Andrew, Rascal and bubbles

Andrew has decided that he loves bubbles.  We mention blowing bubbles and he gets so excited.  A couple of weeks ago we were out blowing bubbles and of course Andrew was going crazy trying to get them, then we noticed the dogs were also going crazy trying to get them.  Rascal even jumped up and ran into the house while trying to get one, it was quite funny.  Tonight we were blowing bubbles and I caught some on video.  The first picture is a photo of Andrew chasing some bubbles, and the video is of Andrew and Rascal chasing them, Andrew had given up and Rascal keep going.  I have never seen a dog get as much air as he does (but I don't think he was getting as much as he has in the past), and Aggie usually goes after them but Ryan had just brought out her dinner so she was interested in that and not the bubbles.

Family Day...

...at scout camp.  We had decided that we were going to go and see Clark and Ryan at scout camp and check out what they had been doing.  There was going to be a water carnival, dinner and a campfire, but just as we were getting ready to leave a thunderstorm hit and we had gotten word that every thing had been canceled (talk about a thunderstorm, we had massive lightning and wind, the wind even blew a piece of vinyl off from above the front window, but my awesome husband was able to fix it, it doesn't even look like anything happened)  .  So we thought we had a change of plans until a friend of mine whose husband is the Scout committee chairman in our ward called and said everything is still a go, some of the water activities got rained out, but they were still doing some of the water activities and dinner and the campfire were still on.  So Emma and I decided to go and leave Andrew with his dad (toddler + mud = a big mess).  So off we went and the rest is history.

We got there just as the troop was going into dinner, we had already eaten so we just went in and enjoyed the conversion.  After dinner Clark took us to see the campsite and then off to the bonfire.  If you have not been to a scout function they are great, funny Masters of Ceremonies, corny run ons and cheesy jokes.  The funniest thing that night was one of the masters of ceremonies had bet that if the Scoutmaster's won the Staff/Scoutmaster volleyball game he would shave his legs.  Well, the Scoutmasters won and he shaved his legs, so most of the jokes were directed at him and then as he was talking his voice cracked, so poor guy he was getting teased about his legs and the cracking voice.  I thought it was great!

 Ryan, Clark and Jonathon

 We had to sit and wait till they were ready for us to come to the campfire, and Grace had been eating a Slush Puppy and her lips were bright red. Her mother was trying to get a picture of her and she wouldn't let us get a picture with her lips that shade of red, so I just took a few pictures and noticed Emma was doing a goofy smile. Those two girls are so funny when they get together.

 Me and two of my boys.  Yes, I feel short, but then I am still taller than Ryan.

 Jack Sparrow made an appearance, sorry "Captain Jack Sparrow".  He was really one of the counselors at camp and he ended up being in one of the skits during the bonfire, but he acted and talked just like the real Captain Jack Sparrow.  The kids and scouts were having fun with it.  Clark went up to get a picture with him and the other kids wanted to be in it too.  I didn't realize he wanted on of just him and Jack without Ryan and Emma, I'm sorry Clark.  

 Emma getting into the music before the bonfire started. 

It was a great night, except the fact we had to sit on wet benches and walk back to the cars without flashlights (yes, I am an idiot, I knew it was going to be dark and I forgot to take a flashlight, I didn't even think about the benches being wet or I would have taken  blanket) but all in all I had an enjoyable evening and I am glad I went.  As we were on our way home Ryan mentioned to me that he can't wait till next years scout camp because he can stay over night.  Poor guy missed the deadline to spend the night by two weeks, he was sad that they wouldn't let him, but the handbook states the eleven year old's cannot camp with the older boys.  But that's okay he probably got more sleep at home then he would of there.  I will post when we have the Court of Honor and I know what the boys actually earned, but Ryan finally passed his swim test to become a First Class.  Yea, Ryan I am so proud of you!!!

Just Chillin'

I had to post this picture, we had been home for a few minutes and Andrew had decided that he was going to relax on his couch, next thing I knew he had his feet up and was asleep.  No, I didn't let him sleep like this (talk about a crook in the neck) I took him and put him on a bed, he had a great nap (I actually got to take a nap with him, a much needed nap).  Now I just need to get feeling better, I ran out of allergy medicine Sunday and didn't make it to the store till yesterday, so now I have a sinus infection, funny nose and a cough, I hope I can catch it before it goes to my chest.  Yes, the joys of allergies, I am so tired of them!!!

Just tryin' to stay cool!!

Back in January we had cancelled our membership to the YMCA because we weren't using it.  A few weeks ago we decided to renew it because it is just too hot and the kids wanted to go swimming and not just in the backyard little pool.  Last week we spent every day there because it was nice and cool in the water.  The temperatures here have been at least 97 degrees or hotter and then add the humidity to that.  We even had a few days over 100 last week plus the humidity.  Yuck.  This is when I miss the dry heat of Utah, can't wait to visit, man am I going to freeze. 

Well back to what we have been doing lately.  Like I said it has been so hot that we haven't really left the house except to go to the pool, or the library.  The kids have enjoyed playing at the pool (as long as there are friends there) that they don't mind going everyday.  Andrew has really enjoyed it too, he is a fearless little one.  The YMCA has some slides and he threw a fit because I wouldn't take him up to the top, I thought he was a little young for that, but with persistence and a little fit throwing I gave in and had Emma take him up to the top and I would catch him.  He thought that was great, so Clark, Ryan and Emma took turns taking him up to the top and either Dad or I would catch him.  So now when we go he has to go down the slides, (there are two that he can go down one is faster and the other one he creeps down, can you guess which one he likes best?  Yep the faster one. 

Here he is creeping down the one slide,  Emma is catching him while her friend is coming down behind. He wasn't too thrilled here to go down the slide once he got to the top, he had already done it every day before this.  But oh well he did it and loved it.

Emma catching Andrew

Ryan drying off to go inside and play basketball with his friend.  They later came back out and swam some more but I had put the camera away and had a sleeping toddler on my lap so I couldn't get a picture of him in the water.

Clark, he was practicing his swimming.  He and Ryan had to go to the Scout camp the next day and have there swim test to so what kind of a swimmer they were for camp.  One nice thing about swimming is it wears the kids out, and I have some piece and quiet for a little while.

Andrew riding his bike outside.  Dad was out weed-eating and it was a little bit cooler the other night so we joined him outside.  Whenever we are outside Emma loves to ride her bike and scooter and Andrew tries to go with her.  To get him away from her so she could ride I had her go and get his bike and he had a blast until he got down to the end of the driveway and I wouldn't let him on it.  I showed him how to turn it around and go back toward the house and he decided that was okay.

Yesterday we took off to go to the "free movie" and then on to the Splash Pad.  Here they have a free movie two days a week and this one was "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", one that the kids love. They also love to read the books over and over and over again.  With Scout Camp going on this week I had one child of mine upset that we were going to see the movie the week he was gone.  He loves it.  Little does he know we can go to the theater again, it won't be the same show but they just love going to the movies.  We had just gone to see "Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides" on Saturday.  It was a good show, I don't think it was as good as the others but it was still awesome.  After the movie we went to the Splash Pad and the kids enjoyed it.  We went with my friend Monica and her kids.  It was so hot, it seemed like we had to park a mile away and walk there.  It seems like everywhere in Montgomery you have to hike to do anything.  Well we got our exercise for the day, and I was beat. 

Emma

Andrew, he wasn't too sure but finally decided to get wet.  I think he realized it was just like running through the sprinkler.  He didn't want to leave,

Emma, Andrew, Grace and Joseph

Andrew, trying to step on the water spout

The Splash Pad is on the other side of the Montgomery Biscuits Stadium (see scoreboard in the background) and in between them are the train tracks.  Andrew thought this was so cool, but talk about loud!!!  He loves cars, trucks, trains etc.

Eating lunch, Yum!!

Like I had mentioned earlier Clark and Ryan have Scout Camp this week, Clark spends the night while Ryan has to go back and forth (because he is only 11).  He was quite upset that he couldn't stay overnight with his birthday in two weeks, but rules are rules.  He is having fun and I have not talked to Clark since he left.  On Monday when we went to get him I snapped a picture of him and a couple of friends.  Look how happy, hopefully they will still be smiling by Saturday.

Connor, Ryan and Zack

Last night was Father son night at the camp for dinner (steak and potatoes), Dad went and got a few pictures of the boys. They still look happy, but they are starting to look a little tired.  Clark and Ryan are in three of their five merit badge classes together.  This year we had them take more required merit badges so they could get closer to their eagle rank so that is why they were lucky enough to get that many together.  Hopefully they are enjoying the time together and not ignoring each other.

Clark and his tent

Clark and Ryan

Ryan

Clark and Preston

Is that a smile I see.  I don't know, maybe it is a little one.

Some of the boys in the troop and their leaders

That is about all that we have been doing lately, hopefully Clark will have some pictures to post from his camera from camp, also I think we are going to go family day tomorrow afternoon.  Just something more to do in the sweltering heat, but then again I get to see my boys.

What kids think old is.

I have to write this down because I thought it was too funny. 
 We were driving to the library today and we were talking about the Dewey Decimal System (the library is doing an activity using the system this afternoon is how we even got on the subject) and I asked the kids
me-"do you know what a card catalog is?"
Ryan -"yes, it is how they found books in the old days"
me- "how long ago were the old days?"
Ryan- "10-20 years" ago. 
I didn't realize I was that old. I wonder what they used in the really really old days!

School is out and summer is here...

Summer is here and in full swing.  The kids have been out of school for a week now (except Clark he was exempt from his exams so he has been home for two weeks), and already I have heard "I'm bored".  So with the temperature in the high 90's ( I think we have actually hit 100 degrees) and if you add the heat index it is just too hot for this time of year.  But then again I am not usually here for June, I hear it isn't usually this hot here this time of of the year. 

We have had end of year parties and awards assemblies and again I am proud of my children.  Clark got A's and B's, Ryan got A's and B's and Emma got A's and B's for their final grade for the year. Most of the year they had all A's but one subject they got a B, by the end of the year they had brought their grades up to all A's. Way to go!!!!! Their end of year certificates say AB honor roll, but that is awesome they are so smart!!!  Because the lighting in all of the the schools is horrible we had to go outside for their pictures.

Emma with here all AB Honor Roll Certificate.

 

Ryan with his AB Honor Roll Certificate

Last Wednesday we sat down to eat dinner before we had to get out of the door for Scouts and Young Men's and this is what we saw on the window.  Yes, there are two lizard's there.  It freaked Ryan out (he does not like bugs or anything that crawls) and then there is me who goes outside to get a picture.  I thought it was kind of cool to have them there.  They sat there for a while and then one of them took off across the window and was gone.  We had left anyways and it was too dark to see when we got home, but we did see another lizard (don't know if it was the same one) a couple of days later on the same side of the house.  Hopefully they will keep the bugs down, Dad likes that.

Like I was saying school is out and to find things for the kids to do (where it is cool, or to keep them cool) is hard.  All the boys want to do is play on the Xbox.  So yesterday we pulled out our little kiddie pool and they had a blast.  Even Andrew was enjoying it.  Andrew had  been sick since Saturday night with a fever over 100 degrees and he had thrown up just after midnight Sunday morning.  His fever finally broke Tuesday afternoon, and by Wednesday he was pretty much back to himself, he actually ate breakfast, french toast.  He isn't much of a breakfast eater anyway so when he ate I knew he was feeling better.  Hopefully no one else in the family will get it!

Playing catch or is he just throwing it at Em.

He loves balls and doesn't care how big they are.

CHEESE!!

He is having a ball!

Even the dogs were trying to stay cool.