We're having fun! We're having fun!

Last weekend we camped out at Stub Stewart State Park again with our families and friends. The weather was great. Not too hot, and no rain. We stayed for 3 nights, which turned out to be plenty for my kids. All that fresh air and playing hard from breakfast to dark really wore them out. We were lucky enough to camp near the playground which of course the kids loved. They spent the majority of their time on it. Claire had a great time riding her bike all over the place. Now that she is training wheel free, she is turning into quite the bike riding animal. We also enjoyed a meteor shower, plenty of campfire time, and even a fishing trip to the same pond that we went last year. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking..it's the place where you pay by the inch of the fish that you catch. Well, Grace managed to hook a really nice trout that just happened to be in the biggest category they had! Expensive fishy! After that we tried for quite some time to catch one more for Claire, but they just weren't biting anymore. Although, she was a little sad, it was fine with us after shelling out so much for the first one. whew!

The funny thing was that when we got back to camp and told Grace that we needed to put the fish into some foil so that we could cook it up for dinner, she started crying hysterically. She did not want us to cook the fish. I asked her what she wanted to do with it instead, and she said, "put it in my bed." Apparently, she thought she was going to keep this fish as a "stuffed" animal and sleep with it. Yeah... She just did not see the wisdom in putting it on the fire. It didn't help that she had named it Kee, which of course is her aunt's name. "Nooo, don't cook Kee!" You can imagine how it all went. Eventually, we did get it cooked, and Grace even managed to take a bite. Ahh, life lessons.

Making Waves

Last week we had a chance to head out to the lake for some fun on the boat. I can't believe it's already August and this was my first time on the boat for the year. We are all so busy these days it seems. We planned to go out on a weeknight after work to try to squeeze in a few hours of fun in the water. Unfortunately, Chris had to work late that night, so he missed out. The rest of us (me, kids, my sister Keara, and my parents) all had a great time. Even my mom, who has not been out on the boat for almost 20 years, enjoyed herself. We took turns out on the tubes. The girls loved it! Claire has really turned into quite the daredevil. She kept wanting to go faster and faster. Grace, although more timid, also really liked going over all the "bumps" and bouncing around on the choppy water. Kee and I took turns being on the tube with the girls. It was not an easy job...mostly it was painful. As the kids bounce around we are the ones who have to use our legs to make sure they don't go flying out. The pure mechanics of it were such that every bounce slammed their life jacket into my knees. Then Keara made me go on the big flat tube with her. At one point my left leg hit water real hard and now I have bruises all over the place. She also got the bright idea to straddle over me while riding. Just picture bull riding. Yeah...that didn't really work out too hot. The water was super choppy so every time we hit the water she would slam into my innards. She was also afraid that she'd crack her face into my head. We managed to get ourselves into a normal position, but I just could not hold on. My right arm just isn't strong enough. Funny thing, my left arm was not tired at all. Thanks to Neil.

So, even with all the physical pain, we had a blast! The kids can't wait to do it again. Although next time, I think I'll take ibuprofen immediately afterwards. :)

Animals, Food, and Rides

We've had a lot of fun this week having extended family in town. On Friday night we decided to hit up the county fair. They really entice you with "free admission". We even found a place to park on the street and therefore didn't have to pay for parking. We did, however, make up for all that with the food and rides. It's amazing how fast you can blow through money at the fair.

We all had a really fun time though. The girls had a blast riding rides and seeing the animals. It was interesting that on most of the kid rides Grace measured at the 42 in mark, but there were one or two where she was below the line and the worker would not let her on. Of course she cried inconsolably at being denied entrance to a ride that her sister and cousin were allowed on. It was pretty mean of them I think. I mean, come on, it all depends on the dirt under the stupid sign. She was plenty tall for the roller coaster, so why not the much more tame swings? It made no sense. Thankfully, there were plenty of other rides that she was able to go on.

Neil enjoyed the sights from the comfort of the stroller. He did really like watching the cows and pigs that we found. Overall, it was a fun night out. The weather was pleasant and we had some yummy fair food to enjoy!

It's Party Time

It's been awhile since I've had the chance to update the blog. Lots has happened. We went to Ireland for almost a month and we celebrated 2 birthdays! I will get to our travel later.

About a week after we came home we had a fun party for Claire and Neil at Rood Bridge Park with our families and a few friends. Claire is such a big girl now turning 6. She even has 2 loose teeth. Claire really enjoys swimming and dancing. I am so happy to have such a great helper at home. She is great with her baby brother!

Neil turned 1 this month. It's so hard to believe how quickly the time has gone. He should be just a tiny baby still in my mind. However, he is not little at all. He weighed in at 28 lbs and 31 inches long. He says "uh oh" and sometimes "mamma" and "dada". He is not really moving around yet, although he is getting stronger and seems like he will skip crawling altogether and just start walking. He is my blonde haired blue eyed baby, and we love him to pieces.

The party at the park was a lot of fun. We played a few games in the field and then opened presents. Claire really liked her new barbies, books, shoes, clothes, and legos. Neil loved his new dump truck, musical book, musical ball, and clothes. After the presents we served up the cake. Neil had his own cake and did not disappoint. He went face first into the chocolate frosting and loved it! Claire also had a chocolate cake, but we were all able to enjoy that. Overall, the weather was great and everyone had a good time relaxing and enjoying the evening in the park. Happy Birthday to Claire and Neil!

Graduate

On Friday, Claire graduated from Kindergarten. It was a big day for her. She picked out her yellow dress and sandals the night before. We were all able to go, which was fun except that the classroom was packed! So many people were there to support the kids. The kids sang "Down by the Bay" and did the chicken dance for us. There was a diploma ceremony and then we stayed to decorate cupcakes.

It's hard to believe that she has finished her first whole year of school. Now she will be a real big kid this next year in first grade. We are so proud of her accomplishments this year. She is reading and writing very well. Good job Claire!

Fire

Last weekend it was hot here! Like an amazing 85 ish degrees! After the weather we have had all year, it was downright HOT. The girls and I stopped by the county safety fair. There were cop cars, ambulances, fire trucks, and a cop boat to explore. They got to ride their bikes around to look at all the fun stuff. Claire really enjoyed the fire area. She got to "drive" in the firetruck and talk to the firemen. (Firemen are my favorite too Claire) :)

11 Months

Where does the time go? Neil is approaching his birthday at a hefty 27 1/2 pounds. He has such an amazing smile and cute chunky legs. His baby blues are still blue, and he still likes to cuddle. Although he still isn't mobile, he manages to roll around to find the objects of greatest desire. ie: cellphone, remote, sharp/small things. As you can imagine he is a great eater. I haven't really found a food that he won't eat. We are so lucky to have this little guy in our family!