Ocean Beach Street Fair

A wonderful day in OB with Avery, Owen and Emerson!


We had been there a couple hours when Jen and Sarah decided it was time to head home for naps. Tom looked at me and I shook my head - Naps were taken away from our lovely children four days ago.  Tom's face fell. What were we supposed to do to keep them awake and happy?!  Exactly. Welcome to my world, buddy!  So we went to the Kid Zone and they bounced. And bounced. And bounced.

And when their heads hit the pillow at 7:30pm they were out.  No more fighting Hayden from 8pm-10:30pm... No more bogus Supernanny tricks... It may be exhausting keeping us out of the house and entertained from 10am-4pm, but downtime in the evenings and not waking up 6 times a night is worth it.

It's working. For now.

So Proud!

Today all the parents were invited to watch the kids perform what they learned at camp - Tom took a long lunch and joined us on the bleachers. Bowling tournaments and piano recitals were always a huge struggle for me due to others watching/listening and I held my breath hoping he'd be okay. He was more than okay. My heart was bursting watching him move around the gym, not caring about the audience and just having fun. 

 

Hayden couldn't contain her excitement either.

  

 

 

 

Day Three

Whole crew came to watch.

Eating garlic knots and watching boats - Best way to relax after a tough 45 minutes of balancing and doing somersaults.

Dancing Machine

Slowly but Surely...

Due to his December birthday, Cole won't be going to kindergarten until August 2015. Preschools are very expensive here, so it isn't something we could do for 2-3 years. I've done my best to socialize him at parks/indoor playgrounds but know his attachment to me (and Hayden) may be an issue down the line. He loved his gymnastics class at the YMCA when he was 3, and I was excited when I saw Coronado had day camps starting soon.

He was VERY hesitant about not having me by his side like I was last year. He asked questions every day... Pretty much chewed his nails down to nothing... He even teared up in the car before we went in. We made a deal: If he went in and participated, we'd go for ice cream. If he didn't like it, we wouldn't return the rest of the week.

Happy I wasn't fibbing about the observation window!



I owe this teacher a big hug. She saw that he was nervous, grabbed his hand and led him in.



Hayden stayed busy by demanding snacks every 20 seconds and taking selfies.

Promise kept.

Best part is he can't wait to return!

Father's Day

The minute Tom walks in the door after work, Cole and Hayden scramble to get his attention.  He barely gets his shoes off before they're telling him every little detail of their day or asking to play - No matter how many hours he's worked, he's willing to throw a ball, build a Lego truck, swaddle a doll or read a book 19 times in a row.   And more often than not, the fun lasts until I say it's bedtime.

So kind... So patient... So willing to be silly... Our children are very lucky to have him.









All he ever hopes for is waves. They were small, but the water was warm and we got to spend time with Brett, Traci and Annie!

 

Koozies - Not for Beer Anymore

 

 

She'll now randomly ask, "Daddy, can you get the cozy?"

Lake Murray

Two mile walk to the playground... Clearly worth it!

  

 

Cole rode his bike for four miles - Not one complaint and he slept like a champ. We may be doing this loop EVERY weekend.

Back to the Routine

First thing on the agenda was to introduce Annie to her buddies!

The Mouse

When your grandparents live a couple blocks from Chuck E Cheese, you can't leave town without a visit!

Chaos!

 

 

We'll certainly miss these two, but time to get back to Daddy - Hope he's ready. Sure the peace and quiet was fabulous!

Touch A Truck - West Chicago

Blackberry Farm

Such a fun morning with Arianna and Landon!