What an Improvement!!

Jacob has always been a really busy kid. He doesn't slow down, or stop for much. I am talking SERIOUS energy...since he could move. Listening has always been something I work on with him. Having Sydney join the family when he was only 18 months old didn't work miracles on my discipline success! But it seems like every 6 months or so, he makes positive changes in his behavior.

Right after Christmas we learned from his natural doctor that his is VERY sensitive to sugar; his body has a hard time metabolizing it. So, since learning this we have really limited his sugar intake. (And he actually has gone along with it without much complaining) His behavior has dramatically improved...BIG Time! His preschool teacher even commented on how much more "mature" he has become recently. I've focused on pointing out to him when I see him listening well, or being helpful, or sharing, etc...and Jake's quite aware how well he is doing, and is very proud of himself.

So, I think the combination of being 4 1/2 and limited sugar intake has made a very dramatic impact on his behavior! Hooray!

Now we just have to decide if he is off to Kindergarten next year, or if we should hold him one year. He is a summer birthday, so we can really go either way. But, we have time to make that decision thankfully!

Bottled Water

While I was on my trip I learned that some companies are adding sodium to the bottled water they are marketing. How is that even LEGAL!! What a crime. The added sodium leaves you thirsty for more, and dehydrates you. Thus...increasing the companies profits! Unbelievable. The major brand I know of is Dasani (made by Coca-Cola), but I am sure there are more. So read the labels carefully.

A few brands that I know of that don't add anything; Fuji, Penta, and Evian.

I often bring along a "Sigg" with water in it...avoiding plastic chemicals leeching into the water I'm drinking.

All is Well...

Regan's pediatrician called to say that all the blood work was normal. She is not anemic, no signs of inflammation in her body, etc. Praise God!!

All I need to do is feed her all kinds of new solids, and go in and have her weight checked in a month.

My Peanut Regan!

Regan had her 6-month check on Friday. All went really well, except she is alittle smaller than she should be, weight wise. Her height was normal, and all of her developmental milestones are on. (except that she isn't sitting) But, my ped is a little concerned about her weight. The good thing is that she is growing in her length. I took her in today to have some blood work done. I will post after I hear from the doctor.

I'm warming up to the thought

of a minivan. Yup, I said it. (No offensive to those that have them)
But I have never wanted to drive one. While we were in Orlando it was the only rental car option that would fit for us. And needless to say, Dave and I both really liked it. The kids can hop right in, and buckle themselves. It was just very practical. The particular model we had even had built in 5-point harness carseats, right into the seat. (That would have been nice to know before we lugged ours all the way from MN...) We don't need a new car right now, but maybe a mini will be somewhere in our future, who knows :)

Total Exhaustion

This is how we all felt by the time we returned home from the airport :)

Our Last Day, Spent at Epcot

When we planned our trip to Orlando, we thought we'd hit Disney for one day...while, we ended up going for 3 days. We went to Epcot on our last day, mostly because Dave and I wanted to go there. We both really like that park. This was our marathon day, we got to the park at 11am, and stayed until 9pm.

The Nemo Exhibit was neat, the kids liked this one.

We had dinner at a "Character" Restaurant, with visits from 4 princesses. Sydney was pretty shy at first, but then she warmed up....

Animal Kingdom

We thought the kids would like the Animal Kingdom. (But ended up being their least favorite)We waited in line to see Refiki, but Jake and Sydney both chickened out when it was our turn.


Dave took Jake on the "really scary" Dinosaur ride. Sydney, Regan and I looked at some "real" dinosaurs in the jungle while we waited. Sydney was really brave to stand here to have her picture taken, because the really thought this was real. (I must have been somewhat successful convincing otherwise, because she is even smiling)


We went on the safari ride, so the kids we able to see lots of animals; giraffes, hippos, elephants, ostrich, zebras, etc
.

Here are those "binoculars" I've mentioned. We were watching the parade.

Quick picture on our way out. Jacob decided he wanted no part of this picture.

Time at the Pool

A few shots from the pool...

Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom

The kids were in awe. It was neat watching their expressions as they experienced Disney for the first time. The day was a lot of fun. Dave's parents were are already vacationing in Florida, and came and stayed with us for a few days. Right inside the gate, we saw Daisy (?) the duck. And Jake is sporting his "binoculars" that he pulled out many times during the trip. Even if he had on sunglasses, he insisted his binoculars helped him see better.
We went on a lot of rides. There were several rides we could all go on, and I just carried Regan along in the Ergo carrier. Peter Pan was the big hit. Space Mountain was also very cool, wow does that one go fast!! Jake even went on that, and loved it. (Dave kept a close grip on him) Here is Sydney on Cinderella's carousel.

Watched the Parade
Watched the Show at the Cinderella's CastleSydney was having a ball riding on Papa's shoulders, she was just plain silly!!We are headed out for the night!! Legs were tired. (so were the kids)

First Day at the Pool

We stayed at a great Resort. My dad let us use a week of one of his timeshares, we exchanged it. The Orange Lake Country Club Resort. I highly recommend this place for kids. The pools are amazing, water slides, sand/hammock areas, zero depth pools, etc. Very family friendly.



Regan got sick for the first time. She ran a high fever for the first day and half. Fortunately, the fever was the only symptom, and she got better quickly. Poor girl!

Watch Out for the Family of 5!!!

Well, we made it! We just got home from our first "family" trip to Orlando, Florida. I have to admit, I was a little nervous traveling with 3 little ones. We got lots of interesting looks in the airport ranging from amazement to nostalgic, lots of people commented with words of encouragement...it was sweet. All in all, the kids did really great! The weather was absolutely fabulous. (Sunny & 80 all week) We had a really fun time....we'll go back!

Double Stroller, 2 Regular carseats, 1 infant car seat, 2 large pieces of luggage, and 4 carry-ons.