New Chapter

 

Our very good friends moved away this weekend. It's bittersweet...we wish them all the best in their new adventure to live their dreams, but will miss them so much.  

We shared one last meal together. We don't often do dinner together because it's not the time of day that children (or parents) are at their best, but we made an exception last week and met at Raising Canes.  

We did get a lot of lunches and play time in the past couple of weeks though! Our last time together before they moved...end of the year preschool picnic. I will really miss our lazy lunches. We are really good at carefree timelessness together. 

 

I had no idea when we met 12 years ago that I was meeting a life-long friend. Two weddings (theirs and ours) and six kids later (5 boys, 1 girl) here we are. So here's to finding a new norm in weekend adventures and phone calls. We miss you already Guenther's!

The Fountains

 

When we had arrived downtown to eat dinner with Grandma Kathleen while waking to the restaurant the boys asked to play in the fountains. Obviously, we had to say no. But as we walked back to the car I said to Logan,

"We could be super fun parents and let them get soaking wet in the fountains."

To my surprise, he was totally cool with it, so we played the evening away in the water. We all had a lot of fun!

Elias was too little to partake last summer, so it was his first time playing in the water. He was worried at first, but very brave and kept trying!

    

It was perfect weather and we made it home in time for bed!

Last Day of Preschool

Lewis had a great first year of preschool! He liked everything about it. He made friends, created beautiful art, learned through play, was a great helper, and loves his teachers.  

Thanks for a great year Mrs. Bevans! We are looking forward to another great year with you come fall!

Last Day of Kindergarten

 

The day before the last day of school Augustine's class went to the park for playing and a picnic. I went along as a helper. It was fun!

Have you ever seen so many kids on a tiny merry-go-round having so much fun and not arguing at all?! Augustine is on the left. A bunch of other classes from school went to the park too, and the kids had a blast together. It's one of my favorite things about our community...no matter what age, all the kids play together happily and the big kids make a special effort to include the younger kids. I've just never seen that done so well in any other community.  

Thanks for a great year Mrs. Hraban! And I think her shirt is so cute.     

My last day sitting on the porch watching my kindergartener walk home from school. Great job, Augustine! First grade, here he comes!

Daddy Adventure

To Menards!     

The window photo is my favorite. 

Baby Happenings

 

Elias is very into the mailbox lately. The key is his favorite. 

He also really likes a bowl of bubbles and a small whisk, which is awesome when I'm working in the kitchen and he needs something to do other than whine at my feet and pull on my clothes.    

The hairdo is due to bubbles aftermath.  

He takes naps in his crib now, including falling asleep in the crib (with help).  

He took quite a while to warm up to swinging. At first he didn't care for it, then he would swing for maybe 2 minutes at a time, but now he asks for more...especially if he is tired.  

What's better than a bowl of bubbles? Getting in a giant bathtub of bubbles. 

 

We moved his swing to the deck and it works ok. He much prefers a park swing. 

 

Elias has thoroughly enjoyed the water tables already. He doesn't mind busying himself on the deck while his brother's play in the yard. He does, however, pitch a royal fit when it's time to go inside. 

The Eye Doctor

I went to the eye doctor not long ago. He tested my sight (and letter recognition)... 

He checked inside the eyes... 

He chose the right frames for me... 

his assistant puppy helped too...  

He adjusted my new frames...

And took my money. Now I have new glasses! 

The Garden Box

 

Lewis has been asking for a garden for two years now. With a new baby last spring, it didn't happen, but this year Uncle Jeremy inspired us to try our green thumbs by snagging this perfect wooden box for us at his work! Who knew tractor parts are shipped in perfect garden boxes!!!

We got some potting soil this week and spread it in the box. Turns out I got the "organic" kind, which I laughed at because when is dirt not organic?! Stupid gimmicky language. Yeah, well...turns out it's "organic" because it's got manure in it, and boy is it obvious. S.M.E.L.L.Y. 

Lewis chose red flowers, blue flowers, and cucumbers. (It's just for the experience. We will teach logic when he's not a preschooler because that's a loosing battle.) He also talked his preschool teacher into giving him dried up corn and watermelon seeds when they did a project at school. So, whatever, he insisted on planting those too. Augustine dug the trenches, Lewis sprinked the seeds, and I watered it all. Boom. Garden. 

 

 We read this book tonight and we realized we didn't mark our trenches, so Lewis wanted to make signs.  

We worked on the art together, covered them in contact paper, and taped them to popsicle sticks. From left to right: blue flowers (again, with the logic lesson later), red flowers, corn, (rainbow) watermelon, and cucumbers.   

We will put a climber in the back for the cucumbers. And we may put something up to keep the bunnies out. We have a lot of bunnies.  

Seriously. Multi color watermelon. He would probably be upset if it (actually) grew and wasn't rainbow inside. *sigh*

A Very Busy Saturday

 

We had fun participating in our second Fire Fighter Fun Run!

   

Crossed the finish line! Blue Gatorade, a high five from a fire fighter, and a zoo train ticket for the win! 

LES demo...always a crowd pleaser.   

The fire house. Also a favorite.  

It was pretty hot by mid-day, so we headed to Firehouse Subs for lunch. Elias napped while we ate and then it was off to Cathedral.   

 We stood in line for 20-30 minutes to see Padre Pio's relics! 

 

 We don't know what one of the relics was, and a piece of his pillow, and a glove he would wear when he said Mass to hide the Stigmata. 

Cathedral has a really cool playground so we *ahem* motivated the boys to have good behavior in the church by playing on the cool playground after. They were really good waiting in line. Then we headed home for quiet time.  

We had dinner at my parents house, and then Logan took our boys home for bedtime. I stayed at my parents to babysit three cousins, and we had fun playing pictionary with chalk, and watching a movie with popcorn. It was a great day!