On the mend.

Payton has been on antibiotics for 24 hours now and boy do antibiotics make a difference.  She is feeling so much better.  Thank goodness!

She took a nice long bath this morning.  Her rash still looks pretty bad and is pretty itchy.  We love Benadryl!  So thankful she is on the road to recovery.

Strep with a side of Scarlet Fever

Payton has been home sick all week with a low fever and a sore throat.  Poor thing.

Last night she developed a little rash on her chest and back.  Then this morning while we were waiting in the waiting room to get my blood drawn her rash started spreading and within an hour covered her whole body.  

Fortunately, the doctor was able get her in quickly.  It turns out Payton has Strep Throat AND Scarlet Fever!  Yikes!

So grateful that she can be treated with antibiotics and that the doctor predicts she will be back to normal very soon.

Love our little girl.

Cartwheels

Payton is loving gymnastics.  I love that she loves it.

She is so excited to learn.  She wants to be able to do a cartwheel so bad.  Today one of the lead instructors was teaching a new instructor how to coach a child through doing a cartwheel.  Payton was one of the kids they chose to be an example for the new coach.  She was so excited, this was perfect because she has been working so hard to get the hang of it.  They worked with her for about 5 to 10 minutes.  The one on one instruction was great, she still can't so a cartwheel by herself but she is definitely getting the feel for it.

Shopping with Payton

I have never really been a "shopper".  However, I am quickly discovering Payton is one.

We stopped at the outlets on our way back from Casa de Fruta yesterday to find some summer clothes for Payton.  I know, I know, it is a bit late to shop for summer clothes seeing that most stores have fall clothes out but somehow we just never got out and did any summer shopping for Payton.  I realized this when she chose to wear a sweat shirt and pants in 90 degree weather.

Anyway, she must have tried on one of each thing the store had to offer.  Yikes!  After much negotiation we narrowed down all that she absolutely "loved" to a few items.  Here is one of the outfits she chose.  Really cute!

Rainbow Loom Rainbow Dash

Yesterday we finally had the Rainbow Loom Play Date that Payton had been requesting all summer.  I am so glad so many of her school friends were able to make it.

Anyway, toward the end of the play date Payton and her friend, Emery, started following a tutorial to make a pony on the loom.  Today we finished it.  Payton did hers all on her own and Lincoln directed me in the creation of his black Rainbow Dash.  :o)

Payton did really well on hers, only had a couple of mishaps.  First mishap was when one of her cap bands broke when we started taking the pony off the loom.  It was one of the first bands we put on which means the whole pony would have come unraveled if we hadn't been able to tie up the rubber band.  Crisis averted.  Second, somehow we missed that she forgot to loom some of the bands on the one side of the loom, this was discovered after we had already started pulling the bands off the loom.  Fortunately, I am a master at fixing this kind of problem. We were able to reloom what we had take off, unloom the pony up to the point she had forgotten, then reloom.  Another crisis averted.  Haha!

Rainbw Loom Play Date

Payton has been begging for this play date all summer.  She really wanted to get together with her friends and do the rainbow loom.  I wondered how it was going to go, I knew we were going to have all levels of experience with the girls, some who are just learning the very basics and some that can pretty much just make any bracelet you can find. 

I guess I really didn't have anything to worry about, as everyone got here they went straight back to Payton's room and started playing all sorts of things, starting with dress up.  They were all so cute running around in costume.  It wasn't until after they had eaten lunch that anyone was ready to loom and really if I hadn't brought it up I think they would have just continued paying school or whatever it was that they were playing.

Instead of everyone one learning one type of bracelet they decided to all work on their own bracelets.  Payton did teach Dorie how to make a single, Mariam and Lincoln worked on another kind of bracelet, and Emery worked on her rubber band rope that she has been working on this summer.  After a little while a few of us started making a pony from a tutorial until parent's came.

 

 

I was so excited that everyone got along and seemed to have a great time.  I hope we can do it again before school starts.

She jumped!

Payton jumped off the board!  She finally worked up the courage to do it and did it many, many times.

 

Today we stayed for open swim with some friends.  Toward the beginning of open swim Payton called me on a promise I made to her last week if she would go off the board.  I told her that if she went off the board I would too.  Well, I couldn't back out.  I did it!  I haven't been off a diving board in like 15 years.  It was lots of fun.  After I went off she asked if she could go off too.  She did with me catching her.  I was shocked!  Excited!

Later on the kids were playing a mermaid princess game and had to show bravery to earn gems in their crowns.  One of the acts of bravery was to go off the board.  All of the kids went off again and again. I ended up catching kids off the board for the next 45 minutes.  It was so tiring but fun at the same time.

 

After I got out, I realized that I never got a picture or video of her doing it.  So I asked her if she would go off again so that I could take a video and pictures.  She agreed excitedly and said, "I love going off the board!"  Hooray!

 

Baby Steps

Today Taylor convinced Payton to sit on the diving blocks.  Then we convinced her to stand on the blocks.  Then she jumped of the block while standing on the grips for a back stroke start.  Then we somehow convinced her to jump off the block.  Big steps happening here.  Big big steps.

Daddy's Home

Payton went off the board!  Well, kind of.  Her teacher dropped her off of the board and her head didn't even go under.  Haha!  At least we have baby steps happening and we are so proud of her.

Daddy got to stay home from work today and we decided to head down to Gilroy Gardens after swim lessons.  We had heard that their new water area was open.  Unfortunately, we were mistaken and the opening was postponed until Saturday.  Boo!

We made the best of it though and had a great time going through the rest of the park.

Both Payton and Lincoln rode on the Rattlesnake Roller Coaster and Austin would have too if they would have let him.  I was actually really surprised by Payton, she has refused to go on this ride every other time we have been here until today and she loved it.  Dave said she wasn't even scared.  Maybe I will get to ride on the big roller coasters with my kiddos eventually.  :o)

Water!

A fun day, finished off by having dinner with Amma and Papa Don at Chili's.  Gotta love that Queso Dip!

Payton's First Day of Gymnastics

Payton has been asking and asking to start gymnastics since she watched Lincoln in his gymnastics program.  Today was her first day.  She did so well.  I was afraid that she would be nervous or afraid to try doing forward rolls or cartwheels but that was not the case at all.  I was having such a good time watching her.  I hope she continues to like it.

Payton's Dance Recital

Today was Payton's dance recital.  She did so well and looked so cute. 

She has been taking a combo ballet/tap class this past year.  Some weeks I didn't think we were going to make it to the recital, she just did not want to go to class for one reason or another.  I told her she just had to go until the recital and then she could be done if she wanted to be. 

Her dances went well or as what you would expect of a group of 5 and 6 year olds.  Haha!  I loved watching her.

Ballet

Tap

Teddy Bear Picnic

Today was Payton's Teddy Bear Picnic with her Kindergarten class.  Last week they had to bring their favorite bear to school for sharing and then keep it at the school until the picnic.  Payton went back and forth for several days trying to figure out which of her bears was a favorite but also one that she could live with out for a few days.

 

To start, some of the parent's planned some games for the kids to play.  A relay race, potato sack race, and egg on a spoon to mention a few.

Lunch was next.  The boys even got to enjoy.  Juice pouches, noodles, fishy crackers, yogurt, fruit, hot dogs, chocolate cake, etc.  So yummy!

It was so fun to see Payton with all of her school friends and teacher.

ASSETS

Today we went to enjoy the ASSETS program at Almaden Country School.  I can't remember what ASSESTS stands for but they had a talent show in which the kindergarteners sang a couple of songs and then had a huge display of projects that each of the classes worked on throughout the year.  It was really fun to see.

Rock Candy

Uncle Rob and Kristen gave Payton directions and all the ingredients to make rock candy for her birthday.  So fun!  Today we decided was a perfect time to make it.  Both Payton and Lincoln were so excited to help.  Thank you Uncle Rob and Kristen.

Payton's Mermaid Party

Today was Payton's long awaited Mermaid Birthday Party.

Mermaid skirts for all the girls and party bags to put them in. Check!

My mom and I spent many an hour making these little beauties.  I couldn't have done it with out her help.  She basically cut everything then handed it over to me to sew.  There was glitter EVERYWHERE.  Haha!  I will admit that seeing the girl's excitement as they found out they got to KEEP them and watching them all run around in them made all the work worth it.

Under the Sea decorations. Check!

My friend, Aimee, helped with the decorations for girl's camp last year, the theme was "Just Keep Swimming" from Finding Nemo.  When she found out that Payton wanted to have a Mermaid Party she offered to let me borrow the decorations.  SWEET!

My other friend, Jessica, threw an Under the Sea party for her daughter a few years back and graciously let me borrow some of her decorations as well.  Double SWEET!

Gathering up these decorations made me remember how Dave and I had planned to decorate our room and bathroom in a beach theme.  When we were down in San Clemente a few years ago we bought a bunch of sea shells, coral, and even brought back a bunch of sand.  Unfortunately, all of it is still in a box in our bedroom and not decorating anything...except Payton's party.  Haha!

Everything seemed to come together perfectly.

 

Payton wanted to play some old school party games, which we tried to give Under the Sea names.  There was Shark Attack (basically hot potato with a balloon), Fish Fish Mermaid (Duck Duck Goose), and Musical Chairs (I ran out of creativity.  Haha!).

My friend Jessie and I found and idea on Pinterest that I was so grateful for.  The idea was to have a treasure chest full of little prizes so when a person got "out" they got to go pick a prize from the chest.  It worked out wonderfully, no one was upset when they got out.  In fact, I think some of the girls tried to get out.  :o)

 

Under the Sea Crafts.  Starfish headbands and/or hair clips.  Fish and/or sea shell sand art necklaces.

Payton came up with the headband idea all on her own.  Fortunately, someone on Pinterest also had the idea so I had a little help in bringing her idea to life.  :o) 

Found the little sand art necklaces on Oriental Trading Company.  Note to self, do not let the Little Mermaids jump on the trampoline with these little necklaces on and full of sand.  Getting one to the face is not pleasant...

Lunch.  Peanut butter and jelly fish sandwiches, sand dollar crackers and shark teeth cheese, fishy crackers, fruit of the sea, ocean potion, and sea water.

The "Sweet Grotto".

The mermaids.

 

 

Celebration!

 





Easter Party and Mohawks

Today was Payton's Kindergarten Easter Party.  I am so grateful for a class photographer that takes pictures of all the activities so that I can take a peek at the activity when I can't be there.

I know they had a picnic lunch and had an Easter Egg hunt.  It looks like they had a lot of fun.

Guess who got a haircut today.  Guess who ended up with a Mohawk.  Haha!  He told me that he wanted hair like Uncle Rob.  I was a little unsure about going short short so I started  a little longer.  He kept saying, "shorter mom, shorter."  so I went shorter.  As I was cutting it I thought it would be funny, as a joke, to cut a Mohawk and send the picture to Dave.  Little did I know that Dave and Lincoln would love it.  There have definitely been mixed opinions about it but I think he looks like a little stud.

And I think I did a pretty good job cutting it.  :o)

Frozen Viewing

Frozen came out digitally this week and we decided to have a little Frozen Viewing Party with a couple of Payton's school friends, Riya and Dorie.

We had pizza for dinner and some fun movie snacks to munch on while watching the movie.  The girls AND boys had a lot of fun.  Lots and lots of giggles happening in our house tonight.  Love it!

There was a show both on screen and in our family room with the girls jumping up to sing and dance with each song.  They are so cute!

Ring Worm?

Had a little scare, thought Payton had ring worm.  Turns out it is something called Pityriasis Rosea.

The good news is that it is not contagious.  The bad news is that it could last for up to two months.  Oh well, at least it doesn't seem to bother her.

Ted

Lincoln, Austin, and I went to my friend Jessie's house for a combined play date and craft group.  While there I got everything ready for Payton's Valentines so that when she got home she could quickly put them together.  Then prepped everything for Lincoln and Austin's, now all I have to do is cut them out and assemble.  Yay!  So glad I was able to get that done.

Another exciting thing about being VIP is that you get to bring home Ted for the week.  He comes with his own backpack with clothes and a travel journal.  The kids get to document what they get to do with Ted.  Tonight Ted joined us for FHE.  We had a lesson on the creation and how we can show gratitude for all the Lord's creations.  Good times!  Hope Ted had fun.  Haha!

VIP

Payton was selected to be the her Kindergarten classes Very Important Person this week.  As the class VIP she gets to complete a little book about her likes and dislikes and also gets to bring a bunch of her favorites things that she will be able to share a few of everyday in class.  She was SO EXCITED.  She packed a whole Costco bag full of things. 

She looks older in the left picture than I see her normally.  Yikes!