JUNE

Summer is going by too quickly. I think 1st and 3rd grade will be here before we have a chance to be bored. I started this blog post 2 weeks ago and it just keeps getting longer. We've already completed 2 Vacation Bible Schools (1 at First pres and 1 at First Baptist), swim lessons, basketball camp and a trip to Colorado. And we've had picnics and trips to the pool intermittently.

Summer started with Millie having her first taste of rice cereal.

She loved it. We've moved on to peas and green beans. She gets mad when you reach the bottom of the bowl so I've also started her on to rice crackers for her to chew on while we finish dinner.

 

Then we had a midnight tornado drill that caused everyone to get about 3 hours sleep

Including Millie, but at least she was in a good mood. The above picture cracks me up because there is such a look of concern but really we managed just fine and then everyone was wound up from all the excitement. Unlike last summer, there was no hail damage and we were in a spacious bathroom instead of a cramped closet. The next day, Grayson asked if the rain was God sweating. (It is fairly hot).

Then we drove to Colorado to meet baby Henry. He's scrumptious.

 

 We spent time at the hospital for Proyaya...she had a foot infection

Some time outside

We visited the Science Museum and had a non-windy picnic lunch before our discoveries.

Grayson built a cool tower and then wanted me to buy the magnetic see through pieces that cost $80 and I said no. It's amazing how quickly I go from being cool mom to mean mom in just a split second.

I think Lola is the CUTEST astronaut.

We went to a fun flying skit that I thought was HILARIOUS...not sure the kids caught all the puns but I was rolling on the floor. I'm sure other Moms thought I was delirious. There were paper airplane practice runs after the skit.

The next day we went to the zoo with all the cousins. I found pictures and video on my phone of army trucks we passed along the way. The kids were very impressed with all the vehicles.

We watched an animal show at the zoo in which there were birds flying over our heads and some pooped...I still don't like birds.

We met an opossum.

Janie got a hold of the popcorn.

Mom said something about not missing field trips from her teaching days (there were a lot of school groups at the zoo) because of the stress from keeping track of too many kids. After looking at our crew, I wonder if she felt like she was on a field trip again?

Aunt Krissy always has a following

We spent a night with Molly and Ellie and then another night with Janie and Henry

I think Millie likes her cousin Janie.

And then a night or 2 with all of them. There was a way cool park with water (despite Mommy forgetting the swimsuits), the kids loved it.

Aunt Amy claims she is Millie's favorite Aunt and Millie didn't disagree!

Lola helped with some of the chores

And then we made the long trek home just in time to spend Father's Day with the kids' favorite Dad. Grayson participated in a basketball camp at Wayland. I think he had a lot of fun though it wore him out. He won the Hustle Award and a Cut Throat Champion certificate. He also managed to take advantage of free propel...he probably should have won the award for that too.

Matalley and Lola stayed a night with him at Bobo and Pops' house and did girly things while Grayson was at camp.

I crack up at my list of parenting accomplishments...1. it's fairly short (we all know that parenting doesn't have a lot of immediate gratification and it's a lot more nagging and stickiness that I anticipated). 2. I'm not so good at praising my kids or giving encouragement (see nagging comment above). So during swim lessons as I focused on catching up on facebook and keeping Lola from jumping in, all the other parents of kids in both Matalley and Grayson's class oohed and aaahed over small accomplishments. The funniest moment happened when the kids started jumping off the side of the pool into the deep end and EVERY parent got up to take photos of the jumps (except me). It was just a jump...Lola does it and she's 3 but then later I started to feel guilty that I wasn't relishing in the kids doing something so normal. So while I made fun of the other parents for being so "silly," I secretly felt guilty and then redeemed myself 2 weeks later when I took a picture of the kids at church because we arrived EARLY. I guess it's just perspective...I'm sure no one else takes pictures of early arrivals (but it was monumental for us!).

Millie has also learned to roll and she is sleeping 8-9 hours a night. I do have video! One more week of June and I'm not sure what we'll fit in. Hopefully something fun for Lola...she's missed out on a lot of camps due to her age and it makes her sad. Oh to be the young ones:)