The perfect beginning to summer!

I decided I wanted to do something fun for Carter's last day of school and I was hoping to set a tradition.  The last day of school was a half day, they ate lunch at school but were home off the bus at 12:15.  So we decided to invite over friends and have an ice cream sundae party!  We inflated the water slide, got out the squirt guns and had a blast.  The kids ran around outside for at least four hours climbing trees, playing in the mud, building mud canals, playing tag and just being kids.   It was the best afternoon ever!  And topped off with ice cream sundaes it just couldn't be beat!

Ava also went to her five year old check up this morning.  She was 41.5 lbs and 42.75 inches.  But the big news was that she had to get three shots and this little girl took them like a champ.  Not a flinch, not a tear, not an ow, nothing!  Clearly this is one area she does not take after her mommy!

Guessing Game

One of our children climbed onto the roof this weekend.  Mike had to get onto the roof of the sunroom to make a repair and this child climbed the ladder and brought a pair of wire cutters onto the roof.  Mike turned around and there were the wire cutters about four feet onto the roof.  Can you guess which child?

One of our child asked for a blow torch for his birthday.  Can you guess which one?

One of our children has asked "Dad, do you let me do dangerous things?"  Mike's answer: "Well, we don't let you, you just do them."  

Can you guess which one?

One of our children begged to use an axe to chop wood.  Starting to sound familiar?

I'm pretty sure you will only need one guess.

Isn't this picture just personality plus?

Memorial Day Parade

This morning we took the kids to a local Memorial Day Parade.

They were pretty excited, can't you tell?

Carter boy enjoyed the majority of the parade.  He liked seeing the fast cars and segways.  Poor kid got bit by ants toward the end of the parade and was understandably unhappy. 

Funny Dawson quirk:  he hates stickers.  No logical reasoning, he just can't stand them.  During the parade politicians were coming up and trying to give him a sticker and he would run away from them as fast as possible.

The last time we went to this parade, the kids were so little.  Dawson was just 18 months old!

Then we went home and got out the water slide!!

Look who can do the water slide now!!

Happy Memorial Day!

Ava's Dance Recital

Ava had her very first dance recital this weekend.  It was so adorable to watch her on stage with a big huge smile on her face.

This is Ava with her dance teacher Miss Jessica.

They danced to A Whole New World from Aladdin and she was dressed

as Jasmine.

Mommy, Daddy and Roover

An Introvert's Nightmare

My Little Goofball

I want to preface this by saying we are so incredibly blessed to have such a loquacious little boy.  But I struggle and here's why:  There are times when I just need quiet.  I don't want to talk, either I need to zone out for a minute (introvert demand) or I need to focus on the particular task at hand.  It's not uncommon for me to say to him "Dawson I really need a moment, so I will talk to you in two minutes."  The poor kid struggles because he just wants someone to talk to ALL THE TIME.  Here is a genuine conversation we had recently:

Dawson:  Moooooom* 

Me:  Yes

Dawson:  Why did you say yes?

Mooooom*

Me:  What?

Dawson:  Why did you say what?

Mooooom*

Me:  Dawson?!?!?

Dawson:  Why did you say Dawson?

Did you know my bike is fast.

Whew.  I've been in classrooms with 12 preschool children who were less demanding than one Dawson!

*Yes.  He can turn the word Mom into a four syllable word.

We love you baby boy!  But the introvert in me is struggling with the extrovert in you!! 

Field Day

Field Day!  Me and my two sidekicks went to visit and cheer on Carter boy.

One relay involved running while carrying two balls.

The golf ball on a spoon relay.

Happy Three!

Now only three days left until school is over!

Preschool graduation

 

Well, it's official we have a kindergartener in the house!

Today was Ava's preschool graduation.  They walked in to pomp and circumstance and sang multiple songs for the parents.

 

 

Here is Ava receiving her diploma with her teacher Miss Ann.

 

Big pretty smile Miss Roo!

 

Mommy, Doc and our sweet graduate

 

Congratulations Ava, and here is to a wonderful school career!

ZOO, ZOO we went to the ZOO

Today was a beautiful day so we met friends up at the zoo.  The morning was busy, there were lots of school groups but after lunch it really cleared out.  The kids ran and played and looked at animals and really wore themselves out.  I know bed time will come early tonight.....for us all!

Sad third child fact:  I'm pretty sure this is the first picture I have of Dawson on a carousel.  Although I blame this on zoo policy, at $2 per child for carousel, train ride and goat feeding that adds up pretty quickly.  So we usually make priorities and Dawson's has always been the TRAIN!  Carousel pictures are kind of like bounce house pictures, so much JOY!!

He had a pretty big smile because we rode the train and he got to sit in the coal tender!

The otter slide is really fun, although the otters weren't diving in the water, just laying in the sun instead.

We spent almost an hour at grizzly ridge, just letting the kids run up the steps and down the slide over and over.  There is also a gravel pit to dig in, canoe and bird's nest to play in and a bridge to cross.

Ava is the size of a polar bear!!

Ava loves the goats.  They are the highlight of the zoo.  She loves to feed them crackers and will break off tiny morsel by tiny morsel and stroke their faces and heads.  

Next week to kick off summer we are going back with Carter boy and his friends!!

Latest and Greatest

Here is a picture of Dawson at one of the recent birthday parties we went to at Pump it up.  He did NOT want to take off his spiderman costume so......here he is.  About ten minutes into jumping he had to take off the costume because he was too hot.

The Aunt Lisa inspired fire, I'm pretty sure it had about a hundred pine cones in it.  We may also have sent smoke signals that could be seen in both Jefferson and Sidney!

Constantly

I don't have a picture of this, but I want to give you a visual description because SO FUNNY!  With the arrival of nice weather we have been playing at Danny and Julia's house after school, and often joined by another neighborhood friend Scott.  Carter was overdressed for the afternoon sun, because it had been chilly in the morning so he asked me if he could take off his shirt.  I agreed and soon there were four little boys (Carter, Danny, Scott and Dawson) traipsing around the side yard, doing construction work with their shirts off.  This has now become a regular thing, so as soon as we start to play off come four little shirts.  It is pretty funny to watch!

Dawson is hitting the dress up stage hard.  If we are home he is usually some form of a superhero.  It kinda reminds me of this post with his big brother:  http://www.and-i-found-you.blogspot.com/2011/04/fashionista.html  

Also, he has decided that he would like to be a storm chaser when he grows up.  Which is horribly ironic, because he is terrified of thunder and lightning.

Here are some Ava bounce house pictures. I love pictures of kids jumping, they just seem so euphorically happy.

Our funny Ava story comes with a healthy dose of "she is such a girl!!"

Recently I turned over her closet, removing all the winter clothing and replacing it with a spring/summer wardrobe.  All of us were outside playing but Ava spent the entire evening going up to her room trying on new outfits.  We were in the front yard and she was holding up different shirt combinations for us to see in the window.  The boys also had their closets turned over and they could have cared less!! 

Just Another Evening in our Backyard

Carter's activity of choice:  using a rock to "make sparks" by hitting a cap gun strip with a rock.  Of course, cautious Carter made sure to wear safety goggles because "the sparks make it really dangerous."

Dawson loves doing construction in my garden beds.  Two have been planted for the season, but I think the third shall remain a truck construction site.  He also brought out a cup of water "because the birds are laughing for a bird bath."

Roover girl was playing ball with her Daddy, after eating an insane about of green onions from the herb box.  I could smell her breath from a mile away! 

We are ready for summer!!  T minus five (school) days!!

Ava

So much happening!

 

 

 

Next Saturday Ava has her very first dance recital.  She is so excited, and here is a little sneak peek.  They are dancing to A Whole New World from Aladdin and she is wearing a Jasmine costume. 

 

 

 

 

Here is the All about Me poster that Ava made for preschool this year.  There is a picture of our family, a picture of Ava and Daddy from gymnastics, hiking in the woods, a picture from her 3rd birthday and a picture of Ava and Carter together when they were 2.5 and one.  It was funny, because if Ava had her way, she would have made the entire poster consist of baby pictures.  So instead she put a picture from when she was baptized.  She listed her favorite color (pink) food (pepperoni pizza) book (Charlotte's Web) and movie (Frozen). 

 

 

A pretty big milestone for Ava, she has recently stopped using pull-ups a night!  We've tried on several occasions, by she would wake up soaked night after night.  Now she has had many dry nights and if she does wake up she is only slightly wet and she will use the restroom and get clean dry clothes.  Success!!!

 

Today was also an exciting day for her because she got to ride a school bus at preschool.  They talked about the rules of the bus and she got to take a short ride (just around the parking lot.)  She was so proud of herself and even bragged to her big brother that she got to ride bus 63 today! 

 

Dangerous Dawson

Two new stories, soon to become legends about Dangerous Dawson:

• After dinner Mike and I were sitting at the kitchen table and the kids had moved onto the porch.  I heard Dawson say to Ava "This is dangerous, but I do it anyway."  Of course I had to look and he is in a modified L shape hand stand with his hands on the chair and his legs up on the house. 
• Now for the scariest story of all:  I heard Carter say "Dawson that is really dangerous."  I was putting away laundry in my bedroom and peeked out into the hallway.  Dawson had climbed up the railing over the foyer.  His head was hanging out over the precipice, his stomach was resting on the railing and his little toes were pushing himself up.  He was a breathe away from falling off the balcony.  Clearly we had a strong discussion about this dangerous behavior. 

I know that I've said it before, but please pray for this kids safety!!

Carter

 

 

The biggest news about Carter boy:  he is riding his bike without training wheels like a champ!!!  He was soooo close last year, but now he is flying down the hill.

 

 

Carter had a special visitor at his t-ball game this week:

 

 

 

His Teacher, Mrs. Seeley came to see him!

Stories

• Recently the kids were playing puppies together and these were the names they chose for their dogs:  Carter chose pop (always so original) Ava chose Rosary and Dawson chose barf.
• Thursday night was the first night of the Football Draft and Mike was pumped.  Carter asked me "After I get my shower, can I watch the drift?"  I just started laughing although we did let him watch a little bit of the "drift."  Then Friday night I asked him if he wanted to go downstairs after he gets on his pajamas and he replied "So I can watch the raffle too?"  Well, it's still called the draft, but yes you can.
• This week after one of Carter's tball games Mike was following us home in the jeep and as he was driving Ava was giving me a step by step narration of what Mike was saying in the jeep.  Or in her words "Daddy was like........"     I'm parking my jeep here outside.  I need to make a turn, AAAAAAHHHHHH!  I'm following my wife.  Although I think the humor is a little lost in translation, she had me dying with laughter the entire way home!
• This week we had a thunderstorm very early in the morning.  It woke me up and I was waiting for Dawson, because I know he is petrified of thunder and lightning.  I thought he would start crying, but he walked into our room, shaking like a leaf and not making a sound.  I put him in our bed and his whole little body was trembling and I could feel his heart beating a mile a minute.  He grabbed onto me as hard as he could, put the covers over his head and finally relaxed into sleep again.  It was such a different little boy than the typical fearless headstrong kid we see every day.

Weekend in Sidney

 

We spent this past weekend in Sidney to celebrate three milestones:  Riley had her first Communion and Meme and Bob Bob's 60th Birthday. 

 

We spent Saturday swimming at the Hampton Inn in Sidney for Riley's Communion.  Thank you to Mike who took care of the kiddos so I could rush around with Margie and try to get everything situated.   

 

 

 

 

Then we all went down to the bar with no name for the surprise.  It was nice to get to visit with family and friends without having to worry about entertaining kids.  The best of the weekend?  Mom's reaction to the surprise, which shall remain censored because this is a family blog, after all.  Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!!!

 

On Sunday morning we went to mass for Riley's Communion.  Ava was very excited to learn it was the same church that Mom and Dad got married in.  God Bless Riley!

The Little Things

Lately we've been really busy with lots of fun things.  But I wanted to make sure that I wrote down some of the little things that have been happening as well. 


Recent Conversations:
Dawson:  Mommy will you protect me from thunder and lightning?
Me:  Of course I will buddy.
Dawson:  And batman too?
Me:  of course he will.
Ava:  Why doesn't he just say Daddy instead of Batman?


Carter:  Mom, I told Scott that I was going to wear my Jackson hat tomorrow to school for hat day.  He told me that was a comment.
Mom:  hmmm.  Well, it was a comment.
(I think his friend meant that it wasn't true, so Carter and I had a conversation about the meaning of the word comment.)


Ava:  Mom, Carter told me that if you don't breathe you will die.
Me:  Yes, that's true.
Ava:  Well, I'm holding my breath and I haven't died yet.


Some Stories/Thoughts:

• Ava should invent a new Olympic sport called Dance Eating.  She takes a bite, pirouette, takes a bite, sashay to the left, takes a bite, hop step, etc.  This little one loves to be in motion!
• I forgot to write this down: at Carter's t-ball game he was on third base running home.  But instead of going to home base he ran straight for the bench!
• Can I say that I'm loving six!  Carter's reading selections have gotten to be so interesting.  Recently we read a biography about Sir Edmund Hilary and I learned a thing or two!  At the cabin when the kids were climbing the mountain Carter decided to set Base Camp 1 and Base Camp 2.  Dramatic play is such an integral part of learning!
• Dawson is in that awful phase; if he gets a nap he doesn't want to go to sleep until after nine but if he doesn't get a nap he is having epic tantrums.  I never experienced the terrible two's with him, he didn't experience the common frustration over communication.  But he sure is making up for it now.  We have likened him to the Hulk.  He just genuinely has a hard time controlling his emotions.  One day he in the midst of a tantrum he threw his socks off the balcony and then spent twenty minutes crying about cold feet.   I give him hugs and squeezes and sing to him to calm down and he cries "I don't know how, I can't calm down."