Weekend Warriors

This weekend was the first one in a l-o-o-o-o-n-g time that Annika didn't have "Dance School." In February 2007, she started attending a parent/child "gymnastics" class (using the term very loosely); she graduated to ballet/tumbling that summer and has been attending there Every Saturday Ever Since. Last weekend was her dance recital, and now she is off for the rest of the summer.
With our newfound freedom, we headed out to a county pool to go swimming. Annika LOVES the water. The pool has a big "splash pad" area that is less than a foot deep, and then there is a ramp that gradually gets deeper, which is connected to the "main" pool. Will and I traded off splashing around with Annika and holding Daniel. Unfortunately, Daniel was not a fan of the experience.
[Insert Picture of Sad, Crying Baby Here]

That evening, some friends of ours brought over some German frankfurters that they had gotten on their recent trip to Frankfurter. Picture tiny little sausages linked together. Will and I enjoyed the food, but Annika was Not A Fan.

Sunday, we went on another adventure - Sea World! We went with some friends of ours from church. Their daughter is so much like Annika that it is eerie - outside of the physical resemblance, they approach the world very simliarly, complete with the fear of automatic flushing toilets. :-) (A new device since our childhood that now has the preschool set shaking in their boots.) I was lucky in that both dads took the kiddos all around the rides in "Shamu's Happy Harbor," while I got to hang out with Daniel and talk with my friend.

In case there are any doubts - Sea World in late June is HOT! It was even overcast the whole time. The air was so humid that you felt like you were moving through a quicksand. I couldn't drink enough water when we got home. But it was SO much fun! Daniel slept through almost the whole thing, only getting upset when he was hungry or needed changed. Annika had a great time getting to explore everything with her friend (see them admiring Shamu above). And it was wonderful to hang out with another couple with young children!

Today it was Back to the Grind. I celebrated the fact that it was June 30th of an Even-Numbered Year by deciding to do the required ethics course needed for my permit to practice. Nothing like under the wire, right?

Introducing....

One of the things we miss most with our family living halfway across the country is the chance to share our daily life with them. I am horrible about taking pictures, let alone sending them out. We keep saying that we'll get a Webcam, but it's 3 years and counting. And usually when I actually talk to people on the phone, I forget anything that has happened this week (kids are good. We're surviving. What, you wanted to know more than that?!?)

So here is our latest entry in Attempts To Stay In Touch. We're going to blog about daily life in our family, and explore the idea of how having Four members of our family now is More. More work, more stress, and yes, more fun. Stayed tuned for daily updates!

I still can't promise that I'll be better about uploading pictures. But we will certainly try. :-)