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!!