End of July 2016

Summer is 2/3s over! :(

She's so particular....first off she needs multiple blankets (on top of the pjs and sleep sack! Don't know how she can sleep with that much heat), then puppy goes on the left and turtle goes on the right but usually turtle isn't covering her face.

Emmalyn is making good progress during swim lessons.

Here's Maxwell's progress for his last class with Coach Katie. She's been his coach since he was 18 months and she is leaving Aquatots.  Pretty bummed about that but we are going to have her come over and teach Maxwell privately and take both kids out of Aquatots.  Maxwell has seen her every week for more than 3 years, it would be so sad if they didn't see each other any more.

Last class - with Coach Jada as well as Katie

Look at that face - she's up to something

She got a wound on her face but keeps picking it so I am keeping a bandaid on so that it can heal.  She is the worst at constantly picking her wounds!

Maxwell and Sanjinuh have been in the same class for awhile and developed a cute friendship.  They are good buds and it's sad that they won't get to see each other anymore.

Taking a nap with Uncle Joe.  Joe and Britt are going to move back in upstairs and so they have moved a bit of their stuff over to our house.

The kids got their passports!  We can all go international now.  Maxwell was super excited.

Look at that cucumber we picked from our garden!

Brittany took Emmalyn to the dealer to get some work done on her car and she sent me this picture and said that Emmalyn had a conversation with the giraffe, "I like your piggy tails.  I like your shoes.  I like your tail"  in the sweetest voice ever.  :)  She is certainly learning how to give compliments.

The owl that we are now using to try and protect the garden from birds.  For Emmalyn, he's another friend to play with.  (She told him she likes his eyes.)

At Kindermusik, Emmalyn decided she wanted to sit with Ms. Carolyn and not Mom.  

Giddy up horsey

I let Maxwell come to Emmalyn's Kindermusik class and he got to sit outside the room and play on his ipad.  The class is in a church that is empty on Saturday so he was safe but it felt like he was so far away and I kept checking on him throughout class.  Of course, he was fine.

Emmalyn likes to play peek-a-boo with the scarf and when she puts it on like this, she wants you to say "Emmalyn where are you?  I can't see you." and then she'll put it off and magically I can see her again.  :)

Last soccer game of the season.  These two have been a great team.

Look at Maxwell getting into the cluster around the ball!  Being around Preston's influence has really helped him be more aggressive during soccer.

Taking charge of the ball

Team picture.  The two boys to the right of Maxwell live in our neighborhood (Griffin and Kinsler but they are moving away which is a bummer.  We've played with them a couple times.)

Emmalyn is doing great at putting together these simple two piece puzzles.  

We spent more time at the FAC, mainly enjoying the lazy river which both kids love.

Tired post-swimming face (and those curls!)

Emmalyn riding her tricycle while Maxwell rides his bike with training wheels

We had a playdate at Luckshya's house (another boy from preschool - this group of boys is really keeping their friendships alive)

Remember how he always had his feet crossed when he was a baby?  It is still his natural tendency today.

Don't these flowers look awesome??  I didn't have to do a thing to get them.  They just came up again from what I planted last year - score!

A fun flashback picture my cousin found of my dad in high school.

I took the kids for dinner at Tokyo Joes.  Max liked using chopsticks.

We now have Coach Katie and Coach Jada coming over to give the kids private lessons next door.  Maxwell's lesson is an hour and Emmalyn's is a half.  I was hoping to stay out of the pool but because Emmalyn is used to having me in there with her for lessons, we are going to have to work on transitioning her to being in there without me.

Maxwell is acting like a teenager - - exasperated sighing and then whining all the time, talking with attitude, arguing and talking back so we had a conversation tonight about that not being okay and there will be consequences.  I sure hope this is a little quick phase.

Emmalyn tells you when she doesn't like something (like beans - "I don't like beans"). And, she's working on learning colors and her default is always purple.

4th week of July 2016

It's interesting.  Most of the time I feel like our lives are pretty simple (boring) and we don't do much.  However, as I am going through and blogging, I am reminded of how much we do in even just a normal, summer week.  Take this week for example, there's nothing big and special but it was a full week!

Emmalyn in her sleep sack with her best buddy, Landen.

Kids all crowded around Peter

This is not posed.  This is how she sleeps.  How perfectly sweet is that?!!? Those sweet hands, those cheeks, and that tousled, curly mess of hair laying on her pillow. (Turtle placed right on her forehead and purple puppy on the other side.)

My handsome big kid enjoying some time at school this week.

Silliness

Max had a splash day at school and for awhile he just didn't want to participate.

Eventually he got into it though.  :)

Splashing Dylan

Going after Mrs. Cynthia

He's coming along really well with his swim strokes.  He loves his coach Katie.

Joe joined the fence staining crew.  The boys decided to see if the sprayer was a better option than the way we had been doing it.

I helped stain the fence and paid the price - look at that mess! (I also got eaten alive by mosquitoes because we were out at dusk. I'm not kidding, like 9 bites on one leg.)

Playing at the park after Kindermusik

Look!!!  I got a tomato off my plant! (It wasn't very flavorful though because I picked it when it was a little green and let it ripen on the counter)

My old boss at work, Marc Rapp, was diagnosed with lung cancer so a bunch of us are showing our support and Running for Rapp (R4R) since he can't run any more right now.  I'm not running but I'm walking and logging miles (and sometimes rocking my hat).

Morning time on the ipad

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese

Maxwell asks to do school work when he's at the Montessori school even though during the summer they typically don't do any work.  He loves learning - especially math!  This is a chain that helps him learn his times tables.

We have our membership at the Frisco Athletic Center again and are loving the great outdoor water park.  We've found a few friends who also have a membership and try to meet them there. 

Maxwell and Preston

Maxwell going to Kinder is about a month away (seems unfair to have to start thinking about school when it's still July!) so we went to find a backpack and lunch box.

We found the "one"

It looks so big!  The only thing smaller were little kid backpacks with characters on them and I just don't do characters if I can help it.

We signed Maxwell up to take tennis lessons at the FAC.  He really wants to learn.

I gave up on my bell pepper, jalapeno, and zucchini plants.  They haven't grown any veggies...I guess it's just too hot now.

Oh no!  When I pulled up my bell pepper plant, I saw this little baby bell pepper so I quickly replanted it.  Hopefully it will make it! :(

My helper

Putting in the miles again.  It's hot at night but I'm really focused on hitting my steps and losing some weight.