Ever since I was pregnant, I have dreamed of the day that my children would go to school.  Well,  yesterday was the day!!!!  Max started Junior Pre-Kindergarten at his new “big boy school” (Children’s Courtyard) and Van started Kindergarten.  There were no tears, but tons of excitment as the day began.  Max LOVES his teachers, Ms. Tammy and Ms. Tanada.  Van’s teacher is Mrs. Brown and he is SOOOOOO excited to be in her class.  As parents, we are forever grateful for teachers that love our children almost as much as we do and for teachers that keep our precious babies safe from danger.  As a teacher, I know that my fellow teachers never get the recognition they deserve.  But as a parent, I know that my children’s teachers are in my prayers and in my heart forever.  I know that doesn’t pay the house payment or put food on the table, but my child is my greatest gift and as I hesitantly pass them into the arms of their teachers, I know that they are well taken care of and know that they will be returned into my arms better than they left!!  So to m precious boys’ teachers: you are appreciate, loved, and prayed for!!!

Since Miguel and I were married, before we even had kids, we have always talked about taking our kids to Sea World.  We wanted to take them to see Shamu, play in the water park, and feed the dolphins.  This weekend our dream came true….but I think the parents were the only ones excited!!  As we drag out kids out of the house, they just want to watch TV.  They have no desire to “see the fish.”  I think, despite our best efforts to explain Sea World, they thought it was going to be a giant aquarium.  Once we got to the hotel, they were so excited to be there that they want to get into their pajamas and jump on the beds.  But it was only 1:00pm and we were ready to start our Sea World adventures.  With swimsuits and sunscreen on, we headed for Sea World.  First stop was the water park….it was sooooo hot!!!!!!  The spent the rest of the day playing the water, sliding down the slides, riding the waves in the wave pool, and running under the sprinklers.  It was a fantastic afternoon of family fun.  The next day we planned to spend the majority of the day at Sea World with a little surprise trip for dinner.  The first trip for the day was to see Shamu.  The boys wanted Shamu to splash them soooo bad.  We made it to the front of the stands into the “Splash Zone.”  However, after an AMAZINGLY cool show, my kids walked away very sad that they were dry!!  They loved the show.  They loved that the whales were like giant dogs that swim and do tricks.  But, still they walked away with dry clothes and wet eyes!!  At this point, it’s hot, my kids are crying, and I’m DONE!!  After a quick lunch (and still wet eyes), we head to a different section of water park.  Thankfully, after a bit of lunch and some cool water, everyone’s mood changed and were were set to see another show.  We then headed to the Azul show.  Let’s put it this way….DON”T leave Sea World without seeing this show!!!  It was amazing!!!  There were acrobats, synchronized swimmers, whales, dolphins, humor…AMAZING!!!!  They boys LOVED it!!  After Azul, and some riding the waves in the wave pool, we headed to feed the dolphins.  It was sooooo cool!!  The boys loved it some much.  After a very quick clothes changes at the hotel we headed to the Riverwalk for dinner on the river and a river boat ride.  The boys had a great time feeding the pigeons with the chips from dinner and loved the boat ride.  The next day, we headed back to Sea World for a shorter day.  From the meltdown from the day before, we realized that they kids needed to get cool in the water BEFORE was walked around.  So first things first, we headed to the sprinkler park and then a repeat performance at the Shamu show because the boys NEEDED Shamu to get them wet.  Oh course, the best laid plans go array, and the boys HATED getting wet by Shamu because the water was soooo cold!!  Next stop was the penguin aquarium.  They really liked the penguins, but next stop was the seals.  They boys got to feed the seals and they found that very funny.  Seals are very impatient and will squawk and hit the water with their flippers to get your attention!!  They boys loved that they seemed to be talking to them!!  The last stop of our Sea World adventure was to the souvenir shop.  The boys have waited very patiently for this moment.  By the end of the of our Sea World adventure, we left with a stuffed Shamu doll for Van, dolphin slippers for Max, two exhausted kids, two happy (but extremely exhausted) parents, and memories galore!!

Lila (Miguel’s mom) works at Dart Container in Waxahachie.  They had a family day and open house on Monday.  She invited us to go and the kids LOVED it!!  They ate pizza, rode the mini train, jumped in the bounce houses, and toured the plant.  It was REALLY interesting to see how the cups, plates, and bowls that we eat out of every day are made!!  We stopped at Sonic on Tuesday, and Van said, “Look, Mommy!!  Lila makes these cups at her work!!”  We had a great time and Lila was very excited to show us her job.  It was nice to meet her work friends, too!!

Our Fourth of July celebration started on the 3rd of July.  We started the celebration with the City of Arlington’s parade.  My kids loved the parade…..for the first 30 minutes.  After that, they still had another 30 minutes to watch!!!  It was the LONGEST parade I have ever seen!!  I’m used to the little Waxahachie, TX parades that are over in 30 minutes!!  Now, don’t get me wrong the parade was long…but it was good!!  Six Flags even had a float in the parade!!  After the parade, we went to the empty parking lot of the elementary school so Van could learn to ride his bike without training wheels.  It was soooo cool!!  After a couple of passes through the parking lot, he took off and needed very little help.  He even got brave enough to try some turns!!  That night we went to Waxahachie to watch the fireworks.  While we waited for the fireworks, the boys had a great time playing soccer, tennis, and riding their bikes and skateboards.  It was an of fun and memories.  On the fourth of July, Papi had to work.  After church we went to Aunt Atley’s to eat dinner and pop fireworks.  Van had a great time and loved lighting the fireworks.  He favorite part was blowing up the tanks with the black cats….yup….he’s just like his Papi!!  Max didn’t like it at all.  He didn’t mind the noise, but he HATED the fire!!  It was a great weekend of fun!!

I’m soooooo sorry!!!  I haven’t posted in a looooong time!!  Lots to go over….I try to start from the beginning of the summer and not forget anything!!

The boys started swimming lessons the week after school let out.  They lasted for two weeks.  Van loved it from the beginning.  He quickly remembered how to swim and did an amazing job!! By the end, he was swimming halfway across the pool and lifting his head to get a breath and go back into swimming.  It was awesome to watch!  Max, on the other hand, didn’t realize that Mommy was not getting into the pool with him!!  Last summer, we did Mommy and Me classes.  However, when he realized that I was not getting in….he cried the ENTIRE lesson!  We spent the rest of the day discussing how he was going to behave….somehow (probably God’s grace!!) he happily went into the pool the next day and had a great time for the rest of the two weeks!!

The boys have started swimming lessons this week.  Van LOVES them and has really done very well.  He loves to swim.  Max loves to swim, but the first day was a rude awakening for him.  He cried the ENTIRE lesson.  He didn’t realize that Mommy would not be getting into the water with him.  Last year he had a Mommy and me class where I was with him.  This year he is in the big boy class with just a teacher and no Mommy.  He was not prepared for that!!  However, we spent the rest of the day talking about swimming with his teacher and his new friends, and he was more that excited to join the class the next day!!

As a teacher there are a few things that you look forward to when your children are growing up.  You can’t wait for them to recognize their name, then spell their name, then write their name, and finally, reading.  It’s something that every teacher dreams about.  When will it start, what will be the spark of excitement….it’s wonderful!!  Yesterday, as Mommy is cooking dinner, Max says “I’m going to spell my name.”  And just like that, he used the magnetic letters that have been on the fridge since before he was born (and has NEVER taken an interest in) to spell his name.  He even named the letters.  Of course, I needed to grab the camera and take a picture!!  Please enjoy….I know this Kindergarten teacher/Mama is basking in the genius of my child!!!

The boys took pictures in the bluebonnets last weekend.  They looked so cute!!!

I have always viewed Max as my baby.  I still carry him on my hip.  I still TRY to hold him.  I still TRY to rock him.  Today, my sweet little baby boy is 3 years old!!  A baby no more!!  Today the nonnie (blanket) stayed in bed during the day (his choice).  Today he walked anywhere we went (his choice).  Today he played like a big boy, with the big boys (his choice).  Anyone catching my drift?????? For SOME reason, I think I was trying to keep my baby as a baby…..but a baby no more!!!!  We had a wonderful party filled with family and great friends to celebrate!!  Thanks to everyone that called, gave Max a present or card, came to the party, or prayed for our sweet boy!!  Happy birthday, Max!!!

Van reads a book to Max.

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