Once we reached the construction area, both Samantha and Aedan played here for a long time.  They took turns pushing the shovels and scooping up rocks, as well as pushing the wheelbarrows around.

After that we spent some time in the pretend village where there is a restaurant, vet office, grocery store, car shop, and house.  Samantha and Aedan were playing together near the restaurant and then all of a sudden I couldn't find Samantha.  I didn't see her anywhere I looked, and I started to get nervous.  She knows better than to wander off to a different place without telling me.  It had only been a few seconds, so I didn't think she'd be too far, but you never know what could happen.  Finally, I found her in the vet office back in a corner where I couldn't see her at first.  I had a serious talk with her about wandering away without telling me where she was going, telling her that if she did that again we would have to go home because it just wasn't safe.  I should have known that she would be in the vet office because it's her favorite place to play.  She puts on the white doctor's coat and pretends to take care of all the stuffed animals in the hospital.

As Samantha played in the animal hospital, Aedan wandered around the other rooms.  However, he kept putting things in his mouth, which is not a good idea in a public place like this where I'm sure the toys are covered in germs from various kids.  I couldn't get him to stop, so I encouraged Samantha to go to a different area of the museum.  We headed to the forest.  The museum was pretty empty that day, especially as it approached lunchtime, so it was nice being able to let the kids climb around without having to worry about bigger kids trampling them.

Aedan kept trying to head over to the water play area, so Samantha willingly moved on so that Aedan could play where he wanted.  She did a great job of being gracious like that, taking turns doing something Aedan would like and then something she would like.  Both kids really enjoyed free reign of the water.  Aedan was able to step up on the step stools to better reach the water.  He splashed and dumped water, getting himself soaking wet!

Samantha got into the water more this time, probably because there weren't as many kids, so she was able to play with the tubes and make connections to send the water in different directions.

After playing in the water area, we decided it was time to take a break for lunch, so we went upstairs to eat our packed lunch of sandwiches, strawberries, and yogurt.  Both kids ate very well.  (We discovered that the secret to getting our kids to eat sandwiches is by putting a pickle slice on them!)  After eating lunch, we went to the science part of the museum so that Samantha could show me the Ice Age area with the different cave and area with pretend animals to walk through.  They went here with Daddy when he brought them last time, and we didn't even know this area existed before.  It's tucked back around a corner, practically hidden from sight.  They even have a dinosaur area that was fun to walk through with  plastic dinosaurs and dinosaur books to look at as well.

At that point it was getting later in the afternoon, the kids were getting tired, and it was getting close to time when we should leave, so I had Samantha pick one more thing she wanted to do.  She wanted to go ride on the trolley car and play with the trains, so we went into the history museum on the other side of the museum center.  Samantha loves to pretend like she is really riding on the trolley, and on this particular day, there was an older man volunteering at the museum who was on the trolley to answer any questions you may have.  He enjoyed talking to Samantha for awhile and watching Aedan walk up and down the aisle.  This man reminded me so much of my Grandpa Kappel.  In fact, I think he may have even worn the same cologne or aftershave that he wears because I feel like his smell took me right back to the memories of being with my grandpa at his house.  I miss my grandparents sometimes, especially at times like this when I see others that could very well be my grandparents.

After playing with the train tables, it was time to head back home.  I told Samantha to wait until we got home to nap, and Aedan fell asleep pretty quickly in the car.  They both took nice long naps once back home, sleeping until Daddy got home after 4:30 that afternoon.  It was a fun day at the museum but going out places like that tires me out as well, so I was glad for the rest time while the kids napped.

On Tuesday night, Ben had another softball game, and Samantha really wanted to go for awhile, so we decided to go and play on the playground and watch the game for a little while before getting back home for a decent bedtime.  It's hectic going over to the park sometimes just for an hour and then getting back home and putting them kids right to bed, but he only has a couple more weeks of softball, and Samantha really enjoys being there with her daddy.  She misses him a lot on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when we have these very long, busy days.

Wednesday was my morning to take Bennett back to our house to play.  However, it wasn't the greatest of mornings.  Both boys were pretty tired and aimless in their playing.  I tried to get a few things done around the house, like some laundry and changing sheets and towels; however, the boys didn't like it that I was trying to get other things done.  I didn't realize how much different it would be with two kids about the same age compared to when I have Samantha and Aedan.  Samantha does such a good job playing with and taking care of her little brother, giving me a few minutes here and there to get some work done around the house.  Aedan loves Samantha and just wants to follow her around, so he doesn't really care if I'm off doing something else.  However, with just Bennett at home, someone he can't talk to or interact with as well, it's more difficult to keep him interested in independent play.  Both boys are fans of snack time and playing outside, so that's always a plus.

Sometimes lately I feel like my goal is just to get through Wednesdays, and then Thursday and Friday are much more relaxed.  After nap time on Wednesdays, it's time to get Samantha ready for soccer practice, and we're off again.  This week I decided to take a fold-up chair for myself to sit in, plus plenty of snacks for Aedan, in hopes that I could get him to sit down for awhile so I could watch Samantha play, rather than just chase Aedan around the whole time.  I sat next to Henry's mom, Melissa, and Aedan stayed sitting in his stroller for quite awhile this time.  It was nice to be more relaxed, to be able to watch Samantha play more, and to talk to a fellow mom.  Once Aedan started to get antsy, I let him out of his stroller, but then all he wants to do is run out on the field to be with the big kids.  That doesn't work well when they are doing a scrimmage and the kids are running back and forth trying to kick a goal.  However, Daddy actually picked him up and carried him for awhile as he continued to coach.  Aedan really liked that.  He is your typical younger sibling, always wanting to be included in what the older sibling is doing, tagging along, and not wanting to feel left out.

After soccer practice we went back home for dinner.  We had something called Chicken Fiesta in the crock pot and planned to put it in tortillas like a burrito.  Again, Samantha ate really well.  I think maybe her body is designed to eat dinner later in the evening (maybe she really would make a good European).  Or, maybe it has to do with running around at soccer practice for an hour.  Aedan wasn't as sure about eating, but that's been him lately.  For how much he used to eat everything and lots of it, now he has become much more of a picky eater.  He doesn't eat meat very well, unless it's sausage, and sometimes he is unsure about different textures of food that is all mixed together.  It's also difficult to get him to eat vegetables.  However, he did enjoy the tortilla and fruit we served with dinner.  Kids go through so many different phases like this.

Awhile back I mentioned to a local mom, Pam, that we would like to go to Totter's Otterville with her and her kids.  On Thursdays it is buy one get one free in September.  Before we moved to Oxford, when I was still pregnant with Aedan, we took a weekend trip with Samantha to Cincinnati.  We stayed in a hotel for a couple nights, went to a water park inside a hotel, and also went to this place, Totter's Otterville.  She loved it then, and I had been meaning to get back again, but it is about an hour away, just long enough that it's hard to justify sometimes, especially when we have a pass to the Cincinnati Museum Center.  Wednesday night the kids were just so tired from a long couple of days and were acting pretty cranky, so I was unsure whether we would go or not on Thursday.  We had plans to go over to Stephanie's house for dinner on Thursday night as well, and I didn't want to push Samantha and Aedan too much by having too many things going on, making it difficult for them to behave on Thursday evening.  Anyways, I told Pam that we would see what kind of moods they were in when they woke up on Thursday and go from there.

On Thursday morning Samantha woke up in rare form, full of energy.  I was trying to figure out what to do, and Ben said something like, "If I were you I would go because I don't think I'd want to be stuck in the house all day with her and the energy that she has."  So, we decided to go.  I hoped that Aedan might take a little nap in the car on the way there since the drive was close to an hour, plus I needed a little quiet as we drove, so I decided to let Samantha watch a movie on the portable DVD player.  She picked The Jungle Book, and it was such a nice, peaceful drive down.  I gave Aedan his pacifier, and he didn't fall asleep for awhile, but sat looking at books and playing with toys until he finally fell asleep fifteen minutes before we arrived.

Our first stop was the indoor play area with a ball pit and a large climbing structure with slides.  Aedan desperately wanted to follow Samantha into the ball pit, but he wasn't so sure about it once he got in.  He was too little to move around and got stuck in one position.  Samantha lovingly led him by the hand to help him get out.

It was going to be a very hot day outside again, another reason this was a fun activity for the day, so we decided to go outside and enjoy those activities before it got unbearably hot.  The kids played the fishing game for quite awhile.  Aedan even joined in.  He didn't catch any of the magnetic fish with his pole unless I helped him, but he had fun just holding the pole in the water.  I was amazed that he never let go to see what would happen with his fishing pole.

Outside there was also a small golfing area, some sand toys, and water area that wasn't working that day.  Samantha was acting pretty emotional, crying over falling and whining about having to share with Aedan, so I decided it was time to sit down and have a banana for a snack and try to calm down if we wanted to continue playing for the rest of the morning.  She seemed to do much better after having that time to refocus herself and her behavior.

Totter's Otterville is split up into different rooms, like a train room, a toy room, a baby room, a grocery store, a dress-up area, and a face painting area.  Samantha and Aedan had a good time going from one room to another, discovering all the various things to play with.  The hardest part was keeping Aedan in the same area as Samantha.  She often wanted to spend a lot longer somewhere, whereas he wanted to wander around from room to room.

For lunch we decided to order a large cheese pizza to split between our family and Pam's family.  You are not allowed to bring food in with you, and it was just too hot to sit outside by our car to eat lunch.  The pizza was actually pretty good and went over well with the kids.  From there, we began playing in some new areas we hadn't discovered yet, but then there was an announcement that the train was up and running, so we went outside to wait in line.  As I mentioned earlier, it was a VERY hot day.  Just standing outside made you start to sweat, and it reminded me of Texas weather.  You can tell how hot it was by the red, flushed cheeks and Aedan's sweaty head in the pictures below.  Nevertheless, the kids had a great ride on the train.  Aedan thought it was pretty cool to sit on the seat next to Samantha with a seatbelt across his lap, just like a big kid.

From there we went back to the ballet area and the block area with the moving ramp.  Samantha enjoyed putting on ballet skirt and shoes, watching the ballerina video, and trying to follow along with the ballerinas.  Aedan's favorite part was the blocks, putting one block in the hole at a time, following the lead of the older kids that were playing there as well.  It's amazing how much kids can learn just by watching others.

There was a short story time that Samantha went to before she had a chance to play in the pretend vet clinic while Aedan played with the water.

It was getting late, and I wanted to get back home so that the kids could get naps in before we needed to leave for dinner with the Chagdes.  Samantha chose to play in the ball pit and indoor playset one last time before it was time to go.  She climbed all over, going down the tall slides, while I stayed with Aedan helping him learn how to climb up and go down the slide that was just his size.  Here's a video showing him climbing into the slide, sitting on his bottom, and scooting himself down the slide all by himself.  Most times in the past he has tried to go down head first, so this is definite improvement, and you can tell he is so proud of himself. :)

I didn't know what to do about Samantha napping that afternoon.  It was going to be a little less than an hour to get home, so really not a long nap time unless she went right to sleep in the car, which wasn't likely.  I knew I wouldn't be able to keep her awake unless I let her finish watching The Jungle Book, so that's what I decided to do in order to maximize her chance of a good nap once we got home.  Aedan, of course, fell right asleep in the car, but he doesn't usually have a hard time going back to sleep once at home.  However, that was not the case on that particular day.  Samantha went right to sleep at home and took a good nap, but Aedan did not go back to sleep at all.  I tried rocking him, I tried leaving him in his crib for awhile to see if he would go back to sleep, but it did not work.  I guess sleeping almost an hour in the car is too long when I was hoping for him to continue sleeping at home.  It was one of those instances where I just felt like a mom failure.  We had already had a busy week, and I probably shouldn't have dragged them out to another place just because I had already made plans earlier in the week with another mom.  It was too much, tired them out too much, and I was worried about how they would be that evening at dinner.

Dinner at the Chagdes' went well even though Aedan was a little tired from only napping in the car.  He enjoyed investigating someone else's house, getting into things, and wreaking havoc on any toy that Samantha and Isaac attempted to play with.  We had a good dinner, the kids ate pretty well, and then we all went outside to let the kids play and get some energy out while the adults had tim to talk.  It's fun to meet new friends and share meals together.

Friday was a pretty normal day with Samantha going to preschool, and Aedan and I went grocery shopping.  However, even though we got back earlier, I tried to get too much done around the house and ended up leaving late to meet Ben on campus to do the kid swap so that I could go to Zumba.  Managing my time has always been a problem for me.  It's not that I just sit around or am lazy and that's why I'm late, I just try to fit too much into a small amount of time, underestimate the amount of time it takes me to accomplish certain tasks, or forget to account for unexpected delays like a dirty diaper or uncooperative children.  This is something I am consciously trying to improve upon so that I can arrive places on time and better manage my family's activities.

Friday night was spent hanging out as a family and getting packed up for our trip to Upland the next morning.  We hadn't been to Upland since June when we were just there by ourselves house sitting for Grandpa and Grandma.  Before that, it was the girls' birthday celebration that was the last time we were all together, so it was time for us to make another trip, especially before Samantha's soccer games start.  We left Oxford Saturday morning, arriving in Upland around 11:30.  The kids did okay in the car, but not great.  Samantha asked if we were almost there when we were only twenty minutes into our trip, so it was that kind of ride, where a short, less than two hour trip feels much longer.  Samantha hasn't been the greatest car rider lately.  She used to be content looking at library books for an hour or more, but now that doesn't seem to hold her attention long enough.  She often will want to tell stories or play I Spy with us, but that gets old after awhile, and Ben and I like to have a chance to talk to each other as well without having to entertain her.

Anyways, once in Upland, Samantha was thrilled because Alaina was already there and they started playing immediately.  They love each other so much, and seeing one another in Upland is always a highlight of their trip.  Aedan instantly smiled and reached out for Grandma when we walked in the house.  It was nice to be in Upland for a relaxing weekend away from home, with family.  We played, had lunch, and then put the kids down for their naps.  It took a stern talking to to get Samantha to calm down enough to let herself fall asleep, but luckily she did because we had a fun evening planned.

After eating TOPPIT pizza for dinner, we got ready and took a wagon/stroller ride over to Taylor's campus so that we could attend their evening football game against Anderson.  They were selling Game Day t-shirts, so Grandpa lovingly offered to buy them for Ben, Alaina, Samantha, and me.  Of course the girls wanted to put them on right away.  We got to the game pretty early, so the girls sat in the stands with Grandpa and Grandma, listening to the band play, while Ben and I walked around with Aedan.  He just wasn't going to be in the mood to sit still up in the bleachers for very long.  Once the game got close to starting, we made our way back up to the stands with Aedan, but he was just too wiggly and didn't want to be contained on someone's lap, so Ben took him back down to walk around again.  It's funny to think about our kids and how different their personalities are.  Back when Samantha was Aedan's age, we took her to IU football games, and I feel like she would at least last a quarter or  more in the stands with us before we would have to take her down to the field where she could run around and play.  Aedan is very different and doesn't like to sit still for very long, especially when he's outside.  The girls sat and watched the game for the first quarter.  Samantha asked a lot of questions about what was happening on the field but was particularly interested in the athletic trainer who would help the players when they were hurt.

After the first quarter was over, I could tell the girls were getting a little antsy and bored, so I offered to take them down to the field where lots of kids were running around, playing their own football game, and climbing on the tackling dummies.  Luckily, Ben thought to bring a football with us to the game, so Samantha and Alaina played around with that, making up their own football game.  They would throw it, the other would get the ball, and then they would run while the other chased and tried to catch them.  They also put it on the ground, ran and kicked it, so they had some aspects of a real football game.  I'm sure Alaina has watched much more football than Samantha has.

Toward the end of the quarter I could tell the girls were getting tired, and I was sure that Aedan was getting tired, wherever he was with Grandma, so we went back into the bleachers to watch the last few minutes of the quarter.  I assumed that we would leave around halftime so that we could get the kids to bed.  Aedan was pretty tired and got fussy once he saw me, so we just gave him his pacifier and I just carried him most of the way back to Grandpa and Grandma's house.  I think it was close to 9:30 by the time Samantha finally went to sleep that night.

Our sleeping arrangement worked well with Aedan in Tim's old room, Samantha in Ben's old room, and Ben and me in Jeni's old room.  Alaina slept on an air mattress in Grandpa and Grandma's room since she was going home the next day and sleeps better with other distractions than Samantha does.  Samantha woke up at her typical time on Sunday morning while Aedan slept in a little bit after being up so late.  Since it was Sunday we got ready to go to Brookhaven for church.  Alaina usually stays in the sanctuary at Brookhaven, rather than going into the preschool room.  We normally don't give Samantha a choice and take her right back to her room, mostly because she is incapable of sitting quietly like Alaina does for an entire service.  However, this time Samantha noticed more that Alaina was doing something different from her and wanted to do the same thing, so she asked if she could stay with us as well.  We compromised and told her that she could stay just for the music and then we would take her back to our classroom.  Samantha enjoyed it for awhile, but once the songs just kept going, she got bored of being with the adults and asked to go back to her classroom.  I didn't think it would last too long, but I figured I'd let her give it a try and see what Alaina does when she visits.

Aedan fell asleep in the car on the way home from church, as he often does at this time of day.  Normally it doesn't seem to bother him, but it did this day.  We tried feeding him lunch, but he was just not interested in anything we tried to give him.  Finally, we decided he must just be tired, so Ben took him downstairs to put him down for his nap.  He cried for a little while but pretty much went right to sleep, sleeping for almost four hours that afternoon, so apparently he was very tired.  Aunt Jeni and Uncle Andrew arrived around the end of lunchtime to bring Alaina back home, but decided to let her play for a couple hours before leaving.  Since Alaina was going to be around and would just nap in the car, we decided to let Samantha stay up so they could play together a little longer.  Andrew took them both outside to play, even though it was a very hot afternoon.  It was good to see Jeni and Andrew, if only for a little while.

That evening Grandpa and Grandma went to a service for their church, but we decided to bow out because it was just too hot out to want to drag the kids out to a social function.  Instead, we decided to eat at the house, walk around Taylor for a bit, and even sign the beam that is going into the new Chapel/Student Center.  You can see Samantha wrote her own name, even her last name, then Ben and I wrote our names and Aedan's name on the beam.  Samantha thought it was pretty cool that this beam would be part of the building some day.  (We'll see if they become Taylor graduates some day as well.)

We then made our way to Ivanhoes to pick up the ice cream order we had called in.  The fresh strawberry shortcake was calling my name, and Samantha really enjoyed the kiddie ice cream made to look like a clown.  Even though we called our order in, it was still very crowded, so I let the kids visit Garfield while Ben went in to get our ice cream.  Our plan was to eat it back at Grandpa and Grandma's house and boy was it delicious.  Necessary?  No.  Delicious.  Why, yes. :)

Monday was Labor Day and Upland has a parade every Labor Day.  I had never seen it before, Ben was in it when he was a boy, and Grandpa and Grandma hadn't been to the parade in years.  Samantha loves parades, so she was very excited for it.  Grandma found a nice, shady spot under a big tree, and we arrived just in time for it to begin.  Samantha had a plastic bag to collect all the candy that was thrown from the floats.  (She got TONS of candy!  It probably filled up half of her plastic bag, and that was with giving some of it away to the people sitting around us.)  I had Aedan strapped into his stroller so that he wouldn't try to escape, and once the parade got going, he was fairly interested in all the commotion around him.  His main qualm with the whole thing was that Samantha got to pick up all this candy, and he was not able to.  Plus, he saw her eating some and knew that he wanted some as well.  I was able to find a few pieces of candy that he could eat that weren't too small or too hard.  Here are some pictures and videos from the parade.

After the parade we went back to Grandpa and Grandma's house for a little more time to play and then lunch before getting on the road back to Oxford.  I don't remember when we took this video below, but Aedan really loves anything that sings and dances, so this Larry Boy toy is a big hit with him.  He would constantly bring it up to us to play for him so he could listen to him sing and wiggle back and forth just like Larry.  I tried to get it on video, but he never did it quite as well as previous times.  Here it is anyways.  Aedan loves music, whenever he hears it, he starts to dance.

Our drive home was much more relaxing than our drive on Saturday morning.  We left during nap time, so once we gave Aedan his pacifier, it didn't take too long for him to fall asleep, sleeping for most of our ride back.  Samantha took a little longer to fall asleep, but then slept for about forty-five minutes or so, then she just sat quietly and even closed her eyes most of the rest of the way.  It's amazing how much quicker the time goes by when your kids are sleeping soundly in the back seat.

Once home and unpacked, Ben and I did not feel like cooking, so we headed Uptown to use our gift card for Skyline that we've had since Christmastime.  Aedan had actually never eaten there before because the times we've gone in the past were before he started eating regular food.  He really enjoyed the oyster crackers and hot dogs, eating them much quicker than his sister who likes to look out the window at the people walking by.  After dinner we went across the street to let the kids play in the fountains for awhile on this hot Labor Day evening.  Then, it was back home for an early bedtime.  It was a good weekend away, a good break from taking care of everything at home, and a good time spent with family.

(Blog about September 1-7, 2015)

The Busyness of the Start of a Semester

Samantha: 51 Months, Week 2

Aedan: 15 Months, Week 5 (Week 70)

This past week we were blessed with beautiful weather.  We had our windows open all day and all night.  I love having the air conditioning turned off, hearing the birds and crickets outside, and feeling a breeze blow through our windows.  I am getting used to the peaceful quietness of the country and think I will have a hard time moving back into more of a city some day.  Tuesday morning after breakfast, the landscapers came to mow the lawn of our townhouse area.  Watching the lawnmowers is always a highlight of the week, so both Samantha and Aedan watched out the front window.  I love how Aedan is just the right height to look out the window.

It was free week at the REC, so I had plans to take the kids swimming again.  We planned to meet up with Maggie, Stephanie and Isaac, and I posted it on the PATS Facebook group as well in case anyone else would want to come as well.  It's definitely easier going with Ben to help me out, but the kids were pretty good.  Samantha enjoyed swimming and playing with Isaac, especially since I remembered Samantha's Puddle Jumper floatie so that way she could swim anywhere in the pool by herself.  I put a life vest on Aedan to see if that would help him in the water so that he could walk around by himself more, but it didn't help with the fact that he would just go into the water face first when he fell.  Both kids were pretty respectful, giving me a chance to talk with Maggie and Stephanie as well.  There was only one time that Samantha was trying to climb over a wall after I had told her not to, but I was dealing with Aedan and didn't notice right away.  The lifeguard had to tell her to get down.  I gave her a time out for that, and she didn't freak out or cry hard when I told her to have a time out, which was good and unexpected.  Then, I had her apologize to the lifeguard for not listening.  She responded very well to that and didn't do anything else disrespectful.  I feel like her moments of meltdowns are decreasing, which I am perfectly okay with.

When Aedan was starting to get cold and tired, I made the idea of leaving sound more appealing by saying we could go outside and sit on a bench on campus to eat a snack.  I brought a banana for each kid.  Aedan loves bananas, and Samantha was going through an anti-banana phase, but now she likes them again because she always says, "I want whatever Aedan is eating."  So, she likes to eat bananas now because he likes to eat bananas.  After we were done with our snack, we started walking back to the car.  Aedan got going too quickly on the sidewalk and tripped and fell to the ground.  He caught himself with his hands, but then his forehead still hit the ground, giving him a nice scratch and bruise.  This little boy is so funny, always with a new scratch and bruise on his head somewhere.

After having lunch and nap time, Daddy got home in enough time to get the kids ready to go back out again.  We were invited to a birthday party for Olivia at the community park before the softball game.  They were providing dinner and cupcakes, and Samantha was excited to give her the princess present she had picked out.  Olivia's older brother is Daniel, and he gets along really well with Samantha.  He is a year older than Samantha and is now in Kindergarten, so we won't see as much of him anymore now that the school year has started.  Apparently his parents joke that Daniel has a girlfriend out by the golf course, referring to Samantha, so they definitely enjoy each other's friendship.  We have become pretty good friends with the Kidd family and were glad to celebrate Olivia turning 3.  After dinner, the kids played on the playground while Daddy went to warm-up for his softball game.  Samantha played with Daniel, and we even went on a hike on the trail that leads around the woods near the park.  The kids had fun finding the right path, rolling down a huge hill, and noticing all the tall trees.

We brought Samantha's bike with us to the park so that she could ride around on the paths.  I pushed Aedan in the stroller while Samantha biked over to the little playground next to the softball fields.  We played over there for quite awhile, watched the game for a few minutes, and when Aedan started to get cranky and tired, we decided to head out.  Samantha did a much better job this week of being respectful and not throwing a fit when it was time to leave.  Ben and I made sure to tell her how much we appreciated it, and how she proved to us that we can allow her to come to the park for softball games again next time.

Tuesday nights are always a bit hectic with softball games because I have to take the kids back home, get them ready for bed, and put them both to bed by myself.  I think it was close to 9:00 by the time I got Samantha in bed.  I am glad that Ben is getting this chance to play softball again, though, and to meet other guys.  I know he really enjoys playing organized sports as a way to exercise, so I'm so glad he had this chance to participate.

On Wednesday morning, it was my turn to take Bennett for the babysitting swap.  I had Aedan ride in Samantha's car seat since she is still using the five point harness, and Bennett rode in Aedan's car seat.  I figured that was an easier solution for right now, rather than taking Samantha's car seat in and out, so I will just continue that arrangement until Samantha moves from the five point harness to the seat belt.

Aedan and Bennett had a good time playing together.  You could tell Bennett was a little unsure at first, being in a new place without his mom, but I'm sure he'll warm up to our arrangement as he comes over each week.  It was a pretty cool morning outside, so I let the boys play inside for awhile first.  I figured they would both be off playing in opposite areas with different toys, but they really played together most of the time, even playing and taking turns with the same toy.

After awhile of playing, I decided it was snack time.  I pulled out Samantha's old booster seat and attached the straps back on so that Aedan could have a seat and Bennett could sit in the high chair.  Here are the boys enjoying their bananas and water for snack that morning.

The tricky part about having two boys close to the same age is what to do with them when I need to go upstairs.  Like for example, Aedan's diaper leaked so I needed to change his diaper and get him dry pants.  However, I didn't want to just leave Bennett alone, so I figured out how to hold one on my hip and then pick the other one up as well, taking them both upstairs to Aedan's room with me.

From there we got socks and shoes on so that we could play outside for awhile.  The boys enjoyed the sandbox together, playing basketball together, as well as taking turns going in and out of the play house.  It was fun to see how their movements and behavior were so similar to each other.

The morning went by pretty quickly with the boys, I got dinner ready in the crock pot, and then it was time to go back to the TRI to drop off Bennett and pick up Samantha.  When Samantha gets home from preschool, there's always a lot of wrestling and tickling that happens.  I think Samantha and Aedan miss each other when she's gone all morning at school.  This video is just great of Samantha tickling and roughhousing with Aedan.  The fun and the laughter between the two of them is priceless. :)

Wednesday nights are just as busy as Tuesday nights with Samantha's soccer practice.  Since Ben's semester started this week, he now has class until 5:20 on Mondays and Wednesdays.  We planned to meet at the soccer fields for Samantha's practice and then go home to have dinner together afterwards.  I didn't think it would work very well for me to try to feed them dinner, get everything cleaned up, and still get to soccer practice by 5:30.  We decided to try dinner afterwards and see how that would work this week.  Plus, sometimes Aedan will nap until close to 5:00, making it difficult to have dinner ahead of time anyways.  Samantha was excited about her second soccer practice, and I came armed with snacks to occupy Aedan and try to keep him off the field.  Here are some videos from practice that evening.

After awhile I cut Aedan off from snacks so that he'd still be hungry for dinner, but then he got tired of sitting in the stroller and wanted to get out and play with all the other kids on the field.  He wouldn't stop trying to go out on the field and got angry every time I tried to move him away, so I decided to just take him on a little walk instead.  Aedan walked up and down a hill, and then we explored the fence surrounding one of the softball fields.  He picked up rocks and stuck them through the holes in the fence, and he also enjoyed pulling needles off the evergreen trees.  

I took this next picture to show Aedan's marks from this week.  The bruise/scratch on his forehead is from tripping on the sidewalk after swimming on Tuesday.  Then, the scratch on his nose is from falling at home and hitting his nose on the table leg when he fell.  He certainly gets hurt a lot more than Samantha did at his age.  He's much more adventurous in exploring his world, whereas she was much more cautious.

I found that I can get Aedan to look at the camera and smile a lot better if I turn the camera toward him so he can see himself in my phone.  That's how I got this picture below.  He thinks it's pretty cool to see himself, and I get better pictures, so it's a win for both of us!

After Samantha's practice was over, we made it back home and had tortilla soup that was ready and waiting in the crock pot.  It was a little strange eating dinner at almost 7:00 because our normal dinner time is right around 5:30, but the kids really were doing pretty well.  In fact, Samantha ate much better that evening than she does on most days, maybe because it was later or maybe because she had worked up an appetite running around and playing soccer.  Nevertheless, eating after practice worked out just fine, and it allowed us to eat together as a family, which I always enjoy, so I think we will continue that and eat later next week as well.

We had a busy week of being out and running around doing various activities.  I thought about taking the kids swimming again on Thursday morning since the REC pool is free, but I just felt like we needed a day at home to rest and play together without leaving the house.  Samantha actually played by herself in her room for quite awhile that morning while I folded and put away laundry.  I think she needed some down, introverted time as well.  The weather was wonderful again, so we played outside in the sandbox, with the play house, and also with the basketball hoop.  We always have a good time together no matter what we do.

Earlier in the morning Aedan was acting pretty fussy and sleepy, so I tried to lay him down for a nap.  However, he was apparently not interested and just played and talked in his bed for half an hour.  This resulted in a very tired Aedan right before lunchtime.  I was making mac and cheese, both of their favorite lunch choice, but Aedan was so tired he just kept laying down on the rug by the kitchen sink.

Then, both kids wanted me to take pictures of the two of them so they could see themselves in the camera.  Here are the two little cuties that I get to spend my days with.

It's hard to get pictures of Samantha and Aedan together with them both looking at the camera.  Samantha usually will smile for us, but sometimes it's a silly, forced smile, not a genuine smile.  The following pictures are so precious to me because it not only shows the love between sister and brother, but Samantha's face is just priceless.

Thursday night Ben and I just felt like relaxing.  It had been a long, busy, first week of the semester, and we felt like we just needed a break.  One way we like to relax is by going out to eat.  There is a fairly decent Mexican restaurant Uptown, and we know we can always count on the kids to eat well there because they love quesadillas, rice, and beans.  The weekly concert in the park was happening for the last time of the season, so we wanted to experience that Oxford tradition one more time as well.  However, we didn't know that it was their annual pig roast and the park was packed with people!  There were vendors set up all over giving away free merchandise.  We listened to the music for a little while as we ate our free ice cream (or frozen lemonade for Samantha), then we walked around the booths.  Samantha noticed a face painting booth and wanted to wait in line for it.  Daddy took Aedan to walk around while she and I waited, and this was not your average face painting.  Samantha got a rainbow colored butterfly painted on her cheek, and it was rather beautiful.  She even got glitter sprinkled on it!  I made sure to take a picture of it so that Samantha could see herself and since we would have to wash it off before bed that night.

We met back up with Daddy and Aedan over by the fire truck, where the kids were able to sit in the driver's seat.  Aedan thought that huge wheel was pretty awesome.  And is it just me, or does Samantha look really big to you?  Her legs look long, and she looks so grown-up holding her little brother on her lap.

Sometimes Ben and I will remark to each other that we can never stop being an adult.  There are always things to do, errands to run, and Friday was one of those days.  Ben took Samantha to preschool, so that was one less thing that I had to do.  Aedan and I went grocery shopping together, then back home to unload and put away the groceries, before meeting Daddy back on campus so that I could go to Zumba and he could pick up Samantha from preschool.  I had a doctor's appointment that afternoon with my primary care physician to complete the last step for the Healthy Miami Discount Program, so Ben just took the kids back home for lunch and planned to work at home for the afternoon.  I got home from Zumba, took a shower, ate lunch, and then was off to my doctor's appointment.  It was a busy day, but we had a relaxing evening at home together as a family with nowhere to be.  We played outside, gave the kids baths, and put them in bed at their normal time, giving Ben and I time to hang out together and watch a movie.  It's been hard not having as much time together since Ben is now gone all day every day on campus and working in the evenings some.  Plus, with softball on Tuesdays and soccer on Wednesdays, our weeks just fly by sometimes with Ben and I just passing by each other at times.

Because of our busy week, I was really looking forward to our plans on Saturday.  Ben's parents volunteered to come to Oxford for the day, arriving around 9:15 a.m., so that Ben and I could go to King's Island together. It was my birthday present, but we were just waiting for a convenient time to go.  When I was growing up, I loved going on roller coasters, they were probably one of my favorite things.  Ben and I even had season passes one year to the Six Flags in Dallas when we lived in Waco, Texas.  However, we really have not been on roller coasters since then, but especially since having babies.  Ben and I are thinking about having baby #3 sometime, so we wanted to make a trip to King's Island before I might possibly get pregnant and can no longer ride roller coasters.  Upland Grandpa and Grandma stayed with Samantha and Aedan for us, playing with them, taking them to the park, making and feeding them lunch, putting them down for their naps, and even taking them out for dinner at Chipotle.

Meanwhile, Ben and I had a great time at King's Island.  It was a fairly warm day, but nothing intolerable.  It was fun to do something "kid-like" again.  However, I could feel my age, and I don't know if it's simply getting older or also maybe related to my body changing from having babies, but I could not handle the roller coasters as well as I did in the past.  Many of them made me feel nauseous, so much so that I had to sit down and rest more between rides.  No more going on the same ride with multiple inversions 7 times in a row.  I also blacked out a few times on rides where the g-forces push you down into your seat.  I really had a fun day, especially since Ben and I rarely get an opportunity to go to an amusement park for the day; however, I don't know how eager I will be to go to another amusement park in the near future.

The next day we had a typical Sunday morning going to church together.  We decided to make sure we got to the 9:00 service since our kids are up between 7:00 and 7:30 anyways.  Ben and I just have to make sure that we are up and showered before they wake up.  Plus, with the Miami students back in Oxford, the church gets really full at the 10:45 service.  When we arrived at church, Samantha's VBS crew leader found her and was so excited to talk to her and show her these tiny strawberries from his home.  He is such a sweet, older man, and Samantha loved being a part of his group.  I especially like that he is continuing their relationship by connecting with her whenever he sees her at church.  The other nice part of going to the early service is that we can then feel comfortable letting our kids play on the playground for awhile without having to leave right away to get home for lunch and nap time.  We had extra time at home to get lunch ready and were able to get the kids down at a normal time, so it was a good morning.  In fact, Ben and I felt tired too, so we also took a nap at the same time as the kids.  Back in the day, before kids, we would often take Sunday afternoon naps together.  We don't do that as much anymore because we're busy doing other things or need to use nap time to work, but it was nice to just have the afternoon to relax, rest, and get rejuvenated for the coming week.

Sunday night we had an early dinner so that we could go swimming at the REC one more time.  It was the last night of free week, and we wanted to take advantage of it.  We met some other friends from OBF there: Stephanie, Jim, and Isaac, as well as Kristyn, Jason, and their two boys.  Samantha had a great time swimming around, playing shark, and jumping off the side of the pool into the deep water.  Aedan was in a little better mood in the water that evening, so he played water basketball with Daddy for awhile, and then when I had him, he walked along the grate as part of the wall, but then would stop and step right off into my arms into the water.  Then, I would sit him back down on the wall, he would get up, and do the same thing over again.  We swam for quite awhile, and I think the kids would have stayed in a little longer, but it was already 7:45, and I wanted to help Daddy get the kids out of their wet bathing suits before going off to Beth's free Zumba class at 8:00.  Daddy took the kids back home to put them to bed, while I stayed at the REC to exercise.  It was a fun night, but I came home feeling exhausted and ready for a good night's sleep.

Monday morning always comes sooner than I would like it to.  Now that the semester is in full swing, it seems like our weeks just fly by and one runs into the other.  I even commented to Ben the other day that I miss the more relaxed pace of the summer.  It will take a few weeks to get adjusted.  However, I also know that we need to be careful not to over-commit ourselves.  We tend to say yes to everything, which then fills our calendar with things to do, leaving little downtime.

Monday morning was preschool, so I dropped Samantha off at school and Andrea took Aedan to her house for our babysitting swap.  Ben and I had a meeting scheduled that morning with the new pastor of OBF.  I won't go into any details on the blog, but we wanted to bring an issue to his attention and see what his opinion was about our concerns.  So, I went back to campus to pick up Ben, we got Starbucks coffee in Kroger while we waited, and then went over to our appointment at 10:00.  After our meeting, I ran a couple errands and then went back to the TRI to pick up Samantha and Aedan.  My "morning off" was definitely not as relaxing as last week when I just had time to myself at home.

On Mondays Ben has class until 5:20, and neither kid napped as long as they probably should have, so I had to try to entertain them somehow while I attempted to make dinner and have it ready for when Ben got home.  Samantha wanted to color, which was a great idea, but Aedan wanted to color, too.  He always wants to mimic his sister, no matter what she is doing.  So I decided to let him give it a try.  I put him in his high chair so that way I could make sure he wouldn't try to color on the floor or the walls.  Samantha handed him crayons whenever he asked for one, and they both enjoyed it for quite awhile.  However, Aedan's attention span is only so long and it was getting close to dinner, so once he started eating the crayons and coloring on his tray, I decided it was time for him to be done coloring.  It was a solid first attempt though!  (In case you're wondering about Samantha's outfit, she decided to get her dress-up clothes out and came downstairs wearing the butterfly costume instead of a shirt.  Then, she wanted me to tie the hat on her head.  She wore this outfit for quite awhile that evening, only taking it off because she didn't want to get her pizza on it at dinnertime.  I love how little kids don't care at all what they look like.  It's completely normal to sit at the table coloring dressed as a butterfly!)

(Blog about August 25-31, 2015)