Saaawiiiing batttttta, battttta, batttta!!!!!

Ayla really wanted to play baseball this year, just like her bff, Caleb. She didn't love soccer last year so we decided to give baseball a shot. She's the only girl on her team and she thinks thats kinda cool. She's definitely the prettiest one on the field :) Her first game was tonight and she was excited to see that Papa and Gigi showed up to cheer her on! Dailon and Chary cheered for her "GO AYLA, GO!!" SO, so cute to see the love developing between the three of them, they really melt my heart!

Her team is coach pitch, they get 6 tries and then hit it off the tee if they need to. No strike outs for 4 and 5 year olds. The first time she batted, she had to use the tee. The 2nd time.....she hit it with a pitch from the coach!!!! We were so proud!

During the last 15-20 minutes, D and C played at the playground right behind the bleachers. They had LOTS of fun playing.

"GO AYLA, GO!!!!"

Sunny San Diego

Last week Darren, Ayla and I went to San Diego. Darren attended a conference and Ayla and I shopped, swam and played until he was done each day. It was a great time but was really, really hard to leave Dailon and Chary. Dailon was super scared about us leaving. He's been left FIVE times in the last 20 months and no one has ever come back for him. I promised that we would be back. He didn't believe me. So heartbreaking.

We made bags for each of the kids for everyday we were gone. They got a little love note from us and a couple little prizes(bubbles, cars, stickers, yogurt raisins, fun toothbrush etc). We talked to them everyday on Skype and the phone.

We had the BEST care ever lined up for them while we were gone. An old friend of mine is licensed for foster care but doesn't have a placement yet. She and her sweet little girl took our two in for the 5 days we were gone. She took amazing care of them and made it so much easier for us! Holly watched the kids during the time that Beth worked. I am so grateful for the people in our lives!!

The kids were THRILLED when we made it back and Dailon is still telling me daily "Mom, I'm so glad you came back!!". I love that little guy so much.

This was the view from our hotel room. And this was looking in the opposite direction. Ayla watching a show at Seaworld

The sea lions begging for some yummy fish!

Ayla petting a dolphin

Feeding the dolphins

Ayla drew a picture of her with Dailon and Chary...she missed them so much! (BTW, she is the peach one, the other two are brown, bwahahaha!!)

Sitting in the Queen's chair at the Old SPaghetti Factory

Room service breakfast

Our next vacay will definitely include ALL five us!

Zoo week to flu week

We spent last Saturday at the zoo...running, laughing, playing and enjoying the weather. We spent today...giving motrin and tylenol, taking temps, filling humidifiers and wiping noses. I'd prefer to spend future Saturdays at the zoo!

All three kids are sick. Viral garbage, there is nothing to do for it but take naps, drink gatorade and stay caught up on tylenol. Ayla got up to 104.8* yesterday, that is by far the highest she's ever gotten. Today's max was 104*. Chary is hanging around 102* Dailon is fever free. Ayla and Chary have AWFUL coughs but their lungs are clear and they're moving air just fine. Dailon has a cough that isn't as bad. I'm hoping he isn't getting it as badly as the other two. Otherwise, he's only just beginning!

Happy St Paddy's Day!

When I was a kid, St Patrick's Day was just a day. We're Irish. We wore green. We ate corned beef, boiled potatoes and cabbage. It was an excuse for my bratty little brother to pinch me first thing in the morning(before I was even out of my jammies) because I wasn't wearing green yet.

Last year in preschool, Ayla's class made leprechaun traps. They sent the kids home with these glittery, shiny shoe boxes decorated in foil, gold coins, shamrocks and rainbows. They also sent home a bag of Lucky Charms cereal mixed with glitter as leprechaun 'bait'.

Ayla was full of excitement and stories about the leprechauns who visit on St Patrick's Day. Apparently, these sneaky little lads come into your house at night to play tricks on the kids and leave little treats. Hmmmm.

After asking around I came up with some ideas. Green toilet water, moving items around the house, leaving chocolate gold coins as treats for the kids etc.

This year, Lucky O'Leary(named after my very Irish and sadly gone, aunt) made his 2nd annual visit. He turned the toilet water green, he turned our yellow gatorade green, he turned Ayla upside down in her bed(head toward the foot of the bed). He left all of the kitchen cabinets wide open, he stacked cans of soup on the coffee table and he switched around some of the kids toys. The kids were super excited and thought it was great fun running around and finding all of the mischievous little things that Lucky O'Leary did.

He also left shamrock stickers and festive little tattoos for the kids along with light up shamrock necklaces. Dailon asked if it was his birthday(poor kiddo!).

Dailon was dressed and ready for school before the girls were dressed so his pictures were taken by himself. That is a green "kiss" tattoo on his cheek!
Sisters

Both of them refusing to smile

Baby cousin

Kyle, Tressa and Tenley welcomed their newest addition on March 14, 2010. Kamden Derek is healthy, beautiful and exactly the answer to so many prayers. Ayla was soooo very excited to meet him. After holding him for a few minutes though, she quickly decided he was kind of boring. I on the other hand, could have held that sweet bundle all day!

Congrats to Kyle, Tressa and Tenley!

Good ole' Henry Doorly

We had amazing weather this weekend, upwards of 60* We took full advantage of that and headed out to the zoo. There isn't anything better than unleashing kids in the fresh air, we all needed it!

Ayla and Dailon petting a parrot The kiddos in the jungle
Sea Turtle!!

He wasn't completely sure that this gorilla wasn't going to come to life and grab him!

Caleb claimed he needed to "rest my legs for awhile" He's so stinkin cute!

Watching a baby gorilla play

Petting goats

When Cady finally warmed up to the goats, she thought they were pretty cool.

Dailon too

It's crazy because here in Omaha, The HDZ is almost a way of life....but the kids had never been. When I asked Dailon if he wanted to go to the zoo he asked what a zoo was!? They had such a good time and it's so fun to experience these firsts with them.

Bath night

In the winter months, our kiddos get baths every other night rather than every night. Last week, it just so happened that Darren was on call and sleeping at the hospital on one of our bath nights. Of course, when we had all 4 kids, I was never alone with them until they went to sleep. We had a community behavior worker who stayed through the boys bedtime On this particular night, there happened to be a social worker here as well...you know, following me around with a clipboard while I attempted to keep our rowdy bunch tame.

The CBW stayed in the living room and played with the boys while I bathed the girls. When I finished their bath, I took Chary out first. Ayla is safe to stay in the tub for a few minutes while I lotion/comb/pj Chary. After I had Chary dressed, I picked up her towel and toiletries. As I walked into the bathroom to get Ayla out of the tub, I am greeted with this sight..... She actually stood up and exclaimed "CHEESE!" when I walked back in with the camera. She had been sitting chest deep in the water. Needless to say, we dried off AGAIN, lotioned AGAIN, jammied AGAIN all the while she was screaming, rolling around and kicking because she wanted to be back in the "baff". I really wonder what the social worker was writing on her clipboard that night...