Cleaning and Swimming

Maria is probably the best gift Jason ever gave me on Mother's Day. She is the sweetest lady who does an outstanding job cleaning our house. Today was her day to come out. Rocco and I helped, too. Of course we turned it into a hiding game. Has anyone seen Rocco?

All that work made us hot, so we decided to go for a swim. Granddaddy jumped in with us, too. Nana decided it was a little too cold, so she just took pictures of us. The four of us laughed and laughed; Rocco does a great job of keeping us tickled. He played in his little boat, and when granddaddy got too close to us he would try to get away. He begged me to hold tight to him. When granddaddy did get him, he would say, "Take it easy with me!"

After our nap, we got ready for VBS. I had to explain to Rocco that it was NOT CVS, the store. He kept thinking we were going to where Uncle Ben worked.

Getting Ready for VBS (3rd day of summer)

Blogging every day is a challenge. I don't see how some people do it. This summer I hope to capture all of our moments. When school starts back in August, I always wonder where the time went. By blogging, I'll be able to remember what all we did.

Sunday at our house means going to church. Church, eat with the family, nap, and then church again. That's our Sundays. This Sunday was extra special because we were bustling around trying to get things ready for Vacation Bible School.

Lori is one of my best friends from church. She and I have the 4th grade group this year. After morning service, the workers ate at church and then began decorating their classrooms. In a few hours we went from this...

to this...

Our theme is Saddle Ridge Ranch. Our goal was to turn the Sunday School room into a western themed bunk house.

Lori and I were a great team. This week I'll be teaching the lessons and she'll be playing some review games with the kids.

Our service tonight was a celebration for the VBS kickoff. Our children's director went all out and brought in a horse, inflatables, cooked burgers and corn on the cob, cowboy games, and a mechanical bull. Almost everyone tried it out...including Rocco.

Jason had no business on it since he just had knee surgery a few weeks ago. You can't tell him anything...he's stubborn when it comes to stuff like that. Oh yeah. Right before he rode it, the weather turned bad and it poured rain on us. By the time it cleared, all the inflatables...and bull.... were soaked. When Jason was bucked off he was drenched. Serves him!

But we all had a great time ( including nana and granddaddy)...

and we can't wait to see what all God is going to do this week!

The Second Day of Summer

Our second day of summer was just as fun as the first. Around 10:30, Rocco and I headed back to Matthew's house so that he could ride bicycles and scooters with him. When we arrived, Matthew was out in the yard shooting his paintball gun. Rocco soon joined him. This was the first time Rocco had ever shot a gun. He seemed to enjoy it. They splattered the slide with orange paint.

Rocco put his helmet and pads on and headed out on his scooter. Matthew is a pro on his bicycle; he's five and does just fine without any training wheels. They rode throughout the neighborhood.

Rocco and Matthew are somewhat opposites. Matthew seems to ride at high speeds with no fear; Rocco worries about tipping over and refuses to go down a hill with some slope to it. Eventually, my cautious little boy decided he wanted to ride his bicycle though(with me staying nearby). This only lasted a few minutes for he wanted to walk back to Matthew's house. It was so hot and humid I insisted he ride back. They later went inside to play more with the trains.

And for the first time, Rocco stayed at a friend's house without any relative there. That's right. He wanted to stay and play with Matthew while I went to the post office. I was only gone about 20 minutes, but when I returned he was absolutely fine. I don't think he even missed me. (He told me he was "way too busy to cry." )This was exciting considering school is starting in a couple of months and we're working on his separation anxiety!

When it was time to leave, I buckled Rocco in the car. Next minute I turned around and Matthew was riding shotgun, buckled up, and ready to go home with us. Rocco had already been begging for Matthew to come home with us. It reminded me of my growing up days; I did the same thing to my parents. Matthew ended up coming to our house for lunch and playing for about an hour. The boys went upstairs and pelted me with balls while I fixed their food. They had a blast doing this. After we ate, we rode the golf cart. Of course, both boys had to have a turn driving. Both of them were so cute with their mouths brown with oreo cakester crumbs from their dessert.

Matthew left, and Rocco and I took a nap. After resting we played some BINGO, Thomas the Train matching game, and put together a puzzle. To our surpsrise, it glowed in the dark. We settled for some frozen pizza at supper.

Later that afternoon, Jason, Rocco, and I met up at Gary and Carolyn's for our first swim of the season at the family pool. It was a little green, but I scooped up trash with the net while Jason scrubbed the algae with a brush. The three of us had fun (even if the water wasn't perfect).

Summer has Begun!

Yesterday was my last day at school, so today we officially started our summer. What better way to celebrate than sleeping in late with Rocco?

We met some co-worker friends of mine at school, Val and Cindy. We walked from the school to the Cafe downtown for lunch. On the way back, we stopped at our small town beauty salon to see one of my best friends, Gloria. When we saw Matthew and his mom driving down the road, we decided to call them and plan a spur of the moment play date. The boys played with Thomas the trains and drank some grape juice packs at Matthew's house. Next time they plan on riding bikes, scooters, and getting wet on the slip and slide. Matthew is one of Rocco's best friends. They were on the same tee ball team this year, go to church together, and plan on being at the same school next year. Rocco is just one year younger than him. Rocco knows his daddy doesn't like the cat, Willow, inside. He asked, "Is daddy home?" Jason was out plowing so we gave Willow a quick bath in the sink, watched her shake off and lick off the "clean" with her scratchy tongue, then we put her right back outside. Rocco squealed with delight. (He asks me every day, "Let Willow in the house...peees!")

We took a 2 hour nap (another great part of summer) and headed to Tonia's house for Rocco's hair cut. Then, Jason, Rocco, and I went to McDonald's for supper (certainly not my choice). This happens to be Rocco's favorite restaurant. Later, we rode go karts . . .and played putt putt. I beat Jason by 8 points...unbelievable! Take a look at Rocco giving his daddy an extra obstacle. What a great way to start the summer!

Tee Ball Awards

I helped Rocco put on his orange tee ball shirt and ball pants tonight. He was anticipating getting to play tee ball. We explained to him that the season was over; we were going to a party where he'd see his team mates and get a trophy. "What is a trophy?" he asked.

All of the teams were there; the park was filled with many kids and parents. (It was extra special because this is where Jason grew up playing ball as a kid.) After eating hot dogs and chips, the tee ball teams gathered on the field. Terry, our cousin, announced it was time to give the awards. There were about 5 tee ball teams on the field. These were the teams we had played several times throughout the season. Our team came forward when they were called and each kid received their trophy. Coach Roger gave each player their award.

Here's a cute picture of Will and Rocco showing their trophies. These two also go to church together and plan on going to the same pre-school next year.

The older teams were called later onto the fields. Our cousin, JJ, received her trophy with the rest of her team. They were first place for the season. Go team Joe Hill's Lawnmower Shop!

4 years and 2 months old

Rocco just keeps getting bigger! This is his last summer before he starts school. I asked him what he wanted to do now that I wouldn't be working. What could we do that would be extra special? "I know!" he said. "Let's go to nanny's!" He loves going to his nana and granddaddy's house. They love on him, spoil him, feed him home cooked meals, and teach him things as if he were in school. I'm so grateful for them. I've never worried about him while I have worked these last 3 years. He was in great hands!

At 4 years and 2 months old, he is just a little man. He talks to us like he's an adult. And he's started reading with his word wammer. He can read rhyming words like bad, mad, dad, pad, and sad.

At night, he still loves to eat a 'little snack'. He asks for gum several times throughout the day, loves candy, and prefers Sprite over water.

He enjoys playing with his new kitten, Willow, but is afraid of our spastic dog which he named "Puppy." Thomas and CARS are still his favorite toys, but he also loves to have books read to him. No matter how many we read at night to him, it is never enough.

At church he still has a difficult time being separated from me. On Wednesday nights, he starts dreading going to his class before we even get there. I tell him that he can stay with Ms. Bethany for 10 minutes. He tries to bargain with me, "How bout 3 minutes?" Sometimes he cries, but he is getting some better. Hopefully by this August he will be ready to go to his pre-K classroom without me.

Monthly Update

Rocco is now 4 years and one month old. He still gets his picture made in the blue chair, but he insists that he is too big for a white onesie that I used to dress him in. I have to agree with him. So, monkey pajamas will have to do.

I missed blogging the entire month of April. Here's a brief summary of how April (and the first part of May) went.

We began the month of April by having professional pictures of Rocco made. My mom went with Rocco and me when we had them done. I was really pleased with how they turned out.

Easter came next. We celebrated our Savior's resurrection. At the same time, we mourned the death of our friend, Shane. He was only 38 when he passed away. He fought cancer for just a few short months before he went home to be with Jesus.

Rocco enjoyed the egg hunt at church. Below are two of his friends, Jack and Caden.

I still teach the 2 and 3 year old Sunday School class at church. They are probably the cutest kids on the planet. This picture was taken Easter morning. We also celebrated Easter at Papa's house with all the cousins. All the kids loaded up on goodie bags and a basket full of eggs.

This month we embarked upon a big adventure...foster parenting. We are a respite home that works with a Christian organization who helps foster kids get into Christian homes. We had two sisters, ages 9 and 11, for a short visit. They were with us from Thursday to Saturday. The girls enjoyed the farm, riding the golf cart, feeding the cows and horses, and going to a jumping gym. Rocco got right in the middle of the action and enjoyed having some company. He was really sweet to share his things. They slept in his Thomas the train bed. Of course he didn't mind...he still sleeps with us.

The next weekend, we had two more sisters. They were 3 and 5 years old. I took them to the park on Saturday. A lady just looked at me with astonishment and asked, "What are the ages of your children?" "Three, four, and five," I replied with a smile. She just shook her head in disbelief. I just laughed within. It was fun being a mom to that many kids, but it was completely exhausting. The two girls were calling us mama and daddy within no time, and they were only with us from Friday till Sunday. Both girls were very loving. They just wanted some love and attention in return. Jason, Rocco, and I took them fishing in our boat. The oldest girl caught her first fish. They loved it.

During the month of April I took on a second job. The reason wasn't for the money; I was asked several months ago by the director of the Professional Studies if I would be willing to teach future teachers how to teach science. Teaching science is what I do. I feel confident in the ability God has given me to do this; it's one of my passions. Being asked to share what I do on the college level was an honor. After praying about it, I decided to take on the new challenge. I had 15 students, all women, in my class. We met from 6 - 10pm every Monday and Thursday night. The class lasted 5 weeks. Jason and Rocco got in some extra father/son time while I was at class. One thing that they really enjoyed doing was going fishing. Although I enjoyed teaching the college class, I was ready to get back home, especially since Rocco got started in tee ball.

Little man is #5. He may be small, but he loves to play ball. His favorite part is running the bases. Living in a small town certainly has its benefits. One of those is the recreation for kids. We already knew the coach and most of kids on Rocco's team. Everyone knows everyone ( and is often related) in our small town. Many of these boys came to Rocco's birthday party, go to our church, and/or will be starting school with him next year. These are some of his closest buddies. Their team name? Car wash. (It's the small business in our town that sponsors them). Go Car Wash! For my second spring break we went to Noccalula Falls. It was a great family trip; the waterfall was beautiful, the flowers were breathtaking, the hike down the gorge was fun, the train ride around the park was a great way to cool off, and all the animals there made it feel like a zoo. Rocco was asking to go back several days later. With spring comes planting time. Jason, Gary, Rocco, and I planted crops in the garden. We hope to have some corn, watermelon, okra, squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers by this summer. The neat thing about it is that the crops are in papa's field where he used to garden. Sometimes I feel certain that Papa is looking down from heaven smiling as he watches his grandson and great grandson planting and plowing in the dirt. This is how May has gone so far.

1) I got my hair cut...really short.

2) My Uncle Joe and Larry died within a week of each other.

3) Jason had knee surgery.

4) Rocco attended "Teddy Bear Day" for pre-K orientation. He is scheduled to begin school in August. Lord willing, things will go smoothly. We'll see how he does when we're not with him all day.

5) We got a new kitten that makes Rocco constantly giggle with delight. Her name is Willow.

6) We're spending more time outside (and our allergies are paying for it). The flower beds are finished...and blooming. ;)