Spaghetti Dinner

Bennett loves his food!

Our version of a lemonade stand

When the kids are bored on a Saturday morning what is more perfect than a lemonade stand?  Three problems with the idea: first, there just aren't that many cars willing to stop on a busy Saturday morning and give kids money for something they don't really want. Second, I am NOT one for making homemade lemonade (time, cost, waste when it doesn't get sold, etc). Third,  Ava would have a hard time exchanging money/giving change. 

  Solution:  a FREE otter-pop stand in our backyard for the golfers!!!  For those of you who don't know, our backyard bumps right up to the golf course:

Ava and Cameron LOVED it, and it's a great way to literally show them and teach them about tithing.  They had a BLAST and actually managed to make $8.50 in tips in about an hour (which is better than what I make when I work every once in a while selling art in Costco).

We even still manage to make a profit after you deduct the cost of the otter-pops that get eaten by the golfers and (most impressively) by my own children.

7 peaks...kind of

Lame, I know, but this is all the pictures I got from our visit to 7-peaks... But I am sure Ansley is grateful!  Unfortunately I didn't get any pics of us at the carnival earlier this week either.  I'm failing "mommy 101".

This was SUPPOSED to be a picture of Ansley and Ava going down the slide together. 

 Instead it's just a slide.

Bocce Ball and Acrobatics

We spent a few hours Sunday evening with Stephanie and Nathan and his family.  Here are just a few shots...

Of course this had to be over the concrete...

ah, parenthood

      Sometimes being a mom is hard!  With Ava I am always asking myself "how do I teach her?" and with Cam I am always asking "what am I going to do with him?"  I never thought I would be a push-over mother.  But I am!  It is so hard for me to draw the line and keep it where I want it!  Sometimes it is easier to give in than to stick to the plan.  Which is totally counter-productive and it actually makes life harder in the long run.
    Example: We have been so busy with life lately that Cameron hasn't had a regular nap time since before we went to California!  But he really needs one.  In fact he always falls asleep before the day is over, but he does it in the car, or at the most inconvenient time.  So today we are actually home and he starts acting up, so i put him in his bed and, of course, he throws up!  What do you do? I let him go to my bed (which lasted all of 5 min before he was up playing) So do I let him scream and then sleep in his puke?  It is so hard to put him in his room because I KNOW every time I do I get to go in and clean up his lunch or dinner from the floor and bed.
   I know the answers I would give someone else in my position as a mother of three children three and under:  be kind, be consistent, and create a predictable routine.  Easier said than done...

I love summer!

    We have had a great week full of fishing, museums, picnics in the park, playing baseball, and strawberry days.  Strawberry days is an annual city festival that has free games, pony rides, stawberries and cream, concerts, inflatables bouncers/slides, cake walks and more!  We enjoyed all of it, but only got a few pictures because I forgot to charge the battery for my camera beforehand.

 I love summer; it is full of awesome experiences and lots and lots of family time (which is my favorite thing in the world).  I'm afraid this summer is passing too quickly and there is still so much more we want to do together(Aquarium, Trifalga, Camping/fishing, 7 peaks, Ice-blocking, baseball games, etc).  To much to do, too little time.  What a conundrum!

Fun in the Sun

I LOVE the highland splashpad (mostly because its pretty close, clean, any totally free) and my kids do to (mostly because its FUN).   Last week we had a whole day with nothing planed so we packed a lunch and took the kids to play.  It was a BLAST!