Weekend with the PA Bakers

  On Saturday, June 22 we went to visit Keith and Amber and the boys.  We met up for a hike about 30 minutes from their new home.  The kids did a great job on the hike. We saw a little waterfall, dropped sticks off of a bridge into a river, ate lunch on logs, and just had a nice time in general.

After the hike we went back to their home.  The grown-ups played a game while the kids played with each other.  Elaine and Brendan disappered into his room and happily played for a long time.  James was interested in the "baby" and Caleb liked pushing him around on his three wheeler.  Adam and Kyle had some game going (not sure what) but they were rough housing like boys and having a lot of fun (no tears).  Aaron also helped Kyle build a "nuclear battery" with cardboard and aluminum foil for Kyle's time machine.  We enjoyed chatting with them and the time went by too quickly.

Everyday happenings

 Being child #3 Caleb has greater access to the bathroom.  To be fair the kids are pretty good about remembering to shut the door, but when they forget and it has been quiet for too long, you know there is trouble!  At least he is really cute.

Elaine made this paper mache hot air balloon at school.  Since we couldn't save it forever we immortalized it with a photo.

Sometimes eating the food under the high chair is tastier than on the tray.  At least according to Caleb.

Aaron shared his father's day chocolate to make s'mores.  We happened to have marshmallows on hand (rare) but we were out of graham crackers.  Being the amazing husband he is Aaron made some homemade graham crackers.  The result was delicious!

 Our future doctor.

 

It doesn't get more exciting than watching the recycle truck!!

 Though Caleb's climbing abilities get my heart racing at times!

Some thoughts from this last week

This last week 6/2-6/9 was Elaine's last full week of kindergarten. She has been bringing home lots and lots of art projects and other papers.  I don't know that she really comprehends that she is almost done with this year - or maybe it just isn't emotional for her.  I don't recall ever feeling emotional at the end of the school year - just excited for the adventures ahead.  I feel a little sad I guess that her kindergarten year is almost done.  It's such a magical time and it means she is growing up and though it is exciting, it also is going faster than I expected.  On Friday Elaine's class had a summer birthday party to celebrate kids with summer birthdays and she loved that.  She also had a play date with a little girl from her class.  Elaine often asks to have friends over and I'm not great about coordinating that, partly because Adam wants to play with her when she gets home.

I have never had a cavity in my life until now.  On Tuesday I had four filled.  Yikes!  Honestly I had high levels of anxiety about the process from stories and jokes I've heard.  Luckily things went very smoothly and the numbing wasn't too bad and my fillings match my teeth so you can't even tell.  I contemplated rewarding myself with ice cream but decided maybe that wasn't prudent.  Tuesday evening Aaron and I watched Studio C which is on BYU TV and is one of our favorite shows.  (We really don't watch many so it's not hard to have a favorite, though we do think it is funny.)

Aaron is teaching finance 305 right now.  This is the second finance class for undergraduate students.  He loves teaching but this week has been filled with some frustration.  Some students are perplexed why they are failing even though they don't attend class.  *Sigh*  Aaron has less control over student attendance and overall accountability than he did when he taught ROTC but he says he still enjoys teaching.

Our garden is starting to grow and it is actually looking like a garden now and not just a weed patch, which is exciting.  This is largely due to Aaron's heroic efforts.  Our lettuce is producing enough that I haven't purchased lettuce at the store the last two weeks and we are hoping to not have to buy it for most if not all of the summer.  The rest of the plants will be ready in mid-late August, so we'll have to wait awhile.  Aaron built and installed a trellis for the cucumbers - apparently since they are vines they can grow vertically - so we are going to try that this year.

Poor Caleb has been sick most of the week with a cold but fortunately for me still is his happy self most of the time.

Adam is now proficient at putting on his own shoes and socks.  Hooray!

Sunday Evening

Here are a few pictures from our evening:

Caleb likes pulling the booster seat around like a pet

Elaine and I made a cake this afternoon after church.  It was good mommy-daughter time.  She read the directions and we followed them.  Caleb enjoyed one of the frosting beaters before we ate the cake - a first for him since I didn't give him the beaters on his birthday.

Elaine got some balloons from a birthday party she went to on Saturday.  All of the kids love balloons, but especially Caleb.

Adam took a nap this afternoon (he doesn't usually do that anymore, but today it was needed) and he was very happy and helpful this evening.  If only he would go to bed on time tonight!

Caleb loves "his seat".

 Aaron read quite a few books to the kids today.  

Summer Birthday Party

On Friday 6/7 Elaine's kindergarten had a class party for all of the summer birthdays.  It was a pajama, stuffed animal, crazy hair, movie, ice cream party.  Elaine wanted to dye her hair but I put the kabosh on that.  Instead we braided pipe cleaners in her hair and she was happy with that.  I can't believe she only has 1.5 days of kindergarten left.

Black Bears

A mama bear and two or three cubs have been in the area.  On Thursday they were sleeping in a tree just up the street and on Friday 6/7/13 two cubs were playing in our front yard.  When I ran to get the camera they ran to our back yard and started investigating our swing set.  When I got out the camera they turned and scampered off, so I only took these "exiting" shots.  But it was amazing to see them up close.  We could see their faces so well.  

*These pictures were taken from our kitchen window - we didn't go outside.

Swing Set

Here are a few photos of our new swing set.  The kids love it and Adam now spends a significant portion of his day outside.  There is a little picnic table under the slide and he even wants to eat lunch outside now.

Adam

Here are a few videos of Adam.  We took a quiet moment on Saturday, June 1 to make the clips.  When everyone is around he gets too shy or silly to do videos like these for me.

Here is Adam "reading" a book about a trip to the Sea Park.  He can't read the words but he is saying many of the phrases verbatim.

These next two are songs.  The first is I am a Child of God.  

                                                            Here is a made-up song.

Family Day Saturday

                                                                                                         
Yesterday (Saturday, June 1) we went to a family day that a local bank hosted.  Everything - including the hot dogs and ice cream - was free.  We rode up high in a fire engine bucket.  The kids played on a bounce house.  

 They sat in a helicopter.  (Adam did not like being in there but was upset when we took him out.  Apparently he thought he would get a ride!)

  Adam made a little wooden lawnmower courtesy of Home Depot

And Elaine had her face painted.

*Poor Caleb spent most of the time in the stroller, but he did get a big yellow balloon!*

That same day there was a free (are we noting a trend?) festival at a local nature center called Millbrook Marsh.  

The highlight for Caleb was petting the giant rabbits.

The kids also got to investigate interesting rocks, touch snake skins and turtle shells, watch bees in a hive, frost frog cookies (not made with real frogs) and shoot a fire hose.

By the end we had all had fun but we were overheated (it was almost 90) so we went home and watched The Princess Bride.  It was a fun day!