A Crocodile Tale

Wesley had show and tell almost every day in preschool from January until last week. He occasionally told me about the toys the other kids brought to class but he didn’t seem that interested in them. That is until his friend Wade brought in a crocodile. When I picked Wesley up that day he pointed to Wade who was holding the prized toy and said, “Mommy, I really want a crocodile like that. Can you get me one?”

Wesley continued to ask daily for that toy. Since he had not asked for anything else all semester and it looked relatively inexpensive I decided to get it for him. I took Lydia to Toys R Us while Wesley was at school. I thought maybe I would give him the crocodile as a little end of the year present.

As we walked up to store, Lydia asked what the letters said. I told her "Toys R Us." She started saying, "Toys for us, toys for us" over and over again.

When we picked Wesley up at school, he wanted to play with his dinosaurs once he was in the car seat. This is the conversation I overheard:

Lydia: “We went to Toys for Us and got you a crocodile.”

Wesley: “These are dinosaurs not crocodiles.”

Lydia: “We went to Toys for Us and got you a crocodile.”

Wesley: “These are dinosaurs not crocodiles.”

She gave up after the second time.

I gave him the crocodile a few days later. Here is a picture of the crocodile with Lydia, Wesley and Hunter (who was over for a playdate).

Success at the Spray Park

We are working on potty training Lydia. I would have prefered to wait until she was over 2 1/2 but she kept taking her diapers off and trying to put new ones on. She is doing better with going #1 in the potty and she went #2 several times in the potty and then she stopped almost two weeks ago. Since then she has preferred to go #2 in her underpants. Someone suggested I leave her half naked to encourage her to go in the potty. That didn't work; she went on the floor several times.

I tried bribing her, "I will give you ice cream." One day last week, we gave Wesley ice cream right in front of her after she went in her pants.

Two days ago I felt like we were almost there. She started screaming and Wesley started yelling, "Lydia pooped in floor." She had pulled down her pants and pooped right outside the bathroom.

Lydia didn't go poopy all day yesterday so when I took the kids to the spray park today I put a swim diaper on her because I didn't want her pooping in the sprayers. She came up and told me, "I have to go poopy." PTL, she pooped in the potty at the sprayground! And she wanted that same ice cream Wesley got last week. So, we made a pit stop on the way home.

Look at how excited Wesley is by the water.

She is cute, even soaking wet.

Joseph was one happy boy while playing with this dump truck.

It is always fun to play in the sand.

Back in the water.

It Came In the Mail

Last month, I was reading Pop Rocks for Breakfast and saw Christie was doing a fun give away called "Pay it Forward." She had received a gift in the mail from another blogger and it was her turn to pay it forward. I was the first person to comment.

A few days later I got to give Christie my address in person. She and Nancy went to high school together in Japan and they reconnected through facebook and blogging. I started following Christie's blog and I knew right away that I really liked her and that we had some things in common. When I visited Nancy, I got to meet Christie. It was so much fun getting to know her better. Nancy said it was a little freaky that Christie and I had so many things in common.

A couple weeks later I received the following in the mail from Christie.


Christie sent me gifts for my five senses:
taste -a cool travel mug
sight - a pretty cross bookmark
touch - a sivler bracelet with a heart that says "hope"
smell- a candle
hearing - a Chris Botti CD

Now, not everyone would know who Chris Botti but I did. He is a trumpet player and we saw him perform with Sting in San Diego in 2000. Chris has a couple of his CDs but not the one Christie sent me.

Thank you Christie!

Now it is my turn to Pay it Forward

Here's how to play: Be one of the first three people to leave a comment for me. You'll need to be willing to give me your mailing address, or at least your email address at first, and I will send a small gift your way. After you receive your package in the mail, write a post about it, and link back to my blog. You also agree to Pay It Forward and send gifts to the three people who comment on your blog (remember -- only leave one of the first 3 comments for me if you are willing to send out 3 small gifts to other people!)

Costume Day

Two weeks ago the soccer coach said that the kids could wear costumes on the last day and that he would be wearing a costume.
My friend Nancy is a huge soccer fan. She asked me today, "How do you play soccer in a costume?" I asked her, "Have you ever seen three and four year olds play soccer?" I don't think their costumes interfered at all. (smile)

I thought Wesley would have more energy today since he didn't have preschool but he once again sat on the ball and watched for a few minutes.

Just resting.

Getting back into the action.

I do think his big pirate hat would have interfered with running around. After about 45 minutes, he insisted on taking off the bandana that was tied around his head.

The only things that he wore from his fancy pirate costume were the gloves. I was hoping that they would remind him to not use his hands but he continued to reposition the ball with his hands.

Coach Dan dressed up as Spider Man. Woody, the other coach, dressed up like a cowboy. He volunteered his time to help Dan with the class. They were both great with the kids.

The coach gave all the kids (including Lydia) a patch.

Visiting the Country

Saturday was my mom's birthday. My parents live in the middle of a big field that is surrended by more fields. Chris chased the kids around their huge yard.
All the chasing made everyone tired.

Wesley spotted orange juice in the refrigerator and begged for it. The poor guy. We usually just give him milk or water so juice is a huge treat for him.

After church on Sunday my aunt and uncle came over. My aunt Estelle.

My uncle Kenneth.

This was Lydia's first time meeting my aunt and uncle. My parents usually come to visit about once a month or so. We haven't made it to their house for a long time because they usually come to help with the kids. I so appreciate all of their help.

Wesley loved catching bugs. Most of the time we had to do the catching for him and he appreciated our efforts.

My parents' house is 3/10 of a mile off of a secondary road. This picture kind of gives an idea of how far off the road their house sits.

Here we are crossing the first of two cattle guards on my parents' road. We walked down to the main road so the kids could see the neighbor's cows up close.
The kids loved seeing the neighbor's cows.

The kids enjoyed having lots of time and space to play outside.

My parents' neighbor, John, took the kids to see his donkeys.

Of course the kids enjoyed riding on the golf cart.

Lydia is Nana's girl.

Lydia liked this friendly little dog. Our cats are very afraid of Lydia so she always likes it when dogs let her pet them.

Visiting Blacksburg

On Saturday we visited Chris' aunt and uncle in Blacksburg. It was nice seeing Mike and Ieda and hearing about her trip to South Africa. We had lunch at Macado's. Wesley wanted a BLT and pronounced, "This is the best meal ever."
Wesley and Lydia had fun "driving" this car.

We went over to the Drillfield at Virginia Tech and let the kids run around while we reminisced about our college days.

Maybe one day they will walk across here in between classes.

Since it was Memorial Day weekend, the town and campus were very quiet.

Wesley and Lydia both like for Daddy to spin them around.

According to school's website:
Virginia Tech was born as a land-grant college, and appropriately, its distinctive buildings have been constructed from the product of Southwest Virginia geology. The university mines the distinguishing limestone at its own quarry on the fringes of Blacksburg. Originally called “our native stone,” the rock has become known more familiarly — and more affectionately —as Hokie Stone. These ancient stones are extracted and shaped by ancient methods — by humans rather than machines. Arms and hands, hammers and chisels craft the raw stone into building blocks. In addition to the iconic Burruss Hall, every building around the Drillfield uses the material.


War Memorial Chapel is behind Chris and Lydia. There was a wedding taking place on top of it; the top is ground level on the other side.

Burruss Hall and the April 16 Memorial.

It stuck me on Saturday that three memorials are now around the Drillfield. War Memorial Gymnasium was completed in 1926. (This is where I had swim team practice at one point during elementary school and where I had some of my graduate classes. ) War Memorial Chapel was completed in 1960 to honor the fallen VPI soldiers of World War II-and later of all wars. (Virginia Tech used to be known as Virginia Polytechnic Istitute.)

And now there is a third memorial.

The tour bus that you can see in the background was for the North Georgia softball team. I am not sure why they were at Tech that day but I do wonder how many of the visiting teams visit the April 16 Memorial.