Sport Bounce

We recently drove out to Loudoun County to meet friends at Sport Bounce. We hadn't seen these friends since December when we got together at Edventure in SC.

After we went to Kids N Motion a few weeks ago, Wesley started asking to go back to Sport Bounce.  I really can't remember if we went there last summer or not.  I am pretty sure we met up with the same friends at Sports Bounce on Christmas Eve 2010.

Sport Bounce has a new little train.  

I love this picture of Rachel and David.

Josiah climbed up this big ladder but wouldn't climb up a slightly steeper ladder.

He went down this slide on his belly.  After I carried him up the steeper ladder, he went down that slide in sitting.  I had to borrow Wesley's socks in order to go on the slides because everyone has to wear socks.  I wore shorts instead of a skirt just so I could do the slides with Josiah.  I forgot my socks and I was too cheap to buy them there.  It turns out Josiah didn't need me except for the one steep slide.

Lydia liked climbing on the little rock wall.

Rachel, Josiah, and Wesley.

Lydia and Rachel

All five kids right before we left for lunch.

That afternoon I took my kids to the pool for almost three hours.  I don't know who was more tired - Josiah or me.

The Trains Are Back!

After being in storage boxes for the last two years, the trains are back!  Chris even put the train table back together without any directions (those were lost years ago).  I'm amazed at how much the kids have played with the trains.

Josiah is thrilled to play with trains at home instead of just at the bookstore.  Wesley is really enjoying building tracks with the Take Along sets.

Yesterday, Chris got out the music toys, but those only stayed out one day because I couldn't take the extra noise!  Josiah wasn't really sure what to do with the drum.

One of my friends stores all her toys in plastic boxes.  She gives her kids two boxes at a time.  She is a genius and a mom of seven!  


Too bad it's not that easy to take the train table apart and box it up.  I should box up the trains again when the kids stop playing with them.  I would only leave them in the garage for couple of weeks.  

Living Room Makeover

Last year, I did a blog post about our new living room paint. The living room was still unfinished.

This past winter our next door neighbor, Gina, helped me finish decorating the living room.

My first purchase was the picture.  I got it for $80 at Home Goods and then I spent over $200 having it framed.  I love the way it turned out.

After Gina and I bought the rug, Chris immediately found it on line for cheaper (on several websites).  After some negotiations, the furniture store refunded me the difference in price (over $200).

Gina picked out the glass plates at Home Goods.  I was worried about hanging them on the wall but Gina and her mom took care of that.  She bought the square pillows at Target.  She said, "I hope you don't mind that I went ahead and bought these for you."  Are you kidding?  I have three little kids.  I wish someone would buy everything for me and bring it to my house!  (That's probably why I prefer online shopping.  I just need someone to help me pick out everything!)  I ordered the blue pillows from West Elm based on Gina's suggestion.

I'm really pleased with the new look of our living room.  It's not today's popular colors but we were able to use the furniture we already had (and still liked) and that saved a lot of money.

Cutie Pies

I've become a pizza snob. Last fall, the kids' school did a fundraiser through HomeMade Pizza Co. Chris ordered the pizza, I picked it up, and then baked it home. In May, our church's youth group did a fundraiser there to raise money for a mission trip. After our second round of pizzas from there I was completely hooked. Now, I really don't want regular pizza delivery; I only want HomeMade Pizza Co. Thankfully, they don't deliver to our house. We have to go pick it up which keeps me from having it every week.

 Tonight, Chris picked up the pizza and came home with a surprise for the kids- Cutie Pie Kits. They got to make their own pizza.  The kit comes with chef hats and aprons.

Yes, they were in their swimsuits.

We came in from swim team practice and they made their pizzas.  They took showers and baths while the pizzas were baking.

The kids put the sauce on the pizzas.

Then they added cheese.

Wesley only wanted cheese.

Lydia added sausage and pepperoni.

Josiah added tomatoes.  He ate all the pepperonis instead fo putting them on his pizza.

I should do this with them with my own homemade pizza.  I love Ina Garten's pizza crust recipe.  I even make my own sauce by adding some spices and sugar to canned tomato sauce.  But, swim team practice is wearing all of us out and I just don't have it in me.  Maybe next week.  Or maybe in August.

Volcano Erupts on Hottest Day of the Year

We gave Wesley a volcano making kit for his birthday. He was very excited to try it.  First Chris and Wesley mixed up the ingredients to make the volcano.  They poured the mixture into the mold.  After it hardened, they removed mold and Wesley painted the volcano.

Josiah pretended to paint it.

Chris added baking soda, "washing up liquid", and vinegar.  We are out white vinegar but apple cider worked.

Wesley used all the red paint on the outside of the volcano so there was none left to add to the lava mixture.  Chris added food coloring but it got stuck in the bottom.  The lava was slightly pink.

Wesley seemed rather pleased with the volcano.  I am sure we will be making the lava mixture several more times.

Fourth Annual Fourth of July Party

Yesterday, we attended the Ramsey's Fourth Annual Fourth of July Party. At least it was our fourth year attending their party.

I wanted a picture of the kids wearing their red, white, and blue outfits.  Wesley and Lydia are wearing hand-me-down outfits and we love the clothes!

This year I made sure that Wesley, Lydia, and Josiah ate dinner.  Last year, the older two didn't eat dinner; they just played.

After eating, the kids got pretty wet. They played with the water hose and squirt guns.  At one point, I saw Josiah with the hose.  Thankfully, unlike his sister, he didn't squirt anyone with the hose.

Michele made all the kids sit down for pictures before she gave them bomb pops.

After the bomb pops, Barry started handing out sparklers.

We watched the City of Falls Church fireworks from the driveway.

There were some fountains in the street.

The fireworks display lasted over twenty minutes.

This was near the finale.

I hugged Michele as we were leaving and said, "I hope you have another party next year!"

Lydia and Josiah fell asleep on the way home.  She slept until almost 10 this morning.

Happy Forth of July

I copied this idea from a friend on Facebook. Chris cut up all the fruit and arranged it on top of the jelly.

Wesley thought it was a great idea.

Lydia wouldn't eat the blueberries.

Josiah made a mess but he liked it.

After swim team practice this morning, the kids enjoyed a pancake breakfast.  Lydia and I loved the dark chocolate syrup.  I might have to buy some of that.

In a two hour span, Wesley and Lydia had breakfast, swam for an hour, and had a second breakfast.