Back To School Excitement

I am just getting SO excited for school to start. And with good reason, I believe. It's been 7 and a half years that I have had one child or another home with me. This year, 2011, I will be sending BOTH children to school. HIP, HIP, HOORAY!

One of the ways I've been anticipating that glorious day in August is by searching for tips and tricks to make organization a little easier. One cute item I came across was a crayon roll to keep your colors organized. This morning I was inspired to create my own version with the "main" colors we tend to use. I just used some scrap fabric I had laying around, but I think it turned out great! Logan wants one too, but I don't have any "boy" colors so I'll have to make a trip to the fabric store soon.

This little roll fits nicely in Amanda's Hello Kitty pencil box. I'm sure we'll get lots of use out of this as we do our "homework" this year. : )

Our Week With The Cousins

Last week with the cousins was really busy. We took them all kinds of fun places like the Exploration Place... and I played with my camera settings. : )

We spent a morning at the zoo (of course : ).

Had a snack at the Donut Factory (as my children call it).

And did a LOT of swimming in our little kiddie pool at home.

We even spent an afternoon at Chuck E Cheese.

It was a challenge finding activities to do that didn't make us SUPER HOT in this crazy Kansas weather. We also spent tons of time playing with all the toys and games we have here at home. All and all it was a fabulous week with some family friends.

Random Pictures of our Week... So Far

I've been doing a lot of working since Logan came home and the kids have been doing a lot of veggin'. Logan caught some kind of 24 hour bug while away that hit him Saturday and Eric had a summer cold so we've just been taking it easy.

Here are the few photos I've taken in the last 5 days!

The cat has made friends with Logan... this is very big news! I had NO idea how hard it was going to be to teach these kids the proper way to treat a cat! I guess it's finally sunk in so the cat will let Logan pet him now. YEA!

We also invited Logan and Amanda's cousins to stay for the week. They've enjoyed a full day of getting to know all the toys in the house. I was surprised how much 10-year-old Big K liked the Baby Alive (you feed it food and water and it poops and pees). HA!

Logan was cracking me up with his version of my childhood disaster! Nothing bad happened to him, thank goodness, but now you have irrefutable proof that he is my son!

(When I was a kid I stacked a crate on top of a rocking horse to get something in my closet... No good came of that).

Little K and Amanda were dressed as fairy princesses... no idea where Amanda had run off to but isn't she the cutest with her little curtsy?

And the two partners in crime. They are 8 days apart in age and growing up my sister-in-law dubbed them The Gremlins. If you ever saw that movie you would understand if you had seen them in action in the Terrible Twos!

But they're cute and cuddly now a days... most of the time.

While The Brother's Away...

Amanda, Eric and I have been having a very special "spoil the daughter" week while Logan is gone. We've gone shopping, swimming, and stayed up late watching "girly" movies. I also enrolled her in classes at the zoo every morning and Monday I had to go to work before her class started. My boss let me take her with me and she got a behind the scenes tour of the animals in the education wing. I don't think she feels left out at all.

True to their word, the camp has been posting updates daily on the campers activities. They've had out motorcycle bikers, escape artists, acrobats, and the fire department that I know of. They've also played candy bar bingo and had free flowing cotton candy, popcorn, and snow cones from the sound of it so I think he's good too. Unfortunately, our son seems to be absent most of the time they are snapping photos. I suspect that he is off doing "other things" with his companion while the rest of the crowd does arts and crafts and such. Of the 168 photos posted so far, Logan has been in 8 of them! YIKES! How much fishing can that boy do???

Here are a few of the photos I did find him in.

Tomorrow we will welcome Logan back home. I think we are all looking forward to that.

Logan Is Off To Camp

Sunday was the long awaited departure day for Logan to leave for Camp Quality for the second year in a row. We met the medical staff at the hospital where they checked each camper in and took note of any last minute medical needs. There was a lot of time to kill while all 38 campers were checked in so Logan and Eric made up a hat toss game in the hallway to keep them occupied.

Before long it was time to say goodbye. I'm not sure who is happier. Logan to be going or Amanda to be staying (home all week with NO BROTHER!)

This is Amanda's "my daddy" face.

Then the party bus arrives and it's time for ALL ABOARD

Logan didn't even look back at he slipped through the crowd to step aboard. While other children were hanging out the windows waving and shouting goodbye to their parents I couldn't find MY son anywhere. I finally hunted him down sitting quietly near the back waiting for the adventure to begin. I guess my 7 year-old is already too cool to tell his momma he loves her in public. **sniff**

The director in charge of the camp will be posting photos and updates on facebook this week so us parents can follow along with our children's adventures. I'll let you know if/when any news becomes available.

Today they posted photos from their pool play and this was the photo they took of Logan.

I'm sure he is having a grand time and having too much fun to miss us, but I'm sure I won't get a good nights sleep until my baby is back in my arms.

Sorry son. It doesn't matter how old you get. You will always be by baby. xoxo

Silly Putty Warning

WARNING: Silly Putty is NOT to be played with in your HAIR!

Entrapment and entanglement will invariably ensue!

WWWAAAHHAHAHAHAAAAHAHHHAAAAAAAA!!! Was my response when I saw my son. The story of how the putty got there is a little vague but regardless, his solution was unacceptable. He asked his sister to get him a pair of scissors so he could cut it out! Good thing she had the good sense to tell me instead!

A little vegetable oil and voila`! Putty free hair. No 6 months of grow back time needed.

Logan's response to all my laughing and picture taking was "Don't you DARE put that on the Internet!

Sorry son. Just too good to pass up!

Our 4th Celebration

Our July 4th celebration started on July 2nd. : ) We have started a tradition of watching the fireworks at the ball stadium and this year they decided to have their fireworks show after the game on Saturday. The kids have been wanting to go to a game anyway so it was a perfect solution for all.




It was hot so the ice cream and cold beverages were free flowing.

On the actually 4th holiday the morning was nice and cool so we headed out to Botanica, The Wichita Gardens. They just opened a new children's garden section and we wanted to check it out.

There was lots of water involved in the all the garden themes. We enjoyed watering plants and ourselves alike.

They had erected a huge tree house complete with bridge. In the bottom corner you can see the dino dig area where you can look for dinosaur bones.

And the view from the tree house was magnificent.

You can access the tree house via this awesome hollow tree and it looks like you are being swallowed up!

In the music garden you can play the chimes, make thunder or drop little pebbles into this box to make a rain sound. Super cool!

And Eric found the drums and just HAD to put on a concert (of course!).

Our last stop in the children's garden was the Very Hungry Caterpillar area where you open the chrysalis to find drawing paper and pencils.

Then you can sit down on the mushroom stools and draw a picture or two.

We spent quite a bit of time in this little area.

Hidden in the back of the HUGE Very Hungry Caterpillar were doors that housed dress up clothes.

I just hope they don't come home with head lice. I'm such a downer, aren't I?

After our Very Hungry Caterpillar adventure they needed to see the real deal so we headed over to the butterfly house.

While the new children's garden is great, I think this is still their favorite part of the garden for obvious reasons. I mean, come on! LIVE BUTTERFLIES! Who can compete with that?!?! And when they land on you.... priceless.

After a picnic at the park and a swim at the YMCA we headed home to BBQ and start our fireworks spectacular.

Eric let the kids light some of the smaller fireworks this year and they were super careful.

And in true pyro-fashion Eric had to buy a few BIG items like this 70 man parachute monster that pelted our neighbor's roof with little mini parachutes.

He morphs into Tim Allen on this holiday... if 1 is good, 70 is better! "HO, HO, HO"

I guess Logan is in agreement. After our display was over we sat in our driveway and watch our neighbors set off some REALLY BIG fireworks. It was better than the display at the ball stadium!

Hope you all had a happy, safe 4th as well.