Books & Blocks

Adam went to a Lego event at our local library today.

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The kids all built with the bricks and then put their creations on display on the cart.

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The event was extra special because two young authors were there. These brothers wrote a book about two kids (brothers actually) that have amazing Lego building super powers. I got Adam a copy of their book beforehand and he had them sign it and posed for a picture with them.

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Why did it have to be snakes

We took Maggie and Luke to a reptile show at the mall today. When the Reptile Guy asked for volunteers to hold this snake, Luke was the first in line.

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20150828_104840 20150828_104904 20150828_104917 20150828_104937I have to give the kid some credit though, because it’s not something I would do. I cringed the entire time and was incredibly thankful that Luke wasn’t picked during the tarantula part of the demonstration.

Seriously.

That crazy man put a big, hairy spider on top of a kid’s head. I might have passed out if he did that to my Luke.

And then probably shaved his head.

Yesterday & Today

We have had a busy few days. Yesterday, we signed Maggie and Luke up for gymnastics. They’ll start their classes next week.

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The two of them are constantly jumping off furniture and somersaulting around the living room. We’re hoping that gymnastics will help them to learn to do these things a little more safely, while burning off some extra energy at the same time.

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Of course, this could completely backfire on us. Their new-found confidence could turn our couch into a balance beam that they use to launch themselves on to the ceiling fan.

It really could go either way.

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Adam has his first soccer game next week. I’m so excited for him. He’s really enjoying it and does a great job following the coach’s instructions.

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The kids got a very special back-to-school care package from my friend Shannon. They get super excited about any mail, but a box full of cookies was a really fantastic surprise.

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Luke had a follow-up appointment with the ear, nose, and throat doctor today. Everything looks good with his ear tubes.

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Maggie had a blast spinning around on the doctor’s stool as we waited.

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These last several days have really worn her out though. She crashed as soon as we got home and stayed that way until we woke her up to go to Adam’s soccer practice.

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1st Day of 1st Grade

Adam had his first day of school today. He woke up before his alarm went off and was very excited to start his day.

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The rest of us spent the day running errands.

20150825_104413 One of the things on our to-do list was a haircut for Luke. He cried the entire time. Then he cried when it was over because he wanted it shorter. Then he stopped crying and said, “Wow! My hair looks like Papa’s!” After that revelation, he was all smiles.

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We were home in plenty of time to meet Adam at the bus. He had a great first day and told us that his new teacher might be even nicer than his kindergarten teacher. That’s a pretty high compliment in my book, since his teacher last year was wonderful.

20150825_143849We had picked up a cookie cake earlier, to continue the tradition we started last year. Adam was pretty excited about his after school snack.

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And just for comparison’s sake, here is the first day of kindergarten versus today.

20150825_284044What a difference a year makes!

This one’s for you, Gramma E

We’ve crammed a lot into the last couple of weeks. We had doctor’s appointments to catch up on. Adam’s gained 3 inches and 5.5 pounds in the last year.

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Luke was due for some vaccines. Three shots later and we had a very unhappy Luke.

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We have been to quite a few playgrounds.

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The boys had dentist appointments – no cavities!

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We went to the zoo.

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Maggie had her first trip to the dentist. Her teeth look good too. She’ll be getting a New Year’s Resolution this upcoming January to stop sucking on her fingers though.

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We went to a hot air balloon festival.

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And visited a castle.

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And there were even more playgrounds.

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We made light sabers out of pool noodles.

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And had a picnic at another new park (I love how there are so many close to us).

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Adam was finally able to purchase the Lego set he’s been saving for since last year, thanks to some birthday money.

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He also moved out of the carseat he’d been in since he was 8 months old and into a big kid booster seat.

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We shopped for school supplies.

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And spent a day with Thomas the Train.

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I can’t believe how long Maggie’s hair is getting!

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The magician picked Adam to help with a card trick.

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The boys built superhero vehicles at Lowe’s.
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Adam started soccer last weekend. Luke is starting next week and can’t wait.

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We took advantage of the warm weather and spent a day at a splash park.

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The boys loved the frog sprayers.

20150823_125642 20150823_125647 20150823_125914 20150823_134759And there, I think we’re mostly caught up.

Superheroes

Last night, the kids and I went to the airport. They insisted on wearing their superhero capes – a decision I backed 100%. We were able to get a gate pass and went through security to wait for a very special plane.

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It wasn’t long until we found this guy.

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I think we’ve heard nothing but a steady stream of, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” since we picked him up. Six months is a long time for little ones to be away from their dad.

20150807_190156 I missed him quite a bit too.

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As soon as we got back to the house, before the van was even unloaded, Adam had to show off his new bike riding skills.

20150807_201123This was the second deployment that Adam’s been through. I’d be okay if it was his last.

20150807_200736For now though, I’m just glad to have our little family all back together again.

Mr. 6

This kid turned 6 yesterday.

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He asked for a hippos in mud cake. So we made an Eclair Cake. Adam helped and we used chocolate pudding instead of vanilla. We also added crushed up oreos to the top, to look like dirt.

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We made a normal Eclair Cake, for those that prefer the traditional recipe, and Adam had to try a piece of each.

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They were both delicious.

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After cake, it was time for presents. Adam received a lot of really nice gifts – he’s a pretty lucky guy.

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Not as lucky as I am though, because being his mom is a pretty fantastic gig.

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Fun at the Children’s Museum

We visited a children’s museum this past Wednesday. It was close to 90 degrees outside and I was hoping, that inside the nicely air conditioned museum, they’d be able to run around and burn off some energy. We’d been there once before and they loved it.

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They had a great time and were really well behaved. I was so proud of the way they stuck together (that makes it easier to keep tabs on them for sure) and played with each other. The matching shirts also help to keep track of them in busy places. Unless you happen to visit the children’s museum on the same day as a daycare group that has their kids dressed in the same shade of green (then you might find yourself reprimanding someone else’s child on accident).

There was some construction going on outside the building and the workers were on their lunch break when we left. Adam and Luke were so excited to pose with this “big vehicle”.

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After we left the museum we met up with Amanda and Connor for lunch. One of the employees stopped to chat with the kids and treated them to ice cream cones for dessert.

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My plan worked and they all fell asleep during the drive home. Of course they woke up with recharged batteries, as evident by Maggie’s gymnastics.

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