For the second (or third) year in a row, July is our vacation month. The kids and I flew up to Wisconsin on the 3rd to stay with my parents for two weeks. I knew it would be easier and more relaxing to see everyone if we didn't cram it into just one week. The kids were so excited to have a 2-week-long slumber party at Grandma and Grandpa's house!
killing time in the airport
ready for take-off!
We had a fairly long layover in Chicago, so the kids stretched out after we ate lunch. No sleeping took place, but at least they could stretch their legs!
Meanwhile, Andrew was taking a 22-hour road trip with Garcia up to the NY/Canadian border! We found a deal we couldn't refuse on a '92 Airstream trailer, so Andrew drove up to pick up our new "toy". He would occasionally send pictures of how Garcia was doing on the trip.
Grandma and Harper got crafty and made some bracelets.
Ryder had fun playing with Grandpa's Kwik Trip semi-truck.
On the 4th, my sister arrived with Parker and Madelynn. They stayed with us for three nights, so the cousins had lots of time to get reacquainted and enjoy each other's company.
Parker and Ryder did a lot of sword-fighting in Grandpa's soft grass.
Madelynn knew exactly what to do with the rocket launcher!
We checked into a hotel at Riverfront with the intention of watching the annual firework show over the water that night. Mother Nature had other plans though--it rained and stormed so hard that the fireworks were postponed. We still enjoyed dinner in the hotel restaurant, a walk by the river, and swimming in the hotel pool before crashing for the night.
Cute cousins! Madelynn is a runner, so one of the big kids would hold her hand at all times. Ha!
a view from our hotel window at sunset...minus the fireworks 😢
Harper was trying to teach Madelynn how to play her Frozen Trouble game. She was very patient as Madelynn just wanted to move pieces around and organize them by color.
Late at night on the 4th, Andrew sent me these pictures to show that he had safely arrived at our Airstream! Garcia was happy to try out the couch.
After checking out of the hotel the next morning, we headed to one of the kids' favorite playgrounds so they could run off some pent-up-in-a-hotel-room energy. :)
looking cool in their red, white, and blue sunglasses from Grandma and Grandpa
We had one "cooler" evening, so we made s'mores outside over the fire pit.
One night after baths, all 4 kids climbed onto Grandpa's lap for a bedtime story. I think the chair reached its weight limit!
I caught Madelynn at a rare moment--lying still! 😉
slip and slide fun with Grandpa! No, he didn't slide, but he was a great supervisor!
Harper introduced Parker to the game of Qwirkle!
Out to eat one night, Harper was drawing a picture of Grandma. She got silly and made huge monkey ears and a tail, which cracked her up!🐒
Last Sunday we headed to Clinton for a couple of days to visit Great-Grandma, Lynn, Greg, and Terry. The kids and I stayed with Lynn and Greg, and the kids enjoyed having two dogs to love on. We played lots of games, went to a few playgrounds, and visited my Uncle Steve's car shop so Ryder could see the cool old cars.
Annie sat in the way back for part of the drive, helping Harper with a word search...
...and watching Ryder do a dot-to-dot.
Harper learned how to play Battleship with Aunt Lynn.
We made another trip up to Eagle Point Park and climbed the castle again. Then we finally found a bar that Harper could do flips over. She learned how to do them at gymnastics camp and hadn't been able to show us yet!
Look closely! Ryder and Harper are the little heads at the very top!
Checking out the Mississippi River and all of the lily pads near the banks.
After Eagle Point, we went to Riverfront Park. It has changed a lot over the years, and there is so much equipment now for the kids to climb on. Their favorite part was the zip line!
Harper on the zipline
Ryder on the zipline
Lynn and Ryder waved at a train that came by while we were playing. Talk about perfect timing!
Harper kept her distance and even covered her ears because the train was so loud.
My Uncle Steve repairs and restores old Mercedes, so we made sure to stop by his shop for our little car fanatic. Boy, was Ryder in heaven!
We got to peek into one of the car-painting booths and check out all of the paint colors and equipment.
Steve built this car from the ground up, so he's not selling it! The kids and I felt honored to get to sit in it, and Mom wiped our fingerprints off the door when we were done. Ha!
Lynn's dog Webster loves to snuggle, so he was my little buddy one evening. :)
On our way out of town, we stopped at Eagle Point one last time so Harper could flip again over the bar. I captured it on video this time! We then drove to my sister's house (the halfway point) so the kids could play some more, and they fed us a yummy spaghetti dinner before we drove the rest of the way to Grandma and Grandpa's house.
big baby in a swing :)
Harper was worn out!
Grandma pushed Ryder, Harper, and Parker on the merry-go-round.
Once Andrew reached the Airstream, the hard work began. He took new tires, brake assemblies, and hoses with him to replace what was there. The camper really hadn't been pulled any distance over the past 14 years, so we wanted to make sure everything was in the best shape possible before he began his cross-country trip. He finished his repairs, left NY state, and two days later arrived here in WI. The kids were sure excited to see Daddy and Garcia!
Garcia's favorite seat in the house
trash and old tires--the hard work is done!
Garcia met a poodle named Sheba, who became his campground buddy. :)
Andrew sent this picture from a rest area right after he crossed into WI. The truck and trailer are as long as a semi truck!
He made it!
Annie and Garcia met for the first time. The dogs get along fine, but "Old Lady Annie" makes sure to let Garcia know from time to time that she is the Queen of this domain.
Garcia also met Molly, who lives down the street and does daily walks past Grandma and Grandpa's house.
Awww...together again!
Garcia was quick to find a comfy "perch" at Grandma and Grandpa's house!
We rode over to a local campground one afternoon to empty out our septic tank. Apparently the campground office also sells some specialty items, because Andrew brought the kids some "turtle poop" to try.
Harper's bed in the camper
lunch with Grandma and Mommy
Harper really wanted to go to the fabric store and pick out a pattern and some material for Grandma to make her a dress. So we did! Grandma gave Harper some scraps to practice cutting on while she cut out the pattern.
Harper's beautiful new dress!
Dave and Jenny drove over after work on Friday to spend Friday night and Saturday with us. Usually when we get together it is with our entire family, so we don't get a lot of time to visit and just hang out. It was so fun to watch them interact with the kids, and we even got some kid-free time with them because Grandma and Grandpa kept Ryder and Harper on Saturday so we could disappear for a little while. Dave and Jenny always have their guitars with them, so we enjoyed a private concert before they left Saturday evening.
being silly with Uncle Dave
grabbing a drink together downtown
Our little gymnast has been practicing headstands CONSTANTLY and is even able to balance for a little while without using the chair.
playing Aunt Jenny's guitar
a private guitar lesson with Uncle Dave
love for Annie 😍
One night when my mom told Annie it was time for bed, Garcia followed them right into my parents' room and made himself comfortable. Ha!
Pop-tarts on the deck
While Andrew and I went to the grocery and hardware stores to get ready for our journey home, the kids enjoyed some Grandma and Grandpa time. They went up to Granddad's Bluff (a favorite!), got lunch at the "Happy Meal Store", and ended with a smoothie from Kwik Trip. We got back to the house and found them happily running through the sprinkler while the dogs watched from the front porch.
"I'll take a break from hopscotch to watch my kids play."
We have spent a lot of time out in the pool this past week since the weather has cooperated. The water feels amazing--it's at the point that it's just cool enough to feel refreshing. By next month it will be more like a warm bath, perfect for evening swimming. We dug out our underwater camera that we had kind of forgotten about and had fun recording some pool time fun!
Harper's "selfie" jump. She held the camera as Andrew tossed her into the water.
Andrew and Ryder taught Harper how to do a somersault underwater, and now that's all she wants to do in the pool!
I think Ryder has probably been the most excited of any of us that we have a break from school for the summer. He had a wonderful year in first grade and loved going to school every day, but he is tired! Selfishly, I will definitely enjoy not making him sit down to do homework every afternoon. Towards the end of the school year it became a chore because he would rather be playing or doing anything else but sitting at the table. He is an avid reader now, so we will definitely continue reading together every day and making weekly trips to the library. For now he is perfectly content lounging in his pj's until we absolutely have to leave the house. A flannel shirt and fleece pants are his favorite go-to pajamas. And it's summer. In Florida!!! 😅
I'm only working two days a week for the month of June, so that breaks our week up enough that I don't feel like I need as much of a summer schedule for the kiddos as I did last year. And they are another year older and even better at entertaining themselves and each other. Andrew and I decided our focus this summer will be on encouraging the kids to help out with chores around the house. In general they are really good about pitching in, but I thought having a few things in writing might make it seem more fun/official. So of course I visited Pinterest for a few ideas. :)
The Boredom Jar:
On popsicle sticks I wrote out some suggestions of things the kids can do when they get bored if a movie or video game isn't an option. Some of the things are outdoor activities like blowing bubbles, playing frisbee, or playing tag. The majority of the activities are indoor activities because I don't want to sit out in the yard supervising them in the heat of the day. That's what early morning playground trips are for! Of course they both visited the "I'm Bored" jar many times when I first put it out because it was something new. Their favorite activities so far have been "build a fort" and "give Garcia a belly rub". I figured Garcia should benefit too!
Reading together in their fort. It's amazing what four chairs, one sheet, and several clothespins can do!
After our chore pow-wow, Andrew and I agreed that there are certain things the kids need to do 'just because': tidy up their rooms, clear their plates from the table, put their dirty clothes in the laundry room. For some of those daily expectations, I typed them up, printed them, and used contact paper to "laminate" them onto baking sheets. Then I bought some magnets so Ryder and Harper can have the satisfaction of sliding the magnets into the "done" column. We've been using them for about a week, and it's been great so far. Harper likes it the most--I think the visual has been really helpful to her! After breakfast she will take her chore chart into her room and not come out until her "Good Morning" chores are done! Ryder takes a little more prompting.
To give the kids a chance to earn some spending money this summer, I came up with some chores that the kids can choose to complete in addition to their daily chores. The catch is they can't earn money for the extra chores unless they have also completed their expected ones. Andrew and I decided to make the chores 50 cents a piece, thinking the kids might do 3-4 chores in a week's time. Once a chore is completed, they can move the stick from the "How can I help?" jar into their own jar. The end of the week is payday! Last week they both earned $2--not too shabby!
I think it rained every day last week, so in addition to fort-building we played lots of games together. We've played Uno and Dos so many times that I bought Rummikub and Qwirkle to throw some variety into our repertoire. :) Not only have the kids enjoyed the games and caught on quickly, but Andrew and I have played a game almost every night and even had a couple of get togethers with Pops and Grann. It's a fun way to spend time together, lots of heckling included. ;) Ha!
I love playing Rummikub because it reminds me of playing with Grammy P. when I was little. Wonderful memories! :)
The final days of May kept us busy as expected! We spent lots of time with Harper’s friends from preschool since her class will be spreading out to attend various elementary schools in August.
Harper and her good friend Annalise, who is moving to CA this summer.
Ryder (and several other big brothers) tagged along to one of the playground birthday parties.
Ceci, Harper, and Ava
Harper played a “pie in the face” game at school, and her teacher took this adorable picture!
We kept end of the year teacher gifts simple, and I bought terra cotta pots and acrylic paint for the kids to make these colorful drip pots. The more they squeezed the paint bottles the better, and after drying for 2 days the pots were ready for plants!
Harper’s preschool graduation was on May 23rd, and Pops and Grann came along to see the program and go with us to dinner afterwards, just like we did two years ago for Ryder. The graduates sang three songs, including "Hello, Goodbye" by the Beatles. Harper had practiced this song repeatedly for at least three weeks beforehand, so I think we were relieved she finally got a chance to sing it. Maybe now we can all get it out of our heads and move on. Ha!
Harper says she wants to be a dentist when she grows up, making Grann very proud!
Both Pre-K classes did an art unit in the spring, and at the end they made tie-dye shirts with their teachers. I sent in one of Andrew's handmade tie-dye tapestries for the teachers to use however they wished for a couple of days, and I was excited to see that it became the backdrop for this adorable photo! Harper's class is above the title, and she is upside down at about 10:00. :)
We couldn't get a great picture of Harper amid the sea of parents' heads, but here she is, third from the left.
looking very serious
I think she felt a little bashful as she stood in front of everyone!
On Ryder's last day of school, Harper and I joined him for lunch. We sat outside in the shade, eating our Panera.
Although we have just officially reached the middle of the month, May has already been SUPER busy! I guess it always gets like this as we wrap up a school year, but I tend to forget from one year to the next. In addition to our daily schedule of work and school, the past two weeks have included a field trip, a "mama's night out", a birthday party, our final preschool tuition payment (yay!!), and the planning of end of the year teacher gifts and decorations for Harper's preschool graduation. We also have two more birthday parties to attend this weekend, and next week promises to keep us busy too: Harper's kindergarten screening, dentist appointments, Harper's graduation on Wednesday, and Ryder's last day of school on Thursday. We are looking forward to summer break around here!
Harper's field trip
I drove Harper and two of her best friends to their field trip to visit an elementary school. I went with Ryder on this same field trip two years ago and thought it was so well-planned and appropriate in letting the kids know what to expect when they enter kindergarten in a few short months. We got to listen to a story in the media center, participate in a PE class, eat lunch in the cafeteria, do an activity in a kindergarten classroom, and play on the playground. Everyone was exhausted by the time we got back to Forty Carrots!
Harper let Ceci and Annalise borrow two of her choker necklaces so they would each have one to wear that day. :)
lunch in the cafeteria!
doing a sorting/counting activity with some kindergartners
Mama's Night Out!
A group of us preschool moms have become good friends since our little ones have been in classes together over the past few years. We text and talk all of the time, and it's wonderful to have each other to turn to for advice and support when we are at our wit's end with one of our little darlings! 😜 We try to have a "ladies' night" every couple of months, so last weekend we went to a nice restaurant as a farewell dinner for Sandra, Ceci's mommy. They're moving to Miami at the end of the month and we're sure going to miss them!
Ceci's birthday party
We met at the Cookie Cottage on Saturday morning for Ceci's party. The kiddos got to decorate princess-themed cookies, eat a cupcake, get their faces painted, decorate a crown, and play "pin the crown on the princess". Whew! There was a lot of activity packed into a small space, but surprisingly there were no meltdowns!
Harper decided she wanted to be a kitty cat.
These two are really going to miss each other next year!
I kept catching Harper eating the icing she was supposed to be decorating with. Ha!
Randompictures:
For our final preschool tuition payment, I rolled the check up like a little diploma and tied it with a ribbon. When Harper gave it to Ms. Margaret, we had to take a picture to capture the happy moment!
Uncle Dave and Aunt Jenny randomly sent stuffed animals to the kids. Not only were Ryder and Harper thrilled to get mail, but they were even more excited that the stuffed animals are pugs! Meet "Pooglie" and "Elsa".
