We have been having an absolutely breath taking spring. We have enjoyed lots of flowering trees and watching new life appear everywhere.
We took a walk to one of our favorite places one gorgeous spring weekend and the kids enjoyed putting their feet in the fountain and watching the clouds go by.
Police Station Field Trip: We've also been busy finishing up our school work for the year! We were able to take a field trip to the police station with our co-op, which was so cool. The officer who took us around introduced the kids to the dispatcher. He explained her job as a dispatcher and the importance of her role at the police station. He also explained that occasionally an officer will help the dispatcher out, and when that happens, they all draw straws, because no body wants to get the short straw and help out since it is a job with many important responsibilities. At this point, Ryan raised his hand as said, "So, you're telling me, she draws the short straw EVERY DAY?" He's still very literal. We got to watch the dispatcher take some emergency phone calls and dispatch some police men. Ryan raised his hand again and asked, "Can we see the DUNGEON?" The officer thought that was pretty funny and offered to lock him up in the "dungeon." Near the end of our tour, the officer took us to see the room where they have target practice and other physical training practice. He gave us a very important talk about gun safety!
Dylan is getting much better at writing his letters! Especially the letter "o".
Weekends: Nearly every weekend we have been able to enjoy the great outdoors. Dylan looks like he's jumping, but really he's only in a swing.
We enjoyed some time at the working-farm, watching the animals, especially the lambs play. At the end of our day we enjoyed an incredible sunset and dinner at an incredible establishment.
Dylan is learning how to ride a three-wheel bike! Ryan was very gracious to share his bike. Maybe we'll be able to teach Ryan how to ride a two wheeler this year!
Ryan is always asking me to tell him stories about when I was a little girl these days. So, one day I told him one of my favorite things to do in the summer was to visit my grandparents in Arizona. I told him about how my brother and sisters and I would swim in the pool for hours, diving for quarters or rings. When we were done swimming, we would get out, and sit inside the screened in porch. My grandparents had a special little white refrigerator out there that was only filled with sodas of all kinds--rootbeer, sprite, coca-cola...and icecream. Every day after swimming, we were allowed to have one soda before dinner. I would always choose Barks Root Beer and read a good book and drying off in the sun.
When we lived in Texas, when I was a little older, when we were at the public pool, we sometimes found enough change on the bottom of the deep end to buy a chocolate bar. Then, I would eat my chocolate bar and read a book while I dried off. Ryan thought these things sounded very fun and relaxing. But our pool isn't up yet, so he decided the next best thing was to bring his rocking chair outside under our shade tree, with his man-parisol and a Hershey bar, reading "Green Eggs and Ham" for the first time.
Yard Projects: It has been an unseasonably hot May with temperatures in the upper 80's hovering just below 90 degrees. We picked the HOTTEST weekend of the year to do heavy yard work. Our shed needed some TLC (tender loving care). Some of the trim had rotted out and a giant tree branch had fallen on the fence and roof of the shed two summers ago.
Ryan helped me paint the new trim. We took the old trim off. What could be salvaged, we re-painted.
While I did the painting, Josh worked on cutting parts of the tree with his saw bit by bit. The kids helped drag the tree branches to the fire pit.
We celebrated that evening with grilled hot dogs and home made cole-slaw outside.
The shed looks so much better.
We still have this part of the branch to contend with, but we decided it wasn't going to budge unless we had a chainsaw. So, I see us boldly owning a chainsaw in the near future.
This is huge progress! We can now see to the back fence. Before, the branches blocked all the side part of the yard clear to the front of the shed.
Mothers Day: My boys spoiled me rotten! Ryan made me a beautiful picture frame with sparkly beads and sea shells. They made and brought me a hot breakfast in bed and after church they took me to lunch.
Playing in the Yard: Like I said, it has been REALLY HOT here. But it's still not hot enough to set the pool up yet, so the kids enjoyed playing in the water sprinkle ball their Grandma Turtle sent them.
Of course, you can't keep this kid out of the sand. First he let the sand slide through his fingers. Then he rolled in it. Finally he stood on his head and walked in a circle. He was nice and wet from the sprinkler ball, so the sand really stuck to him well.
Fire Station Field Trip: The last session of our co-op focused on home/fire-saftey so of course we went to the fire station for a field trip! We got to learn all about the gear a fire-man wears, tour the station and see where they eat and sleep and hang out, and climb on the cool fire trucks.
They were so nice to give all the kids fire hats and badges when we left and our special fire-man even turned on the lights on the truck for our group photo!
The Last Day of School: IT IS FINALLY HERE! And we are so ready for summer! We had a little ceremony for Ryan to acknowledge all his hard work this year. Then, we spent the rest of the day at the Natural History Museum. It seemed fitting since we started our school year with a trip to see the dinosaurs and went back to end it taking an art tour to see the Vincent Van Gogh paintings on loan.
The day we went to the museum, 22 public school districts were there taking end of the year tours too! We laid low and had an early picnic lunch outside. When we were ready to go in, most of the school groups were coming out to eat lunch.
All about Ants: I bought Ryan an ant farm several years ago and from time to time he has begged me to let him take it out and use it. I've always told him to wait because I intended to order him some ants, but then kept forgetting to actually do that. He caught me on the phone and whispered, "Can I open this?" I was distracted so I nodded and continued my conversation. When I found him twenty minutes later, he had ripped open the box and had the directions spread out and was carefully reading the instructions and putting the farm together. I thought for sure he would need help, so I went over to help him, but he was doing it correctly. Then the boy went and caught himself some ants!
We are very excited these lazy summer days are here. The kids don't know it yet, but we have one more surprise in store for them as an "after school" treat. We are just waiting for a hotter, sunnier day.
