Grassies, Rock Candy & Slumber parties

The very beginning of summer was pretty exciting for several reasons... You would get a different answer depending on which kid you asked.  Here are a few to point out:

Grassies (aka Grass hoppers)... We had a plague of them early summer.  They would collect bags and bags of them on walks or in the back yard.  They were everywhere (and now are eating my tomato plants!), but the kids (especially Kyle) were in bug heaven!  They spit red stuff out and leave large amounts of poop in their catching buckets, but they boys didn't care.  

 amount caught in a very short hunt... I failed to take pictures of the big hunts (literally 50-100 hoppers in a bag!).  

They were everywhere! 

 Someone has been watching brothers catching. 

 Here mom!  No thank you!

 Rock Candy!  Kyle got a Kitchen Science kit for his birthday and so we jumped right in with the candy making.  It was a fun, lonnnng process and yummy at the end.  

 We made some plain sugar kind and some flavored with Kool-Aid packets.  For us the regular ones turned out better.  

Sweet smile!

Other early summer hits were "slumber parties" . 

 The fun of having several siblings is sleeping arrangements sometimes get switched up :). Or sometimes they all get to all camp out together! 

 This was a different "slumber party", they tucked in all their animals and then shared a bed. 

 Good night!

 ... Sleep tight!

Friends and Neighbors

On some days we have 7 boys... Some days we have 2, 3 or 4 boys.  It all depends where this neighborhood crew is hanging out for the hour.  Josh's wall friend and him have been hanging out for years talking at the wall or jumping the wall to play at each other's house.  During this past year the younger siblings have learned to hang out too.  Some days/weeks they are completely inseparable and they all usually play well together.  I am thankful they have great neighbors to learn about friendship with.

great group of boys!

 Endless games to be made up and played!

 Best buds, amazing how much they look like brothers!

 The next generation of best buds... Jacob should be there too :). 

 Oh, the fun they have together... sometimes it seems easier to have the 7 kids than just 5!

 game time.

Playgrounds

An evening at the park is always a blessing with these 5... After the once a week soccer camp that K & J attended, we always ended the evening at the adjacent playground.

tickle tummy feeling! 

 Weeeeeeeee!

 This one is growing up before our eyes!

 King climber Kyle!

 hold on tight.

 zip line.

 music maker.

 hi mom and making friends.

 balancing!

First day of Summer... Memorial day.

It was Mike's idea to go do something special on Memorial Day, so we drove somewhere we had never been.  It is literally just down the street from us.  We see the peaks almost daily on our usual drives around town.  They are extinct volcanoes that have been turned into a state park.  It was a beautiful partly cloudy day.  Come see!

The trail head to the volcanoes!

 A little ways down the trail and the kids are off... Beautiful views of the city and mountains. 

 Brotherly bonding time.

 Really cool (and really Big) lizard that we found.  

 I think he had fun!

Last day of school and soccer fun...

We said goodbye making lunches, pick ups, drop offs, homework and school uniforms for a short while.  It was a great school year but we are ready for summer fun!  Congrats to Kyle for graduating kindergarten and both Josh and Kyle for earning great marks on their report cards :).  Next year brings 3 school aged kids in our house but i don't need to think about now--- It is time for swimming pools, kid's camps, friends and outside fun.

Kyle and his teacher at graduation :). 

 Kyle and his first crush. 

 Boys after end of the year picnic.

 someone offered to take a picture with me in it too :). 

 So proud to be a 1st grader now! 

 Along with this post of kinder graduation I have show you the collection of fun shiny stuff that Kyle would find in the playground sand and give to me after school.  Also included is one of the many cards he would make to go along with his little gifts :).  Such a thoughtful kid!

 With the closing of the school year also comes the end of soccer season... The red dragons did well!

 Josh was the top scorer of the season :). 

 Go, Josh, GO! 

 Josh tried out for a more competitive team for next season and made it :).  We look forward to more games coming soon!  

 We have 2 more kids in the house that have been interested in soccer lately... Can you guess who they are??  We signed them up for parks and rec soccer camp and they did really good. 

 Surprisingly they were both the most aggressive kids out there... What else can I expect when they each live with 4 other boys!  

 Watch out soccer... These two are signed up for a league this fall!  I can't wait to see their games. 

Mother's day 2014

Again, I am posting on the wrong holiday... But it seems I am always about 2 months months behind so here goes!  Awhile back we went to a fundraising auction for the boys school and I was really disappointed when I didn't win an over-sized ruler growth chart.  But, leave it hubby to make me an even better one for mother's day :). 

He made sure the board was baby bottom soft!

 A few steps later he was rubbing in the stain...

 Putting brackets on it to hang on the wall (with some helpers of course!).

 Looks like an over-sized ruler to me!

 And now we have a beautiful functional decorative growth chart hanging in our living room for much less money and more sentiment than the auction one would have ever provided :).  Thanks Mike, I LOVE it! 

 Both grandmas were honored to with gifts from all (although I only happened to take a picture of Grandma R).