Bluebonnets 2011

Splash Play Date!

Summer's Comin'!!! This week we had friends over for a playdate in our backyard. We called it a splash party and the kids had a ball! It was 80 degrees and everyone dressed in swimming suits (including the Mommas to work on a little tan :)) and we played on the "normal" outside toys, but added a slip in slide, ball pit (that we filled with water) and a kiddie pool. Here's some pics from our fun day!

Bible Builders

We are so fortunate to have Bible Builders at our church on Sunday nights. It is a fun time for the kids to sing songs and hear a class (with puppets) on their level. My kids love it so much they "play" Bible Builders - thanks to all the wonderful teachers and helpers who put this on for the kids!

On another note, the kids have to learn a Bible verse to recite each week for the class. This weeks verse was "Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple." Now for our car ride (yes, we learn the verse on the way) conversation...

Momma: Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple. Kinley, your turn.
Kinley: Jesus RUNNED the money changers out of the temple. (complete with moving her arms, as if she was running)
Momma: Well, he didn't run, he just chansed them (some explaining of the verse).

Momma: Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple. Jax, your turn.
Jax: Desus chased the moneeey chasers out the the the the TEMPLE!
Momma: Good job, but it is money changers, not money chasers, like CHANGE
Kinley: Kinda like I change my panties everyday so I have fresh panties...
Momma: Umm... ya, kinda like that (as I crack up) - Don't worry I explained the verse.. next story...

Kinley: Why did Jesus chase those changers?
Momma: Cause he didn't want them selling things in God's house.
Kinley: So he didn't really want them in his bedroom.
Momma: Well... (more explaining the verse)

Another Slumber Party!

Kinley ended Spring Break having Tay Tay over for a slumber party. Momma's not sure if there would have ever been any slumbering, so the party had to end at 11:00 and the girls had to sleep in seperate rooms. :) These two girls act like sisters with their fun and their fights and are so lucky to have each other. The slumber party included princess spaghetti for dinner, dress up time, chocolate milk and cookies, and watching Tinkerbell in Kinley's room - the girls were so excited that Daddy moved the tv into the bedroom for them! - What a great way to end Spring Break 2011!


Dancing to the "Tinkerbell" music


Yes, Momma sure did catch you girls dancing on your bed with your cookies and drinks!


Sweet Friends...

Spring Break 2011 - Sea World!

Event #3 of Spring Break was our family trip to Sea World, San Antonio - WHAT A BLAST!!! This is the perfect family trip! We left on Tuesday morning and arrived at the park just after 12:00. We stayed the day at the park and then went to the River Walk for dinner. We stayed the night and then got up the next day to spend a second FULL day at Sea World. Momma took the camera along the first day, but not the second, sad to not have pics from Wednesday at the park, but it was nice to not have to worry about keeping track of the camera or if it might get wet. We went to every show except one night show and one day show, watched the feeding of the dolphins, but decided Jax might decide to take a swim with them so we didn't feed them ourselves! :) A highlight of the trip with a 2 and 3 year old was the new Bay of Play - it had kid rides, splash parks, playgrounds, net towers, slides, and of course all the Seasame Street characters to hug, high five, and take pictures with. The kids loved this "playland" just as much as Shampoo (Jaxon) or Shammooose (Kinley)! Such a perfect trip for our family and we are excited to have season passes to go back a couple times this summer and maybe even again in the fall!


The wagon (a necessity for the trip!)


Massive play nets


One of the play tunnels


Checking out the spash park


I'm pretty sure we had to hug EVERY Seasame Street character!


Ernie and Kinley!


Big Bird's Farris Wheel


Rosita (sp?) - she also has a great all you can eat Pizza Place that was a great value at the park!


K and J say they are each other's best friend


Dolphins


Kinley watching a show


The sea lion show was awesome cause the animals were "actors" in the show!


The one on the lefts name was "Uncle ____" we can't remember so Kinley calls him "that uncle guy".


Amazing what these animals can do!


Leaving the park.


Kinley was so excited to get to sleep in a bed with Momma at the hotel!

Spring Break 2011 - Houston Fair/Livestock Show

This was the 2nd event of our Spring Break. We rode rides, ate fair food, saw tons of animals big and small, and had an amazing day - wish Momma would have charged the camera battery and we could have shared much more of the day with you all! :) - The sad thing is I really only have pics of Kinley at the petting zoo - not her favorite place! :0

Spring Break 2011 - Gpa and Gma Oakley Come to Town!

We started Spring Break with a visit from Gpa and Gma Oakley. They came into town late on Thursday night and stayed through Sunday afternoon. We had fun playing at Bouncin Bears, playing in the backyard, Gpa taking the kids to the park while Gma helped Momma with a garage sale, and just hanging out most of the weekend. Usually visits are so busy, so it was nice to relax and spend time with them this trip - a great start to the break!

Gymnastics

Momma took the camera back to gymnastics the other day to get a few more shots of our little gymnist! :) We love how confident our little miss is and love that she is so proud of the little things she is learning!


Her smile says it all - she loves it!


This was her "pose"!


Bars


Backward Roll


Forward Roll


Waiting patiently for her turn

*Kinley is taking her class at Woodlands Gymnastics Academy. Every class starts with stretching, then frog jumps, bear crawls, and several other jumps around the "square". They practice the forward and backward rolls with the help of an angled mat and walk the balance beams (forward, sideways and backward). They use the bars to do leg lifts and pull ups with the help of the coach and then walk up the wall to flip over the bar. The parallel bars are used to crawl across on hands and feet - Kinley is the only kid her age who is strong enough to get up there and climb across on her own. Each kids gets to jump off the vault onto a box and then jump off the box and over a row of colored blocks - this sounds like an easy task but is so funny to watch cause it IS NOT easy for a 3 year old. The practice ends with the rings, this is one of Kinley's favorite activities, they are lifted to hold their own weight on the rings and then the teacher "swings" them and they have to use their own strength to hold on. These all seem like such simple activities, but are a challenge in strength, coordination and discipline for Kinley and her friends. Who knows how long gymnastics will be part of Kinley's life? Is it something for fun that will last a few months, is it something that will last until she chooses another sport or activity or is it something she will want to continue and be like "the big girls" she loves to watch on the other side of the gym? We don't know what will happen in the future, but we know we are proud of our little girl working hard, building confidence and having fun now!