Saturday, June 25, 2011

VBS week

J & K attended a Vacation Bible School camp last week and had fun showing us what they learned during an end of the week program.  Bible stories, crafts, songs, field games and friends was what it was all about! 
M & K sitting with the preschoolers
 Classic "Hi Mom" from the crowd
 J & B singing songs
 ...more songs
 The kindergarten skit about shepherds finding their lost sheep...
 A dramatic display of them hammering open the sheep gate so that the sheep can go get lost... 
 Listening...
 Mallory took K under her wing, in her eyes K is still Baby Kyle!
 Friends!

Dirty Fun...

Water and sand go together like peanut butter and jelly.  It always starts off clean and neat- water pouring and sand digging... But then it turns into a creative mess ;). 

1 or 2 of them will be playing perfectly fine...
 ...When another one decides to join the fun and comes up with a bigger idea?!
 ...They all start collaborating their plan.
 ...The mixing and mashing begins!
 Then the temptation to taste takes over...
 The prohibited shoveling outside the sandbox begins...
 The big, messy, muddy, bug digging rescue has begun!



The muddy mess wasn't the only dirty thing around... Our sky was covered in smoke every evening for a week!  The sun appeared as a dull copper penny and the air smelled as if there was a huge campfire going on in the backyard. 
 The whole atmosphere was hazy... It is amazing that it was from the smoke from wildfires all the way from Arizona!
 There was an ash layer on everything. 

Friday, June 24, 2011

Balls, Bubbles, Bicycles & Beats...

We enrolled J & K in another session of art classes, which means I have had a little one on one time with Jakey at the science museum.  My mom even joined the fun one Friday :)!  We actually explored more than just the toddler room since my focus was mostly on little J (I had to stop and coo at little C a few times too!).  Here he is in action, I am not sure he knew what to do with himself leading the way. 

Ball collecting is his favorite, BEWARE: big screams appear when you try to pry balls out of his hand and move to the next section...
 But, the balls are quickly forgotten when taken to the music room.
 Bubbles are kind of like balls?!
 ...or they can be long cylinders when Grandma makes them!
 After art class, we went back so the big boys could play & they convinced me to ride the tight rope bicycle.  I look pretty silly, I know- I wish I had the camera to take a picture of the 3 boys lined up peaking through the gate looking at me in awe! 
 It really made me miss riding my bicycle!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

BBQs and Birthdays

Time to get outside and enjoy friends and neighbors!  BBQs and birthdays make that happen. 

He made the best turkey burgers!
 Fun times for the kids. Climbing the club house...
 Wagon rides...

 Fire cracker popping...
 more popping and mingling!
 rolling in the grass...
 Lots of laughs...
 and 'WOWS'!
The lovely host and hostess- Thanks for having us over, G family!

 Then we were off to a birthday party at the park
There was Jeep riding...
 swinging...
 cake & candles

 The baby section
 And a great opportunity to get a family picture taken!

Bouncy Baby

Little C has a new place to occupy!  We traded out the pack n play crib that he would lay flat in for a jumper that he can stand in--- He couldn't be happier!  He loves his new line of sight as everything looks up right and he has even figured out how to jump.  What a big boy he is ;). 
His feet can barely touch the ground
 He has lots of help when learning what these new toys do!
 He was having so much fun, he scratched himself!

Ice Pop Faces

Ice pop season is officially here!  Some days we go through a whole ice cube tray (16) in one day... Our favorite mix ins at the moment are frozen pineapple, strawberries, orange juice, bananas, blueberries & yogurt.  You can't tell that they have been eating too many of these healthy treats can you? 

Not sure how one little ice cube on a stick could be so messy!  This is his 'Wow' face.


 Don't tell him, but even the 5 year old managed to make a mess ;)! 

I would love to hear your ideas for ice pops!

Pioneer Kid

Big J has always immersed himself into whatever he happens to be into at the moment... Dressing up and role playing has always been a big part of this.  This month we have been reading and listening to the audio versions of Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie & Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I wasn't sure if J would be interested in this series, but boy was I wrong!  He has asked to listen to it over and over again in attempt to absorb as many details as he could about pioneer life.  Currently horse riding, bear hunting and fiddle playing are a regular part of his imaginative play.  What is even cooler is that my sister in law is related to the Ingalls family that we are learning about!