Spring Soccer - Bailey

It's soccer season again.  I am coaching Bailey's team again this year, so this is probably the only picture you will get from this season.  She is playing with two of her cute little friends...such fun!!

Zoo

Riley and Bailey were both on Spring Break last week, and so we headed up to the zoo to meet my sister and her kids for the morning.  It was SOOOOOOOO cold when we first got there...I nearly loaded the kids back up in the car and headed home (mainly because my sweet, stubborn 9-year old didn't bring another layer of clothes like her very knowledgable mother suggested she do).  Thankfully, I had the emergency kit I made for the back of the car actually in the car, so we had an extra layer of clothes/hats for everyone.  It did eventually warm up, which made it much more enjoyable.  We saw the animals, rode the carousel, and went out to lunch at McDonald's afterwards....what more could a kid ask for?

Look What Bailey Can Do!

Bailey has mastered riding the two-wheel bike.  We tried taking her training wheels off about four months ago, but she wasn't ready.  Last Saturday we tried again...I don't know if it was because she had her stuffed dog in her bike basket (which was there for her to hug in case she wiped out) or if it was because she is five now (apparently being 5 makes riding a bike much easier than when she was 4), but she took right off and never looked back.  It was so easy!  Way to go, Bailey-O!

What We've Been Up To:

I am not nearly as good at keeping up with the blog as I'd like to/should be...but here is what we have been up to the last few weeks:

Mimi and Papa got their mission call a few weeks ago.  They are going to Adelaide, Australia and will be leaving on July 8th.  The whole family was at Mimi and Papa's either in person or on the phone to see where they were going to be sent.  

Mimi and Papa and all their grandkids:

Riley finally got her cast off of her hand.  Hallelujah!  Her hand looked so skinny and little after the doctor took her cast off!

Lately Zane has had a thing for both apples and Apple Jacks...I happily give him apples but have to watch the pantry door like a hawk...if it is left open even a crack I will find him up to his elbows in the cereal box.  

Zane had his first bubble bath and was in heaven.  He looks happy, don't you think?

The weather finally warmed up just enough for us to get outside for a little bit.  The kids had a great time in the back yard making mud pies on the fire pit.  Lots of fun for them, but boy, what a mess they made!  I didn't get pictures of the mud pies because I was too busy trying to keep a little muddy boy from getting dirt all over everything once he decided he was finished.  Here's their before pictures:

Riley had to do an art project for school, and after thinking about different options she decided to do a crayon melting project.  She lined up the crayons on a piece of paper in the order she wanted them, and then we blasted the hair dryer on the crayons.  There was flying wax everywhere (so if you want to try this, don't do it in the kitchen).  The end result was pretty cool...and I did have a picture of how it turned out, but our tech-savvy 22 month-old deleted it.  Nice work, Z.  

The drive-through teller at the bank is pretty good about handing out suckers each time we have to go to the bank...Z expects his treat each time we go, and this past week the teller forgot to give him a sucker.  He was NOT happy.  It was kind of funny...the kid loves his treats.

And that, in a nutshell, is what we have been up to.

Birthday Swim Party

Going to the Rec Center to swim is a favorite activity of the kiddos...and that is how Bailey wanted to celebrate her birthday with the cousins.  It was perfect, because we could celebrate 3 February birthdays all at one time.  Happy birthday AGAIN, Bailey! 

Man Alive! Bailey is 5!

Bailey had been counting down the days until her 5th birthday for the last 36 days.  Finally, last Saturday the big day was here!  Bayz had a weekend-long celebration, starting with a friend party on Friday afternoon (which I didn't get ANY pictures of).  She decided on a cowboy/cowgirl party and she had a great time.  Saturday morning (on her actual bday) Cory made her breakfast and then Mimi and Papa came over and watched her open presents.  She also got her bday flowers from her dad, which is something the girls always look forward to.  Later that day we went out to dinner with her little friend who lives next door (and who's 5th bday was the week before).  Sunday we had dinner over at Mimi and Papa's and opened presents from the rest of the family.  She was pooped by the end of the weekend, but she had fun!

Z had to get in on the bday picture.

FINALLY!  She is 5!

Mime and Papa and Bailey

 B and her birthday flowers from her dad.

Sledding Accident

A huge sledding hill + an out of control sledder (Riley) + a kid we don't know just sitting at the bottom of the hill = a broken hand for Riley.

Yep, Ry went sledding with Uncle Dave and her cousin, Brody, a few weeks ago and hurt her hand on the last run of the day.  I thought it was just bruised, so we waited a few days to see if it would start to feel better.  On day #3 after the accident I took her to the doctor and found out she had fractured a bone in her hand...her LEFT hand (yes, she is left-handed).  She was in a splint for a few days, and then has been in a cast for the last two weeks...two more weeks to go and it can come off.  Ry has been a pretty good sport about it, considering she missed the last three weeks of basketball and getting her school work done has been more difficult.  On the plus side, Ry said at least her teacher said she wouldn't be grading her handwriting until she gets her cast off!

Her hand wasn't looking too good...so off to the doctor we went.

 First the splint....

 then the cast.