Pool time

It wasn't just a couple weeks ago that we were at the pool and the kids would come out with blue lips and the shivers. Now, we hardly go because it's been SO hot that the pool is now more like bath water. It is not refreshing at all, more along the lines of gross. Here are some pictures from a couple weeks ago.


Micaela helping Sean hold Savanna. Savanna loves the water, but she ends up just trying to lick it. "Savanna, you shouldn't try to eat everything"



Kaelin just lounging. She recently started some swim lessons. She does very well. After only a couple lessons she swam from the deep end all the way into the shallow by herself. It still makes me very nervous though.



Sean was floating around in the deep end singing to himself. Thank goodness for zoom.





She loves her goggles! I just can't help laughing when she wears them. This last picture is of Kaelin two years ago, she loved her goggles then too.

Buh-bye

I was so excited to see this happen! My kids are fantastic, but they are always late bloomers when it comes to clapping/waving/laughing. They are pretty much on schedule for everything else. So even though this is probably really late, Savanna did it! She waved and said bye-bye! Can she clap...nope but she can laugh, you have to work for it, but she does. Kaelin and Sean would run to her and give her hugs and then they would run to the other side of the room and wave bye-bye. She was so pleased with herself. I decided to try and catch it on camera and I got a little bit of it. It's a short video and pretty cute.

They might be small...

...but they are still successful pigtails! Kaelin rarely wanted her hair done, even now it takes some convincing. So, I have decided that I'll start as early as possible with Savanna and maybe it'll work. Kaelin called her, "My little bunny" all day. They didn't last through her nap, but for a first time they worked very well. I need to find some smaller rubber bands. When I had braces, my orthodontist would give me extra bags of rubber bands. Those were tiny and perfect. Anyone, know where I can get teeny tiny rubber bands?
Sorry her hand is in her mouth in both pictures, she's seems to be always eating something.

Rob's birthday

Alright I know this is really old but I just uploaded pictures from Rob's camera and I found these from his birthday. With the help of a wonderful friend who was willing to watch all my kids plus her own three, I was able to go fishing with Rob. I haven't been fishing with Rob since last May. It wasn't a "real" trip, because the forecast called for rain and Savanna was still pretty reliant on me for nutrition so we went to a local stocked pond, called Catch 'Em Lake. You pay a flat fee for the specific lake you want to fish and you can fish all day if you so choose.

Rob caught a few but this was the only one really worth taking a picture of. He had a few smaller ones that would always kife his bait. Look how ominous the clouds appear. We only had a little mizzle, the whole time we were there.

My largest catch of the day. I thought we should get proof, that I at least caught something.






But then, I actually did catch one. I was pretty happy.


I really enjoy going fishing. It'll be fun when the kids are older and I can go for a "real" fishing trip and when they are even older and they can go with Rob. Kaelin has gone a couple times and loves it! We are waiting a little bit longer for Sean, he makes me nervous around water.

Memphis Summers

One of the things we love about summer in Memphis are the lightning bugs. It's very sad that this is our last summer here. I will definitely miss the fireflies. I grew up in New Jersey and had a backyard filled with lightning bugs. Yesterday Rob kept the kids up a little later so that they could catch some. We had to get some pictures of our last Lampyridae Hunt. Sorry for the blur, my cameras kept dieing on me, so I'm pretty sure these three pictures are from three different cameras.

Sean was having a blast. The kids are actually pretty adept at catching those flying flashlights. I remember when I was a kid catching a whole bunch and we were allowed to keep them over night in our jars. That was so magical to have them light up my dark room. Who else did this as a kid, or is this your first time seeing them?

Sean thinks he is SOOO funny!

Sean was sitting on my lap and making me laugh so hard because he kept changing the word "Care bear" to different things. Care bear=kayda fear, Care bear=bearda clear. I was laughing and he was laughing it was so much fun. I asked him if I could make a movie of it, he agreed but didn't follow the script. He just thinks he is too funny, I'm pretty sure he was mocking me. I wonder where he picked that up from???? If you don't know what he is talking about it was this particular incident . Definitely watch it, it'll make you smile. Oh, and sorry about the giant Pop Tart.

Kaelin's update

Kaelin made an update to her blog for anyone that is interested. She LOVES comments so please leave one for her.

Whew!

On Friday we had a F1 tornado visit our little neighborhood. This is a picture of a beautiful tree that was blown down, and yes that is our new truck just a few feet away. Yikes!




The tornado knocked down some choice powers lines and left us without power for 49.5 hours (to be exact). The kids actually missed the candle light tonight at bed time.There is a lot that I could write about this whole situation. About, how humble I feel after just two days without power; how VERY soon we will have much better 72 hours kits; how thankful we all are for our safety and the safety of friends, but right now I just want to go take a hot shower.

Sew much fun!

I know, I know really corny but I couldn't help myself. I sewed myself an apron! It wasn't that hard either. I didn't follow the pattern exact though. I didn't see the point in hand basting and then sewing, so I didn't. I had enough left over material to make Kaelin one too. It's not perfect because I didn't have an exact pattern to follow but hey it works. I'm so excited!


Yeah for a new outlet for creativity!!! And the kids do really well with it, so I don't have to wait for them to go to sleep. Bonus!

10 months

"I'm gonna get you!"

Savanna in now ten months old. One of her favorite things to do is EAT! She is an great crawler, and cruiser. She also can regularly take two steps on her own. Soon she'll be walking and getting into even more trouble. She is a joy to have in our family...etc, etc, etc

. WE LOVE HER!!!

I was making a very high-pitched trilling noise, that's why she looking so startled/scared/confused

This is her new trick, that she does when she wants to get a laugh.
We think its pretty cute.

New Family Member!

Here is the latest edition to the Carlsen Family.

2007 Toyota Tacoma

It will help us take our stuff to Utah!

It will be Rob's commuting car for externs.

It's pretty even on the inside.

It's sure to see many fishing trips and one day it will pull our boat (that we'll have someday).

Welcome to the Family!

Monkey see, monkey do

Everybody knows the saying, "monkey see, monkey do",
my kids are big believers of this concept.
If Savanna does something that gets a laugh, they try to imitate it.
I try to encourage their own ideas and actions
but it never fails, they always do what each other do,
ESPECIALLY if it gets a laugh.

Kaelin in a laundry basket...

Sean in a laundry basket....





All because Mommy got stuck in a laundry basket.

Rob and I were checking some blogs and I thought that I could sit on top of the basket.
Apparently, my derriere isn't as big as I thought, because I fell right in.
I was very stuck! Before Rob turned me upside down and shook me out,
I had to have a picture taken, it just doesn't get any better than this.

Have a laughable week!
p.s. Kaelin updated her blog so go check it out