Summertime...for a short time

Ok, I keep getting an error message so I'm just going to post this as is and you'll have to excuse the out of orderness of it all.  Grrrr....

We leave for Hawaii in 2 days and I haven't been to bed before midnight yet this week but wanted to get this out before we left as I am very far behind as is....

It really is sad how quickly summer flies by.  It doesn't help that here in Missouri we get out of school Mid-May and then this year the first day back is August 13!!!!!  Definitely not the Michigan summers that I am used to - June through September.  I really don't know why the school system and teachers want this early out/early start schedule - it's not really nice enough to do anything in May and then it's blazing hot and awful in August.  Case in point - the kids and I went to the pool for the FIRST time just 2 weeks ago... and now we have to go back to school!  So I'll try to talk about what we have done over the summer.

We had Harper's birthday in May, my birthday and Mothers Day - celebrated all at the same time!  We had a good time though and I got a fancy new camera that I'm not sure I can figure out or even learn how to upload the pictures to this post.  You saw the table/chairs we got for Harper and then she also received a ton of girly stuff - dolls, bottles, clothes, etc.  She plays with her dolls on a daily basis and although none of them have actual names, we have nicknamed them and so we can figure out which one she is wanting.  There is big baby, tiny baby, itty bitty baby, baby Harper (oops sorry that one does have a real name - Gavin named "his" baby, baby Harper), pinky and bathtub baby.  Her current favorite is tiny baby...when she's not playing octonauts or monster trucks with Gavin!  Wildly independent she wants to do everything herself which is a struggle at times but as most parents can attest to, there's not much you can do except plan extra time into your activities to allow for Miss Independent.  I went to NYC with my BFF Kim, my sister Jennifer and Kim's sister Kathie to celebrate Kim and my turning 40!  We had a great trip and it was nice to be with all girls who have similar interests - eating and shopping!  We saw Once on Broadway, visited the 9/11 memorial site, ate in Little Italy (yummy!), shopped SOHO and basically anywhere we ventured, and went to Good Morning America where Kim got to hug her FAVORITE Sam Champion AND I got to say my name after commercial break!!  Have to say, I wouldn't have been there but that was one of Kim's must do's in NYC so we got up early (although apparently not very early as those crazies get out there at the crack of dawn) and headed down.  We were off to the side and not in a very good spot...at least we thought.  Next thing we know Sam Champion comes walking out the door we were standing by and starts chatting with the crowd and then when he came back from commercial break he did it right in front of Kathie, Jennifer and me (although Jennifer says I blocked her from view as I did my whoo-hooing). We all had a great time and it was very nice to get away with my friend as we have lived in separate states since we graduated college.


June was a quick month and it's hard to remember anything special that we did. Gavin went to VBS this year for Kingdom Rock and he LOVED it. He asked on the first day if he could "take a day off" but I told him no and that we would have fun. We had bought the CD of music before so he could be familiar with the music before he went and I think that it helped. He was so excited to tell us what songs they sang that day and how much fun he had. He refused to go outside for the games after the first day and since he was assigned a student helper, they were happy to oblige. He said he didn't like the games they played but I think it had to do with it being hot and he got wet on the first day and that is something he does not like - unless he's wearing swim trunks. In spite of that, he had a great week and it was cute to hear about his day and see how excited he was. Both he and Harper can sing the entire CD by heart and luckily it is good music so Jon and I don't mind having it on in the car!

Gavin's also been going to OT at Leaps and Bounds each week, which he loves but it seems to be helping him we think. He seems more calm than usual and is able to regulate his emotions more often than before...although he still has work to do! Whatever wiggy, wiggy stuff they are doing seems to agree with him (as well as the chiropractor) and I feel a bit better about Kindergarten...which starts in less than 4 weeks!!! I can not believe this teeny baby that was born too early is about to enter the first year of school - I'm so excited for him! I actually always looked forward to the first day of school and hope he does too. I feel good about his teacher for this year and hope that they have all the tools and info they need to help him succeed. But most of all, I just think he's ready for the challenge and he's such a smart cookie that once he realizes that he can READ or ADD, he's going to be pleased as punch. He loves to do well and craves information that once he gets going, I have a feeling he will do well. Keep your fingers crossed.

July we headed to Wisconsin for Garrett's third birthday and did we have a bunch of red neck fun!! Kidding (sort of) but Aunt Jennifer's house was filled with things to do - from the slip and slide down the hill with the 2 tarp extensions (don't ask me or Jennifer how sore we were the days following from our trips down the fill), to the big kiddie pool, to the Gator that we drove to buy fireworks for 4th of July, to the remote control truck that Gavin and Harper drove around and around. AND Aunt Jennifer and Harper made the BEST chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting - delicious!!! We also went "to town" to visit the adorable Children's Museum with the miniature town where we could shop for food, deposit and withdraw money at the bank, eat and cook at the diner and vote at City Hall, we had such a fun morning. They also got to climb in an enormous mouth and travel through the intestines until they were, um, excreted, out the other end and play in the water room with all the tubes and pulleys and balls that you could watch go from end to end. Really quite a cute Children's Museum so if you are ever driving through Eau Claire, Wisconsin - stop with the kiddies and take a break there, you won't be sorry! Gavin and Garrett are a bit like oil and water but overall the weekend went well - I think once they both grow up some more they are going to be buddies. Harper just entertains herself so she just goes with the flow.

Gavin went to spend a week with Grandpa and Grandma in Michigan and got to travel there in the '63 Comet!! What a thrill. From the lack of time that Gavin wanted to talk to us on the phone, I'd say he had a grand time! Harper and I met them in Indy so no one had to drive all the way. We stayed at one of those indoor water parks for the night and then headed back home...but not for long because....

Jon and I are heading to Hawaii!! I won the sales trip this year for being ranked #3 in the region and the trip this year is to Kauai - we are both so excited. Luckily, Jon's parents will watch the kids for the first 1/2 of the week and my Mom and Dad are driving in (again!) to take the 2nd half of the week. It will be hectic for all of them I'm sure but we are sure grateful that they both can watch our kids so we can rest easy while we are there. We get to golf and Kayak and eat good food and just sit and read - I can't wait!! It is such a wonderful treat - it definitely spoils you. I told Jon that I'm not sure we can ever go back to Hawaii on our own dime because I'll just be comparing the dump that we stay in to the fancy hotels they put us up in. So far my year of 40 is turning out pretty good!