Next Round of 4th Fun

On Friday, July 2nd, we headed north this time to celebrate the 4th w/another town's festival.  They had inflatables that the kids thoroughly enjoyed, a great country band, and a pretty neat firework show.

Here Daddy is trying to explain patience to Noelle as she waits in line.

Ty watching some loud monster trucks start up. Do you see the love and awe in his eyes? Too cute.

Going through the inflatable obstacle course...

The kids loved the slide!! Noelle did just fine on the way down, but Ty tumbled and flopped like a rag doll.  I have no pictures of him because at that point I was racing towards him, hoping he didn't break his neck! These things need a minimum weight restriction.  GEESH.

We met up with my friend DeDe and her two girls Kaitlyn and Evie. 

Ty wanted nothing to do with being friends with Evie.  He kept running away from her every time she tried to hug or kiss him.  Since then, I've noticed he plays hard to get with all the girls his age.  Typical boy!!

We then spent a while dancing to the band and waiting for the fireworks to start.  They played some good country music and Noelle danced her little heart out!

 Another great night of summer fun in the books! The kids were out before we even left the parking lot that night....that's about par for course these days! Can't believe how fast the summer is going!! I'm loving every minute of it, but it's going to make going back to work pretty difficult this fall.

How My Garden Grows: June

June proved to be a productive month gardening wise.  I planted late this year so it's taken a lot longer that I'd like to start seeing food.  I managed to plant everything in the right spot and all the plants are doing nicely.  We've had fresh beans on the grill for the last week *YUM* and have lotsa green peppers too!! One plant has 9 on it right now, and I'm waiting until they are a little bigger so we can do stuffed green peppers.  I'll also freeze some since we did that last year and it was so nice to have our own peppers for things like stir fry, fajitas, omelets, etc.  The red peppers are coming along a little slower but hopefully in the next week or two we'll see some ready to pick.

Cucumber count: 8 and they just started getting pickable this week.  8 cucumbers in ONE WEEK.  I love it!  Noelle and Ty eat them like candy bars and I'm enjoying making my favorite cucumber salad, complete with our homegrown onions.

Speaking of onions, that damn vole is back and it's been snagging my new onions that are coming in. I've found onion remnants in it's hole- like a crime scene-  that really ticks me off! Unfortunately there aren't many options when it comes to vole removal, but I tried to blast it out with the sprinkler today. No luck.

The tomato plant has lotsa of green cherry tomatoes but haven't turned red.  Seems like they should be ready to go now...we might have to sneak over to Grandma and Grandpa's and pick some of theirs....

What else?  Carrots- the carrots have lived a tough life this year between the rabbits, the vole, and being choked out by the beans.  There are still about 10 that are going strong with tops that are about 12 inches.  I wonder when they will be ready?  I guess I could pull one out and see but I'd hate to waste it!

That's about it...threw some cilantro seeds down to put in a great recipe with tomatoes, avocados and onions. So simple yet the best dip I've eaten in a while.

Here are some shots of the kids....Noelle LOVES raw green beans in addition to the cukes and likes to pick the veggies.  She gets really excited to fill up her bushel basket and sometimes has to make two trips inside because it's too heavy.   Ty's involvement is pretty restricted in the garden.  While he has good intentions, I can't let him pick anything because he'll rip the whole plant out...maybe next year buddy.

Fourth of July- Our Week Long Celebration

This year, Fourth of July turned into a week long celebration.  On June 27th, we headed over to a little town to celebrate their "fun days".  The kids were excited to see the fireworks and we got to see a gorgeous sunset on the way down. 

 All you need to tell me is that funnel cakes will be sold and I will travel near or far to stuff my face until I get a stomach ache.  So good. So worth it.

Snow cones were a nice treat to cool us down as we waited until the show got started at dusk.

Side note: dusk is a cop out- get your sh!t together and give me a starting time to the show.  It's makes waiting more bearable. Especially when you have a toddler who can't sit still for more than 2 minutes at a time.

Once the show did start, the kids were mesmerized.  We usually don't sit super close, so it was cool to see all the action.  We weren't sure how Ty would like them.  Wait.  Who am I kidding?  If it's loud and dangerous, Ty will love it.  Every time a firework went off, Ty would go oooo (rhymes w/ mooo).  I tried to capture it on video, but it's hard to hear...

Overall, a good start to our celebrations.  The kids were KO'ed on the way home and it was a good introduction to the good times up ahead.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our First Family Drive-In Experience

We went to the Drive in where we saw Toy Story 3 on 6/18.  We took the third row of seats out, packed the car with pillows, sleeping bags, and tons of candy and headed off for a great time.

The kids thought it was a great treat to be able to roam around the car and watch a movie out of the back window. 

Having fun before the movie started....

Do you see the look on this little Devil's face? That is the "when you're not paying attention, I'm turning on all sortsa stuff up front that is going to drain the battery with about 15 minutes left of the movie" look.

Enjoying the movie...I love my little stair steps!  I think there's room for one more ;-)

So after we realize the battery was drained, we started seeing a bunch of flashing light.  Noelle started to panic because of the "lite ting" and I thought it was people taking pictures.  Well, we found out about 3 minutes later when the wind picked up and people started leaving that a wicked storm was coming through town.  Seeing as we had no power, I begged Jeremy to ask someone for a jump before all hell broke loose. 

Luckily this teenage girl next to us had jumper cables and helped get the car started.  All the while, Noelle is having a panic attack because of the impending storm and Ty is so tired he can't even see straight.  We ended up leaving without seeing the end of the movie because we couldn't figure out how to turn off the day-runners and didn't want to risk turning off the car.  The rain was seriously coming down in sheets and we went about 35 on the back roads until we got on the highway. 

Funny thing is, the other night we actually, in all seriousness, contemplated going back to finish the movie....crazy? Maybe.  Up for an adventure? Always.  That's how we roll.

Play Hard, Sleep Harder

A Great End to a Rough Day

After weird rashes, blisters on his soles of his feet, fevers, medicines and doctors, Ty blessed me with his first attempt at Eskimo kisses.  Just when I think he can't get any cuter....he rubs his nose on mine and smiles at me.  Hoping tomorrow brings some relief for the poor guy.

momMA? momMA??

Dear Ty,

Every morning, I wake up to your sweet little voice calling my name.  You put a lot of emphasis on the last syllable and it's so cute!  I have been trying to get a video of you saying it because I never want to forget how it sounds, but I haven't had much luck :-(  There is a slight sense of urgency in your tone and it's pretty much the cutest damn thing ever! You also do it when we are in the car, although now you are just tall enough to peek over the edge of your carseat with your baby blues, and once you make sure I'm still there, all is well. 

I love being your momMA!

The Pool Rules

Dear Ty and Noelle,

I think the part of summer you like the best is all the pool time we are getting in.  We go in the morning before nap to "tot time".  Only the kiddie pool is open that early, but it's perfect for us right now.  Ty, you enjoy trying to drink the water any chance you get and are doing a great job of getting in and out of the pool by yourself. 

Noelle, you recently found some courage to go down the water slide. Once you realize how much fun it was, there was no stopping you!!  Now it's by far your favorite thing to do at the pool.  You do a good job waiting your turn and making sure it's all clear before you slide down.  And you don't hesitate to tell anyone who cuts in line, "that is NOT NICE.  You have to wait your turn."  I love your new found assertiveness!

You also like to play swim teacher and tell me what to do...front floats, back floats, blowing bubbles, putting my chin in the water. The list goes on. Here you are demonstrating your alligator kicks for me.

You both enjoy snack breaks too. I thought it would be impossible to get you both out of the water; however, when you are hungry, you are HUNGRY.  One (or both) of you usually gets out of the pool and runs over to ransack the cooler.  Fresh fruit is always a big hit!

And perhaps the best part of all the pool time we are enjoying, is the rock solid naps you guys are taking!  Both of you are zonked out for 3-4 hours after pool time and I am definitely not complaining! 

Love you both,

Momma

Worldess Wednesday- Pudding & Paint Edition

Have No Fear

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

 

Dear Ty-

You loved the water slide!  Actually, love doesn't describe it!!  I think your little face says it all!  You really wore yourself out going up and down the slide, nonstop, all afternoon.  I think it's great that you are such a risk taker...although your fearless nature might get you in trouble later in life :-) Love you little babe!

 

The Best Dad of All

Dear Noelle and Ty,

Do you guys know that you have the greatest Daddy in the world?  I see those silly t-shirts, mugs, picture frames, you name it with that saying on it.  You know the kind- written with bright primary colors, in a kids shaky handwriting, with one or two letters invariably written backwards.  I would always think, gosh those are so ridiculous.  Who wastes money on that sort of stuff?  Honestly, I have yet to buy any of the merchandise (ok, I did buy a #1 Dad picture frame, but it's very tasteful!), but I really do think you two have the best Daddy a kid could have.

Noelle- you are a complete Daddy's girl through and through.  There is nothing he can do wrong and you have him wrapped around your little finger. He watches "hana tana" with you and can always be counted on to come in, calm you down, rub your back and help you get to sleep on the nights you are overtired and screaming like a crazy lady :-) You are the light of his life and pal around with him doing everything and anything.  A father-daughter relationship is so special and unique!

Ty- you are Daddy's all star and daredevil.  It's so wonderful to watch how excited Daddy gets when he's showing you how to throw a ball, or swing your bat.  He has so many hopes for you and I know that he will help make all your dreams come true. 

Daddy has the patience of a saint and is the steady rock in our family.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) you two have my stubborn streak and temper.  Without fail, Daddy's knows just what to say and do and never gets stressed out.  He takes initiative around the house, whether it be with laundry, baths, getting a meal started, cleaning up, going grocery shopping, changing poopy diapers, you name it.  Sometimes I can't believe how lucky we are to have him!!  Your Daddy is a special guy and I know you feel that way too!

To celebrate, we went to the annual Knight Family picnic at State Farm Park and played in the water park nonstop.  We ate tons of great homemade food and you two loved Grandma's beans and cucumbers from the garden. Ty you also packed away THREE hot dogs. After we got home, Daddy took you, Noelle, fishing in our lake and you guys caught two fish!! I tried to sneak some pics of you from the kitchen window, but you saw me right away! I couldn't believe how dirty you were when you got back, but you were all smiles.  Nothing beats a day of fun and love in the sun!