Just another day at the park.

This week is my nephew’s, Clayton, spring break.  He is staying with us a few days this week which Dalton loves.  They get along great (for the most part) and it gives me a little time to spend with Addie and not worry that Dalton is feeling left out.  So on Tuesday, we took advantage of the warm weather and visited one of our favorite parks.  Addie and I had fun exploring some new places around the park, while the boys dizzied themselves on the tire swing and raced cars and planes down the slides.

Choo Choo!

     Having fun on the tire swing!                             All grown up!

  Racing cars down the slide.                     Playing in the mulch.

 

I know we need the rain, but we really missed getting to play outside today.  There is something about sunshine and bright blue skies that just makes my day.  Perhaps tomorrow I’ll have to be brave and pull out the finger paints so we can create our own sunshine.

Day at the zoo

One day last week the kids and I packed up and headed out to the zoo.  The weather was just too nice to stay inside and I figured it would be a while before we could get back due to the next few weeks of spring break and how busy everyone claims the zoo becomes.  They have been working to renovate the zoo since before we moved to San Antonio, so each time we go, it seems like something new awaits us.  This weeks new addition was a black leopard.

Dalton liked his green eyes.

The real leopard is in the background of the picture.  We had to take this picture on the way out because of how many kids were hanging around the window when we first got there that morning.  Apparently we happened to go on field trip day.  Dalton didn’t seem to mind though.  He thought all the kids were there so he could have friends to enjoy the animals with.

This week we also discovered a new bridge.  The zoo is easy to get “lost” in, so each time we go we feel like we discover new things.  Dalton wasn’t quite sure of the bridge at the start, be he kept with it and managed to get all the way across and back.

 

Here he is studying the bridge with great attention to detail.  You can’t tell from the pictures, but water is running in between each stone and there are alligators on each side.  Of course the alligators can’t get to the bridge, but Dalton still wasn’t convinced.

 

Carefully calculating each step and then proudly waving from the other side.  It only took him about ten minutes to cross, but he kept with it.

We make sure to visit the grizzly bear every time we go to the zoo.  This guy always puts on a great show for everyone around.  He’s probably my favorite at the zoo.  Aside from the claws, I’m pretty sure he’s just a big cuddly teddy bear.  One of these days he’s going to wave back.

Same old story……

but still having fun.  So the kids and I have established a pretty solid routine for the week by now.

Mondays: Bible study with a group of other mom’s at our church. 

Tuesdays: Story time at one of the San Antonio Branch Libraries with some of the other mom’s from bible study.

Wednesdays: Usually run errands, stay home and take care of the house, or a morning trip to the gym.

Thursdays: Story time at the local Schertz Library where Dalton usually gets to play with his good friend.

Fridays: More of Wednesday’s schedule.

We enjoy our routine.  It’s familiar.  We are able to get a few things done during the week but still have lots of fun.  Occasionally we mix things up with a trip to the zoo or a playgroup either here at the house, at a friends house, or at a park.  That being said, here are some pictures of the kids having fun at some of those familiar places.

Addie crawled over to the “big kids” at story time to see what was going on.  The little girl sitting by Dalton was an Addie too.  I’m not sure if he is grinning so big because he is sitting next to such a cute little girl or if it’s because he loves his little sister so much.  We’ll go with reason number two.

Addie’s making music while Dalton was having fun with the parachute.  This parachute is the whole reason we now have to attend two different story times each week.  Tuesday’s time is his favorite due to the parachute.  We couldn’t give up Thursday’s time at a different library because his very best friend, Kyle, attends that story time with his grandma.  So if you were wondering why we go twice a week, that’s why.  I do enjoy the library and it’s never too early to instill a love for reading in your kids, but really it’s all about the toys and friends right now.

Playing at the park after story time number two of the week.  Unfortunately, Kyle didn’t make it this week.  Notice that on Tuesday the kids are both in jackets and by Thursday we had pulled out the shorts and tank tops.  Don’t you just love Texas weather.

Granted it’s only March, but the afternoons have been so nice and sunny lately that Dalton has been begging to go swimming.  So we got out the pool, filled it up and here he is having a blast.  He was so excited, he went upstairs, found his own swim shorts, changed and was back out before I could get the pool completely full.  I didn’t know if it was quite warm enough for Addie, so she and I sat in the grass and laughed as Dalton splashed us.  Well she laughed as I retrieved handfuls of grass from her mouth.  You would think after the first one,  she would realize that it doesn’t taste quite as yummy as it looks.

Don’t forget to click on the Lacy Family Pictures link to the side.  There are always lots more pictures to be found there.  What can I say… I take way too many pictures.  Oh the joys of the digital camera!

10 Months Already

On Sunday, Addie will officially be ten months old. The time has gone by way too fast. She is growing up a little more each and every day. This past Monday she finally got her first tooth. She’s been a trooper though. We didn’t even really know she was finally teething, well except for the chewing on everything (including the cat) and the excessive drool. She’s such a happy baby and loves to laugh. We don’t have many pictures to share from this month because our camera was MIA for about a week. Thankfully we found it hidden safely away in the library bag where I’m sure I put it for safe keeping one day. One thing I’ve learned twice this week: Never trust a three year old when he tells you he looked somewhere for a missing item.

Lesson One:

We misplaced the camera the Thursday after Blake’s birthday. Friday morning we were off to visit a new park and I went looking for it. I asked Dalton to go check the library bag since that was were we went the day before and low and behold he told me it wasn’t there. So a week went by of searching and worrying, until finally the next Wednesday evening when I was packing the books into the library bag, the camera was found.

Lesson Two:

I often pick my nephew up from school which usually means we are hurrying out the door shortly before 2:30 so we won’t be late. The nice thing about the warmer weather is that Dalton can wear his sandals, which he can put on all by himself. I put shoes on him every morning but he somehow never manages to have shoes on when it’s time to go at 2:30. So this particular day, Addie had taken a bit longer nap, I was feeding her a late lunch and asked Dalton to go put his shoes on so we would be ready to go as soon as his sister was finished. I’m usually pretty good about reminding Dalton to put his shoes in his closet, so that’s the first place I asked him to look. He does and claims his shoes are not there. So we commence looking in every other closet around the house in case I picked them up by mistake and put them where they didn’t belong. We searched his room, under the bed, my room, the living room, outside, the bathrooms and any where else that seemed sensible. Everywhere, that is, BUT his closet. Looking at the clock and seeing that we were out of time, I asked him to go get his tennis shoes and socks so that I could help him put them on. What did HE find when he went to go get his tennis shoes out of his CLOSET…..his sandals! He then proceeded to tell me they were upside down on his self, so he didn’t see them. GRRRR!

Since we were short on pictures, I thought you’d enjoy some stories instead. Here are the pictures we did manage to capture once our camera resurfaced.

Dalton and Addie making music together at story time.

All the kids enjoying a story after school.

Our proud little girl getting a little more steady on her feet each and every day. Notice, that she too, dislikes to wear shoes.

Addie enjoying an after school snack with the big boys.

Having some cake and eating it too….

Happy Birthday Blake! (…aka Daddy…..aka Dada)

Today, Dalton, Addison and I got up early to have breakfast with Blake before he left for work.  Addie, being the generous baby she is couldn’t let Daddy leave for work without giving him a gift first.  Yeap, just as he was saying his goodbyes and giving kisses, she spit up all over him.  So after a  mad dash up the stairs to change, he was off to work and we were off to work in the kitchen making him a cake.  Normally I like to make somewhat elaborate birthday cakes, but knowing that Dalton wanted to help, we settled on a sheet cake with the word “Daddy” written in icing.  We were going to try for “Happy Birthday Daddy” However,  if you are familiar with a three year olds writing skills, anyone would know there is no way that 18 letters would ever fit on a 9 x 13 sheet cake.

Dalton did all the decorating by himself.  Look how proud he is!

Someone has already developed a sweet tooth.

She gets her table manners from her daddy.

I’m amazed Addie didn’t end up with a tummy ache.  She finished off her modest piece in two seconds flat then proceeded to bang on her tray demanding more.  I’m pretty sure her first cake experience was a success.

Shhhh....

Tomorrow is Blake's birthday. Be sure to check back then for pictures of the birthday boy enjoying his cake the kids and I are making for him in the morning.

What’s yours is mine…

A Child's Property Laws

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it is mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it's broken, it's yours!

 

Blake and I read this in a book someone gave us when Dalton was born.  We thought it was funny at the time, then a few months later learned just how true it was.  Now that Addie is developing quite a little personality all of her own, she has learned these “Property Laws” too.  Right now she is mostly just claiming her brothers toys, which he willing shares (most of the time).  Although in the past few weeks, she has discovered the joys of “big people food” as Dalton has termed it.  That pop tart in my hand that I was headed to the table with to give Dalton….yes half of it is in her mouth.  That bite of ice cream on Daddy’s spoon headed for his mouth….well let’s just say she has ways of convincing him that she needs a bite too.  Since her discovery of table food, she now has found ways to avoid eating as much baby food as possible.  Did anyone else know  a nine month old was capable of spitting baby food halfway across the dinning table?  Needless to say, we are buying less and less baby food and I am cleaning up more and more messes in the kitchen as she is learning to feed herself.  She is enjoying her independence. 

Enjoying some rice, fruit and crackers for dinner!

Getting every last bite.

Off with the clothes…

to enjoy some Jello for dessert!

Footed PJ’s

A friend at church passed along a sack full of clothes for Dalton recently.  He didn’t seem to care much until we found these hiding at the bottom of the sack.

I didn’t even know you could find footed pajamas for an almost 4 year old.  He loves them because they are soft, cuddly and because the have Thomas on them of course.  Each night he puts them on, he has to be forced out of them the next morning.  I’m pretty sure he would wear them around town if I allowed it.  Oh the stories we will have to tell when he gets older!