We celebrated Samara's 6th birthday with family and four of her friends on Sunday the 10th. She wanted a Princess part this year, which included a princess Barbie dress cake and sandwiches with boxed mac 'n cheese for dinner (all her picks). She loved having everyone over and it was a full house for a couple hours for sure.
Our staycation was this month and it was a fun weekend for everyone in the family! We started off the "trip" with a StormChasers game on Thursday evening (NARI event that I used to plan. It was weird to just attend, but the tailgate was great! Our seats were sunny and the kids basically just ran up and down the stairs, but got to experience cotton candy (Kalum liked it, Samara was greatly disappointed with it) and we all shared some ice cream. The next day we spent the day at the zoo and it was like 70 degrees and misty/rainy most of the day, not your typical Friday in July at the zoo! We got to see the new African exhibit including giraffes, elephants and all. We had early dinner on the way home at Red Robin, with promised dessert first. We shared their donuts and Samara also had some ice cream and Jeff and I shared an oreo shake. Then we enjoyed dinner as well and the kids actually ate some dinner. We rented Kung Fu Panda 3 on the way home and had a family movie night, a good show, with typical humor to the other two in the series. Saturday morning we called CoCo Keys where we had a reservation for that night. In calling we found out their water park is down for the weekend for maintenance - what?!?! So, we had to find alternatives, and quickly, as the kids were getting disappointed that their hotel night and swimming weren't going to happen... Instead we went to see The Secret Life of Pets at 10AM, stopped home for lunch and went to the Zorinsky Water Park for the afternoon. The big kids loved the swimming and kids slides! Wesson thought the water was not warm enough and cried if even a toe touched the water, so he and I hung out on a lawn chair for most of the time. Jeff and Samara braved the water slide (she was just about tall enough and they let her go) and loved it! I went once as well, and Samara "coached" me all the way up the stairs on how to go on the slide. ;) Kalum was too short and couldn't go, he was really upset and we had to deal with the meltdown over it several times. We got pizza from Little Caesar's on the way home. Everyone was definitely tired after the full day. Sunday we relaxed at home, then went to the Children's Museum. This was our first time there and the kids had really wanted to go. Afterwards we stopped at the slides downtown, which was a hit, then at McD's as a finish to our staycation. So, fun had by all, and we enjoyed the 10 minute drive home as opposed to hours on a typical driving vacation!
I got to take part in a women's bible study at church for 7 weeks this summer. It was on Monday evenings and I really enjoyed the time with other women discussing the power of prayer and being a warrior in your spiritual life. A different "ladies night" for me was going with Mom and Courtney to UNL to attend a Lincoln Modern Quilt Guild event to hear a textile designer give a lecture. It was interesting, and got me thinking about getting quilting and creativity back into my schedule. I'm hoping when school starts I'll have more routine happening each day and maybe that will happen! Last mom-only thing this month was the MOPS Steering Retreat, since I'm going to have a role this year after taking last year off. We had a Friday night dinner at the coordinator's home and then Saturday morning was a session to talk about the plans for the year by each person on the committee. I'm the Publicity Coordinator this year, so I'll handle the social media, directory and a few other areas. I look forward to serving again and being part of the team of ladies heading up this great group for moms.
On the 30th we went down to Lincoln in the evening to see my Mom get inducted into the Nebraska State Quilt Guild Hall of Fame! She didn't know she was being inducted or that we were all going to show up, so it was a fun surprise. It was wonderful to see her recognized for all of the hard work and commitment she puts into what she does and the groups she is involved with. Way to go, Mom! We celebrated afterwords with some ice cream at McD's (well, Mom stayed for the rest of her weekend, the rest of us just had the dessert).
As for Derby Remodeling Group updates - Memphis house and Eagle house are both moving along! Check out the pictures for some visuals. Memphis has been a lot of follow-up work after the basement, grading, grass seed, etc. Interior work has been more electrical and plumbing. Eagle has been exterior work on the garage- new siding and the house-shutters, front porch (CPTO has taken on the bulk of the work here for now, in order to allow for progress in Memphis.) So, Jeff's been busy to say the least, not to mention also having to mow these lawns and the Fir St house in Ashland, but also coordinating any subs, material purchases and maintaining all his work at NIFCO. Discussions have taken place that after these two homes, a DRG, LLC hiatus will be in order - the kids just grow up too quickly as it is!
Samara's Moments for the Month:
- She turned SIX this month! She is a spunky, bright girl who is outgoing and an animated storyteller. Definitely a first born, considers herself a 2nd mommy to her brothers (whether they like it or not) and lets others know if they are doing something against the rules.
- She chooses her own clothes each day. One day she chose some shorts that didn't really coordinate with the top she selected. I said something like, maybe we can choose some other shorts that go with that shirt better. She responds with, "well they still look cute on me", and went downstairs. Keep that confidence girl!!
- Jeff took Samara on her first Daddy-Daughter date the Friday of her Birthday weekend. She got to choose dinner and immediately said, Chick-fil-A! After that, Daddy surprised her with a trip to the pet store to select a Beta fish, which she said she wanted to have. They picked one out and a tank, etc. "Beta" as she named him, lives in her room for now.
- She was so relieved to find out that she had no shots and no blood draw at her 6 year checkup appointment! I could see her demeanor and face change when the nurse said, "no ouches today!". 43 lbs - 39%, 46.25" - 69%, BMI 18%, Bp 103/67
- She caught two caterpillars in her new bug cage from her birthday. Both made a chrysalis within a few days! Then butterfly #1 about a week later. She was thrilled that she got to let it go on her hand. Butterfly #2 was just a couple days later. A very cool summer experience for the bug and small animal lover!
Kalum's Moments for the Month:
- We plan to register the two older kids in Awanas (Wednesday night kids ministry at church). I say Samara will be in Sparks and Kalum will be in Cubbies. He was dismayed! I explained that it wasn't a cubby like a place to store stuff, it was cubby like a bear cub. He was much happier then about taking part!
- One afternoon Kalum is playing downstairs and comes up to the kitchen with blood all over his fingers, so washed his hands and saw no new wounds - where is this coming from?. I'm thinking. Then saw his nostril was all covered in red as well, so washed it off and talked to him about not picking our nose. He said, "I didn't pick my nose. I was trying to get the skittle back out." I ask, "was it a red skittle?" Yes. I him blow his nose a few times, hoping a skittle will come out, but no such luck. Maybe this skittle is dissolving?, I thought. "Let's go downstairs to see if there's red anywhere else." I say, dreading the possibility of taking him to the urgent care to get out a skittle. We get downstairs and "Here's the skittle!" Kalum says triumphantly, holding up a clear sphere. Sigh. At least he didn't shove it TOO far up there, not Dr needed.
- When he was supposed to be getting dressed one morning, I come upstairs to see that he has dumped ALL the clothes out of ALL his drawers onto the floor in a huge pile. He said he was looking for his other dinosaur toy (apparently it jumped into one of his drawers and buried himself?). I said he needed to start putting it all back where it goes, our house has a mantra - if you make a mess, you clean it up. So, he complains when having to pick up the mess that "Grandma got me too much clothes!" I told him I could make them all go back to Grandma's very easily...he decided to put them away.
- One day I was explaining that "this part of your arm is called your forearm". Pause from Kalum. "Is this my seven arm then?" pointing to his bicep. lol, three year olds are so funny sometimes!
- Sunday school - most days he still wants to sit in the room by the door for about 15 minutes and warm up. Then he plays and enjoys the whole morning. Told one of his teachers one morning that "he's a funny guy", meaning he thinks of himself as humorous. Ha!
- Kalum got stung by bees or something out at my parents house at the end of the month. Poor kid, it definitely scared him and he thought they were eating him (per Samara's recount of the event since they were out looking for golf balls in the tall grass by my parents' yard). Gemma made a benedryl run as his face and hand were quite swollen. He slept well and by morning looked much better. May have a slight, understandable aversion to bees in coming weeks and months possibly though.
- After a trip to the Memphis house, I had him take off his shorts because the back seat was really dirty from his sitting in the dirt. As we are driving away, he is insisting that he gets to put his shorts back on. I say, that is not possible, we are driving. He complains on. Finally I say, "Why do you need your shorts back on?". Kalum- "So I don't freak all the people out on the road!!" I could only laugh. Then explain that no one can see his underwear and there wouldn't be any freaking out.
Wesson's Milestones for the Month:
- He slept through his first fireworks display because in the van with Mommy and Gemma. He didn't even wake up when Kalum and Samara joined us inside the van. Daddy and Papa finished watching the IronHorse display outside on the cool, misty night.
- July 7th - 3rd tooth is in
- July 8th - started crawling and signing "Daddy"
- July 12th - now crawling and pulling up on some furniture - getting more efficient at getting to his desired location!
- 9 month check-up - 22 lbs-68%, 29.75"-87%, 46cm head circumference-66%, had to get 2 shots but did well-a little more sleepy and crabby that evening
- July 16th - climbing stair unassisted all the way to the top (now we'll have to work on safe decent!)
- July 20th - can walk along a flat surface now like a wall or closed door. Also LOVES doors - open, shut, open, shut, repeat until Mommy is sure he's going to pinch his fingers and makes him stop
- Milesstones at end of month - likes to feed himself-pb toast, fruit, whole milk from sippee cup, making lots of noises and sounds, says mamamama (maybe meaning Mama, not sure yet), objects loudly if you take away a toy he's playing with, can climb up stairs pretty quickly!, always wants to get in the bathroom and uses toilet to stand up so we have to keep the bathroom door shut-yuck!
Google changed how you view the slideshow, so click the link below. When the window opens up, click on the first image, you can then click through all the images using the arrows on the sides of each picture. Any captions are to the upper right corner of pictures.
