SWIMMING NIGHT

Monday was Kaydra's birthday, and since it was also family night, the FitzSimmons had decided to take their kids to Heise (a swimming pool about thirty minutes away that has a large out door pool and a huge waterslide, along with a smaller heated pool and than a very hot Hot tub that is filled by a natural hot spring).

Tarek and Kanyon enjoying the pool

They were kind enough to invite us along as well as Jake and Jana. We went after the girls had gotten home from school about 3:30 and there was almost nobody there. If you go in the summer time the park is so crowded that you can hardly find anywhere to even sit for a minute, this time was totally different. In fact, when Brooke asked if the slide was open they said that it should be, but no one was on it, so if we wanted to use it that was great and they would open it up just for us!

Kaydra jumping!

Kalli jumping!

Kanyon jumping!

The girls thought this was great, so of course we bought the all you can ride pass and they diffenately got their money's worth as there was no line.They also loved going off the diving board. I don't get any pictures of them on the water slide, but Jana did so hopefully she got some good ones. I was even able to take Tarek on the slide twice. I thought it was fun until the end when it shoots you out of the slide. Twice was plenty for him, he said it was "fun and scary for him". Tarek swimming!

Kanyon, Brooke and Kaydra enjoying the day

Afterwards we got dressed and walked over to the golf course club house where they serve pizza and had dinner and cake to celebrate Kaydra's birthday.

Kaydra and her birthday Cake!

All four kids enjoying the food!

The kids had such a great time and want to go again. We definately know what time of year to go up there, the water was still warm and we all had such a fun time.

THE DREADED SCHOOL BUS

Kalli has just started second grade and we live a distance away from school so she gets to ride the school bus. This is something I never had to do as I lived within walking distance of the school. Well each year something has gone wrong the first time or two that she has ridden the bus. In Kindergarten, I drove her to school in the morning to help her find her class etc., than at the the end of the day, I went to the school and made sure that she got on the right bus and told her not to get off until she saw me at the bus stop. I got in my car, drove to the stop and waited. The bus eventually came and than went, without Kalli getting off. I frantically drove through the neighborhood to the other stops looking for her, than went to a friends house who has an older sister on the bus, they told me that another girl in our neighborhood was going to make sure she got home. I went to that girl's house and she said that she had walked Kalli home. When I got home she was sitting on the couch watching TV as though nothing had happened. Apparently she had gotten off at a different stop and as I drove around she had walked a different way. For first grade she again decided to get off at a different stop than the one by our house, but I had learned my lesson and went right back home just in time to meet her. Well, this year, I again drove her to school, and again went to the school to see her get on the right bus, than went to the stop to wait, only this time the bus came and drove right past me without stopping! Luckily, Kalli had decided to get off a stop earlier and I saw her up the street walking towards home, well the next day, I went and waited at the stop she had gotten off the day before to wait for her and again the bus did not stop! I took Tarek home and she was not there, so I got in my car to go see if I could find her. Two other girls in our neighborhood were walking up a street not near their house, so I stopped to make sure they were okay and knew how to get home, they were not exactly happy and said that the bus driver had dropped them off a few blocks away and that Kalli had gotten off the same bus stop only she had walked a different way, I made sure they knew how to get home than headed off to find Kalli, she was clear on the other side of the neighborhood walking in tears! She had been told that the stop was the last one, so she got off, but than couldn't find her way so she just started to follow the for-sale signs ( I am not sure how she did that, but there are about 20 houses for sale in our neighborhood) Anyway, she was not very happy and really did not want to ride the bus again. So, on Monday, I went to the stop with the mom of the other two girls and talked to the bus driver, figured out where it would stop, and luckily everything went good that day! YEA! I am so not looking forward to the day I have to put Tarek on the bus! Now I know why houses near elementary schools are so desirable.

FIRST DAY OF 2ND GRADE

Today Kalli started second grade! It is hard to believe that I have a daughter old enough to be in second grade. With all the new houses here in Idaho Falls, there have been several new schools built in the last few years. Kalli went to one of the new schools for Kindergarten and first grade, than they changed the boundaries so she got to go to another school this year. It is one of the oldest ones around and is quite interesting inside. She was a little bit nervous about going to a different school, but she got lucky and four other kids in our neighborhood all got the same teacher, so that helped a lot. She had a great day, and made new friends and says that she really likes her teacher. Tarek on the other hand had a really hard day. Kalli had not been gone for more than thirty minutes when he started to ask if we could go get her. He would tell me that he missed his sister and needed to go to her school to get her. It is going to be a long year for him with only me to entertain him.Kalli on day one of second grade.

Yesterday, we were cleaning up the kids rooms to get ready for school to start, and because they were a complete mess. While cleaning Kalli's room we found her shin guards that she wore her first few times for soccer. She has since gotten new ones, and so I put the old ones onto Tarek, he was Sooo Excited! He immediately wanted to put on his fast running shoes and go outside to kick the soccer ball. He thought it was great that when Kalli would kick the ball at him, it wouldn't hurt his legs. Kalli was a good sport and they played soccer outside for nearly an hour! He is such a little boy and loves anything to do with sports that involve a ball.

Tarek proud of his new shin guards ( and yes he is still in his PJs)

Tarek's other new trick has been to throw a fit about quarter to five stating that he is hungry, when I refuse to give him food (as dinner is in thirty minutes) he throws full on fits to which he than has to go to his room. The last two days this has happened and he ends up crying himself to sleep, which is so irritating to me as he refuses to take naps for me during the day when I so badly want him to. At least he is really cute and such a good kid most of the time. It is so hard to believe how fast the kids grow up. It seems like I was just going to second grade and crying myself to sleep over something that didn't go my way. I am so blessed with great kids and love every minute of being a mom.

FAMILY TIME

So my kids finally made it home all in one piece. They ended up staying in Utah for two weeks rather than one, and I was sure glad to get them back. Tarek however came home sick and was really sick for most of the next week as I was trying to get ready for our Florida vacation.
Tarek not feeling so great

Luckily, he starting feeling better about two days before we were to leave. We had a busy, but fun, few days just before we left. Brooke and I took our kids down to the river for a festival they were having. They set up a bunch of booths with crafts for the kids to make and paint, we have gone the last few years and the kids always love it. They got their faces painted and than we found out about a hair salon just down the street that would do princess hair styles for little girls and punk rock styles for boys. We took the kids and got their hair done, it was so cute! They had a great time and Tarek now asks if I can cut his hair blue again.
Kalli and Tarek ready to party

We than did a birthday party for Kalli and Kaydra together. We invited a few cousins and went to funland at Tauphaus park. The rides looked a little scary, but the kids seemed to enjoy it and no one got hurt! The next day we went a picked Huckleberries (Huckleberry cream pie is SOOO GOOD!) Hopefully we will get back up there to pick once more before they are all gone!
Tarek picking huckelberries

Kalli picking Huckleberries

I came home and finished packing up for our trip and got everything ready to go. Sunday we drove to SLC and flew to Florida for a week of warm weather and lots of swimming. We had such a good time there, although eighteen people and two babies can make for a crazy week. We spent a lot of time at the beach which was right outside of our hotel, but we also went to Magical Kingdom and MGM.

Kalli and Kanyon in the Ocean

Tarek and Kanyon in the Ocean

Tarek showing off the seashell he found

The kids had a great time and the weather turned out to be very nice. A little humid, but slightly overcast so it wasn't scorching hot. I got the pleasure of riding around in a wheelchair for the two days at the park which was nice. The first day we were there (Monday) everyone went on a kayaking adventure other than my mom and I who stayed home with Riley and Miranda. We definately got the better end of the deal, as they would let us know all week long while scratching the mesquito bits they all got that night. Apparently they were unaware that they were leaving out of a place called Mesquito Bay, and only had a very small amount of bug repellant for the entire group. They all seemed pretty miserable for the next few day, especially the two little boys who seemed to have gotten the worst of it. I hear that they did get to see a few cool things and that my dad and Kalli who where in a Kayak together nearly got tipped over by a manatee! All in all we did have a great time, but are sure glad to be back home in our own beds!

Kaydra, Kalli, Tarek and Kanyon meeting Buzz Lightyear

Tarek and Kalli tired out from a long day

Tarek finally crashed

Brooke has way more cute pictures of the vacation posted on her blog at www.fitzsimmonstimes.blogspot.com if you want to see more pictures (she was way better at having her camara handy)

We had such a great time and loved getting to spend time with our family. It is so great to be able to have such fun memories especially as it seems time goes by so fast most of the time. We are so thankful for my parents and the time that they put into getting this vacation together, we really did have a wonderful time.