Little Fish

We've had a breakthrough. There was a warm, shallow pool in Hawaii that all the kids loved and were brave enough to practice swimming without floaties. The result: REAL SWIMMING!!! Since this video, Robbie has blossomed even more--braving into deeper waters and trying different strokes (much less spastic--more relaxed, slow movements). It is so fun to watch (and a comfort, too). Next summer maybe we'll try for real swimming lessons, but for now, I am perfectly content with my little fish.

Ty is my fearless child in so many ways. He "wims" in the big pool now with just floaties and just loves it. Still, my comfort zone is the foot and a half pool, but still.

Kauai

It was a perfect vacation until we had to come home. All the little Wilde cousins
Ty was our little crab, always hiding in the holes on the beach.

Snorkel lessons by Daddy. It took him until his last day before he actually put his head under, but when he did he saw butterfly fish and a beautiful Rainbow Wrasse.

Rob's biggest regret from our last trip was that he didn't go deep sea fishing, so this year he did it the first day. The boys weren't as excited as him...

But Rob loved it! (When he wasn't seasick!) This is his tuna.

And Mahi Mahi

Aricka and I went ziplining through the jungle (300 feet above the Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean set. So cool!)

More to come. . .

Honest

We were having Family Home Evening and somehow missionaries were brought into the discussion.
Me: Robbie, do you know what missionaries do?"
Robbie: "Yes. They just come to your house and eat."


Rob's sister Haley just had her first little baby Saturday, Madelyn Grace. The following conversations have stemmed from her birth, I'm sure.

"Mommy, where do babies come from?"
I can't help but smile. It's like the most dreaded question right?
"From mommies' tummies."
Robbie rolls his eyes and grunts. "I know that, but how do they get there?"
"Mommies and Daddies make them and Heavenly Father puts them there." He seemed satisfied. My brother-in-law, Ryan, had a better answer for the future, though. "Mommies and Daddies kiss and make a wish!" Cute, huh?

He's always been a boy who thinks things through before he talks. Smart.
"Mommy, my new baby cousin (Madelyn) looked so pretty with the flower in her hair. She was almost as pretty as Chelsie (Uncle Johnny's girlfriend).
It was time to see how loyal he was to me. "Robbie, who's prettier? Mommy or Chelsie?"
He bites his lip. (We must be equal.)
"Okay, who's prettier, Mommy or Aunt Aricka?" I know, I know, I'm sick, but I thought it was funny. Still no answer.
"Okay, who's prettier, Mommy or Aunt Sarah?" Just as a smart boy should, he played the diplomat.
"Mommy, all the girls in our family are pretty."
So true.

Zoo & Mischeif & More Beach

I've always loved the beach--especially my beaches, the ones I've gone to my whole life. And now I have them convinced . . .

Bring it, waves!

Ty finds his first star fish

Funny story. So we get to the beach and see seagulls. Rob says, "Those aren't seagulls; trust me, it's my state bird." No really, trust me; California seagulls are something else--huge, aggressive, and everywhere! We started throwing little crumbs of bread to an empty beach . . .

And they came.

The kids loved the dozens of birds floating over them so close.

Ty was terrified at first--wouldn't even get near the roaring water. By the second day, he couldn't get enough of it!

Earlier in the week, Robbie threw a frisbee at my mom's bay window and broke it. A few days later, I found this in the backyard:

Dirt-covered faces?

Oh yes.

Last stop down memory lane was the Santa Barbara Zoo. We had season passes there as kids and I though Rob would love the drive up PCH. (I was dead wrong about the drive. I actually had him convinced to move to California until we hit the traffic--my dreams are now shattered.) Still, the zoo was great.
And . . . we got to ride the train! (Ty was so excited to go "in" a real "choo-choo.")