Sunday, May 30, 2010

Memorial Day Weekend

We do still have one day of the long weekend left - but thought I would write while I had time!

Josh left for Seattle late Friday afternoon to surprise Chuck for his birthday. I have been attempting to pack lots of summer fun in while maintaining sanity ever since. Saturday morning I took the kids to Gona and Baca's after they got up. I then biked on the Iowa Heartland Trail and A2W trail for about 40 miles. Was a little tougher than I was used to as they weren't all paved and had some off road riding to maneuver. But was a great ride!

That evening I pulled out some of the water toys that Kenna loved playing with at Zacky's age. You will note the lack of pictures as I was trying to make sure Kenna didn't spray Zacky, Zacky didn't bite the inflatable pieces, Rylee didn't bark at the toy, Zacky didn't drown, Kenna didn't get sunburned, "get the bug off of me mommy" (you get the picture.) So, there are no photos, alas, but was a fun afternoon of splashing. Zacky isn't too fond of the water, but he did have some giggles.

Today we went to Big Creek with Damon, Shelly and Nolan. I rode my bike up there the other day, and there were hundreds of baby goslings! Well, apparently they all flew south for the summer, because there were about 8 there today and they were all scared of the bread we threw at them. So we played in the sand.

Then Shelly told us Hawkeye park had ducks so we went there instead.

--we also picked the first batch of strawberries today! This is AFTER we gave some to the neighbors!--


--kenna striking a pose while feeding the ducks--

--lots of babies...so cute!--

--here is the "beach" at Big Creek--

--kids had fun in the sand before we left--
Was a fun day! Tomorrow we are hoping to see if someone wants to come over and play in our little pool toy with us. Today Kenna spent most of the day playing with the neighbor girls. (They are 8 and 9.) Kenna thinks she fits right in, and the girls are really nice to her. She's growing up too fast!





Nothing but Trouble!

This kid is something else...if there is a chair, he'll climb it; sand, he'll eat it and will make sure it goes in his diaper; water, he'll dump it on himself; you get the picture.

Never a dull moment in the Skinner house. McKenna was so content just playing quietly (at least that is what I remember.) This little kid is out of control :) While I was gone to Waterloo this last week, he managed to touch a hot lawnmower and get blisters on his fingers. Josh called me after the situation had died down, and of course I got no sleep that night....He is fine - the blisters barely bothered him. This one is going to keep me busy.

--his latest feet, scaling the red leather chair--


--looking at me, sort of seeking approval--

--his, "I am too cute to do any wrong" look--

--trouble...that's all I have to say!--

Grandpa Bob and Grandma Mary Visit

The day of McKenna's birthday party, Grandpa Bob and Great Grandma Mary came for a visit! They came in after the party and got to stay a few days. We had a wedding to attend that evening, but luckily their rate is very cheap for babysitting ;)

We had a good time playing cards, eating, catching up. On Sunday we all went to Grandma Great's. She is trying to get rid of a lot of stuff in her home, because she is moving what she can to her apartment, and it won't all fit. I think it was hard for everyone to relive the memories that the objects represented, but it is good that the memories will never fade :)

--grandpa bob and the kids--


--everyone--

--great grandma mary and the kids--

--grandma and zachary--

--grandma and kenna--

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

McKenna's Birthday Party

What a wonderful day! This year we decided to have Kenna's party at Union park in Des Moines. I stumbled across this park on one of my training bike rides. It's about 10 miles south of our house and has an old fashioned wooden carousel. The kids LOVED it! Everyone made it, except one family, and the weather could not have been better!

I used the party as an excuse to try a few kid recipes out! The first was rice crispy cones. I made oreo rice crispy treats, then formed them into ice cream scoop shapes. While they were hardening in the freezer, I put candy inside the cone. After they set, I dipped them in Wilton's candy melts (colored chocolate) and decorated them to look like ice cream. I used a little more of the candy to seal the Reese's pieces inside the cone. These were the favors for the kids.

--aren't they cute! Soooo much sugar!--

--brownie pops. Brownies dipped in chocolate on a stick...also way yummy--

McKenna was SOOO excited helping us set up. Luckily Gona and Baca watched the kids the night before so I could put the final touches on everything. We arrived around 10:30 and the first thing McKenna does is fall and really scrape up both her knees. It was really bad. Luckily she calmed down when her guests started to arrive, and with a little first aid from Gona. I also had her convinced the carousel was magic and that it would heal her "owies."

Everyone started arriving around 11. We rode the carousel a little, then had burgers, hot dogs, chips, fruit and sugary snacks!

--Nolan and Shelly enjoying some lunch--

--Zacky loves strawberries!--

--Kenna has dorito hands--

--here is half of the guests--

--and the other half--

--blowing out her candles, ignore Zacky's scared expression--

In total we had around 4o people there: Gona and Baca, Us (4), Millers (4), Gentrys (3), Stones (4), Gantis (4), Andersens (2), Rouches (5), Volmers (5), Dietz (4) and Eski and Adam. We are so very fortunate to have so many wonderful friends!!!

--Baca and Zachary--

--Auntie Em, Kade and Kenna, playing on the slide--

--Sam and Kenna on the carousel....do they look like they are on a date?--

--kade riding the carousel--

--not sure if Avi or Sashank is having more fun?--

--Zacky taking it all in!--

--sam and Kenna again--

I was thinking I got more pictures of all of the kids..but I was trying to place hostess all the time!
We asked that people not bring gifts because really McKenna has everything she needs. She got a few things from us; life jacket, clothes, coloring book, fun beads from Auntie Em, clothes and a game from Gona and Baca and Zacky got her an ambulance.

That is a funny story. When Kenna was choosing Zacky's gift for his birthday, she stumbled upon this working ambulance toy at the Learning Post (my favorite kids toy store.) She said that he would reallllly like it (meaning she would really like it.) I told her it said 4+ on it, and that it was too big for him. She said, "mommy, I am going to be 4, maybe I can get it for my burfday?" And she has been talking about it every day since March. So - Zacky had to get it for her ;)
Happy birthday munchkin!

Glad you had a fun day - even with the owies!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A Letter From Mommy

McKenna - Happy birthday my sweet girl. This year has been so wonderful watching you grow into less and less of a toddler, and more into a young lady. You are so softhearted, never handling being scolded well, and always feeling bad if you ever do something wrong. You have inherited many of my qualities in which you constantly want things "just so" or in their place. This year you have really started thinking independently liking certain songs, movies or books just because you like them. You are so beautiful both inside and out, with such a sweetness about you. I love how you take care of Zachary and are so protective over him, such a great big sister! Some of your favorite things to do are color, do "projix," run, kick the "socca" ball, anything that mommy or daddy are doing, dressing up in fancy dresses, going to kindermusik and dance class, and playing with your plastic princesses. What you have learned this year is immeasurable. You hardly ever use the wrong tense, can count from 1-20 (sometimes you forget 15,) you know all your letters and most of their sounds and are really quite good at writing them. We have also crossed over into game playing that is really quite mature. You love memory and puzzles, and have a great appreciation of nature.

I cannot wait to see what this year brings. I love you, and happy birthday little one!

McKenna's Stats

McKenna and I have had the best mommy day so far (okay maybe not what I had originally planned, but just spending time together has been great!)

We got up early and went to the gym together. Normally I don't think they let kids in, but we ran on the track, lifted weights, did squat jumps, she really loved it!

Then we came home, had a snack, and changed. And we went to visit the new baby Stone, Katie. OHHH she is cute! Baby fever is in full force! They are so cute ;) Although I don't miss the sleepless nights...maybe in a few years!

We went to lunch, and even split a kid's sundae at DQ (she thought that was awesome!) And we went to the store to buy the things for her birthday dinner tonight (she chose home made chicken nuggets - chicken breasts shaken in bread crumbs and baked, broccoli, pineapple and ham.) I think we will omit the ham and see if she notices?

Then we went to the doctor for her 4 year checkup. She weighs in at 35.5lbs and is 40 inches tall. She is 50/50 for both! She asked a few times if she was getting a shot, and I told her probably. The appointment went splendidly until they brought the shots in...poor muffin :(

We were riding home in the car and I was telling her about the flu shot I got, in between her quiet sobs. She said "Mommy, my finger and my leg got poked..." in the SADDEST voice I have ever heard...I wanted to jump back there and hug her.

Now she is sleeping the owie off. Hopefully post nap she will forget it even happened!

Sunday, May 09, 2010

First Haircut

Yes, you read it right....I have NEVER cut Kenna's hair. We waited so long for it to grow in, I could hardly justify it! But, it was starting to get too long to do cute things with, and a little ratty at the ends. So apparently 4 years is long enough :) She did great! Only took a few minutes and her hair is sooo much easier to comb now. We only took a few inches off, but what a difference!


Kenna was a big helper this last week while daddy was in California. I got off of my RAGBRAI training program..because work got a little nuts.

Daddy helped to encourage me by buying me some pannier bags and aerotek handlebars for mother's day...guess I have no excuses now! 11 weeks left..eek!

We went to Gona's today for mother's day/Kathy's bday. Just a fun day of brunch, playing outside, bonfires....typical day on the farm! Tomorrow the kids get to spend another day out there because Eski has jury duty. They will get to feed the chickens and play in the new sandbox!! I know Kenna and Zacky (that is what all the kids at daycare call him) will have a good time!

Zachary's Walking!

He started a few weeks ago...but is really getting the hang of it now. He is walking more than crawling, so I think we'll call it :) My little boy is walking at 13 months!



Sunday, May 02, 2010

Kenna's Growing Up

Kenna definitely has her own opinion on almost everything. We were shopping at Kohls and I always wander through the kids section just to see what they have. Well...there was this little brown outfit that was $2 for the whole darn thing. Kenna went nuts over it...so there you have it. New outfit.

--you can't tell but it has candy on it ;) --
Also, yesterday, we had dance photos with her whole group in them. There was a long lecture on how we had to apply make up and sparkles so that the girls didn't look washed out. Kenna was a trouper patiently waiting for me to apply makeup on her face. Makeup looks so strange on a 4 year old!


--her favorite was the lipstick--

--so grown up!--

International Dance Festival

My friend Jason came to visit for a few weeks (which is one of the main reasons I have been procrastinating on the blog!) He works at a demanding job in Alaska with two weeks on and two weeks off. I was worried I wouldn't find much for him to do, but we were busy! We went to Kathy and Denny's; Salisbury House; 25 mile bike ride; science center with Kenna; a local play; and finally the International Dance Festival at Hoyt Sherman Theater in Des Moines.

The dance festival represented around 100 different cultures that live in Iowa. It was really good!

--picture of the theater - very old and pretty!--

--Bosnian folk dance--

--Flamenco--

--Salsa--

--Chinese flower dance--

--local ballet company with a broadway theme--

--Native Americans--







I don't think the videos did it justice. We had a great time enjoying the local culture! We ate at Adong's afterwards (one of my favorite Vietnamese places!)

Chloe's Birthday

Chloe's birthday was at the Playground (a local venue in Ankeny.) They really do a good job with inflatables, huge indoor playground equipment, a big birthday table for cake and presents...really designed to be a fun kids birthday.

--opening presents--


--eating rainbow cupcakes--


--posing by the playground tree--


--fast slide--

--the boys--

--kenna had to wear her fanciest party dress--
--kevin had fun on the slides too--

--Happy 4th bday Chloe!--
Since the party was at 1:30 the kids were POOPED!

Chickens!

Gona and Baca recently got some baby chics. I think Gona has always wanted to wake up to the sound of a rooster in the morning. And they have the space so why not! I can't believe how fast they grow. In this picture they are fluffy baby chics. Now, 4 weeks later, they look much more like chickens, and they have built them a coop!

--here was their home for the first few weeks--


--kenna LOVES them, and talks about them all the time--



--so cute!--