Growing like weeds

No better time to try out the pool then on the last day of school. I couldn't help but smile when the boys said to me "mom did you get a smaller pool, this one's not as deep as last year." my response "no boys you just grew alot over the winter." Oh how I wish I could hit the pause button.

 Miss Mackenzie informed me over the weekend that she was not going to grow any bigger, she is going to stay this size forever. I am all for that.

As I watch all my loves grow little by little everyday, this day I realized Miss Lainey is on her way to independence. I had her in one of those baby floaters in the pool with the kids. She was LOVING floating around as the kids splashed around her. Then I gave all the kids one of those small round tubes and instantly she wanted nothing to do with the baby ring...she wanted a big kid ring. So I stood close, gave in, and let her have it. Oh my gosh the smile she got as she was able to float around all by herself was the best! She just loved kicking her feet up and floating around in that tube.

So here we go headed into another fun filled summer, with my final little love growing way too fast right before my eyes.

Bucket List

It is officially summer in our house and that means its time to start crossing out our bucket list. Last year I got the idea from another blogger Sarah to put together a list of things to do with the kids over the summer and as you accomplish them the kids get to cross it off.

I loved having a list of ideas written down on paper as that way we were never left wondering what to do that day. At the summers end it made me feel like we have accomplished something and not just wasted a whole summer doing nothing.

The kids loved looking over the list and helping me plan what we would do the next day. And of course they loved to cross off each item as we completed it.

So here we go with our running shoes on. Let our summer begin with a list of fun filled things to do.

Our List

1. camping

2. visit Vinny and Sophia (their cousins)

3. Bradford beach

4. Random Lake beach

5. Fire works

6. Go to grandpa's cabin up north

7. Go fishing

8. Zoo

9. See a parade

10. Sprinkler parks (1, 2)

11. Regner Park

12. Bonfire with s'mores

13. Make Popsicle's

14. Pick strawberries

15. Go out for ice cream

16. Library adventures (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

17. Help mom pick veggies from garden

18. Go for a bike ride

19. Harrington beach

20. Picnic dinner

21. Feed fish at a pond

22Picnic lunch

23. Water gun fight

24. Geo caching (1, 2)

25. Make smoothies

26. Lemonade stand

27. Go hiking

28. Day trip to Bay Beach

29.Breakfast picnic

 30. Have friend over for ice cream sundaes

31. Visit Pioneer Village

32. Water balloon fight

33. State Fair

34. Play at possibilities playground

35. Visit great grandma Krocka

36. Take a long boat ride

37. Catch fireflies

38. Sign up for summer reading program

39. Play at Port outdoor pool

40. Go to drive in theater

41. Visit Farmers market

42. Find a treasure at a rummage sale

43. Send a post card

44. Find a treat at a candy store

45. Discovery World

46. Lunch with Dad

47. Card board  box fort

48. Make and use side walk paint

49. Fly kites

50. Camera day (everyone gets their own disposable camera to take their own pictures with )

Sadness

I am deeply sadden to announce that our little friend Kai, the tadpole, has passed away. I'm not sure what happened, he was growing so well. I was so excited to post how he was growing and changing daily and then he passes. His tail was just about gone and he was looking a lot like a frog. The other tadpole that was sick passed away as well. So for now we'll focus on the last day of school and begin working on our bucket list. Maybe come fall we'll get some new tadpoles and give it a try again.

Late

I do my best to always be on time, but Friday I failed. This was the day of Landon's kindergarden program. I was only a few minutes late, but because I was in a hurry I forgot my camera. It didn't even enter my mind as I was running out the door. I didn't even think of it til I walked in to hear them singing their first song. And to make it worse he was dead center in the front row. Oh how I could have gotten some great pics. Now it will just be a memory in my head that I hope will last forever. As I write this I can't help but think how silly this sounds, but hey I'm a mom and that what I do stress over the silly things.

I will say that he did an excellent job. He was belting out the songs and doing all the actions, which had me quite surprised since he is my shy child. I couldn't help but try to hold the tears back as I watched him perform and think, oh my he is now a 1st grader.

After the performance we sat down to make a picture frame and the teacher took our picture to put in the frame. So once I get that photo I'll have to post the one photo of our mommy Landon day. I can't wait to see it and add it to the fridge next to Michael's frame from kindergarten.

Landon has always been my Momma's boy, and I absolutely LOVE feeling so loved and needed, I just hope that when he turns 16, 18, 21 or 50 he still loves me the same.

Tadpoles

For Christmas my mother in law gave Landon a kit to grow his own frogs. While most parents would be turned off by this idea I will admit I was excited for it. I don't know about your kids, but mine have an OVERABUNDANCE of toys. Much of that is due to their own mother spoiling them, so when he got something other than a toy I was ecstatic!

The kit came with everything but the tadpoles which we had to order. 1 came free, but since this was new to us I order an extra in case something happened to one of them. Then we waited 2 long months for our friends to arrive. Due to the winter months they couldn't be shipped out until it got warmer.

(picture taken 3/24)

At the end of March we received a package with a small bottle that contained our new friends. And thus began the waiting and waiting and waiting for changes to start happening.

 During that time 1 of the tadpoles began to start floating upside down. I kept him in the tank basically waiting for him to pass so I could remove him, but after 1 week of this behavior and he was still alive, he remained. Over the next week I noticed the active tadpole was taking on these same weird characteristics, and in a panic, not wanting them both to die I quarantined the sicker of the 2 to a separate tank. The remaining one quickly bounced back and is now doing great. The sick one is still alive and always laying upside down in his separate tank.

(picture taken 5/16)

After just under 2 months of waiting we finally sprouted 2 back legs!

(picture taken 5/28)

Then this past weekend we went out of town for 3 days and came home to 2 new front legs. I was SHOCKED to see those new legs grow so fast. Even looking at him now a week later he has changed so much.

The time leading up to his changes had taken so long and now the changes are fun to watch happen right before our eyes!

As for his friend he is still alive, and slowly going through the changing process. He has only grown very small back legs, so we shall see what happens with this little friend.

 

Memorial Weekend

The morning started out wet, cold and rainy. But that wasn't going to slow us down. With everything loaded and the kids all ready to go, away we went to camp in the rain.  45 minutes of the ride had us driving through nonstop rain. I must admit I was getting nervous to have to spend the day in the rain so we made 1 final stop at a Walmart for some last minute rain jackets. I rain through the pouring rain into the store, and upon my return to the car I was so excited to find the rain had stopped and the clouds were clearing allowing the warm sun to peak through. Whoo Hoo!

Excitement ran wild throughout the truck as we pulled into the boat launch....finally the return to camping has arrived! Much of Saturday was spent cleaning up the ever so lovely mouse droppings from our cabin, picking up sticks left scattered about from the long winter months and simply just getting things unpacked for the summer weekends ahead.

We only had 1 more small episode of rain Saturday night around bedtime, but that just made it easier for me to get the kids gathered into the cabin to call it a night.

We woke up Sunday morning to warmth and sunshine and it didn't take long for the kids to start begging to go into the lake. After much reassurance we explained to them that there would be plenty of time to swim their hearts out.

I love that we brought this little pool out a few years ago, it made for countless hours of fun going down the slide and a Mom who was able to watch from the comfort of a lawn chair!

The water was still ICE cold, but that didn't seem to phase anyone, nor stop them from taking a few crazy jumps off the end of the pier!

The rest of the weekend was spent pushing Lainey and my niece Sophia on the swings. Oh how those girls love to swing. So much in fact that we got a few pouty looks when we tried to get them out.

I feel so blessed to have such an amazing Dad that is so patient and willing to spend countless hours at the end of the pier helping the kids catch fish after fish after fish.

 

I'm so grateful for this little barn that always provides my little loves shade while we pull the boat out of the water. I'm even more grateful for the little loves that remember every year to immediately head to this spot upon exiting the boat to wait for mom and dad.

Till next time time my loves. I can't wait to capture more moments from my constantly growing children!

Island

Can we go to the island today?

This is the one question I hear all winter long. My response every time...No guys we have to wait til it gets warm.

Well guess what...Its island time!!

What is the island you ask? A quick hour from our house is a town called Hustisford. There is a lake called Sinnissippi Lake and on that lake is an island called Campers Island. This is where our campsite is. My parents have taken me and my 3 sisters out there since we were babies. It is a place we love to get away to and the best part its close to home so the kids can handle the ride with no problem. Because it is an island you need a  boat to get across which makes it even more fun. There is no running water or electricity....Just the great outdoors! We have upgraded over the years and are no longer tent camping. We now have a small 1 room cabin that we sleep in. The rest of the time is spent outside running around, swimming, flying kites or just taking it easy in a lawn chair.

The kids are starting to wake up now so off I go to get the last of the necessities packed up.

To the island we go!