3 hours at IKEA

After it felt like a volcano was about to erupt in our house this morning, doing school barely doable, I decided to take the kids to IKEA for lunch and playtime. We did our shopping first, loaded everything in the car and went back inside to play and then eat. After spending 20 minutes in line to get food, the kids being very very good at that waiting thing, way better than at home, we all sat down to enjoy lunch that consisted of meatballs and a side of yogurt for Katharine, Lukas and Lennon, chocolate milk, apple juice, honey wheat bagel, muffin and coffee (for me and much needed) and bread pudding. Keira likes to eat, but you better NOT try to feed her. She is very independent, enjoys that and is a sight when she eats.

After lunch we tested all the beds in the kids' furniture section. Asking if they were going to take a nap just got me the usual answer of "no."

The camera that's built in my phone is not the best one. Note to myself, start taking a camera with me again. Preferably the one that fits in the diaper bag.

The lamp with the spider was fascinating.

They literally tested every bed and couldn't get enough. They did stop short of a pillow fight! When we got back to the car I realized we had spent 3 hours at IKEA! Wow! And they all could have stayed, except for Ms. Keira who started getting very tired. At home, Katharine and Lukas helped me put the small table and chairs together we got for the school room so Lukas and Lennon would have a work area during school hours, too.

last swim lesson, for now

Is there a better way to wait for swim class to start than with a good book?

Katharine has been set on reading as many "Magic Tree House" books this week as she can.

On Wednesday and Thursday the kids were evaluated by the head Red Cross swim master and they recommended Katharine go into level 3 next time and skip level 2. Yeah! Awesome, Katharine!

The boys were at home with Erik, so it was just us girls. Keira was just hanging out in the stroller, snacking.

Rough house

The Doescher children winding down for the night...

Who says you can't have fun when it rains!

On Friday Trinity spent the day with us after she got to have a sleep over the night before. We all went to "The Little Gym" for Lukas' sports skills class. Everybody waited patiently for one hour before his class was over. Keira hung out in a corner by the window when I took this photo just before Lukas' class started. As you can see, Fridays are still jamie days in Doescher Land.

It is way past this little girl's lunchtime. She was quite hungry. I took the kids to Rosatti's, two doors down from the gym and they all ate a VERY good lunch! 

Those four all had to sit on one side of the table. It's been a while since I had this much room to myself! 

Saturday, Danny's 5th birthday party. I hope I didn't catch that disease!

So it's been raining all day and the kids know that I don't mind them playing in the rain. It was also our first day of school, which lasted way too long for Lukas, who was ready to go out in the rain even before breakfast. After school and lunch, we got out raincoats, boots and the camera. The boys were wearing underwear only under their rain gear and Katharine wore not much more.

Oh yes, Lennon finally got his own raincoat. No more having to wear Katharine's old whale raincoat that kind of flows away from the body. 

Once the boots were filled with enough rain, they decided to take them off and just splash in bare feet. Why they didn't do that right away, I don't know.

Choo choo train in the rain. Katharine and Lukas ended up going back and forth between wearing their boots and not wearing them. After they were drenched from head to toe, they hopped in the tub where Keira joined them after her nap. And yes, Lennon decided to flood the bathroom floor. There could be worse...there HAS been worse...but that is another story.

Splash!

We all got really wet today...

Dance Camp Week 1

Katharine went to dance camp this week and has learned quite a bit. Monday through Thursday she and Trinity had class from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. First, I have to say that that is quite an achievement, most of us adults wouldn't be able to do what they do, on top of that on a daily basis. Katharine got up every morning, had her breakfast, got changed into a leotard and tights, put on her old ballet slippers, yep, I had to buy her new ones this week as she had danced holes in the old ones, turn on Peter Pan music (Stephen Sondheim, NOT Disney) and start dancing until it was time to put on shoes to get in the car to go to camp.

The campers all got these black pants from Ms. Sheena this year.

Here she is getting ready for her tap dance.

Hip hop.

Ballet

Jazz

Cheer

Tired campers. I do have to mention that these cute little girls were the youngest in the group of older kids and held their own wonderfully compared to some of the 10 year olds. I am so proud of what they have accomplished! I can't wait for the second week which will be in August.