Picking Blueberries

 We went picking blueberries several times this summer.  The first two times, the kids and I went.  On our last trip, Jut accompanied us.  E sometimes was a great little picker, but by our third trip to the berry patch, her picking stamina was used up.  The weather was nice for picking but not so great for the berries.  But, the kids love exploring the patch, we were able to get some berries stored up for the winter and C didn't wander off anywhere without me..so, all-in-all, it was a successful venture.

Lily Anna's Birthday

While we were at camp this summer, E decided that she needed to have a birthday party for her doll, Lily Anna.  She made lists of what she needed to buy, what I needed to buy and what we needed to make.

The kids started earning a 'commission' each week at the beginning of the month and the money was burning a hole in her pocket.  She had big plans for the party we'd have.

So, after camp, Jut took the kids to the Dollar Store to buy all the necessary supplies.  (I was completely out of commission with a nasty intestinal bug).  Lily Anna needed a balloon (b/c all parties have to have a balloon!), party blowers, and festive hats.  E bought her a present of a package of glo-sticks and a cute card, too.

Lily Anna originally only wanted carrots for her party, but our neighbor had some leftover cupcakes that E decided Lily Anna would enjoy.  So, we did have a few cupcakes too.

Our neighbor also surprised Lily Anna (and E) with a gift.  She had a horse that she thought Lily Anna needed.  So, Lily Anna also got her very own horse...the dream of every little girl.

E had more fun planning the party, wrapping the gift and being the 'little mommy' to Lily Anna throughout the party.  It was fun to watch.  We had a great time celebrating Lily Anna.

Breakfast on the Farm

If you ever get the chance, go!  They are awesome!!

 Breakfast is good.  The one we attended was highly organized.  We rode on trailers behind tractors...we rode in people movers...we rode on a haywagon behind a tractor.  The kids were in tractor heaven.  Everything is kid-oriented and very educational.  Breakfast is tasty.  It is great.  It is worth the time it takes.

It took about 1-1.5 hours to get breakfast upon arrival, but it is all very organized and structured.  People with special needs were accommodated quickly.  The kids learned so much about fertilizer and crop production in the modern era.  It was great.

 We only lost C a few times and the volunteers were very helpful in tracking him down.  That kid can disappear in 2 seconds.  :)  He and X loved the tractors and each time he wandered, he was just on the other side of a tractor.  :)

The kids are used to G'pa's tractors...but the equipment that farms 2,000+ acres is quite a bit bigger.  They were pretty impressed.

Our experience ended with some complimentary ice cream...and what doesn't end well when ice cream is involved.

Swimming Lessons

E took swimming lessons this year.  While she didn't preform any great feats poolside, she did learn that she can, in fact, get her face wet and life will not end.  This may not seem like a major feat but it was well worth the $40 spent and 4 weeks of lunches interrupted to figure that out.  Showering is so much easier now...

By the end, she was swimming (aka 'doggie paddling) by herself a little bit.  They still recommended her to complete Novice 1 again next year but she really did get much more comfortable in the water.  I was much more confident taking her swimming at Rock Lake with her new-found confidence.

The funniest thing (in retrospect) of swimming lessons was when the head lady threw her in the water because she wouldn't jump in the pool at the end of class.  E carried on and on and on so badly that the head lady she'd never do that to her again.  She claimed she'd never heard a kid carry on so much.  I kind of think that it served her right because I didn't really agree with throwing her in.  I'm glad I wasn't there...Jut was and he rolled with it much better than I would have.  But thankfully, there were no lasting effects on E's behalf.  Her good friend was in class with her, so she didn't blink an eye about going back the next day.

The most fun thing for me was that I got to take the boys swimming with me while she did her lessons.  It took me three weeks to figure out how best to do it, but the fourth week I finally got brave enough to take both boys.  It was fun.  C was really good about laying back in his life jacket while I caught X.  X could swim around with his floaty while I caught C when he jumped off the edge.  So, it was a good time.  X got so much braver by the end.  He wouldn't even go in the water the first time Jut and I took him swimming.  By the end of the four weeks, he was jumping right in the water.  C just loved the water from the get-go.  He's a fish.

But, it was fun.  I'm excited for lessons next year!

Smelling the Peonies

My 94 year old G'pa traipsed around his yard one evening to cut me a bouquet of peonies back in June.  Wasn't that so sweet?!  He cut so many buds that they blossomed for two weeks, I think.  It was so nice.  C loved 'smelling' the flowers.  It was too cute.  Jut got me flowers for our anniversary and C doesn't 'smell' with his tongue anymore.  Sad to see the little cute things change in just 6 weeks, but I thought that this picture was too adorable not to share/remember.

Meeting Miss L...the first 'first-cousin'

Many of my childhood memories involve my cousins.  Playing, swimming or mowing in the summers.  Skiing and holidays in the winter.  They are all fun memories.

Our kids finally have a cousin...well, they have lots of second or third cousins, but this was their first first-cousin.  Jut's sister had a baby on June 25th.    Thankfully, she decided to take a trip to MI when Miss L was about 6 weeks old.  We met in Lansing and hung out for a couple of hours.  It was so much fun.  She was so little and petite.  She was still smaller than C or X was when they were born.  She was just too precious.  Like all newborns, she liked to sleep and with all the hustle and bustle of the mall, she just closed her eyes and slept the entire time.

 E thought she was pretty special and not nearly as 'crushing' as C had been as a baby.

X was pretty excited to get a chance to hold her as well.

C on the other hand...he wasn't so enthusiastic about that little bundle that Mom and Dad wanted to hold.  He didn't want his picture taken and therefore is in very few pictures and the ones that he is in he's either not happy or his face isn't visible.


 I think he wants to retain the label of 'baby' of the family.  Sharing the attention was not his strong suit.  (Although, I must confess that he did miss his nap and that may have played a huge role in his disinterest of Miss L.)  I'm sure if we give it a few years, they'll be able to cause many antics together.

Potty-learning has started

I like to document when the interest in going potty starts.  It is always interesting to see watch when interest actually becomes life.  C started two weeks ago (July 25th) to become interested.  He gets a bit of 'poisonous' time each day (aka time to run around without a diaper).  While he was enjoying his poisonous time, X came running out to me in the kitchen, "MOM!  C went potty on the potty!!!"  Sure enough, upon investigation, C had indeed gone potty.  So, we celebrated with a marshmallow.     He did it again the following day...again completely on his own accord.  We were happy dancing and eating marshmallows.

Last week, he  went a bit of poo, too.  He got off the potty looking very distressed.  "Uh oh!  Poo!" he exclaimed.  It was funny but he wasn't ready for that.  But, we celebrated with a marshmallow anyway.  He is by no means headed for undies any time soon...but it is always exciting to see the interest begin.

He loves sitting on the froggie potty.  He loves being diaperless.  X decided he was done with diapers before he was 2.5...maybe C will follow suit and leave the diapers behind in less than a year.  That is crazy to think about...but I won't complain.  That would be 3 less loads of laundry per week!  :)