Fourth of July

What a holiday! As a child, I loved Fourth of July. It seems all my favorite attributes have been recreated for our children: swimming, playing games and fireworks. Banks said the day at the pool on Fourth of July is his favorite day all summer. Again, we had a memorable day. Happy Birthday, America!

Colorado Mountains

We headed to Copper with our friends Ann and Lawrence for the weekend. We left Eme behind with Papa and Grandma to give some attention to the big ones. It was a fun filled weekend of touring Leadville, spending time at Turquoise Lake, visiting a fish hatchery, girls doing flips on the bungee trampoline (go Sophia who learned first and Malina with her double flips!), go carting, wandering the farmers market in Vail and relaxing with friends. It was a beautiful weekend in every regard.
Sophia (4-years old)

Jumping off the diving board!

She bonds us all.

The best cook in the kitchen.

Stubborn, persistent, creative and so stinking cute!

Eme's (2-years old next month)

Favorite phrase: "Get up. COME!" while he is pushing under your bum and tapping his chest with his hand.

Every vehicle is a fire truck.

Loves to sing A,B,C's, kick balls and hit balls with the tennis racket.

Strong willed, affectionate and endearing!

Malina (6 1/2-years old)

Discovered Magic Tree House books and loves to curl up at the pool reading her books under a tree.

Sports that require balls: tennis, golf and soccer!

Independent, smart and a beauty inside/out!

Banks

Outside staining his Maldives dhoni (boat) tree house tonight. Building in progress. Good afterwork therapy!

Resident breakfast chef. He is so sweet to have breakfast waiting for me when I return from boot camp.

Me

I am loving boot camp. I am addicted. I am definitely becoming the healthiest in my life.

Also, I am enjoying the relaxed summer with our children!! Watching the bond between them grow each day is beautiful. When we all sat down for dinner tonight, Malina looked at me and said "Mommy I see you have happy tears." They hadn't fallen from my eyes but she knew I was feeling blessed for everyone sitting at the table.

Kicking my Booty Camp

I have been stupid enough to sign up for Fitness Boot Camp. I am going five days a week from 530-645am in Downtown Denver. The camp lasts FIVE weeks long.

I have never been so exhausted in my entire life. I should have known to quit on the first day when we had to do 10 minutes of push ups, 10 minutes of lunges and JUMP ROPE! I am going with two other friends. The first day they said we had 23 hours and 59 minutes to cancel before the next class. OH I thought about it but we never whispered a word to each other. The second day the instruction was to run to the state capital and back. Now that is far!! It is REALLY far to someone who cannot run a block! I had to figure out the distance and it was 4 1/2 miles. Big time for Mrs. Baker!! I have done the army crawl in mud, crab walked in the rain and run further than my body could tolerate.

My frig is bare, my family is surviving on breakfast sausages for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Banks has to pull me out of my sports bra each day and I have to nap for hours on end. I remain. I am determined. I perservere. It is mental. These exercise people ARE mental! It is the biggest high I have ever had in my life and I am excited, yet, terrified to see what lays ahead.

So Malina I hope you enjoyed your soccer camp and tennis camp. Sophia you have been a trouper helping me cook and entertaining the dozens of kids that come over everyday. Eme, thank heavens that I bought you a Fisher Price Lawn Mower.

Time for nap...

The last day of my first year back.

Today was my last day of teaching preschool this year. What a joy, trial and absolute rewarding experience. I am teaching 2 1/2 to 3-year olds. They are sweet, innocent, scared, cautious, loving, rambunctious and endearing. I truly had the best group of kids and families this year. A few pictures of my "adopted" family.

Cakes

Lissie you asked to see more cakes. The kids get to choose the cake and Banks has creative license. Here are a few of them:

Malina's 6th Birthday Cake: Pumpkin

Sophia's 4th Birthday Cake: Pixie Hollow Tree

The trunk was constructed of rice krispy treats with a plywood base.

Sweet Innocent Four-Year Old Love

Malina had James. Sophia loves her Noel.

I like sports...

Malina has decided that she likes sports which entails soccer, tennis and golf. Apparently all other "sports" don'tclassify. The girl has talent. She is incredible coordinated. Now we need to figure out how to get her focused. The girl daydreams. Is it her age or is it her genetic makeup unfortunately picked up from her mom?

Ok, I love this picture. This girl is Daddy crazy right now and to get the opportunity to have a Mother's Day luncheon with my sweet, dear Sophia touches me. My artist, chef, gymnast and outstanding bug collector is a gem. At the luncheon, I weeped like a baby when she sang songs to me and the below statements were read.

Eme, oh, Eme. You are a funny guy. You know you have your sisters wrapped around your little fingers...a sweet spot having two older sisters that adore you.

I love your recent request to "Come sit sofa" to read the encylopedia of animals and fish. What would I do without YouTube?? This Baker Family does not have boy videos. Banks and I often search for "Fire trucks + sirens" or "Cows + mooing" or "race cars" or "tiger + growl." This is the only way Banks can rip Eme from his arms in the morning to get a shower. He starts a six minute video on the laptop and he is immersed.