Fun on the Lorien Playground

When the kids weren't at the beach during our vacation, most likely they'd be playing on Lorien's playground. Some swing seats have been replaced since I was a kid, and the see-saws have probably been painted a couple times, but otherwise, all is the same hazardous and exciting playground I remember. So here are pictures of them enjoying it . . .

No hands! Lydia likes living life on the edge . . .

Lydia and Aunt Bobo

The girls loved the merry-go-round!

 Sometimes Daddy pushed them a little too fast for Mama's comfort

 Josiah liked to man the pushing job sometimes

 This is his new picture face

 And apparently Abby is taking cues from him . . .

 Lydia

The girls got too comfortable too quickly on both the merry-go-round and the slide. Lydia started dragging her feet, slipping her bum off the seat, lying on the bench, etc. as Daddy pushed them on the merry-go-round. And her crazy slide antics led to one scary fall, after which we were extra-vigilant when she climbed up and slid down.

 Abby going down--both girls learned to whiz down the slide and jump off onto their feet

 Lydia off for another turn

So high up!

 

New Playset

I hope to get around to posting more of our vacation pictures soon. Meanwhile, though, here are some pictures of the kids on their new (huge!) play set.

One of Jeremy's co-workers was getting rid of this, since her kids are too old for it. Jeremy and his boss (who has a truck) spent a Saturday morning dismantling the play set, loading all the pieces into our van and her truck, and then driving it down to our house--quite the feat in August heat! Jeremy put part of it together that evening and has been working on the rest in bits and pieces since. He had to discard some wood because of bug damage and rot, but the main portion is fine. The kids are thrilled with it!

 Abby pushing Josiah and Lydia

Abby

 Pirate Captain Josiah

 Abby

Josiah pushing Lydia

When Jeremy pulled into our driveway, van loaded down with pieces of the play set, Josiah watched from the front window and exclaimed, "Dad is definitely a genius!" Later as Jer put the play set together, Josiah reiterated his acclamation: "Thanks, Dad! You're a genius!"

Lydia

The girls especially love (and thus vie for) the swing hung at the back of the set. They shoot out the door in a race to get to it first, mow the loser down in triumphant swinging, claw each other in anger when possession of it is in question, etc. I've settled many a dispute over that swing this past week.

Abby on the "swing of sin"

The rings were an initial hit but aren't as coveted normally. Daddy helped everybody swing sitting atop the bar the other night--and then the girls figured out how to share the rings and swing together!

 Abby

 Josiah was nervous

 Lydia in her "unnies"

Twin swing!

All three love the slide on the new play set. Our dinky Little Tykes fort (see in background above) is entirely outshone now (and that slide ceased being very fun once the kids grew taller than it). But the kids aren't content to climb up the ladder or climbing wall and then slide down the slide. No, they like to climb up the slide (often when someone else is sliding down), pull each other up the slide with ropes, slide down head first one on top of the other, and generally devise new and exciting ways of using the slide for more dangerous purposes. Jeremy humored their "mountain climbing" obsession with the slide by attaching a hefty rope to the beam at the top.

Unfortunately Josiah came down with a virulent bug last week that prevented his enjoying the set to its fullest potential (though that may not come till the weather cools down enough to permit sustained outdoor play!). He was sick with a fever and cough for a full week, and only started to mend this past Sunday night after we started antibiotics. He seems to come down hard with illnesses! I was initially thankful that his strep test last week was negative--I hoped to avoid antibiotics and dreaded a repeat of last fall's recurring strep.

But he worsened rather than improved after we had been to the pediatrician on Thursday. Our pediatrician recommended taking him to urgent care on Saturday if he was still running a fever, so that's what we did. The PA there said he could hear wheezing when Josiah breathed and figured he had a bacterial infection, since he just wasn't getting better . . . thus the antibiotics. He's on a five-day course that will end Thursday. I'm hoping and praying this will be the end of illness for a while! Hopefully the kids can stay fairly healthy through the birth of our new baby.

Anyway, I guess that's a recap of what we've been up to the last week and a half: new play fort and sickness!

From Irrigation to the Great Lake State

Before we left for vacation, Jeremy showed the kids pictures of them last year at Lorien (where we go for my family reunion in northern Michigan). They loved seeing themselves at the playground, at the beach, in the water, etc. But upon the first picture of the lake, the girls shouted, "Irrigation!" (Josiah, now old enough to remember last year, corrected them: "No, that's a LAKE!")

The initiation

When our desert children saw Long Lake this year, they were duly impressed.

Josiah loved playing with Jonas (on the green raft) and Justin (standing)

Lydia was the most comfortable and least fearless of the three in the water. Josiah has developed more nervousness in water over the past couple years (he had no fear three years ago!). But he got quite comfortable in the lake. The shallow area near the beach is roped off at just about chest-height for him. By the end of the week, he happily played in that area without any flotation device. Abby and Lydia enjoyed the inner tubes and made good use of the life jackets we bought for them on Sierra Trading Post.

Abby on the left, Lydia on the right 

Josiah's favorite water games involved guns, of course . . .

Abby and Lydia also vied for the guns, though they needed help filling them. Grandma was happy to comply with most of their water game wishes, and they spent many afternoons "saving" her from floating over the swimming area barrier.

Abby

Grandma and Lydia 

Grandma gets Abby suited up 

Jeremy enjoyed taking the kids on kayaks and my parents' Sunfish. We even did a family kayak trip one morning, with all five of us distributed between two kayaks! (Unfortunately, Lydia cried for Grandma most of the time and refused to enjoy the water and the sights. "Look, Lydia! Can you see the ducks?" I asked at one point, trying to distract her. "No me see ducks. Me want Glala!" she replied--and pretty much followed that line of thought throughout.)

But she did enjoy kayaking with Daddy near shore, and she also enjoyed a couple short sails.

Jeremy and Lydia 

Jeremy mastered the art of balance with three kids in the kayak!

This year Josiah did much better on the sailboat, and he even liked it enough to request a few sails with Daddy! Initially he just wanted to sit in the bottom of the boat and often complained of being cold. But after a few times, he happily sat in the bow and hung onto the mast. He even dangled his feat in the water--and he didn't complain about the rocking movement or worry about capsizing or storms (fears he often expressed last year)! Maybe we'll make a sailor out of him yet.

Father and son sail out into the deep blue yonder

Lydia had such fun in the water--"swimming," floating, kicking, running, pushing limits (like going over the swim area line), drinking (yuck!), throwing rocks, etc.

One day I asked her, "How much do you like the lake?"

"Bery much!" she answered, and then added, "I love it" and stretched out her arms and leaned into the water to give the lake a hug (see below). Oh, our affectionate, funny girl!

Lydia and Grandma

We're back from vacation and have plenty of pictures to organize and share! But meanwhile, here are a few of Lydia and Grandma "Tousinby" (a combination of "Cousino" and "Dubai," coined by Lydia). Lydia developed a special bond with Grandma and has taken the parting harder than the other two. Every day this week she has shed tears because she misses Grandma. She regularly says, "I love my Glala! I miss my Glala!" I know you miss her, too, Mom (and hopefully the rest of us!), so here are some pictures for you . . .