Rainy Day Fun

After the boys woke up from their nap today we were getting restless and decided to go

outside despite the rain.  They have so much fun walking around in their rain boots

and splashing in the puddles, and this was the perfect opportunity for us to do that.

 

It wasn't until later than night when I was looking at Facebook that I saw a post from our

neighbor saying they were in their basement because of the tornado sirens going off.

Oops!  While he's hiding in his basement, we're out playing in the front yard.

Thankfully the sirens must have been going off a little earlier since we

didn't blow away and I'm still here to tell the tale.  ;)

Memorial Day Parade

Today we went to the Memorial Day parade.  School bands, fire trucks, tractors...

and who can forget about the crazy amounts of candy that gets handed out?  Joe was

eating it almost as fast as they were putting it in his bag.  It actually wasn't overly 

crowded which was a nice change and we got a spot in the shade..extra bonus!

Happy Memorial Day!!

 

Last Day of School

This week was the last week of school.  Summer has officially begun!!  Joe's last day of

Munchkins was Monday and Owen's last day of pre-k3 was today.  They've both grown so

much over the past year and it's been fun to watch.  Next year they'll go to Pilgrim together

which is exciting (and very convenient).  Joe's first year of school on his own and Owen's

last year before kindergarten. Aren't they cute??

 

Special Moments

Today Joe and I walked Owen to school then decided to go for a little walk of our own.  One

of the great things with Owen being in preschool (among many others) is it gives Joe and I

some special one on one time.  Being the second child, those moments don't happen all

that often.  And knowing there will be a new baby in the not too distant future, I'm trying to

soak up all the Mommy-Joe time I can get.  

I worry about little Joe.  He's so attached to me and I'm worried about him feeling left out

once the baby comes.  On one hand, I think it is very good for him to establish some

independence and not be so reliant on me, so in that respect the baby will be good for him.

But at the same time I never want him to feel forgotten or neglected.

Don't worry buddy.  No matter how crazy this house gets, I will always make sure to

carve out some special one on one time for my favorite middle child.  :)

Owen Graduates to a Two Wheeler!!

Between soccer and our big butterfly release this morning it's been quite the day.  But the

most exciting part of the day came this afternoon when we tried out Owen's new big boy

bike for the first time.  He's been riding a balance bike and does great with it.  Since he had

the balance part down, we figured why not try a two wheeler with pedals and see how he

does.  The answer....he did GREAT!!

This video was maybe only his 2nd pass down the sidewalk.  He caught on so quickly!

Ryan would get him started and then once he started pedaling, he was golden.  He knew

how to balance himself, so if he did get a little out of control he would take his feet off the

pedals, regain his balance, put his feet back on and continue.  By the end he was even

able to stop himself using the brakes.  

He still has a little trouble getting himself started, but I have a feeling after a little more

practice (aka Daddy chasing him down the sidewalk) he'll be a pro. 

Our Little Soccer Player

Owen loves going to the field and kicking the soccer ball around, so this spring we

decided to sign him up for a soccer league.

It's only an hour each week, 30 minutes of practice and a short 30 minute game.  We were

really excited because we figured he would love it.  We were half right.  He loves the

practice part.  Listens well, follows directions, and is really good at the drills.

 

But when it comes time for the game, he starts out strong running the ball, then gets nervous for some reason I have yet to figure out and comes running to the sideline.  I'm not

sure if it is the chaos of everyone chasing the ball at once, people pushing him out of the

way, him not having the ball at all times or something completely different.  But whatever it

is, he gets really upset to the point of tears.  So weird to see from a little boy who is typically

so tough and fearless.  We're taking baby steps and today I at least got him to stand on the

field even though he wanted no part in the game.  I wish I knew what was going through his

head so I could help him, but for now we'll stick with our baby steps and try to keep it fun,

since that is the true goal anyway.

 

Butterfly Garden

I decided to try something fun with the boys and grow our own butterflies.  We sent away for

our very own cup of teeny tiny caterpillars, which then grew into disgustingly large fuzzy

caterpillars.  They each formed a chrysalis on the cap of the cup and we transferred

them into our butterfly house where they could transform into beautiful butterflies.

This week our butterflies appeared.  Unfortunately they all came out while we were sleeping

or out of the house, but overall it was still a really cool process to watch.

 Today was our big butterfly release.  We opened up the butterfly house and set them free.

Unfortunately one of them is sticking around.  It seems like his one wing is not working

properly.  I'm hoping he was just the last one to hatch and his wings need more time to

strengthen before he can fly away.  Maybe that apple will give him the extra energy

he needs to take flight tomorrow.  :)

Eye Doctor Follow Up

Today Owen had a follow up appointment with the eye doctor.  The goal of the appointment

was to see if having him wear glasses with a small prescription would help keep his

left eye focused and less likely to drift.  

Thankfully, after running through the tests, she feels that glasses don't make a significant difference as the drift is minor and he has very good control of it.  She wasn't able to get conclusive results on if the glasses would improve his depth perception (something I didn't even realize we were testing).  By the time she got to that test he was over it and would rush through her test giving different answers each time simply because he wanted to be done.  She wasn't worried though and said we can repeat the test at our next appointment.

Though I know glasses would not be that big of a deal, I'm very happy we don't have to deal with them at this point.  One less expense, one less thing to worry about losing or

breaking, or keeping on throughout the day.  Plus it's really nice to know that Owen's

eye is improving.  Our next follow up is in August.  Hopefully things continue to improve.

Cutest Tree Climber

Owen LOVES to climb trees.  Whether it is the lilac tree in our backyard or a random tree

we happen to pass that has branches at his level, you can bet he'll be on it.  So it is no

surprise that every day after school you can find him on the tree out front.  The kids have to

wait for their parents to sign them out before they can go climb it, but as soon as he sees

me walk up he drops his backpack and makes a mad dash for the tree.  

 

Anything that makes him this happy, makes me happy too.

Happy Mother's Day!!

There is really nothing I want more on Mother's Day than to spend time with Ryan and the

boys.  Preferably outside, preferably with the kids in good moods, and ideally with nice

long naps to follow.  I don't need gifts or anything crazy, just time together.

So when Ryan planned the morning in the city, it was perfect.  He started my morning with

cards, a beautiful bouquet of flowers, and a hand drawn certificate good for a massage,

facial and mani/pedi.  Not necessary, but appreciated nonetheless. :)

The we drove downtown to have breakfast at one of our favorite spots, Wildberry.

He had planned for us to take the kids to the movie afterwards, but we had a little time to kill

so I suggested we go to the beach.  We ended up having such a great time that we skipped

the movie and stayed at the beach.  The weather was beautiful, it was not very crowded,

and the boys were having so much fun.

It was the perfect way to spend Mother's Day!  I am very lucky to have a husband who is so thoughtful and knows how to make me feel special, two kids who are so much fun to watch and spend time with, and most importantly an incredible mom of my own to help me through

this crazy journey called Motherhood.  Happy Mother's Day!!