3rd week of June - Father's Day

Love summer flowers!

I DON'T love when I have bug infestations on my crepe myrtles and I have to figure out how to deal with it.  It reminds me I'm really an adult now.

The kids doing workbook during the day

Fun with boxes

Maxwell helping me fold the towels and wash cloths.  He loves helping me do it and I feel like it's a parent win!  He folded the whole loud by himself.

Kindermusik fun

Another Saturday, another soccer game, another smiley-happy boy.  He has this big smile on his face the whole time when he's playing with Preston.

These two are having so much fun playing together.  It's comical watching them carry on conversations as they are running around the field.

I took the kids shopping at the dollar store and they picked out presents to give to Peter for Father's Day.  They sure picked some interesting things.  :)

Happy Father's Day!  

We sure love this guy - he's a great dad!

Playing "War" to pass the time while we wait to get breakfast

Little Miss was not a happy camper

She just wasn't in a good mood so we appeased her with the ipad

Maxwell got an oreo pancake (let's face it - - it was basically dessert pretending to be breakfast) and he was in HEAVEN.

She's not always happy but she's always perfection.  

Cartwheels in the pool

Enjoying a delicious brownie next door with Mr. Chris.  He loves to spoil the kids.

Emmalyn tried on Ms. Mary Ann's readers.  (She always wants to wear glasses so she can be like Maxwell.)

Maxwell had his first week back at school during spring break.  He was really excited to go back and see his friends and he's been wanting to keep working on the school work he hasn't finished yet, like his pin punching maps.  He loves school and learning.

While Maxwell was at school, Britt took the kids to see another program at the library.

Britt took the kids to a play place in a fast food restaurant so they could run off some energy after picking up Maxwell.  Clearly she was into it.

Playing around

My old boss and friend Colleen was in town.  We ALL love spending time with her.  :)  She and Maxwell played rock/paper/scissors and slap.

Loves for Uncle Joe.

Emmalyn wakes up at 6:10 am consistently.  She wants to immediately nurse but at this point, I'm just a pacifier and she goes back to sleep within minutes.  

The kids have magic powers of waking up within minutes of each other even though they are in totally different rooms and can't hear each other.  It's crazy!

She now says "thank you" if you tell her she's cute or beautiful.  She's recognizing it as a compliment, which I always say we respond to with a thank you.

She says "swim soup" in place of "swim suit"

Emmalyn likes to watch the "Whip N Nae Nae" video when she's brushing her teeth.  She loves to sneak Max's tooth brush and suck on it (gross).

Emmalyn will baby talk by saying "yay, goo goo ga ga" when she is happy.  She still says "butt head" when she's upset with you. And she has no problem with going on timeout for it, it's not a punishment to her. 

Maxwell is doing great at being a helper.   

Lately, Max likes to watch the video of the song "One Step" from Aladdin or "Defying Gravity" or "Popular" from the musical Wicked at night right before bedtime cuddles.

Max gets to read book during "rest" time after he has rested for awhile.  He will go through a chapter book for an hour.

He's so loving and always tells me he loves me.  He and Emmalyn are starting to engage and be nice to each other.

First week of June - Summer is here!!

The first week of June sure was fun!!!  I am so happy summer is here.

The kids at Landen's preschool graduation

Silly face

Emmalyn dragged Landen onto the dance floor.  What a pushy broad! :)

Giddy-up horsey

The ladies in my neighborhood have started a book club.  The first book was "After You" and we read it right before the movie came out so we all went to the theater to watch it.  Loving Book club!  (Although, there was a point during the group discussion where I got super emotional and had to leave the room before anyone noticed because they were discussing one of the main character's choice to end his life.  It hit just a little too close to home especially since it was around mom's birthday.)

Maxwell had his first soccer game with his new team - The Bears.  Peter bribed him with popcorn and ice cream to be aggressive.  He also coached Maxwell to ask to be taken out of the game if he got tired and to raise his hand and ask to kick off the ball after a goal.  Maxwell did a great job of doing what he'd been coached to do.,  He was aggressive, went after ball, took it away from people a few times, AND got a goal in his first game!!!  His friend from preschool, Preston, is also on the team which helped.  (Preston is a ball of energy, very aggressive, and a great player!)  He's a leader and a good influence on Maxwell.  The two of them were so stinking cute during the game.  They high fived each other when either of them scored a goal.

Emmalyn was clearly deeply engrossed in the game.

Since he was a pro at playing indoor soccer, he knew exactly what to do for kickoffs and quickly got up there to kick off.

Going after the ball

Already lined back up for the kickoff while all the kids are still running around.

Goofing off with Preston (in red)

High five after a goal!

He was so excited about the goal that he kicked! 

It was a lot of fun to watch because he was really engaged with the game.

Gotta love that dimple but boy is that hair getting crazy.

Time for a haircut

Post haircut

We tried a new taco place by our house.  "Daddy's tacos" with Daddy and his kids.

She loves reading

We hit up the Ninja Warrior place with some of the boys from pre-school

Joshua K, Joshua V, Preston, and Maxwell.  They had an AWESOME time and were so glad to be back together. 

Swimming next door

Emmalyn started swim lessons at Aquatots.  I loved being back in the pool with one of my kids.  :)  She did a pretty good job for her first time but she does not like when her head goes under.  She comes up and immediately wipes at her ears and pushes her hair forward over them.

Maxwell was swimming in the class right next to us so that was fun

Brittany had fun things planned for the first week out of school - she took the kids to a program at the library...

...she took the kids to a 1.00 movie

Look how great my garden is coming along!  WAHOO!

I have a little pea pod coming along.  It's not going to make it though, I can tell.

Playing in the sprinkler

Strawberries!

Swimming at Brittany's pool

And, of course, more playing in the water.  It's just what you do in the summer!

Update on Emmalyn...

She's at a really wonderful and enjoyable stage.

She's quick to cry and can be mean but she can be sooooo loving.

She will turn my face to hers, kiss me, and say "I love you Momma head"

She wants kisses and hugs from her whole family at night.

She bounces when she walks.

She sings all the time and has the cutest voice.

I love when she says "uh huh"

Can count to 14

The past week she has been a leader to other kids - she encouraged Landen to get out and dance at his preschool graduation, at Kindermusik she encouraged one of the other kids to pretend to be a tiger.