Home from Vegas!

We had a great time In Vegas, except, I forgot my camera in the room for all of the "fun" things we did!! I know, I forgot that I needed to carry my purse to the pool! WE swam a lot, we played a lot, and the kids thought it was fantastic! WE ended up bringing a friend with us to help watch the kids, so 7 in a hotel room was a little crowded.....fortunatlly they are kids, they sleep on the floor with a sheet and they said "oooh comfy!!" I dont know how long it will last that way, but its nice now!! We left (very) early on Saturday am, and met up with Jims dad at his hotel to swim for a bit, always fun! Then went lunch at Cocos, then to our hotel for a much needed nap. Well, that was not as much fun! I was hoping they were all going to take a nap because mommy was exhausted from the 3 hours of sleep the night before (I told you we left early!!), well Tara fell asleep leaving grandpas hotel, and stayed asleep thru lunch, and woke up nice and refreshed as we were pulling into our hotel! Figures! Jake conked out while I was checking in at our hotel, and Tori was ready for a nap when we got upstairs. She was the only one!!!! Needless to say mommy saw Aerosmith on 3 hours of sleep! It was a great concert, and totally worth it! They put on a really great show!! On our way home we stopped at State line, and had such a great time we should have stayed there for another night. We went into Wild Bills? (I think thats what its called) and Elijah and I rode the "big" roller coaster (yikes, it really is big, and proubly the scarriest roller coaster I have ever been on...and I have been on lots) just when you think the ride is over, it just keeps going!! Elijah cryed....I told you it was scarry!!
the little ones road a small little roller coaster, and had a great time! again, camera in the car! We then went to lunch at one of those restaraunts that you see advertised with a $6 prime rib dinner, not expecting much, but it was REALLY Good!! We fed all 7 of us for under 30 bucks! Now that would not have even happened at McDonalds!! We like cheap food. Jim was so sold, he said lets plan another trip to State line soon! I told you REALLY good prime rib! so here is the few pictures I did have from the weekend!

Elijah starts off the Vegas silly faces!!

Tori gets the silly face thing!

Silly faces for Jake!!

Vegas brings out silly faces in even Tara!! In other news, all of the kids started swim lessons today. Elijah was very proud, because he got moved up 2 levels today (he has not been in swim lessons for proubably 4 years?) and you cant move up unless you have passed the previous class...Tori and Jake are in the same class, and Jake did great telling the teacher "I dont need you to hold me, I can do it by myself" Tori got out and told me the teacher messed up her hair!!! Tara had a good time in mommy and me, but didnt want anything to do with the games or the songs, she just wanted to Jump in off the sides!! So we did....about 80 times!!

Tara also had speech theropy today, and the therapist offered a really good suggestion (I really dont like her therapist at all, but I am figuring out there are not a lot of speech therapist for very young children.) so we are going to start using PECS cards? Not totally sure if I understand this correctlly, but basically they are velcro cards that Tara will use to show what she wants. With her VERY limited vocabulary, she gets very frustrated that she can't tell me what she wants. This way she can show me what she wants. We will have a set for when we are out, and have a set at home. I hope it helps. She knows about 5-10 words right now, but some of them are not words, they are prompted sounds. Spontanious words, is about 5. Mama, Daddy, doggy, grandpa (ba-pa), nanny (na-na), baby (be-be). (daddy and doggy are the same (da-nnnnn) Everything else is prompted. bubbles which is ba-bo, elmo which is ah-bo, apple (accompanied by the sign apple) is ah-bo (the same as elmo). So you see our confusion, and her frustration. I hope this works. I feel like we are grasping for straws sometimes. I did also learn that speech comes from the left side of the brain. The side that has suffered the most damage.

Well, onto making dinner, and folding laundry! Pictures soon of swim lessons (if I remember to bring my camera!!)

Oh, and if you get a chance please say a prayer for our dear friends The Nelsons. They have been in the ICU now for 9 months? They are getting extremely frustrated with so many things, as it is so challenging to live that life, and for so long. www.momentswithmoriah.blogspot.com

Kathie

Water park!!!

So I took the 4 kids and my nephew to this really super cool water park by our house. Its totally free and the kids have a blast there!!! The added bonus about this place....FREEE LUNCH!! Thats right, they give free lunches to any kids who are there. The kids have a blast, keeps them cool in our 100 degree weather, and mom gets to sit back relax, and enjoy the kids!! (and not make lunches for 5 kids who I am sure would have made me be short order cook for lunch!!) Totally fun, totally cheap, totally worth it. Added bonus about today, had someone arrested....Yup, all in a days work for a mom!!! That story another day, as I dont want to bog you down with hey really fun day at the park, got someone arrested because they were a perve.....So onto the pictures!!! Jake is not a fan of sunscreen, so he pouts with his eyes closed for about 5 minutes before he realizes he could be playing!!!

Elijah lovin' on his sister! To cute!!

Tori will tell you she played all day at the water park going under the buckets, and splashing, reality is, she never got wet!! Way to pretty to mess up her hair!!!

They give a healthy free lunch to the kids, super yummy!! Tara loves her raisons!! look at her cute little ringlets too!!

The boys taking a break!! Nephew Levi, Jake, and Elijah

In other news, We are heading out to Las Vegas!! We leave tomorrow am, and I am super excited!! Plan on living it up Vegas style...or mommy style at least! I am going to a concert tomorrow night, then we will come home Sunday night. We plan on staying in the pool the entire time as I belive it might be 500 degrees there right now...they assure me its a dry heat, but I dont buy it!!! Plan on more pictures when I get home!! Love this new blog with pictures deal!!

Kathie

Ok Lets get this thing going!!!

so with many days (and nights) of playing around with this I might (very big might) have this thing sort of figured out! Well, at least I have a picture on here!!!

We had a great day today, played on the slip and slide (even mom) ate PB&J sandwiches, and played in the little pool. I had some friends come over, and it was really a blast!

As for life, everyone is doing great. Elijah spent the last few weeks with Grandpa in Havasu, and came home down town brown, and with lots of exciting stories!

Tori and Jake have just been playing the summer away, and Tara is just being Tara!!!

big news here at the Carlson house is.....drum roll please.........TARA MOVED OUT OF OUR ROOM!!! Thats right you heard me, we finally moved Tara in to Toris room where she is suppost to be. She has had her crib there, with her name on the wall since she we moved in, but its been hard to get her out of our room. Its still tuff...The first night was HORRIBLE!!! She was really restless, and that hallway never seeemed so long until I had to walk down it 10 times between midnight and 3 am!!! Her monitor just kept going off with her being so restless. Not to mention the 6 am wake up call with her screaming Mama! Thats right, my room gets after noon sun, where Tori and Taras room gets morning sun. So with the help of some sheets on the windows the next night was a lot better! Thats my 9am wake up girl!! I have not been able to take her other crib out of my room yet, I think I might leave it in there for a bit, I would like to have it for when she gets sick.

I will (hopefully) leave you with some pictures from the last few weeks! (ok I think they are at the beginning, but you get the message!!