Swimming Lessons

All three kids are taking swimming lessons this week. Emma Jo is already a great swimmer. Cooper loves the water and wishes he could swim on his own. Grace likes to play in the water, but she is terrified of getting her ears wet. I'm sure it is a side-effect of all the ear problems she has had over the years and the way the water feels with her tubes. All three are doing great at lessons this week! Grace was intimidated the first night but recovered and hasn't had any issues the last two nights. Cooper likes doing what he wants to do, not what the instructor wants him to do. Emma Jo is in a class of just four kids and they are practicing as if they were training for swim team.

Daddy and the little kids getting in the little pool.

Emma Jo swimming the backstroke.Grace getting wet and then floating with the instructor.
Cooper John wearing Daddy's sunglasses and hat before swimming lessons

Fun in the Sun

Summer is finally here! The kids are so happy that with the hot weather comes the opportunity to swim, eat ice cream, and play in the water.

We go to Grammie and Grampa's house just about every week for Sunday dinner. It is one of my favorite times of the week when I can get together with my parents and share the adventures of the week. It warms my heart to see how much they love their grandchildren and it is special to me that my children will have so many great memories of their grandparents. The kids each love their Grammie and Grampa, in fact when we pulled in the driveway last Sunday Cooper yelled out "Grammie" and started clapping. Too cute...

Last Sunday Grammie and Grampa had been shopping, again. Emma Jo loves to swim in the big pool, but the little kids usually don't go in, so they had gotten a red-white-and-blue blow-up swimming pool for Cooper and an Ariel sprinkler for Grace.

First we coated each of the kids in sunscreen.

Then we let Cooper get in the pool.

Cooper watched Gracie playing in the sprinkler.

Cooper had never played in a sprinkler before and wanted to check it out for himself.

Emma Jo saw the little kids having so much fun she decided to come over and join in with them.

After all the water play, Cooper was hungry and devoured the guacamole. Too bad he doesn't actually eat the chips, just uses them for dippers to get the guacamole. As soon as they get soggy he throws them back in the basket and chooses a new chip.

Getting Excited

The excitement level is rising at our house. First for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. The kids especially are looking forward to seeing not just one, but two sets of cousins! Justin and Riley should be arriving tonight from Oregon (with Stacy and Juancho). Emma and Grace just love them and can't wait to play with them. They only see each other a handful of times a year so this is a real treat. Then on Saturday, Mays and Dallas are going to be at Grammie and Grampa's. The girls are looking forward to introducing Justin and Riley to Mays and Dallas. Justin especially loves babies. Mays and Dallas can't be counted as babies anymore (since they are 2.5) but they sure are cute!
On Saturday the whole gang is heading to Pina Napa Valley to bottle our 2nd vintage of Gimme Five. Gimme Five is a family wine grown on Grampa's vineyard and named after the five Pina grandchildren. We've have a bottling party at the winery where everyone will get in on the action. There will be a little work, lots of food, wine and fun. Afterwards we'll all head back to Grammie's for swimming, more food, wine and fun.
Today Emma and I have the day off of work and school and it is already feeling like the weekend. In fact, it already feels like summer. Emma Jo only has one and a half weeks of school (6 days). I can't believe how fast this year as passed and I know the summer will fly even faster. I've been looking at my calendar and we literally have at least one thing scheduled for every weekend until school starts again at the end of August!
For now I'm going to try to slow down enjoy the weekend and enjoy having friends and family surrounding us. It might be a little chaotic tomorrow with 12+ kids swarming the winery and 10+ kids in the pool, but I'm going to try to enjoy every minute of it.

Saturday - Soccer & Swimming

Saturday morning was Emma Jo's 2nd soccer game of the season. They faced the toughest team in the league, the Red Inferno. The Cool Cats held their own and looked great on the field. In the first half, Emma Jo was the goalie. She made some great stops! Thankfully the game was at 10:30 since it was well into the 90s yesterday.

In the afternoon, the whole family went swimming at the gym. Cooper loves the water! There is a baby pool that is only 1-1.5 feet deep. Cooper loves that he can stand in the water and splash, although he sometimes looks around as if he is thinking "where did that come from" when the water gets on his face. Grace is getting more and more comfortable in the water and will gladly play by herself in the baby pool or in the steps of the big pool.