Dawson the Danger Kid

Dawson, I decided I needed to dedicate an entire post to your crazy hijinks.  As a parent of multiple children, now I see how every child is truly different.  I really believed by the third child I should have this down, but evidently I do not.  Carter and Ava liked to explore at this age, but you are on a completely different level.  As a bulleted list, because I think better this way, here are some of your newest adventures:

• Well, let's start with electronics.  You love technology, which we have known since you were a baby and picked up every clicker you could find.  Now you have progressed to items like my cell phone and computer.  During potty training you like to watch trains on my cell phone.  Do you see where this is headed?  Yup, cell phone meet toilet.  Funny enough, everything still works except the port that reads the SIM card.  So we can use internet, e-mail, apps and music but I can't make a phone call.  Kind of the whole point of a phone, right?  Then less than two days after this incident involving my phone, I was showing Carter pictures on my laptop.  You needed to investigate and toddled forward and spilled a cup of water on the keyboard.  Yup, shorted out the keyboard and the laptop is done.  SERIOUSLY KID?  Those were expensive two days!
• Fire, yes you likey.  I have found you walking around with my candle lighting stick and grabbing Daddy's propane blow torch while he had his back turned.  As Bo has said "I hope you have fire insurance."
• In our shower you climbed up to reach my razor blade.  Luckily, I took it away before you could hurt yourself on it.  Then you were standing on a step stool watching Daddy shave his face.  He turned his back and sure enough you had his razor blade IN YOUR MOUTH.  Once again you escaped unscathed.

Thankfully despite these horror stories you are so darn loveable.  I feel like my heart is going to explode when you do little things like telling me "I am awesome like you Mom.  I LOVE YOU" and wrapping your chubby little toddler fingers around my neck and giving me a gigantic hug.  You said "I LOVE YOU" so loud that Mike heard it two rooms away.  For some reason you've been walking around telling people "I'm a boy now!"  Hmmm, still not sure about that one, but I think its because you have gone in the boys room a couple of times lately to use the restroom.  When you were in diapers you would always come into the girls room with me.  The craziest things come out of your little mouth.  Recently while visiting the lake house with friends we were enjoying a good meal of fish and corn on the cob and you looked at the adults and said "There's a party in my mouth."  Well my crazy, daring, Dawson boy we love you so much but stop working your Guardian Angels so hard!

Carter's is Six!

 

My wonderful, good natured, happy, handsome little boy is now six years old.  SIX. 

 

Here are SIX things you are totally into:

1.  Favorite color:  still blue, but you will answer this question with camo.  Ava constantly corrects you that camo is not a color.

2.  Favorite Food:  Easy one, pizza.

3.  Favorite TV show:  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

4.  Favorite sport:  soccer

5.  Favorite toys:  Legos, flashlights, nerf guns

6.  Favorite Friends:  Danny and Scott

 

 

 

We had a small celebration with a Ninja Turtles cookie cake (your request!) and some present opening.

 

Dawson wanted to help as always.

 

There have been so many milestones hit this year, but I've already written them on the blog.  Here is a little recap:  swimming, loose teeth (haven't lost them yet), coloring within the lines very well, counting consistently to 50+, identifying some coins like pennies and quarters, telling time to the hour and just reading up a storm.  Right now we are re-reading Frog and Toad (good for building fluency) but we'll be going to the library soon for more inspiration.

 

Looking forward we are working on tying your shoes, riding a bicycle with no training wheels and improving your swimming skills.  You've attempted to ride with no training wheels on several attempts, but usually after two or three spills you give up.

 

 

 

You've been involved in so much this year!  T-ball, soccer, swimming, art lessons, kindermusik and library story time.  Now that kindergarten has started we are paring back quite a bit, but you will be having swimming classes at the Y.

 

Your two favorite gifts have been your power cap, which you wear to bed every night and your squirrel kit from Uncle Jason and Aunt Tiffany.  Fully stocked with change, candy, nerf darts and band-aids, you sleep with it every night and carry it around the house inspecting its contents every chance you get. 

 

Thank you for this little boy.  We love him so much and we are lucky to have him in our life.  Carter boy, you are my baby joy!  (Even though you aren't a baby any more!)

 

 

Ava's First Day of Preschool

Ava's first day of preschool was Monday.  Due to some technical difficulties with my computer (Thanks Dawson!) I'm just now getting around to writing about it on a brand new sparkling computer that Dawson is not allowed to touch.  Anyways, my sweet little girl laid down to bed Sunday night and about ten minutes later I heard her sobbing.  I went up to check on her and she cried "Mommy, I'm just not sure about school."  Ugh.  Immediately tears well up in my eyes, so I grabbed her and hugged her.  Finally she calmed down and went to sleep.  I was very nervous about drop off, I really didn't want to leave her screaming. 

 

 

 

But, I couldn't have been more wrong.  Despite that little hiccup the night before she was so excited to go to school.

 

Dawson and Ava getting ready for preschool.

 

She walked into school about ten paces in front of me the entire time.  Dawson and I could not walk fast enough to keep up with her!

 

She wanted me to take a million pictures of her and of course eat frosting donuts for breakfast.  I was more than willing to oblige.

 

She walked right up, hung her backpack on the hook and put on her apple name tag.

 

She walked right into her classroom, took a seat on the floor with the other kids and didn't even look back.  I felt relieved but still a little sad that I'm losing my little girl, if only for seven and a half hours a week.  I have to say, back to school season hit me really hard this year.  I think next year will be even worse.

 

Pick up was hilarious.  She immediately took my hand and walked me to the nearest bench.  She had to show me all the songs she learned, the pictures she drew, the games she played and the friends she made.  She couldn't even wait until we got to the car!  Quite a difference from her brother whom I have to pry any and all information from about his school day.  The very next day she prayed "Thank you for my school."  Agreed.

Happy Sixth Birthday

When I was one

I had just begun

When I was two 

I was nearly new

When I was three

I was hardly me

When I was four

I was not much more

When I was five

I was just alive

But now I am Six

I'm as clever as clever

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever

A.A. Milne

Happy Sixth Birthday Carter Boy

Second Day of School

Although today is technically the second day of school it was definetely harder than the first day of school.  Today was the day where he got on the school bus and left for a full seven hours.  We are so lucky that he knows so many kids on the bus and in his kindergarten class.  It made me feel better to know that he had two buddies to ride with on the bus, and one of them is also in his kindergarten class.  His kindergarten class is also chock full of kids from our neighborhood, we recently had a play date with seven kids total that were going to be in his class.  He also knew three boys from his preschool class.

Dad stayed home to watch him get on the bus.

Pardon my post-yoga sweaty look, but I figured I'd rather have myself in a picture than not there at all.

Jumping onto bus 85!

He excitedly ran up onto the bus, jumped into the seat behind the bus driver and waved.  I was a little emotional but ok until Dawson asked me in his little two year old voice "Carter be back in a libble bit?"  No honey.  Not until after nap time.

The full report:  he clipped up to blue {meaning he had good behavior that the teacher noticed} he had no problem finding the classroom with his friend Scott, he played on the playground with Danny and he liked music class.  Now he is just chilling out watching his favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles after he had a no bake cookie as a treat.  I can tell he is exhausted, bed time will be very easy tonight!

First Day of Kindergarten

Today was Carter's first day of kindergarten, although it didn't honestly feel like it.  He had a phase-in day and went to school for two hours with me.  Thanks Bo for watching Ava and Doc!  This gave the kids a chance to get a little more acclimated to the school with their parents in tow.  I'm already a little nervous for tomorrow, we'll be putting him on the bus at 8:30 and we won't see him until 3:30.  I know I'm going to miss him so much!

Don't you love the self-styled mohawk?  He's looking good!

Ava, you crack me up.

In front of school

At the polar bear rock

The kids practiced in the cafeteria, how to get a tray and pick breakfast.  The kids have to learn a six-digit code and enter it into a key pad to buy lunch.  Although he will mainly be packing we are going to have to practice nonetheless!

They also took a bus ride and talked about bus safety.  His teacher Mrs. Seely is in the pink dress.  

Before I took this picture the kids were lining up to get on the bus.  There were four lines, boys and girls and two classes were next to each other.  I told him to go get in line with his class as we were one of the last to eat our breakfast.  He walked over to the lines and then looked back at me with this look of absolute terror on his face, he wasn't sure what line to get into.  I had an awful sinking feeling in my stomach but the other teacher helped him into the right line.  No more hiccups after that!

Finally the kids read a book together, The kissing hand of course.  We made a craft together and it was time to go home.

WHERE YOUR FUTURE BEGINS

He was so spoiled today, his teacher gave him a balloon, a bubble wand and a book.  He seemed to enjoy the day and I'm pretty confident that he can find his classroom tomorrow morning when the bus drops him off.  

Carter boy, six years ago today we left to go to the hospital and here we are about to drop you off at school.  I've loved every last second of the past six years with you, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.  I'm so proud of the wonderful, kind, funny, smart kid that you have become.  I'm sure you are going to do well in school this year.  Tomorrow will be the most I've ever spent without you, since you were nineteen months old.  Love you my wonderful first born!

A visit to the lake

This past weekend we went with friends to their house at the lake, and had a blast!  Port Clinton is such a nice area and the kids had friends to keep them occupied and the adults got to enjoy good company.  Couldn't have asked for a better weekend!

We took a boat ride out on the lake, caught some perch, almost lost Mike in the water and let Dawson fall asleep on me.

Carter boy loved the fish finder.

Dawson cuddled his Mommy and then fell asleep.  He was so scared when the boat took off and was yelling at the captain "BE CAREFUL!"

Then we went to the African Safari Park and the kids got to feed the animals from our car.  There were deer, giraffee, bison, camels and alpacas.  I have to say, it did a number on our car.  We had buffalo slobber all over the place!

It took awhile for the kids to warm up to the idea of animals sticking their head into our car.  Dawson and Ava hid behind me for awhile panicking at these big creatures.  

Thumbs up Alpaca

There is also a walk-through area to look at more animals.  There are white alligator, capybaras, lemurs and so much more!

Crazy Ava!

The kids also got to take their first camel ride.  Look it is Ava!

And Carter!

I was absolutely shocked that baby Doc got on the camel by himself, but he loved it!  He looks so tiny on this big animal, but he just wanted to pet it over and over again. 

In addition to all this fun stuff we went on golf cart rides, spent a chilly day at the beach digging in the sand and topped the night off with s'mores at the campfire.  It felt like we were back on vacation again!  A great way to end the summer, and now back to school.

Our Week

This week we've had some low key fun trying to get back to earlier bedtimes and earlier waking times in preparation for back to school.  The kids enjoyed one last pool day on Monday, probably the last for the season.  I was shocked to see Ava start swimming independently!  Carter just started within the last month, and not to be outdone she decided to join in on the fun.  Monkey see, monkey do!

Sometimes this kid gets hungry and he has to take snack time into his own hands.  So, he grabs a plastic knife and a jar of sunbutter and goes to town!  FYI, I'm actively discouraging this behavior, it's a touch messy!

This girl is hilarious!  My very first red tomato of the season and she took it right off the vine and ate it like a tomato.

The kids requested to eat breakfast on the back porch.  We had to bundle up because it was a little chilly that morning but we ate our sunbutter toast on the porch.  Look at Doc giving the thumbs up!

Let's take a silly picture now!

Lego King

Ava's latest accessory?  the winter hat.  It can go fron day to night, soccer outfit to bathing suit to christmas dress to ballet leotard.  All in one day really.

Carter in his kindergarten desk at school.

Even though I was so lucky to have some extra time with my little guy, it's gone by way too fast.  Carter I'm so excited about what this next year is going to hold for you, I know that you are going to have a great year!

Weekend Update

Saturday morning was the best EVER!  The kids and I got to spend a couple of hours with the cutest little six month old, our cousin Andrew.  We had the best time with him and here are some pictures from our time: 

I was taking the picture of Ava and Andrew and Carter jumped in "PHOTOBOMB!"

A couple of minutes later I went to the restroom after Dawson had just returned from the restroom.  He went after some skittles as his potty treat and I heard Carter or Dawson say "Andrew do you want a skittle?"  I yelled from the restroom "NOOOOOOOOOOO."  No worries, no skittles were consumed by the little guy.

Carter's turn!  We played little people, read some books and then the kids wanted to take him to the........

Neighborhood Playground.  He loved the ride down in our stroller and Ava pushed him in the swing.  Then me and the little guy chilled out in the shade.  It was pretty warm and sunny that day!

Ava even fed him a bottle.  Can you tell we had the best morning with him?  Any time you guys need a sitter we would be more than happy to come and play!

Then Saturday night.  Stupid Saturday night.  We tried to plan a fun movie and pizza night and it totally didn't work out at all.  Mike and I remembered how much we hate Pizza Hut and then we wanted to see Planes. We drove 30 minutes to go see it at a drive-in and it was sold out.  Then everyone was crying because they wanted to see the movie.  Although if this is really the worst thing that happens to our family we are so incredibly blessed!  So we taught the kids to make lemonade out of lemons and watched a movie at home.  Candy makes everything better!

Today I took Carter on a date to pick out some new clothes for back to school.  Then we stopped for a treat, his choice?  Handel's for some birthday cake ice cream in a sugar cone.

Back to school is looming.  I'm nervous but not letting Carter see that.  I'm going to miss my guy so much!

Ava's first selfie.  She grabs my phone when I'm not looking and takes hundreds of pictures of vacuum cleaners and Dawson.  Apparently she also takes selfies now too, but I thought this one was pretty cute!