Solar Systems, etc.

Here's a few random pictures from the last couple of weeks:

Huston likes to make solar systems.  Every day he draws at least one or two, and sometimes many more than that.  He uses crayons, dry erase markers, watercolors, do-a-dot markers, stickers, magnets... pretty much everything you can think of.  Sometimes he creates 3D models, like the ones below that he made out of playdough and using balls to represent the planets.  Saturn is that marble in the front with the ring around it.  Isn't that creative?

Clarke made a "solar system" game using all these balls to represent planets, and sometimes we all play it together.  You pretty much just pick up a couple of "planets" and "orbit" around the sun (my big green exercise ball) until Huston yells "Switch!" at which point you change to some different planets and orbit some more.  It's great fun.

I went to Goodwill two weeks ago and picked up a toy doctor's kit for $1.35.  Aren't these pictures of the kids playing with it so cute?  Huston kept checking "Baby Junior" on Arden's foot.  This particular day it was discovered that Baby Junior had a thousand eye balls.

I took these pictures of Arden after church last Sunday, just because I'm so happy to have a child that will happily say "Sure!" when I ask if I can take her picture.

We took the kids swimming yesterday and today, and they have both been wearing their swim vests and arm floats.  It is making Huston soooo much more confident in the water.  When he first tried his swim vest without the arm floats, he would sink straight to the bottom.  But then he went crazy exploring and kicking using both the vest and the arm things, and by the end of the day today he shocked me by stripping off his arm floaties and kicking around ABOVE the water with just his vest on.  I am so proud of him!  Next week he starts his second round of swim lessons with Fort Worth Family Swim, and I'm praying he does really well.

I hosted a baby shower for a friend this weekend, and took home these flowers.  Fresh flowers make me so happy, but I never have them around.

And now, Clarke and I are off to watch Downton Abbey.  I'm so happy to finally be watching it after hearing so many great things!