The Big Orange Slide

I think this is the third season for The Big Orange Slide. Although there are bigger and better (and more expensive) versions out there now, the boys seem content with what we have. I just have to be careful to keep moving it or all the grass dies underneath!










They are so awesome! We're having a great summer.

Camping: The Third Time's A Charm

Chris conned me into camping again.

This time he was able (through the generosity of family and friends) to provide a boat and camper for our memory making experience. I have to admit the boat and camper were awesome additions. Thanks Tripps and Woolfs!!!

This time, though, instead of only staying one night we stayed three. THREE. Three nights at a campground. Public restrooms and shower houses. No running water at the campsite. BUT...no worries because we had a boat and a camper.

Good Times Good Times Good Times Good Times

Highlights:

-For some strange reason we felt that it was a great idea to bring Greta. We're so stupid!

-For most of the trip the boys were either playing their DS games or asking to play them...The benefits of an electric camp site.

-Two days in a row the water was shut off at the campground for a little while due to a water main brake. They even locked the bathrooms!!!

-By the end of the first day I was ready for civilization. We went out to dinner.

-It's amazing how cold it gets at night no matter how hot the days are.

-This last one is for Chris: We cooked hot dogs (nasty) over the campfire the first night we were there. For some odd reason all four of our hot dogs landed in the fire. I almost screamed. Or choked someone (did I just type that?) By the end of our roasting experience everyone had eaten their fill with one hot dog remaining. Chris decided it would be a wonderful idea to strategically place the hot dog in the tree to non-verbally invite a visitor to our campsite during the night. I truly think he was mocking my prior experience with uninvited guests. In the morning he found that we had, in fact, been visited and the hot dog was gone. Super.

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I'm sure there is lots more that I could complain about but I'm sure Chris has heard enough. Poor guy! Tries to do something nice for the fam but ends up enduring criticism and complaining. I am thankful he took time out of his schedule to purposefully spend time with us. It was nice to get away. I enjoyed boating and the s'mores (YUM.)

Maybe next time I'll get my beach house...

If any of you missed the previous posts about camping, please feel free to read them. I'm not sure how to hyperlink. Anyone have any suggestions?

http://thekingfam.blogspot.com/2008/09/camping-again-can-you-believe-it.html

http://thekingfam.blogspot.com/2007/08/top-10-reasons-to-take-your-family.html

More T-Ball...

Jonathan played catcher this past Saturday and I just wanted to add these pictures to the T-ball montage. It was fun to see him in the gear. I love it!




Who is that good looking guy standing next to Jonathan???

Fun-Tastic

Because I teach I am bombarded almost weekly by fundraisers. Choir, baseball, band, the Junior class, mathletes (OK, I made that one up,) etc. My teacher's union also is constantly bombarding me for money to fund a scholarship or some other worthwhile cause. I am made to feel as though MY purchase will make or break the success of the fundraiser. Really? I don't get paid enough to donate so much back into the school. UH! I believe that next year (If I have a job) I will take a stand:

Zero tolerance for fundraiser participation... Just say no to fundraisers...

Do you think I am being selfish? Should I freely support anything that comes my way? I just don't think so.

OK, so back to the reason for this post. I caved last fall and bought some cookie dough from a fundraiser. Last week I decided to bust out the cookie dough (from the freezer) in an effort to be a cool mom, always providing awesome summer memories for the boys. We had a great time designing the cookies and making a mess (deep breath...let it go...clean it up later...deep breath...)






Once cooked they were edible but not my favorite. It's been about a week since we made the cookies and most of them are still on the counter in a freezer bag. Hmm. Maybe it was the experience that the boys enjoyed not the cookies themselves...

Birthday Week

The first week of June is home to four birthdays in our extended family. My birthday is June 3rd, my brother-in-law's birthday is June 4th, Drew's birthday is June 7th, and so is my father-in-law's.

Whew!

Normally we only get together to celebrate Drew's birthday and this year was no different. Although the cake was made for Drew (shout out to Andrea for the Ben...I mean Drew 10 themed cake) there were cards for all the birthday boys and girl.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Because Drew's birthday was on a Sunday this year, we headed to church in the morning then went to Pizza Hut for lunch (at Drew's request.)

For the current month, First Friends posts the names of each child and their birthday. We found Drew's right away.

Our families came over that afternoon for cake and ice cream while Drew opened his presents.







After the party we grabbed a bite to eat with my family then the four of us headed to see the movie 'Up' in 3-D. It was highly entertaining!






Happy Birthday Drew!

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I also have to tell you that Andrea made my birthday 'cake' as well. I requested a carrot cake cheesecake (Like The Cheesecake Factory's Crazy Craig's Carrot Cake Cheesecake.) Although it did not turn out exactly like it's predecessor, Andrea's version was scrumptious!

Wedding Daze

We took a road trip this past Saturday to see some friends get married in Vermilion Ohio. The boys COULD NOT WAIT to shake their booties on the dance floor.

Everything was beautiful and good times were had by all.

Camping-In

Chris decided to do something special for the boys since tonight marks the first night they are both officially on Summer Vacation (woo hoo.) He created a tent-type structure in the playroom so that they could 'camp-in' this evening. They were super excited!






Unfortunately, their excitement soon turned to fear when a storm crept up on us out of nowhere. Chris ended up laying with them for a while to help them feel safe during the thunderstorm. But after a while Jonathan asked him to leave. I guess Chris served his purpose...

While Chris was taking care of our children, I was able to sit on our porch and soak up the storm. I love storms! I have fond memories of sitting on the porch with my dad growing up, watching the storms roll in. I love the smells, I love the sounds, and I love the refreshing/cleansing feeling.

Unfortunately, the storm was gone as quickly as it came. I would have liked it to rain all night but Chris wants to mow tomorrow so he was glad it stopped.

The Last Day

Jonathan's last day of kindergarten started like all the others. After showering and dressing myself, I made sure he was dressed, had his teeth brushed, packed his lunch, made sure his folder was empty, and asked him to put on his shoes (which were, by the way, wet from last night's water battle...out came the old tennis shoes...don't you love surprises like that???) Those things happened in conjunction with strongly encouraging Jonathan to stop dilly-dallying and watching the clock to be certain we wouldn't earn a tardy on the last day of school.

I remembered to bring my camera so that I could capture his final walk into the building and his final walk down the hallway to his classroom. I also managed to get some shots outside the building. Call me cheesy if it makes you feel better about yourself. I can handle it...

Notice the 'old' tennis shoes that probably cramped his toes. Also notice the tye-dyed t-shirt. He created that masterpiece on Wednesday (Drew made one too.) Also notice the Umbro shorts. He was content to wear them and wanted nothing to do with changing. I had to let it go...

This is just inside the building where I gave him a hug and a kiss every morning.

His room is to the right at the end of the hall. Every morning I watched him walk down this hallway until he turned the corner. On a good day he would turn back and blow me kisses a couple of times. He's such a sweetheart!

This is a view of Jonathan's classroom. His classroom was actually located on a corner and I was able to park in front of it every morning. There were a couple of days that I was able to watch him from my car for a couple of minutes before I pulled away. I prayed a special prayer of protection over him as I left each morning.

If you look closely, you'll see an open window. Each time I walked back from taking him into the building I would lean down and look into the window to make sure he made it to his classroom safely. Sometimes I was even able to wave at him. On the days that we tried hard to be the first ones there, he would hold up his fingers to let me know what number he was. He was always all smiles if he held up one finger (that meant that he was the first one in his class.) But, toward the end of the year a little girl named Brooke ALWAYS beat us! UH!!!

I guess this picture is proof that I drove the Explorer when Jonathan was in kindergarten???!!! Actually I think that I wanted to document where I parked every day.

SAPPY SAPPY SAPPY SAPPY SAPPY SAPPY SAPPY

Pomp and Circumstance

Tonight marks the evening before Jonathan's last day of kindergarten. I cannot believe it. Tuesday we attended a graduation ceremony for him and I snapped some pictures of his room for the last time. His teacher is awesome and I can only pray that he will continue to be given the quality education that she has provided this year. Thankfully Drew is going to have her next year (he's so excited!) I think I might cry when we have to say good-bye to her for good!





It's times like this that make me wonder if I am making the most of every opportunity with my children. Time is flying. Am I being the mother they deserve? Am I teaching them all I should? Am I strengthening their spirit or tearing it down? Do I make them feel important or insignificant? Do they know how much I love them?

I have been blessed with two incredible boys! Your children are blessings too. Make some memories this summer!

(Stepping off the soap box...)

Jonathan's teacher told us to get to graduation early for a good seat. We ended up being the second family in the gym. Nice! First row seats!!!


After waiting almost an hour and a half, the ceremony finally started (I told you we got there early!) I was so anxious to see Jonathan in his little homemade cap. The students walked in very much like a college or high school graduation. Pomp and Circumstance played in the background until the last child was in their place at the front of the gymnasium. More than once Chris leaned over and told me that the music was actually England's national anthem. I basically shushed him and said something about traditions.


Poor Buddy's hat was pulled too far down on his head. This lead to his ears sticking out. UH! If you click on the picture to see a larger version, Jonathan almost seems to be sleep walking. Maybe the music was putting him to sleep...





The previous two pictures are the reason Chris and I are psuedo-talking about buying a new camera. I'd love a camera that zooms and still takes great pictures. Beth, I need to write down your camera model and start doing some research. There's no way I can put a price tag on my pictures and I want to be able capture our life as vividly as possible. CHRIS ARE YOU READING THIS???

Jonathan was able to shake the principal's hand and his teacher's hand when he received his diploma. Unfortunately, the camera was only able to get the principal's handshake.


Way to go Buddy!

(WARNING: You may not want to read the next paragraph...)

Actually, why are we celebrating kindergarten graduation? Did we really expect the kids not to pass? Should they really be rewarded for something that is expected of them? Do parents REALLY need to hoot and holler when their child's name is read as if it's the biggest accomplishment of anyone in the family? OK, wait...Don't answer that. Just remember, when everyone is super...no one is. How can I as a mother encourage my children to rise above the mediocrity that has plagued so many Americans? How do I teach them the value of hard work, education, and perseverance? HOW CAN I TEACH MY CHILDREN THE VALUE OF INTRINSIC MOTIVATION??? When someone figures that out, please let me know...then I can incorporate that knowledge into my classroom as well.

(OK, it's safe to read again!!!)

I'm anxious to see what's in store for Jonathan (and Drew) next year...

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I just realized that some of my blog posts mention my friend Beth. You need to know that she is awesome. I miss her terribly and this blog is quite possibly one of my ways to stay connected to her. I love seeing updates on her family (and I hope the feeling is mutual.) I have other great friends linked to my blog. You should check them out some time. There are two links to complete strangers' blogs but they make me laugh so hard sometimes! ENJOY!

Memorial Day with Friends

Our family was invited to spend time with friends from Alliance Friends on Monday. It was fun catching up with them and being able to relax. Chris and the boys played in the annual kick-ball game while I cheered them on from the sidelines. The boys also ended up making the hosts' play set a water slide and came home soaked. Nice.








Thanks Ray family! We love you!

Owlz vs. Bats

Jonathan played his first official t-ball game last Saturday. We learned first hand what it was like to sit in the hot sun while the boys played. I hate farmer tans...

The Owlz played well and won the game (woo hoo!) Jonathan even got to play at the pitcher's position as well as first base for a while! Talk about nerve racking...

I love baseball!

Gotta love DQ after the game!

10 Years

Chris and I have officially been married for ten years. On one hand it feels like we've been together forever but on the other hand time has gone so fast!

We decided two things on Friday:

1. We are more in love than ever.

2. We could have NEVER imagined how AWESOME life would be on our ten year anniversary.

God is good!

Just so you know, I had an awesome hair day all day. On the way home I pulled up my hair THEN decided on the photo shoot. UH!

Chris and Greta have the same face.

Definitely not as cool as the Ellie picture on the fridge but noteworthy none the less.

Field Day/Kindergarten Olympics

On May 22 Jonathan's school had a field day. He was so excited! He talked the whole way to school about how fast he is and how his speed compares to the other kids in his class. He was certain he could win the races...

I can remember dreading field day at school. Especially middle school field day...

(You mean you want me to run a relay? REALLY??? No, I CANNOT be the pitcher for the kickball game. Actually, to be honest, I don't even want to play kickball. It makes me feel awkward and self-conscience. I don't want to run either. I just want to sit in the sun with my friends...yes, I have some thank you very much...and talk about stuff. You know, the stuff middle school girls talk about. I did enjoy the huge parachute though, but that was never a part of MY field day. Bummer.)

Anyway...

Jonathan was excited.

Drew and Chris joined him after their BK adventures and finished the day with a billion kindergartners. Jonathan was super pumped that Chris was there and Drew loves to be one of the big kids.

I have to pause and give a shout out to my husband. For those of you that don't know him, he HATES the sun. He burns easily and gets grumpy when he has to be outside for longer than ten minutes. He basically sacrificed his personal comforts all day. Preschoolers in the morning, kindergartners in the afternoon, the sun most of the day...

Although he enjoyed spending time with our boys, Chris's call to work with teens was again confirmed last Friday.

The things you do for your kids...

So jealous!

Not so jealous!

"Because when everyone is special...No one is." Everyone received a gold metal. Nice. Check out a previous blog to see how I REALLY feel.

Farewell First Baptist

Drew had his last day of Preschool on May 22nd. His class walked to Burger King and enjoyed a scrumptiously healthy kid's meal with his classmates.

Chris was able to catch some playground action with the camera but I have a feeling that BK was too crazy to even think about getting the camera out.

What a cutie!

I can't believe both boys are done with preschool. First Baptist was an incredible experience for our family. I know it's not the biggest or the (supposedly) the best in town but we were satisfied.

Thanks First Baptist!

Scrimmage #1: Owlz vs. Grasshoppers

A couple of weeks ago Jonathan's team scrimmaged another team and WON! It was awesome watching him on the field. I know I'm his mother but I really think he looks like a ball player. I think he looks great in his uniform and he seems to enjoy himself. At least he's not playing with the dirt or picking the dandelions...










I included the previous picture not to showcase Jonathan's batting abilities, but to show Beth that I, too, can take a picture with a fuzzy background. No classes needed!!! OK, this was soooo just an accident but I thought it was funny that we were JUST talking about this and ta-da! (p.s. I mentioned the moo-lah issue to Chris and his only comment was..."Is it a good camera?" Maybe there is hope!!!)


Jonathan did very well until the end of the game...

On one of the last plays of the game, Jonathan and another little boy went after the ball and forgot to 'call' it. Unfortunately, the top of the Jonathan's teammate's head hit Jonathan just below his right eye. Instantaneous goose egg!!!

I kept composed and did not run screaming onto the field. I watched his coaches (closely) and let them care for Jonathan as long as they were comfortable. When one of the coaches started looking around (because he couldn't get Jonathan to calm down...) I decided to swoop in. Poor kid! He was in so much pain!

The next few days produced a nice black eye that Jonathan wore proudly for about a week. Never wanting to miss a scrapbooking moment, I snapped some pictures.

What a face!

T-Ball Pictures

Jonathan has started his first official year of baseball (OK, it's t-ball but I'm still excited!) He's playing for the Owlz, and Chris is an assistant coach. I know I already posted about the first practice but now that we have the uniforms (and a matching t-shirt for every member of our family) the season seems official!

I captured the team's picture day on my camera for free yet still had to pay almost $60 for a minimal amount of professional pictures. I hope those buttons are worth it!

Carni-Land

Jonathan's school hosted it's annual carnival a couple of weeks ago and of course the boys begged us to go. There were games, inflatables, food, and a book fair (OK, so the last one doesn't belong but it's the truth...) Everything cost a certain number of tickets, so Chris and I decided to bite the bullet and purchase some.

My parents even came for a while to see what all the fuss was about but I don't think they were impressed because they left early.

The boys ran straight for the dinosaur/lizard inflatable. I'm not going to lie...it was pretty impressive...

Notice the boys went IN through the mouth and came OUT through the...growth of another dinosaur toward the end of the tail??? What??? What in the world???

The second time through I gave Jonathan my camera to capture the insides of the beast...

After waiting in the world's longest line (twice) we convinced the boys that it was time to eat a healthy and nutritious dinner at the concession stand (a.k.a the cafeteria.)

Jonathan ordered a sloppy joe, Drew picked pizza, and Chris ordered two coney dogs (he was in heaven.) Chris also picked up some fronions, the boys each grabbed a bag of cotton candy, and everyone chose a can of pop (soda, soft drink...whatever.) I chose to refrain from eating until we got home. Do you blame me?

The cafeteria not only housed the concession stand but raffle baskets as well. Although we did not purchase raffle tickets, Chris and I were impressed by the sheer number of donations the school received. There were baskets for everything: food, movies, zoo passes, car washes, toys, crafty things, OSU paraphernalia, cold hard cash (JK,) etc.

The most interesting (do NOT read most desired...) basket (in my opinion) consisted of a gift certificate to Ambiance, (really???? at a kindergarten carnival????) a three tiered decorative candle thing, and a $25 gift card to some restaurant (which escapes me now because I am once again stuck on the Ambiance gift certificate.) I wonder how many people had the guts to stick a ticket into that box! Jonathan's teacher confided that she would be embarrassed to go into 'that store' for fear that a parent would work there!!! Ha ha!

After our scrumptious dinner we hit the book fair, and after that we went to the bounce house. Good times and more lines...

Just so you know, I have no clue who that child is bouncing with my boys...

Using the excuse of no more tickets, Chris and I were able to drag the boys out the doors before they were able to play a game that awarded them a living fish as the prize. I hate fish. Sorry Beth. I really like looking at yours, and you've got to admit, salt water fish are quite different than feeder fish...

Chris and I came home exhausted...At least the boys had fun!