{tidbits about henry and eliza}

What a week!

This week we were playing and riding bikes at safety town.  I am having this wonderfully spiritual conversation with someone there and I turn around to see Eliza running around without her shirt...Yes, with no shirt, or shoes for that matter.  I ran to catch up to her and while I was running towards her a boy told me that she said she was going to swimming lessons, Awesome! 

Every morning I am greeted and awakened with Henry directly in my face telling me something very important.  I am so tired I ususally don't remember.  I decided I would try and remember these early morning words of wisdom.  This morning it was "Mom, you should never ever ever water a refrigerator because it is made out of metal and metal rusts..

..good to know!

 

On Saturday we went to a state park called Starved Rock.  It is about an hour and twenty minutes from Dunlap.  When we were walking around the grounds Eliza kept lagging behind.  I would tell her to hurry up or I would go back and get her or have her run to catch up.  A couple of hours later we were walking to a restaurant for lunch and she was lagging behind again.  I stopped and turned, but before I could say anything she muttered under her breath in a very exasperated voice... "give me patience"!
  I was so shocked!
 Obviously she was repeating me and had heard that recently:).

These are some of the things that we have kept busy with...Henry riding his bike without training wheels, guitar lessons, science class, piano lessons for me, the flood and rain, playing in the mud and flood.
Good times!

{starved rock state park}

I had been wanting to take the kids to Starved Rock ever since we moved here.  We were told it was beautiful and had actual "mountains" to climb.  They are also known for all their waterfalls.  One day it just worked out and we piled in the car with snacks, our swimsuits, and hiking shoes.  They have a huge water park just a couple of miles away.  Our plan was to go hiking and have lunch and then head for the water park.  Both kids were SO excited!  

Well, it has been raining a lot lately.

  We have had record rainfall and record flooding in some parts of our area.  Downtown Peoria got hit really bad as did Chilicothe.  One day we went to see the flood and it was so shocking.  The parking lot that we usually park in when we got to Henry's science class was covered. 

 Anyway, I did not think too much about it because where we were going was about an hour away.

I was wrong.  

I still can't believe the roads were opened. 

 There was water all the way up to the road on both sides in some places.  We saw woods and houses and streets flooded on the drive up to the state park.  When we got there I found out because of the flooding all the hikes were closed.  The water park was also closed because it had flooded.  We were all so disappointed.  We walked around a little bit and it was definitely really beautiful.  I can't wait to go back and try again!  I noticed there was an indoor amusement park on the way home so we stopped in and the kids had a really great time.  Eliza loved all the fast rides and even put her arms up on some of them.  They rode rides and then Henry played laser tag (with me) for the first time. 

 He was very impressed. 

 Eliza was very scared. 

We splurged on a really yummy lunch in a small town cafe and then drove home.

  It turned out to be quite the adventure! 

{questions for mother's day}

(Henry John Dea, 5 years old)

What is your mom's name?

Memorie Elizabeth Dea

How old is your mom?

34

What year was she born?

2000..I don't know

What's your favorite thing she cooks?

Bread

How does your mom spend most of her day?

Cuddling Eliza

My mom is the best at...

taking care of her kids

The thing I hear my mom say the most is...

not today, maybe tomorrow!

My favorite thing to do with my mom is...

cuddle with her

I know my mom loves me because...

she is nice to me

I love my mom because...

NO MATTER WHAT!...

then he thought about it and said, because I love her

My mom always smiles when...

she's happy

My mom is happiest when...

we go to the Bloomington Museum.



{no training wheels}

HENRY IS RIDING A TWO WHEELER WITH NO TRAINING WHEELS! 

We are both so excited we can hardly stand it!

Henry is so proud!

I LOVE the feeling you have as a parent when your child accomplishes something new that was really difficult for them or is a big milestone. 

 We worked hard together and finally WE did it!

I love you so much Henry boy!

{a flood and a danger zone}

Well, there has been sooo much rain this spring. 

 I have LOVED it! 

It has kept it cooler and so pretty everywhere.  The only bad thing about it is that our side yard becomes a flood zone.  I mean rushing water that starts in our backyard and goes down to the street.  One day it was so cool that I decided to let my kids go out and play in it.  I put them in shorts and snow boots and light jackets and out we went.

  The kids were in heaven! 

 I am not always this cool.

We have rules and all kinds of ways we try and keep ourselves and our home clean, but it is so important to let them be kids and just get wet and dirty sometimes! 

I have to say it was a blast for all of us!

* * *

Henry is not allowed to climb up our couch and sit in the window frame.

  He knows this. 

 One day he came upstairs and told me that Eliza was stuck up in the window and could not get down.  WHAT?

  He had helped her up there and now she was stuck!  Of course, I grabbed the camera!:)  After I took pictures I TRIED to reinforce our rule about climbing up there and how it ruins the couch and you could fall and get really hurt.  I am pretty sure all he heard was "Blah, blah, blah, blah".

{science, babysitting, and decorating}

This month is as busy as ever. 

Gymnastics is over and now Henry is taking a class at the museum called Sloppy Science.  They are actually providing materials for Eliza to do it also, which is really great!  We have done so many fun and crazy things in this class.  They were not kidding when they called it sloppy.  Henry and Eliza come home dirty, wet, bubbly, paint covered, and much more!  In these pictures Henry was upset about something right before I took it.  You know that half laughing half crying stage.  His hands were purple.  This picture was taken after MANY scrubbings with soap and water.  We decided to go visit Chris at work right after the class.  the kids had BRIGHT purple hands and their clothes were covered.  We got lots of comments about it...all good:).

I have been watching friends kids a lot lately and mostly it is really great.  Sometimes it can get really crazy when I am feeding a baby and four other little kids all at the same time.  Eliza was holding this little baby and loving it.  I went to grab the camera and came back and the baby was crying.  Just as I took the picture Eliza covered her mouth...Chris thought the picture looked like crime evidence and I should delete it.  I decided to keep it, BUT no babies were harmed in this camera shot!

Here is a picture of the loft.  I have started decorating and organizing it so we are getting the most out of this little space.  It is going to be a reading nook, a dress up area, and a kitchen play area.  I am not finished yet, but it is almost done...hooray!