Let's Take A Dip!

The kids finally talked me into putting the pool for the first time a couple weeks ago. The weather hadn't necessarily been HOT yet, but the kids were dying to go in the water.

 

 

Thankfully the pool is easy to inflate with the car compressor. It took probably 10 minutes to fully inflate it. Add water and...

 

 

I had some excited kids on my hands!

 

 

Owen doing some funky dance!

 

 

Testing the waters!

 

 

Happy Girl! Since the weather hadn't been nice I didn't have Logan's swimsuit so she just used one of Zeke's Little Swimmers.

 

 

While the kids were swimming I set up the towels in the sun so they'd be nice and warm for them. I also put out my blanket so I could lay down and soak up some rays. I told the kids that the area with the towels needed to stay dry. Of course within 5 minutes I caught Owen splashing water at Jack while he was laying on his towel! That's when Owen got put in the "penalty box" aka his towel. He had to sit there for 5 minutes not getting to play. That happened twice!

 

 

Jack spent most of his time running back and forth from the pool to his towel....he towel was soaking wet!

 

 

When Zeke woke up I put water in the water table for him to play with.

 

 

Owen is great at photo bombs!

 

 

Once the kids got more used to the freezing your toes off water they started splashing and run and doing all sorts of tricks in the water.

 

 

Using the inflatable sizes to help with your cool water tricks is a must!

 

 

Bouncy...bouncy...bounce!

 

 

Ella was trying to get out of the pool, but then slipped and feel in! It was funny!

 

 

Cute baby boy was soaked from his play time! You might notice the red spots on the back of his legs. Well he finally had his appointment with the dermatologist and Zeke has officially been diagnosed with eczema. The doctor prescribed two different steroid creams...one for his face and diaper area and then another for his arms and legs. We also rub him down with Eucerin moisturizing cream....the kind in the tub not the pump. It's good stuff! His skin already looks gorgeous now!

 

 

See his sweet red cheeks...so glad his skin is healing now. Hate seeing my baby suffer!

 

Of course a few days after we put the pool up we had a week of rain! We drained the pool and set it up by the house so it wouldn't kill the grass. I'm sure it will get lots more use this summer though!

My Girl!!!

 

~ Ella Grace ~

 

It just amazes me that she can be as gorgeous as I think she can get and then she wakes up the next morning even more gorgeous than the day before!

 

Love that girl and her spunk!

There's Nothng Like Splashin' Around...

In the toilet!

 

 

Especially when it wasn't flushed!!!

 

 

And of course you should most definitely play with a toy in the water...

 

 

This little piggy got dunked in the pee water!

 

 

Hahahaha!!!!

 

 

He had the time of his life and then he got cleaned!!!

Dress Up!

Cute little reindeer!

 

 

Maybe beads would be better!

 

 

Nope...reindeer is the winner!

 

Summer Fun Is A...

Sand Digging...

Bike Riding...

Car Driving...

Car Riding...

Outdoor Eating...

Shade Dwelling...

Eyes Squinting...

Milk Chugging...

Sunhat Wearing...

Table Climbing...

Grass Crawling...

Very Good Time!!!

Happy Birthday To Our Pa!

 

Owen - My favorite thing about Pa is...doing two head monsters with him and I want to try three head monsters.

 

Jack - My favorite thing about Pa is standing up riding on his back doing cowboy and when he plays two head monsters with me.

 

Ella - My favorite thing about Pa is riding horsey.

 

Zeke - His favorite thing about Pa is that he will pick him up and walk around with him showing him all kinds of pictures.

 

Happy Birthday Pa....We love you!!!

Earned!

Last weekend we had a garage with 6 other families...there was a lot of stuff. In fact so much we are doing it again this weekend. I've already found more things from our house!

 

 

The kids even went through some of their stuff and sold it too. Owen sold his Imaginext Space Shuttle and Dump Truck. And that put his total money saved up to $33!

 

After swim lessons on Saturday we took the kids ToysRUs and he was able to buy his tank!

 

 

I'm so proud of him! $33 is a lot to save and it's taken him over 2 months, but he did it! He worked hard doing his jobs and then selling some of his toys. He's had so much fun playing with it. It neat to see the difference in a child playing with a toy they are given and then a toy they paid for. He has been using Lincoln Logs and Jenga blocks to build towers and then he has his tank run them over. It's pretty cool!

Jack's Star Wars Party!!

A few days after Jack's actual Birthday we celebrated with family and friends. Jack asked for a Star Wars party and I had been planning for it for so long it was kind of surreal that it was actually here.

 

 

Birthday boy himself! Wearing his Spiderman shirt that a total stranger bought him at JCPenny's the day we got his pictures taken. I'm still in awe about it...such a cool thing to happen! He just asked that we pay it forward!

 

 

Michael made a Darth Vader for the kids to beat up.

 

 

The centerpiece was Jack's Star Wars ships and characters!

 

 

I had all the supplies ready for the kids to make lightsabers!

 

 

I also made cute food and drink labels. I forgot to take pictures of the food ones, but they said - Hanburgers, Hoth Dogs, Lightsabers (Cheetos Puffs) and Thermal Detonators (Whoppers). The Yoda Soda was just Lemon/Lime Soda and Lime Sherbet.

 

 

The guests all ready to eat!

 

 

I made badges for the kids that had a picture of Yoda on them with a saying that said, "Do or do not there is no try!" I also had missions for them to complete such as - Fuel your body, Quench your thirst, Train your mind, Make lightsabers, Eat your sweets, Battle Darth Vader. The above picture is of the kids getting their minds trained by listening to a book about Jedi's while they Fuel their bodies.

 

 

Andrew and Josiah had to leave early so once the book was finished Jack opened his present from the Storer's. Andrew decorated one package and Josiah did the other. Andrew even wrote his name on the package and then drew a picture of Jack in carbonite. So creative!

 

 

Jack got one Star Wars Lego set and a helicopter Lego set.

 

 

Once I was done eating we moved onto the next mission...making lightsabers. I got the pool noodles at the Dollar Tree and then Michael just cut them in half with scissors. My Dad just happened to have all this cool colored duct tape so that's how the kids made the handle of their lightsabers.

 

 

Awesome weapon my young padawan!

 

 

Watch out Darth Vader...Jedi John is ready to fight!

 

 

May the Force be with you Caleb!

 

 

Then it was time for the kids to fight.

 

 

We let each of the kids get 3 whacks at Vader...I wasn't sure how long he was actually going to last!

 

 

Then once all the kids had had a turn we just let them loose!

 

 

As Victoria said, "Die Darth Vader...Die!!!" It was hilarious and a little frightening all at the same time!

 

Then it was time for the lightsabers to take a nap so Jack could open his presents.

 

 

Captain American Spy Gear from Miss Rachael, Kendra and Lilyann.

 

 

TMNT Combat Gear and movies from Mommy & Daddy.

 

 

Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 1 and pajamas from Uncle Ry and Aunt Stephie.

 

 

Rockin' his Raphael gear!

 

Jack also got $10 in cash from Uncle Jon and Aunt Becky and a Kids Cookbook from the Kuch Klan.

 

 

Then it was time for Ga-Ga & Pa's present. Of course it came out under new Buzz sheets.

 

 

It's a Buzz Lightyear Bike!!!

 

Time for Cake...R2D2 Cake!

 

 

I was so pleased with how this cake turned out. I had seen it on Pinterest, but the person who did that one used Fondant to make it look perfect. I really dislike fondant so I knew I was going to have to just make it work with frosting. The night before I needed to make it was not sure how I was going to accomplish it, but it turned out great!

 

 

After most of the party goers left Jack got a chance to hop on his bike. Then we decided to just have a riding extravaganza with the rest of the kids in the street.

 

 

Caleb got to ride on Lightning McQueen.

 

 

Zeke even got in on the action!

 

Ella Bean has finally learned how to steer the motorized vehicles!!!

 

 

Anna and Addison got to motor around in the pink Jeep!

 

Lookin' good Jack!

 

 

In all there were 15 people out on the street in front of our house...counting parents. All the kids were riding around on their different modes of transportation and all of the vehicles were ours!

 

 

It was a crazy fun!

 

Since we were having so much fun we didn't even get around to taking a group shot! :(

 

Thank you to everyone for making my Jacker's 5th Birthday a special one!