Water Blob

This week I made a water blob for the kids. I saw the idea on Pinterest and it didn't seem too complicated. I bought a thick plastic sheet and folded it in half. Then I used duck tape to tape the three sides. We filled it up with water and the kids payed with it for hours. I didn't fill it up too much, because I wasn't sure if it would actually work. We sprayed the top with water and it was a fun version of a slip and slide. 

 Dex loved it. He ran and threw himself on it over and over.

 I untaped a small portion to let the water out when we were done. We'll be getting it out again soon.

Goals

Now that summer break has begun for the kids we have been working on making goals. We are coming up with places we want to go, things we want to learn, and things we want to accomplish. One of the first things the kids wanted to do was get their own library cards. They did that last week. At our library you can have your own card as long as you can write your own name. Asher was a little disappointed that it is not in fact a credit card. We are going to be making weekly trips to the library. Last week Asher wanted to learn more about frogs so he picked out a few books on frogs. 

Dance Recital

Piper had her dance recital on Saturday. I think I died about 200 times from the cuteness of it all. Seriously, this costume just kills me. The stage was very large and there were a few hundred people in the audience. The entire recital was the Wizard of Oz. Her class was the munchkins. Piper did great on stage and I see a lot of dance in her future. 

 Watching her do something she loves is awesome.

 Nate got her flowers for the first time. She thought that was very special.

Milestones

This was a big week for Asher. On Wednesday we surprised him with a new bike. It is pretty big, but he jumped right on and didn't look back. He is now waking me up extra early so I can go outside with him and watch him ride. After a few minor crashes he is doing well with the hand brake. 

 We belong to the local Y, and at one of the pools there is a giant slide. In order to go down it you have to pass the swim test. Asher has worked with Nate and has also been taking swim lessons. Yesterday he passed the test! He can now go down the slide and swim on his own. This means I don't have to go into the pool with him, I can sit on the side and enjoy a book. It's a lot of fun watching him swim. He loves it so much, and he has a pretty awesome back stroke.

 Last night was his preschool graduation. I don't really think it's necessary to make a big ceremony about every little accomplishment, but I was very proud to see him up there. He is a different kid than when he started three years ago. He has matured and has gained so many skills.

My Ashman I love you, and I will always be your biggest fan.

Last Day of Preschool

Today was the last day of school for Asher and Piper. It was a great year for both of them. I was panicking a lot last week about entertaining this crew all summer, but now I am looking forward to it. 

Dexty never misses a photo opportunity. 

Visitors

Since we have officially entered beach season we are getting more visitors. My brother and sister came down this weekend and it was a lot of fun having them around. On Saturday we went to the Potato Festival. That is one of my favorite events of the year. We did get a bit of entertainment this year. We watched three police officers chase someone down the street. 

On Sunday we went to the beach. We weren't there for too long due to storms. We didn't make it back to the car in time so the kids were a wet sandy mess the rest of the day. 

 Asher loves looking for sand fleas. Last week he was calling them sand fleas, and then snow fleas, and then snow flakes. So here is a nice picture of a snow flake.

 I love watching these guys play together. Being at the beach always brings out better behavior amongst  these kids.

Mother's Day

I had such a good Mother's Day weekend. On Friday night I got to celebrate Clarissa's 30th Birthday. A few friends and I surprised her by kidnapping her and getting a hotel in Virginia Beach. It was relaxing and fun to celebrate her. When I came back home on Saturday Nate surprised me with a clean house and different plants he and the kids picked out. He also gave me a pass for the rest of the weekend. I got to relax and pick the agenda (it was very nice not to have any diapers to change for the entire weekend).

Today we drove out to the Outer Banks. All of the kids are at great ages for the beach and it was so much fun to be there. 

I love watching Asher and Piper play together. I really hope they will be life long buds. 

 This kid never quits. The amount of energy and endurance he has is insane.

 Dexty is my little buddy these days. He is such a fun little guy and is constantly cracking me up.

 For everyone who is asking, here is a belly shot of me at 19 weeks pregnant.

 Piper loves collecting shells. She will do it for hours. I sat next to her and she narrated everything she is going to do with them.

 While Piper and I collected shells the boys made sand castles.

 Before we headed home we stopped and got some ice cream. Asher is such a neat eater.

 Nothing makes me happier than spending time with Nate and these three goofballs. Days like this I look at them and am just amazed at what I have.

Afternoon Playdate

As most of you probably know Nate and I have created a family of extroverts. While some kids would like to go home after school and unwind mine want everyone they know to come over and play. Today they invited a few friends over for lunch. The level of noise soon became quite loud so we herded everyone outside.

Dexty had some leftover birthday money last week and once again used it to buy a ball. 

 There were a lot of princesses running around outside today.

 These two girls in the picture below have gone to school with Asher for the last three years. He talks about them all the time. They are both so sweet and I am so glad Asher has them as friends. Anna will be moving next month to Alaska and I know Asher will miss her.

 These two lovely ladies are a riot together. They are as girly as it gets.