Big Trucks!

Avon Lake put on Big Trucks! today. I wish I got a picture of all the trucks at our Safety Station, but I guess I didn't. They had fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks, garbage trucks, police cars, motorcycles, horses, recycling trucks, a bus, coast guard boat, diggers, bomb squad, army tank, and many more. They also had the jail open to walk through, face painting, a clown and free food for everyone. Since John was working and it was a beautiful day, I decided to take the kids. After all, it is a free event so, I thought if we make it there and have to leave in 30 minutes, well, so be it. I talked to the kids before we went telling them they had to listen to me or we would go home. Honestly, I am not going to give myself all the credit to their behaviors, but still, the girls and Jack were very good the entire THREE hours we were there. The girls actually sat in their wagon except once to get on a bus. Jack was also very good trying to contain his excitement. It was a great event! There were so many people there and so many things for the kids, free prizes, balloons, the energizer bunny, etc. I think the girls sat still because of all the people around and all the big machines to look at. At any rate, the day was a success.

After we had been there about 45 minutes, we heard that there were two helicopters  that were going to land. We happened to be right in the landing area and we saw the first one coming. We were in the front row and probably 25 yards from it. It was pretty cool to see. Jack loved it. After they stopped the motor, they also let the kids all get in the helicopter and Jack got to touch one of the blades! We talked to the pilot. The first helicopter belonged to the Cleveland Clinic. The second one came about an hour later from Metro. Jack told us this was his favorite "truck" of the day.

The girls ask almost every day to ride Jack's bus to school. They love watching for the bus and get excited to see it coming every day. I decided to let them out of the wagon to get on the bus after I told them they would have to get back in it after. They are old enough to walk there, but without a second hand to gather them up--like John being there--I had to keep them contained for safety purposes. Too many people around. I think this was the best part of their day. They told everyone they got to see "big trucks" and "get on Jack's bus."

Jack's favorite souvenir was a bike lock given to him by the AL Police Station. I think it is for fire arms, but the police officer told us they could be for bikes too. It came with a set of keys for the lock. If you know Jack, you know that he is in love with locks, keys, etc. He told me he wanted to write the Police station a thank-you note for the lock, which I think I will let him do. He played with it all day---locking up cabinets, the outside refrigerator door handles, the swings to the swing set pole, two of our outside chairs together and he tried to lock up his bike, but it wouldn't fit around our basketball hoop pole. Then, he asked me if he could use the bike lock when he was in 9th grade to ride his bike to school and hold the key in his pocket all day. I told him I thought that would be fine. Later, he asked if he could be in 6th or 7th grade. I guess he thought being in 9th grade was too long of a wait! When John came home that evening, the first thing he pulled out to talk about was the lock. Oh the things that amuse that kid!

Sean and his dad met up with us there and Jack was excited to share this experience with his friend. Pat (Sean's dad) also helped gather food for us when it was time for lunch among helping watch the boys running from one truck to the next.

The police officer helping Jack on the motorcycle

Very good sitting and watching all the people and activity

Getting in one of the fire trucks

Coast guard boat

The Cleveland Clinic helicopter

In front of the helicopter

Jack in helicopter

Jack in the tow truck. Picture horns honking though out the afternoon. Jack added to the noise, too.

Sean and Jack looking at the bomb squad robot.

Sean is in Jack's class

We were farther away when the second helicopter landed

On the bus. Kate was jumping from seat to seat, oh my!

Kate and Elizabeth

All smiles from Anna!

Balloon butterflies from the clown

Before we left, Jack, Sean and Pat went to see the Metro helicopter

Almost a Year Later...

...we got the kid's rooms painted. Our painter is the best. He finished two coats of paint in Jack's room, and did four coats in the girls' room...all in one day! The girls call him simply, "Painter." Like that is his name.

Jack's room. I ended up using the same color we used in his room in Western Springs which I love!

I have a shelf for above his bookcase. I need to paint it red first before I put it up.

Same pink color in the girls' room too. Some of the lighting in these pictures is not good. It is a brighter color which looks nice in their room since it has the high ceiling and so many white accents.

Bad lighting here

I have a shelf I need to put up on the wall above their dresser.

Dance Class!

Today was the start of dance for the girls. They will go every Tuesday for 45 minutes through December and if they like it, they can do the second semester through May ending with a recital.  They LOVED it! I heard Elizabeth tell Kate this afternoon that she couldn't go to dance class [because she was mad at her]. I loved that I had the opportunity to watch them. It is fun to watch their different personalities. Elizabeth is a rule-follower. She was very observant and was able to follow all directions. Anna was so excited to participate that she had a hard time sitting long enough to listen to all the directions. Kate was somewhere in the middle. She tried very hard to everything she was supposed to.

The class was for three year-olds. My girls did very well and their teacher, Miss Jacqui, told me they did extremely well listening and participating. They did stretches, used wands, pretended to be flowers, did a little obstacle course with a balance beam, learned to curtsy, dressed up like princesses, got a drink and let the princess bear give them directions.

At one point their teacher was asking the girls in the class about a picture of a castle, "Who lives here?" She was hoping for the answer of princess. Well, not one of the girls answered and after she asked again, I heard Elizabeth say "Avon Lake." She was telling us where she lived! Recently, the girls have learned to tell us that they live in Avon Lake. Sometimes Kate will say "Ohio" as well and Elizabeth will say "Parkside and Drive" most of the time.

Walking to the dance studio

Shoes on and ready to start!

Stretching

I think we need to work on those toes and knees!

Flying like a princesses

Obstacle course:  beam walking

galloping around the "garden"

Curtsy

Elizabeth's turn

Riding the horses

Dressed up