Gotcha Girl!

Next week marks 1 year since we Gotcha, Piper! And we just happen to leave for Hawaii that day, so we are going to celebrate in a huge way with a fantastic trip! Dennis's company is participating in a conference-ish thing there and they pay for spouse's to go...how incredible is that? We decided to extend the 3 day work part into a week and are bringing the kids and my mom is coming, too. We may not have a cake to celebrate her Gotcha Day, but we will celebrate all week long.

The boys have been taking swimming lessons so that they are ready for our trip. Camden is swimming now and can do a few "tricks" and Bro isn't far behind. Peeps is not afraid of the water at all and if they did lessons for 2 yr olds w/o the mommy-and-me type of waste-of-money class, she would show them how it is done. It was really important that they learn to swim and well, because I can't take them all swimming by myself during the week because of the different stages they are in at their ages. And swimming is a must when it is a 100 degrees on a regular basis. It is too hot for them to do anything else outside and well, I am sorry, but the thought of us all cooped up inside for 3 months straight and for 14 hours a day makes me shake, shiver, and a little nauseous. Camden is reading up a storm and is ready for kindergarten to start. He can not wait. We even had to take a picture of his school so he can look at it. And Brodan, well, let's just say he doesn't have the interest in learning that his brother does and I was a little worried. The whole ABC thing was completely lost on him. I bought the Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD and after about a week of playing it on the TV, he has it down! I can not believe it. And do you know that Piper is telling me the sounds the letters make??? At 2 years old? I SWEAR by that video, even though I cry a little bit when I hear it now because it makes your ears bleed after the 150th time. It is her favorite video and she asks for it at least 10x a day. She is getting funnier by the day. The other day, I said something to her and she looked around both ways and said, "you talkin' to me?"(said WITH the accent and attitude, thank you!)

When school starts I will be teaching my own class at the parents day out, yay! I have been an aide in the past. I am so excited. I love the 4-5 age, so it will be fun. I have been exercising at the rec center for a couple of months now and I love it, however, I have lost a total of 3 stinking pounds. What is up with that? Granted, the eating has not changed at all, but I go for about an hour 4x a week and do cardio and weights. My clothes fit the same, too. It is a little discouraging. Anyone an expert on that stuff? I alternate upper and lower body, too. I guess you have incorporate the diet portion of it all. I have done diets before, or excuse me, lifestyle changes, but never the workout part. And I lost weight eating less and thought maybe that would be the case with just working out, too, but I guess that was just dumb wishing on my part. Whatever. I have to assume SOMETHING good is coming out of it, anyways.