Project 365 - Day 182

It's HOT down in DC, but with no power at the hotel we decided to trek out to the National Mall area and walk around inside the cool and air conditioned National Museum of Natural History! The boys loved taking the Metro and had a blast at the museum. On our way back to the Metro I had the boys stop so I could snap this picture with the Washington Monument in the background.

Project 365 - Day 181

Hotel living! Finally checked in and tubbied and ready to try and get some sleep. Should be interesting, so glad we splurged for the suite with a separate bedroom!

Project 365 - Day 180

Pool fun at Grammy's camp today!

Project 365 - Day 179

Evan's first movie! Today MIL and I took the boys to see Madagascar 3. It was the perfect first movie for Evan since he really enjoys the first 2 "Alex the Lion" movies. We made sure to sit in an aisle that had lots of space so that we could quickly move if Evan got rowdy! He did much better than I thought, he would switch from sitting with me and sitting with MIL. We had to step out once because he was trying to escape from our row, but he came back after a few minutes and finished the movie, but otherwise he did well. He had the people in the row behind us giggling when he stood up to dance during the circus scene.

I'm not sure how he would do with a movie he is unfamiliar with so I'm still debating whether or not I want to attempt taking him to see Brave, but the older 2 really want to go so we'll have to see!

Project 365 - Day 178

Our slider installation is almost complete, but Evan decided to help speed things along by "helping" the carpenter mud the wall.

The Days of Summer!

Summer is in full swing and so far we're having lots of fun. We have a few mini-trips planned, some fun activities and some day trips! I look forward to meeting up with some new and old friends and lots of R&R.

David getting some serious air jumping rope!

Shaun shows me the strawberry he picked.  He made sure they were all "RED"

First time at the beach since before we moved!

Digging a hole!

Shaun sticks his feet into the hole!

Trying out the kick board on a wave!

Slush is the BEST!

Project 365 - Day 177

Evan's newest milestone (and I cannot say that I'm thrilled) is being able to open his bedroom door. He has been sleeping in a "big boy" bed since January but he's never tried to get out of the bed, until now. He used to just sit in his room and talk to his stuffed animals or sing songs to himself until I went in to get him. NOW, not so much, I don't know what has changed, but now he likes to get out of his bed, open his door and run out into the hallway and announce "Mommy, Daddy! I wake up!" at the top of his lungs. Then he'll run down the hall to his brothers rooms to tell them.

This would be less of a problem if it wasn't happening between 5:45 and 6:15 in the morning. I try to get him back into his bed and close his door but it's pretty much futile, since in a few minutes he'll get back up and do it all over again. This morning I heard running down the hall trying to sneak down to David's room (he doesn't always announce that he woke up), it was 6:15 and I looked at him pointed to his room and gave him the stink eye to march right back to bed. He was so sad, "I want David" he cried. But I turned on his music and told him it was too early. He calmed down but at that point, Shaun and David were already awake.

I sent the older 2 boys downstairs and decided to grab my camera to see if I could catch Evan trying to get out of bed again, since I knew he heard his brothers at this point. Sure enough, here he is opening his door and trying to sneak out again. Imagine his surprise when he saw Mommy with her camera catching him red handed! This will be one for the memory books when his future children wake him up at the butt crack of dawn trying to sneak out of their rooms!

Project 365 - Day 176

David has finally decided to let us take his training wheels off and learn to ride his bike (originally he told us he would learn when he turned 6)!! He did pretty well, but I still think the fear is holding him back. We told him that practice makes perfect and it's not going to happen overnight. I'm just happy that he tried!

Project 365 - Day 175

FORE!

Project 365 - Day 174

While recovering from an eye procedure I had one that afternoon, the boys play quietly with their video games. Shaun often likes to watch David since he is better at the games. I was just happy they were playing nicely together so I could lay on the couch and recoup!

Project 365 - Day 173

School's out for summer and it was a HOT first week. This was the kind of day where you really miss living at the beach! David & his friend stay cool by swimming in the ocean. I don't think they spent more than 20 minutes out of the water.

Project 365 - Day 172

Strawberry Fields Forever!

Project 365 - Day 171

Like the sticker says, David got his library card today! I think this makes us official residents now, only took us a year to get there!

Happy Father's Day!

Sunday was Father's Day and we celebrated with more yard work! Well it wasn't all work, but we're wrapping up a few more branches to burn that are in some swampy water that will hopefully dry up by this weekend! It wasn't all work, we enjoyed some good food and even got to relax for a little. Hopefully we'll be hearing from the excavators soon and we can get the area stumpped, leveled!  Here are some pictures from our day!

The boys with their Daddy after a Father's Day breakfast!

The kids playing while the grown-ups worked!

Loading and unloading.  We had to move the current wood pile to the front so the area can be cleared when the excavators come!

Bonfire #1 (at some point we'll have 3 at once!)

The "grillmaster" doing his thing

Evan & Carter enjoying some food!

The Father's Day spread: Pico de gallo, guacamole, sauteed mushrooms, onions (3 ways), pasta salads, chips, chicken wings, burgers (we even made a bison burger for my dad!) and hot dogs

The "heart attack" burger -  Bison burger, with cheddar cheese, bacon, sliced up hot-dog, mayo, & tomato.  Good thing he knows a good Cardiologist!

I think Dad is done for the day! 

#1 Dad!

Cohen with his Daddy!

Me & My Dad!

Poor kid was SO tired.  He never took a nap!  He was out cold no more than 5 minutes after this picture was taken!

Project 365 - Day 170

Jumping rope!

Project 365 - Day 169

Happy Father's Day!

Project 365 - Day 168

Our friends came over today to help us get that much closer to clearing all the brush in our back yard and after we spent a good chunk working, and the fire had died down a bit, we broke out the s'mores and some sparklers!

Project 365 - Day 167

When we moved in last year the peonies had already bloomed and so we never got to see what they would look like. This week they all opened up and they are a beautiful bright magenta! I think I will transplant them so they are not over crowding the other flowers but I really love how they look out front!

Schools Out For Summer!

Wow, what a year! Today was the last day of school and not only was it the last day of school for all the kids, but it's the last day for the Dame School. In the Fall the Dame School community will become the Mill Brook Primary School community. While we haven't been members of this community for very long, it was still a little sad. We celebrated the school a couple weeks ago with a big festival, there were pony rides, games, yummy food that was donated by Fratello's and my personal favorite (and the only thing that got Evan to SIT DOWN for more than 5 minutes!) the Slush Truck!

The boys and I at the Farewell Festival

After the festival, thing started to wind down, Family Center and Shaun's Preschool were preparing for their last days.  The new school is going to have a Preschool, but it's a new program with new teachers.  And sadly Family Center does not have a place at the new school, but through some funding from the PTA we're going to try and at least keep some of the programs offered through the Family Center program.  One of the things that made Dame School so amazing and different from other schools was the neighborhood feel it had and the dedication to the families who attended.

Evan's last Family Center craft

Shaun's last Family Center craft

Our last time singing all our favorite songs!  They even brought back my personal favorite - The Acorn song!

Last Day of Preschool

We celebrated the end of Preschool and Family Center last Friday with a cookout.  We were almost rained out, but we were able to move the food table inside just in time, and by the time everyone had finished eating, the rain clouds had moved on and we were in the clear for the remainder of the cookout!  It was nice to be able to celebrate with the teachers and families one last time!

David rings the bell to close out the cookout

One last Bubble Gum Song!  POP!

Shaun getting one last goodbye hug from his Preschool teacher

Evan's really going to miss his Family Center teachers!

This week was David's last week of school.  On Tuesday night we got to go into his Kindergarten classroom and he was able to show off all of his accomplishments and journals.  He was so proud of himself and couldn't wait to show us all his work.  I loved looking at his work, but I especially loved reading his journal.  It was really amazing to see how much he's grown this past year.  We are so proud!

David reading one of his books to us!

Holding his First Day of School picture!

Last Kindergarten pick up, David with his awesome teacher!

Project 365 - Day 166

No more pencils, no more books...

David Charles - FIRST GRADER

Project 365 - Day 165

Tomorrow is the last day of school and so today we were putting the finishing touches on his teacher gift. I gave him some paper and asked him to write his teacher a little thank you note. He wrote:

Thank you for being my teacher. And thank you for the CD I liked the songs. I hope you have a great summer.