Swimming Lessons

Last week our agenda included swimming lessons!

This was Cameron's 2nd year and Haiden's first.  We were able to have it at the same pool and with the same friends as last summer.  This year the mommy's got to spend some time chatting in the shade--well, kind of.  Keep reading!!

Cameron, Trey and Jackson had a great teacher, Mr. Mitch.  By the end of the 4 days, Cameron was right back at it jumping off the diving board and swimming across the pool.  He even got some good practice at actual strokes.

Always practiced with the kickboards first.

 

The big kids!

 Good pose!

This actually was a pretty good dive! Yay..he WAS listening ;)

And then there were the little ones.  The first 2 days the moms were trying to decide how we should handle the crying kids in the pool and if any neighbors were home!  WOW!  At any given moment 1 or all 3 were crying as we sat just outside the gate trying to figure out how to rescue Miss Kim!   They would do(rather tense and apprehensive) what was asked, but oh dear.  Miss Kim should have told us the price at the END of the week!

But some reassurance, a great instructor, a slushee and out to dinner bribes Haiden turned the corner and did really well!

Blowing bubbles!

Swimming beauties!  Brendan is missing...it must have been his turn! And, yes, these pictures are from the last day..ha!

 The 3 littles

Yay, Haiden!  Does he look so big doing this or is it me?!

 And yay for a great time with friends!

Jill and Jodi~ I think we might have another summer tradition!

Next up....an adventure to the UP that we leave for on Thursday!

Where to Start?!

Oh dear where to start for this post?!

Life has been nothing but non-stop lately since the end of school and the beginning of summer!

And we have enjoyed every minute of this new kind of busyness!

The kind of busyness staying up late(well, a little later for this mommy who likes to keep somewhat of a schedule--it's engrained in me, what can I say:), going to VBS, swimming lessons, gymnastics, outdoor projects and play can bring.  And we are not even done with the first week of summer!

This past week all started with the "shed project".  Torrey finally got a new shed to put in the backyard and it has turned into quite the project.  I think I can safely say if we ever move again it will be in a nice, brand new house that does not require so many do-it-yourself kind of projects!

 Torrey, with the recruits, had to dig a trench for another drain, which means lots of dirt, stone, pipe and new sprinkling lines.

Grandpa always seem to get shovel duty!

So many captions run through my mind for this pic!  These 2(best friends since Jr. High)are quite something together!  

Little man needing to get in on the action.  Simply holding the pipe made him happy.  And, oh! those boots of his.  Funny kid.....

 Once that all day project was complete, the cement could be laid.  Well, first the cement guys ran over the tile, shred the new sprinkling line and tore up the new grass.  Yeah.

The first part was put down today and the rest will come tomorrow.  This is the part the boys can put their hand prints and date ;) It is so fun with boys to have a REAL life, right in front of their eyes cement mixer, bobcat and dump truck all in their front yard!  We enjoyed some action while sitting on the front porch watching while we ate breakfast and lunch. 

The boys found some loose dirt just perfect for recreating what they saw today.

Next up...the finished project!

And oh yes, swimming lessons.  That deserves a whole post of its' own! 6 kids under the age of 6 in one pool.  Let's just say the instructors should have given us the price at the end of the week!!

Two More Weeks.....

Only TWO more weeks until we can do this.....

 

(he put these on himself!)

 

and this.......

to make us more like this......

We spent most of today at my parent's "cottage" and it was a needed kick start to hit this home stretch left of school knowing summer is JUST around the corner!  And although it is bittersweet to see the year come to an end(I have SUCH a great group of kiddos!) I am ready to spend some lazy days by the water with these 2 boys!!

And of course playdates, lunches, shopping, parks, vacations, camping, VBS, swimming lessons, soccer camp, gymnastics, pools, ice cream, s'mores, campfires, bike rides and walks.  Oh, and the zoo, too! ;)

So It Goes

So it goes that this Mommy wants to get a nice picture with 2 of her favorite little people in all the world on Mother's Day.

So it goes that Haiden just got done having a blue sucker and already had taken off his shoes.  

So it goes that Cameron pulled something in his leg last night and is in quite a bit of pain and therefore in no mood to stand, or do anything.

So it goes that this is all I got....

Trying to get Cameron into position.  One false move and he is done for.

Cameron then had an issue looking into the sun.  Haiden was already done before we started.  Can't you tell by his enthused look and posture?!

Torrey then moves.

So close!  Haiden had closed his eyes.

Not bad.  Haiden had one leg on the run already to get back to his sucker stick.

Besides a bum leg/hip from one boy and a missed nap from the other I had a great day with my boys.  We took advantage of the glorious weather and went for a hike and had dessert with family.  We hung out at home afterwards, I opened a very special school present from Cameron(a plate with a picture he drew) and both boys were sleeping by 8:00! 

So it goes that I actually had time to get in a good shred workout and here I sit.  ;)  

It is a holiday, isn't it?!

Being A Boy

Being a boy is just what we do here...and my boys do that well!

Who needs a bathroom....just go potty right out in the front lawn.  At least that is what my 3 year old thinks is okay to do. And for my 6 year old to just watch him.

Ants....a few have popped up in the house again.  And what do we do with ants being a boy?  We shoot them with a dart gun.

Mud.  It's a magnet.  If it's around, my boys are in it.  Laundry takes me FOREVER!  Mud is what Cameron wanted to make in the sand box with buckets full of water dumped in, while Haiden filled his boot to carry the water.  Creative, I'll give him that.

Wrestling.  It's a game you know.  And if you just so happen to lay or sit on the floor around here you are fair game to play it.

And toys.  As long as they are like daddy's and grandpa's, have batteries and make noise we are golden(and a stray rope that can be used for ALL sorts of things in case you were wondering!)

Tonight Torrey was picking up the basement and the boys found their tote of tools(which I am really getting the whole idea of putting some toys away and rotate them..the boys played with these for almost an hour!)

A slightly weird trait that both boys have has been playing with tools while wearing no pants.  So again, as in with other posts, please ignore the clothing(or lack there of) on the little one!  And he also did not have a nap today and I was not going to fight the battle of wearing pants-except when he wanted to ride his bike without pants and only his rain boots and shirt--Mommy did win that one!

This one goes right for the real tools.  I know what you're thinking...Torrey was right there!! He knows how they work better than I do.

Haiden thought it was all new stuff!

After a few holes, Cameron needed some protective ear gear.

Have I mentioned I love boys!

Just What I Needed

Tonight was a night that I needed. 

There are nights when I get home with the boys that it can just be one thing after another...fighting, messes, crying, throwing things, disobedience, and shouting.

Tonight was just what this Mommy needed.

It all just went well.  

The boys played(well, wrestled) without injury, wallops, too hard of jumps or crying.

Supper was able to quickly be put together(so thankful I do not have picky eaters).

And we put puzzles together.  

Nicely.  

I needed nice tonight.

Haiden reading us the "structions".

And please pay no attention(again) to the mismatch of clothing.  It is what it is at times!

Life According to Boys

Well the title is supposed to be a little pun like the fun mom's have on their blogs...life according to my iPhone.  No iPhone here, just 2 busy boys and an outdated digital camera ;)

Anyway, this is just a catch up post on life lately here.  We are on Spring Break(which how can is almost be done!?) and enjoying doing whatever the days bring.  It is such a nice break from packing and unpacking bags, rushing out in the morning and trying to get something decent on the table when we get home(well, okay, so I really don't try too hard during the school week to get something decent on the table--good thing Torrey is not picky!)  I want to keep this blog to document our lives but I am still trying to not spend so much time in front of this screen.  Right now little man is napping and Cameron is enjoying his new little toy.  Yes, another new toy with a motor that you will see below!  As my hamburger unthaws and my towels finish spinning--I have a few moments to catch up.  As of course so many of you have been waiting to hear what has been happening here lately--HA!  It still is funny that possibly more people than who I work with actually read this!!

The biggest news around here lately is that this little boy decided he wants to wear these!!!

Woohoo, Haiden!  Up until a few weeks ago he had absolutely NO interest in going on the toilet and would still not even tell us if he had a poopie diaper.  One Saturday when we had that hot spell, he all of a sudden said his diaper bugged him and he wanted to wear underwear.  So, I promptly dropped what I was doing to somewhere find him some!  Luckily, he was okay borrowing his brothers because I could not for the life of me find the first ones we used for Cameron.  Since then he has dropped his nap time diaper and has even woke up a handful of time completely dry overnight. That of itself is a major feat as he would wake up soaked through many mornings.  Both my boys have been incredibly easy to potty train.  I was waiting until this summer when I would be home, but as soon as Haiden made up his own mind, it was a piece of cake.  And of course bribery always adds the extra incentive ;)

 Still a little ham!  I just LOVE little boy buns in underwear!  He got to pick out his own and he choose Toy Story and Spiderman(of which he has no idea who it is but, hey, it worked for him at the moment!)  Lots of time has been spent in the potty lately.  I even got a pic of both boys in there at the same time but Torrey said I can't post it;)  It is a little revealing so I guess  I'll save it for when they are older!

And then here is what this big guy has been eagerly waiting for!

 His very own dirtbike(which is a "racing bike because it has a number"..ha!)  Isn't his smile just gleaming with giddiness?!)  We found a bike and gear through a parent at school.  Cameron's first time on was like he had been riding one forever.  He just has a knack for this kind of thing.

I laugh when I see him ride ;)

Here he is with his racing buddies, Dodge and Dawson(who by the way are Vruggink's, too!) who live next door to Torrey's mom and dad's.  It is so cute to see them ride around the trails and they just have a blast!

Another thing that has been keeping me occupied is the 30 Day Shred!  I did it!  Well, it took me a little over 30 days and I am still going strong but I conquered level 2 with no modifications!  So now as my boys say, "I am shredded!"  Seriously, they do say that as they are trying to lift something or take somebody down.  We had to explain what they were talking about to grandpa and grandma as they were helping lift wood saying "I can do it!  I am shredded!"  Cameron has done it with me many days and is my cheerleader, and then some days we all do it together. 

 Despite the wobbly legs and jello arms it has been fun do have my boys by me working together to be healthy and strong!

 And now some Spring Break adventures!  Friday we ventured as a family to see a movie in the theater.  This was the first time we all went and it actually was a great time!  No pictures, though ;(

Monday we took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed out hiking with cousins.  This has turned into a tradition over the past few years.

Always exploring on fallen logs, over water of course.

This guy likes to blaze a trail of his own at times.  I love how he is comfortable to break away from the pack and do his own thing.

And what would time off be without play dates?!  We have grabbed lunch a few days and met friends at a park and Deanna's playhouse(no pics of that one either--too much chatting with mommy friends I guess!)

 Cheeser boy, still!

 This one always looking to keep things exciting and adventurous.  

Here at home we have made fires, smores....

and lots of creations with lincoln logs!!

One more day of adventure tomorrow and then that last push until summer!