Claire's Sunday Afternoon

Claire likes to go into the office and turn on her DVD player to watch whatever disc is in. Usually Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Blues Clues. On Sunday, she went in there and realized the disc was missing. She decided it was time to just take a break for a nap instead. This is how we found her within minutes of her going into the office. Afterwards, she was looking pretty cute during dinner with her messy curls from the nap!

Our Little Cub Scout

Oh my gosh, Connor is growing up so fast! As a first grader, Connor can now participate in Cub Scouts. There was a booth at the school open house and he was so excited to join, mainly because of the promise of shooting a bow and arrow. I really don't think the camping and fishing is what appealed to Connor, but he seems excited about those activities as well.

The best part of Cub Scouts is that we have found a way to reunite Connor with his best friend, Carac. They are now in different schools and life gets busy with our families, so this was a great way for the boys to see each other regularly (and for the dads to further bond). Crazy thing...it was the boys' idea that they join the same Cub Scout Pack and Den. Not sure why us resourceful moms didn't think of that!

They have had a couple Pack and a couple Den meetings so far and last night was the first night that all the boys wore their Cub Scout Uniform. It is very important to have the shirt, with all the badges, and all the related accessories so that they can wear the uniform proudly. Chris worked very hard on getting those badges applied before his first pack meeting...that was a chore that Chris would probably agree is best left to professionals. Once Chris was done, Connor was anxious to try on the uniform and even more excited to wear it to the first pack meeting. He definitely wore it proudly!

They have a lot of activities planned between now and the end of the year, including the big popcorn sale. Connor has a very full social calendar now and a lot to prepare for as he advances through the cub scout program. The best part for me is seeing his excitement about it and watching him mature before my very eyes!

Boys' Fan Club

We are reminded on a regular basis how great it is that we have stayed in Evansville where the boys have a regular relationship with all of their grandparents.  For each of the boys ball games, they have had a fan club of grandparents.  It is so great that they can be there to support the boys and that the boys can share their excitement.

Their greatest fan at the majority of their games has been their little sister cheering them on from the sidelines...

Baseball Buddies

As another round of swim lessons ended, we decided to take a break and let the boys try something different. They had mentioned playing baseball for some time, so the decision was easily made when I picked up a Fall Ball flyer from Claire's daycare. Several parents stated that fall ball is the best time for the boys to try out the sport, since it is a short season with 2 weeks of practice and 5 weeks of games.

Lucky for us, the boys are close enough in age that they were assigned the same team. They have been having a blast learning the sport and playing the games. I was expecting complaints about the heat, the cold, the dark, the bugs, something. However, they have really surprised me with their enthusiasm, excitement, and interest in the coaches guidance. I won't go as far to say that they are naturals,but they have gotten a few hits off of the pitching machine and a few good plays in. I was especially excited to see both of them get a good play to 1st Base when they were assigned to the pitcher mound.

I have a feeling that they will be anxious to sign up for the spring season of ball next year...

Saturday Night Summer Social

For some Saturday night fun, we took the kids to a church social that was setup for the weekend.  They had a handful of carnival rides, games, and food.  The kids had a blast riding a handful of rides before we grabbed some carnival food of hot dogs and chips.

The kids got a big kick out of the ride company...Brady's Amusements. We couldn't resist taking a picture!

Back to School Bash

A friend of the boys from Montessori had a back to school bash at his house shortly after school started. Several of the kids from Montessori and summer school were invited, so we knew quite a few of the kids and the parents. They had all kinds of activities set up for the kids, with the water slide being the most popular of the day. It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon and for the boys to see some of their friends from their old schools.

 

 

 

 

First Day of School

After much anticipation, the boys first day of school at the new Oak Hill Elementary arrived. To prepare the boys for what to expect, we went to the Open House the Monday prior. The boys got a chance to meet both of their teachers, see the classrooms and their assigned desk, and tour the school. There were a few mix-ups with it being a brand new school, but the boys didn't seem to notice.

The first day of school, they dressed in their Oak Hill Spirit Wear, loaded up their new backpacks, and were all set for school. Daddy walked them in to school and showed them to their classrooms. After school, they caught a van to a church daycare that they are enrolled in for after school care. It didn't take long for the boys to get comfortable with the routine and make lots of new friends.

 

 

 

Old Glory Parade

In celebration of July 4th, the Kindergarten summer school class performed an Old Glory Parade at Eastland Mall. I was in Colorado for training, but was thrilled to get pictures of Brady in the parade from Chris.

School Yard Rhymes

School yard rhymes have changed since I was in school...

Burdette Park Family Reunion

Awhile back, a group of us decided that we needed to get the family together for a summer reunion where all the kids could run around while the adults visited. This Saturday, we had a gathering at Burdette Park at one of the shelter houses. It was the typical group that gathers at Christmas time with a few additional family members. The kids had the chance to play with their 1st cousins, their 2nd cousins, and some other distant cousins.  I think there was about 15 kids all together.  The day started out with a little thunderstorms, but turned out to be a great day later on.

The kids started out the day playing some board games and after the rain stopped, headed outdoors.  They had a blast traipsing through the creek and hillside and going on hikes with their oldest cousin, Shane.  They had a squirt gun fight and played on the nearby playground. They watched the adults playing horseshoes and cornhole.   Claire, bless her heart, wanted to be right there in on the action.  This time, we had to draw the line on her independence.  Luckily, we had a lot of volunteers to help with Claire.

It turned out to be a great day and will most likely be repeated again next year!

Brady turns 5-Years-Old!

Sci-Fi Show

As soon as we heard about the Evansville Philharmonic's Sci-Fi Show, we decided if there was any show to take the boys to, it would be the Sci-Fi Show since 1/2 the show would include music from Star Wars. As parents and former "band-geeks", we want the boys to have an appreciation for music.

They have been looking forward to the show for weeks. As an extra surprise, I ordered Star Wars costumes for them to wear to the show (and hopefully they can use them in October for Halloween). Brady was Jango Fett and Connor was a clone/stonetrooper (he claimed he was part of Episode 3 when he is switching over). They had a really good time meeting some of the characters and listening to the music. I was concerned that they would only be interested in the Star Wars music, but they were genuinely interested in the entire selection of music (ET, Back to the Future, 2001 Space Odyssey, Avatar, and more).

I am glad we took the boys and they had a lot of fun!