The first big "thing" in June was when Auntie came to visit. She came for a couple days during the week to help out as Colin completed his transition from school to summer mode. We didn't go anywhere too crazy but still had a great time playing "Ghostbusters" and playing on the water rug. On her last day, we went to what I would call an equality parade (it was & wasn't just a PRIDE parade) and Colin got one step closer to looking just like Dad!
Family free day at the nature park!
Here we are with our best buddies - Louis, Colin, Blair & Eleanor
Typically I don't give playgrounds their own section in the adventure portion of the blog, but this playground was super cool. It was made mostly of wood and huge! There was so much to do for both kids, as it had a smaller section (which of course Blair thought she was too big for). We will definitely have to go back!
The library was hosting a kickoff to reading party, so we decided to go as a solution to our rainy day problem. It was way cooler than I expected! There was lots for both kids to do, with arts & crafts, tattoo shop & face painting. Colin loved doing the egg drop with Dad, and Blair was mildly obsessed with the water beads. Nice little Saturday!
Next up! Our local museum was having an exhibit on bees, so we went to check it out. It was small but pretty cool, and kept the kids entertained for an hour before we moved onto other fun museum activities.
I love going to u-pick farms with the kids to pick fruits & vegetables. Even though we didn't do the planting, watering & caring, I think it is important for kids to see where food comes from...and, have you ever tasted a sun-warmed strawberry?! I was worried the cold weather and rain would've ruined the strawberries this year, but I was happily wrong. I loved this farm and for $5 we had a great time (even though it was hothothot that day!) Just look at these faces <3
Later that night we ate the fruits of our labor with some whipped cream and graham crackers - YUM!
This next adventure holds a special spot in my heart. There are lots of things I have & do look forward to doing with our kids, and camping is just another one on the list. I finally ordered our gear (tents, sleeping bags, lanterns) and was ready to test it out in the backyard to see how Colin would do. One thing I did not anticipate was how it doesn't get dark until 10pm! I was so excited to see the lightning bugs and bats and stars and moon but, shoot it took forever. All said & done, Colin did great! He was excited to see the bats and had fun looking for stars. He woke up at 6am, said "Mom, I did it! I camped! I'm going back to sleep." We are attempting to camp as a family this summer, so wish us luck there!
And as luck would have it, right after Grandma left, Blair got horribly sick. She woke up with a high fever (104) and a wicked cough. I thought it was croup, so we took her to the doctor and got some steroids for her vocal chords. She could hardly sleep she was so uncomfortable, and the next day she was no better so we took her back to the doctor. Poor little baby had a virus that caused runny nose, cough and high fevers for up to 5 days. It was so awful - she was so hot & sweaty, couldn't get comfortable and wanted to be held. I am so glad she is back to her sweet self now!
Another one of those things I reminisce about is catching lightning bugs - and I got to do it with Colin a few days ago. We made a comfy jar for them with grass and sticks and went hunting! He had lots of fun ("Oh, I see one!") and has asked to do it a few times since.
Almost forgot these pics of my little harvesters! We were able to cut some lettuce and pick our radishes this month. I'm so lucky I had excellent helpers. Hopefully the rest of our plants will pick up the pace!
Aside from the adventures above, we have done LOTS of outside activities, even when it was hoodie and pants weather. We are lucky to have the group of moms & their kids to play with, and Colin's school also does meet-ups and playdates so we often have lots to do. It also helps I can set-up the pool, water rug and sprinkler and the kids can have a blast in the backyard. I feel so lucky to spend everyday with these two amazing kids.
These two have very different personalities. Colin is very social and eager to play with other kids & people. He likes attention and needs physical activity. Blair is perfectly happy to sit in her room flipping through her books or playing with bubbles. She likes attention but doesn't seek it out like her brother. They can play together, but I'm noticing more & more they are doing their own things. Still, they sure love each other. Colin loves going to garage sales, so one weekend Chris took him and Colin was going to spend all his money on a car for Blair. Chris said, "If you do that you don't have anything for yourself." and Colin said "That's okay, sissy will really like this." The lady running the sale overheard and gave it to him for half price so he could keep some of his money. Another time, Colin was crying and went over to Blair, and she hugged him and patted him on the back. Such sweetnesses!
And onto my Colin. He is back to his (mostly) sweet and fun-loving self after completing his school to summer transition. I love that he treats everyday as a new adventure, and even if he's a little apprehensive about doing something, he will at least try it. Anywhere we go he is always eager to make new friends, even if we have friends there already. He of course is developing a little bit of an attitude, which I expect given his parents, but he's a kind hearted, fun loving kid no doubt about it.
He has very unique ways of watching TV.
Some funny Colin stories:
- Overheard in the bathroom while Colin was in the bath: "You spent all our money on GUM?!"
- I was annoying him and he said "Stop you're stepping on my nerves!"
- Overhead on the playground
Colin: "I have two girlfriends."
Girl: "What are their names?"
Colin: "Your name. You're my girlfriend."
- One of his shows asked "Have you ever walked on a balance beam?" and Colin replied "Yeah it was great!"
- At Target a woman was wearing an illness prevention mask - Colin asks "Why are you wearing that mask? Are you a bad guy?"
Oh Blair. My mom called her spunky and I can't think of a better description. She doesn't take any crap from anyone, but can be so sweet and cuddly. She knows when she is being funny and doesn't laugh at herself (like her brother would). Blair is learning & saying all kinds of new words daily. She can repeat most words/short phrases back to you. I never thought I'd say this but I think she says more words at this age than Colin did (though I think Colin was more articulate)! She can say dog, look, book, flower, water, eat, bee, ca-ca, bath, night night, butt, eyes, teeth, cat, toes, hi & bye, no...etc. It seems like every day she's learning something new.
And for the cutest little girl in the whole world, she can get SO GRUBBY so easily. Boogers, dirt, dog food, chocolate, anything that she can smear on her face and hands, she surely will.
Some funny Blair stories:
- Blair has a very developed palate, preferring the dog's food to her own most times. I've given up trying to stop her. I recently bought some cocoa cereal and she liked it because...it looked like dog food.
- It has become a running joke to tease Chris with pictures of Blair being a daredevil. Think, big slides, climbing high, unstable footing. He panics whenever I send him pics and it is hilarious. Here's an example:
- I was putting new batteries in a toy for her. I left and came back and found her copycatting me. She was even turning the screwdriver!
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