Summer Days.

We have just been in summer mode around here lately. The kids have been staying up too late, having too much fun playing outside. and overall just being out of their normal routine.

The official first day of summer arrived this past week. The days are long and sunny, and we are trying to get outside and enjoy every minute of it. I am trying to soak it all in before I blink and summer is gone.

John and I have been playing softball all summer, and we are continuing to enjoy that. It's some nice scheduled adult time every week. We love our kids to death, but it is so nice to be able to have one night where we are surrounded by other adults, and just able to have fun. Our team is doing pretty well too, we have only lost 3 games, which isn't too shabby.

I have really been enjoying my days off the kids. Last Friday, I had the day off, and I spent the day with the kids at home. We had fun going shopping, playing outside, and just generally enjoying the summer days. It was also an Avera weekend at Wild Water West, so John and I took the kids there on Friday evening. It was really fun, but it was also a lot of work. Elliott just ran non-stop, and he isn't the steadiest in the water, so it was a little stressful. Emma had the time of her life. She discovered a big, orange slide she liked, and I think she went down the slide at least 40 times. And now, Emma asks every single day if we can go back to the "big pool". Every. Single. Day.

The rest of the weekend I spent working, but it was actually a pretty nice weekend at the hospital. We were pretty quiet all weekend, so that was nice for a change. John and the kids just had a quiet weekend around the house, and everyone had a really nice weekend.

Today, I have the day off, and we have had a fabulous day. This morning, we went to Tot Lot at Sherman Park. It was actually really nice. They had all kinds of toys, bikes, water table and toys, balls, sidewalk chalk, play-doh, puzzles, crafts, and all kinds of things for the kids to play with. Both kids had an absolute blast, and were kind of sad when it was over. After playing on the playground for a while, we went to KFC for some lunch. Boy, was that messy.

Right now, both kids are blissfully napping. I love being able to get a couple hours to myself. I got laundry going, have a TV show on, supper in the crockpot, and I am slowing cleaning up the house. Also, I get to play some softball later tonight, so that's always a good deal as well.

I am loving these summer days :)

Popsicles and Ice cream for the first day of summer

Fingerpainting 

Elliott loves the water table

Making a 4th of July Craft

Park fun!

Emma's 4th Birthday Party!

This past weekend was crazy busy and flew by in a flash! We had Emma's birthday party on Saturday, and we were busy, busy busy the entire weekend.

On Friday, my mom came to town pretty early to help clean the house and make some of the food while I was at work. She also went and picked up Emma from VBS, which was a big help to us. Emma finished up her week of VBS on Friday, and she absolutely loved it. She keeps asking if it's time to go back to VBS yet. I guess it was pretty successful.

Saturday was a pretty busy prep and party day. Rachel and I ran some errands, while everyone else stayed at home and helped get things ready. We had a tropical themed party with a bouncy house, a pool set up, and outdoor games to play. The menu included BBQ pork sandwiches, baked beans, potato salad, fruit, chips and salsa, cake, and ice cream.

Emma had such a good time at her party. She had plenty of friends her age to play with, and she loved the bouncy house and running around with her friends. We had a pretty good turnout, and it was nice to visit and see everyone.

Emma was also very excited to blow out her candles and open all her gifts. She made a pretty good haul, and I think we have enough sidewalk chalk to last a lifetime. :)

Everyone left by around 8pm, and we put two very tired kiddos to bed, and then had a fire to unwind and relax by. It was a great day, and I was so happy it went so well.

Sunday also kept us pretty busy. We went to church in the morning, and the kids did very, very well. Then we went and picked up our new dresser, and got that settled into our bedroom. We spent some more time with my family, until they left around 3. Then everyone took naps and recuperated a little.

In the evening, Abby and Anna (and their families) came over to give Emma her presents and enjoy the bouncy house before it had to go back. Emma really enjoyed having the girls over, and had a great time with them. Once they left, we were all ready for bed, and not ready to face another week.

Emma had a great birthday party, and I appreciated everyone who was able to make it, and all the wonderful gifts she received.

The gift table

The tropical themed party

Tropical Sangria. Yum!

Emma with her tropical punch

Eli is having fun too!

Pool time

Emma and her cake

Someone turned 4

Ripping into her presents

Paw Patrol was a big hit.

Games with uncle Ryan

Happy 4th Birthday Emma!

My little girl turned 4 years old today. I can't believe I have a four year old!! Emma is at such a fun, inquisitive age, and I love watching her learn and grow.

Emma is at the age where she asks "why" to absolutely everything, even when she knows the answer. It can get so frustrating at times. She also has a hard time listening to us when she is engrossed in an activity, or a TV show, she can be an expert at ignoring everything around her.

I cannot believe how smart Emma is at 4 years old. She knows how to read and write all of the letters of the alphabet, she can write her own name, she can count all the way up to 30, she knows her days of the week, the months of the year, many, many songs, and she can remember just about everything you tell her. She is quite the conversationalist, and is always coming up with crazy ideas, or funny little sayings that crack us up.

Emma is very into imaginative play, and likes to pretend to talk for her animals, or play pretend. She also still loves to read books, help clean or help in the kitchen, and play with her brother Elliott. She really is such a good big sister. She likes to get things for Elliott, play catch with him, and to imitate the babble that Elliott says sometimes. She is a little rough with hugs and kisses, but is not shy about giving them to Eli. She loves her little brother.

Emma's biggest obsession right now is swimming. Every day she asks if she can go swimming. Every single day. She's just been a little fish lately, and she is finally brave enough to go down the slides, and she absolutely loves it. Today, for her birthday, I took her to Wild Water West, and she had such a good time. Poor little girl is worn out. Between VBS all day long, and evenings spent outside playing, she has been one tired girl this week.

Like any preschooler (not a toddler anymore, yikes!) there are still some things we struggle with for Emma. For starters, she eats like a bird, and would eat junk food continuously if we let her. We spend many summers negotiating with Emma about taking "one more bite" of something. Some meals are exhausting, and end with someone in tears. Bedtime is still hit or miss. Some nights, Emma goes to bed very well, stays in bed, and we don't see her until the next morning. Then, the next night, she will complain and cry about going to bed, and get out o bed 6 times. Grr. And finally, we are still working on keeping the bed dry overnight. I'm not sure why Emma wets her bed so often. I think she may sleep too hard, and just not wake up and go, but we wash her bedding quite often.

Most of the time, Emma is a very happy, silly, energetic, kind and caring little girl. She is still a mommy's girl, and can get quite distressed when I have to work late, or cannot be home with her. She also requests me over John pretty much all the time. Don't get me wrong, she loves her daddy too, but she has always been more of a mommy's girl, and I'm ok with that.

Emma still enjoys daycare and her daycare friends. Some days she says she doesn't want to go, but when I pick her up, she is always having a good time with her friends and teachers. Emma is very social, and loves to brag about things to total strangers, and can play with just about any kid we find in the park or in the pool. She is definitely not a shy child.

I could go on and on about Emma and how wonderful she is. I could not be more proud to be her mother, and I cannot wait to see what this year brings her. Before I know it, she will be starting school. Yikes. I can't even think about that. Maybe Emma can just stay 4 forever...

Happy Birthday Emma!!!

Sweet Corn

Balloons before supper at Red Robin

Emma with her new bike

Fell asleep on the way to WWW

So much fun at the pool :)

 

Camping

We just had our first time camping, as a family of four, and we survived it! We headed across the border into Minnesota this weekend. Friday evening, it was kinda rainy and chilly, so we just spent the evening and night at my parent's house with the kids. We mainly just visited, and tried (and failed) to get the kids settled down and to bed.

Saturday was a busy day. I headed to Sam's Bridal Shower in the morning, so the rest of the family headed to the lake and I met them there later. I had a pretty good time at the shower, and then all the bridesmaids went to Sam's house to put together invites and drink wine. It was so nice to have some adult time and not be chasing kids around.

By late afternoon, I headed up to the lake and met everyone else there. The kids were having a blast playing and getting dirty and all that good stuff. It was surprisingly chilly, and the temp only got to about 66 degrees, so it wasn't quite as nice as we would of liked. But it didn't stop the kids. They had a blast.

We rounded out the day with a delicious supper, and a campfire to end the night, with some smores of course. Both Emma and Elliott slept like champs, because they were so utterly exhausted.

Sunday was a nicer day. The sun was shining, and it got up to around 80. We decided to take the boat out for a spin, and Emma really enjoyed that. The kids also played on the beach and had fun playing around in the lake a little bit. We topped that off with some messy ice cream cones, and then it was time to pack up and head back home.

The kids traveled very well this weekend, both on the way there and the way home. Emma enjoyed her movies like normal, and she slept quite a ways on the way home. Eli enjoyed some books, singing, yelling, and sleeping to help pass the time in the car. But, I really couldn't have asked the kids to be any better for the car ride.

And that was our weekend. It was so much fun, and the kids really enjoyed themselves, but I could definitely use another day to recover before heading back to work. Oh-well, I guess Monday morning is coming whether I am ready or not. And this week is going to be a doozy. Wish us luck :)

Playing at grandma and grandpas house

"fishing"

Ice cream cones!!

Family time at the lake

Campfire Tales

Stories with Uncle Ryan

Summertime