Summer Memories

July is such a nice quiet month for us.  Although we all thrive on routine, July is a nice change of pace.  This year we are keeping it pretty low key because the heat and standing/walking for long periods of time really don't agree with me.  Thankfully the kids love to do art projects and science experiments, which can be done in the comfort of my air conditioned home!

These shoe box guitars have been such big hits!  They have been making up songs and video recording themselves for hours.  

This poor kid was so excited to meet friends at SkyZone (a new trampoline park near us)  that he ran smack into the high corner of my desk and gave himself a black eye.  Every morning he would ask me:  What color is it today?  It was some pretty ugly shades of blue, purple, yellow and green!

Carter has been making lanyards for his backpack.  He is also loving his new desk and spending so much time up there reading, writing and drawing.  He drapes a blanket over his bed and it makes his own quiet little cave under the loft.  He looks so big!

The water xylophone has also been a favorite, along with paper airplanes.  Who knew how much time these kiddos would spend flying paper airplanes?

Kennywood

For Carter's 9th birthday we gave him the option of having a friend birthday party or doing something fun with our family like an amusement park or water park.  Carter choose the amusement park, and even though it's only July we decided to go to Kennywood in Pittsburgh so we could visit family as well.  Carter's birthday is also the first day of school and with our little brother's impending arrival I knew it would be easier for me to go sooner rather than later.

Ava is not going to be a amusement park enthusiast (I understand Ava girl, neither am I.)  There were several rides that she was tall enough to ride, but she refused because they looked too scary.  She preferred kiddieland, so Mike would take either Dawson or Carter to ride a roller coaster and she would ride happily on the smaller rides.  From many car rides we have learned that she suffers from motion sickness, so it's quite understandable.  

Here is the log jammer!  Smiles all around!  I love Kennywood, I remember riding all these rides as a little kid!

Here is a picture of Carter on his first "real" roller coaster, the jackrabbit.  I remember riding this with Margie!  Carter went on it, said he liked it, but didn't want to do any more roller coasters after it.  Ok, maybe next year.

Sign Sorry Shelfie

My three cuties

They also went on the raging rapids and got soaking wet!

Still dry at this point!

Ava loved getting soaking wet but got off the ride and hated it.  I thought the water looked refreshing!

This kid is going to be his Daddy's riding buddy.  He adored the roller coasters and wanted to go on more!  Mike can't wait until he is a couple of inches taller so he can go on the much bigger rides!

Ava and Carter on another Kennywood perennial favorite, the whip.  Ava said it felt like Dawson was driving!

What a fun day with my favorite three little ones.  Even though I couldn't go on any of the rides with you four, I'm so glad I got to see your smiles and giggles afterward.  It was a long day but a day we will always remember!  

Fourth of July

We had a relaxing fourth of July weekend, and a lot of fun too!  Daddy was able to get a five day weekend, so it was a nice vacation.  Of course we spent lots of time at the pool, but we also visited the local fair.  Our cousins came and visited too, which made the weekend even better!

Dawson loves the Ferris Wheel!  Carter and Ava are a little leery because they don't like how the car rocks back and forward.

Haha!   Look at this kid, no hands!

Ava and Andrew on the little ferris wheel.

Enjoying a little french fry snack

Sweet smiles!  Ava loves to spend time with her little cousins.  

We went home for dinner and then came back for fireworks.  The kids really wanted to win a goldfish, but those games are tougher than they look!  Ava and Dawson settled down and enjoyed fireworks together.  We had a really great spot and it felt like the fireworks were directly above our head!

I love watching Dawson enjoying fireworks.  There is just so much excitement and he gets so pumped up!

Ava made our fourth of July flag cake.  Great job!

Rubber Ducks Game

Back in June, Ava's softball league was invited to the rubber ducks game.  

Before the game, the softball players and coaches paraded across the field.

It's hard to tell in this picture, but there is a little blue dot on the field next to a baseball player.  It's our little Ava!  Due to the fact that her team won the league tournament, each rubber duck player was announced with a girl from her team.  The girls followed the baseball players onto the field and stood for the National Anthem.

During the game the three boys and I sat together,

while Ava enjoyed the game with her team.

The next day we had a cookout with her team.  Ava recieved the "sleeping dragon" award because she was "a little quiet but you never knew what play would come out of her."  Ava had a great time at the picnic running around on the playground with her teammates and enjoying softball cookies.  An great ending to a great season!