Camp Tippecanoe

Our local YMCA teams up with our school district for the character champion program.  Both Carter and Ava were nominated as student of the month by the teacher, so we were invited to go visit the YMCA camp for a day.  There were so many fun activities for the kids to try out.  Dawson was a little upset because he wasn't allowed to do the zip line (you have to be ten years old or 65 pounds.)  Carter was big enough to give it a try, but he didn't want to.

Roping a steer is harder than it looks!  But somehow Dawson was able to do it on the first try, believe it or not.

Carter was able to try archery using a compound bow.

All the kids really enjoyed using the BB guns.

The cicadas at the camp were very thick.  Ava adored these little creatures, and Mike was running around catching them for her.  At one point in the day she was carrying around three of them as her little pets!

We also took out two canoes and took a ride on a pontoon boat.

It was such a fun day, and I'm so happy that Mike could take the day and spend it with us.  It also helped me out a lot, because there were some HILLS!!!! at this camp.

Carter Stories

• Recently Carter had a sleepwalking experience.  I heard something in the middle of the night and I propped myself up on my elbow and asked what is the matter.  Carter was beside my bed and he crawled into my bed, right over my pillow and sat cross legged directly between Mike and I.  We both asked him what was the matter, but he continued to mumble incoherently.  Mike led him back to bed and he laid down and went directly to sleep.  It was a funny moment, we've never had a child sleep walk before!
• Carter's baseball season just wrapped up this weekend.  Unfortunately I had to take Dawson to soccer so I missed his last game.  But he has had some great baseball moments lately:  he hit a double and caught a couple of fly balls.

Latest and Greatest with lots of Pictures!!

On the last day of school Dawson greeting his brother and sister at the bus stop with squirt bottles for a little water celebration.

Summer reading has begun!  Mike told me today that our couch always looks like a library.  That's great to hear!

We just finished the book The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.  It based on the true story of a gorilla named Ivan who was taken from the jungle in Africa and lived in a shopping mall in Washington for twenty years.  The kids really enjoyed this story.  We had Ivan's favorite foods:  fried chicken with banana pie for desert.  I haven't served fried chicken in pretty much forever, but the kids LOVED it.  I got it from the grocery store deli and they ate tons!  The banana pie however was not a hit.  Carter hates pudding, Ava and Dawson like bananas but not fake banana flavor.  I guess that isn't such a bad thing.  Oh and Ivan loved to finger paint, so we decorated our table using finger paint!

Ivan liked to finger paint with his nose, so Ava and Dawson had to try this method.

Kind of surprising, Dawson was more messy than Ava! 

I love catching my kiddos reading, so I must apologize for all these pictures.  Carter brought a chapter book to Ava's softball game and finished it!

For Memorial Day we visited the field of heroes.

The twins walking around holding hands, so sweet.

Five and a half!

Five and a half wonderful years old!  What a loving, intelligent, funny little boy you have become.  Now that I am pregnant, I have noticed how attentive you are to me.  For example, I laid down on the floor because my back was hurting and he came up to me and asked if he could turn the fan on me (I'm running a little hot these days.)  I've also been checking my blood sugar and he will run over to me and ask "Is your blood sugar good?"  I couldn't ask for a more attentive little boy to take care of me.

Dawson, you make your family laugh every single day!  You have a great sense of humor, although you have been laying it on pretty thick with the potty jokes.  One day the words poop and fart won't be so hilarious.  Oh wait, who am I kidding, potty humor is still pretty hilarious to your Dad!

Although you pester your big brother, you really do adore him.  Ava and you are very close, in fact some days we call you two the twins.  Most of the time you two play together so well, of course there is the occasional squabble.  

This spring you decided to play soccer.  In the first couple of games you stayed far away from the soccer ball.  As the season has progressed you have become more aggressive and have participated more and more.

A story written by Dawson:

The dog went into brown paint.  Then he laid on a bed.  The dog had to take a bath.  The end

One of Ava's summer assignments was to write a story.  Dawson wanted to do it too, so I sat down to help.  He made up this whole story by himself and wrote all the letters by himself!  I helped with spelling words and making sure he was using spaces between the words.  We are two lessons away from completing your reading book, you are reading so well.  Although I know the transition to kindergarten is bound to have challenges, I like the feeling that academically you are well prepared.  You also LOVE doing addition and it's not unusual for you to come and ask me to give you some math problems.

We love you big guy!    I'm so proud of you little guy and I'm so blessed to be your mama!

Last Day of School!

On Wednesday Carter and Ava had their last day of school!  I can't believe we are done with second and first grade already!

Miss Ava has been taking the last day of school pretty hard.  The last day of school was a half day, so we invited friends over to play with water balloons and sprinklers.  Ava sat on my lap crying because she didn't want school to be over, and she was crying because she would miss all her friends so much.

It is just funny because a little over one year ago she was crying about going to school!

Carter is quieter about his feelings, but I know that he was feeling disappointment about the end of the year.  He really enjoyed his teacher this year.

I'm so thankful for a successful school year with both of them.  Ready or not, here comes summer!

Last day of preschool for Dockie!

Last Day of Preschool!!!!!

It is officially summer break for my Dawson boy!  I'm so proud of this little boy, and I feel that he had a wonderful experience in this special needs preschool.  I have often been concerned about his lack of empathy.  For example, Carter was telling a story recently to Mike, Dawson and I and he responded "Carter, we don't care about that."  In another example in Dawson's preschool last year a boy knocked over his block tower in the fall and he refused to talk to him for the rest of the year.  But, but, but...........

Now I need to brag a bit.

I have talked to two different parents who have been so complementary about this little guy.  One parent told me that Dawson has been a protector of her daughter this year, and they are so appreciative.  He has developed a special bond with this little girl and he loves to make her laugh and he includes her in all his play activities.  

Another parent told me that due to their child's speech difficulties other children don't like to play with their child.  But they told me that they observed class one day and Dawson was so patient and kind with her son.  Her son speaks often of Dawson, and they are also good friends.

Again, I could not be more proud of you little guy.  

Heard Around the House

Dawson:  Mom, your belly looks like there is a pumpkin in there.  

Do we still have the pumpkin carving knives?


Not sure if I should be concerned about this, haha.