Ready to take-on school

ART!

We have enjoyed the most amazing stretch of hot, sunny weather! The kids favorite after school activity is to paint! Here are their latest creations...

A win would be nice...

6 is a very good number!!

Happy Birthday Park! What a joy you are! When I think back to your 6th birthday I want to remember how sweet, loving and kind you are at this moment. Your thoughtful and generous spirit is unlike any other little guy I know. Two recent stories come to mind. The first was just this past weekend. At every Reds game we always pass a dozen or so homeless people on our way to the stadium with signs asking for any number of things (but mostly money). This last game was no exception and you already had a plan in place. Dad and I said you could bring a nickle or quarter to give one of the guys but when you went to give him the money you gave him one of your hard earned dollars along with it! That night when we talked about it you said to me, "Well the bible says to Honor God with your money and I thought that was a good way to do some honoring."

The second event happened just this morning. When you came downstairs you were in awe of all the wrapped gifts waiting for you. You then secretly pulled me aside in the bathroom and asked me if I had a gift wrapped for Lillie b/c you thought she might be sad that you had all the gifts. When I told you I didn't b/c it was your birthday, you announced that Lillie could open all your gifts with you! You made her day Parker, and made her feel sooo special even though it was your special day. Dad and I are soooo proud of the way you look out for your family especially Lils. Someday she will truly appreciate a big brother who loves her and watches out for her.

Our hope and prayer for you on this 6th birthday is that you will grow up to love God with all your heart and continue to demonstrate it to everyone who meets you. You really are an amazing kid!

Identity crisis...

Me: reading 10 Apples Up on Top to Lillie: " I used to love this book when I was a girl."
Lillie (looking at me curiously): "Silly mommy. You still a girl."

Cast #1

So here it is... a very bright RED cast (for the Cinci REDS of course). Next week Parker has to have some more x-rays and gets to pick another color. Two weeks after that yet, another cast and then a 4th cast toward the end of it all! Yesterday morning I took him to the orthopedic surgeon who had to reset his arm (very painful and not good for a mom to see) and told us the recovery for both bones being broken would take awhile. Parker has been the bestest patient. I can't say my nursing skills are all that great but when your patient is so sweet and kind, it's easy to take care of him. I have to say sending him to school today was harder than sending him the first day. He looked so vulnerable and anxious. I'm sure he will do great and will get lots of attention but still, noone can take care of him like Mom, Dad and little sis...

ANOTHER first... this one I could have done without!

Well, it was bound to happen I just wasn't sure when or how. Today while we were at the playground after school, Parker was on his favorite apparatus: the monkey bars. You can probably finish the story from this point. He slipped. He fell 7 feet. He got the wind knocked out of him. He cried out. His arm was broken! After several hours at the ER and a lot of paperwork I can say we survived our first childhood accident. He did really well (superb, actually) and was brave even thru the tears. He is super relieved that he should be recovered in time for his first flag football game mid October (it's all about the sports). Tomorrow we go to an orthopedic surgeon to get his opinion and a cool permanent cast.

For those inquiring minds he broke his two radial bones in his left arm (right below his wrist). As a lefty, he will have an interesting and frustrating month.

REDS! REDS! MORE REDS!!!

Okay, so this post is for the kids more than any of you! Since down the road I am planning to give the kids this blog as a gift they should at least have memories from ALL the REDS games we have attended this year (and there have been A LOT!). We have been blessed with a great job and great friends who are more than generous with their tickets. We reap the benefits on a regular basis (not to mention we have a team that stinks and tickets that are easily available.. but we won't go there)

Anyway, this weekend we attended yet another game. This time against the Cubs. There was a rain delay as you can see from the pics and we made the most of it. We were fortunate enough to be sitting on the very very very top under the awning where the only thing we felt were a few drops from the leaky roof. There is not a bad seat at Great American Ballpark!
Trevis and I are amazed at how excited the kids get for every game. You would think this was their first game ever. It never gets old and is always thrilling for them. VERY cool as a parent.

LOVE this time of year!!!

It's tough living in Buckeye country but we are holding our own...

Another "first"...

Preschool!!!! Lillie just could not wait to be an "equal" to Parker in this area. The irony is that Lillie is pretty clingy and attached to me (wherever I go she follows like a lost puppy) so Trev and I were pretty suprised at how willing and excited she was about not being around me for a few hours. She also seemed sort of young but after dropping Parker off 3 afternoons a week last year, she was just so at home at his old school, that we thought "why not do 2 mornings a week?" She just loved it and adores her sweet teachers, Ms. Kristine and Ms. Donna." It's more like 3 hours of VBS (music, bible stories and playtime but that is exactly what she needs at this time.

24 volts of fun!

We have officially become the graveyard for Power Wheels. We never set out for our kids to have any but somehow we have accumulated $1500 worth of Power Wheels for less than $20 in the past 4 years. The kids love them (as do our neighbors) but our garage is a tad full these days. It started with our neighbor a few years back throwing a perfectly good PW JEEP in the garbage. Then, a guy having a garage sale around the corner gave us one he didn't sell and then last week I am at Goodwill and the guy that works there (who knows us well) tells me he has something for my kids. Now you should know he has told us this before and he came out with a stained REDS sweatshirt and a pair of beat up Barbie shoes so I wasn't overly exicted about the news. But then, he drags out a motorcycle and a digger in mint condition! It was their 1/2 off sale of all days and he just wanted them out of his storage room so he told me I could have both for $10!!! I don't know who was more excited, me or the kids! Needless to say I maneuvered (ok, more like stuffed) them in my van and we have had endless hours of speedy fun!!! There was a catch though,I told the kids that if we brought them home they had to give away one of their jeeps to someone who didn't have one. Which they totally agreed too...Wouldn't you for a pink and purple Harley????

Tea for two