Summer!

I feel like our "regular" summer vacation is well underway.  We've been doing lots of "regular" summer stuff:  weeding the garden, picking vegetables in the garden, hacking away at rogue plants that are trying to take over my garden (tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, and watermelon are going crazy) swimming in our pool, water balloon fights, crafts, wii games/dancing, parties, 4th of July fireworks and more!  Our weather has been cooler than usual and a little bit wetter as well, but we are still enjoying it.  My pictures (like my blogging) are random and a bit sparse, so we'll see what I can find to post.

In other news I haven't done any family highlights since school got out, so I think I'll do a family highlight catch up!
Celeste:  Celeste still has a pacifier, despite our efforts to take it away, and she may have it for awhile because I'm tired.  Her favorite thing to eat right now is cottage cheese and apple sauce (yes, together).  She asks for it all day long.  She has it for lunch most days and if she doesn't have it for lunch she demands it for a snack when she gets up from her nap.  I guess there are worse things she could be eating.  Her hair continues to thicken but not lengthen - grrr.  It looks like it has a little bit of curl -we'll see if that stays.  She is talking more and more and is very precise about what she says, she usually says a name at the end of everything - it's not just thank you, it's thank you Lilah, or good night mommy, or see you later daddy.  She enjoys her nursery class and knows everyone's name.  She has started playing pretend more often and has the funniest conversations with her dolls.  She likes to be either a doggy or some other animal.  She loves to go outside and hates her carseat.  She is about the cutest monster you've ever seen.  She is getting more demanding and louder every day!
Lilah:  I think Lilah likes having everyone home from school, she always has someone to play with.  She has never had a problem standing up for herself so she doesn't let her older siblings push her around.  She is turning brown out in the sun and looks more out of place with her darker coloring every day!
Madeline:  Madeline was excited for school to be out but really missed going to school and seeing her teacher every day, but she is adjusting to being at home.  She likes to swim but prefers to be indoors and likes to play on her own (still) inside.  We have found since Madeline switched rooms that she is messy!  I didn't realize it was her causing the mess, but now we know!
Calvin:  Calvin is busy, busy, busy.  He loves to create things.  Most of the things he creates don't work, but we were impressed when he made a bow and some arrows and they work!  He has been shooting everything inside and out.  He is always looking for something to do.
Anna Elise:  Has continued to love to read and reads every evening.  She seems to be enjoying being at home and is a big help to me during the day.  She made a friend at school and misses her horribly.  We are trying to work it out so they can get together and play this summer.
Sally:  Things have shifted at work and I am busy again.  I am having to go into the office one day a week now and it will most likely get busier and be more often in the coming months.  I enjoy my work and I'm trying to not be resentful of the fact that it's taking up more of my time and pulling me away from my family.  Really, it's been a blessing that the past two years things have been slower and I've been able to do more from home and have gone into the office less.  I've been at home more with Celeste, I've been able to do more with my home and spend more time gardening, and making food from scratch, and doing other things - and I'm grateful I got that chance and now it's time to go back to working.
Mike:  Mike has been busy, but around more and we love it.  I'm thankful that although he is busy, he has been able to hire help so that he is around more and he is going to be able to watch the kids while I am in the office.  So far we haven't had to hire a babysitter and that is good!

 Celeste snagged these high heels from the other nursery teacher and wore them around

 a batch of bread and butter pickles

 We went to a pool party and had to wait for the rain and thunder to stop so we could get in and actually swim.  Celeste is soaking wet from the rain and dirty from chocolate frosting.

 the kids are having a good time in the pouring rain

   Calvin went off the high dive - so impressed!

Calvin's bow and lots of arrows made from a hanger, rubber band, tape, pencils, and nerf bullets

Calvin posing in our garden with his sunflower plants.  He planted those seeds at school.  He brought home tiny seedlings that we planted in the garden and they grew!  We are excited to have some sunflowers!

Philadelphia

We went to Philadelphia for a family vacation!  We left on Thursday morning and made the 4 and half hour drive to the Philadelphia Zoo!  It was fun, the kids enjoyed it.  Their favorite was the petting zoo where they got to pet and groom sheep and goats.  It was also very hot and humid and like most zoos it seems to all be uphill - so we were ready for some swimming when we went to check into our hotel.  Unfortunately the pool was closed and we were not able to go swimming - the kids settled for exploring the hotel room and watching cartoons.  We went to dinner and watched The Croods at the hotel.  We were lucky - the thunderstorm that was suppose to dump on us held off until that evening.  The kids were way too wound up to sleep and it was a long night with little sleep.  The next day was not pleasant.  We drove into the historical part of the city and saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, The Betsy Ross House, Benjamin Franklin's Grave and lots of old buildings.  There was lots of whining and complaining due to the heat and the walking and the lack of sleep for everyone.  Lilah had a complete melt down on our tour of Independence Hall - she and her Dad had to leave early.  Celeste decided she was done with the tour shortly after so the rest of us joined them outside while Lilah finished her tantrum.  It was lovely!  After lunch we gave up and packed everyone back into the car.  We had some friends move to New Jersey last year and so we went to visit them - the kids played while we got to tour their house and catch up!  It was nice.  We went back to the hotel and the kids were able to swim for a quick half hour before the rain and lightening drove us out of the pool.  The kids slept really good that night so we decided to give the city another try on Saturday morning and I'm glad we did.  The kids were much better behaved and it was an enjoyable morning.  We went to the US Mint and learned how they make coins, The Carpenter House where the Continental Congress met, and we tried to go to a Military Weapons Museum but it was closed.  We walked back through the visitor's center and then headed home.  We hit some awful traffic on the way home, but we finally made it!
It was a hard trip - but it was good and the kids had fun.  Their favorite things were swimming, the breakfast buffet at the hotel, and seeing their friends.  It's a good thing we drove all the way to Philadelphia to stay in a hotel.  Maybe next time we'll get a hotel with a pool and a free breakfast buffet here in Richmond =).

You can see from the pink cheeks and sweaty hair how hot it was (and this was inside resting!)

This tiger walked right in front of us - he almost brushed up against the glass he was so close.  Celeste slunk back and tried to climb behind me - apparently a sheet of glass wasn't enough of a barrier for her.

Grooming the shorn sheep

Lilah and Madeline really enjoyed this part - I think Madeline made sure to brush every goat and sheep there!

Celeste was a little unsure of them, but we convinced her to pet a few of them.

We are looking at the large gorilla.  He came right up to the glass as well.

This is after they all finally fell asleep our first night at the hotel.  It's too bad they didn't stay asleep!

This is our 'ducky' picture.  When we are all out together Mike says 'duckys' and the kids all line up like ducks and follow their daddy duck - Mom usually brings up the rear.  We've done this for years and when we first started it they would quack.  This was a silent duck line in Philly.

The Liberty Bell

Pennsylvania State Hall - aka Independence Hall - this is where the liberty bell hung and it's where the Declaration of Independence was read and the Constitution was written.  It was gorgeous inside!

Stopping for a rest and a snack

The kids listening to a story about Betsy Ross - just outside of the house she lived in when she was asked to sew the new country's flags.  

Madeline, Lilah, and Calvin signing their names on parchment with old fashioned quils and ink

Saluting with a soldier

In other news our summer break has been kind of crazy.  I've been going into the office more, including a really long trip to Baltimore for some meetings, Calvin had a week of Cub Scout Twilight Camp, we've had some crazy weather and it's been a crazy couple of weeks.  I'm ready to settled down into a summer routine and enjoy some 'regular' summer stuff!

Calvin with his two buddies at Cub Scout Camp - this is the day they got rained out.  Calvin had a great time - he LOVED it and can't wait to do it again next summer.

CELEBRATE!

We've had a busy week full of celebrations and fun!  On Wednesday the kids had an awards ceremony.  I took Lilah and Celeste to back to back assemblies, one for Madeline & Calvin and then another for Anna Elise.  The girls were OK, Celeste seemed to think she needed to sit with the big kids and was a constant source of entertainment for everyone at the assembly (except me).  The kids got citizenship, academic, and art awards and did very well. I didn't have the right lens for my camera so the pictures are not good.  With their certificates they get various coupons for the local fast food restaurants - so after school we met Mike at Chick-Fil-A and had some free ice cream cones to celebrate.   On Friday the kids had their last day of school.  They came home at 11:30.  We had an end-of-school carnival to celebrate!  They got tickets to use for their hot dog lunch and then had to earn more tickets playing games - the coin toss, bean bag throw, and duck shooting.  They used their tickets to buy prizes and candy.  Although my efforts were certainly not pinterest worthy, but the kids had a fabulous time.  On Saturday we got a surprise package from our cousins (thank you Jana, the kids were ecstatic and LOVE everything you sent) and then that evening we were invited to a BBQ/Birthday party and we had a blast celebrating, eating way too much yummy food, and playing.  We continued our celebrations today for Father's Day with cards, singing, playing, a really yummy apple pie and lots of other goodies.  We are completely partied out.

With all the fun and celebrating comes some 'party fouls' (as Mike would say). Calvin got pink eye.  He had a trip to the Dr and missed the last two days of school.  I was standing on a stool trying to decorate for our carnival and I fell - the stool tipped over, I fell back and landed on the stool.  I have two amazingly painful bruises on the backs of my upper legs where I hit the stool.  I avoided hitting my head on anything but I swear I have a mild case of whip lash.  I am getting so old!  On Saturday Anna Elise came down with pink eye as well, she and Calvin missed the BBQ - but had a fun little party at home.  On Saturday night Madeline threw up - she had seriously over indulged in chips and dessert and had a stomach ache.  She managed to hit her bed and then leaned over her top bunk bed and hit Anna Elise's bed on the way to the floor and splattered most of her room.  It was lovely!  Since we had kids that couldn't go to church Mike had stay home and miss church on Father's Day.  So sad. However - we have still had a fabulous weekend!

In other news I finished my redecorating!  I still have a few more things I need to figure out - but for the most part the room is done.   I realized that I hadn't ever taken any pictures of the room since we did the switching, so lots of pictures to follow.

 Calvin waiting to be called and Madeline up front receiving her award - look close

 Anna Elise up front getting an award with her little shadow and afterwards with all of her loot

Celeste cleaning up the coloring on the wall - right after this picture she handed me the magic eraser and said Momma's turn - so glad she is learning how to share!

Last day of school for the girls - Calvin's second day at home with pink eye

End of school carnival - Lilah's lunch and her tickets

 Celeste drinking her lemonaid

The coin toss - Celeste had it figured out!

 The duck shoot - it was pretty difficult even without the ducks moving!

 Madeline tried every which way to aim the gun and just could not hit anything!

 Shopping for their loot with all of their tickets!

The only before picture I could really find - this is at Christmas before we switched rooms, there is a bookcase on the right and then one on the left.

 The new room, the L shaped couch on the right, it's almost twice the size as the old room. 

The window seat - I bought the curtains (there is another window in the room) cut them off and used the extra fabric for pillows and the wall hanging.  The window seat cover is from a sheet set I purchased and the solid colored pillows are from fabric I already had.

Cute vinyl that I bought from my sister-in-law.  I love it!

Looking back towards the doors on the other side of the room.

Close up of my pillows.

Winding Down

The school year is almost over and we are so ready for summer!  It feels like everyone is already done with the school and here we are still chugging along for another week!  This week the kids had field day.  It was pouring rain on the scheduled day - so they moved it inside and did games and activities inside.  The kids still had fun.  I was able to see them each in their classrooms and also in the cafeteria or gym playing.  I only had my phone so the pictures aren't great.

Madeline with the hula hoop

 Anna Elise dancing and then playing crab soccer

 Madeline playing with shaving cream in her classroom.  She now dots her i with a heart.

 Calvin playing with the parachute and then playing crab soccer

Celeste helping me make brownies

Calvin used his legos to make rollerskates - no they did not work!