Father's Day

We started out Father's Day with a BIG breakfast. I of course am not a big breakfast eater so I wasn't sure what a daddy would want so I made... orange juice, eggs, toast, hash browns, bacon, and homemade blueberry muffins. (My tummy hurts just writing it all down.) Our breakfast was getting later and later due to the amount of food I was making. I ended up calling for backup... and Nick was the one who ended up following the muffin recipe which resulted in some delicious blueberry muffins.

We were so glad to be able to make this special breakfast, share the day with such great dad, and to give him something he really wanted. Overall. Steven had a relaxing day and enjoyed all the music and movies that were on his wish list.

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads out there... you have such a big and important job in the lives of these children.

Backyard Beach

We are still early into the summer and I am quickly learning just how hard it is to entertain a 2 year old. I bow down to all you super moms who stay home with your children each day. I love spending time with Ashe, but it is difficult to keep him occupied. I just can't wear him out like a bunch of 2 year olds can. So this weekend we cleaned out and refilled the sand and water table. Nick pasted down some small plastic toys like fish, and sea animals for the water side and dinosaurs and snakes to hide in the sand part.
I was lucky enough to sit with a book in the warm sun, while he quickly mixed the two sides together. Luckily these hot Florida days evaporated the water and I just scooped the sand back over to the correct side and refilled the water the next day.

Full of Favorites

It's so funny that Ashe has favorite things, for such a little person. (He's no longer a baby but a little kid.) Some of his favorites are... favorite song (If Your Happy and You Know It), favorite beverage (Apple Juice), favorite movie (Toy Story), and his newest thing is that Green is his favorite color. He doesn't care what it is as long as it's green. So today, on the last day of VBS, I stopped with the boys for some Italian Ice at Rita's. He had to have the green one, of course it was green apple and quite tart/sour . I knew he wouldn't like it, I even had him try it while we were there. He insisted that the Ice must be green. We got home and he took one bite and told me he was done. I even tried to get him to drink the melting ice, with a green straw.

Oh my, another toddler phase.

Bat Cave?

A big THANK YOU to Ms. Lynn for passing on this super cool toy box. Ashe loves it, of course we should be putting toys in it and NOT children. Since Ashe is all boy, one of the things he loves is superheroes. He is now pretending that his new toy box is the bat cave.

Move over Batman because...

This appears to be a regular toy box...

... but really there is a super cute (but equally scary) biter living inside.

Ashe can scale tall buildings.

He can trap bad guys with his super evil strength.

(In this picture, poor Nick was trap inside under Ashe's power!

Not to worry, I did save him after the photo opportunity.)

I guess this is what kids do on rainy Florida afternoons.

I hope it's not just my strange kids.

Story Time

Ashe loved looking at the books, while mommy picked out some take home stories.

Today while Nick was at VBS, Ashe and I spent some time at the library enjoying story time. Ashe loved all the interactive stories and the dancing. We ended up picking up some fun bedtime books for daddy and Ashe to read together.

Water, Water Everywhere!

I know that life can be so busy, but...I try so hard to ensure that my boys have those memorable moments in childhood, that always put a smile on our faces. These moments don't cost a lot, but they're the ones we always remember.

Today's summer fun was running through the sprinkler. Of course the yard is now muddy and there was grass, leaves and dirt stuck to everyone and everything I carried into my clean house, but the important part is... they has a blast!

(Of course Nick joined in the fun, but he didn't want me to post any of his pictures because he's too cool to have fun being a kid.)

VBS 2009

This week Nick we will spending each day at our church enjoying Vacation Bible School. There is so many fun things to do at VBS. Today their unsuspecting crew leaders (two volunteering teenage boys) went home soaking wet. Today's motto was that God always keeps his promises, always trust in God, (like the way a team always trust in each other). So the kids in Nick's group teamed up and wet those poor boys, I guess they did work as a "TEAM". On the first day Nick was a little shy and nervous, but now he actually looks forward to all fun. It's nice that Nick gets to see all the cool things that our church has to offer. Unfortunately, after many fun VBS years, this will be his last since next year he will be going into middle school, and after that he'll be able to start volunteering as a crew leader/activity helper.
So someday he will be leading a group just like these crazy preteens, and I hope he will look back with fond memories when he's the one their soaking.

(The decorations were so cool this year, it was a Louisiana swamp theme, I wish I would have gotten pictures of the gym but I didn't want to go picture crazy and embarrass Nick.)

School's Out For Summer!

Nick has officially been on summer vacation for a week already but it is now mommy and Ashe's turn to join in the fun.
UPDATE ON THE BOYS:

Nick has completed fourth grade and will now be a fifth grader, only one more year of elementary school before he heads off to middle school. He of course still has perfect attendance, and has not yet missed a day of Red Bug from Kindergarten on. On top of all that he once again had straight A's. He really is such a great kid!
As for Ashe he will be turning three this October. He has done very well at potty training and has had many dry weekends. I was nervous to have him go all day at school with underwear so I held off with that until I was home with him. I can say that he has been very easy to train and he even goes in there and does it without my assistance.

Guess What, Ashe?

No More School Until August

... WHAT???

I know it makes you sad...



...but you get to spend the next few weeks with Mommy and Nicky.

How does that sound?

There's that cute smile!