Camping Out Fun

This summer has been so busy and has completely sped by.  We have yet to take the kids camping, so we pitched a tent in Grandma and Grandbo's backyard.

Carter was incredibly frightened of camping out/extremely excited.  I wanted to sleep inside so I could hear Dawson, who was not invited to camp out with us.  But Carter insisted that he needed Daddy and Mommy to camp out with him or he would be too scared.  Secretly it always makes me happy when he chooses me when he is scared.  Otherwise, he is team Daddy all the way.

Ava was ambivalent about the idea of sleeping in a tent.  But in the middle of night she sprung up and shouted "That's it, I'm leaving."

Luckily I was able to bring her back to bed.  We are still laughing about that, although I think she just woke up scared and didn't know where she was.

Wait guys, why wasn't I invited?  Next summer, baby boy, next summer.

Thank you to Grandma who took care of Daring Dawson while I was camping out with the kids.  Apparently he woke up several times during the night and then was up for the day at 6:30.  Case in point why he has yet to go camping with us.

Labor Day Relaxation

This weekend we spent a little time with the extended family.  We had a relaxing time digging in the sand, flying kites, building fires, sitting around the fires and taking lawn mower rides.

Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality, cooking some wonderful meals and helping entertain and watch the crew.  These little escapes are nice, because they feel like mini-vacations.  As opposed to an actual vacation which feels like a lot of work!  

Coming up next:  pictures of our camp out!

Daring Dawson strikes again

This kid shocks me daily with his daring behaviors and tonight at the pool was no different.

He was jumping off the side of the pool and into the arms of Mike or I the entire time.  In these pictures he did not get his head wet, but very shortly later he was going all the way under with every jump.  Believe me, there were many.

I love how his little fists are clenched in this picture.  He was so pumped to be jumping in the pool.  

A little while later I was standing in front of him while he was playing on the side of the pool with toys.  He purposely walked around me and jumped into the pool.  He is such a little daredevil.  This may be totally normal 21 month old behavior, but believe me this is not how his brother or sister acted at this age.  In fact, Carter hated getting his face wet and only started doing that in the past month or so.

And did I mention that Dawson has escaped from his crib two times in the last three days?  I really, really, really, really don't want to convert his crib to a toddler bed soon, but I don't think I'm going to have a choice.

Heard around the House

Carter:  Mom, Slinky left a lot of clues for us in the woods.  But I wouldn't touch them if I were you.
Mom:  No, please don't touch them.
{By the way, Slinky is Jason and Tiffany's dog.}

Ava:  Mom, I fixed my mind.  We are having ice cream tomorrow at Carter's birthday party.
{I think she means made up her mind.}

Ava:  Dawson, you are my cute little chubba cheeks.  Mom, get him out of here.
Me:  Well, that was quite a turn around.

Dawson is now letting his two cents be heard.  To get to the YMCA or the soccer fields we pass a cow farm.  The car was completely silent until he spotted a cow and began to yell "MOOO.  MOO.  MOO."  We also pass the high school that has a big mural of a polar bear on front of it.  He screams every time "PO BEAR, PO BEAR."

Summer Evening Walk

Not too many of these left.  I need to do this more.  Forget about the dishes in the sink, the crumbles on the floor and the laundry piled up on the couch and just focus on my kids and have a fun summer evening walk.

I love watching them talk to each other.

SHHHH!  No talking in the woods!  We are hunting!

Bird!  I hear a bird!

Sticks are a boy's best friend.

Need a double stroller, but don't have one?  My kids love piling on top of each other.

I once read a book {I can't even remember the title of it} that stated that kids are over stimulated and under stimulated.  They are over stimulated by television and video games and they are under stimulated by not spending enough time outdoors.  They need to feel the grass, dirt, sticks and breeze, all those things they don't get inside.  I think that this summer we have definitely succeeded!

Stone Soup

Today I read Stone Soup to the kids and immediately they decided that we needed to make Stone Soup too.  When I taught preschool I did a unit on Stone Soup and we usually made it in the crock pot during class.  Today it was so fun making Stone Soup with my own little preschoolers.  

Carter was in charge of opening the tomato can.

Yes, there really were {clean} stones in our soup.  I felt they added a great deal of depth to our soup, haha.

chopping

peeling

The Littlest one even got in on the action.  As long as I was feeding him grapes.

They had a ball and helped me in the kitchen for about an hour.  We even made biscuits.  I allowed them to use cookie cutters, so along with our "rock soup" as Ava called it, we enjoyed christmas tree, santa claus, dove and heart shaped biscuits.  Fun afternoon activity that kept everyone happy, entertained and learning.  I'm all for that!

Gluten filled Heaven!

Aunt Pam brought delicious donuts to Carter's birthday party.  Yup, easy to say that they were enjoyed.