Fourth of July

It turns out that the week of fourth of july is just as exhausting as the week of halloween...so many activities!  But gosh, we had (sweaty) fun....

We love restaurant runs in the minibus!

First up was a big fireworks show in Rogers.  Last year, we tried to see this one, but it got rained out.  Success this year!  Syd's face here is priceless.

It was a beautiful evening for it.  

We had amazing seats.  Unfortunately, we were sort of in the drop zone for all the shrapnel and smoke.  Worth it!

The kids were all okay with it - no one got afraid of the loud noises or big bangs.  Of course, they were all tired from running around for hours and being up past their bedtime, so that probably helped.

she always ends up in daddy's lap <3

Next up was a neighbor's pre-fourth of july get-together (on the third).  This is Bradley, Millie's newest play buddy.  He moved in across the street a few months ago, and they have been inseparable ever since!

Fourth of July and JKK's off work!  We gathered up our friends and headed to the Roaring River Water Slide for some good old-fashioned fun!

Piddy and mommy

 

Millie and Elle

We made a train!  Amanda, Cayden, Beckham, Mills, Syd, KK

our little gymnast

Mills and Cayden

 Amanda and Beckham

They could do this for hours: Syd, Emilia, Cayden, Beck, Mills, Elle, Beckham (Olivia not pictured)

Then we just HAD to stop at the Short Stop for lunch and ice cream on the way home.  It's tradition! Emilia went for the more appropriate size.  I could just eat her up!

JKK, not so much...

Then a little dip in the pool...

...before we got into our own fireworks.  Harry Potter is becoming a big thing with the kiddos, so of course the sparklers became wands.  Expelliarmus!

Daddy didn't buy enough parachutes for Syd's liking - the kids love to chase them down!

Millie and Syd surprised the boys with a silly string war.  JKK and I sort of got in on that also...

It turns out it is really hard to get it out of millie's hair, so she's sworn it off forever ;)  I'm totally okay with this.

Ahhhh, what a good day.  It was a ton of activities in those few days, but this was the first year the kids really did okay with it.  I made Syd nap once or twice in there, but overall, we were really pleased!

As if the week wasn't full enough, we have Millie's birthday in two days!!  Time to party...

End of June Update

Our little tree hugger: When the girls stay at Nana's, they love to play dress-up.  This is a dress that Mimi brought back from Acapulco when I was little.  

Syd's new funny face

Gymnastics camp theme was Under the Sea - this is her crab she made (guess we'll put those pajamas in the giveaway pile).  Apparently they also did quite a bit of gymnastics while she was there every day for a week. ;)  She loved it!

Millie and Cayden are off to War Eagle Day Camp for the next two weeks!

She's so grown up.  She comes home each night to tell us stories about her day.  We've missed her!  We only had her home for a week before she started this camp.

Celebrating Beckham's 5th Birthday at the Amazeum!

Summer 2018 looks like this: Video: Fab Four Summer 2018

No more floaties and doing great!!  Such a relief!  I was scared I was going to have to watch her like a hawk this summer, but I'm so proud of her and don't feel nervous about her abilities at all!

Jasper loves to find all the sun spots, just like Beansie.  Is reincarnation real?  Maybe.  Because he also has a real bond with JKK.  He's the only person Jasper wants to hold him.

Aunt Midge came back for a quick visit and brought the girls a treat. Bah!

JKK requested the Kesha/Macklemore concert tickets for us, so we rolled VIP all night.  What a treat!

Midge and I love a good photo opp ;)

This kid knows how to relax - breakfast on the veranda

So it turns out two full weeks of day camp is a long time.  Millie requested a day off, so I let her stay home and go to a few hours of art camp with Syd.  They loved spending the time together!  And truly, the art studio is Syd's happy place.  Arts and Crafts are totally her jam, whereas, Millie prefers to be more active.  They are so different.

precious lil puppy

Only one more day of camp....we're all ready to have our girl back home for the summer!  I can't even imagine overnight camp.  Not ready for that!

Jasper has made up his own game: Matrix moves.

She made it!!  We got to go to the closing ceremony and see her with her cabin.  It was pretty adorable to see the girls and boys razzing each other with chants back and forth.  It was even cuter to hear millie explain them each night at dinner.  "So mom, we would say heyyyy boyyyys, and they would say heyyyy what?!...and then we would say shake your booty butt! Jump, shake your booty...jump jump, shake your booty!"  You gotta hear Mills do it...anyhoo, it's over and it was a good experience for her.  I didn't expect it to be so exhausting though.  By the end of two weeks, she looked like a zombie.  A very brown zombie.  We were supposed to go out to eat after we picked her up, but she started crying, saying she wanted to go home.  Pajamas and movie night and she was better by the next day.  She says she wants to do it again next year though, so I guess that's a good sign!