First Two Days of Summer

I won't be giving a day by day account of our summer, but I thought I'd at least start well.  I'm counting yesterday and today as our first days of summer, since Monday was Memorial Day and Tuesday I was still babysitting a friend's daughter during the day.  Wednesday was our first day of no-obligation summer fun.

So Wednesday I woke up looking forward to some rest and relaxation, super excited that we had nothing on the schedule.  The kids, however, were immediately bored and were whining and fussy.  We ended up heading out to the grocery store and library after lunch, just to give us something to do.

Huston has been begging for a "rainbow snack" ever since we made one last summer, and I was finally able to get all the colors of fruit on sale and at the same time, so we made a rainbow snack.  He was so excited, he kept saying, "Thank you for making us a rainbow snack, Mommy!  I love rainbow snacks!"  Well, I kind of love them, too, buddy, considering that it's all fruit.

Of course, with his amazing memory, he wanted to sit at our big dining room table, since that's where we made our rainbow snack last year.  I convinced him to sit in the kitchen.  He also had to get over his expectation that our red color would be strawberries (since that's how we did it last time), but he was finally won over by the watermelon.  Arden had to be cajoled into eating the grapes - and I couldn't convince her to eat the rest of it.  I have the hardest time getting her to eat fruits and veggies!

Here's last year's rainbow snack, just for comparison:

In the afternoon, we went outside to blow bubbles.  Arden was thoroughly engaged for the full 45 minutes, and threw a big fit when it was time to come inside:  "No, I still blowing bubbles!  I just want to blow bubbles all day!"

This morning we woke up to a big rainstorm.  After I put the kids in the car to go to Starbucks for a toffee mocha latte (can you blame me?), we came back and played in the water streaming down our street.  In case you're wondering, I did take them out with Huston still in his pajamas, no shoes on either, and Arden with her hair unfixed.  But it was just a drive-thru, okay?  

Arden looks like Cousin It in all these pictures, but she wouldn't let me pull her hair out of her face.

We had the best time walking up and down the street, making footprints and handprints, finding worms, and just splashing around in the water.  Every time we found a worm, Huston would touch it, and when it would start squirming frantically, he would laugh hysterically and say, "I don't know why it's freaking out!"

Here's to more lazy summer fun ahead!

School's Out for Summer!

Huston had his preschool performance this past Wednesday, followed by the annual Scoopy Doo Ice Cream Social and picnic outside on the preschool lawn.

He did a-maz-ing at his performance.  And by that, I mean he didn't scream or cry.  Clarke and I sat so far in the back of the church that we could barely see him and I promised him I wouldn't invite anyone else and that I would take any pictures or video.  I told him his only choices were to sing, or to stand there quietly, but that absolutely no screaming and crying was allowed.  And he did a great job!  He looked happy, even though he wasn't singing or doing hand motions, and he only occasionally stuck his hands out in front of his face like he was trying to block someone from looking at him.

Later in the week he told me that Dinah and Blankie were supposed to sing, but instead they just stood there and pretended to be statues.  I guess that's what he was doing, too!

His music teacher, Ms. Beth, gave me a cd of all of the songs they sang this year, and Huston has been so happy singing and dancing to them in his room.  So I still feel like I've gotten to see a performance, even if he didn't sing at school.

Our last day of school was Friday.  This was the best picture I could get of him with Ms. Kate and Ms. Larissa.  They have been his sweet, patient teachers for two years now (since I held him back in the three year old room).  I know he'll miss being in their class.

He was not in the mood to pose for pictures, but I got a few of him playing outside at recess.  These are two of his best buddies from his class - Jacob, on the left, and Morton, on the right.  Aren't they cute?

Can't believe how big he looks!  On to the Pre-K class next year!

Arden: 2 years, 6 months

I meant to do an update on Arden right after I did the one on Huston, but somehow several weeks have passed and I'm just now getting around to it.  Here's a snapshot of my little girl at 2 and a half.

Sweet Arden, you are an absolute JOY to our family.  You love reading more than anything in the world, and bring us books all day long, saying "I want you to read me this."  It's hard to resist your sweet look, so you get read a lot of books.  You can read the entire book of Olivia almost verbatim and with good inflection.  It's adorable.  You always pick one book to sleep with every night.

You have an imaginary friend named Baby Junior.  I don't know how you came up with that name.  Baby Junior lives somewhere on your leg - usually your knee, but sometimes your foot.  Baby Junior's Mom also lives there.  One day in the car you said, "I have to pee!" and I turned around and asked urgently, "Arden, do you need to go potty?"  and you said, "No, Baby Junior just said 'I have to pee!'"  Sometimes I'll see you leaning over and gently touching your leg, talking to Baby Junior.

It's getting harder and harder to get you to take a nap.  If I want you to sleep, I have to go in your room after you've been in bed for awhile and rock you to sleep.  You fight it so much and always want to read more books in your bed.

You love to play games with Daddy where you take away his hat or belt and make him chase you.  Especially when Daddy comes home from work, you love to grab his belt and run off, saying, "I got your belt!"

Your favorite place to play is behind the cushions on the couch.  You burrow behind them, shove your blankies and Lambie down in the crevice, along with whatever other toy you're playing with at the moment, and snuggle in to pretend or read.  It drives me crazy because I'm always fixing the cushions, but it's also pretty cute.

Since you've been potty trained, you've regressed slightly on the peeing.  You hardly ever tell me when you need to go, and often get your panties a little bit (or a lot) wet, if I forget to take you.  You just can't stand leaving what you're doing to go to the bathroom, but you drink a lot of water.  Not the best combination.  You have gotten better about pooping, thank heaven, and will tell me when you need to go and usually do it without crying.

For a long time after Easter when I would tell you, "I love you," you would say, "Jesus died on the cross for our sins for he loves us."

You have lots of little boy admirers already.  One little boy in your Sunday school class, Riggs, makes it a point to stand by you and hold your hand, and misses you when you don't come to class.

I love the way you talk.  You still say "flone" and "microflone" instead of phone and microphone.  You say, "marshpillows" for marshmallows and "Fri-turday" a mixture of Friday and Saturday.

You're a sensitive soul (or dramatic?) and often burst into tears if we tell you we can't read you a book, or if you get reprimanded for something.  Sometimes you throw your head down to the floor and weep dramatically in a puddle.  Lately you've been crying, "My Mommy!  My Mommy!" when you're sad.  If you get in trouble and start crying, sometimes you try to pretend like you have a boo boo and ask for a bandaid.

You have gotten so independent, and insist on putting your shoes on yourself.  So different from your brother, who still often asks me to do it for him.  You're getting really good at it.  You also like to take off your clothes by yourself, and buckle and unbuckle your car seat, which can be tricky.  You cry a lot over that car seat because you either can't do it, or I don't have time to wait for you to do it.

You and Huston play well together, but you can also fight with the best of them.  One day you were both acting out an episode of Little Einstein's where Saturn loses one of its rings, and you would yell, "Arden on the rescue!" as you went in search of the lost ring.  I love listening to the two of you pretend together.  I hope you're always good friends.

And that, my girl, is you in nutshell at 2 and a half.  I wish I could freeze you in time right now, but as you love to tell me, "I just keep growing and growing."