Question...

Does anyone else out there enjoy tractors THIS much?

What a Week!

This has been a very big week for Calvin.  It's one of those weeks I feel like I can see him growing up before my very eyes!  So exciting!

He suddenly got it in his head that he wanted to ride a bike with no training wheels.  We have tried to get him to do this for a couple years, but he just wasn't ready.  This time he decided about 5 days before his cousin Will came that he had to learn to do it before Will got here.  On that last day he pulled the bike out of the garage and said, "Well, I guess today is my last chance to do this."  About 15 minutes later he came running into the house screaming, "MOM!  I did it!"  He sure did.

Now, a week later, it's like he's been riding for years.  He's so proud of himself.

This same week Calvin also learned to swim with no water wings.  I am a very laid back parent about things like this.  I knew he could probably swim if I really worked with him, but I felt better having him in the pool knowing he was safe, so I never pushed it.  One day this week though I just suggested that he try taking his wings off.  He stayed in the shallow end for about an hour, and the next thing I know he's all over the place.  By the next day he was throwing diving sticks and getting them off the bottom of the pool.  Crazy!  He's still plugging his nose sometimes, but we're working on that.

While I don't have a video to back this one up......he claims he also baited his own hook this week.  Something I'm quite happy about.  Now he doesn't have to bring me his pole to rebait every time a fish takes his worm.  This is a big step in a little boy's life.

I love my Calvin.  He's the oldest, and sometimes I feel like he gets neglected because his brother and sister are more needy right now and he is so easy.  I love it when he and I get to spend quality time together talking or playing or whatever.  God has given him such a big heart and such a great sense of humor.  He makes me laugh like crazy.  I feel so blessed to be his mom and to get to witness all these exciting milestones in his life!

Family Family Family!

Let me just start by saying that part of the reason I haven't blogged for so long is because we've had family here for a couple weeks.  Fun! 

The biggest reason is because my adorable 2 year old is difficult lately.  I'll save the details for a post of it's own, but she doesn't go to bed and therefore I have no time to myself to blog.  I know it won't last forever.  I'm just sayin.....

Two weekends ago we had Marc's family here for a family reunion!  We were celebrating his Grandma who is turning 91 in August!  I will let the pictures tell the story.

There were cousins having fun...

Nathan likes to visit with the aunts and uncles who will listen to his stories and answer his many questions.

Here is Marc's Grandma who we call GG (Great-Grandma).  She is a very active, fun 91!



There was pop drinking.....

Which my kids think is a very special treat!



There was game playing,

marshmellow roasting,

and cake eating!



Nathan had 5 of these before I noticed!



We went swimming and EVERYONE got in the pool!  There was lots of playing...

and even some entertainment.





Thank you so much to everyone for coming to us!  We loved having you at our home and sharing the weekend with you.  Thanks for all the laughs!

We're Gonna Win Twins.....

In case I haven't mentioned it before....we are very big Minnesota Twins fans around here.  Big.  So big that I recently turned our main bathroom into a Twins bathroom.  We love it!  When Marc's parents were here for a couple days they took the kids out to lunch and to the park so I could paint.  Hoping to get the look of the players uniforms, I chose a light silver-grey.  My sister-in-law, Sara, has a friend who made our shower curtain.  I LOVE it!



Still looking for a baseball uniform for the froggy potty. (:



I sewed baseball ribbon on some towels!



A closer look at the shower curtain.

 I still plan to paint the knobs on the vanity like little baseballs, but it is so nice to have a freshly painted bathroom.  Now if they can just continue to win and get themselves in 1st place!  Go Twins!

Paging Doctor Calvin

The other day it rained all day so we had to make our own fun.  The kids talked me into playing doctor.  Calvin was our fine physician.  I was the mom.  Turns out my husband and daughter were in a pretty serious car accident.  Here is my daughter...she was lucky to have only hurt her arm.

 Sadly my husband was a little more banged up.  He was still a bit groggy so the doctor wheeled him out to me in his wheelchair and told me he had a broken leg and would need to stay off of it. 

I quickly inquired as to why he was holding a gun.  Turns out that's just his walking stick.  Pheeeeew.

The Past Few Days...

As always we have had a busy few days!

Since we had lots of strawberries to use up I made this...

I am not ashamed to say it was DELICIOUS! 

Jillian kept eating her cool whip off the top and saying, "More frosting please!"

We had some free labor around here.  They gave our car a good scrubbing.

Can I just say that this is a fabulous way to keep your kids busy when they are outside on a hot day.  It kept them very entertained, and I hardly had to settle any fights since they each had their own sponge.  It was awesome!

The boys both had baseball of course.  During one of  Nathan's games the garbage truck came when he was on 1st base.  Nathan couldn't keep his eyes off of it, but he wasn't the only one.  The other team's coach had to yell to all of his outfielders because they were turned around watching the truck and not even remotely watching the batter.  You have to love 5 year olds.

And finally, Jilly made a special surprise for dinner tonight.  We had hamburgers on the grill and green beans.  Then she and I made these parfaits with strawberries, cool whip, and blueberries.  She was very proud to have made them and ate every bite!  ( So did her brothers)

This weekend we have a family reunion with Marc's family and then a couple of weeks with members of my family coming and going!  Should be lots of fun and lots of pictures!

Only 2 Year Olds....

Can get away with dressing like this.