Mr. and Mrs. Fix It

Having the two youngers home has been so nice.  These two play so well with each other and by themselves that besides for snacks and the occasional squabble, I feel like I can actually start projects again:)  Lyv reminds me a lot of Sam as far as her imaginative play is concerned.  She loves to play pretend and dress up, and Max seems game for all of the above.  The two found the Home Depot play kit and decided to play….doctor?  What?  Should I be concerned that they were drilling and sawing baby dolls?  At least they were sporting protective goggles, safety first.  Max's goggle kept slipping, but that didn't stop him - not very comfortable but determined.

My all time favorite picture - Crazy Lyvie revving up the drill!  She pulls the funniest faces.  Love this girl.

Oh MAX

Max, Max, Max - what do I say!  Just when I feel sad about my other three getting older, I have my sweet boy Max to comfort me and bring me back to reality!)  He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his momma!  Seriously I have never, ever had a child that wants me so much, which is flattering, but at the same time - at some point you need to cut the apron strings, right?  

If he wasn't so adorable, I am sure I could resist the temptation to give in and do whatever he demands, but he is too cute!  He hugs, kisses, and cuddles.  He parrots every word we say, and does it in his sweet little sing song voice, that melts your heart. He tries to keep up with the olders - playing baseball, babies, legos, and wearing dress ups!  He is the household favorite and gets spoiled by all of us.  

One thing I love about Max is how he eats ice-cream.  This is serious business - there are no leftovers with Max.  It is bowl tipping, finger licking good!

I am so glad he is still little, and still needs me. Even if that means I have to wake up every night at 3:30 am because he wants to sleep in our bed.

Lyvie Rocks Preschool

Talk about ready to go!  Lyvie couldn't have been more excited to start preschool this year.  She is in a class with four of her friends from the neighborhood, so she was up and at 'em this morning, sporting her new duds from Grandma Summers! She will be attending Wesley Preschool this year with Mrs. Koday and Mrs. Johnson MWF!  

 I can't believe she is only 1 year away from kindergarten too!  Where did the time go?  But I would rather my kiddos be happy and excited for school then sad, so I am glad that she is starting out on such a good note.

Jack's 6th Birthday

Because we are going to be out of town (again) on Jack's birthday, we decided to have a birthday bash a week early!  It just so happened that it was also Jack's first full day of kindergarten too - so it was a big day for him.  He participated in First Tee Golf this summer and has really enjoyed golfing.  So we got him his own LEFTY golf clubs!  Yes lefty - he was pumped!!

 He invited a few of his best buddies to go to our local family fun center and ride the bumper boats, play miniature golf, and arcade games.  Then the boys came back for pizza and cake!  It was a perfect party and perfect way to rap up his first day.

We have been so blessed to have such a great group of friends for all of our kids here in Yakima.  They are such good kids and we love having them over!  Jack asked for a baseball cake, and my handy cake decorating class sure came in handy!)

Things about Jack at age 6:

He is still a little crazy and prone to falling down, tripping over his own feet, etc.  BUT it is getting much better!
He is SOOOO SOOOO SOOOO Smart!  Seriously I can't get over his ability to figure things out all on his own - which is a source of trouble for him too:)
He can read chapter books, prefers non-fiction.
His favorite color is blue.
He loves baseball, his tall athletic socks, and Nike (possibly some influence from Sam)
His favorite food is not really food - pop and candy still - two cavities at the dentist are evidence of this!
He is the best sharer I know.
He cracks us up and says such funny things, like "I was being sarcastic".
His hero is his dad and Sam, and Derek Jeter!
I cherish his hugs and cuddles more than any other child because he doesn't give them often.
We love you Jack!  Thank you for always being so much fun.

Jack's 1st Day of Kindergarten - We survived!

The end of an era!  At least that it what I feel like.  On the day before I sent Jack out into the big world all on his own, we made a last batch of cookies as a team: Jack-Lyv-Max.  I feel like I have had a threesome at all times for such a long time that I am not sure how to go forward with only two at home.  I had a slight glimpse into my future empty-nest and wasn't as overjoyed as I thought I would be.  

 Jack on the other was more than thrilled!  He couldn't wait to start out on this new adventure, to put on his big boy gear and ride out of my sight!  Part of me was super excited to not have the constant mess and accident prone craziness that is Jack under my feet, but then I also miss out on the funny, goofy, too smart for his own good sweetie that goes with all of that.  So he gave me a thumbs up, headed down the road with Sam and Lyvie, laughed and giggled in the line for the bus,

 and then it really happened - he boarded the bus, waved at me through the window and drove off, no longer my little boy.  I thought it would get easier with each child, but my heart broke there at the bus stop.  I cried like a baby, mourning the moment in time that is no more mine!

 It did sooth my poor nerves to know that Sam was there to guide him through the day, but I was still anxious; convinced that he couldn't possibly survive an entire day without his mother! We waited patiently for his return that afternoon, and got off with a big grin on his face!  The first day of Mrs. McGuire's class was a success!  We were all so excited to see him (look at Max's sweet pat on the back) - and we all survived, even me.

Cool dads wear wigs and blades

Shawn will probably die from embarrassment when he reads this post, but it's happening!  I know that I often sing his praises but I truly am a lucky woman to have such a great husband and father of my children.  The squeals of joy that echo through our house when he walks through the door are confirmation of this fact, but if that isn't proof enough - pictures will have to tell the tale.

Case in Point #1 - Wigs can only make a homemade fairy tale about a princess with a beard even more enchanting. (This little lady loves her papa's story so much that I'm not even allowed to tuck her in at night)

  Case in Point #2 - Rollerblades are a must if you are to keep up with the scooter drag races.  Sam got a pair of rollerblades a few weeks ago with money he earned over the summer and Shawn went out and bought a pair for himself so the two of them could blade together (skate isn't masculine enough).

After a severe mocking by me and recounting the times at R Skating when I saw equally awesome skating from the tight panted mullet sporting workers there - he pulled out some sweet reverse skate tricks and silenced me for good!  I love you Shawn, and feel grateful everyday for the goofball you are!

Camping at La Wis Wis

Shawn took the three olders camping to LaWisWis Campground a few weekends ago.  The weather was perfect and the company was even better (Max and I weren't there to cramp their style). The made for a fun filled weekend of fire, sticks, hiking swimming, hotdogs, tents, smore's and more smore's!

Sam, Jack, and Lyv had a wonderful time with Shawn, and it really was a treat for them to be there without me or Max bossing him around.  They had his undivided attention.  We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful area and the forests here are almost enchanted, they are that beautiful.  They are so green and the water is so crystal clear, it is amazing!  

I tried to convince Shawn that less would be more in regards to cooking while camping with the kids on his own.  But Shawn is not a less is more kind of a guy – More is ALWAYS MORE! So he did dust off the dutch oven and fry up a breakfast skillet for the kids which they loved. 

The boys even braved a jump off the cliff in the background (about 10 feet) into the frigid water below.  This is glacier melt, so this was not light decision, but adventure is out there and they found it!