3rd week of July, 2016

Update on the garden front:  I'm getting lots of tomato fruit and the cucumbers are finally growing (after I helped pollinate them).   Nothing else has made it.

Problem:  I had tomatoes finally turning red and then I went out to check on them and see this - - something else is eating them!!! :(  I was so upset because I still have yet to eat a tomato from my plant with all the fruit!

Look at that cucumber I found!!

Cousin time in the pool

I have commenced Operation Protect the Tomatoes.  I am hoping with the chicken wire and soccer goal (don't laugh, I'm doing whatever I can to save my tomatoes) that the birds won't be able to get in there.  Notice how the cucumber vines have taken over?  They have loved the chicken wire.

Apparently this is a topless pool

My first cucumber.  Look at that size!!  I am so excited.  I've never grown cucumbers before and this cucumber looks exactly like what you would buy at the grocery store.  (Although, it's spiky - did you know that cucumbers grow with little prickly spikes on them?  I didn't.)

Sweetly sleeping

Getting my nightly walk in even in the dark.  It may be hot out there but I'm still walking 4-5 nights a week.

More carnage.  How is this happening, even with all the protection I added???

Next step on the protection - a pin wheel to scare away the birds.

Swim time at the Ray's summer sweets.  Emmalyn loves Ozzy.

Happiness= Watermelon in one hand and pizza in the other

The kids swam for awhile and then hopped out for more watermelon (and gatorade for Maxwell - he loves going next door because they always have gatorade for him and that's something he doesn't get at home).

Trying to put out the torch with the water gun.  Once it got dark Maxwell did his magic and said "Abracadabra" to turn on the lights.

Maxwell and Preston yukking it up on the soccer field.

Because these two don't see each other during the week at school all the time, it's been awesome for them to get to see each other at soccer on the weekend.  They are BFF's.

Mr Chris and Mrs Mary Ann came to watch Maxwell play soccer.  We have the best next door neighbors!

My Crepe Myrtle is infested with something.  Ugh.  Something else to figure out. :(  

Weekend fun at the library.  I took the kids by myself and we got some books and then I let them play on the computers for a few minutes.

We stopped at the eye glass store so Maxwell could get his glass adjusted so they would stop falling down on his nose all the time.  They stayed entertained with the new library books.  Maxwell is really loving reading a few chapter book series - Captain Awesome and Heidi Heckelbeck

After glasses, we stopped for slurpees to enjoy while my car got washed.  Emmalyn put her sucker in her straw.  The kids certainly were rewarded for being good sports during our afternoon of many errands - Suckers AND Slurpees.

Sucking on her slurpee?  Nope, her sucker.

Watching the cars get washed

Maxwell spraying the cars as they go through the wash

The next day we took the kids bowling.  Our local alley has a "Kids bowl free" program in the summer so it's pretty cheap for us to go, especially on Sunday morning when there are deals for Peter and I.

After bowling?  Costco of course for our usual Sunday visit.

These kids are fish and can't get enough of swimming so a neighborhood party at the community pool was the perfect thing for a Sunday afternoon.

Watching the ants

Trying to lick the pizza sauce off his face

Root beer float

Nighttime selfie with Maxwell during our bedtime cuddles

May is here! Kindergarten Round Up for Maxwell

We had some fun family time going bowling - one of Maxwell's favorite activities and Emmalyn is finally big enough that she can sort of participate too (although she takes a LOT of entertaining when it isn't her turn).

Matching mother/daughter frizzy and curly side hairs

She, of course, wanted to do it on her own

Maxwell did a great job without the ramp (but with the bumpers)

He did a pretty cute celebration dance every time he knocked down some pins

Begging to play the big arcade games

Silly kids enjoying one of their favorites - pizza

Ugh.  It was time to go through Emmalyn's clothes and put away the old size and get out the new size.  This girl is blessed with far too many clothes!!!

Maxwell really like shoes.  I think it's probably his favorite piece of clothing right now and he would love to get new shoes all the time.  I was a little shocked when I laid them all out and realized he has 12 pairs of shoes!

Wearing his new leather penny loafers to school.  He was really excited about them (as was I because they were so handsome).  Unfortunately he came home from school and his feet were so sore from the shoes.  I didn't even think that boys new shoes could be painful like girls new shoes could be.  I know that's silly, but I really never thought about it.

It was a gorgeous day so I treated myself and sat outside to enjoy the weather while enjoying this yummy burger!

Maxwell had Kindergarten Round Up.  This is where all the upcoming Kindergartners get to see parts of the school and the parents get to hear a little about Kindergarten.  Even though we haven't fully decided to send Maxwell to Kindergarten this year, we figured better to send him just in case.

He was all excited until we got there and he realized he would be going someone separately from us.  Then he started crying.  Luckily, right then we saw one of Maxwell's friends from the neighborhood, Avery, who is also going into Kindergarten and so she sweetly put her arm around him and they walked off.  A teacher quickly helped out too and off he went.  My heart was aching a little watching him walk away.

So off he went to see some of the rooms he will be going to as a Kindergartner, like a classroom/the gym/the music room, etc. While Peter and I sat with a bunch of parents and learned about the "ABC's" of Kindergarten.  Such a weird experience! How are we parents of a kid that is old enough to go to school?

When we picked up Maxwell he was having a great time playing with kids in the gym and was happy.  Whew - I was worried he'd still be upset and clinging to an adult.

Maxwell and Avery

In front of the elementary school

This stuffed emoji has a story.  Maxwell got this one from McDonalds, it's name is "J/K".  He LOVES it.  It's the thing he is sleeping with at night.  He wants to take it places with us... He LOVES IT.  Well, all of a sudden it went missing one day and we couldn't find it anywhere.  He was devastated.  I found a picture of it online and put out a cry for help on Facebook to see if anyone might have one.  Our sweet photographer found one and so I picked it up from her and then a mysterious benefactor secretly placed one on our door (and then showered us with a few more over the next few weeks).  So grateful for friends that come to your rescue!

I threw a double bridal shower at work for my friends Beth and Michelle who are just a couple months apart.  It was a lot of fun and we did a "cinco de mayo" theme.  :)

These cousins are so lucky to have each other to play with!  Most of the time, they get along well.

Maxwell's card to his teacher for Teacher Appreciation

Presents for his teacher and co-teacher

3 amigos

Warm spring days and enjoying them outside!

Emmalyn playing with a little friend from Kindermusik after class

Emmalyn got to paints the letters for her "TWO" photoshoot.  She had a lot of fun and I let her do whatever she wanted.

Maxwell did his own paint project at the same time.  He's really into drawing hearts right now.

After the letters she wanted to paint a little more.

On Saturday, I got to pick dinner and I chose to get some take out from a new Sushi restaurant by us.  I chose Teriyaki Chicken and tempura veggies and Peter chose .... get this... sushi.  for real.  He chose Sushi.  Who is this guy???