solve this

just a small announcement....see Psalm 127:3...and let me know what you think!

last day of summer school

Today is Isabela's last day of summer school. She loved it so much and it really helped her to get ready for Kindergarten in September. Her teacher was Mrs. Snead and was very nice. I think we were late everyday, except twice! Can you believe that? The first time, I told the teacher, "We normally aren't late"...I really don't know how that turned into late everyday. Isabela made some new friends and had a great time on the bus home, and she is so excited for school to start again!

stony point

One hot day, I took the kids out to Stony Point, an outdoor mall with this great shoot-up fountain. It was fun to cool off in some way besides the pool. It is so hilarious to watch the kids stare into the holes waiting for the water to shoot up...and it gets them in the face every time! The center one is the coveted spot, and is usually taken by the big kids...but Joaquin managed to get it one time. Isabela loved chewing on her wet hair, and spent the whole time upside down with her head hanging over the spouts. Then we hit Chipotle...the kids love it and eat their whole tacos with everything on them....and The Children's Place...they were having a good sale, shirts for $2! Joaquin, surprisingly, is the fashion boy....he is always wanting a new shirt or shorts!

big scare

Joaquin gave us the scare of our lives yesterday. We were outside playing and he was kicking the ball around...we have a mini soccer goal...and he kicked hard and it headed for the far driveway. Our driveway wraps around the house and has two entrances to the main street. Now normally he reaches it before it starts to roll down...but this time he didn't. Juan Pablo and I were both on the porch. Joaquin looked back at us pointing to his ball and crying, "my ball!!" and then he took off after it. Juan Pablo immediately lept off the porch after him and both of us were yelling, "Stop!!!" at the top of our lungs. But he didn't. He ran right into the street after it. To understand how dangerous this was...our driveway is cut into the woods and land in front of our house...and you can barely see to get out of it when you are sitting high up in a minivan...much less a little kid running out of it. Otterdale is a pretty busy road with lots of lunatics driving too fast on it. And it happened around 5pm, but we thank God it was Sunday! I have no doubt if a car had been coming, he wouldn't be here anymore. So we hugged him and fussed at him and told him to never do that again...that if the ball ever goes down the street, to run to mommy or daddy and we would get it. We were pretty shaken up the rest of the evening.

more bikes

This is the BMX track in Richmond...we went to see a race but it turned out to be a practice. It is an open track I heard, so you can use it by yourself if nothing's going on. If I get Joaquin the right helmet and some gloves, we might try it out.

bikes!

This is how we've been spending our evenings lately. Saturday I picked up this bike for Juan Pablo in a yard sale for only $50...and the attachment bike for $42...they wanted $55 but all I had was $42. The kids and JP have loved it! They just ride around the house...we haven't taken it anywhere yet. And Isabela learned to ride with no training wheels! We are so proud of her. I don't have a bike yet...and this one is a little too big for me. But I'd like for us to do more biking...it's great exercise and with the price of gas...we'll just have to start biking to the grocery store...haha!
We live on a country road so we always see bikers with their fancy uniforms and water bottles...at first they just got on my nerves, but now I want to be one of them!

belmont

Today I took the kids to Belmont in Fredericksburg...for those who might not know, it was the home of a famous artist, Gari Melchers, and my grandfather was the director of the home/museum a long time ago. They actually lived in the home back then, but now it is a museum, with the rooms roped off just for viewing from the doorway! I included some pictures I found...the one is my uncle Stewart holding me, in front of the same building Isabela and Joaquin are in front of...and the other, I do believe, is me (well, I know it is me) but I think those are the little chairs we saw at Belmont today that are now roped off!! (Sorry it's crooked!) You aren't allowed to take pictures inside of the house now. The place gives a nice children's tour and there is also a letterbox to find from clues...that was the first letterbox we've ever found!