Day at the lake

We spent most of Sunday at Lake Sagamore in Bunn with our friends, Tammy and Jim, and my godson, Drew. We'd planned to go on Saturday, but the weather didn't look like it was going to cooperate, so we switched to Sunday. Wouldn't you know that Saturday ended up being beautiful and sunny... oh well. Sunday was gorgeous too. We got out there around 10am, loaded up the boat and cruised around the lake for awhile. Then, we got dropped off at the beach, let the kids play, and we all took turns on the jet ski, even Brett (with Todd, of course). We ate lunch on the beach, and headed back after lunch because we had a neighborhood cookout later. What a fun-filled (and exhausting) day!

Relaxing on the way to the lake

Mimicking her brother

The girls and the kids

It took her a little while, but eventually she really liked being on the boat!

Tammy and Drew

Yes, we were still potty training... nothing says classy like a potty seat on the beach!

Brett LOVED the jet ski!

He loved being on the boat, too!

I bet...

I bet you can't guess what we're doing this weekend! Here, does this help?

How about this?!

Yep, we're potty training the Kater Tot this weekend. I know that I need several consecutive days at home to do it, and this weekend was the only stretch of consecutive days that I have the entire months of May or June, so there. She did really well today - let's hope she keeps it up! We're headed to the lake with some friends tomorrow. That should make for some interesting potty training!!

Since I've been sort of home-bound potty training the little one, I decided that it was time to bust out some old ribbon and the glue gun. Yep, Kate's playing soccer this year. Can you believe it?! I have a feeling she's going to sit in the middle of the field picking weeds, but she may surprise me! She is feisty like her Aunt Renee!

Every little girl needs a little more pink, don't ya think?!

Monkey Movies

Brett's last day of school with the Monkey Class was on Thursday. This class always does the coolest things, so I knew they would have something ridiculously creative, fun, and meaningful for the kids to do on their last day. They invited the parents to come in around 12:30, but Kate and I got there early, so I peaked my head in, and this is what I saw... the classroom had been transformed into a drive-in movie theater, complete with "Cars" movie! I knew that Brett was truly in heaven!

The kids (and a few siblings) eating lunch in the cars that they painted on Tuesday and decorated on Thursday... apparently they had circle time and snack time in their cars too!

The room moms put together scrapbooks for the teachers - each book had a picture of each child and a quote saying, "I love Ms. Kathy or Ms. Kathryn because..." I actually borrowed the idea for Kate's teachers this year too! The kids in Brett's class were SOOOO unbelievably excited to see the books. I never expected such a strong response from 3 and 4 year olds - literally every kid in the class was gathered around the teachers - truly a testament of how much Kathy and Kathryn mean to our kids!

Ms. Kathryn with one swarm of little ones

Ms. Kathy with another swarm of curious eyes!

Brett with K&K

Brett couldn't wait to get his car home and have snack in it at home too!

They even attached this mint case and gave each kid a little matchbox-type car inside!

The nametags on their keys were leftover name tags from their old classroom (they switched classrooms mid-year when the new building opened). They made the key chains, complete with a real key attached!

Getting ready to rev the engine!

Beep! Beep!

The kids even had to pass a test to get their driver's license... they had to name about 8 different road signs (stop sign, green light, cattle crossing, etc.). Ironically, I went to renew my own license that morning - reading the signs and everything!

They also gave each child a big "I spy" type book, a 10-ish minute photo collage, set to music, of a ton of the pictures they had taken all year. They played the DVD for the parents... it was adorable to see how excited the kids got when they saw pictures of themselves in Halloween costumes, performing at Christmas-time, playing on the playground with their friends, with Mom or Dad during Moms and Muffins or Dads and Donuts, etc. It truly is amazing how much they do with these kids!! Lastly, they gave each kid a CD with about 20 of their favorite preschool songs. We already had one of Ms. Kathryn's CDs from something that Brett's other class did this year, but this one is different. I haven't even told the kids that we have ANOTHER "Ms. Kathryn" CD... I'm waiting until the one that's already in my car loses it's "coolness factor." Trust me, it's nowhere near that yet!! In fact, most days they just want to listen to the first song over and over and over and over and over again!

As a side note, if you live in the area and need to get your license renewed, I highly recommend the Avent Ferry DMV... it's 10 minutes longer in the car, but it has served me very well twice now - this time in 11 minutes!!

Sweetness

Brett has been slowly trying to drop his nap over the last few weeks. Part of me wishes he would keep taking an afternoon nap for as long as I can see into the future, but part of me is sort of excited that he's starting to drop it because I rarely get any one-on-one time with him. Lately, he goes upstairs, lays in bed for awhile, then about 15 minutes later, I can hear him moving around up there. He's not being loud, and I can hear him "reading" stories to himself, which is just precious to listen to. Sometimes, he takes all of his pillows and whatever else he can find and builds what he calls a tent. This afternoon, when it was time for them to get up, this is what I found. A boy, in his "tent", sound asleep. Sweetness.

Shining Stars Picnic

Kate's picnic (below) was at 11 this morning, and Brett's picnic was at 12. Needless to say, I should've just stayed at school all morning!! This is the class that Brett likes to get extra silly with, so I know that he was looking forward to being outside with his friends today. After the picnic was over, we went to the playground and let the kids run some more. Gotta get all of that energy out :)

Saying the blessing before getting their lunch

Brett with Ms. Lynda and Ms. Tammy

Kippy enjoying her ice cream nicely, while wildman Brett is splashing in the fountain

Not sure what this was all about, but he sure did have fun!

Daisy Picnic

Today was the last day of school. I have very mixed feelings about this - on one hand, I no longer have to get the kids fed, and dressed, and hair brushed and teeth brushed, and shoes on, and blue bags ready, and lunches packed, and... well, you get the idea... on the other hand, we've now started the 3 month countdown until August 30. I'm trying not to dread the next 3 months and think about all of the fun things that we can do together. My brain is already full of ideas!

Kate & Daddy at her class picnic

The only 3 girls of the class - Kate, Izzy, and Lexi... I'm sure the 9 boys were running in circles somewhere else!


Kate & Ms. Shelley

Kate & Ms. Donna

I'm sort of sad that this year has come to an end. I feel like Donna and Shelley are part of our family now. They had Brett last year and Kate this year. It will be very weird to come back next year and not be walking into their classroom!

Take me out to the ball game

Softball season has officially started. As much as I moaned and groaned about it last year, I'm sort of looking forward to it this year. Reason #1 - I don't cook dinner on game nights. Reason #2 - We get to hang out with great friends. Reason #3 - Sometimes you just need to sweat out the stress of life. Reason #4 - I don't have to cook dinner on game nights. Oh, I said that already? It's important enough to be mentioned twice.

How cute is this kid?! He was this tiny little baby last year and now he can climb and have fun with the rest of them!

Head first, Mom, here I come!

The "big kids" - since when is Kate a "big kid"?!?!

Elanor was going nuts!

Evelyn is watching her sister act very silly

Kate's just taking it all in

Brett is trying to be as silly as Elanor

"That slide is mine!"

You might be wondering why you don't see any pictures of guys playing softball. That's basically the least important part of game night. We race out of the house, grab dinner on the way, eat 2 bites of dinner on some nasty blankets that I forgot to wash the week before, then make a beeline for the playground until the dads come over to give us the play-by-play.

A girl and her Grandma

Kate and Grandma had some good quality alone time one morning... here is the result!

"Baby Kate" turned 3, so Kate invited all of "Baby Kate's" friends to her birthday party... do you see them all lined up, ready to sing. For the record, Mommy, Grandma, and Grandpa all had to sing, too! I told Kate that my baby is almost 3, and she thought for a second, then she said, "ME! I'm your baby, Mommy!" Cuteness.

Enjoying a sunny, warm day on the swingset

Bubbles & Bikes

A few quick shots of some play time after school... Brett, his new bike, and his new bubble blower

Kate LOVES chasing the bubbles from the bubble blower. I'm waiting for the day when she realizes that she can operate the bubble blower just as well as Brett can.

Birthday, Part 2

For whatever reason, we decided to celebrate Brett's birthday with the family a different day than his party, even though ALL of the family came to our house after the party. Whatever. Either way, Brett thoroughly enjoyed getting spoiled for the second time in one week. Keep in mind that all of these birthday celebrations were still a good week or so before his actual birthday.

Opening the ridiculously loud race track from Aunt Dithy, which he made Mommy put together before school the next day... yep, we were late!

Super-excited about the changing Mustang that he found at Target a few weeks ago with Daddy

Trying to pick up and/or open his "big" present from Memere and Poppy

A new, big-boy bike! Alright! He immediately proceeded to drive it through Memere's living room, down the foyer, and around the kitchen!