First Day of First Grade!

We can't believe this cutie started FIRST GRADE!!! 

 Tommy and our little neighbor boy loved playing together without their older siblings around. The were really cute:)

Last Week of Summer

Well, it finally came...the last week of Summer! I had mentioned to Damon that Wednesday would be a fun day because it was the last day before school started.

So I got an idea the night before to write down little activities for different times of the day and let the kids open an envelope to see what we'd be doing. Well, it worked! They were really excited! The first one was breakfast (Damon got to go to IHOP with Barrett and Tommy will go another day before he starts preschool), we went on a walk, went to Kohl's to pick out new 1st day of school shirts, had lunch at home, played with balloons, played on the slip and slide (which we haven't pulled out all summer!), finished our Magic Treehouse and had a special snack (Chex Muddy Buddy mix), dinner at home, and pack back pack and have a special treat before bed. 

 The boys were playing with the neighbors when I heard the ice cream truck. I had a moment of weakness and bought the boys their special treat from the ice cream man (we've never done it before!). 

Here's a few pics of this little cutie. She's starting to eat more and get a little more chubby, but she's still pretty petite for her age. 

We can't keep her off the stairs. She loves climbing them. Many times she heads up there when she has a poopy diaper and needs to be changed. She's also getting pretty smart. She picks up a comb and will comb her hair. She found a ponytail holder and put it up to her hair like she knew what it was supposed to do. She found her little shoes one day and tried putting them on her feet! She's free-standing a lot more too. She even took 3 steps!!

Cool Summer

We had some pretty amazing weather this week. In the 70s with no humidity (or barely any) and a slight breeze. We loved going on walks/riding scooters, playing at a couple different parks, meeting up with dad for a picnic lunch, watching ice cubes melt outside, dancing and singing to Newsies (again), the boys are perfecting their New York accents, going to an Orioles baseball game (LDS family night = super cheap tickets!), going school shopping at Target, walking through 2 houses (we call one the "dog house" because the dog odor was unreal...incredibly potent!!), doing a little organizing, going to Rita's for a Saturday night treat, Damon lost a top tooth and woke up in the middle of the night angry because the tooth fairy hadn't come then tricked us in the morning and said he couldn't find the money she left when really he had already put it in his wallet and was just trying to get us to fork over some dollars for his poor soul. 

On a cuter note: Hannah is starting to lean in when you ask for a kiss...it is pretty adorable! She's also starting to wave and say "hi".

 Hannah loves looking out the window at her brothers playing. She is always on her tippy toes!

 She loves to dance and does this cute knee pop, leg move, but I can never video it! She also loves the Laurie Berkner Band (she's watching it on the ipad...only thing that kept her happy).

 I haven't bought many items of clothes for this cutie, but I saw this dress on clearance at the Gymboree outlet and couldn't pass it up. 

Another Week of Summer Fun

We had another pretty fun week this summer. We took lots of walks, played at Fifer's on the swings, went to the library and turned in our Summer Reading Logs, made some awesome marble tracks which the boys called "Gumball Machines," re-introduced the music from Newsies, then watched Newsies, the boys even rode their scooters singing "Saturday night with the mayor's daughter!" (which was pretty hilarious), discovered you can't turn the fridge thermostat up or it freezes everything! (Damon finally fessed up to turning the dial after we kept pulling stuff out and it was frozen), learned you have to keep your shoes tied or the laces can get really stuck in your scooter wheels, made raspberry jam and have been devouring it, went to the temple and visited the new Costco there, ate oven roasted s'mores, made peach cobbler, read another book in the Magic Treehouse series, learned and performed the disappearing magic trick with a box, and created memories!!

 This little sweetie just melts our hearts. We adore her...just look at these cute faces?!!!

Beach Weekend

We were able to stay at the boss' beach house this weekend. We didn't think we'd get the invite this year, so were surprised when we did! Such generous, kind people! We left Friday afternoon and went to the pool at the clubhouse. The kids were in heaven. Then we went to the boardwalk for dinner, Dolle's taffy, and Funland. It was pretty crowded and wild, but we still had fun. Tommy loved his favorite rides, but Damon wouldn't touch them, he thought he was too big for them. He had his dad take him on bigger and better rides. Both boys loved the bumper cars this year. We realized how easy we used to have it, things get more complicated with babies and strollers and crowds and boys wanting to ride different rides.

 We went to the beach on Saturday morning. This year we have loved getting there early in the morning and leaving about lunchtime when it gets more crowded. Hannah just loves the sand. The boys were loving letting the waves knock them down, then pushing them on shore.

 After a quick lunch at the beach house, we went to the clubhouse pool again. Tommy got new floaties and was getting really comfortable with them. Damon got new goggles and loved wearing them! We did a little outlet shopping in the afternoon, packed up, and went to Bethany Blues for dinner on the way home. The kids fell asleep on the way home and Barrett and I were so exhausted, we were in bed before 10. It was crazy, and the kids were pretty cranky at times, but it is always fun to stay at the beach (even if it is for one night!)

 I love taking pictures of this cutie in new dresses. A friend gave this dress to us. She's 10 months and still wearing 6 month clothes...she's so petite. The dress is 9 months, but it fit ok...she looked so much older, though!

 We got the boys new school shoes at the Nike outlet. The rule is they can only wear them Sunday afternoons in the house until school starts.