summer and crocodiles

 so we, like much of the country, have been "enjoying" august weather already! we are settled into a routine with the extra kids we have every day. Although i haven't been doing nearly as many fun, educational activities as i had intended, we are surviving! the other day we made our own pizzas, which i think they enjoyed.

 for some reason we have a plethora of ladybugs in the backyard, and the girls have really taken to them. our first biology project, we've checked out books on ladybugs and i'm wondering how long they could stay in a jar. ideas?

 and of course, just throwing the ball is very entertaining at this age. charlie can throw, but catching, not so much.

 we also made popsicles, which was fun, except those molds are worth the money, i think. we made ours in plastic cups, with popsicle sticks, and they were so topheavy, the girls couldn't hold them. but it was fun.

 last weekend we went to wichita for some relatively easy family fun before we add a nursing infant, which, while a special stage, sure complicates things for awhile. we went to the zoo with david and des, and the kids had alot of fun. then we spent the night at their house, just east of wichita, and the kids slept the whole night!!! thats a huge step for charlie. he, like hannah when she was little, has not been a good traveller. i don't think he's growing out of that stage so much as just feeling more comfortable at their house now. which is great because he will be there for a day or two when the baby comes. the next day we went to their church, and as always it was such a blessing to not only be together, but hear David preach.

 the day before, i asked hannah what she wanted to see most, and she said the alligator. i dont' remember if this was an alligator or crocodile, but close enough. how do you tell those apart, anyways?

 it. was. hot! i was even trying to get the kids to drink gatorade. by the end of the day i was seriously considering the electric wheelchairs!

 there are supposed to be rhinos back there somewhere.

 so i do believe we have everything we need for the baby now. if we aren't mentally prepared, at least we will be physically. i got my supplementer out and ordered a few new parts, we have a small stockpile of donated milk already, and the birth supplies came as well. all we need now is a baby!

 since, as i already mentioned, even simple things are going to get harder to enjoy, i took the kids to the sprinkler park in our closest "city" of hutchinson. charlie was able to enjoy it so much more than last year. he is growing so much. every few days i hear a new word. they play really well together, and i know they will enjoy sharing a room soon. hannah is flying through her second preschool book, and we're excited about the new things she's learning.
patrick has alot going on as well, now leading a mens bible study, and playing the bass on worship team. i find it difficult to think about anything else other than my intense desire to no longer be pregnant. so, we'll see how the next few weeks go!