T-Ball Awards

Tonight is the 2nd to last night for t-ball, but since we have a bye week the coach thought it would be fun to go to another park as opposed to practicing in the field at our normal park in SLP.  We met at Able Park and they played a little ball for a while.  I still think that it is so funny when the kids all flock to the ball when it is hit.  At some point, you would think they would figure it out - that they don't have to run over to the area where the ball was hit when they aren't even in the vicinity.  Oh well, guess it is too cute not to have them do that!

waiting for their awards!

Reese was so cute while they were playing.  She was sitting so nice on the bench actually watching them.  I don't think she has hardly seen them play all year.  She better get better @ sitting, we have lots more t-ball and baseball games to go!

Picking Flowers

Dave shoots trap up at the Blaine Gun Club most Tuesdays.  It is "guys night" and no women are allowed.  I always give him a hard time about it and say that some Tuesday I am just going to show up.  Well tonight Dawson went with Dave.  He just loves hanging out with Daddy and I think that the guys think he is a pretty good kid.

I guess that Dawson had been picking some flowers when Dave asked him what he was doing.  He told him that "he was picking some flowers for mommy."  Dave looked at Dawson and said, "those are flowers that is Poison Ivy."  Dave said that the look on Dawson's face was "priceless" and that Dawson just instantly dropped the flowers on the ground.  Then, Dave let him know that it really wasn't Poison Ivy! 

Happy Birthday Nana!

Happy Birthday to Nana!  Thanks for always being there for us!  We love you!

Pretty sure that I had already posted this photo, but when we went over to Nana's to celebrate her birthday, I had forgot my camera at home!  Might have to dig and see if I can find an "oldy but goodie of nana!"

Bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles!

Dave took the kids out fishing this past weekend - he took the day off on Friday (the 13th) and took Dawson and Kendall with him Thursday night up to his parents house in Balsam Lake, WI.  Then, I brought Carter up Friday afternoon with Reese (Carter had a baseball game on Thursday night).  It has been such a HOT month - we tried to go to the beach but wouldn't you know, it started to RAIN, so they only got a few minutes in at the beach.

Since it was so hot, the kids wanted to take a bubble bath in Grandma's big tub!  Dawson and Carter just kept their suits on and they had a blast!

Needless to say, when I took Dawson and Reese home that night (Kendall was going to stay with Grandma while Daddy took CArter fishing the next day) I had some squeaky clean kids!

Daddy's Birthday!

The kids always want to celebrate birthday while Dave doesn't really care.  So, we attempted to make him a cake, though I think that I overcooked it and it got a little dry.  We had already bought him a gift - his passion is hunting and a month or 2 ago he hinted at a few "Mathews" hunting apparel items.  The kids and I had gone up to Capra's and bought him a dark grey Mathews t-shirt and a black baseball cap (the previously Mathews hat shrunk when I washed it in the machine, now Dawson is the proud owner of the shrunken cap!).

 Dawson and Kendall made some "art" for daddy! 

 Dawson and daddy modeling their Mathews caps!

Happy birthday to you, my wonderful husband!  I hope that you enjoyed this last day in your 30's!  I am glad that I have gotten to celebrate every birthday of yours in our 30's and hope that there are many, many more to celebrate!  I love you!

More T-Ball!

I just love watching the kids play t-ball.  The are all the same - they love to hit and they all flock to the ball when the other team hits it in the field!  You can tell the boys that are ready for the next level - that will be fun to see Dawson next year!  Kendall has gotten down running to the bases - she may not always go right away but at least she is going to the right spot!

The typical chatter on the field!

 The flock to the ball!  The disappointment in not getting in this time!

 Patiently waiting!

Look at that swing!  Good form DJ!

 Good stance KC!

Carter's going camping!

Carter was leaving this morning to go camping with his buddy Ben and Ben's dad, Marc, for 3 days.  He was pretty excited about it!  They were heading down south to Forestville Mystery Caves - south of Rochester by about an hour!  I almost wanted to send my camera with Carter - a camping trip with his friend and I am not going to have any photos of it!  :(  So, I had to be the "dork" of a mom before he left and get a few photos!  I think he was embarrassed by me - just a good thing I did not do it in front of Ben and Marc!

He was even more excited when I handed him a little cash and said to buy a little souvenir for himself and pick up something for the little kids also.  Little did I know that when he came home he would have purchased a pocket knife for himself (stinker had been asking for one!)!  He also bought Kendall and Dawson a crystal from the cave!  He had a blast!  And I guess cause of all the limestone down that way, the bugs aren't too bad either!  Gotta try camping down there someday!

Another one bites the dust!

It feels like Dawson just lost his first tooth, now he has lost his second tooth!  If there is one thing that I just cannot stand, it is loose teeth. When I was teaching and the kids would sit there and play with their teeth, I just wanted to leave the room!
Dawson's tooth was literally holding on by a string of a root.  It was leaning forward in his mouth.  The first tooth was lost by eating an "airhead" candy so I suggested to Dawson to eat another one of those...NOPE!  Then I suggested that maybe daddy could pull it out...NOPE! 
"Are you sure you don't want to pull that out before you go to bed?  You might lose it when you are sleeping?" NOPE!
More forward a few hours to approximately THREE AM!  I feel a tapping on my shoulder which is not uncommon as many nights Kendall has to use the bathroom.  I turn over and there is Dawson.  Me: "Yes?"
Dawson: "Mom.  I lost my tooth!"
Me: "Seriously?"  Thinking oh my gosh, he has to be dripping blood all over the place.  So we rush to the bathroom.
He had already been in the bathroom, gotten a washcloth and pulled out his tooth.  Then woke me up!  How nice!
I kindly suggested to him that we put the tooth in a ziploc bag and put it on the counter.  The tooth fairy is already in the middle of working for the night so we will put it under your pillow tomorrow night!  That was good with him and off to bed he went!

Pre-lost tooth!

 

Post-lost tooth!  Much better!  No dangling tooth!

Learning to fish...finally!

Dawson in particular has been wanting to learn to fish.  He has been bugging us to take him out.  Being that I am a "city girl" and never really had to much experience with fishing, I guess this is one of those catergories that falls on to "country boy" DAVE!  Dave dug out Carter's old fishing poles and got one ready for Dawson to practice casting with.  Of course, once Dawson started casting across the yard, "pinkalicious" had to also!

For their first time casting, they both did really well.  A few got stuck in the tree, a couple of times they got stuck in my flower pots or the bushes in the front yard.  But, nothing that we couldn't fix! 

Daddy getting the fishing poles ready!

Daddy showing Dawson how to cast!  Pinkalicious looking on and probably bugging Dawson for a turn!

Good cast Dawson!

 Kendall just casting away! 

 Look at that form! 

"iggy-tails, iggy-tails mommy"

Whenever I tend to put piggytails in Kendall's hair Reese has to also have "iggy-tails" in!  This particular day it was so HOT out (like it has been all summer long) and Reese wanted some in like her big sister!  This is the last summer that I can put her in "bubble outfits" and they are some of my most favorite outfits!  All of our kids have looked so cute in them!  Ad her rosey cheeks just add to the cuteness!

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam!

I have not written a lot about me (or Dave, or any adult for that matter!) on this blog.  I am on a rampage to change that.  I got a rhubarb plant from Dave's mom and dad's house a few years ago.  At one point, I just did not know what to do with it all - I love baking with it, but it is just not the best thing to be doing when you would love to lose a few pounds!  So, I decided to try doing some canning.  I had never done it before, so I thought I would start with SIMPLE!

5 cups of fresh rhubarb
4 cups of sugar (yes 4 cups, how do they make that low sugar jam that you see in the stores??)
1 20oz can crushed pineapple, drained
Bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes
Remove from heat.  Add in one 6oz package of Strawberry Jello.  Stir til disolve in jam.  Then you can them in a boiling water bath! 

The kids, and Dave love it!  It is pretty good!  Someday I will find a recipe using REAL strawberries but for now this is good!  I don't get too many jars, but I think that last year I ended up making about 15 years - gave some away and kept a few.  I don't think that we made it past November or December before I had to buy some from the store again!  I can see where it would get addicting if you had the time... and a garden to do some canning! 

Yum... cookie salad!

The kids love cookie salad so they were so excited to help me make it!  So simple, probably not the best for you, but also not the worst.

 Make the cookie salad...

 Stir the cookie salad!  Stir some more... and do it while your tongue is sticking out (a common thing with Dawson)!

 Finished Product!  EAT the cookie salad!  yummy!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a little fun at Nana & Pop-Pop's later in the day.  IT was another HOT day, just about 100 or so.  The kids had so much fun, though we missed having Carter & Teagan there!  Thank you for all those who have fought for freedom in this country!

Having some snap-rocks fun!  

 It's Sprinker time!  WE had to move the sprinkler 2 times.  I am sure that Pop-Pop was out there fixing his grass the next day (especially since one day this spring he paid them to pick up all those fun little "helicopters" from their tree!)

 I love taking photos of kids like this!  So cute!  Boston and Cooper!  Uncle Tommy was getting ready to go out for the night... why not clean your tires

with Pop-Pop's tire cleaning stuff!  Boys and their cars!

 Kendall and Reese - watching Uncle Drew set off some fireworks

 The kids...including Uncle Joe!

The kids and Auntie Jamie watching Uncle Drew set off some fireworks (legal of course!)

 Dawson and Uncle Joe / Nana and Reese

 Nana has always bought the kids t-shirts for the 4th of July.  These are the t-shirts "on display" and Teagan even decorated the back for the little ones!  We gotta remember to take photos of them in their shirts FIRST.  Not at the end of the day when they are all tired!  :)