Packing

HIGH: We had a nice day together without too much running around :)
LOW: I spent the day doing laundry and packing :(

Today we had a lot to do to get ready for our trip to Jellystone.  We started the day with swim lessons and a nice lunch at Moe's.  After our lunch we headed home for naps and packing!

My house is a wreck!  Every room has all the stuff that we need for four days.  I cannot believe how much stuff we need for four days!

I had this brilliant idea that I could fit all of our stuff into one big suitcase and one small suitcase.  Yeah...that's not gonna happen.  Here is Oliver's stuff (with a little room for Mark's stuff).

Here is Claire's stuff (and our bath towels).  I have my stuff in a bag and Mark is going to have to put his stuff in his own bag.  My brilliant theory of two bags was way off!

Claire is so excited to go to Jellystone!  I am surprised that she even fell asleep!  Notice her beautiful lipgloss.  She wears it all the time and it ends up all over everything!

I thought Oliver was asleep but notice his little smile.  He was just faking it.  When I asked him why he wasn't asleep yet  he told me, "I too excited to sleep!"

We leave tomorrow so I won't be blogging until we get home.  I can't wait to go.  I love our family trips!

Movie Night and Busy Day

HIGH: We have been super busy doing fun stuff :)
LOW: I was so busy that I didn't get to blog yesterday :(

Yesterday the kids had summer camp so I did some stuff around the house and then went to get paint samples and stencils for the front foyer and bathroom.  I went to the new Hobby Lobby and I was there forever, that store is amazing!!

Last night the kids were beat, so we had a  movie night.  Claire and Oliver snuggled up together and watched The Barnyard.

Today we started early and went to our local pavilion to watch a magic show.

Oliver loved watching the show.

Claire loved it too.

I think their favorite part was getting free suckers at the end.

After the show we packed up and walked home.

Mark had to work so I packed up the kids and headed to the beach.  Grandma was a trooper and braved the cold water to take the kids in.

When Claire got out of the water she was freezing!  So she laid on her towel and warmed up in the sun.

Then we took a walk to get some ice cream.

After the beach we headed home and picked up Daddy and headed our town's Ice Cream Social.  The kids loved putting their own toppings on their bubble gum ice cream.

Then Uncle Nick and Aunt Jessica met us for the fireworks.  Oliver loved hanging out with his buddy Uncle Nick and playing trains.

The girls loved watching the fireworks and being goofy.

Oliver loved trying to play with the girls and being goofy too.

It was a busy but great couple of days!!  I can't believe the summer is half over already!  But I must say, we have been enjoying every second of it!

Double O Oliver and The Taste Of Orchard Park

HIGH: We had a great time at The Taste Of Orchard Park :) AND Oliver got a new tux :)
LOW: It was a little chilly today :(

Today we went to get Oliver's new tux for Leah's wedding.  He looked so handsome!!

 He loved wearing his new digs.

Here are a few pictures of Oliver on the catwalk.

My little GQ model.

I seriously couldn't take how handsome he looked!

Whose number one!!!!

After getting Oliver's new tux we headed home for a nice nap and then we met the Cappellis at The Taste Of Orchard Park.

Giada and Claire loved taking care of baby Nicholas.

Oliver was thrilled that the girls played with him the whole time.

 Claire and Giada has a blast dancing to the band.

We had a great time!  The boys had to wait for a long time for food but other than that we had a blast.  And we even got a group picture!!!

Soccer And Trains

HIGH: Oliver had soccer tonight :)
LOW: The kids had school today and I missed them :(

Tonight Oliver had soccer and we had a great time watching him play (or should I say watching him play trains on the soccer field).  He is obsessed with playing trains lately (where he is actually the train) and this interfered with his soccer performance today.

 I believe that here he is either blocking the ball from the net or being a train.

We are also working on having him NOT use his hands while playing soccer. Here he is trying to score on Mark, using his hands of course.

Here is Oliver tending goal....or just playing with the net.

When it came time to play "the game" Oliver grabbed the coach's hand and ran with him.  The coach thought Oliver just wanted to play soccer with him. But we knew that Oliver was playing trains and unbeknownst to the coach, he was the freight car.

 Then Oliver kept checking the coach's watch and telling him "We play for one more minute and then we are all done."

Here is Oliver really hustling.....

because it was time for a water break.  This is his favorite part of the whole soccer experience.

Grandma and Grandpa came to cheer Oliver on today and then we all had a nice dinner at Moe's afterwards.  Oliver doesn't really quite grasp the whole soccer concept but, I will say this...he is a riot to watch.  And above all else, he is having a BLAST!

Swim Day At Aunt Irene's

HIGH: We had a great swim day with the family at Aunt Irene's house :)
LOW: Today was Claire's last day at the reading clinic :(

Today was the last day for Claire at the reading clinic, there is one more class next week but we will be in Jellystone.  Claire is really bummed.  She loved going and as she put it "practicing my reading for first grade".  And I loved seeing how much she has learned in just three classes!  After our last class we headed over to Aunt Irene's to do some swimming.

The kids all had a blast swimming together.  Believe it or not this is the best picture I could get of the Claire, Oliver, and Owen together.

Oliver loved jumping off of the diving board.

Claire had fun hanging out with Great Grandma and chatting away.

 Owen and Oliver had fun playing with Bill and Joe's old toys.

Oliver's new game is to have people play trains with him.  He is the engine and the other person has to be the freight car.  He makes you hold his hand, this is how the trains latch together and then you just walk around making train noises.  Aunt Irene took her turn like a champ.

And they did a few laps around the pool.

Here is everyone chatting and having a few laughs while Oliver and Irene stop at the station to fuel up.

We had a great time swimming and hanging out. I love when the family can get together and hang out!  We always have such a great time!  Thanks Aunt Irene for a great day!!!

Fishing At The Beach

HIGH:  We spent a great day at the beach :)
LOW: Daddy had to work so he had to meet us there later :(

This morning Mark took the kids to the grocery store while I finally tackled some of that laundry that has been piling up! After Mark brought the kids home, he had to work so I took the kids up to the beach.

Oliver was very excited to do a little fishing with his fishing pole!

It was so cute, he really knew what to do with the fishing pole!

Oliver's big catch of the day was a stick.  He kept saying, "I can use this stick to learn my letters!"

Claire had fun digging a hole with Grandpa.

While Oliver checked out the boats with his "Vinaculars".

Claire found this log and had a blast walking on it.

Grandma had a blast walking on it too.

Oliver needed a little help but he had a blast too.

Oliver found the bubbles and had a great time blowing bubbles.  He is not very good at it but the wind helped him out.

Then Claire and Oliver flipped over some buckets and had a seat to blow more bubbles.  Oliver would blow them and Claire would catch them.  It was really cute, they did this forever!

Then Daddy came and helped Claire and Oliver dig a huge hole.

And Oliver could not wait to be buried in it!

He thought this was the most hilarious thing ever.

Claire couldn't wait for her turn to be buried in the sand.

Oliver tried so hard to pull Claire out!

When he couldn't get her out by pulling on her arm he decided to try pulling her out by her head (and her hair).

When we got back to the cottage, the kids were covered in sand (even though they rinsed off in the water).  So Oliver had a blast using the hose to rinse off.

It was hilarious when he accidentally sprayed himself in the face!  When he realized the everyone was laughing, of course he kept spraying it in his face!

After the kids were all cleaned up Mark and I took Grandma and Grandpa's bikes for a nice ride around Sunset.  I haven't ridden a bike in years!  But it was really fun and surprisingly relaxing.  I think we need to get some bikes!

We had a great day at the beach.  I am so lucky to have all this time off in the summer to do all this fun stuff with my kids.  I am also SUPER lucky to have great in laws that have an awesome cottage at the beach!!