Princess Party

We were invited to a very special Princess Party at Paul Mitchell: The School. It was a really fun way to spend our Saturday morning. They have these regularly so we look forward to the next one. The money they collect goes back to the community. This time they were supporting our local Special Olympics. The girls really loved getting the attention. I teased Adam as he unknowingly stood in front of the princess wall. But I feel it is good for him to have to tag along for once. His sisters have to follow him to all of his activities. And what do princesses do after receiving their royal treatment? They have lunch at Wendy's of course! We carried the theme for the rest of the day. We enjoyed our pizza movie night as we watched the new Disney movie "Princess Protection Program" and counted how many times they said the word princess in the movie. (I personallly felt the movie went too slow so don't go out of your way to watch it. They'll show it bazillion times I'm sure : ) Thanks for inviting us Michelle! We had a great time. And let us know about the next party.

Blowfish Fans

At the end of the season, the Little League gave each child a free ticket to a local baseball game. And so Adam and I went. I remember going to a minors game with Kim years ago. I think Adam was a baby then. Maybe he wasn't even around yet. The details are a bit foggy. But at that time it wasn't really that interesting to me. Kim and I just talked mostly. But I tell you what, now that we have a baseball star in the family, the game takes on a whole new meaning. I was constantly amazed at just how fast those guys can throw that ball. And the distance! Goodness! At one time the center fieldman threw the ball in to home plate to try and get the runner out. It didn't work but still, just the fact he could actually make it there was too amazing. Adam was in the middle of his pitching camp so we had fun watching the different pitchers, their styles, and how they mess up. Especially ours because the other team got two homeruns from us! It was a late night but extremely enjoyable. Oh but the best part was when the coach started yelling at the umpire. Apparently a runner can't advance in certain situations. Rules I don't quite know yet. But Adam was embarrassed by my snapping pictures of the scene. I had to explain that these are things you see in the movies and to capture it in real life is quite a treat. Parents were relieved to see the coach and ump shake hands in the end and fix the situation, sending the runner back to first. Although the next guy up to bat hit a home run and brought him in anyhow. I guess he got his comeuppance for being such a baby : ) I plan to take him out to the ballgame again. But note to self, don't forget your wallet. It just so happened that I had four measley dollars to my name with me. Just enough to get me into the game but not enough to get the peanuts and soda that you should really get when you're at a game.

A Special Father's Day Cake

We decided to make Todd a special cake for Father's Day. Sure it would have been easier to just buy one but you wouldn't be able to find one like this one! The bottom was a scrumptious fudge brownie. Then came a layer of chocolate pudding drizeled with crunchy chocolate sprinkles and caramel. Then came the delicious chocolate cake and chocolate whipped frosting. Oh! And don't forget the sprinkles on top. It is sure to satisfy any chocolate craving! The kids loved making it with me and I have already begun to think about how I can make it better the next time.

Of course, the best part of making the delicious dessert is cleaning the utensils. Forget Dad! It was a fun morning with the kids and we all enjoyed the special treat made with love for Daddy.

The Hungry Mouth Skit

Adam attended his first Cub Scout Day Camp this summer. He had a blast! He learned about archery and how to shoot a BB gun. He went fishing and learned a lot about nature from visiting experts in the area. The girls even enjoyed time there at the Tot Spot while I volunteered. They went around to the different stations just like the boys did. Molly's exuberant personality really shined through as she loved learning new things and exploring new places. Clarissa cried when it was time to go home. They found small frogs on a nature hike. Which of course if right there with her top things to do. The above video is the skit his den created for the last day ceremony. It was a huge hit among the other boys. He was completely exhausted by the end of the week. But now that I know just how much fun it is, I'll volunteer more next year.

Summer Fun!

Spending a morning at the playground while Adam was at Day camp was a lot of fun. But it is so very hot and humid here in South Carolina. It didn't take very long before we were wanting to go back home and sit in the air conditioning, enjoying a popsicle or two.

Our good friend Tara invited us to hang out at her community pool. We had a really great time. It is definitely the best way to pass a hot afternoon summer. It makes me wish we had a pool in our backyard. Then we would never have to leave!

Clarissa loves spinning around in circles. She calls it dancing in the water. She will be a ballerina whenever she can!

Molly doesn't seem to have the same sort of fear to the water as the other two do. She loves to just jump right in and start swimming. It goes to show that you exhibit a lot less anxiety with the third child, allowing them to adventure out a little more. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll teach her how to be a nervous wreck too : )

Pack Meeting Cookout

It was the end of the year for the Cub Scout program. We won't meet again until school begins again. They celebrated their hard work with a fun cookout. Adam completed the year with great honors. He completed his Wolf Track. So he is now a Bear. He also earned one gold arrow point and three silver arrow points. (That basically means that he did 40 extra things beyond his Wolf requirements.) On top of that he also earned the World Conservation Award and the Leave No Trace awareness patch. It meant a lot of planning and organization on my part but we had a lot of fun. We went hiking, we cleaned up litter around the neighborhood and at the baseball diamond. We planted vegetable and flower gardens. (But half of those have died already : ( We made bird houses and bird feeders. And countless other tasks. He is excited about starting his Bear Track and I look forward to helping it along. The girls also have a lot of fun. They have to be dragged around a lot for his activities but they always manage to enjoy them too.

My Go To Gal is GONE!!

It is such a sad, sad time for me. My beloved go to gal is now gone. Gone with the great, fun friends that we have always loved getting together for playdates. Gone is the last minute, hey can you watch my kids gal is gone, gone, gone! Jen, have I mentioned that I miss you? Of course we still have great friends here that I can call on, (and I already have) whenever I need some help. But there was something about Jen. With her I knew I wasn't imposing. I felt comfortable calling on her anytime. I knew that she was able to handle everything with sanity. Because put our kids together you have eight little ones running around. I knew she loved the chaos as much as I did. We miss you guys!

School's Out for Summer!

I'm not sure who's more excited about the summer: me or the kids! I love that I don't have to wake up early each morning to get everyone ready for school. They love not having to go anywhere. They have been sleeping in until 9am, sometimes longer. It's great! I've even read four books already. Anyhow, the school year ended rather well. We are simply glad it's over for Clarissa. It feels comforting to know that we are able to move forward and not deal with her teacher any longer. (Although it was nice that she was actually speaking to me by the end of the year.) Unfortunately there are some setbacks that I have to work through this summer. Mainly she doesn't seem to have the confidence she once had. She doesn't think of herself as someone who is capable of doing good and independent work. I'm trying to give her opportunities to help her see just how great she is. Adam had his best year yet. I think Kindergarten was the last time he has shown such great promise : ) He finished the year with an A average and received an award for that. He was quite pleased. He had the best teacher ever so we will definitely miss her a great deal. But I have come to know some of the fourth grade teachers and I really like them. (I haven't met the first grade teachers but had been impressed by them when I had seen them in the hallways.) I am hoping that I will have the chance to redeem myself with the administrators with this new year. Molly isn't pictured here but she also finished her school year well. They had some fun celebrations but it conflicted with Clarissa's "graduation" so I'll have to catch her next year. (She's signed up for the same exact class : ) Her teachers were proud of how well she has grown and developed. And whenever we go to the YMCA she still recognizes her little friends and will call them by name to say hi to them. It's always adorable to watch little two year olds hold a conversation. I love it! We are so ready for the summer!!!

Baseball Season Ends

Adam was met with great disappointment at the end of the baseball season this year. His team did not win the championship. He was devastated. But his entire team had played a good season. Every single one of them had improved a lot. There were less errors with each game and they were really learning to work together as a team. Adam kept a positive attitude about being in the outfield but then was thrilled to have the opportunity to play pitcher's mound and second base a time or two. (He is now saying that he would like to be a pitcher.) Just last week he attended a summer camp teaching him the fundamentals of pitching and hitting. It is a lot of fun to watch him learn and grow in a sport that we had no idea he would come to love so much. He doesn't get it from neither Todd nor me, that's for sure! The girls also enjoyed baseball season a lot. They spent many hours at the playground and met several wonderful little girls who were also forced into following their big brothers to the diamond. : )