More Gracie "firsts"

This week Gracie had a few more firsts...She started successfully using the sign for "more" (Yeah! The beginning of better communication--I love baby signs!), she stood on her own for about 10 seconds and she learned to climb to the top of the slide on the "play cube" in our backyard. Don't you love these pictures? She was so thoroughly pleased with herself after climbing that slide. Let's hear it for Gracie!!!!!

School's Out for SUMMER!!!!!

It's official...Owen is officially a first grader! I was at the school with him on his last day of class and on his field day. I have to admit, I almost burst into tears that last day of class when the kids were singing, "Good-bye now, Good-bye now the clock says we're done. I'll see you in first grade, good-bye everyone!...Who's terrific? I'm TERRIFIC!" I felt like I was watching all these little ones saying "good-bye" to part of their innocence. Totally irrational, I know. I just loved how easy going and loving his teacher, Mrs Brown, and the teacher's aid, Grandma Caroline were. I would best describe Mrs. Brown as quietly brilliant. The way she fostered Owen's strengths and developed his weaknesses was amazing. A huge part of me wishes that I could freeze him in kindergarten forever. The other part of me is so excited for him to move on and learn more and more new things. Reading has opened up a whole new exciting world and I look forward to seeing what lies around the next corner. For now...Let's hear it for SUMMER!!!!

An hour before we were hosting a BBQ at our house last Saturday the kids decided they just HAD to take a few minutes to run through the sprinklers. Because of the angle of the sun, my photos are not great, but I loved watching them squeal as they ran.

Our Magic Tree House

For a few months Jed and I were talking (okay, I was doing most of the talking) about getting/building some sort of fort or play structure for the kids. Our boys are still crazy about the Magic Tree House book series and have been bugging Jed to help them build a tree house for over a year. Unfortunately we don't have any good tree house trees. Thus, the search for option 2 began. We really wanted the kids to be able to be involved in the design of it and to use their imaginations in creating something that would foster hours and hours of play. Then one day our friend Kevin found this swing set at a yard sale. It was in terrible need of a power washing and some new stain, but otherwise it was seemed great. We decided to go for it. We figure that we can always add on to it, close the bottom off, etc. based on the kids ideas.
Here's Super Dad hard at work making things more secure.
Kate LOVES the slide and threw a HUGE fit when it was time to go in for bed. Finally she calmed down when I reassured her that the slide would still be there in the morning. The next day the first thing out of her mouth was, "Is it still here?" So sweet.
Even Gracie was wanting to help with "The Magic Tree House".
Owen was so excited...he talked the entire time we were working on setting it up...yak, yak, yak...wonder where he gets that from?
Like Father, Like Son.

We thought that the old dowel later rungs were a little tricky for the littler kids, so Jed added these more sturdy steps.
After a fresh coat of stain (sorry I don't have a better picture to show off the stain and I am too lazy to go out and take one) we are ready for those hours and hours of Summer Fun!

Snuggle up to your....cactus?

I know I have mentioned before that after months and months of working at it, we finally got Gracie addicted to a pacifier...just in time for our trip to Hawaii last October. I am sure that the people sitting on the plane around us were also singing the praises of that Binky. It may sound crazy that we would encourage a binky, but our experience has shown that it is nice for the baby to have some way to sooth themselves and also it is much easier to take away a binky than a thumb! Well, not long after Gracie became attached to our dear friend the Binky...she got a cold...had a running/stuffy nose...couldn't breath with the pacifier in and quickly gave it up....Darn it! Lucky for us we were given this darling (?) little cactus toy from our friends, the Pages, after they took a trip to Arizona a few years ago. Gracie doesn't care that it used to be Kate's. All she knows is that she loves to snuggle up to this cactus when she is tired or sad. Who doesn't love a good cactus anyway?
You like Gracie's skater hair? There are a lot of bald men out there that would kill for that comb-over!
Can you tell she is teething? Her tongue is out...ALL OF THE TIME!

Note to Self:

Note to Self: When you are older and your kids are grown and you suffer from "Parenting Amnesia" (ie. you have forgotten the hard part of having little ones and only remember how sweet, funny and well behaved they are) you may from time to time see a Mom at the store with several small children. PLEASE avoid using the phrase, "Wow, you really have your hands full!" or anything like unto it. Chances are she and her children have probably already heard this at least four times that day and although she will know that you mean well and will appreciate all that you say about how cute the kids are she may be sick of hearing that particular phrase. :)

Still buddies...

I love that at ages 4.5 and 6.5 we still find them sleeping together on the floor. I hope that they will always be buddies.

Sleeping Beauties

Why is that I immediately forgive them of any stress they have cause me, the minute I see them sleeping? I had come in to lay Gracie in her bed and found Kate sleeping like this. Even Gracie thought it was funny.