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."