Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Climbing the walls!

Summer has been super busy around here!

So busy, I haven't even had time to blog. (Yes, I am using that as an excuse!)

We just returned home for a mere 56 hours or so before heading out again and my kids are already climbing the walls counters!

Friday, June 28, 2013

Beach!

Those who know me IRL should know by now that the beach is my absolute favorite place on earth.
 
One day I will live at the beach and never leave!
 
Until then...we just visit as often as we can.
 
A few weeks ago, we started off summer right with a trip to Cape San Blas, FL.
 
Great friends, empty beach, lots of fun in the sun...
 
What more could I need!?
 
Ready for fun on our first day!

 
Pictures of three of my favorite people

 
Matching hats!

 
Beautiful sunrises over the bay

 
Morning runs on the beach with dolphins

 
Making an octopus sandcastle

 
And  then a crab sandcastle

 
Catching crabs for real

 
The littlest one wanted to make a turtle with his dad

 
And what is a childhood trip to the beach without the experience of being buried in the sand?
 

Thursday, June 6, 2013

And the Mom of the Year Award goes to...

ME!!!
 
1st place for loosing my child at Six Flags.
 
Yep.
 
Don't be jealous.  With a little work and dedication this may happen for you too.
 
Here's my story:
 
Today, my crew met Aunt Mimi and cousins Lorelai and Troy for a fun-filled Six Flags day.
 
 
 
We had a fabulous day, absolutely no lines, cool weather (shocking for June) and it was overcast.
 
So, barring a little whining and skinned knees from Charlie, nothing could go wrong.
 
Until the last ride of the day.
 
The Mindbender.
 
Melody and Troy were just tall enough to ride it. (Charlie was tall enough too, but being our resident 'fraidy cat, he opted to hang with Aunt Mimi.) They were so excited...their first upside down coaster!
 
We got up to the front, and I realized that two small children, two bigger children, and me, posed a coaster seating logistics challenge.
 
It was decided that I would go with Melody and Troy would ride either with Jack or Lorelai.
 
Jack decided he wanted to only go with Lorelai and that he would sit this ride out and go with her the next time around.
 
Except the next time around, the littles wanted to go again.
But not together.
 
So, I tried to have Jack go with either Melody or Troy but no go.  Apparently, Lorelai is is favorite cousin and no one else would do.
 
 
He stomped angrily towards the exit to go wait with Aunt Mimi and Charles.
 
When the ride was over, we walked to the exit where Aunt Mimi and Charlie were waiting.
 
Without Jack.
 
We looked all over the place.
 
Finally, Aunt Mimi sent me along the walk of shame to the Lost Parents booth.
 
So, I walked (ok ran) over there, trying to keep the rising panic at bay.
 
And there he was.
 
Apparently, he had come out of the ride and somehow he and Aunt Mimi missed each other.  He just continued walking up the hill and out of Gotham City and finally sat down on a bench to rest.
 
Where a lady in a "dress with swirls" on it walked up.  She asked him if he was here with his mom, to which my son responded, "Yeah, she's on the Mindbender and I have an aunt around here somewhere."
 
(Thanks for throwing me under the bus there, honey.  I'm sure that lovely lady thinks I just dump my kids in Six Flags and go gallivanting off)
 
She then took him over the the Lost Parents booth.  Where I found him about 10 minutes later.
 
We went back to the Mindbender where he finally got that ride with Lorelai.
 
And then we had a discussion about staying at the exit until the other people you are with finish the ride.
 
The excitement never ends!
 
 
 

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Only 363 Days...

until I have a double-digit kid.
 
How do I know this?
 
Because, yesterday, this guy turned NINE!
 
 
Happy Birthday to my sweet Jack
 
who is so smart
 
so loving
 
so curious
 
so silly
 
and so perfect for our family.
 
The Lord knew what He was doing when he blessed us with this little guy
 
nine years ago!
 
Doesn't he look like a little Buddha?
 
I think he was mediating and trying to recover after the horrendous labor and delivery we had to suffer though. 
 
 
John Marc Powell
06.04.04
9lbs 4oz
21 1/4 inches

Friday, May 31, 2013

And it's FINALLY here...

SUMMER VACATION that is!!

The last few weeks have been pretty crazy around here.

Aside from beginning my own summer semester

We had a preschool party for this guy

It was hard to say goodbye to Mr. Mark and Ms. Erin. Thank goodness we see them at church every Sunday!
 
 A kindergarten graduation for this princess
 
Melody with her adorable bestie, Morgan
 
And an end of the year party for the almost-9-year-old dude
 
Please make sure to notice and judge me for the too short shirt and missing belt. Whatever. I'm making those school clothes fit.  And as for the belt, well, it was lost somtime in mid-March and I have a one belt per year rule.  Doesn't everybody?
 
And field day where Jack and Melody participated in the carinval acitivies and field competitions while Charlie and I ran the sno-cone station.

Ok, I ran the sno-cone station. Charlie just ate the sno-cones and sweet talked his way into line jumping on the inflatable slide. Really, though, does that come as a surprise to anybody?
Yeah, that's a lot.

A lot of FUN!
 
And now we've made our summer lists

 
and already kicked off summer with our annual pizza pool party.  This year, I've got THREE totally independent very-enthusiastic-and-brave-but-one-not-yet-independent swimmers.

My last little fish is almost there.
 

What you didn't see was him loosing his grip on the kickboard, trying desperately to get back on and starting to panic which prompted me to take a flying leap into the pool to pull him back out.

Right at that moment, one of my girlfriends, missing Charlie's mishap but seeing my swimming skills, walked up and said, "Wow, Em, I had no idea you were so eager to start swimming!"
 
Hey, might as well kick off summer with a little excitement!

Monday, May 20, 2013

Come visit me...

over at my friend Courtney's site today!  She's the founder of Lil Light O' Mine and Light 'Em Up! Even if you don't travel over to her site to see what I have to say, you should just go to check out what she has to say! I guarentee you'll love her as much as I do.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Up to the same ol' tricks...

If you've been a reader of my blog for a while now (you know, back when I actually used to blog on a regular basis), you know that Melody is my dare-devil. 
 
She loves a challenge and has come up with some crazy ideas.
 
like this
 
and this
 
and this
 
and my personal favorite, this.
 
And here is her latest
 
 
 
The pictures don't even really do this justice.  I have no idea how she does it, but she can shimmy all the way up to the very top in about 3 second flat.  And then just hang out there for a while.
 
Freaks. Me. Out. 
 
And that's my little Melody-the-monkey!