PAC Waterpark Fun

Another 90 degree day. A perfect day to head to the Water park for some fun! The park was packed, but we all had a great time!

She loves going down the tube water slide

Fresh off the water tube slide

HMMM...Where should I go next?

Mr. Baker B

This afternoon B asked if we could make brownies together. Since the kitchen was clean and counters were cleared off (not a common occurrence), I told him that I thought HE should make brownies. I told him that I thought he was old enough now to be able to do some baking on his own. I told him I would help by getting ingredients, and putting stuff in and taking stuff out of the oven. I told him that I was impressed by the way he cracks eggs when daddy makes crepes and how he is good at fractions and measuring things. I told him I was confident that he could do it on his own. He was SO excited, but also a bit nervous. After reassuring him that it didn't matter if the brownies "got messed up" (as he said), he got a chair and was ready to go. He put in ALL the ingredients, mixed it up, and poured it into the pan. I put it in the oven while he tasted the spoon.

The brownies turned out GREAT! He was SO proud! He couldn't wait for daddy and everyone else to try HIS brownies.

Mixing the ingredients together

Just look at his masterpiece

YUM!

Eastside Lutheran Soccer Camp VBS

Eastside Lutheran had their Soccer camp VBS this week. The kids enjoy seeing their friends from when they attended Eastside for preschool. The kids spend the week learning about soccer, playing games, and learning about God.

Ben (and Ian in the background) loves kicking the soccer ball around

Cami loved playing soccer this year

Kid of the Week

Today C got a special letter in the mail from a local radio station, Magic 98. The letter was to tell her that she has been chosen as Kid of the Week. With this honor comes a 2 month membership to The Little Gym, a place for gymnastics, dance, etc. She also gets her picture on their website for the next week!

She is a very excited little girl!!!!

Blog entries

So, I have to admit that I am usually good at taking pictures and starting a blog entry. Unfortunately, my entries are not always finished before I start another. The pictures don't always get uploaded after writing and so the blog entries sit in the saved mode until I get back to it. Today the kids headed to VBS at Eastside for their yearly VBS soccer camp. It gave me about 2 1/2 hours to come home and work on stuff around the house while the 2 little ones napped. Instead, I sat at the computer uploading pictures and finish 3 blog entries that I had started the last week or two. If you read the blogs, feel free to go into the history to see our day at Truax field for the Rhythm and Booms outing or check out the Mallards game from last night. Eventually I will get the grandparents day blog pictures up and post it and our exciting Day out with Thomas the Train. Enjoy!

Mallards Game

We picked a overcast and rainy day to head out to the ballpark to watch the Madison Mallards baseball game. The Weber family came over from Wauwatosa to join us. The promotion of the day was Kids Eat Free. The kids enjoyed eating their hot dog, chips, and having a Sprite. Shortly after we arrived at the ballpark, it started to rain. Knowing that the rain would only last an hour or so, we left and headed to Culvers. In the short time we were at the ballpark, the kids played a spin the wheel game (like Wheel of Fortune with prizes instead of money). B won a pink baseball and C and I both won a free kids meal for Culvers. The kids cashed in their coupon for the free kids meal while the adults enjoyed some sandwiches. As we were finishing our meal, the rain stopped and we headed back to the game.

C loved watching all the players in their pink Mallards uniforms. They were wearing them to promote Breast Cancer Awareness and raise money for the Susan G. Komen foundation.

B was excited to get his baseball signed by the players.

C and K love pink!

Splish Splash

I love this time of year when it is hot out and the kids can play in the water outside. We have enjoyed spending time at Dolphin's Cover water park at Prairie Athletic club this summer to cool off. The coupon marketing worked because it is something we could see ourselves investing in every summer. Today we spent a bit of time at home playing in the water and with the water.

The kids are fighting over the hose in between sliding down the slide into the little pool. In a few weeks we will have our bigger pool blown up as we celebrate C's 6th birthday with her friends here. The pool has a small leak in it, so we thought we would wait to pull it out until her birthday party.

The summer is flying by! The kids have been enjoying their weekly swim lessons. C is in ballet for a few weeks this summer at PAC. She and I will start gymnastics there for 5 weeks beginning the end of July. B and C just started summer piano lessons with their school music teacher and have enjoyed going to her house while I run errands.

Justin and B went to Devil's Lake today to volunteer at a race Justin's dad was in today. It sounds like they were kept busy handing out water and gatorade to the runners. B was also handing out licorice as people passed by.

B just started reading Harry Potter. He asked to have something a little more challenging to read this summer and he thought Harry Potter would be a nice read. He is a few pages into it and is already liking the fact that he is reading a "big kid" book. At age 7, he enjoys his reading and writing in his journal. He is very grownup.

The nice hot sun will soon be gone and the cool breeze of fall will be upon us. We are trying to cherish these days as all too soon the kids will be grown up and off with their friends.

Cami's Prayer

As we were saying prayers tonight, our sweet little girl wanted to lead the prayer.

She prayed "for Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Neil to have safe travels when they come and visit for my birthday (in a few weeks). And I pray that someone give me a red heart sparkley necklace for my birthday". She continued praying for everyone to come to her birthday and swim in the pool and play in the backyard. She prayed that "God's name be praised during my birthday party so that people who do not know Jesus that they get to know Him" She continued on praying for her friends and again for her red necklace with lots of sparkles on it. It was so sweet and innocent that I thought I would share it and also so I would not forget it.

She is such a precious gem!

Rhythm and Booms

We had an awesome experience on Saturday, July 3 as we joined our friends, Tammy and Roger and family at their military gathering at Truax field. They got approval for "civilians" to come and join them. It was a HUGE honor to be invited and participate in this gathering. The kids played games, we ate great food, the kids did relay races, and got an animal backpack with matchbox cars and other toys. We were up close and personal with the F-16s as they taxiied down the runway to take off to start the Rhythm and Booms fireworks display. The kids (and Justin and I) were in awe being that close. As the sky grew darker and the fireworks display started, we had great seats on the lawn at the military base. There are no other words to describe this except by saying that we feel honored and blessed to have been asked to join them for this event.

Below are a few pictures from our day...

Thank you for serving our country and keeping us safe

Kids in front of the F-16

Dinner time

In front of an F-16

Game time...Ian loved playing golf

Making its way to the beginning of the runway

lining up for take off

Ian is intrigued by the F-16

A real American girl

This was Ben's favorite part of the summer so far...F-16 up close and personal

Justin hanging out with the boys

It is a bit loud for Ian

Just starting to take off

Up, Up and Away

Amazing shot of one of the F-16s taking off from Truax

Cami is pointing out the F-16 aircraft

The 4 F-16 aircrafts

Fireworks

A day at the Milwaukee zoo July 2, 2010

On Friday I ventured with the kids and Ben's friend, Christian, to the Milwaukee zoo to meet my friend Lisa and her two kids, Julia and Tyler. The trip is only an hour and with our zoo pass and a packed lunch, it makes for an inexpensive day trip. We were looking forward to seeing Lisa and her kids. The kids were very excited to see the Dinosaur exhibit they have at the zoo this summer. It was in Milwaukee several years ago, so they were excited to see it again. The kids did very well together, each of them having a buddy their age to walk around with. 2 moms and 6 kids on a hot and busy Friday at the zoo! We had a great time seeing the animals and walking and talking. The kids also had fun playing in the water sprayers located throughout the zoo to cool people off. We all had a great time, but were more than ready to leave and cool off in the car. I enjoyed a nice, quiet drive home as all 4 kids fell asleep.

We are already looking forward to another trip to the Milwaukee zoo in late July.

The kids all had a buddy.

Cami wanted to touch the cute little baby dinosaurs

Ian loved the dinosaur exhibit

Ben loves the water

Cami is checking out the peacocks

Flamingo Time