A weekend recap

1.  Remember my messy linen closet that I talked about HERE?  I FINALLY got around to cleaning it out!  Such a nice feeling to get some crap out of the house and have a more organized system.  Office and linen closet done.  Basement and Pantry left.

Before... ugh!

And after.  Took a load to goodwill, moved some stuff that we don't use regularly and now we can actually fit everything in the closet and see where it all is at.  When I win the lottery I will buy new towels that are all the same color and two sets of sheets that are the same color for each of the beds.  Until then, this is as good as it gets and I'm happy!

2. Father's Day was kind of a bust. Admittedly, I didn't really plan anything out very well.  We tried to go geo-cache with the boys but it was a swampy, muddy mess.  We found one and then decided to bail.  We were going to go out to eat but a fight from the boys in the car led to plan B.  I ran to the grocery store and grabbed lunch for Russ and we ate at home.  The whole weekend wasn't a failure though.  Saturday morning Ryan went to the gun show with Russ and had a great time.  Then Saturday night Russ watched hockey at our neighbor's and the boys played Xbox all evening and then I took them out for Orange Leaf.

Our geo cache find from Father's Day

Not sure why the blog squishes my vertical pictures lately but too lazy to care right now.  These are  Ryan's gun show purchases - a hammer/multi-function pocket knife type tool, a pocket knife and a laser pointer.

The boys and Eli at Orange Leaf on Saturday night.

So, not the most exciting of weekends but not the worst either.  We've got two more weekends at home and then we're off on vacation!!  Next weekend we might take the boys to see Monsters University on Sunday, help Aunt Courtney move on Saturday and I'm going to play some flag football and squeeze in a long run.

Memorial Weekend

I took Friday off to spend the day with Reid and Ryan before their official summer with our new nanny began. (Ross was at his last day of daycare)  That meant a 4 day weekend for me!!  I wanted to take them to Worlds of Fun but I mentioned the idea to Ryan and he wasn't real excited about it.  (and if Ryan doesn't want to do something, it's no fun for anyone else).  Reid wanted to go to Power Play (arcade) but I didn't want to shell out $40 to watch them play video games when they can do that at home for free.  SO... after a slow morning we decided to go swimming at the gym.  We were going to go around 3:00 but decided to wait until 3:30, pick up Ross and let him go to.  We swam for over two hours!!

Russ had driven Thursday night to pick up Uncle Scott from St Louis and didn't get back until around midnight - crazy!  They were tired.  They went to shoot in the morning and then took the afternoon to relax. They were planning to spend the day Saturday working on Russ' reloader.  Russ' back was also hurting him so I scheduled him a massage for Saturday afternoon.  I took the kids over to our neighborhood pool for a while.

Eventually I couldn't come up with anything else to keep the boys entertained as Russ & Scott were hanging out so I decided to hit the road for Holton.  Plus - Ross really needed a nap!

Out before we even hit the highway

A trip to Holton is never complete without going to Wal-Mart.  Ross talked me into this Superman cape!

I thought it would be fun to take the boys to the Topeka zoo (Ross has never been to a zoo).  We ended up playing at Aunt Cheri's house until bath time and decided to cook out at her house for lunch on Sunday as well.

They played together pretty well this weekend... they are going to be good friends (even if we make them)!

The adults sat around and talked while the kids just played.  Such a nice day!

Love this picture.  I did her hair that morning and she kept it up all day!

Uncle Jerry helped Reid fly a kite and he went up and sat on the hill and flew his kite.

Trouble in a red coupe car!

This was not an easy photo to capture!  Notice the chips, cookies and messy mouths :)

We drove home on Sunday evening - naptime again! We took grandma home from Aunt Cheri's and Ross was asleep before we were to grandma's house which is MAYBE a four minute drive.  He slept the whole way home and then another hour at home.

I think we wore them out - minutes after getting home.

Going on the second hour of his nap - exhausted!

It was so nice to have Monday off and recover from our fun weekend.  Russ took Scott home on Sunday and drove back so we were all home Monday with no plans.  The boys decided it was a good day for pajamas and robes.

Back to work on Tuesday and the boys start their summer with their nanny... stay tuned.

Reid & Ross' Last Days

So, I blogged about Ryan's last day on Wednesday.... Reid's last 1/2 day of school was on Thursday.  I had a crazy hectic day between going to Reid's award ceremony, getting into the office for two required meetings and then getting home to relieve the babysitter as Russ was heading out of town for the evening.  I had errands to run, dinner to do and I totally forgot that Reid had soccer practice and he didn't make it.  But... we survived the day and I think we're going to make it :)

Reid has really grown this year as well - more mentally than physically.  He is still about the same height, and maybe a little thinner... but he's getting MUCH more responsible and mature. He is pretty self sufficient in the mornings getting around for school which is a huge help to me. 

He's able to help out with more and more chores around the house and usually doesn't put up too much of a fight when I ask. He's a pretty darn good kid and we're so blessed to have him.

Here's his first and last day pictures for 3rd grade.  The stance and socks haven't changed a bit :)

 Ross also had his last day at daycare today.  I didn't take an end of school picture but we did get his spring school pictures back. I didn't have any intention of buying these but when we got the proofs I just couldn't help it - I loved them.  They always get you with the darn proofs!

This was my favorite, I just think his smile looks the most genuine here.

A little more serious here but I also thought it was a great picture.  There is a dot by his right eyebrow and it's on the digital image that I received as well so I'm trying to decide if it's worth a call to the photographer or not.  I think I paid $55 for these three images and the digital rights to them.

Ross' class picture.  Not the greatest picture but I got it for his preschool book.  Ms Demmi and Ms Laurie were Ryan's teacher's last year in his Pre-K class and they moved to this class this year.  We really like them, ESPECIALLY Ms Demmi (she was Ross' favorite and probably mine as well). Most of this class is turning 4 now so when Ross goes back to daycare in August, he'll actually be in a different class with kids that are closer to his age I believe.

So, a pretty quick post but I wanted to get these few picture updates out there.

Ryan's last day of School

Today is Ryan's last day of kindergarten.  My neighbor, Lori, was talking about how sad she was that it was Ava's last day today.  Oddly, I don't feel sad at all.  I'm ready for summer!  I'm excited that Ryan progressed so much in kindergarten and I'm looking forward to continue to watch him grow and mature.  (and honestly, I'm glad to not be paying $275/month for kindergarten anymore - ha!)

But seriously, Ryan certainly did have a great year!  Both of his teacher conferences went really well and we always got reports that he was well behaved.  His reading level really took off the second half of the year and he's proud of himself that he can figure out most words.

And, as certainly evidenced by his pictures, he has grown a TON this year.  He's wearing size 6/7 clothes which Reid is JUST growing out of.  He's 49 inches tall (Reid is 52.5) and weighs around 52 pounds (3 pounds less than Reid).  He is solid muscle (especially his chest) and is still full of energy.  Ryan does NOTHING at half speed.  If you tell him to go get something, he runs there.  If it's time for bed, he jumps into his bed.  He is slow to wake up in the mornings but once he gets going, he goes full speed until it's time to go to bed.

I'm so proud of Ryan and the boy he has grown into.  Just thinking about how much he has changed and matured over the last year makes me smile.

A sure sign of summer break... SHORT hair and later bedtimes

I'm trying to get back into a rhythm of blogging so I can keep this more updated.

1. The boys got hair cuts last night.  They were ROTTEN with a capital R at the salon.  I don't know if it was exhaustion (field day, Reid soccer practice, 7:30 appt that turned into 8:00) or what but even Reid was slap stick silly.  Mom was running out of patience.  Ross went first and then dad came and got him and took him home for bath and bed. By the time we got home and Reid & Ryan showered it was a 9:15 bedtime.  Luckily I think things are pretty much winding down at school.

We went quite a bit shorter for summer... and of course the older two boys got their faux hawks that lasted the whole 15 minute car ride home before I made them wash their hair in the shower.

Yep, the boys are out of school NEXT week.  Ryan is done on Wednesday and Reid is done with a half day on Thursday.  Ross' last day at daycare is next Friday.  I've got a neighbor kid watching Reid and Ryan on Thursday and then I'm taking a vacation day on Friday and hoping to do something fun with them for the start of summer - no real plans yet.  FOUR day weekend for Memorial Weekend and then our summer nanny starts on Tuesday.  We've got a new girl and so far I think she's going to be great!

The summer schedule is starting to get jammed pack so I think it's going to fly by.  The boys have got the reading program at the library, Reid has a World War I and World War II class at JCCC, all three have swimming lessons, Reid & Ryan are taking a summer camp at the hockey rink (Ryan is just doing to off ice work), Reid and Ryan will both go to an Outdoor Education Laboratory camp at the end of summer and then we've got our family vacation from July 3 - 13.  A few days in Hannibal followed by a week in Branson.

So stay tuned... I love summer and I think this one is going to be great!

Field Day 2013

I've been very lucky to be able to work from home the majority of the last year.  I used the blow dryer on my hair today (although I'm still wearing a tank top and shorts) and looked better than I do most days.  Unfortunately, the boys (all three of them) will be home with a nanny this summer and I'm heading back into the office (at least for a while) to give them their space.

Nothing special but it's better than I usually look - HA!

Anyway, today I was able to sneak away from my home office to watch some of the boys' stations at their field day and then go back and watch the dunk tank as well.  Our field day is very well organized. There is a master schedule with 15 minute rotations through multiple stations that are operated and ran by the 5th grade class.  5th grade helpers are also assigned to each classroom to move them from station to station along with the class teachers.  Our PE teacher, counselor, and principal rotate through all of the stations overseeing the day.  I'm always amazed at how smoothly our school can put on an event.  Love our boys' elementary school!

I was able to see Ryan play one pin bowling and gold rush.  I watched Reid do some wacky game throwing and catching long polls as well as one pin bowling.  It was unseasonably warm here (especially given the lack of warm we've had lately) and the boys were hot, tired, and sweaty!

Ryan playing "Gold Rush"  They ran up a hill to a bucket full of sand and dug for rocks that were spray painted gold. Once they found one, they ran down the hill, placed it in a frisbee and the next person on their team went.

At the end of field day, our whole school sits on the lawn and watches as two dunk tanks (K-2 and 3-5) are operated.  Kids that reached a certain pledge level during our Lion Stampede fundraiser earn the right to either 'be dunked' or 'dunk a willing teacher'.  Ryan chose to dunk a teacher and dunked Mr O. Reid chose to be dunked.  Before the dunking began, Mr O (our principal) pulled two gotchas out of his box. [Lots of side notes today - but gotcha's are slips that kids get when they are caught doing something good.  They can put them in the gotcha box or save them to 'buy' things]  Reid's name was pulled out second and he also got to dunk our school janitor, Jose.

Reid must have "been" dunked right while Ryan was doing the dunking as I missed him.  But here are the shots from both of them doing their dunking.

Ryan dunking Mr. O

Reid dunking Jose, the day janitor

Ryan has 5 days of school left and Reid has 5.5 left.  Unbelievable that summer is almost here but I'm certainly ready for the easy mornings of just heading out the door and leaving breakfast, getting dressed and around, etc to the nanny.  I'm not sure I'm ready for the late bedtimes as that means I'll be getting to bed later too but I love that in the summer we spend most of our evening outside playing.

Mother's Day 2013

Once upon a time I would wake up each Mother's Day and run the Mother's Day 5K.  I didn't do it last year and I didn't really consider running it this year.  They don't allow boys to run it and it's really a family affair so it doesn't seem right to go by myself.

Typically my favorite Mother's Day breakfast is Toaster Strudels.  They are horrible for you and I save them for this one and only day every year.  However, this year I'm doing the Advocare 24 day challenge and they are on the restricted list.  That's okay.  They are purchased and in my freezer and we will have a make up date sometime this summer :)

So, this sounds like a miserable Mother's Day, right... no favorite breakfast, no running?  It was far from it!  I slept in until 8am.  I actually heard Ross get up around 6:30, woke up around 7, and then dozed off and on and laid in bed until my requested breakfast in bed time of 8am.  Russ stuck to my 24 day challenge rules and made me wheat toast with natural peanut butter, strawberries, and pineapple (and only water to drink).  And the boys were happy to help me eat it.

Perfectly made to fit within plan!

After I ate breakfast, we did a bunch of just hanging out and getting around slowly... RELAXING.  I had been scrapbooking the night before with my friend, Suzanne and stayed up until almost 11pm - Gasp!  That's really late for me these days.  Eventually we decided we'd have to make some lunch plans and find something to do.  Some moms like the time away from their kids on Mother's Day... we tend to make it more of a family day.  We celebrate the fact that I have these fabulous monkeys that made me a mom.

Yep, I'll take a day with my boys outdoors any day!

Russ had the great idea to go geo caching out at the Arboretum.  We hadn't been out there since family pictures like 6 years ago.  We stopped at the grocery store and picked up some lunchables for the kids and salads and fruit for Russ and I.  (no mexican, no fish tacos... but the salads were still pretty good).  We went into the Arboretum and found a picnic table and had a nice picnic lunch followed by some geo caching and hiking. I wore my Garmin to see how much distance we covered and we walked over 2.5 miles and were there for almost three hours.  We even spotted a group of like 6 deer while finding one cache and got within 20 feet of them. Not a bad afternoon.

Silly Russ! I was walking behind him on the trails and he took the photo including me so we joked around that I was photo bombing him.

So, of course, the boys got on a 'photo bomb' kick

I don't even know... they were having fun.

3 years apart... I give it one year tops until the picture is turned around and Ryan is bigger and picking on Reid!

We came home after geo-caching and Ross was asleep within 30 seconds of sitting down on the couch.  We enjoyed the quiet, did some relaxing and playing on our computers and ended the night watching the season finale of Survivor as a family.

I think 2.5 miles is a long way for a guy whose legs are only 10 inches long :)

We decided during a Survivor commercial break that the lower hairy back of Ross' is called his 'butt-stache'

And although we did decide to celebrate Mother's Day with "our" little family, we did think about our own mothers as well.  Russ and I are both blessed to have fabulous mothers that love us and understand  our spending time creating our own memories.  Hoping to get to see both of them in the next month.  Happy Mother's Day Mom & Linda... Thanks for all that you do for us!!