Life, lately

   This post is a smorgasbord of what we've been up to over the last few months. Not having regular access to a laptop has really cramped my blogging style, but I'm not ready to pull the trigger and purchase one of my own since the only thing I really ever use a laptop for IS blogging. Just finding the time to sit down and write is difficult enough with three little ones running everywhere. Hats off to the bloggers who do this for a living!

   Anyhow, we're knee deep into life around here. A few weeks ago, Sal finished his speech therapy for the year, and we're so proud of the progress he has made and improvement in his articulation. He made huge improvements with his therapist, and I can't say enough good things about early intervention and what a difference it can make.


   Sal and I attended his Kindergarten assessment, and he got to check out the classrooms and playground at the elementary school he will be attending. We saw MANY familiar faces from both his PreK class and last year's Preschool class. He's feeling quite confident. He has been practicing counting and writing his name in preparation for the assessment ( not sure where he got it in his head that they were going to require him to do that or "I can't get in to Kindergarten, mom!"). He's super into counting, and his favorite afternoon activity as of late has been listening to my old ipod and writing down the numbers of the songs he likes. He's definitely a mathematically minded kid, which excites me, as I am anything but.

   Carla has been attending a drop off "teacher and me" class all year, and it is coming to an end in the next few weeks. Come September, she will be an official Pre-Schooler, going 3 days a week! She no longer naps, but instead likes to "help" me with my daily chores/ jobs. This last week she got to sew with me, and has asked if I will teach her how to sew a "really pretty fancy doggie dress for [her horse] Silhouette to wear". I suppose I'd better start working on a pattern, because she brought it up again last night. She's at the age of story telling, which is a little frustrating, but we've told our kids that our ears wiggle when they lie, so her hands covering her ears is usually a dead giveaway.

Gino has been a million miles a minute. He decided early last month that he wasn't going to sleep in a crib anymore. The first day went really really well, and made me think"hey...we've got this whole parenting thing nailed." The next day would cause me to put my foot in my mouth. It's been a nightly struggle ever since. We're still trying to find something that works long term, for both us, and him. Singing "Mary had a little lamb" thirteen billion times til he falls asleep works for him, but definitely not for us. We will find a solution, but it's been pretty chaotic around here between 7-9pm this last month.

As for Nick and myself, he's had a few weeks at home without travel, which has allowed him to complete some home improvement projects and keep up with the yard. He's gotten to surf a bit, and enjoyed a visit from his brother just last week. His biggest project as of late has been ripping out our garage shelving and building out our rafters to allow for more square footage of storage space. He completed the whole thing solo. That's some determination (and sore shoulders!). He's currently working on a laundry unit for me, so all of my stuff has a place to go (rather than on top of my washing machine). 

I've been busy with the kids, a few orders for Bucky & Boo carriers and trying to keep the house from burning down. Most of my days are spent cleaning up after the kids, but I have had a chance to sew a little and practice my newest hobby of hand lettering chalkboards. It's harder than it looks! I erase a lot and don't use a projector, so practice makes better! I'm still in the gym 3-4 days a week for lifting and a little cardio. It's my hour of sanity many days, and the kids seem to enjoy the kids' club that is associated with our gym. 

So, yeah, that's what we've been up to. Lots and lots of the mundane everyday stuff, with some fun times mixed in. Oh, and this........

What is this? You ask? 

This is us learning the hard way that three red potatoes do NOT fit down our toilet. Any guesses as to who the culprit was? The very next day, my electric toothbrush suffered a near fatal flush. Do they even sell toilet locks anymore? And if so, could my 3 and 5 year old kids get the lock undone to use the toilet in times of need? Or would I just be exchanging swimming household items for puddles of pee on my floor? These are the burning questions that keep me up at night. 

All the craziness aside, I love our three and know that one day, we will indeed miss all of this.

10.0

Carla started gymnastics last month.

This probably doesn't come as a surprise to those who know me.

It was basically inevitable.

She was so so so excited to suit up in her leotard, and sported two Aly Raisman buns in her hair for her first class. Her class started 15 minutes after Sal's, and the wait was almost the death of her (and me!). She got to jump in the foam pit & swing on the bars--but wasn't so sure about the balance beam.

She definitely wasn't the best listener in class ( dare I say, maybe the worst?!), but we're a few classes into the session now, and she's doing much better with both listening and waiting her turn. She also agreed to walk the balance beam last week!

Annnnnd the best move Carla learned, was her "stick it" position. She shouts, " ta da!" and raises her hands in the air just like she's a final five team member. 

Yosemite 2017

       We've been going to Yosemite more years than I can count now. It's a yearly pilgrimage made by many Zentil family members. It's grown over the years, with the addition of spouses and children. This year, there were over 30 of us sharing stories, food and adventures in the beautiful Yosemite valley.

      This was also the first year since 2012, that we didn't have to schelp baby gear for any of our kids, which was bittersweet for me, but so much easier. While two is still young, it was the first year we weren't stuck in a hotel room for two naps a day and an early bedtime. We let the kids play their hearts out with cousins, aunts and uncles. They ran, they played games and stayed up late just soaking up all the love our extended family provides. I always marvel at how lucky they are to get to know their family.

   

Til next year, Yosemite!