Sizzling Summer

The kids and I have been loving the warm weather. It perfectly coincides with me trying to be more active with them. We have been to the park or out in the yard for playtime every single day for the last week and it's awesome!

Phoebe had her school concert. I'll see if I can figure out how to get the videos I took on here at some point. She was adorable. And I love the feeling of excitement in the air. School still goes for another week and a half unlike last year when the concert was the final day of preschool, but Phoebe still had school end gifts for her teachers and students. They all loved them.

This next week we have our seventh wedding anniversary, Phoebe's fifth birthday, a home tour in a house I think will be THE one, a field trip to the zoo where Walter and I are tagging along, James leaving for a ten day trip to NY, and June coming in with the heat!

I've been registering kids for their summer activities. I had delayed much of it foolishly because I thought we were moving to Oakland. I should have done all the registrations and just pulled them if needed. So, I got Phoebe on the waitlist for summer school. One of her teachers this year will be teaching it, and she'd get an opportunity to be with her school friends for a few more weeks. She's also officially signed up for T-ball. I believe she's doing dance (she wants to, I'm trying to figure out what day/time works).

Poor little Wally finished his last day of 'school'. I love that the high school kitty corner to our house offered this program. There were about eight students that held a daycare program three mornings a week for 2-4 year olds. Walter LOVED his school. And he loved seeing Miss Erin, a girl we had babysit for us a few times prior to his school. I contacted her about offering a summer program since Phoebe's calendar is full, but there isn't much for two year olds. We'll essentially have the Boberman head over to her house (or ours if Phoebe is at summer school) for Erin to read to him, do projects and some learning worksheets. We're thinking one or two days a week. I love that she's helping me out with this.

I'm super excited for summer to be here. I'm not happy that a 10 day span has to happen before it where I'll be alone with the kids, but we will be fine. Phoebe has school until June 5. There's the library reading program to sign up for both kids. And we have enough outdoor toys to keep them occupied outside and the inside of the house clean (*chuckle*).

Phoebe at Walter outside her dance recital.

Phoebe and her boquet collection (birthday party, dance recital, and school concert).

Birthday Girl

Soon our little baby girl will be five years old. I don't even know how that is possible. Life really does fly by in the blink of an eye. Phoebe is full of curiosity, compassion, and smarts. She's the best big sister a brother could ask for. She loves school, crafts, playing at the park, visiting her grandmas and other family, and helping me with any task she can.

We celebrated her birthday with my mom's side on Mother's Day weekend. It was the weekend of birthdays since there are a ton of them in May and June. Phoebe was blessed to receive a fancy new carseat (goes up to 120 pounds as a booster), dresses, a collection of porcelein dolls, craft supplies and much more. We spent a nice day playing outside and cooking out.

This year we decided to do a small party with her school friends. I had looked into party places like Monkey Joe's, but we didn't want to spend $200+ on a crazy party. Phoebe had picked out a book from her school scholastic order called A Little Fairy Magic by Julia Hubery. We didn't realize it at the time, but the story is about a mouse named Phoebe! She gets a new fairy outfit from her parents for her birthday and she tries to do some fairy magic.

Phoebe actually came up with the idea of doing a fairy birthday party around that book. She picked five friends for her fifth birthday party. I got to work figuring out how to do a magical party on a small scale at our house. I ordered costumes for Phoebe and all the guests from a website called Halo Heaven. The girls received a pink leotard with attached tutu, miniature fairy wings, wand, and halo headpiece. And I saw an idea on pinterest for little fairy houses (bird houses). Oriental Trading company had an inexpensive pack of houses that locked together. I also ordered some glittery butterflies, pink jewels, and flowers for the girls to use in addition to markers.

The girls had so much fun. Luckily two moms stayed to help wrangle all the fairies. The party was only scheduled for two hours since the kids were ages 4-5 and I figured that would be plenty of time to read the book, decorate fairy houses, eat cupcakes and open gifts.  We ended up having enough time to play in the kids' freshly organized playroom. The girls loved the baby toys and dollhouse.

I'm trying to upload pictures, but they are just showing up as red X's. Boo. I also have some pictures from the park. The kids ask every single day to go to the park. Last week I packed a lunch and we spent two hours there. It is so special to make those memories with the kids.

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books are the new way to preserve your memories. Create your own today.

Go Go Go

Life is busy. That's a fact. With summer fast approaching that seems especially true for the weekends. Since my last post, we've had birthday celebrations, school graduations, many house hunting excursions, and changes around our home.

May seems to be one of the busiest months of our year. Nick finished his semester at UWW. He was  totally part of our family these last few months. He was such an invaluable helper with the kids, third and fourth hand for me around the house, and support for James as well. He even helped give input as we've searched for homes in a pretty wide radius from Jefferson that will fit our family, work for James commute to work and Phoebe's commute to St. Joe's for kindergarten, and not have any tenants on the floor above waking our napping babies!

Phoebe will turn five this month. We've celebrated with my mom's side already on Mother's Day weekend. And she has a very small fairy party scheduled for this weekend where she will dress up and decorate fairy houses with her friends.  We will also celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary.

Tax season might have ended on paper in April, but James is still busy as ever. The suckiness of tax season was so lightened by having Nick around. I was even able to attend some Mary Kay events and teach religious education again this year. Poor James is still playing catch up and having some very stressful days even halfway through May.

I'll have some new pictures to load in the next few days. Even if our phones are a little expensive, I don't hesitate to give it to the kids for some much needed occupied time. They had it last Friday morning when I was running around trying to get Phoebe ready for school. And I haven't seen it since. I didn't realize all of the non-phone call or text ways that I use it. Phoebe ran a mile race with my dad on Mother's Day, and I had to pay $21 to buy two 4 x 6's because I didn't think to grab my very expensive but rarely used camera. The kids and I did go to the park after Phoebe's school today and I brought it with to get some updated pictures. It will be nice to have some non Instagram photos to share. And soon I will have Phoebe party pictures and five year old photoshoot to share too :)