Spelling Tuesday

Loralie and I made up our "summer fun" list yesterday.  It seems like there are so many fun things I want to do with the kids each year, but somehow the summer gets away from me!  Not this year though!  We have a checklist and I am determined to do everything before the fall!   One of the items that did not get checked off the list last year was camping.  With Roman being so little and the summer being so hot we just never got it done.  So yesterday we came up with a plan... We set up the tent in the backyard.  The forecast for the evening was in the 70's so perfect weather.  We put Roman to bed around 7 and invited the neighbors over. The girls ran around, played in the tent, played with glow sticks and flashlights and had s'mores while the adults just hung out in the deck.   Of course there was absolutely no sleeping going on in the tent.  But there was lots of giggling and a few tears, one exploded glow stick  and one bloody nose...

Tomorrow is my 33rd birthday, and my niece  Ada turns three the day after that, so we had a joint family birthday party tonight!   My mom got us an awesome cake representing both of our favorite books.  Can you guess which one is mine? We cooked out burgers and opened presents and had a great time hanging out- until the severe weather started and then we bolted.  I didn't want to get stuck spending my birthday in Matt's basement!  Caleb is leaving for a week of training starting tomorrow, so I will be on my own with the kids... Hope 33 comes with an extra dose of wisdom and patience!

Loralie had her last day of preschool today.  I can't believe how fast this year has gone by! We were blessed to have Miss Alyssa as a teacher.  Loralie told me this week that she liked the teachers at her school better than any other teachers in the world! We will go to Shoal Creek again next year, but Loralie will be in Pre-K.  I am really glad I have at least one more year before Kindergarten!  Time flies!

Caleb has been out of town for work this whole week and I am ready for a nap!  I have been trying to keep us super busy so that the time will go by faster! Monday we went to Paradise Park.  This is one of the only pictures I took, as the kids would not hold still.  We had a great morning playing and picnicking and around 12:30 it was time to go.  This is dangerously close to naptime, and a forty minute drive home.  All you moms out there can see the problem here.  Worn out kids will fall asleep the last ten minutes of the drive and then not take a nap!  So I told Loralie it was her job to keep Roman awake!  She fed him snacks, kicked his car seat, blew raspberries and screamed at the top of her lungs... And he stayed awake!  Woo hoo!  Long nap! She may have eaten a few of the dried fruit snacks herself... Tuesday we went to Penguin Park and I forgot to take one single picture.  Lets say it was because I was really "in the moment" an...

I don't care if Mothers Day was made up by Hallmark to sell more cards... I like it.  Any holiday that involves me getting to sleep in while Caleb takes care of the kids and makes us breakfast is ok in my book!  We all went to church and then came home and grilled burgers. Then I slipped off with my friend Carrie to get pedicures!   Later that night my Mom and brother came over and we celebrated with pizza and wine and a firepit on the deck!  It was a great day to be a mom... I didn't clean a thing.

After months and months of studying, Caleb finally found out that he made the promotion list!!!  That means he will probably be promoted within the next two years.  I am so proud of him.  He can really do anything he puts his mind to.  First step, sergeant, next step CHIEF!   We decided to go out to dinner sans kids to celebrate, and look what his fortune cookie foretold!  

I spent Thursday morning at Loralie's preschool doing fun crafts and activities for Craft Day.  We were in a group with four sweet little girls and three moms so it was pretty calm and easy.  I can't believe my little girl only has two more days left of Preschool!  

Roman learned a new game today and it is called "give Snuggle-Guy a ride in the laundry basket"!  He put his little stuffed friend in the basket and was pushing it all over the house, laughing and shrieking!  He also stood up all by himself for several long seconds yesterday before he realized he was doing it.  Will this boy ever walk?  Or will he have to push a laundry basket to Kindergarten?

Every year I like to interview Loralie to find out what is going on in her little brain. Me:  What do you want to be when you grow up? L:  A princess! Me: What's your favorite color? L:  Pink M:  What's your favorite movie? L:  Snow White... I mean Arielle! M:  What's your favorite song? L:  Thumbalina's song M:  What's your favorite thing to do? L:  Play ball M:  Who's your best friend? L:  Kaylee and Ellie M: Where do you want to live when you grow up? L:  Texas M:  Why do you want to live in Texas? L:  I don't know, I just like that. M:  What kind of job do you want to have?  Princess don't get paid to be princesses... L:  Vacca-Uning  (vacuuming) M:  Do you want to have kids when you grow up? L:  Yeah, a lot of kids.  But I don't want them to come out of my tummy. M:  How are they gonna come out? L:  I want like lost kids... M:  Oh, ...

Are you seeing this right now? This is my recently spruced up deck... Accumulating snow. In May. What the heck, weather???